cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lipase dissolution and stabilization in ether-functionalized ionic liquids

Ionic liquids (ILs) with various structures and properties have been extensively investigated in many biocatalytic reactions and processes. However, although hydrophobic ILs tend to stabilize the insoluble (suspended) enzymes, they usually have low hydrogen-bonding basicity with solutes, which limits the solubility of many substrates (such as D-glucose, ascorbic acid, and cellulose). In contrast, hydrophilic ILs (such as those based on chloride, acetate and dicyanamide) are able to dissolve many of these substances that are not quite soluble in common organic solvents. Unfortunately, enzymes are not always active in these hydrophilic media due to strong interactions (such as H-bonding) between proteins and ILs. To resolve this dilemma, we recently synthesized new acetate-based ILs carrying a long alkyloxyalkyl chain in their cations, and found that these ether-functionalized solvents are lipase-compatible and can dissolve considerable amounts of D-glucose and cellulose (Green Chem., 2008, 10, 696). In this study, we further observed that these ILs could dissolve high concentrations of lipase B from Candida antarctica (CALB) (> 5 mg/mL at 50 °C), as well as other substrates including amino acids and betulinic acid. Therefore, these novel media offer new opportunities for carrying out homogeneous enzymatic reactions, which is practically important for large substrate molecules. In this article, we further confirmed the lipase compatibility of these ILs through the transesterification between ethyl butyrate and 1-butanol. The second derivative infrared spectra of CALB suggest the conservation of secondary structures of proteins in these ILs. We further investigated these ether-functionalized ILs in two important biocatalytic reactions: enzymatic synthesis of methyl-phthalate of betulinic acid, and CALB-catalyzed synthesis of D-glucose fatty acid esters. These substrates are not very soluble in conventional organic solvents, but very soluble in ILs, which improved the catalytic efficiency of these reactions. Moderate to high conversions were achieved in both reactions.
Detection of type and subtypes of influenza virus by hybrid formation of FRET probe with amplified target DNA and melting temperature analysis

Abstract Fluorescence resonance energy transfer probes were selected for three sets of reverse transcription -polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), each in duplex format to detect: (1). Influenza virus type A or B; (2). Neuraminidase subtypes N1 or N2; and (3). Hemagglutinin subtypes H1 or H3 using LightCycler Instrument. A pair of probes targeted a type or subtype specific RT-PCR amplified gene segment. The presence of a target in a set of amplification reaction was detected by increased fluorescence over background emitted from the appropriate reporter fluorophore on probe-target hybrid formation and by melting temperature (Tm) analysis of probe-target hybrid. The Tm of a probe-target in a duplex amplification was distinctly different from the other, and thus Tm value allowed specific detection of a target. Amplified product in each set of amplification was also examined by conventional agarose gel electrophoresis. The sensitivities of detection by fluorescence signal analysis were equal or ten times better than that detected by agarose gel electrophoresis.
Ethylene production from α-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid by isolated rat liver cells, suspension medium, and perfusates in the absence and presence of iron

Experiments were carried out to evaluate the production of hydroxyl radical-like species by intact rat liver cells by assaying for the production of ethylene from alpha-keto-4-thiomethylbutyric acid in the absence and presence of added iron. In the absence of iron, a low rate of ethylene production, which was not sensitive to superoxide dismutase, catalase, or competitive scavengers was observed. Ethylene was produced when KMBA was incubated with perfusates of rat liver or the suspension medium obtained after incubating liver cells for varying periods of time, followed by removal of the liver cells. Boiling the perfusate or suspension medium had no effect on ethylene production. This ethylene production does not appear to reflect an oxygen radical-mediated event. The addition of ferric-EDTA, but not ferric-desferrioxamine, increased ethylene production by the hepatocyte suspensions in a reaction sensitive to inhibition by catalase, ascorbate oxidase, and competitive scavengers, but not superoxide dismutase. The sensitivity to externally added catalase and ascorbate oxidase suggested that the ethylene production reflected an extracellular oxygen radical generating system. Ferric alone and several ferric chelates, for example, ferric-ATP, ADP, AMP, histidine, and citrate stimulated ethylene production using perfusates of liver or suspension medium after removal of the hepatocytes. The sensitivity of the added iron system to ascorbate oxidase suggested that during perfusion or incubation of liver cells, efflux of ascorbate occurs, followed by reduction of the iron and subsequently, extracellular production of oxygen radicals.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Strange Survival of Liberal England: Political Leaders, Moral Values and the Reception of Economic Debate – Edited by E. H. H. Green and D. M. Tanner

This volume is a celebration of the work of British political historian Peter Clarke. Its title inverts that of George Dangerfield's famous “death” of Liberalism in the early twentieth century, and...
Nursing knowledge, practice patterns, and learning preferences regarding chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy.

Purpose/objectives To explore nurses' practice patterns, knowledge, and barriers related to chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Design Descriptive, cross-sectional. Setting The United States. Sample 408 oncology nurses. Methods A team of eight experts met and developed the CIPN nurse knowledge and preferences survey, which was electronically sent to randomly selected nurses. Main research variables The survey assessed nurses' knowledge and practice patterns regarding assessment strategies and barriers, evidence-based interventions, preferences for education, and perceived gaps in scientific knowledge. Findings Nurses in the survey lacked knowledge regarding neurotoxicity of specific agents and evidence-based treatments. CIPN-focused physical examinations and standardized measurement tools were infrequently used during assessment. The most frequently reported barriers to CIPN assessment included lack of access to measurement tools, lack of specialized skills needed for assessment, lack of confidence, and lack of time. Recommendations for future research included CIPN prevention research, exploration of CIPN-related effects on quality of life, and alternative treatments of CIPN. The majority of participants preferred online educational opportunities. Conclusions Nurses do not consistently integrate evaluation and management of CIPN in their practices. Implications for nursing Educational offerings should incorporate web-based CIPN assessment and management content.
Ocean-floor heat-flow measurements west of the United States and Baja California

Abstract Heat-flow values west of North America range from 0.10-5.79 · 10 −6 cal./cm 2 sec. Most measurements at the same location repeat reasonably well. Some of the variations appear periodically distributed with distance over long lines, with characteristic “wavelengths” of the variations ranging from about 250 km off Baja California to 1,000 km off northern California. For the most part, the variations appear uninterrupted across the Mendocino fracture zone. High values occur near the coast, three or four times normal north of the Mendocino fault and twice normal in the borderland off southern and Baja California.
Connexin46 Is Retained as Monomers in a trans-Golgi Compartment of Osteoblastic Cells

Connexins are gap junction proteins that form aqueous channels to interconnect adjacent cells. Rat osteoblasts express connexin43 (Cx43), which forms functional gap junctions at the cell surface. We have found that ROS 17/2.8 osteosarcoma cells, UMR 106-01 osteosarcoma cells, and primary rat calvarial osteoblastic cells also express another gap junction protein, Cx46. Cx46 is a major component of plasma membrane gap junctions in lens. In contrast, Cx46 expressed by osteoblastic cells was predominantly localized to an intracellular perinuclear compartment, which appeared to be an aspect of the TGN as determined by immunofluorescence colocalization. Hela cells transfected with rat Cx46 cDNA (Hela/Cx46) assembled Cx46 into functional gap junction channels at the cell surface. Both rat lens and Hela/Cx46 cells expressed 53-kD (nonphosphorylated) and 68-kD (phosphorylated) forms of Cx46; however, only the 53-kD form was produced by osteoblasts. To examine connexin assembly, monomers were resolved from oligomers by sucrose gradient velocity sedimentation analysis of 1% Triton X-100–solubilized extracts. While Cx43 was assembled into multimeric complexes, ROS cells contained only the monomer form of Cx46. In contrast, Cx46 expressed by rat lens and Hela/Cx46 cells was assembled into multimers. These studies suggest that assembly and cell surface expression of two closely related connexins were differentially regulated in the same cell. Furthermore, oligomerization may be required for connexin transport from the TGN to the cell surface.
GaInNAs laser gain

The optical gain spectra for GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells are computed using a microscopic laser theory. From these spectra, the peak gain and carrier radiative decay rate as functions of carrier density are determined. These dependences allow the study of the lasing threshold current density of GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well structures.
Susceptibility of certain stages of the rice weevil to a methallyl chloride fumigant formulation in wheat of various moistures.

Adult rice weevils ( Sitophilus oryza (L.)) were fumigated with an 80-20 (by volume) formulation of carbon tetrachloride methallyl chloride in wheat at 11.0%, 12.5%, and 14.0% moistture for 48 hours at 80°. Eggs, first and third instar larvae, and pupae were fumigated in 12.5% and 14.0% wheat. Most of the insects killed by fumigation had died within 5 days. There was no apparent knock-down with subsequent recovery. LC50 values with upper and lower fiducial limits and b (slope) values with upper and lower fiducial limits were calculated for 10-day mortalities. LC90 values were estimated from plotted curves. LC50 order of susceptibility from least to greatest at 12.5% moisture was: third instar larvae<first instar larvae=eggs <pupae=adults; at 14.0% moisture: third instar larvae<first instar larvae<pupae<eggs<adults. LC90 order of susceptibility from least to greatest at 12.5% moisture was: third instar larvae<first instar larvae=pupae=eggs<adults; and 14.0% moisture: third instar larvae<pupae <first instar larvae<eggs <adults. Carbon tetrachloride-methallyl chloride (80-20)was slightly more effective against adults than carbon tetrachloride-carbon disulfide (80-20)at LC90, but about equal at LC50.
Gender Differences and Communication Technology Use Among Emerging Adults in the Initiation of Dating Relationships

For many emerging adults, initiating and developing a romantic relationship is likely to be very different from the experiences of previous generations. Many studies address the abundant use of technology among young adults in virtually every aspect of their lives. Few studies, however, have investigated the use of communication technology and its impact on how relationships are discovered, initiated, and maintained among this group. Researchers collected data from 1,003 young adults (ages 18–25 years) through an online survey about communication technology use and dating behaviors. Results were analyzed using chi-square tests to assess for differences between groups. Findings suggest significant differences between men and women and their use of communication technology during the initiation of dating relationships. Additionally, young adults believe that “talking,” “hanging out,” and “sharing intimate details” are more important when compared with using communication technologies to establish a relation...
Effect of chronic cocaine exposure on carotid artery reactivity in neonatal rabbits

Chronic cocaine abuse by pregnant women results in chronic neonatal drug exposure. In adults, chronic cocaine use alters neurotransmitter concentrations and receptor dose-response relationships. Similar changes may also occur in the neonatal cerebrovasculature after in utero cocaine exposure. This study examined the effect of chronic cocaine exposure on internal carotid artery reactivity to norepinephrine, serotonin, acetylcholine, sodium nitroprusside, adenosine, and cocaine in neonatal rabbits. Internal carotid artery rings were isolated from 16 to 20 day old rabbits that had received cocaine (20 mg/kg IP BID, mn = 8) or saline (n = 8) from 5 days of age and were studied in organ baths using standard in vitro techniques. Chronic treatment with cocaine decreased the half-maximal relaxant response (ED50) to adenosine (control 6.9 ± 1.8 vs cocaine 3.5 ± 0.99 μM, p = 0.05). The half-maximal contractile responses (EC50) to norepinephrine and serotonin and the half-maximal relaxant responses (ED50) to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside were similar between groups. The threshhold concentration of cocaine that induced vessel contraction was altered by chronic cocaine exposure (control group 10−6 M vs chronic cocaine group 10−4 M). We conclude that chronic cocaine exposure sensitizes carotid arteries to the relaxant effects of adenosine. In addition, chronic cocaine exposure desensitizes carotid arteries to the contractile effects of acute cocaine. These vasoreactivity changes may underlie altered cerebrovascular responses to asphyxia and play a role in the pathogenesis of postnatally acquired brain injury in critically ill “crack” babies.
Clinical Correlates of White Matter Findings on Cranial Magnetic Resonance Imaging of 3301 Elderly People: The Cardiovascular Health Study

Background and Purpose Our aim was to identify potential risk factors for and clinical manifestations of white matter findings on cranial MRI in elderly people. Methods Medicare eligibility lists were used to obtain a representative sample of 5888 community-dwelling people aged 65 years or older. Correlates of white matter findings were sought among 3301 participants who underwent MRI scanning and denied a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack. Participants underwent extensive standardized evaluations at baseline and on follow-up, including standard questionnaires, physical examination, multiple blood tests, electrocardiogram, pulmonary function tests, carotid sonography, and M-mode echocardiography. Neuroradiologists graded white matter findings from 0 (none) to 9 (maximal) without clinical information. Results Many potential risk factors were related to the white matter grade, but in the multivariate model the factors significantly (all P<.01) and independently associated with increased grade w...
Gate arrays simplify translation between high speed logic families

TTL dominates todays I/O specifications. However, ECL logic provides increased bandwidth and low noise in a transmission line environment. High performance designs increasingly need to combine ECL and TTL interfaces. This paper presents a flexible approach to mixed signal level translations (ECL/PECL and TTL) utilizing a single I/O cell on a family of ECL gate arrays. The incorporation of Schottky diodes within the bipolar process provides high performance on/off chip logic translations to complement the 2.6 Gb/s ECL I/O interface capability. Versatile high speed system applications are illustrated and described. >
Effect of carbon tetrachloride on release of free fatty acids by rat adipose tissue.

Conclusions1. Administration of epinephrine to rats increased release of free fatty acid from adipose tissue in vitro. 2. Administration of carbon tetrachloride had no effect on release of free fatty acids from adipose tissue in vitro. 3. These results are not consistent with the hypothesis that carbon tetrachloride administration elicits a supporting adrenal discharge.
The two-dimensional diagnostic model for tropospheric OH - An uncertainty analysis

Tropospheric OH is believed to play a major role in atmospheric photochemistry, and, via its chemical interactions OH ultimately may affect the climate, stratospheric ozone levels, and the pH of rain. A valuable tool for predicting the global OH abundance as a function of latitude and altitude is the two-dimensional diagnostic model for tropospheric OH. This model can also be applied to budget studies of species which interact with OH, such as CH4, CO, and O3. In addition to laboratory-obtained kinetic data, important variables include the rate constants for several reactions, the rate of heterogeneous removal of soluble species, and the global abundance and spatial variability in H2O, O3, CO, and NOx. The uncertainties in these parameters imply over a factor of 3 variability in the calculated global OH concentration as well as significant uncertainties in the latitudinal and vertical OH distribution.
The development of internal stress in films of thermoplastic polymers cast from solution.

One of the known contributors to the physical failure of coating or adhesive applications is the shrinkage stress which develops as a solid film is formed from a solution, dispersion, or reactive mixture. As a first examination of the magnitude of such shrinkage stresses in art and restoration materials, we have determined the stresses which develop in films of thermoplastic polymers cast from toluene solutions, by measuring the curvature of a flexible substrate coated on one side with the polymer solution. The polymers studied include several poly (vinyl acetates) and poly (methacrylates), chosen to include several common coating materials and to span a range of physical and chemical properties. The results have been compared with a theory on the development of internal stress in films of solvent-based thermoplastic polymers. The theory correlates the magnitude of internal stress in the film with the amount of solvent which evaporates from the film after it has 'solidified'.
Management of Adnexal Cysts Detected in the Antenatal Period: Review

The aim of this review is to increase the understanding of management of adnexal cysts detected antenatally. Advancements in ultrasound technology have aided in the early detection of adnexal cysts. Adnexal cysts are recognized as most often being a consequence of the hormonal milieu associated with pregnancy. Often, these cysts are simple-appearing and measure smaller than four centimeters. However, these cysts can be large and may lead to adnexal torsion and hemorrhage. This article will provide a summary of the literature published in regards to management of neonatal adnexal cysts.
Causal Inference with General Treatment Regimes: Generalizing the Propensity Score

In this article we develop the theoretical properties of the propensity function, which is a generalization of the propensity score of Rosenbaum and Rubin. Methods based on the propensity score have long been used for causal inference in observational studies; they are easy to use and can effectively reduce the bias caused by nonrandom treatment assignment. Although treatment regimes need not be binary in practice, the propensity score methods are generally confined to binary treatment scenarios. Two possible exceptions have been suggested for ordinal and categorical treatments. In this article we develop theory and methods that encompass all of these techniques and widen their applicability by allowing for arbitrary treatment regimes. We illustrate our propensity function methods by applying them to two datasets; we estimate the effect of smoking on medical expenditure and the effect of schooling on wages. We also conduct simulation studies to investigate the performance of our methods.
Role of Angiography and Embolization for Massive Gastroduodenal Hemorrhage

The role of mesenteric angiography and embolization for massive gastroduodenal bleeding is unclear. We reviewed the records of patients who underwent angiography for acute, nonmalignant, and nonvariceal gastric or duodenal hemorrhage that was documented but not controlled by endoscopy. Fifty patients were identified over a 7-year period ending in March 1998. Only 17 patients (34%) were originally admitted to the hospital with gastrointestinal bleeding. All required treatment in the intensive care unit (mean 15 days) with a mean APACHE III score of 79 (29% predicted hospital mortality), and 32 (64%) had organ failure. A mean of 2.1 endoscopies were performed to locate the source of acute duodenal bleeding in 37 (74%) and gastric bleeding in 13 (26%). An average of 24.3 units of packed red blood cells were transfused per patient. Twenty-five patients (50%) were found to have active bleeding at angiography; all were treated by embolization as were 22 who underwent empiric embolization. Twenty-six patients (52%) were successfully treated by embolization and thus spared imminent surgery. Multiple variables were compared between those who were successfully treated by embolization and those considered failures. Time to angiography was considerably shorter (2.5 vs. 5.8 days, P <0.017) and fewer total units of packed red blood cells were used (14.6 vs. 34, P <0.003) in those who were successfully treated. There was also a strong trend toward using fewer units of packed red blood cells for transfusion prior to angiography (11.2 vs. 17.1, P <0.08). No differences were found that could be attributed to gastric vs. duodenal sources, number of comorbid diseases, organ failure, APACHE score, age, or whether active bleeding was found at angiography. A total of 20 patients (40%) died including 9 of 17 patients operated on in an attempt to salvage angiographic failure. In summary, angiographic embolization should be performed early in the course of bleeding in otherwise critically ill patients.
Generating compiler optimizations from proofs

We present an automated technique for generating compiler optimizations from examples of concrete programs before and after improvements have been made to them. The key technical insight of our technique is that a proof of equivalence between the original and transformed concrete programs informs us which aspects of the programs are important and which can be discarded. Our technique therefore uses these proofs, which can be produced by translation validation or a proof-carrying compiler, as a guide to generalize the original and transformed programs into broadly applicable optimization rules.We present a category-theoretic formalization of our proof generalization technique. This abstraction makes our technique applicable to logics besides our own. In particular, we demonstrate how our technique can also be used to learn query optimizations for relational databases or to aid programmers in debugging type errors.Finally, we show experimentally that our technique enables programmers to train a compiler with application-specific optimizations by providing concrete examples of original programs and the desired transformed programs. We also show how it enables a compiler to learn efficient-to-run optimizations from expensive-to-run super-optimizers.
Family Income, Home Environment, Parenting, and Mathematics Achievement of Children in China and the United States:

Using standardized tests and surveys of eighth graders in China and the United States, this study explores the relationships among family income, parenting, home environment, and mathematics achievement. Focusing on Chinese only children and American children with no more than one sibling, the study found that the mathematics achievement of Chinese eighth graders is higher than American students. Chinese parents had higher expectations for their children and talked more frequently with them about school. Furthermore, the relationship between parental expectations and mathematics scores is stronger for Chinese students than for American students. China’s national curriculum, well-trained elementary and secondary school mathematics teachers, high parental expectations, a universal concern for children’s education engendered by the one child rule, and children’s willingness to work hard on mathematics are discussed as possible causes for the higher mathematics achievement of Chinese children.
Sensitivity to Voltage-Independent Inhibition Determined by Pore-Lining Region of the Acetylcholine Receptor

Abstract Some noncompetitive inhibitors (e.g., ganglionic blockers) exhibit selectivity for the inhibition of neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). This study characterizes the mechanism of selective long-term inhibition of neuronal and muscle-neuronal chimeric nAChRs by bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinyl) sebacate (bis-TMP-10 or BTMPS), a bifunctional form of the potent ganglionic blocker tetramethylpiperidine. Long-term inhibition of neuronal nAChRs by bis-TMP-10 has been previously demonstrated to arise, at least in part, from the binding of the bis compound to neuronal β -subunits. In this study, long-term inhibition is demonstrated to be dependent upon the presence of sequence element(s) within the pore-lining second transmembrane domain (tm2) of neuronal β -subunits; however, the inhibitor binding site itself does not appear to be contained within the segment of the channel pore influenced by the membrane electric field. Specifically, our results imply that bis-TMP-10 interacts with an activation-sensitive element, the availability of which may be regulated by a sequence in the tm2 domain. Furthermore, we demonstrate a compound length requirement for long-term inhibition that would be consistent with binding to multiple sites located on the extracellular portion of the receptor.
Interaction-free all-optical switching in χ (2) microdisks for quantum applications

We propose a quantum switch for telecom-band applications that is composed of a χ(2) microdisk coupled to two fibers (or waveguides). The idea is to apply a pump pulse to shift the microdisk out of resonance, thereby switching the device between the cross and bar states in an interaction-free manner. As an example, a 2.5-μm-thick, 10μm radius GaAs microdisk with an intrinsic Q of ∼108 and a fiber-cavity-coupling Q of ∼104 can achieve low-loss (≲1%) switching for gigahertz-rate O-band quantum signals with milliwatt-peak-power pumps in the C band.
On ideology, causal inference and the reification of statistical methods: Reflections on "Examining instruction, achievement and equity with NAEP mathematics data."

The purpose of this article is to comment on the prior article entitled "Examining Instruction, Achievement and Equity with NAEP mathematics data," by Sarah Theule Lubienski. That article claims that a prior article by the author suffered from three weaknesses: (1) An attempt to justify No Child Left Behind (NCLB); (2) drawing causal inferences from cross-sectional data; (3) and various statistical quibbles. The author responds to the first claim, by indicating that any mention of NCLB was intended purely to make the article relevant to a policy journal; to the second claim, by noting his own reservations about using cross-sectional data to draw causal inferences; and to the third claim by noting potential issues of quantitative methodology in the Lubienski article. He concludes that studies that use advanced statistical methods are often so opaque as to be difficult to compare, and suggests some advantages to the quantitative transparency that comes from the findings of randomly controlled field trials.
On bifurcations and chaos in predator-prey models with delay

Abstract The stability of the fixed-points of general predator-prey models with Volterra-type distributed delays in the interspecies interaction terms is considered. For general functional forms of prey birth rate and predator death rate and the weak generic kernel or memory function a exp (-at), a supercritical Hopf bifurcation is shown to occur at a critical value a0 of the parameter a dependent on the system parameters. For four different models, parameter regimes for dissipativity (contraction of phase-space volume) and stable/unstable ranges of a are determined. The four models are integrated numerically, and chaotic regimes are characterized by computing power spectra, autocorrelation functions, and fractal dimensions.
How Special are Objects? Children's Reasoning About Objects, Parts, and Holes

Discrete physical objects have a special status in cognitive and linguistic development. Infants track and enumerate objects, young children are biased to construe novel words as referring to objects, and, when asked to count an array of items, preschool children tend to count the discrete objects, even if explicitly asked to do otherwise. We address here the question of whether discrete physical objects are the only entities that have this special status, or whether other individuals are salient as well. In two experiments, we found that 3-year-olds are just as good at identifying, tracking, and counting certain nonobject entities (holes in Experiment 1; holes and parts in Experiment 2) as they are with objects. These results are discussed in light of different theories of the nature and development of children's object bias.
Mucositis: current management and investigations

Oral and pharyngeal mucositis present significant management problems for patients undergoing radiation for head and neck cancers. The incidence and severity of these sequelae of radiation have increased with the use of altered fractionated schedules and concurrent chemotherapy. Directed therapies for the prevention of mucositis have yet to be established. Over the past several decades, therapies have been and continue to be designed that interfere with the causative factors of mucositis in an effort to diminish its incidence. These novel therapies protect normal mucosa either through direct radioprotection or manipulation of growth factors and cytokines that are involved in mucosal repopulation. Other therapies have tried to counter inflammation or infection with the belief that the insult from radiation is exacerbated by these normal response mechanisms to injury. It has become clear that the quality of life of patients and the economic costs of supportive therapies needed because of toxicities of cancer therapies are significant concerns. Research leading to a better understanding of the mechanisms of mucosal injury will ideally result in more specific, more targeted, and effective strategies for prevention of mucositis rather than current management algorithms that rely primarily on costly symptom management.
An Empirical Investigation of the Spillover Effects of Advertising and Sales Promotions in Umbrella Branding

Abstract The authors investigate and find evidence for advertising and sales promotion spillover effects for umbrella brands in frequently purchased packaged product categories. The authors also capture the impact of advertising (as well as use experience) on both utility mean and variance across two categories. They show that variance of the random component of utility declines over time on the basis of advertising (and use experience) in either category. This constitutes the first empirical evidence for the uncertainty-reducing role of advertising across categories for umbrella brands.
Employment and vocational rehabilitation services use among veterans with spinal cord injury

AlthoughthereisaconsiderablebodyofliteraturedocumentingpoorreturntoworkratesamongpersonswithSCIinthe general population, little attention has been given to understanding patterns of return to work and use of vocational rehabilitation services among veterans with SCI. The purposes of the present study were to investigate the extent to which veterans are able to obtaincompetitiveemploymentafteraspinalcordinjuryandtoexploreveterans'useofexistingvocationalrehabilitationservices. This study surveyed 30 veterans receiving healthcare at the VA North Texas Healthcare System Spinal Cord Injury Center. Thirty percent of our sample had a history of employment after SCI, a rate that is comparable to figures reported in prior studies of employment rates among non-veterans with SCI. Most veterans were unaware of vocational services either within or outside of the VA, and awareness of services was significantly lower for persons with tetraplegia compared to veterans with paraplegia. Of those who were aware of vocational services, only a minority used them. The findings of this study emphasize the need to educate veterans, especially those with more severe injuries, about vocational rehabilitation services as a possible means of improving employment outcomes in this special population.
Exploiting macrodiversity in dense multihop networks and relay channels

Embedded networks of sensors and actuators must operate at extremely low power and use inexpensive single-antenna transceivers. The economics of such systems preclude the use of complex signal processing or antenna arrays at any one device. However, the same economics allows the coverage area to be blanketed with a high density of devices, which results in a rich spatial diversity. This spatial diversity can be exploited by forming a virtual antenna array, which combines observations made at multiple receivers. This paper illustrates the potential transmit energy savings that are possible by using such macrodiversity-combining approaches by the analysis and simulation of an idealized system. It concludes by discussing practical issues that must be considered before integrating macrodiversity-combining strategies into actual embedded networks.
Plant-Soil Feedbacks: A Meta-Analytical Review

Plants can change soil biology, chemistry and structure in ways that alter subsequent plant growth. This process, referred to as plant-soil feedback (PSF), has been suggested to provide mechanisms for plant diversity, succession and invasion. Here we use three meta-analytical models: a mixed model and two Bayes models, one correcting for sampling dependence and one correcting for sampling and hierarchical dependence (delta-splitting model) to test these hypotheses. All three models showed that PSFs have medium to large negative effects on plant growth, and especially grass growth, the life form for which we had the most data. This supports the hypothesis that PSFs, through negative frequency dependence, maintain plant diversity, especially in grasslands. PSFs were also large and negative for annuals and natives, but the delta-splitting model indicated that more studies are needed for these results to be conclusive. Our results support the hypotheses that PSFs encourage successional replacements and plant invasions. Most studies were performed using monocultures of grassland species in greenhouse conditions. Future research should examine PSFs in plant communities, non-grassland systems and field conditions.
Placenta-based therapies for the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a severe blistering skin disease caused by mutations in the COL7A1 gene. These mutations lead to decreased or absent levels of collagen VII at the dermal-epidermal junction. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in the treatment of RDEB, including the use of hematopoietic cell transplantation, but a cure has been elusive. Patients still experience life-limiting and life-threatening complications as a result of painful and debilitating wounds. The continued suffering of these patients drives the need to improve existing therapies and develop new ones. In this Review, we will discuss how recent advances in placenta-based, umbilical cord blood-based and amniotic membrane-based therapies may play a role in the both the current and future treatment of RDEB.
Ion transport in human colon in vitro.

Abstract Ion transport in the human colon was studied in vitro under short-circuit conditions. The proximal, transverse, and distal colon all actively absorbed Na and Cl at similar rates. Tissue conductance was lower in proximal colon, but there were no other regional differences in basal electrophysiologic parameters. There was a gradient of amiloride-sensitive electrogenic Na transport. Whereas amiloride had only a minimal effect in proximal colon, it inhibited 70% of short-circuit current and 50% of net Na absorption in distal colon. Ion substitution experiments demonstrated an electroneutral, coupled Na-Cl cotransport system in proximal and distal colon. Neither amphotericin nor impermeant anions had a consistent stimulatory effect on short-circuit current in human colon. Theophylline (10 −3 M), increased short-circuit current by 4 μEq · cm −2 · h −1 , stimulated net Cl secretion, but did not block net Na absorption. Epinephrine, via an α 2 -adrenergic mechanism, significantly decreased short-circuit current but did not alter Na or Cl transport. These results suggest that (a) all segments of human colon actively absorb Na and Cl, (b) Na absorption occurs by both electrogenic Na absorption and electroneutral Na-Cl cotransport, (c) there is an aboral gradient of increasing electrogenic Na transport, (d) theophylline stimulates secretion in a pattern most consistent with electrogenic Cl secretion, and (e) epinephrine does not increase Na-Cl cotransport in human distal colon. These studies demonstrate that human colon in vitro has distinct transport properties that must be considered both in clinical situations and in comparison to animal models.
Final Draft of the Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Submitted by the Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights

People living in extreme poverty are often neglected or overlooked by politicians, service providers and policy-makers due to their lack of political voice, financial and social capital and their chronic social exclusion. They are disproportionately affected by many human rights violations. Discrimination against people living in poverty is widespread and widely tolerated.The Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights are the first global policy parameters focused specifically on the human rights of people living in poverty. They are intended for use by governments to ensure public policies, including poverty eradication efforts, reach the poorest members of society, that they respect and uphold the rights of the poor, and take into account the significant social, cultural, economic and structural obstacles to human rights enjoyment faced by them.The Human Rights Council adopted the “Guiding Principles on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights” by consensus through its resolution 21/11, in September 2012. The process for the development of the Guiding Principles had been initiated by the former Commission on Human Rights in 2001, and their content refined over more than a decade of consultations with States, civil society organisations, United Nations agencies and communities living in poverty. This final draft was written by the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Magdalena Sepulveda Carmona, and presented in her report to the Human Rights Council 21st session (A/HRC/21/39).
Nonlinear Vibrations and Instability of Shallow Pyramidal Trusses

Pyramidal space trusses are a basic component of several structures, from carbon nanostructures to large geodesic domes. These structures, such as the classical Von Mises truss, have a highly non-linear response in the presence of static and dynamic loads. The geometric nonlinearity is particularly significant, even at low load levels when these structures are shallow, that is, has a small height to base ratio. This paper presents an exact non-linear formulation for a shallow pyramidal truss composed of n equally spaced bars. Based on this formulation, the loss of stability and nonlinear vibrations of these structures under static and dynamic loads is analyzed. To understand its nonlinear behavior, time responses, phase portraits, bifurcation diagrams, energy profiles and basins of attraction are obtained. The results highlight the complex nonlinear dynamics of this class of structures and its major influence in design.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Precipitation Deficit Flash Droughts over the United States

AbstractFlash drought refers to relatively short periods of warm surface temperature and anomalously low and rapid decreasing soil moisture (SM). Based on the physical mechanisms associated with flash droughts, these events are classified into two categories: heat wave and precipitation P deficit flash droughts. In previous work, the authors have defined heat wave flash droughts as resulting from the confluence of severe warm air temperature Tair, which increases evapotranspiration (ET), and anomalously low and decreasing SM. Here, a second type of flash drought caused by precipitation deficits is explored. The authors term these events P-deficit flash droughts, which they associate with lack of P. Precipitation deficits cause ET to decrease and temperature to increase. The P-deficit flash droughts are analyzed based on observations of P, Tair, and SM and ET reconstructed using land surface models for the period 1916–2013. The authors find that P-deficit flash droughts are more common than heat wave flash...
Mistaken Identities: First-Person Narration in Kazuo Ishiguro

AbstractContemporary theorists tend to agree on the death of the subject and therefore, it seems, on the death of the first-person realistic novel. Novels like David Copperfield and Jane Eyre seem like extended metaphors for humanism itself-the outmoded view that human beings are the center of their world, that they can know themselves, that their psychology and moral character develop con-sistently, and that they are largely responsible for the courses their lives take. In two recent first-person novels, An Artist of the Floating World (1986) and The Remains of the Day (1989), Kazuo Ishiguro explores such assumptions, providing us with narrators whose selves do seem to be socially constructed and consequently decentered and unstable. Although Ishiguro fully understands and displays the appeal of posthumanist models of the subject, he ends by suggesting that a self no longer author of itself is a self in search of authority. (Cultural criticism, literary criticism)
A Dyadic Analysis of Technological Benefits Attributable to Corporate Venture Capital Ties: Evidence from the Biopharmaceutical Industry

This study examines two conflicting perspectives on the nature of the interaction between corporate investors and portfolio firms within corporate venture capital ties. In particular, one perspective emphasizes potential synergies in which corporate investors and portfolio firms can convert their independent assets into mutual benefits that are greater than the arithmetic sum of the assets. The other perspective focuses on potential appropriation by which corporate investors and portfolio firms can exploit their partner firms’ resources for their own sakes. My theoretical argument and empirical evidence supports a positive relationship between corporate investors’ and portfolio firms’ technological benefits attributable to CVC ties, supporting the former perspective. This positive relationship is enhanced when corporate venture capital ties are made between partners that are technologically dissimilar and involved with more matured technologies, supporting the latter perspective. These findings reconcile the conflicting two perspectives in a reasonable way to better understand the nature of corporate venture capital ties.
Reactive Scattering of Si2 H6 from the Si(100) Surface

The reaction of Si2H6 with the Si(100) surface has been examined via supersonic molecular beam scattering techniques. The effects of incident translational energy, incident angle, mean vibrational energy and surface temperature have been considered explicitly. It is found that the reaction probability is most sensitive tothe incident translational energy, varying nearly linearly with increasing energy. The effect of incident angle θi can be accounted for by an energy scaling law that is given approximately by cosnθi, where n ~ 1.
On the news control by the Japanese in the enemy-occupied North China

During the anti-Japanese war, the regime formed by the Japanese invaders and their followers immediately set up their ruling network to keep the propaganda media tightly under control. They made up a systematic media-controlling strategy and policy to ensure the media to be in their favor. This paper mainly discusses the features of those strategies and policies by the Japanese regime in their occupied North China at the time.
Lateral Buckling of Beams

General formula is developed for elastic buckling strength of beams, with coefficients depending principally on conditions of loading and support; values of coefficients are tabulated for wide variety of conditions of loading and support; relationship between theoretical buckling strength and experimental results; various known design formulas are compared. (43 refs.)
Role of Oral Proficiency on Reading Comprehension: Within-Language and Cross-Language Relationships.

This longitudinal study examined the role of oral proficiency on English reading comprehension, as measured with elicited narratives using a wordless picture book, Frog Where are You?. The sample consisted 102 English language learners, including both Spanish and Cantonese speakers. Narrative samples were collected in the winter of first grade and reading skills were assessed on the same children one year later in second grade. Children were enrolled in either bilingual programs or mainstream programs. Multiple regression results show it was not the quantity and variety of words used in the narratives that predicted English reading comprehension one year later. Instead, the ability to produce a coherent oral narrative, in either the home language or English, explained a small variance in English reading comprehension for both English learner groups. These findings highlight the importance of examining narrative skills, especially as measured by narrative structure. Implications for parents and educators a...
Making split-fabrication more secure

Today many design houses must outsource their design fabrication to a third party which is often an overseas foundry. Split-fabrication is proposed for combining the FEOL capabilities of an advanced but untrusted foundry with the BEOL capabilities of a trusted foundry. Hardware security in this business model relates directly to the front-end foundry's ability to interpret the partial circuit design it receives in order to reverse engineer or insert malicious circuits. The published experimental results indicate that a relatively large percentage of the split nets can be correctly guessed and there is no easy way of detecting the possibly inserted Trojans. In this paper, we propose a secure split-fabrication design methodology for the Vertical Slit Field Effect Transistor (VeSFET) based integrated circuits. We take advantage of the VeSFET's unique and powerful two-side accessibility and monolithic 3D integration capability. In our approach the design is manufactured by two independent foundries, both of which can be untrusted. We propose the design partition and piracy prevention, hardware Trojan insertion prevention, and Trojan detection methods. In the 3D designs, some transistors are physically hidden from the front-end foundry_1's view, which causes that it is impossible for this foundry to reconstruct the circuit. We designed 10 MCNC benchmark circuits using the proposed flow and executed an attack by an in-house developed proximity attacker. With 5% nets manufactured by the back-end foundry_2, the average percentage of the correctly reconstructed partitioned nets is less than 1%.
The next knowledge medium

The most widely understood goal of artificial intelligence is to understand and build autonomous, intelligent, thinking machines. A perhaps larger opportunity and complementary goal is to understand and build an interactive knowledge medium.