“PROVINCIALISM, PICKING SIDES AND BIAS: EFFECTS OF GEOGRAPHY ON MEDIA COVERAGE OF CRYSTAL BRIDGES MUSEUM OF AMERICAN ART, 2005-10.”

The development of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, by Wal-Mart heiress Alice Walton has prompted diverse coverage from print and online media. This investigation looked at trends in news stories and commentary from 2005-10 to show how the location of a medium affected coverage. Through the author’s own observations and interviews with journalists and other interested parties, several trends emerged. Media outlets outside Arkansas portrayed the museum as trying to plunder the cultural heritage of local communities and relied partly on the museum’s association with Wal-Mart and stereotypes of Arkansas to frame coverage. Arkansas media, faced with limited cooperation from the museum’s public relations apparatus, typically played a cheerleader role, at times overemphasizing the importance of the collection in the art world and showcasing few critical voices in stories about acquisitions and other areas of the museum’s development.

Planning “Discrete” Movements Using a Continuous System: Insights from a Dynamic Field Theory of Movement Preparation

The timed-initiation paradigm developed by Ghez and colleagues (1997) has revealed two modes of motor planning: continuous and discrete. Continuous responding occurs when targets are separated by less than 60° of spatial angle, and discrete responding occurs when targets are separated by greater than 60°. Although these two modes are thought to reflect the operation of separable strategic planning systems, a new theory of movement preparation, the Dynamic Field Theory, suggests that two modes emerge flexibly from the same system. Experiment 1 replicated continuous and discrete performance using a task modified to allow for a critical test of the single system view. In Experiment 2, participants were allowed to correct their movements following movement initiation (the standard task does not allow corrections). Results showed continuous planning performance at large and small target separations. These results are consistent with the proposal that the two modes reflect the time-dependent “preshaping” of a single planning system.

An Ardent Flame: Witness to Distant Suffering, Human Rights and Unworthy Victims in the Coverage by The New York Times and Two Journals of the Religious Left of the 1980s Civil Wars in El Salvador and Nicaragua

Scholars have investigated witness to distant suffering (WTDS) almost entirely in visual media. This study examines it in print. This form of reporting will be examined in two publications of the religious left as contrasted with the New York Times. The thesis is that, more than any technology, WTDS consists of the journalist’s moral commitment and narrative skills and the audience’s analytical resources and trust. In the religious journals, liberation theology provides the moral commitment, the writers and editors the narrative skills and trust and the special vision of the newly empowered poor the analytical foundation. In bearing witness to those who have suffered state or guerilla terrorism in El Salvador and Nicaragua during the 1980s, we will investigate a distinction between “worthy” and “unworthy victims.” This last issue has a special ethical and political significance. Media witnessing to the suffering of strangers can help them become known, and so “worthy.” It can help them, and their plight and cause, become better recognized. This is the power of the media.

Arthrospira platensis biomass with high protein content cultivated in continuous process using urea as nitrogen source

Aims: Arthrospira platensis has been studied for single-cell protein production because of its biomass composition and its ability of growing in alternative media. This work evaluated the effects of different dilution rates (D) and urea concentrations (N0) on A.similar to platensis continuous culture, in terms of growth, kinetic parameters, biomass composition and nitrogen removal. Methods and results: Arthrospira platensis was continuously cultivated in a glass-made vertical column photobioreactor agitated with Rushton turbines. There were used different dilution rates (0.040.44 day-1) and urea concentrations (0.5 and 5 mmol l-1). With N0 = 5 mmol l-1, the maximum steady-state biomass concentration was1415 mg l-1, achieved with D = 0.04 day-1, but the highest protein content (71.9%) was obtained by applying D = 0.12 day-1, attaining a protein productivity of 106.41 mg l-1 day-1. Nitrogen removal reached 99% on steady-state conditions. Conclusions: The best results were achieved by applying N0 = 5 mmol l-1; however, urea led to inhibitory conditions at D = 0.16 day-1, inducing the system wash-out. The agitation afforded satisfactory mixture and did not harm the trichomes structure. Significance and Impact of the Study: These results can enhance the basis for the continuous removal of nitrogenous wastewater pollutants using cyanobacteria, with an easily assembled photobioreactor.

Acellular dermal matrix graft with or without enamel matrix derivative for root coverage in smokers: a randomized clinical study

Aim: The aim of this randomized controlled clinical study was to compare the use of an acellular dermal matrix graft (ADMG) with or without the enamel matrix derivative (EMD) in smokers to evaluate which procedure would provide better root coverage. Material and Methods: Nineteen smokers with bilateral Miller Class I or II gingival recessions >= 3 mm were selected. The test group was treated with an association of ADMG and EMD, and the control group with ADMG alone. Probing depth, relative clinical attachment level, gingival recession height, gingival recession width, keratinized tissue width and keratinized tissue thickness were evaluated before the surgeries and after 6 months. Wilcoxon test was used for the statistical analysis at significance level of 5%. Results: No significant differences were found between groups in all parameters at baseline. The mean gain recession height between baseline and 6 months and the complete root coverage favored the test group (p = 0.042, p = 0.019 respectively). Conclusion: Smoking may negatively affect the results achieved through periodontal plastic procedures; however, the association of ADMG and EMD is beneficial in the root coverage of gingival recessions in smokers, 6 months after the surgery.

Fast detection of the magnetic easy axis on steel sheet using the continuous rotational Barkhausen method

The magnetic behaviour of most commercial ferromagnetic steels is usually anisotropic presenting a magnetic easy axis. Changes in the direction of this axis can be related to mechanical changes and anomalies that occur in the fabrication process. The present work describes a method that uses a device with permanent magnets to create a precise rotational magnetic field. The device measures continuous Magnetic Barkhausen Noise signals related to the angle of magnetization, in order to determine the direction of the macroscopic magnetic easy axis. It also offers the possibility of obtaining real time parameters that quantify the magnetic anisotropy of the sample. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Glucose Control in Acute Myocardial Infarction: A Pilot Randomized Study Controlled by Continuous Glucose Monitoring System Comparing the Use of Insulin Glargine with Standard of Care

Background: This pilot study aimed to verify if glycemic control can be achieved in type 2 diabetes patients after acute myocardial infarction (AMI), using insulin glargine (iGlar) associated with regular insulin (iReg), compared with the standard intensive care unit protocol, which uses continuous insulin intravenous delivery followed by NPH insulin and iReg (St. Care). Patients and Methods: Patients (n = 20) within 24 h of AMI were randomized to iGlar or St. Care. Therapy was guided exclusively by capillary blood glucose (CBG), but glucometric parameters were also analyzed by blinded continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). Results: Mean glycemia was 141 +/- 39 mg/dL for St. Care and 132 +/- 42 mg/dL for iGlar by CBG or 138 +/- 35 mg/dL for St. Care and 129 +/- 34 mg/dL for iGlar by CGMS. Percentage of time in range (80-180 mg/dL) by CGMS was 73 +/- 18% for iGlar and 77 +/- 11% for St. Care. No severe hypoglycemia (<= 40 mg/dL) was detected by CBG, but CGMS indicated 11 (St. Care) and seven (iGlar) excursions in four subjects from each group, mostly in sulfonylurea users (six of eight patients). Conclusions: This pilot study suggests that equivalent glycemic control without increase in severe hyperglycemia may be achieved using iGlar with background iReg. Data outputs were controlled by both CBG and CGMS measurements in a real-life setting to ensure reliability. Based on CGMS measurements, there were significant numbers of glycemic excursions outside of the target range. However, this was not detected by CBG. In addition, the data indicate that previous use of sulfonylurea may be a potential major risk factor for severe hypoglycemia irrespective of the type of insulin treatment.

A Randomized comparative clinical study of two surgical procedures to improve root coverage with the acellular dermal matrix graft

Aim This randomized, controlled, clinical study compared two surgical techniques for root coverage with the acellular dermal matrix graft (ADMG) to evaluate which procedure could provide better root coverage and greater amounts of keratinized tissue. Materials and Methods Fifteen pairs of bilateral Miller Class I or II gingival recessions were treated and assigned randomly to the test group, and the contra-lateral recessions were assigned to the control group. The ADMG was used in both groups. In the control group, the graft and flap were positioned at the level of the cemento-enamel junction (CEJ), and in the test group, the graft was positioned 1 mm apical to the CEJ and the flap 1 mm coronal to the CEJ. The clinical parameters were taken before the surgeries and after 6 months. The gingival recession area, a new parameter, was measured in standardized photographs through a special device and software. Results There were statistically significant differences favouring the proposed technique for all parameters except for the amount of keratinized tissue at 6 months. Conclusions The proposed test technique is more suitable for root coverage procedures with ADMG, and the new parameter evaluated appears valuable for root coverage analysis. (Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01175720).

The use of nasal dilator strips as a placebo for trials evaluating continuous positive airway pressure

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the current study was to compare the objective and subjective effects of continuous positive airway pressure to the use of nasal dilator strips in patients with acromegaly and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea. METHODS: We studied 12 patients with acromegaly and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (male/females = 8/4, age = 52 +/- 8 ys, body mass index = 33.5 +/- 4.6 Kg/m(2), apnea-hypopnea index = 38 +/- 14 events/h) who had been included in a randomized, crossover study to receive three months of treatment with continuous positive airway pressure and nasal dilator strips. All patients were evaluated at study entry and at the end of each treatment by polysomnography, and Epworth Sleepiness Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and treatment satisfaction questionnaires. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01265121 RESULTS: The apnea-hypopnea index values decreased significantly with continuous positive airway pressure treatment but did not change with the use of nasal dilator strips. All of the subjective symptoms improved with both treatments, but these improvements were significantly greater with continuous positive airway pressure than with the nasal dilator strips. CONCLUSION: The use of nasal dilator strips had a much smaller effect on the severity of obstructive sleep apnea in patients with acromegaly and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea in comparison to the use of continuous positive airway pressure. Moreover, the improvement in several subjective parameters without any significant objective improvement in obstructive sleep apnea resulting from the use of nasal dilator strips is compatible with a placebo effect.

Continuous-wave watt-level Nd:YLF/KGW Raman laser operating at near-IR, yellow and lime-green wavelengths

A Nd:YLF/KGW Raman laser has been investigated in this work. We have demonstrated CW output powers at six different wavelengths, 1147 nm (0.70 W), 1163 nm (0.95 W), 549 nm (0.65 W), 552 nm (1.90 W), 573 nm (0.60 W) and 581 nm (1.10 W), with higher peak powers achieved under quasi-CW operation. Raman conversion of the 1053 nm fundamental emission is reported for the first time, enabling two new wavelengths in crystalline Raman lasers, 549 nm and 552 nm. The weak thermal lensing associated with Nd:YLF has enabled to achieve good beam quality, M-2 <= 2.0, and stable operation in relatively long cavities. (C) 2012 Optical Society of America

Toward the optimal dose metric in continuous renal replacement therapy

Purpose: There is no consensus on the optimal method to measure delivered dialysis dose in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI). The use of direct dialysate-side quantification of dose in preference to the use of formal blood-based urea kinetic modeling and simplified blood urea nitrogen (BUN) methods has been recommended for dose assessment in critically-ill patients with AKI. We evaluate six different blood-side and dialysate-side methods for dose quantification. Methods: We examined data from 52 critically-ill patients with AKI requiring dialysis. All patients were treated with pre-dilution CWHDF and regional citrate anticoagulation. Delivered dose was calculated using blood-side and dialysis-side kinetics. Filter function was assessed during the entire course of therapy by calculating BUN to dialysis fluid urea nitrogen (FUN) ratios q/12 hours. Results: Median daily treatment time was 1,413 min (1,260-1,440). The median observed effluent volume per treatment was 2,355 mL/h (2,060-2,863) (p<0.001). Urea mass removal rate was 13.0 +/- 7.6 mg/min. Both EKR (r(2)=0.250; p<0.001) and K-D (r(2)=0.409; p<0.001) showed a good correlation with actual solute removal. EKR and K-D presented a decline in their values that was related to the decrease in filter function assessed by the FUN/BUN ratio. Conclusions: Effluent rate (ml/kg/h) can only empirically provide an estimated of dose in CRRT. For clinical practice, we recommend that the delivered dose should be measured and expressed as K-D. EKR also constitutes a good method for dose comparisons over time and across modalities.

Periodic sterility assessment of materials stored for up to 6 months at continuous microbial contamination risk: Laboratory study

An investigation was conducted to test the hypothesis that the storage time of packaging sterility has no effect on contamination susceptibility even under deliberate bacterial exposure (Serratia marcescens). No growth of the test microorganisms was identified in the experimental group in any of the storage intervals (7, 14, 28, 90, and 180 days). Current recommendations/guidelines suggest that contamination of packaging occurs only because of events. This study, done in vitro, supports these recommendations. Copyright (c) 2012 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modeling of continuous thermal processing of a non-Newtonian liquid food under diffusive laminar flow in a tubular system

The classic conservative approach for thermal process design can lead to over-processing, especially for laminar flow, when a significant distribution of temperature and of residence time occurs. In order to optimize quality retention, a more comprehensive model is required. A model comprising differential equations for mass and heat transfer is proposed for the simulation of the continuous thermal processing of a non-Newtonian food in a tubular system. The model takes into account the contribution from heating and cooling sections, the heat exchange with the ambient air and effective diffusion associated with non-ideal laminar flow. The study case of soursop juice processing was used to test the model. Various simulations were performed to evaluate the effect of the model assumptions. An expressive difference in the predicted lethality was observed between the classic approach and the proposed model. The main advantage of the model is its flexibility to represent different aspects with a small computational time, making it suitable for process evaluation and design. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Skin Penetration Time-Profiles for Continuous 810nm and Superpulsed 904nm Lasers in a Rat Model

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the rat skin penetration abilities of two commercially available low-level laser therapy (LLLT) devices during 150 sec of irradiation. Background data: Effective LLLT irradiation typically lasts from 20 sec up to a few minutes, but the LLLT time-profiles for skin penetration of light energy have not yet been investigated. Materials and methods: Sixty-two skin flaps overlaying rat's gastrocnemius muscles were harvested and immediately irradiated with LLLT devices. Irradiation was performed either with a 810 nm, 200mW continuous wave laser, or with a 904 nm, 60mW superpulsed laser, and the amount of penetrating light energy was measured by an optical power meter and registered at seven time points (range, 1-150 sec). Results: With the continuous wave 810nm laser probe in skin contact, the amount of penetrating light energy was stable at similar to 20% (SEM +/- 0.6) of the initial optical output during 150 sec irradiation. However, irradiation with the superpulsed 904 nm, 60mW laser showed a linear increase in penetrating energy from 38% (SEM +/- 1.4) to 58% (SEM +/- 3.5) during 150 sec of exposure. The skin penetration abilities were significantly different (p < 0.01) between the two lasers at all measured time points. Conclusions: LLLT irradiation through rat skin leaves sufficient subdermal light energy to influence pathological processes and tissue repair. The finding that superpulsed 904nm LLLT light energy penetrates 2-3 easier through the rat skin barrier than 810nm continuous wave LLLT, corresponds well with results of LLLT dose analyses in systematic reviews of LLLT in musculoskeletal disorders. This may explain why the differentiation between these laser types has been needed in the clinical dosage recommendations of World Association for Laser Therapy.

Combined effect of anterior malocclusion and inadequate lip coverage on dental trauma in primary teeth

Objectives: The main objective of this study was to investigate whether the interaction of malocclusion (open bite or increased overjet) combined with inadequate lip coverage strengthens its association with traumatic dental injury (TDI) in the primary teeth of preschool children compared to the presence of malocclusion alone. Subjects and methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 376 children aged 3659 months who attended the National Day of Childrens Vaccination. Presence of TDI, tooth discoloration, and sinus tract were evaluated in the children. Variables associated with occlusion were also evaluated. A Poisson regression analysis was performed to verify the association between the explanatory variables and TDI as well as possible interactions among the variables. Then, the prevalence ratio was calculated. Results: The prevalence of TDI was 27.7%. The maxillary central incisor was the most affected tooth, without differences between the right and left sides. Boys had more dental trauma than girls (P = 0.04). The most common TDI was crown fracture restricted to the enamel (58.4%). Children with a combination of anterior open bite or increased overjet and inadequate lip coverage presented a higher prevalence of TDI than when the malocclusions were presented alone (P < 0.05). The same trends were observed when we included, in the final adjusted model, increased overjet instead of open bite. Conclusions: Anterior malocclusions of primary teeth such as increased overjet and anterior open bite are statistically significantly associated with dental trauma only when inadequate lip coverage is also present.