bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bargaining over BITs, Arbitrating Awards: The Regime for Protection and Promotion of International Investment
Authors: Simmons Beth A.
Published: December 2013

The regime for international investment is extraordinary in public international law and controversial in many regions of the world. This article explores two aspects of this set of rules: its decentralization and the unusual powers it gives to private actors to invoke dispute settlement. Decentralization has contributed to a competitive environment for ratification of bilateral investment treaties (BITs) and has elevated the importance of dyadic bargaining power in the formation of the regime. Governments of developing countries are more likely to enter into BITs and tie their hands more tightly when they are in a weak bargaining position, which in turn is associated with economic downturns of the domestic economy. Once committed, investors have sued governments with surprising regularity, arguably contributing disproportionately to legal awards that favor the private corporate actors who have the power to convene the dispute settlement system. States have begun to push back, revising their obligations and attempting to annul arbitral awards. One of the conclusions is that it is important not only to consider whether BITs attract capital—which has been the focus of nearly all the empirical research on BIT effects—but also to investigate the governance consequences of the international investment regime generally.
The System Worked: Global Economic Governance during the Great Recession
Authors: Drezner Daniel W.
Published: December 2013

Prior to 2008, numerous international relations scholars had predicted a looming crisis in global economic governance. Policy analysts have only reinforced this perception since the financial crisis, declaring that we live in a “G-Zero” world. This article takes a closer look at the global response to the financial crisis and reveals a more optimistic picture. Despite initial shocks that were more severe than the 1929 financial crisis, global economic governance structures responded quickly and robustly. Whether one measures results by outcomes, outputs, or process, formal and informal governance structures displayed surprising resiliency. Multilateral economic institutions performed well in crisis situations to reinforce open economic policies, especially in contrast to the 1930s. While there are areas where governance has either faltered or failed, on the whole, the system has worked. Misperceptions about global economic governance persist because the Great Recession has disproportionately affected the core economies; analysts have conflated national with global governance; and the efficacy of past periods of global economic governance has been badly overestimated. Why the system has worked better than expected remains an open question, but we can tentatively conclude that both the power of the United States and the resilience of neoliberal economic ideas were underestimated.
Three General Laws of Politics and Government in America (with Apologies to Sir Isaac Newton)
Authors: Brians Craig Leonard
Published: December 2013

Since our earliest days as a profession, regularities of politics have been described in terms of laws of political behavior (Bryce 1909), but not without controversy. Reviewing a century of efforts to identify laws of politics yields numerous offerings, including Duverger's (1954) and Michels' (1915) well-known contributions. Following the structure embodied in Newton's Laws of Motion, I propose three general laws of politics and government in America: (1) political objects in motion tend to stay in motion, (2) the relationship between a candidate and his or her political force is the product of campaign funding and personal likability or appeal to the press, and (3) for every political action, there is an equal and opposite reaction (i.e., “Craig Leonard Brians Law of Unintended Political Consequences”). Each law is illustrated and discussed using examples drawn from US politics. Finally, I note several potential research limitations of these proposed laws, as well as their possible utility in teaching introductory political science courses.
Political Corruption in the United States: A Design Draft
Authors: Etzioni Amitai
Published: December 2013

To establish the scope and level of corruption in the contemporary United States, a collaborative project of political scientists is needed. Such a study should start with explicating the definition of corruption various scholars use. Three are noted here: using public goods for personal gains, deflecting public goods to private groups, and making such moves when these are legal although they are still illicit. To assess corruption on these levels, we must consider that various forms that “capture” takes beyond the corruption of the laws themselves. A study of the major differences in the level of corruption among the three branches of government may improve our understanding of the prevalence and causes of corruption. A study of “rent” may help predict that future course of corruption. Other topics whose study warrants collaborative investigation are listed.
Lower Federal Court Judicial Confirmation Fights: A Critical Review of the Empirical Literature and Future Research Directions
Authors: Shomade Salmon A. , Hartley Roger E. , Holmes Lisa M.
Published: December 2013

Unlike the massive literature about US Supreme Court confirmation battles, little has been written about lower federal court confirmation fights. However, in the past 20 years much has been written about the lower federal court confirmation process. Here, we take stock of the political science literature in this area and highlight where scholarly interest appears to be going. Believing a contemporary assessment of the state of the field should be of interest and use to scholars of American politics, we dissect the recent empirical literature and offer suggestions for future research. Most importantly, we offer a one-stop shop for recent literature for scholars interested in this topic.
Smoke, but No Fire? In Social Science, Focus on the Most Distinct Part
Authors: Pieczara Kamila , Eun Yong-Soo
Published: December 2013

Causality in social science is hard to establish even through the finest comparative research. To ease the task of extracting causes from comparisons, we present the benefits of tracing particularities in any phenomenon under investigation. We introduce three real-world examples from 2011: British riots, worldwide anticapitalist protests, and the highway crash near Taunton in southwestern England. Whereas all of these three examples have broad causes, we embark on the quest after specific factors. The Taunton accident can send a powerful message to social scientists, which is about the danger of making general statements in their explanations. Instead of saying much but explaining little, the merit of singling out the specific is substantial. As social scientists, when we are faced with “smoke” but no “fire,” let us then focus on the part that is distinct.
Pop Culture, Twitter, and Study Abroad: Estonia as a Case Study
Authors: Ellis Joseph M.
Published: December 2013

This article highlights a number of different pedagogical practices that can be used with study abroad programs, both classroom methods and out-of-class techniques. In this particular class—which focused on Estonia's Singing Revolution and included a 10-day trip abroad to Estonia—social media platforms like Twitter and Tumblr were frequently used to create collaboration among students. In addition, Estonian music and pop culture were studied, giving students a unique insight into a culture very foreign from their own. Although Estonia was the focus of this particular class, the results of these methods are generalizable to help others who lead study abroad programs and develop creative ways to foster interaction. This article also demonstrates why social media platforms are helpful to political scientists and the political science discipline more generally.
Teaching the Unfamiliar to a Crowd
Authors: Truby Katherine , Weiss Meredith L. , Rousseau David L.
Published: December 2013

The experience both of being exposed to unfamiliar systems and places and of being an anonymous face in a large class can be not just alienating for undergraduates, but antithetical to effective learning. We propose a number of active learning strategies designed to help students fully master the material presented even in very large classes in comparative politics and international relations, while also improving students' attendance and interest and developing critical thinking, reading, and writing skills, without overburdening the instructor. Among these strategies are Team-Based Learning, interactive approaches such as debates and simulations, and low-stakes assignments such as “minute writing.”
What Is the Value of Social Science? Challenges for Researchers and Government Funders
Authors: Lupia Arthur
Published: December 2013

It is a great honor to have been invited to deliver the Ithiel de Sola Pool lecture. Professor de Sola Pool had a tremendous influence on scholarship and practice. His work describes the ways in which evolving technologies fundamentally alter communicative expectations and social outcomes. Years after their publication, works such asTechnologies of Freedom(1984) continue to provide insight about how the networked communications are changing the world. Professor de Sola Pool's work is of great public value. In what follows, I want to focus our attention on the value of social science today.
The Politics of the Superhero
Authors: Costello Matthew J. , Worcester Kent
Published: December 2013

This symposium explores the relationship of superheroes to questions of power, ideology, social relations, and political culture. It represents the first time that a political science journal has devoted sustained attention to the superhero genre as it is reflected in the pages of comic books and graphic novels, and on the big screen.
The Imperial Superhero
Authors: Gavaler Chris
Published: December 2013

Set in 1978, the year Edward Said publishedOrientalism, Salman Rushdie'sMidnight's Childrendepicts “magic children” born in the first hour of August 15, 1947, “within the frontiers of the infant sovereign state of India” (1981, 226, 224). Through some “freak of biology” or “preternatural power,” the children receive “miraculous” abilities, including such superhero staples as flight, time-travel, and “a boy who could increase or reduce his size at will” (224, 227, 228). For his mind-reading narrator, Rushdie evokes the Shadow's 1930s radio slogan: “the ability to look into the hearts and minds of men” (229). The American Shadow, like so many of his descendants and predecessors, gained his powers from the mythical Orient, but the fantastical abilities that Rushdie awards the first citizens born in independent India mark the end of colonial exploitation and the transfer of real-world political power from colonizers to the formerly colonized.
Negotiating the Third Wave of Feminism in Wonder Woman
Authors: Cocca Carolyn
Published: December 2013

Created by lawyer and psychologist William Moulton Marston, Wonder Woman first appeared more than 70 years ago, “as lovely as Aphrodite, as wise as Athena, with the speed of Mercury, and the strength of Hercules” (Marston and Peter 1941). While she conforms to traditional articulations of gender in the way she performs an attractive, female, white, heterosexual, middle-to-upper class woman, she also unsettles gendered boundaries through performing a determined, astute, formidable warrior at the same time. This has led to a number of writers exploring whether Wonder Woman can or should be viewed as feminist.
Men of Steel? Rorschach, Theweleit, and Watchmen's Deconstructed Masculinity
Authors: Miettinen Mervi
Published: December 2013

Watchmen(1987), written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Dave Gibbons, is a 12-part graphic novel that portrays real-life superheroes in a fictional United States of the 1980s. An alternate universe where ordinary people without superpowers were inspired by superhero comics and took on the crime-fighting in tights in the 1940s, the comic portrays an America vastly different from our reality. Since its publication more than two decades ago, the comic has been the subject of extensive study due to its breathtaking narrative structure as well as its acute deconstruction of the superhero genre itself. Indeed, one of the text's most brutal deconstructions comes from the way it addresses superheroic masculinity, from the misogynistic vigilante Rorschach to the emasculated ex-hero Nite Owl. Through its cast of male heroes,Watchmendeconstructs the superhero genre by rewriting masculine tropes such as vigilantism and patriotism and by exposing the inherent contradictions within these gender-bound tropes from the fascist undercurrents of violent patriotism to the often-hinted sexual dysfunction of the costume-fetish variety.
Hell's Kitchen's Prolonged Crisis and Would-be Sovereigns: Daredevil, Hobbes, and Schmitt
Authors: Spanakos Anthony Peter
Published: December 2013

Comic book heroes often have their origins innoirdepictions of failed or failing states. The danger involved and the seeming anarchy that necessitates superheroes recall Hobbes's description of a state of nature and Leviathan as resolution. But comic book heroes generally inhabit states that are better identified by the Hobbes-inspired Carl Schmitt. Indeed, this articles argues that while the Hell's Kitchen ofDaredevilcomics has some characteristics of a state of nature, it is better characterized by the protracted crisis of state that Schmitt sees in liberal democracies. Hobbes and Schmitt elucidate the crisis that generates the need for a superhero but fail to explain why the superhero does not simply take over the city. This is better explained by American concepts of heroism which emphasize redemption and walking away from power (Lawrence and Jewett 2002).
Research Transparency and Data Archiving for Experiments
Authors: McDermott Rose
Published: December 2013

Although still more common in medical studies and some other areas of social science such as psychology and behavioral economics, experimental work has become an increasingly important methodology in political science. Experimental work differs from other kinds of research because it systematically administers a specific treatment to part of a population while withholding that manipulation from the rest of a subject pool. The best studies strive to keep all other aspects of the experiment similar, so that any emergent difference between the treatment and control group that emerge provide unparalleled traction in determining causal inference. Many other valuable forms of social research use observation of the natural world, rather than depending on intervention to advance understanding. Because experimentalists can create the environment or process they want to study, this strategy of intervention and manipulation constitutes the main distinction between experimental work and other forms of social observation.
Making DA-RT a Reality
Authors: Carsey Thomas M.
Published: December 2013

Calls for greater data access and research transparency have emerged on many fronts within professional social science. For example, the American Political Science Association (APSA) recently adopted new guidelines for data access and research transparency. APSA has also appointed the Data Access and Research Transparency (DA-RT) ad hoc committee to continue exploring these issues. DA-RT sponsored this symposium. In addition, funding agencies like the National Institutes for Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) have expanded requirements for data management and data distribution. These pressures present challenges to researchers, but they also present opportunities.
Replication, Research Transparency, and Journal Publications: Individualism, Community Models, and the Future of Replication Studies
Authors: Ishiyama John
Published: December 2013

Recently, the importance of research transparency via replication studies has been greatly discussed in most of the social sciences, political science included. Indeed, as Gherghina and Katsanidou (2013) and Freese (2007) note, to some extent, the discussion has been prompted by the tremendous changes in publishing in the past decade or so. With the enormous expansion in data availability and instant publication made possible by the Internet, there now are many opportunities to verify the findings presented in the discipline's major journals. “Replication, replication” has not only become the mantra for political science, but for economics, psychology, and quantitative sociology as well. These developments opened a debate on how to best “guard the high standards or research practice and allow for the maximum use of current knowledge for the further development of science” (Gherghina and Katsanidou 2013, 1; for similar sentiments see King 1995).
Data Access and Research Transparency in the Qualitative Tradition
Authors: Elman Colin , Kapiszewski Diana
Published: December 2013

As an abstract idea, openness is difficult to oppose. Social scientists from every research tradition agree that scholars cannot just assert their conclusions, but must also share their evidentiary basis and explain how they were reached. Yet practice has not always followed this principle. Most forms of qualitative empirical inquiry have taken a minimalist approach to openness, providing only limited information about the research process, and little or no access to the data underpinning findings. What scholars do when conducting research, how they generate data, and how they make interpretations or draw inferences on the basis of those data, are rarely addressed at length in their published research. Even in book-length monographs which have an extended preface and footnotes, it can sometimes take considerable detective work to piece together a picture of how authors arrived at their conclusions.
Transparency: The Revolution in Qualitative Research
Authors: Moravcsik Andrew
Published: December 2013

Qualitative political science, the use of textual evidence to reconstruct causal mechanisms across a limited number of cases, is currently undergoing a methodological revolution. Many qualitative scholars—whether they use traditional case-study analysis, analytic narrative, structured focused comparison, counterfactual analysis, process tracing, ethnographic and participant-observation, or other methods—now believe that the richness, rigor, and transparency of qualitative research ought to be fundamentally improved.
Politics after the Digital Revolution
Authors: West Lauren
Published: December 2013

The American Political Science Association is meeting in Washington, DC, the epicenter of American government, for the 2014 Annual Meeting and Exhibition. Washington, DC, is always an exciting meeting for the association, bringing together academics and practicing political scientists.
Executive Director's Report
Authors: Smith Steven Rathgeb
Published: December 2013

This essay is my first report as executive director of APSA. I am honored to be succeeding Michael Brintnall. APSA is one of the leading academic associations in the world. It is more than 110 years old with more than 13,000 members, representing a wide variety of universities and nonacademic settings including think tanks, research institutions, advocacy organizations, and government agencies. Our membership is increasingly international from many different countries. In conjunction with our partner, Cambridge University Press, we publish three highly respected journals, theAmerican Political Science Review,Perspectives on Politics,andPS:Political Science and Politics.
Report to the APSA Council on the Proposed Political Science Research e-Journal
Authors:   APSA Committee on Publications
Published: December 2013

The APSA Committee on Publications offers the following recommendations on the Political Science Research e-journal, originally proposed as the “APSR-Prime” journal by Arthur (“Skip”) Lupia, Adam Berinsky, and others. The APSA Council remanded the proposal to the publications committee in October 2012 for further consideration and resolution of specific issues identified by the publications committee, council and others.
A PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF THREE GENERATIONS OF BLUE GENE
Authors: KERBYSON DARREN J. , BARKER KEVIN J. , GALLO DIEGO S. , CHEN DONG , BRUNHEROTO JOSE R. , RYU KYUNG DONG , CHIU GEORGE L. , HOISIE ADOLFY
Published: December 2013

IBMs Blue Gene supercomputer architecture has evolved through three successive generations each providing increased levels of power-efficiency and system densities. From the original Blue Gene/L to P to Q, a higher level of integration has enabled higher single-core performance, larger concurrency per compute node, and a higher level of system integration. Although these changes have brought with them a higher overall system peak-performance, no study has examined in detail the evolution of performance across system generations. In this work we make two significant contributions that of providing a comparative performance analysis across Blue Gene generations using a consistent set of tests, and also in providing a validated performance model of the NEK-Bone proxy application from the DOE CESAR Exascale Co-Design Center. The combination of empirical analysis and the predictive capabilities of the NEK-Bone performance model enable us to not only directly compare measured performance but also allow for a comparison of system configurations that cannot currently be measured. We provide insights into how the changing architectural performance characteristics of Blue Gene have impacted on the application performance, as well as providing insight into what future systems may be able to achieve.
CHARACTERIZING LARGE-SCALE HPC APPLICATIONS THROUGH TRACE EXTRAPOLATION
Authors: CARRINGTON LAURA , LAURENZANO MICHAEL , TIWARI ANANTA
Published: December 2013

The analysis and understanding of large-scale application behavior is critical for effectively utilizing existing HPC resources and making design decisions for upcoming systems. In this work we utilize the information about the behavior of an MPI application at a series of smaller core counts to characterize its behavior at a much larger core count. Our methodology first captures the application's behavior via a set of features that are important for both performance and energy (cache hit rates, floating point intensity, ILP, etc.). We then find the best statistical fit from among a set of canonical functions in terms of how these features change across a series of small core counts. The models for a given feature can then be utilized to generate an extrapolated trace of the application at scale. The accuracy of the extrapolated traces is evaluated by calculating the error of the extrapolated trace relative to an actual trace for two large-scale applications, UH3D and SPECFEM3D. The accuracy of the fully extrapolated traces is further evaluated by comparing the results of building performance models using both the extrapolated trace along with an actual trace in order to predict application performance. For these two full-scale HPC applications, performance models built using the extrapolated traces predicted the runtime with absolute relative errors of less than 5%.
Current Status on Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Microbial Degradation of Nicotine
Authors: Gurusamy Raman , Natarajan Sakthivel
Published: December 2013

Bioremediation is one of the most promising methods to clean up polluted environments using highly efficient potent microbes. Microbes with specific enzymes and biochemical pathways are capable of degrading the tobacco alkaloids including highly toxic heterocyclic compound, nicotine. After the metabolic conversion, these nicotinophilic microbes use nicotine as the sole carbon, nitrogen, and energy source for their growth. Various nicotine degradation pathways such as demethylation pathway in fungi, pyridine pathway in Gram‐positive bacteria, pyrrolidine pathway, and variant of pyridine and pyrrolidine pathways in Gram‐negative bacteria have been reported. In this review, we discussed the nicotine‐degrading pathways of microbes and their enzymes and biotechnological applications of nicotine intermediate metabolites.
“On Water” Sonochemical Multicomponent Synthesis of Novel Bioactive 1,1′‐(Aryl)bis(2‐(cyclohexylamino)‐2‐oxoethane‐1,1‐diyl) Di(alkanoates and benzoates)
Authors: Mamaghani Manouchehr , Mahmoodi Nosrat O. , Shirini Farhad , Azimi-Roshan Abbas , Monfared Azam
Published: December 2013

An expeditious, efficient, and ecofriendly ultrasound‐promoted synthesis of a series of novel 1,1′‐(aryl)bis(2‐(cyclohexylamino)‐2‐oxoethane‐1,1‐diyl) di(alkanoate and benzoate) derivatives (6a–k), as useful building block candidates for natural products and drugs, is reported. The target compounds were prepared by the reaction of alkyl or aryl carboxylic acid, various bisaldehydes and isocyanocyclohexane in water using one‐pot isocyanide‐based multicomponent approach. This efficient protocol without using any catalyst furnished the products in short reaction times (4‐5 min) and excellent yields (87–96%). The antibacterial activity of the selected products was also examined. Some products showed promising activities.
The Effects of Two Lactobacillus plantarum Strains on Rat Lipid Metabolism Receiving a High Fat Diet
Authors: Salaj Rastislav , Štofilová Jana , Šoltesová Alena , Hertelyová Zdenka , Hijová Emília , Bertková Izabela , Strojný Ladislav , Kružliak Peter , Bomba Alojz
Published: December 2013

The aim of our study was to evaluate the effects of the different probiotic strains, Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 and Lactobacillus plantarum Biocenol LP96, on lipid metabolism and body weight in rats fed a high fat diet.
Compared with the high fat diet group, the results showed that Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 reduced serum cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, but Lactobacillus plantarum Biocenol LP96 decreased triglycerides and VLDL, while there was no change in the serum HDL level and liver lipids. Both probiotic strains lowered total bile acids in serum. Our strains have no significant change in body weight, gain weight, and body fat.
These findings indicate that the effect of lactobacilli on lipid metabolism may differ among strains and that the Lactobacillus plantarum LS/07 and Lactobacillus plantarum Biocenol LP96 can be used to improve lipid profile and can contribute to a healthier bowel microbial balance.
Computational Study on the Intramolecular Carbene-CO Coupling in M(CH2)(CO)3 Radicals (M = Co, Rh, Ir)
Authors: Tollár Gábor , Kégl Tamás
Published: December 2013

The intramolecular carbene-carbonyl coupling has been investigated for the simple M(CH2)(CO)3 (M = Co, Rh, Ir) radical complexes at the DFT PBEPBE/TZVP level of theory. The coupling is predicted to be very fast for the cobalt-containing system, but it is still feasible for the systems based on the other two metals. The back-way reaction, that is, the conversion of the ketene complex into carbonyl-carbene complex, cannot be excluded from the Ir-containing system in CH2Cl2, and it is even favored in gas phase. The intermolecular ketene formation by the addition of external CO onto the CH2 moiety is the favored pathway for the Ir-complex. The Laplacian distribution, as well as the natural spin density distribution of all the species, being involved in the reaction, gives explanation for the significant difference between the nature of the Co-complex and the Rh- and Ir-systems.
Clinical Profile and Outcome of Japanese Encephalitis in Children Admitted with Acute Encephalitis Syndrome
Authors: Kakoti Gitali , Dutta Prafulla , Ram Das Bishnu , Borah Jani , Mahanta Jagadish
Published: December 2013

Japanese encephalitis (JE) is an arthropod borne viral disease. Children are most commonly affected in Southeast Asian region showing symptoms of central nervous system with several complications and death. The clinical characteristics and outcomes in pediatric JE patients hospitalized with acute encephalitis syndrome (AES) are still poorly understood. A prospective study was conducted in pediatric ward of Assam Medical College Hospital to evaluate the clinical profile and outcome of JE in children. A total of 223 hospitalized AES cases were enrolled during March to December 2012. Serum and cerebro spinal fluids were tested for presence of JE specific IgM antibody. 67 (30%) were found to be JE positive. The most common presenting symptoms in JE patients were fever (100%), altered sensorium (83.58%), seizure (82.08%), headache (41.79%), and vomiting (29.85%). Signs of meningeal irritation were present in 55.22% of cases. Around 40.29%, JE patients had GCS ≤ 8. Among the JE patients, 14.7% died before discharge. The complete recoveries were observed in 63.9% of cases, while 21.3% had some sort of disability at the time of discharge. JE is still a major cause of AES in children in this part of India. These significant findings thus seek attentions of the global community to combat JE in children.
Affine-Periodic Solutions for Dissipative Systems
Authors: Zhang Yu , Yang Xue , Li Yong
Published: December 2013

As generalizations of Yoshizawa’s theorem, it is proved that a dissipative affine-periodic system admits affine-periodic solutions. This result reveals some oscillation mechanism in nonlinear systems.
Artificial Bee Colony Algorithm for Solving Optimal Power Flow Problem
Authors: Le Dinh Luong , Vo Ngoc Dieu , Vasant Pandian
Published: December 2013

This paper proposes an artificial bee colony (ABC) algorithm for solving optimal power flow (OPF) problem. The objective of the OPF problem is to minimize total cost of thermal units while satisfying the unit and system constraints such as generator capacity limits, power balance, line flow limits, bus voltages limits, and transformer tap settings limits. The ABC algorithm is an optimization method inspired from the foraging behavior of honey bees. The proposed algorithm has been tested on the IEEE 30‐bus, 57‐bus, and 118‐bus systems. The numerical results have indicated that the proposed algorithm can find high quality solution for the problem in a fast manner via the result comparisons with other methods in the literature. Therefore, the proposed ABC algorithm can be a favorable method for solving the OPF problem.
Chemistry and Biological Activities of Flavonoids: An Overview
Authors: Kumar Shashank , Pandey Abhay K.
Published: December 2013

There has been increasing interest in the research on flavonoids from plant sources because of their versatile health benefits reported in various epidemiological studies. Since flavonoids are directly associated with human dietary ingredients and health, there is need to evaluate structure and function relationship. The bioavailability, metabolism, and biological activity of flavonoids depend upon the configuration, total number of hydroxyl groups, and substitution of functional groups about their nuclear structure. Fruits and vegetables are the main dietary sources of flavonoids for humans, along with tea and wine. Most recent researches have focused on the health aspects of flavonoids for humans. Many flavonoids are shown to have antioxidative activity, free radical scavenging capacity, coronary heart disease prevention, hepatoprotective, anti‐inflammatory, and anticancer activities, while some flavonoids exhibit potential antiviral activities. In plant systems, flavonoids help in combating oxidative stress and act as growth regulators. For pharmaceutical purposes cost‐effective bulk production of different types of flavonoids has been made possible with the help of microbial biotechnology. This review highlights the structural features of flavonoids, their beneficial roles in human health, and significance in plants as well as their microbial production.
Clinical Use of Ultrasensitive Cardiac Troponin I Assay in Intermediate- and High-Risk Surgery Patients
Authors: Borges Flávia Kessler , Furtado Mariana Vargas , Rossini Ana Paula Webber , Bertoluci Carolina , Gonzalez Vinícius Leite , Bertoldi Eduardo Gehling , Pezzali Luíza Guazzeli , Machado Daniel Luft , Grutcki Denis Maltz , Rech Leandro Gazziero , Magalhães Mariana , Polanczyk Carisi Anne
Published: December 2013

Background. Cardiac troponin levels have been reported to add value in the detection of cardiovascular complications in noncardiac surgery. A sensitive cardiac troponin I (cTnI) assay could provide more accurate prognostic information.Methods. This study prospectively enrolled 142 patients with at least one Revised Cardiac Risk Index risk factor who underwent noncardiac surgery. cTnI levels were measured postoperatively. Short-term cardiac outcome predictors were evaluated.Results. cTnI elevation was observed in 47 patients, among whom 14 were diagnosed as having myocardial infarction (MI). After 30 days, 16 patients had major adverse cardiac events (MACE). Excluding patients with a final diagnosis of MI, predictors of cTnI elevation included dialysis, history of heart failure, transoperative major bleeding, and elevated levels of pre- and postoperative N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP). Maximal cTnI values showed the highest sensitivity (94%), specificity (75%), and overall accuracy (AUC 0.89; 95% CI 0.80–0.98) for postoperative MACE. Postoperative cTnI peak level (OR 9.4; 95% CI 2.3–39.2) and a preoperative NT-proBNP level ≥917 pg/mL (OR 3.47; 95% CI 1.05–11.6) were independent risk factors for MACE.Conclusions. cTnI was shown to be an independent prognostic factor for cardiac outcomes and should be considered as a component of perioperative risk assessment.
Estimation of Parameters of Generalized Inverted Exponential Distribution for Progressive Type-II Censored Sample with Binomial Removals
Authors: Singh Sanjay Kumar , Singh Umesh , Kumar Manoj
Published: December 2013

We obtained the maximum likelihood and Bayes estimators of the parameters of the generalized inverted exponential distribution in case of the progressive type-II censoring scheme with binomial removals. Bayesian estimation procedure has been discussed under the consideration of the square error and general entropy loss functions while the model parameters follow the gamma prior distributions. The performances of the maximum likelihood and Bayes estimators are compared in terms of their risks through the simulation study. Further, we have also derived the expression of the expected experiment time to get a progressively censored sample with binomial removals, consisting of specified number of observations from generalized inverted exponential distribution. An illustrative example based on a real data set has also been given.
The Impacts of Cardiac Rehabilitation Program on Echocardiographic Parameters in Coronary Artery Disease Patients with Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Authors: Sadeghi Masoumeh , Garakyaraghi Mohammad , Khosravi Mohsen , Taghavi Mahboobeh , Sarrafzadegan Nizal , Roohafza Hamidreza
Published: December 2013

Introduction. The accurate impact of exercise on coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with left ventricular dysfunction is still debatable. We studied the effects of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) on echocardiography parameters in CAD patients with ventricular dysfunction.Methods. Patients with CAD who had ventricular dysfunction were included into an exercise-based rehabilitation program and received rehabilitation for eight weeks. All subjects underwent echocardiography before and at the end of the rehabilitation program. The echocardiography parameters, including left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), LV end-diastolic (LVEDD) and end-systolic diameters (LVESD), and peak exercise capacity measured in metabolic equivalents (METs), were assessed.Results. Seventy patients (mean age = 57.5 ± 10.2 years, 77.1% males) were included into the study. At the end of rehabilitation period, the LVEF increased from 45.14 ± 5.77% to 50.44 ± 8.70% (P<0.001), and the peak exercise capacity increased from 8.00 ± 2.56 to 10.08 ± 3.00 METs (P<0.001). There was no significant change in LVEDD (54.63 ± 12.96 to 53.86 ± 8.95 mm,P=0.529) or in LVESD (38.91 ± 10.83 to 38.09 ± 9.04 mm,P=0.378) after rehabilitation.Conclusion. Exercise training in postmyocardial infarction patients with ventricular dysfunction could have beneficial effects on cardiac function without adversely affecting LV remodeling or causing serious cardiac complications.
Simplicity and Spectrum of Singular Hamiltonian Systems of Arbitrary Order
Authors: Sun Huaqing
Published: December 2013

The paper is concerned with singular Hamiltonian systems of arbitrary order with arbitrary equal defect indices. It is proved that the minimal operator generated by the Hamiltonian system is simple. As a consequence, a sufficient condition is obtained for the continuous spectrum of every self-adjoint extension of the minimal operator to be empty in some interval and for the spectrum to be nowhere dense in this interval in terms of the numbers of linearly independent square integrable solutions.
Effects of Time-Varying Impulses on the Synchronization of Delayed Dynamical Networks
Authors: Cai Shuiming , Zhou Peipei , Liu Zengrong
Published: December 2013

The effects of time-varying impulses on the synchronization of a class of general complex delayed dynamical networks are investigated. Different from the existing works, the impulses discussed here are time-varying, and both synchronizing and desynchronizing impulses are considered in the network model simultaneously. Moreover, the network topology is assumed to be directed and weakly connected with a spanning tree. By using the comparison principle, some simple yet generic globally exponential synchronization criteria are derived. It is shown that besides impulse strengths and impulsive interval, the obtained criteria are also closely related with topology structure of the network. Finally, numerical examples are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results.
Numerical Analysis of Erosion Caused by Biomimetic Axial Fan Blade
Authors: Zhang Jun-Qiu , Han Zhi-Wu , Cao Hui-Na , Yin Wei , Niu Shi-Chao , Wang Hui-Yuan
Published: December 2013

Damage caused by erosion has been reported in several industries for a wide range of situations. In the present work, a new method is presented to improve the erosion resistance of machine components by biomimetic method. A numerical investigation of solid particle erosion in the standard and biomimetic configuration blade of axial fan is presented. The analysis consists in the application of the discrete phase model, for modeling the solid particles flow, and the Eulerian conservation equations to the continuous phase. The numerical study employs computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software, based on a finite volume method. User-defined function was used to define wear equation. Gas/solid flow axial fan was simulated to calculate the erosion rate of the particles on the fan blades and comparatively analyzed the erosive wear of the smooth surface, the groove-shaped, and convex hull-shaped biomimetic surface axial flow fan blade. The results show that the groove-shaped biomimetic blade antierosion ability is better than that of the other two fan blades. Thoroughly analyze of antierosion mechanism of the biomimetic blade from many factors including the flow velocity contours and flow path lines, impact velocity, impact angle, particle trajectories, and the number of collisions.
Efficacy of Kampo Medicine in Treating Atopic Dermatitis: An Overview
Authors: Shimizu Tadamichi
Published: December 2013

Atopic dermatitis (AD) is a common inflammatory skin disease with recurring episodes of itching and a chronic relapsing course. Current treatment options for AD include topical agents, such as topical corticosteroids and oral antiallergic drugs. Providing effective long-term treatment is sometimes difficult due to the chronic, relapsing nature of AD; therefore, there is a need to identify better therapeutic options with minimal side effects that are well tolerated over the variable course of the disease. Traditional herbal medicine, also known as Kampo medicine in Japan, has a long history and plays a role in the prevention and treatment of various diseases, including AD. Some Kampo medicines are useful for treating inflammatory skin diseases, and there has been increased interest in using Kampo medicine to develop new therapeutic agents for AD. Standard Kampo formulas for AD are effective in removing the symptoms of “Netsu Sho,” “Ketsu-Kyo,” “Ki-Kyo,” and “O-Ketsu.” This paper discusses the efficacy of Kampo medicines in treating AD. Knowledge of the mechanisms of action of Kampo medicines will result in greater choices of pharmacotherapeutic agents for AD.
Imaging of Cardiac Valves by Computed Tomography
Authors: Feuchtner Gudrun
Published: December 2013

This paper describes “how to” examine cardiac valves with computed tomography, the normal, diseased valves, and prosthetic valves. A review of current scientific literature is provided. Firstly, technical basics, “how to” perform and optimize a multislice CT scan and “how to” interpret valves on CT images are outlined. Then, diagnostic imaging of the entire spectrum of specific valvular disease by CT, including prosthetic heart valves, is highlighted. The last part gives a guide “how to” use CT for planning of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), an emerging effective treatment option for patients with severe aortic stenosis. A special focus is placed on clinical applications of cardiac CT in the context of valvular disease.
Persistent Primitive Trigeminal Artery: An Unusual Cause of Vascular Tinnitus
Authors: Panda Ananya , Arora Arundeep , Jana Manisha
Published: December 2013

Pulsatile tinnitus is generally of vascular origin and can be due to arterial, venous, or systemic causes. While certain congenital anatomical variants and arterial vascular loops have been commonly found in symptomatic patients undergoing imaging, persistent primitive trigeminal artery in association with isolated tinnitus is unusual. Thus we report a patient with unilateral isolated pulsatile tinnitus who was evaluated with magnetic resonance angiography and was found to have a persistent primitive trigeminal artery. We also briefly discuss vascular tinnitus as well as the embryology, imaging, and classification of persistent primitive trigeminal artery with the clinical implications.
Pharmacological Intervention of Nicotine Dependence
Authors: Jain Raka , Majumder Pradipta , Gupta Tina
Published: December 2013

Nicotine dependence is a major cause of mortality and morbidity all over the world. Various medications have been tried to treat nicotine dependence including nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline. A newer venture to nicotine dependence treatment is a nicotine vaccine which is yet to get footsteps in common practice. The present review assimilates various pharmacotherapeutic measures to address nicotine dependence. However, it is to be noted that psychological interventions, when combined with pharmacotherapy, offer the greatest benefits to the patients.
Diabetes and Hemoglobin A1c as Risk Factors for Nosocomial Infections in Critically Ill Patients
Authors: Tsakiridou Eirini , Makris Demosthenes , Chatzipantazi Vasiliki , Vlachos Odysseas , Xidopoulos Grigorios , Charalampidou Olympia , Moraitis Georgios , Zakynthinos Epameinondas
Published: December 2013

Objective. To evaluate whether diabetes mellitus (DM) and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) are risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and bloodstream infections (BSI) in critically ill patients.Methods. Prospective observational study; patients were recruited from the intensive care unit (ICU) of a general district hospital between 2010 and 2012. Inclusion criteria: ICU hospitalization >72 hours and mechanical ventilation >48 hours. HbA1c was calculated for all participants. DM, HbA1c, and other clinical and laboratory parameters were assessed as risk factors for VAP or BSI in ICU.Results. The overall ICU incidence of VAP and BSI was 26% and 30%, respectively. Enteral feeding OR (95%CI) 6.20 (1.91–20.17;P=0.002) and blood transfusion 3.33 (1.23–9.02;P=0.018) were independent risk factors for VAP. BSI in ICU (P=0.044) and ICU mortality (P=0.038) were significantly increased in diabetics. Independent risk factors for BSI in ICU included BSI on admission 2.45 (1.14–5.29;P=0.022) and stroke on admission2.77 (1.12–6.88;P=0.029). Sepsis 3.34 (1.47–7.58;P=0.004) and parenteral feeding 6.29 (1.59–24.83;P=0.009) were independently associated with ICU mortality. HbA1c ≥ 8.1% presented a significant diagnostic performance in diagnosing repeated BSI in ICU.Conclusion. DM and HbA1c were not associated with increased VAP or BSI frequency. HbA1c was associated with repeated BSI episodes in the ICU.
Cocoa Polyphenols: Can We Consider Cocoa and Chocolate as Potential Functional Food?
Authors: Ackar Djurdjica , Valek Lendić Kristina , Valek Marina , Šubarić Drago , Miličević Borislav , Babić Jurislav , Nedić Ilija
Published: December 2013

Chocolate has been consumed as confection, aphrodisiac, and folk medicine for many years before science proved its potential health benefiting effects. Main compounds of cocoa and chocolate which contribute to human health are polyphenols that act as antioxidants and have potential anti‐inflammatory, cardioprotective, antihepatotoxic, antibacterial, antiviral, antiallergenic, and anticarcinogenic properties. This paper gives a short overview of scientific literature regarding cocoa polyphenols and influence of cocoa and chocolate on human health. Although research on health benefits of dark chocolate and cocoa is quite extensive nowadays and shows potentially beneficial effects of dark chocolate and cocoa, there are still lots of unknowns and some controversies. This is obviously an area that needs more research in order to determine factual influence of chocolate on health.
Twenty‐Four‐Hour Urinary Aldosterone Predicts Inappropriate Left Ventricular Mass Index in Patients with Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Hung Chi-Sheng , Ho Yi-Lwun , Chang Yi-Yao , Wu Vin-Cent , Wu Xue-Ming , Lee Jen-Kuang , Chueh Shih-Chieh , Lin Yen-Hung , Changh Yuan-Shian , Yang Shao-Yu , Hu Ya-Hui , Sui Ming-Jai , Chen Ming-Fong , Wu Kwan-Dun
Published: December 2013

Objective. Primary aldosteronism (PA) is associated with inappropriate left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in relation to a given gender and body size. There is no ideal parameter to predict the presence of LVH or inappropriate LVH in patients with PA. We investigate the performance of 24‐hour urinary aldosterone level, plasma renin activity and aldosterone‐to‐renin ratio on this task. Methods. We performed echocardiography in 106 patients with PA and 31 subjects with essential hypertension (EH) in a tertiary teaching hospital. Plasma renin activity, aldosterone concentration, and 24‐hour urinary aldosterone level were measured. Results. Only 24‐hour urinary aldosterone was correlated with left ventricular mass index (LVMI) and excess LVMI among these parameters. The multivariate analysis revealed the urinary aldosterone level as an independent predictor for LVMI and excess LVMI. Analyzing the ability of urinary aldosterone, plasma aldosterone concentration, and plasma aldosterone‐to‐renin ratio to identify the presence of LVH (ROC AUC = 0.701, 0.568, 0.656, resp.) and the presence of inappropriate LV mass index (defined as measured LVMI in predicting LVMI ratio >135%) (ROC area under curve = 0.61, 0.43, 0.493, resp.) revealed the better performance of 24‐hour urinary aldosterone. Conclusions. In conclusion, 24‐hour urinary aldosterone level performed better to predict the presence of LVH and inappropriate LVMI in patients with PA.