cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Participation in Student Activities and Achievement: A Covariance Structural Analysis.

AbstractThe place of student activities within the public educational system of this country remains an issue. Some proponents of educational reform argue that nonclassroom activities compete with academic learning for the student’s time and attention. That argument implicitly assumes a causal relationship between youth activities and academic achievement. Using the High School and Beyond sophomore cohort data set, I examined that implied causal relationship between level of student participation in extracurricular/cocurricular activities and academic achievement. The model examined accounts for the effects of gender, family background, academic ability, and other competing time-use habits. The findings suggest that academic achievement is enhanced by student participation and raise questions about the rationale behind rules excluding academically marginal students from participation in extracurricular and cocurricular activities.
Effect of Operating Frequency on Spatial Features of the Inductively Coupled Plasma

An unambiguous comparison has been made of the spatial features of a 27.12 and a 40.68 MHz inductively coupled plasma. Experiments were carried out with a switchable-frequency, solid-state radio-frequency generator from the Leco 2000 system. Several features of analytical significance have been evaluated in a spatially resolved fashion. Results from optimization of the magnesium ion-to-atom (Mg II/Mg I) line-intensity ratio have been compared. The volume of the two discharges was estimated from molecular nitrogen-ion emission, and a spatially resolved map of the Fe(I) excitation temperature was determined by means of a Boltzmann analysis at each spatial location. Calcium and magnesium ion-to-atom line-intensity ratios have been calculated throughout both plasmas. Finally, limits of detection are presented. The results indicate that the plasma operated at 40.68 MHz provides slightly better figures of merit, although fundamental parameters suggest a lower degree of analyte excitation. This difference is explained by examining the results of a simulation of plasmas operated at 27.12 and 40.68 MHz.
Effect of citreoviridin and isocitreoviridin on beef heart mitochondrial ATPase.

Abstract Citreoviridin is a toxic metabolite from fungus that has been shown to be an inhibitor of mitochondrial F 1 -ATPases. Studies of citreoviridin, however, have been compromised by the light-dependent isomerization that it undergoes. The isomerization is a potential source of extensive variability in the studies, if citreoviridin and isocitreoviridin have different kinetic effects and binding properties. Both citreoviridin and isocitreoviridin recently have been purified and have been shown to be stable in the dark. Using the purified isomers, the effects of both citreoviridin and isocitreoviridin on soluble and membrane-bound beef heart mitochondrial F 1 -ATPase activity were investigated. It was found that citreoviridin was an uncompetitive inhibitor of ATP hydrolysis, and a non-competitive inhibitor of ITP hydrolysis catalyzed by soluble F 1 -ATPase. Isocitreoviridin had no effect on the hydrolysis of either of the triphosphates catalyzed by soluble F 1 -ATPase. The inhibition constant, K i for citreoviridin was determined as 4.5 μ m for ATP hydrolysis. The inhibition constants K ii and K is for ITP hydrolysis were determined as 4.3 and 1.03 μ m , respectively. Citreoviridin was an uncompetitive inhibitor of ATP hydrolysis and a noncompetitive inhibitor of ATP synthesis catalyzed by membrane-bound F 1 -ATPase. The inhibition constant, K i for ATP hydrolysis was around 4 μ m . For ATP synthesis the inhibition constants were determined as 0.12 and 0.16 μ m for K is and K ii , respectively, when ADP concentration was kept saturating. Isocitreoviridin had no effect on either activity of the membrane-bound enzyme.
Does the elephant dance? Contemporary Indian foreign policy

Does the elephant dance? Contemporary Indian foreign policy, by David M. Malone, New Delhi, Oxford University Press, 2011, 425 pp., ISBN 019-955-2029, $45 Sumit Ganguly Indiana University, Blooming...
Comparative Genomic and Transcriptomic Analysis of Wangiella dermatitidis, A Major Cause of Phaeohyphomycosis and a Model Black Yeast Human Pathogen

Black or dark brown (phaeoid) fungi cause cutaneous, subcutaneous, and systemic infections in humans. Black fungi thrive in stressful conditions such as intense light, high radiation, and very low pH. Wangiella (Exophiala) dermatitidis is arguably the most studied phaeoid fungal pathogen of humans. Here, we report our comparative analysis of the genome of W. dermatitidis and the transcriptional response to low pH stress. This revealed that W. dermatitidis has lost the ability to synthesize alpha-glucan, a cell wall compound many pathogenic fungi use to evade the host immune system. In contrast, W. dermatitidis contains a similar profile of chitin synthase genes as related fungi and strongly induces genes involved in cell wall synthesis in response to pH stress. The large portfolio of transporters may provide W. dermatitidis with an enhanced ability to remove harmful products as well as to survive on diverse nutrient sources. The genome encodes three independent pathways for producing melanin, an ability linked to pathogenesis; these are active during pH stress, potentially to produce a barrier to accumulated oxidative damage that might occur under stress conditions. In addition, a full set of fungal light-sensing genes is present, including as part of a carotenoid biosynthesis gene cluster. Finally, we identify a two-gene cluster involved in nucleotide sugar metabolism conserved with a subset of fungi and characterize a horizontal transfer event of this cluster between fungi and algal viruses. This work reveals how W. dermatitidis has adapted to stress and survives in diverse environments, including during human infections.
Distinguishing the Lover of Peace from the Pacifist, the Appeaser, and the Warmonger

.. A  How is one to distinguish a true lover of peace from a mere appeaser, a pacifist, and a warmonger? Distinguishing them can be sometimes confusing, as they will oen appropriate each other’s language. e criterion for the above distinction does not only lie in outward behavior, as knowledge of inward aitudes is also required. A right understanding of these aitudes and motivations involve at least an implicit grasp of the true nature of peace, which is investigated as something more than the mere absence of war, insofar as peace is primarily a work of two moral virtues: justice and charity. It is in the spirit of justice and charity that the true lover of peace must then distinguish—both in one’s own life and with nations—between what can be ignored and / or forgiven, and what must be redressed. Furthermore, the distinction between the lover of peace and the pacifist, with the possibility of pacifism being a distinct tradition from just war philosophy, is investigated. e argument is made that pacifism should not be considered outside the context of just war because one needs that context to address if and who demands restitution.
Congestive heart failure complicating aortic regurgitation with medical and surgical management: A prospective study of traditional and quantitative echocardiographic markers

Objective Congestive heart failure complicating aortic regurgitation is poorly described, and predictive roles of quantitative versus traditional (symptoms or low ejection fraction) surgical markers are unclear. Methods We prospectively enrolled 287 patients with aortic regurgitation (age, 61 ± 17 years; 68% male) in whom we performed quantitative Doppler echocardiographic analysis and personal physicians conducted management. Results After diagnosis, 40 congestive heart failure episodes occurred under medical management (10-year, 23% ± 4%) causing high subsequent mortality (hazard ratio [HR], 2.8; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2–6.8; P = .02). Patients with traditional surgical markers (symptoms or ejection fraction P P = .01). Quantitative American Society of Echocardiography aortic regurgitation grading and left ventricular end-systolic volume index independently predicted congestive heart failure (quantitative American Society of Echocardiography severe aortic regurgitation: HR, 3.6; 95% CI, 1.3–13.0; P = .015; end-systolic volume index ≥45 mL/m 2 : HR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.03–4.4; P = .04) or death–congestive heart failure with incremental predictive value ( P 2 ) versus quantitative American Society of Echocardiography mild aortic regurgitation (10-year: 44% ± 10% vs 15% ± 7%, P 2 or greater versus less than 45 mL/m 2 (33% ± 7% vs 9% ± 2%, P P P = .008) without excess mortality ( P = .10). Conclusion This prospective study of aortic regurgitation shows frequent congestive heart failure under conservative management. Traditional surgical markers (symptoms and ejection fraction
Beyond the breach: transforming White identities in the classroom

Efforts aimed at promoting multiculturalism in the classroom are often pedestrian and ineffectual. When instructors do succeed at facilitating honest discourse, they frequently fail to anticipate the great deal of pain, frustration and anger that is invoked. Rather than sustain a false sense of community, we argue that a dialogic, multicultural community can only be achieved by fostering breach of mainstream norms. Using cultural anthropologist Victor Turner's notion of social drama as a theoretical framework, we document the intense conflict that erupted in our classroom when students were pressed to engage one another regarding issues of race. In order to both acknowledge and make public our students' emotional responses to the dialogue, we implemented a ‘recursive loop’, a pedagogical strategy designed to provide immediate feedback and enable students to come to a richer understanding of how their experiences of race are inextricably linked. By analyzing the students' discourse, we demonstrate how thes...
Novelty and Technical Complexity: Critical Constructs in Capital Projects

AbstractOne of the challenges in project management research is that projects, by definition, are unique. However, the degree to which any project differs from another varies on the basis of a range of attributes. Two industrial facilities that vary by an order of magnitude in size may, in fact, be very similar and experience similar outcomes. However, two identical industrial facilities that are constructed by different contractors may experience vastly different outcomes. In the first case, the two buildings may have the same set of technical characteristics. In the second case, all else being equal, the different outcomes may be attributable to the contractors’ experience with the construction of this type of facility. This paper expands on these two cases and proposes that all projects can be partially defined in terms of two distinct attributes: technical complexity and novelty. The technical characteristics of a project define its technical complexity. The degree of the project participants’ experie...
Physiological Effects of Exercise in the Diabetic

Physical therapists frequently assess and treat patients with diabetes mellitus. Because exercise is often a component of the prescribed program, the physical therapist should have some understanding of the possible responses a diabetic may have to exercise. Diabetics can benefit from exercise and training, but exercise can have deleterious effects in some instances. This paper provides a review of the literature on the physiological effects of exercise and training in the diabetic. Effects of exercise and training on the cardiovascular and muscular systems are reviewed, and the role of insulin in regulating the production, mobilization, and utilization of energy substrates during exercise is examined. Additionally, this paper provides suggestions on the clinical relevance of the physiological findings in planning exercise programs and education for the diabetic patient.
Demosaicing by successive approximation

In this paper, we present a fast and high-performance algorithm for color filter array (CFA) demosaicing. CFA demosaicing is formulated as a problem of reconstructing correlated signals from their downsampled versions with an opposite phase. The major contributions of this work include 1) a new iterative demosaicing algorithm in the color difference domain and 2) a spatially adaptive stopping criterion for suppressing color misregistration and zipper artifacts in the demosaiced images. We have compared the proposed demosaicing algorithm with two current state-of-the-art techniques reported in the literature. Ours outperforms both of them on demosaicing performance and computational cost.
Quantitation of HLA-D Differences

The predictability of MLC non-reactivity by HTC typing was tested in a single checkerboard experiment which involved 39 unrelated individuals belonging to 12 different groups of HLA-D identical phenotypes. The strength of one-way MLC reactions in all possible responder-stimulator combinations (39 × 39) was quantitated by the Linear Clustering Analysis Program. Individuals who, by HTC typing, were identical for two HLA-D antigens gave 51% negative, 36% intermediate and 13% strong positive MLC responses. Identity for only one HLA-D antigen resulted in 3% negative, 40% intermediate and 57% strong MLC reactions. When no HLA-D antigen was shared, 88% of the reactions were strongly positive. HLA-D antigens behaved as equipotent stimulators in MLC between half-identical pairs. The only exception consisted of the higher frequency of weak responses displayed by the Dw5 positive individuals against stimulators differing by LD107. The same pattern was observed when LD107 homozygous cells were used as stimulators, suggesting that determinants of this specificity might be partially included in Dw5.
Precision synchrotron radiation detectors

Precision detectors for measuring synchrotron radiation beam positions have been designed and installed as part of beam energy spectrometers at the Stanford Linear Collider (SLC). The distance between pairs of synchrotron radiation beams is measured absolutely to better than 28 mu m on a pulse-to-pulse basis, thereby contributing less than 5 MeV to the error in the measurement of SLC beam energies (approximately 50 GeV). A system of high-resolution video cameras viewing precisely aligned fiducial wire arrays overlaying phosphorescent screens has achieved this accuracy. Detectors of synchrotron radiation using the charge developed by the ejection of Compton-recoil electrons from an array of fine wires are being developed. >
Bootstrapped models for intrinsic random functions

Use of intrinsic random function stochastic models as a basis for estimation in geostatistical work requires the identification of the generalized covariance function of the underlying process. The fact that this function has to be estimated from data introduces an additional source of error into predictions based on the model. This paper develops the sample reuse procedure called the “bootstrap” in the context of intrinsic random functions to obtain realistic estimates of these errors. Simulation results support the conclusion that bootstrap distributions of functionals of the process, as well as their “kriging variance,” provide a reasonable picture of variability introduced by imperfect estimation of the generalized covariance function.
Duverger's Law, Fusion, and the Decline of American "Third" Parties:

has been strongly emphasized. It is argued that the statewideplurality method of electing a president and governors, plus the singlemember-district-plurality method of electing national and state legislators, have made "third" party growth unlikely. This assessment of the consequence of the plurality election method has also been stressed by students of comparative politics. In that context it has been referred to by Riker (1982) and others as "Duverger's Law." There is, however, a way by which the obstacles presented to a minor party by a plurality election system can be minimized; that method is jointly sponsored candidacies. Today in Great Britain the two smallest parties, the Liberals and Social Democrats, divide the parliamentary districts between them and advise the electorate that a vote for a candidate of either
Optimal contract for wind power in day-ahead electricity markets

The growth of wind energy production poses several challenges in its integration in current electric power systems. In this work, we study how a wind power producer can bid optimally in existing electricity markets. We derive optimal contract size and expected profit for a wind producer under arbitrary penalty function and generation costs. A key feature of our analysis is to allow for the wind producer to strategically withhold production once the day ahead contract is signed. Such strategic behavior is detrimental to the smooth functioning of electricity markets. We show that under simple conditions on the offered price and marginal imbalance penalty, a risk neutral profit maximizing wind power producer will produce as much as wind power is available (up to its contract size).
Acting Locally: Environmental Injustice and the Emergence of Grass-roots Environmental Organizations

Because of the contradictions inherent in a liberal democratic state, the environmental regulatory process often fails to protect citizens from corporate pollution. As a consequence, organizations have emerged in some contaminated communities to put pressure on the regulatory process. This paper examines the structural sources of the emergence of grass-roots environmental organizations. These organizations represent a new trend in the environmental movement, and are part of a broader historical process involving the evolution of the legal culture and the social control of corporate conduct in the United States.
Translocation of green fluorescent protein by comparative analysis with multiple signal peptides

Type I and II secretory pathways are used for the translocation of recombinant proteins from the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli. The purpose of this study was to evaluate four signal peptides (HlyA, TorA, GeneIII, and PelB), representing the most common secretion pathways in E. coli, for their ability to target green fluorescent protein (GFP) for membrane translocation. Signal peptide-GFP genetic fusions were designed in accordance with BioFusion standards (BBF RFC 10, BBF RFC 23). The HlyA signal peptide targeted GFP for secretion to the extracellular media via the type I secretory pathway, whereas TAT-dependent signal peptide TorA and Sec-dependent signal peptide GeneIII exported GFP to the periplasm. The PelB signal peptide was inefficient in translocating GFP. The use of biological technical standards simplified the design and construction of functional signal peptide-recombinant protein genetic devices for type I and II secretion in E. coli. The utility of the standardized parts model is further illustrated as constructed biological parts are available for direct application to other studies on recombinant protein translocation.
The implementation of Bayesian structural additive regression models in multi-city time series air pollution and human health studies

In this study, a novel Bayesian semiparametric structural additive regression (STAR) model is introduced in multi-city time series air pollution and human health studies. This modeling approach can simultaneously take into account the fixed effects, random effects, nonlinear smoothing functions and spatial functions in an integrated model framework. This study focuses on examining the powerful functionalities of this approach in modeling air pollution and mortality data of 100 U.S. cities from 1987 to 2000. Compared with previous studies, the modeling approach used in this study yields consistent findings of nation-level and city-level PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 μm) effects on mortality. Notably, cities with significantly elevated mortality rates were concentrated in the Northeastern U.S. This modeling approach also emphasizes the important functionality of the spatial function in visualizing disease mapping. Model diagnostics were performed to confirm the availability of the STAR model. We also found consistent findings by using different hyperparameters in the sensitivity analysis. To sum up, the implementation of this modeling approach has achieved the goals of applying a spatial function and obtaining robust results in the multi-city time series air pollution and human health study.
Building transdisciplinary university collaboration to strengthen global adolescent health

settings (RLS) by extending their educational mission. Teaching hospitals within AMCs represent concentrations of expertise in health professional training that can be directed toward building health sector capacity globally. Over the past 25 years, a U.S.-based Teaching Hospital (TH) has operated a suite of educational programs (“Programs”) with the aim of knowledge transfer in pediatric and women’s health. Structure/Method/Design: The Programs’ goals include: establish a foundation for long-term inter-institutional collaboration with bi-directional benefit in RLS; utilize established relationships as platforms to address healthcare needs in underserved communities. The Programs’ include: a four-week, customized visiting scholar immersion for selected physicians to obtain knowledge needed to lead the development of programs in their home institutions; an annual colloquium targeting educational needs of clinical providers in pediatric and maternal health; a team of TH professionals deployed to educational forums in RLS. The primary program beneficiaries are clinical providers with completed/active training in pediatric or women’s health. Participants are identified through the network of partner organizations in governmental and non-governmental health service sectors through execution of the Programs. The design of the Programs promotes access to the highest quality educational opportunities with minimal barriers, essential for health professionals in RLS. Long-term sustainability of the Programs and their benefits to RLS is dependent upon the Programs working within and between one another. Outcomes & Evaluation: TH educational programs for RLS are long-standing, supported by a core team of dedicated healthcare professionals, and serve as a basis for sustained institutional collaboration in RLS. Since 2007, 403 visiting scholars trained in 12 specialties at TH; scholars represented 54 countries, approximately 80% were RLS. The annual colloquium, founded in 1990, is among the longest-standing international educational forums of any pediatric hospital in the U.S. Since 2007, 893 participants, representing 30 countries, received continuing education in pediatric and women’s health; 86% of countries represented are RLS. Finally, the team of TH professionals deployed to address educational needs abroad has been solely focused on RLS since its inception in 2007. Last year, the team of TH professionals participated in 16 conferences in 3 RLS countries, reaching 25,000+ learners and partnering with 13 organizations to achieve these outcomes. Going Forward: Challenges include medical licensing board restrictions on non-U.S. trained clinicians and identification of physicians with necessary language skills to execute the Programs. TH plans to address unmet goals through execution of program growth strategies Funding: TH provides direct support from its operating budget and in-kind support; international partners provide in-kind support for outbound programs. Abstract #: 02ETC026
Directed Differentiation of Red Blood Cells from Human Embryonic Stem Cells

Human embryonic stem cells (hESC) represent a new source of stem cells that can be propagated and expanded in vitro indefinitely, providing a potentially inexhaustible and donorless source of cells for human therapy. The ability to create banks of hESC lines with matched or reduced incompatibility could potentially reduce or eliminate the need for immunosuppressive drugs and/or immunomodulatory protocols altogether, for example, O-type RhD(-) lines for generation of universal red blood cells (RBC). Hematopoietic differentiation of hESCs has been extensively investigated in vitro, and hematopoietic precursors as well as differentiated progeny representing erythroid, myeloid, macrophage, megakaryocytic, and lymphoid lineages have been identified in differentiating hESC cultures. Previous studies also generated primitive erythroid cells from hESCs by embryoid body (EB) formation and coculturing with stromal cells. However, the efficient and controlled differentiation of hESCs into homogeneous RBC populations with oxygen-carrying capacity has not been previously achieved. In this chapter, we describe a robust system that can efficiently generate large numbers of hemangioblasts from multiple hESC lines using well-defined conditions and produce functional homogeneous RBCs with oxygen-carrying capacity in large scale. The homogeneous erythroid cells can be used for further mechanism studies.
A novel sensorless control strategy of doubly fed induction motor and its examination with the physical modeling of machines

Available sensorless speed control strategy of doubly fed induction machines based on rotor flux linkage fails around the synchronous speed due to the inaccurate estimation of the rotor flux linkage. In order to solve this problem, an excitation-current-based speed/position estimation strategy is proposed. The corresponding speed regulation system is constructed. Using the nonlinear transient finite element solutions of the doubly fed induction machine, a physical phase variable motor model is developed. The speed regulation system is verified using the proposed machine model. Simulation results show that the novel sensorless speed control strategy works properly in the whole speed zone and provides good speed regulation performance.
Economic, Cultural, and Social Origins of Emotional Well-Being: Comparisons of Immigrants and Natives at Midlife

Linking theories of social stratification, ethnicity, and mental health with theories of human and social capital, the authors examine the impact of economic, cultural, and social factors on five different dimensions of emotional well-being for immigrants and natives at midlife. Based on data from the 1992 wave of the Health and Retirement Study, the authors found that economic factors and human capital variables are the most important determinants of emotional health for both immigrants and natives. The results indicate that cultural factors can enhance emotional well-being. Religious affiliation and participation are important for both immigrants and natives, but religious participation appears to be more beneficial for immigrants. Being part of a couple was also associated with better emotional health, especially for immigrants. The effects of several determinants of emotional health differed across immigrant groups. It was found that marriage, education, and the presence of economically stable kin are...
Subjective Cognitive Complaints, Affective Distress, and Objective Cognitive Performance in Persian Gulf War Veterans

We examined subjective cognitive complaints, affective distress, and cognitive performance in Persian Gulf veterans who reported illness and cognitive complaints. We predicted a stronger relationship between subjective cognitive complaints and affective distress than between subjective cognitive complaints and objective cognitive performance. This prediction was confirmed in a sample of 100 veterans. The results suggest that cognitive impairment should not be diagnosed in this population without objective confirmation with cognitive testing.
Theology and Logology in Victorian Literature

Men may make their own history, but they must make it under circumstances transmitted from the past. Every revolution must graft itself on an existing order; every new interpretation is a misappropriation of the past for a new purpose. This perspective allows us to re-examine the religious crisis in Victorian literature. The variety of Victorian religious convictions has led to the detailed classification of Victorian authors according to "confessional" categories. Such a method slights the complexities of individual cases. The battle of belief versus unbelief was fought in individual minds, within each individual text. Each text maintains a submerged counterpoint to its manifest meaning. The Victorian counterculture is present in the expression of the official culture as a covert counterthought, a subversion from within. This perspective and hypothesis are applied to a few salient examples, without the disabling presupposition that a text has a single meaning, for in each Victorian writer some version of Christian-Pla tonic metaphysics is copresent with its undermining deconstruction. This is true of Carlyle's natural supernaturalism, of George Eliot's curious mixture of Feuerbach's anthropology and Gospel theology, of Swinburne's inverted affirmation of God (as Evil), and of the conflict between Hopkin's theological thought and its linguistic underbought. We are allowed to observe in these instances (1) that the counterculture always becomes another version of the official culture, (2) that the plurality of a text arises from its dependence on a finite reservoir of terms, metaphors, and patterns, and (3) that history is not a succession of epochs but a series of repetitions with variations.
Segmentation and grouping of object boundaries using energy minimization

An algorithm is described which performs curvilinear grouping of image edge elements for detecting object boundaries. The method works by generating hypotheses and selecting the best one. A neighborhood definition based on Delaunay graph is used to keep the number of generated hypotheses small. An energy minimizing curve is fit to the generated hypotheses to evaluate the grouping and locate discontinuities. >
Precision Segmented Reflector Figure Control System Architecture

A control system architecture for an actively controlled segmented reflector is described along with a design realization for achieving precision alignment of reflector panels. Performance requirements are derived in part from the Large Deployable Reflector, which is a representative mission, and error allocations are made which consider mirror panel surface errors, position measurement and figure estimation, and position control of both quasi-static and dynamic disturbances. The design uses multiple wavelength interferometric edge sensors and voice coil actuators in conjunction with a hybrid control strategy to correct panel position errors. A unit cell shown to be central to the concept is analyzed. The cell integrates the sensing, actuation, and mechanical functions of a control module together with a reflector panel to form a unitized assembly.
Inhibition of Murine Splenic and Mucosal Lymphocyte Function by Enteric Bacterial Products

Previously we showed that lysates of enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC) inhibit lymphokine production by mitogen-activated human peripheral blood and lamina propria mononuclear cells. The aims of the present study were to determine whether EPEC-inhibitory factors have similar effects on murine lymphoid populations in order to further delineate the mechanisms of alteration of cytokine production. Preexposure to EPEC lysates inhibited mitogen-stimulated interleukin-2 (IL-2), IL-4, and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) production by murine spleen cells, but IL-10 production was increased. The inhibition was not due to increased apoptosis and was not blocked by neutralizating antibodies against IL-10 or transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta). EPEC lysates also inhibited mitogen-stimulated IL-2 and IFN-gamma production by CD11b-depleted spleen cells, IL-2 and IL-4 production by intraepithelial and Peyer's patch lymphocytes, IL-2 production by the human T-cell line Jurkat, and antigen-stimulated IL-2 production by murine spleen cells. Lysates obtained from Shiga-like toxin-producing E. coli, E. coli RDEC-1, Citrobacter rodentium, and an EPEC espB insertion mutant all inhibited IL-2 and IL-4 production by mitogen-stimulated lymphoid cells. In conclusion, lysates of EPEC and related bacteria directly inhibit cytokine production by lymphoid cells from multiple sites by a mechanism that does not increase apoptosis or result from secondary effects of IL-10 or TGF-beta.
Outcomes and patterns of care in adult skull base chondrosarcomas from the SEER database

This study aims to demonstrate survival rates and treatment patterns among patients with chondrosarcomas of the skull base using a large population database. Patients with skull base chondrosarcomas between 1973 and 2009 were identified from the USA Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to examine the effect of surgery and radiation on overall survival. We identified 226 patients with skull base chondrosarcomas. Median follow-up was 5.4 years. Median overall survival was 22 years, and 10 year survival was 68.2%. Most patients underwent surgery (92.5%). Few received radiation after diagnosis (38.1%). Ten year survival for all patients treated with surgery was significantly increased compared to those without surgery (69.3% versus 53.9%, p = 0.02). There was a significant difference in survival amongst treatment groups (p = 0.02), with median overall survival not yet reached for patients who received surgery and radiation (median follow-up 5.3 years), compared to 22 years for non-irradiated surgical patients. Surgery predicted better overall survival by univariate analysis (hazard ratio [HR] 0.420, p = 0.03). Female sex (HR 0.470, p = 0.011), younger age at diagnosis (HR 1.046, p < 0.0001), and later year of diagnosis (HR 0.949, p = 0.0006) were prognostic of improved survival in a multivariate model. In subgroup analysis of patients with documented tumor size, smaller tumor size (HR 1.054, p = 0.0003) and younger age (HR 1.021, p = 0.0067) predicted improved survival. This population based study further reaffirms the role of surgery as an effective treatment for skull base chondrosarcoma as previously reported in small case series. Adjuvant radiation may also confer survival benefit. Optimal treatment strategy has yet to be defined in the literature.
Antimicrobial efficacy testing of moxifloxacin during the peritonitis and abscess formation stages of intra-abdominal sepsis: A controlled trial in the rat model

Abstract Background: Moxifloxacin is a fluoroquinolone with a broad range of antimicrobial activity against gram-negative and gram-positive, facultative, and obligately anaerobic bacteria, including certain quinolone-resistant organisms. Objective: Efficacy of moxifloxacin was compared with that of a combination of clindamycin + gentamicin in a rat model of intra-abdominal sepsis, with end points including mortality during the first 2 to 4 days after initiation of sepsis and the incidence of intra-abdominal abscess noted at necropsy. The bacterial challenge was prepared from cecal contents or an enhanced cecal content preparation. Methods: Groups of 20 animals were employed in the first part of the study, which used a cecal content challenge: group 1 served as saline-treated controls; group 2 received moxifloxacin 15 mg once daily; and group 3 received a combination of clindamycin 15 mg TID + gentamicin 2 mg TID. Dosing was determined for all antimicrobial agents based on peak and trough serum levels by prior testing (ie, experiments initiated before this study to determine the appropriate dosage in animals that approximates the levels obtained in humans with the antimicrobial agent under investigation), adjusting doses according to a body surface area/body weight ratio, and comparing these doses and levels with studies in humans. In the second part of the study, moxifloxacin was compared with levofloxacin (both 15 mg once daily) in an enhanced abscess model. Results: The mortality rate was 57.9% in the control group versus 0% in the moxifloxacin group and 5% in the clindamycin + gentamicin group ( P clindamycin + gentamicin group ( P Bacteroides fragilis —enhanced abscess model, the incidence of abscess was significantly lower in the moxifloxacin group compared with both the saline-treated controls (419 [21.1%] vs55 [100%], respectively; P = 0.003) and the levofloxacin group (419 [21.1%] vs1120 [55%], respectively; P = 0.042). Conclusions: This study shows that moxifloxacin is as effective as other established therapeutic regimens in reducing the incidence of both mortality and intra-abdominal abscesses in this animal model. In addition, moxifloxacin is extremely effective in preventing abscesses caused by obligate anaerobes, even in an enhanced model for abscess development, and its efficacy is superior to that of levofloxacin.
Not a Humbug: the evolution of patient-centred medical decision-making

This 'Christmas Issue'-type paper uses the framework of 'A Christmas Carol' to tell about the evolution of decision-making in evidence-based medicine (EBM). The Ghost of the Past represents paternalistic medicine, the Ghost of the Present symbolises EBM, while the Ghost of the Future serves as a patient-centred system where research data and tools of decision science are jointly used to make optimal medical decisions for individual patients. We argue that this shift towards a patient-centred approach to EBM and medical care is the next step in the evolution of medical decision-making, which would help to empower patients with the capability to make educated decisions throughout the course of their medical treatment.
Performance analysis of coded modulation with generalized selection combining in Rayleigh fading

We consider coded modulation with generalized selection combining (GSC) for bandwidth-efficient-coded modulation over Rayleigh fading channels. Our results show that reception diversity with generalized selection combining can conveniently trade off system complexity versus performance. We provide a number of new results by calculating the cutoff rate, and by deriving analytical upper bounds on symbol-interleaved trellis-coded modulation (TCM) and bit-interleaved-coded modulation (BICM) with GSC. All are verified by simulation. We show that our new bounds on TCM with GSC, which includes maximum ratio combining and selection combining as special cases, are tighter than the previously derived bounds. A new asymptotic analysis on the pairwise error probability, which can be used as a guideline for designing coded modulation over GSC channels, is also given. Finally, we show that BICM with iterative decoding (BICM-ID) can achieve significant coding gain over conventional coded modulation in a multiple-receiving-antenna channel.
Review of receptor modeling methods for source apportionment

ABSTRACTEfforts have been made to relate measured concentrations of airborne constituents to their origins for more than 50 years. During this time interval, there have been developments in the measurement technology to gather highly time-resolved, detailed chemical compositional data. Similarly, the improvements in computers have permitted a parallel development of data analysis tools that permit the extraction of information from these data. There is now a substantial capability to provide useful insights into the sources of pollutants and their atmospheric processing that can help inform air quality management options. Efforts have been made to combine receptor and chemical transport models to provide improved apportionments. Tools are available to utilize limited numbers of known profiles with the ambient data to obtain more accurate apportionments for targeted sources. In addition, tools are in place to allow more advanced models to be fitted to the data based on conceptual models of the nature of th...
Management of diabetic ketoacidosis and hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state in adults

Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and hyperosmolar hyperglycemic syndrome (HHS) are two acute complications of diabetes associated with high mortality rate if not efficiently and effectively treated. Both entities are characterized by insulinopenia, hyperglycemia and dehydration. DKA and HHS are two serious complications of diabetes associated with significant mortality and a high healthcare costs. The overall DKA mortality in the US is less than 1%, but a rate higher than 5% is reported in the elderly and in patients with concomitant life-threatening illnesses. Mortality in patients with HHS is reported between 5% and 16%, which is about 10 times higher than the mortality in patients with DKA. Objectives of management include restoration circulatory volume and tissue perfusion, resolution of hyperglycemia, correction of electrolyte imbalance and increased ketogenesis.
A Multivariate CUSUM Procedure and a Most Active Bivariate Chart

AbstractWe propose a new multivariate cumulative sum (CUSUM) scheme whose components are the difference between the Page [10] univariate CUSUM statistic for detecting an increase and that for detecting a decrease. Our procedure also applies when monitoring principal components. We then suggest a new quality chart procedure where, at each new observation, the results for the two most active components are graphed. These two components are selected to have the largest value of the appropriate bivariate CUSUM statistic. This novel graphical approach, intended to augment the information in the chart based on all of the variables, is illustrated with an application to data from an automobile assembly process. We compare our new scheme with the classic T2 charts and a number of other existing multivariate CUSUM schemes, including the scheme proposed in Crosier[2]. In our simulations, among existing procedures, Crosier[2] has the best overall average run length (ARL) performance. Our new multivariate scheme has ...
The Effect of Lower Temperature in Winter on the Development of Anopheles sinensis in the Littoral Zone of Guangdong

Objective To study the effect of lower temperature in winter on the development of of Anopheles sinensis in the littoral zone of Guangdong. Methods 8 Anopheles sinensis samples were collected in the south littoral zone of Guangdong province in December. The mosquitoes were divided into 2 groups (each group had 4 anopheles). One group spawned at the winter indoor temperature (12～22℃), and the other at controlled temperature (25±1)℃. Eggs that were laid at the lower temperature were divided into 2 groups. One group was hatched at lower temperature (12～22℃) and the other group at controlled temperature (25±1)℃. Results The hatch rate, pupae rate and eclosion rate of anopheles of lower temperature group were 67.0%, 22.0% and 93.5%, respectively. The hatch rates and eclosion rates of the lower temperature group and the controlled tempaerature group showed no difference, but their pupae rates were different. Diapause was observed in the lower temperature group at each growth phases. Conclusion The lower temperature in winter could retard the growth of mosquitoes in the littoral zone of Guangdong foreland.
Progress in Study of Dwarf-like Disease of Oryza sativa L.in China

Rice dwarf-like disease is one of the common viral diseases of rice.In recent years,rice dwarf-like disease occurs frequently in several provinces in China with a rising trend.This paper reviews the rice dwarf-like disease's situation,classification,symptoms,transmission route and pathogenesis,followed by its genome study.In addition,the screening of resistant material,the resistant gene mapping and cloning,as well as the existing problems are discussed.Future expectation on the related research and new areas for studies on the rice dwarf-like disease are also included.
Fitness testing and clinical application of 1860 N95 medical particulate respirator

Objective To test the fitness of 1860 N95 medical particulate respirator among Chinese healthcare workers(HCWs),and to observe the malaise feelings of using the respirator.Methods The non-invasive qualitative method was used to test the fitness of 3M 1860 N95 medical particulate respirator.We followed up the subjects for one month and recorded their malaise feelings of using the respirator.Results A total of 1283 HCWs were included in our study,of which 198 for cup type respirator test,826 for pleat type and 259 for both types.The result showed that cup type fitted for 100% participants,while pleat type fitted for 98.9%,because there were 12 subjects failed the test mainly due to the unsuitable facial feature.During the follow-up period,22.5% of the HCWs felt pressure on face,19.9% felt breathing difficulty and 11.7% got allergy when using the respirator.Conclusions 1860 N95 medical particulate respirator almost fits all the Chinese HCWs.Therefore fitness testing is only necessary for HCWs who engages in doing high-risk tasks before using the respirator.Unpleasant feelings may present when wearing the mask for a long time.
Effect of obesity on the effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization to reduce the risk of first and recurrent ventricular tachyarrhythmia events.

Obesity is associated with multiple adverse cardiovascular conditions and may increase the risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias (VT/VF). There is limited data on the association between obesity and risk of VT/VF requiring appropriate implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) therapies and the effectiveness of cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) to reduce risk for VT/VF. The multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial with cardiac resynchronization therapy (MADIT-CRT) was design to investigate effectiveness of CRT therapy to reduce cardiovascular outcome for patients with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction. We identified patients enrolled in the MADIT CRT trial as obese (n = 433) and non-obese (n = 845) and analyzed their risk for appropriate device therapy for VT/VF, repeated VT/VF events, fast VT/VF, as well as events after first VT/VF episodes. Obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2. Among ICD patients, the risk of first appropriate ICD therapy for VT/VF at 3 years was similar between obese and non-obese patients (23 vs. 21 %, p = 0.76). CRT-D treatment reduced the risk of first appropriate ICD therapy both in non-obese ([HR]; 0.58 [CI]: 0.42–0.79; p < 0.001) and obese patients (HR 0.75, 95 % CI 0.5–1.38; p = 0.179) (interaction p value 0.323). Similarly, a significant reduction in the risk of fast VT/VF was observed in non-obese patients ([HR]; 0.49 [CI]: 0.33–0.73; p < 0.001) and obese ([HR]; 0.49 [CI]: 0.29–0.81; p < 0.01), (interaction p value 0.984). Obese and non-obese patients with mild heart failure have a similar risk of ventricular tachyarrhythmias. Obesity in mild heart failure did not diminish the clinical benefit of cardiac resynchronization therapy to reduce risk for appropriate ICD therapy. Clinical trial registration http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00180271
Double Standards and Weapons of Mass Hypocrisy: Economic Sanctions as a Tool in International Relations - The Case of Smart (Targeted) Sanctions on Zimbabwe 2000-2008

The last four years into the 2000 new millennium ushered in a new era disbelief, discontent and despair in the eyes on one hand, of Zimbabwean state as an actor in the international system and on the other hand of the international community. Some international actors chose (besides other forms altering the behavior i.e military force, political coercion, covert action and diplomatic persuasion) to impose sanctions on Zimbabwe citing misdeeds that the country was committing. Sanctions as such were targeted at altering the behavior of Zimbabwe as an actor in international relations to more desirable state of affairs from the point of view of the imposers. It is the purpose of this paper to analyse the justifications and implementation of sanctions as a tool of altering behavior of international actors. The paper holds that though the sanctions had a considerable impact on Zimbabwe, the intended objectives were not achieved. The paper seeks in the final analysis to investigate the factors that contributed to their failure from both the imposer and the target.