Disseminated Nocardia cyriacigeorgia causing pancreatitis in a haploidentical stem cell transplant recipient.

We report the first published case of acute pancreatitis secondary to disseminated nocardiosis in a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipient on chronic immunosuppression for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Nocardiosis in the HSCT population is relatively rare, and has not yet been described in haploidentical HSCT recipients. Our patient is a 28-year-old male with a history of haploidentical HSCT and GVHD of the skin and lung who was admitted to the hospital with acute pancreatitis. The workup for the etiology of his pancreatitis was initially unrevealing. He subsequently developed worsening sepsis and respiratory failure despite broad spectrum antimicrobials. After multiple bronchoscopies and pancreatic fluid sampling, he was found to have disseminated nocardiosis with Nocardia cyriacigeorgia

Transculturation of Visual Signs: A Case Analysis of the Swastika

This study explores how the meaning of visual signs changes through the process of transculturation applied to the key Nazi symbol, the swastika. A historical case study of forty-two Nazi and pre-Nazi stamps is conducted to analyze key factors in the process of creating meaning. The study finds that timing, control, history, and universalism are key factors for the transculturation of the swastika. A preliminary model of transculturation is presented. Limitations and directions for future research are also discussed

Improving EFL Students’ Critical Thinking Skills through Organization Development Intervention Strategies at Zhejiang Yuexiu University in China

Critical thinking (CT) has become a key teaching goal in higher education, many language instructors consider it very significant to integrate CT into instruction of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) courses. A quasi-experimental design was utilized in this study to determine the effectiveness of Organization Development Intervention(ODI) in developing second-year EFL students’ CT skills in a private university in China. 71 participants were divided into an experimental group and control group. The experimental group (n=36) received collaborative learning plus team-building interventions, while the control group (n=35) received regular English instruction with exercises that did not build CT. After the semester-long interventions, mixed results demonstrated that the experimental group got significantly higher CT performance and collaboration among team members than the control group. The findings indicate that collaborative learning is beneficial to developing students’ CT skills, but instructors should use some techniques to foster team members’ collaboration skills. This study recommends that instructors bring ODI strategies such as team building and conflict management to support collaborative learning in the education realm. Lastly, EFL instructors must add CT elements to teaching curriculum activities that encourage student teams to practice critical thinking

Constructing Confidence Intervals for Effect Sizes in ANOVA Designs

A confidence interval for effect sizes provides a range of plausible population effect sizes (ES) that are consistent with data. This article defines an ES as a standardized linear contrast of means. The noncentral method, Bonett’s method, and the bias-corrected and accelerated bootstrap method are illustrated for constructing the confidence interval for such an effect size. Results obtained from the three methods are discussed and interpretations of results are offered

Handling Missing Data in Single-Case Studies

Multiple imputation is illustrated for dealing with missing data in a published SCED study. Results were compared to those obtained from available data. Merits and issues of implementation are discussed. Recommendations are offered on primal/advanced readings, statistical software, and future research

Algorithms for Assessing Intervention Effects in Single-Case Studies

Free web-based resources or popular software to assess six data features recommended by the What Works Clearinghouse: Procedures and Standards Handbook (IES, 2013 February) to determine intervention effects in a single-case study (Lambert, Cartledge, Heward, & Lo, 2006) are demonstrated. Lambert et al. (2006) employed a reversal (or ABAB) design and visual inspection to investigate the effectiveness of the report-card treatment in reducing disruptive behaviors in students. In our demonstration, we assessed each of the six data features separately; then integrated six assessments into one comprehensive analysis of the intervention effect. A simple approach to the determination of intervention effects illustrates how researchers and practitioners can be empowered to interpret data comprehensively and formulate evidence-based conclusions logically from well-designed and well-executed single-case studies

BRL1 and BRL3 are novel brassinosteroid receptors that function in vascular differentiation in Arabidopsis

Plant steroid hormones, brassinosteroids (BRs), are perceived by the plasma membrane-localized leucine-rich-repeat-receptor kinase BRI1. Based on sequence similarity, we have identified three members of the BRI1 family, named BRL1, BRL2 and BRL3. BRL1 and BRL3, but not BRL2, encode functional BR receptors that bind brassinolide, the most active BR, with high affinity. In agreement, only BRL1 and BRL3 can rescue bri1 mutants when expressed under the control of the BRI1 promoter. While BRI1 is ubiquitously expressed in growing cells, the expression of BRL1 and BRL3 is restricted to non-overlapping subsets of vascular cells. Loss-of-function of brl1 causes abnormal phloem:xylem differentiation ratios and enhances the vascular defects of a weak bri1 mutant. bri1 brl1 brl3 triple mutants enhance bri1 dwarfism and also exhibit abnormal vascular differentiation. Thus, Arabidopsis contains a small number of BR receptors that have specific functions in cell growth and vascular differentiation.Fil: Caño Delgado, Ana. Salk Institute. Plant Biology Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados UnidosFil: Yin, Yanhai. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados Unidos. Salk Institute. Plant Biology Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Yu, Cong. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Vafeados, Dionne. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados Unidos. Salk Institute. Plant Biology Laboratory; Estados UnidosFil: Mora Garcia, Santiago. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados Unidos. Salk Institute. Plant Biology Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires. Fundación Instituto Leloir. Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Cheng, Jin Chen. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Nam, Kyoung Hee. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Li, Jianming. University of Michigan; Estados UnidosFil: Chory, Joanne. Salk Institute. Plant Biology Laboratory; Estados Unidos. Howard Hughes Medical Institute; Estados Unido

Mesenchymal adenomatous polyposis coli plays critical and diverse roles in regulating lung development.

BackgroundAdenomatous polyposis coli (Apc) is a tumor suppressor that inhibits Wnt/Ctnnb1. Mutations of Apc will not only lead to familial adenomatous polyposis with associated epithelial lesions, but will also cause aggressive fibromatosis in mesenchymal cells. However, the roles of Apc in regulating mesenchymal cell biology and organogenesis during development are unknown.ResultsWe have specifically deleted the Apc gene in lung mesenchymal cells during early lung development in mice. Loss of Apc function resulted in immediate mesenchymal cell hyperproliferation through abnormal activation of Wnt/Ctnnb1, followed by a subsequent inhibition of cell proliferation due to cell cycle arrest at G0/G1, which was caused by a mechanism independent of Wnt/Ctnnb1. Meanwhile, abrogation of Apc also disrupted lung mesenchymal cell differentiation, including decreased airway and vascular smooth muscle cells, the presence of Sox9-positive mesenchymal cells in the peripheral lung, and excessive versican production. Moreover, lung epithelial branching morphogenesis was drastically inhibited due to disrupted Bmp4-Fgf10 morphogen production and regulation in surrounding lung mesenchyme. Lastly, lung mesenchyme-specific Apc conditional knockout also resulted in altered lung vasculogenesis and disrupted pulmonary vascular continuity through a paracrine mechanism, leading to massive pulmonary hemorrhage and lethality at mid-gestation when the pulmonary circulation should have started.ConclusionsOur study suggests that Apc in lung mesenchyme plays central roles in coordinating the proper development of several quite different cellular compartments including lung epithelial branching and pulmonary vascular circulation during lung organogenesis