Toxic Shock-like Syndrome Associated with Necrotizing Streptococcus Pyogenes Infection

Two patients with toxic shock-like syndrome are presented. Both patients had necrotizing cellulitis due to Streptococcus pyogenes, and both patients required extensive surgical debridement. The association of Streptococcus pyogenes infection and toxic shock-like syndrome is discussed

Collaborative Experimentation and Simulation: A Pathway to Improving Student Conceptualization of the Essentials of System Dynamics and Control Theory

The overarching goal of this research is to improve conceptualization of System Dynamics and Controls concepts by incorporating a Web-facilitated curriculum to enable intercampus collaboration and remotely-accessible or virtual systems. This approach will complement lecture-based curricula and will strongly enhance students’ conceptualization and exposure to System Dynamics and Controls fundamentals by providing less restricted exposure to a variety of systems that encompass the more important Dynamic Systems concepts. The plan involves the development of a System Dynamics Concepts Inventory and the implementation and assessment of three Web-enabled laboratory formats: (1) inter-campus collaborative experimentation, (2) remotely-accessible experiments, and (3) virtual system experiments. Each format has its inherent advantages and disadvantages. Remotely-accessible experiments, for example, can be made more readily available to students outside of regular laboratory hours, but the lack of hands-on exposure limits the potential scope of the experiments. Each format has been preliminarily implemented using a variety of dynamics systems that reflect some of the more important fundamentals pertinent to System Dynamics. These activities are currently being incorporated into a laboratory course at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and a lecture course at the University of Texas - Pan American (UTPA). A preliminary Course Inventory is being developed in collaboration with faculty at both institutions. An initial assessment of each laboratory format has been completed. This paper reports on the findings including a detailed discussion of the development of the Course Inventory, a discussion of the pros and cons of implementing each format, and an evaluation of the impact of each format in addressing student conceptualization of a few key fundamentals

Observations of nonlinear momentum fluxes over the inner continental shelf

Nonlinear momentum fluxes over the inner continental shelf are examined using moored observations from multiple years at two different locations in the Middle Atlantic Bight. Inner shelf dynamics are often described in terms of a linear alongshore momentum balance, dominated by frictional stresses generated at the surface and bottom. In this study, observations over the North Carolina inner shelf show that the divergence of the cross-shelf flux of alongshore momentum is often substantial relative to the wind stress during periods of strong stratification. During upwelling at this location, offshore fluxes of alongshore momentum in the surface layer partially balance the wind stress and reduce the role of the bottom stress. During downwelling, onshore fluxes of alongshore momentum reinforce the wind stress and increase the role of bottom stress. Over the New England inner shelf, nonlinear terms have less of an impact in the momentum balance and exhibit different relationships with the wind forcing. Differences between locations and time periods are explained by variations in bottom slope, latitude, vertical shear and cross-shelf exchange. Over the New England inner shelf, where moored density data are available, variations in vertical shear are explained by a combination of thermal wind balance and wind stress. An implication of this study is that cross-shelf winds can potentially influence the alongshore momentum balance over the inner shelf, in contrast with deeper locations over the middle to outer shelf

A Consumer Test of Canned Seasoned Salad Tomatoes

Consumer, Canned Tomatoes, Salad Tomatoes, Seasoned Tomatoes, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Effects of rundown in soil hydraulic condition on crop productivity in south-eastern Queensland - a simulation study

Declining soil organic matter levels because of cropping have been shown to reduce crop growth and yield, but the effects of changing infiltration and soil hydraulic properties on crop productivity have not been widely evaluated. Cropping systems in south-eastern Queensland have, in the past, involved intense tillage, trafficking with heavy machinery, and changed organic matter cycling, affecting soil aggregation, permeability, water-holding characteristics, and organic matter. The aim of this paper is to determine how important infiltration and soil hydraulic condition has been to the water balance, crop growth, and yield in the past, and may be in the future if management is not changed. Change in physical and chemical condition of the 5 most commonly cropped soils in south-east Queensland (Sodosols, Vertosols with ≤55% clay, Vertosols with >55% clay, Red Ferrosols and Red Chromosols/Kandosols) was measured over 0–70 years of cropping and estimated up to 200 years. The APSIM model was used to predict effects of changing soil condition in a rain-fed, fertilised, wheat-summer fallow cropping system with intense tillage. Decline in infiltration, restricted internal redistribution of water, and increased evaporation reduced water supply to the crop, causing simulated yield to decline by 29, 38, 25, 17, and 13% for the 5 soils, respectively, after 50 years of cropping. Gross margin declined at a faster rate, falling by 36, 50, 40, 20, and 21%, respectively after 50 years because of increasing fertiliser requirement to compensate for declining soil fertility. Crop productivity on most soils continued to steadily decline as period of cropping increased to 200 years. To arrest or reverse this downward trend, it is likely that substantial changes to current cropping systems will be needed, including reducing tillage and trafficking, and improving organic matter levels

What makes for prize-winning television?

We investigate the determinants of success in four international television awards festivals between 1994 and 2012. We find that countries with larger markets and greater expenditure on public broadcasting tend to win more awards, but that the degree of concentration in the market for television and rates of penetration of pay-per-view television are unrelated to success. These findings are consistent with general industrial organisation literature on quality and market size, and with media policy literature on public service broadcasting acting as a force for quality. However, we also find that ‘home countries’ enjoy a strong advantage in these festivals, which is not consistent with festival success acting as a pure proxy for television quality

Ischemic Colitis Secondary to Ergotamine Use: A Case Study

A 48-year-old woman with a history of chronic migraines, initially admitted for inpatient management of intractable migraine headaches, developed new onset abdominal pain, hypotension, and diarrhea on hospital day number ten. In our institution's headache unit, patients are treated by a multidisciplinary approach, including individualized drug therapy based on diagnosis and previous response to therapy. Given the patient's hypotension and clinical appearance, she was transferred to the intensive care unit and treated for septic shock and metabolic acidosis. A bedside colonscopy revealed diffuse ischemic colitis. Final pathology after colon resection showed widespread, transmural necrosis of the colonic wall. We review the pathophysiology of ergotamine use and its potential association with ischemic colitis