Chemokine expression and viral infection of the central nervous system: regulation of host defense and neuropathology.

An effective host response against viral infection of the central nervous system (CNS) is the principal factor dictating the outcome of infection. It is the responsibility of the immune response to contain and control viral replication. Paradoxically, it is the immune response that may also contribute to the development of neuropathology. We have used mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), apositive-strand RNA virus, infection of the CNS to understand the dynamic interaction between viral replication, protection, and pathology with an emphasis on understanding how chemokines participate in these interrelated processes. Herein, we demonstrate the complexity of the chemokine response to MHV infection of the CNS and the delicate balance that exists between host defense and development of disease

A Pedagogical Introduction To the Piano Works of Tyzen Hsiao

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the piano works, and their pedagogy, of Tyzen Hsiao, one of the most important composers in Taiwan. Hsiao received his early musical training in Taiwan and Japan and continued his studies in the United States. Mr. Hsiao's musical style is strongly influenced by Romanticism and early twentieth-century music, such as music by Chopin, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Bartok. It is also includes Taiwanese folk tunes. His music has been recognized nationally and internationally. Mr. Hsiao writes for many different instruments, including piano, strings, woodwinds and full orchestra. Most of his compositions, however, are for chorus. His compositional style and musical character has been discussed in several major musical magazines in Taiwan and in the United States. In this paper, two of his piano pieces will be analyzed from a pedagogical viewpoint. This discussion is based on the piano works, Memories of Home, op.49 and The Angel from Formosa. The title Memories of Home suggests Mr. Hsiao's memories of Taiwan. It is a collection of six short pieces; each piece carries a title, suggesting the character of the piece. The Angel from Formosa begins with a four-measure slow introduction which is followed by a nine-measure theme. This theme appears throughout the entire piece and is re-harmonized each time it reappears. In this paper, I will discuss the background of the both pieces, stylistic influences, form and structure, Taiwanese folk-song elements and pedagogical points

When can we forecast inflation?

This article reassesses recent work that has challenged the usefulness of inflation forecasts. The authors find that inflation forecasts were informative in 1977-84 and 1993-2000, but less informative in 1985-92. They also find that standard forecasting models, while generally poor at forecasting the magnitude of inflation, are good at forecasting the direction of change of inflation.Inflation (Finance) ; Phillips curve

The 2001 recession and the Chicago Fed National Index: identifying business cycle turning points

The initial release of the Chicago Fed National Activity Index (CFNAI) in early 2001 pointed to the very real possibility that the U.S. economy was teetering on the brink of recession. This article quantifies the statistical ability of the CFNAI to act as an early warning indicator of economic recessions. In simulation experiments, the CFNAI performed virtually as well as the statistical model's ideal measure of the business cycle.Recessions ; Economic indicators ; Index numbers (Economics) ; Business cycles

Classifying and Predicting Respiratory Function Based on Gait Analysis

The human walking behaviour can express the physiological information of human body, and gait analysis methods can be used to access the human body condition. In addition, the respiratory parameters from pulmonary spirometer are the standard of accessing the body condition of the subjects. Therefore, we want to show the correlation between gait analysis method and the respiratory parameters. We propose a vision sensor-based gait analysis method without wearing any sensors. Our method proposed features such as D′p, V′p and γυ to prove the correlation by classification and prediction experiment. In our experiment, the subjects are divided into three levels depending on the respiratory index. We run classifying and predicting experiment with the extracted features: V′p and γυ. In the classifying experiment, the accuracy result is 75%. In predicting experiment, the correlations of predicting the forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) are 0.69 and 0.67, respectively. Therefore, there is a correlation between the pulmonary spirometer and our method. The radar system is a tool using impulse to record the moving of the subjects’ chest. Combining the features of radar system with our features improves the classification result from 75 to 81%. In predicting FEV1/FVC, the correlation also improves from 25 to 42%. Therefore, cooperating with radar system improves the correlation