bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
LibViz: Data Visualisation of the Old Library
Authors: Ruhland K. , O'Sullivan C. , Bioletti S. , Sedlmair M.
Published: June 2009

The Old Library of Trinity College Dublin, built in 1732, is an internationally renowned research library. In recent decades it has also become a major tourist attraction in Dublin, with the display of the Book of Kells within the Old Library now drawing over half a million visitors per year. The Preservation and Conservation Department of the Library has raised concerns about the impact of the environment on the collection. The location of the building in the city centre, large visitor numbers, and the conditions within the building are putting the collection at risk. In developing a strategic plan to find solutions to these problems, the department has been assessing and documenting the current situation. This paper introduces ongoing work on a system to visualise the collected data, which includes: dust levels and dispersion, internal and external temperature and relative humidity levels, and visitor numbers in the Old Library. We are developing a user interface for which the data, originally stored in various file formats, is consolidated in a database which can be explored using a 3D virtual reconstruction of the Old Library. With this novel technique, it is also possible to compare and assess the relationships between the various datasets in context.
Automatic Extraction of Planar Clusters and Their Contours on Building Façades Recorded by Terrestrial Laser Scanner
Authors: Boulaassal H. , Landes T. , Grussenmeyer P.
Published: June 2009

Since 3D city models need to be realistic not only from a bird's point of view, but also from a pedestrian's point of view, the interest in the generation of 3D façade models is increasing. This paper presents two successive algorithms for automatically segmenting building façades scanned by Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS) into planar clusters and extracting their contours. Since majority of façade components are planes, the topic of automatic extraction of planar features has been studied. The RANSAC algorithm has been chosen among numerous methods. It is a robust estimator frequently used to compute model parameters from a dataset containing outliers, as it occurs in TLS data. Nevertheless, the RANSAC algorithm has been improved in order to extract the most significant planar clusters describing the main features composing the building façades. Subsequently, a second algorithm has been developed for extracting the contours of these features. The innovative idea presented in this paper is the efficient way to detect the points composing the contours. In order to evaluate the performances of both algorithms, they have successively been applied on samples with different characteristics, i.e. densities, types of façades and size of architectural details. Finally, a quality evaluation based on the comparison of planar clusters and contours obtained manually has been carried out. The results prove that the proposed algorithms deliver qualitative as well as quantitative satisfactory results and confirm that both algorithms are reliable for the forthcoming 3D modelling of building façades.
A Multi-Resolution Methodology for the 3D Modeling of Large and Complex Archeological Areas
Authors: Guidi Gabriele , Russo Michele , Ercoli Sebastiano , Remondino Fabio , Rizzi Alessandro , Menna Fabio
Published: June 2009

This article reports on a multi-resolution and multi-sensor approach developed for the accurate and detailed 3D modeling of the entire Roman Forum in Pompei, Italy. The archaeological area, approximately 150 × 80 m, contains more than 350 finds spread all over the forum as well as larger mural structures of previous buildings and temples. The interdisciplinary 3D modeling work consists of a multi-scale image- and range-based digital documentation method developed to fulfill all the surveying and archaeological needs and exploit all the intrinsic potentialities of the actual 3D modeling techniques. The data resolution spans from a few decimeters down to few millimeters. The employed surveying methodologies have pros and cons which will be addressed and discussed. The results of the integration of the different 3D data in seamlessly textured 3D model are finally presented and discussed.
Estimating Sprint Training Times: What is an Appropriate Target Time?
Authors: Mills Chris
Published: June 2009

During the running events in track and field, the goal is to run at the fastest pace possible that is sustainable for the duration of the race. In the sprint events, what are the most appropriate training times to achieve the fastest race time? The aim of this study was to develop a mathematical function that could be used to calculate an individual athlete's sprint training times for 60m to 1000m based upon a season's 100m target time. A mathematical function was fit to the velocity-distance World Record data. Based upon the velocity-distance relationship, the ‘curve’ could be adjusted according to an athlete's 100m target time. Results have shown that the ‘curve’ can be individualised while maintaining the key characteristics seen in the World Record data. It is possible to create individual target sprint-training times that are progressive and realistic for each athlete with the goal of achieving the season's target 100m time.
Motivation in Sport: Bridging Historical and Contemporary Theory through a Qualitative Approach
Authors: Leidl Daniel
Published: June 2009

From intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to attributions and goal orientation, theory and study related to motivation in sport abound. However, theorists such as Adler, Frankl, and Maslow detail broader motivational frameworks that focus on a human impulse to derive meaning and purpose by extending beyond the self. While such theories take prominent positions within psychology, their applicability to sport has seemingly been overlooked. In an effort to explore more traditional motivational constructs in sport, a qualitative analysis of elite lacrosse coaches (n = 7) was conducted. Through semi-structured interviews, coaches shared their motivation to coach and how they motivate others. In these interviews coaches articulated a number of motivational constructs that extend beyond much of the contemporary theory. In analyzing these interviews, it is apparent that further work related to broader motivational constructs may be required to more wholly define motivation in sport.
Emotional Intelligence Scores Predict Team Sports Performance in a National Cricket Competition
Authors: Crombie David , Lombard Carl , Noakes Tim
Published: June 2009

The relationship between team emotional intelligence (Team EI) of six cricket teams and their sports performance in a South African national cricket competition over two consecutive seasons was investigated. Team EI was based on cricketers measured prior to the start of the competition in each season using the MSCEIT ability test and averaged over all games for that season. This was correlated with a team sports performance measure, the final log points standing for the team at the end of a competition. The results showed that Team EI was positively associated with the sports performance of the cricket teams. Further, Team EI was shown to be a significant predictor of sports performance, with 61% of the variation in the log points explained. This finding suggests that EI may contribute to the success of teams participating in complex sports like cricket.
Game-Based Training for Improving Skill and Physical Fitness in Team Sport Athletes
Authors: Gabbett Tim , Jenkins David , Abernethy Bruce
Published: June 2009

The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief review of the relevant literature on game-based training, and summarise the advantages and disadvantages of this approach to training. At present, studies investigating the effectiveness of game-based training are limited, with many of the suggested advantages and disadvantages of game-based training based on anecdotal evidence. Of the studies that have been performed, most have reported that game-based training offers a specific method of conditioning for team sport competition, but game-based training may not simulate the high-intensity, repeated-sprint demands of international competition. Game-based training has been reported to offer a safe, effective method of conditioning for team-sport athletes that results in comparable (and, in some cases, greater) improvements in physical fitness and performance than traditional conditioning activities. While technical instruction training has been associated with a higher volume of skill executions (i.e., more ‘touches’), game-based training has been associated with greater cognitive effort – an important condition for skill learning. Indeed, studies investigating skill learning have reported comparable (and, in some cases, greater) improvements in skill execution and decision-making following game-based training than training involving repetitious technical instruction. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the value of game-based training for improving skill and physical fitness in team sport athletes. Further studies investigating the long-term skill and physical benefits of game-based training are warranted.
Athlete Development in Ski Racing: Perceptions of Coaches and Parents
Authors: Black Danielle E. , Holt Nicholas L.
Published: June 2009

Federally funded Canadian sports are required to have a Long Term Athlete Development (LTAD) plan. Alpine ski racing developed the Husky Snow Stars (HSS) program to represent the fundamentals and learning to training phases of its overall LTAD plan. The purpose of this study was to evaluate coaches' and parents' perceptions of the implementation of the HSS program at a local level. Using a multiple case-study approach, four Alberta ski racing clubs were purposefully sampled. Data were collected via interviews with eight coaches and 18 parents of ski racers from these clubs. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and subjected to categorical aggregation analysis. Analysis revealed themes related to perceptions of (a) the LTAD plan and its available resources; and (b) assessment of racers' abilities. These findings provide a preliminary assessment of one sport-specific athlete development plan and may inform research into the local level implementation of other sport-specific talent development systems.
Coaches' Perceptions of Canada's National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP): Awareness and Value
Authors: Misener Katie E. , Danylchuk Karen E.
Published: June 2009

Coaching education and certification programs are needed to ensure standards for qualified and equipped coaches at all levels of our sport systems. This study examined coaches' (n = 285) perceptions of Canada's National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP); specifically, their awareness and perceived value of the program. Results indicated that a large majority was aware of the NCCP, and that the most frequent means for finding out about a course was through their sport organization. More than half of the participants perceived the value of the NCCP program as “good”, and this perceived value increased after taking a course. Further, most participants described themselves as likely to take another NCCP course. Participants cited the primary benefit of taking a course to be that the credential ensures better prepared athletes through higher quality of coaching. Implications and recommendations for the NCCP are discussed and comparisons with coaching programs in several other countries are provided.
Improving Bounds on the Football Pool Problem by Integer Programming and High-Throughput Computing
Authors: Linderoth Jeff , Margot François , Thain Greg
Published: June 2009

The football pool problem, which gets its name from a lottery-type game where participants predict the outcome of soccer matches, is to determine the smallest covering code of radius 1 of ternary words of length v. For v = 6, the optimal solution is not known. Using a combination of isomorphism pruning, subcode enumeration, and linear programming-based bounding, running on a high-throughput computational grid consisting of thousands of processors, we are able to improve the lower bound on the size of the optimal code from 65 to 71.
Grid-Enabled Optimization with GAMS
Authors: Bussieck Michael R. , Ferris Michael C. , Meeraus Alexander
Published: June 2009

We describe a framework for modeling optimization problems for solution on a grid computer. The framework is easy to adapt to multiple grid engines and can seamlessly integrate evolving mechanisms from particular computing platforms. It facilitates the widely used master-worker model of computing and is shown to be flexible and powerful enough for a large variety of optimization applications. In particular, we summarize a number of new features of the GAMS modeling system that provide a lightweight, portable, and powerful framework for optimization on a grid. We provide downloadable examples of its use for embarrasingly parallel financial applications, decomposition of complementarity problems, and for solving very difficult mixed-integer programs to optimality. Computational results are provided for a number of different grid engines, including multicore machines, a pool of machines controlled by the Condor resource manager, and the grid engine from Sun Microsystems.
Examining the Strategic Alignment and Implementation Success of a KMS: A Subculture-Based Multilevel Analysis
Authors: Ravishankar M. N. , Pan Shan L. , Leidner Dorothy E.
Published: June 2009

Two important gaps exist in the information systems (IS) alignment research. First, there is scant research on the potential of organizational culture, and specifically subcultures to influence the strategic alignment of IS and organizations. Second, there is a dearth of literature that considers the relationship between alignment and implementation success. In this paper, we address both of these gaps by considering the influence of organizational subcultures on the alignment of a specific IS—a knowledge management system (KMS)—with organizational strategy. Our analysis demonstrates the important roles played by three different subcultures—enhancing, countercultural, and chameleon—in the alignment of the KMS. The analysis also underscores the complementary nature of the alignment and implementation literatures and suggests that they should be used in concert to explain the success of an IS. Drawing on our analysis, we build a subculture model, which depicts the intersection of alignment and implementation. From a managerial perspective, the subculture model highlights three different approaches to managing alignment and implementation. From a theoretical perspective, our paper highlights the need for IS alignment models to be modified, so that subunit-level analyses are incorporated. It also illustrates that organizations confront challenges of alignment and implementation simultaneously rather than sequentially.
Technological Frames, Organizational Capabilities, and IT Use: An Empirical Investigation of Electronic Procurement
Authors: Mishra Abhay Nath , Agarwal Ritu
Published: June 2009

The process by which organizations incorporate technological innovations into existing routines and use them on a regular basis persists as a central concern in the literature. Although we now have a fairly robust understanding of the drivers of innovation adoption, the use of innovations is less understood. In this paper, we draw on two streams of literature, managerial and organizational sensemaking, and organizational capabilities that have hitherto been used independently, to investigate organizational use of information technology (IT)-based innovations. Building on and extending prior work, we posit that organizational capabilities serve as complements to managers' technological frames related to an innovation. We focus on the use of an important technological innovation—business-to-business (B2B) electronic markets for procurement. We examine interactions between three technological frames—benefits frame, threat frame, and adjustment frame, and two organizational capabilities—technological opportunism and technological sophistication, and their relationship with the use of B2B electronic markets in firms. We test our research model using survey data collected from 292 firms. Results largely support the proposed conceptualization and shed new light on the key factors associated with firms' use of B2B electronic markets. Theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.
Research Note—Quality Uncertainty and the Performance of Online Sponsored Search Markets: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Animesh Animesh , Ramachandran Vandana , Viswanathan Siva
Published: June 2009

Online sponsored search advertising has emerged as the dominant online advertising format largely because of their pay-for-performance nature, wherein advertising expenditures are closely tied to outcomes. While the pay-for-performance format substantially reduces the wastage incurred by advertisers compared to traditional pay-per-exposure advertising formats, the reduction of such wastage also carries the risk of reducing the signaling properties of advertising. Lacking a separating equilibrium, low-quality firms in these markets may be able to mimic the advertising strategies of high-quality firms. This study examines this issue in the context of online sponsored search markets. Using data gathered from sponsored search auctions for keywords in a market without intervention by the intermediary, we find evidence of adverse selection for products/services characterized by high uncertainty. On the other hand, there is no evidence of adverse selection for similar products in a regulated sponsored search market, suggesting that intervention by the search intermediary can have a significant impact on market outcomes and consumer welfare.
Optimal Restocking Fees and Information Provision in an Integrated Demand-Supply Model of Product Returns
Authors: Shulman Jeffrey D. , Coughlan Anne T. , Savaskan R. Canan
Published: June 2009

Product returns cost U.S. companies more than $100 billion annually. The cost and scale of returns management issues necessitate a deeper understanding of how to deal with product returns. We develop an analytical model that describes how consumer purchase and return decisions are affected by a seller's pricing and restocking fee policy. Taking into account the consumers' strategic behavior, we derive the seller's optimal policy as a function of consumer preferences, consumer uncertainty about product attributes, consumer hassle cost for returns, and the effectiveness of the seller's forward and reverse channel capability. We allow for two sources of consumer uncertainty and show how the seller may use its price and restocking fee as a means of targeting a segment of consumers who know their product consumption utilities. We find that even if it is possible to eliminate returns costlessly through the provision of information about the fit between consumer preferences and product characteristics, returns can nevertheless be part of an optimal product sales process. That is, we identify conditions under which it is (or is not) optimal to provide product fit information to consumers. We show that the marginal value of information to the seller is decreasing in the operational efficiency of the seller's forward and reverse logistics process as well as the level of product uncertainty. We identify the impact of multiple product options and sources of consumer uncertainty on the model's results. The analysis generates testable hypotheses about how consumer-level and seller-level parameters affect the return policies observed in the marketplace.
Continuous Review Inventory Model with Dynamic Choice of Two Freight Modes with Fixed Costs
Authors: Jain Aditya , Groenevelt Harry , Rudi Nils
Published: June 2009

We analyze a continuous review (Q, r) stochastic inventory model in which orders placed with a make-to-order manufacturer can be shipped via two alternative freight modes differing in lead time and costs. The costs of placing an order and using each freight mode consist of fixed components and hence exhibit economies of scale. We derive an optimal policy for using the two freight modes for shipping each order. This freight-mode decision is delayed until manufacturing is complete and the optimal policy uses information about the demand incurred in the meantime. Furthermore, given that the two freight modes are used optimally for shipping each order, we solve our model for reorder point and order quantity that minimizes cost. We analyze the cost savings achieved from postponing the freight-mode decision and provide analytical and numerical comparisons between the solutions to our two-freight model and single-freight models. Finally, we illustrate the properties of the solution to our model using an extensive set of numerical examples.
Supplier Competition in Decentralized Assembly Systems with Price-Sensitive and Uncertain Demand
Authors: Jiang Li , Wang Yunzeng
Published: June 2009

In a decentralized assembly supply chain, independent suppliers produce a set of complementary components from which an assembler assembles a final product and sells it to the market. In such a channel, several competitive forces interact with one another to affect the price and quantity decisions of the firms involved. These include: (1) the direct competition each supplier faces for producing the same component, (2) the indirect competition among the suppliers producing the set of complementary components needed for assembling the final product, and (3) the vertical interaction between the assembler and the component suppliers. This paper shows that the direct competition that one supplier faces helps improve the performance of the assembler and all the other suppliers in the channel; and surprisingly, it can help improve the performance of this particular supplier facing the competition as well. Second, the assembler benefits from a merger of suppliers producing different components in the complementary set. Furthermore, the assembler prefers a merger of suppliers with less direct competition over a merger of suppliers with more direct competition.
Media Revenue Management with Audience Uncertainty: Balancing Upfront and Spot Market Sales
Authors: Araman Victor F. , Popescu Ioana
Published: June 2009

An important challenge faced by media broadcasting companies is how to allocate limited advertising space between upfront (forward) contracts and the spot market (referred to in advertising as the scatter market) to maximize profits and meet contractual commitments. We develop stylized optimization models of airtime capacity planning and allocation across multiple clients under audience uncertainty. In a short-term profit maximizing setting, our results provide insight for capacity planning decisions upfront and during the broadcasting season. Our results suggest that broadcasting companies should prioritize upfront clients according to marginal revenue per audience unit. We find that accepted upfront market contracts can be aggregated across clients and served in proportion to the audience demanded. Closed-form solutions are obtained in a static setting. These results remain valid in a dynamic setting, when considering the opportunity to increase allocation by airing make-goods during the broadcasting season. Our structural results characterize the impact of contracting parameters, time, and audience uncertainty on profits and capacity decisions. The results hold under general audience and spot market profit models. Overall, we find that ignoring audience uncertainty can have a significant cost for media capacity planning and allocation.
Investigating the relationship between item exposure and test overlap: Item sharing and item pooling
Authors: Chen Shu‐Ying , Lei Pui‐Wa
Published: June 2009

To date, exposure control procedures that are designed to control item exposure and test overlap simultaneously are based on the assumption of item sharing between pairs of examinees. However, examinees may obtain test information from more than one examinee in practice. This larger scope of information sharing needs to be taken into account in refining exposure control procedures. To control item exposure and test overlap among a group of examinees larger than two, the relationship between the two indices needs to be identified first. The purpose of this paper is to analytically derive the relationships between item exposure rate and each of the two forms of test overlap, item sharing and item pooling, for fixed‐length computerized adaptive tests. Item sharing is defined as the number of common items shared by all examinees in a group, while item pooling is the number of overlapping items that an examinee has with a group of examinees. The accuracy of the derived relationships was verified using numerical examples. The relationships derived will lay the foundation for future development of procedures to simultaneously control item exposure and item sharing or item pooling among a group of examinees larger than two.
Book Review
Authors: Stockdale Keira C.
Published: June 2009

Preventing boundary violations in clinical practice By Thomas G. Gutheil and Archie Brodsky New York: The Guilford Press, 2008. $38.00. ISBN 978‐1‐59385‐691‐5
Book Review
Authors: Keane Jennifer
Published: June 2009

Bulimics on Bulimia Edited by Maria Stavrou London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers, 2008. Paperback £12.99. ISBN 978‐1‐84310‐668‐5
Digging deeper: A response to commentaries on The roots of human altruism
Authors: Warneken Felix
Published: June 2009

The current response discusses the insightful commentaries by Dale Hay (2009) and Karen Wynn (2009) on the proposal that human altruism has deep roots both in phylogeny and ontogeny (Warneken & Tomasello, 2009). In particular, I focus on (a) what observational and experimental methods can reveal about altruistic motivations in children, (b) Wynn's idea that early altruism might confer a selective advantage to the infants themselves, and (c) how recent findings on young children's social ontology will enable us to test the hypothesis that ontogeny proceeds from rather global to more differentiated altruistic behaviours.
Wives or Workers?: Negotiating the Social Contract between Female Teachers and the Colonial State in Zanzibar
Authors: McMahon Elisabeth , Decker Corrie
Published: June 2009

This article explores the negotiated relationship between the Department of Education in colonial Zanzibar and its Muslim female teachers. In the 1930s and 1940s, elite Muslim women in Zanzibari society remained in the home to maintain their respectability ( heshima ). Aware of this, the colonial government drew up plans for recruiting, training, and employing women teachers modeled on the social contract of a respectable Islamic marriage that both protected the women's heshima and provided the financial maintenance expected of a husband. By the 1950s, however, the Department of Education began to abandon the social contract it had attempted to establish with its female staff. Not only was this approach expensive, but it was also seemingly unnecessary to retain teachers, as fewer elite women were participating in the program. Female teachers did not work for the government because of the state's elaborate efforts to maintain their respectability, although certainly the respectable reputation of the position was a bonus. Instead, they joined and remained loyal to the Department of Education as a means of earning a salary that either supplemented those of their husbands or provided insurance against divorce, a common occurrence in colonial Zanzibar.
Vacuum Superinsulated Liquid Oxygen Piping and Vessels
Authors: Colson Alain , Werlen Etienne , Barthélémy Hervé
Published: June 2009

Vacuum superinsulation is commonly used in industrial applications for liquid oxygen transfer piping and liquid oxygen vessels as an alternative to other solid insulation materials such as perlite or Foamglass®, which have lower thermal performances. Tests have been conducted on insulation materials according to ASTM D2512 (equivalent to ISO 11114–3, EN 1797) in LOX as well as according to ASTM G72 (equivalent to EN 1797) in GOX. The superinsulation materials that have been tested are a number of layers of aluminum foils of various thicknesses each being separated by intermediate nonmetallic layers of various nature. Based on experience and incidents in the industry, this paper is intended to discuss the recent test results in pure oxygen and the possible ignition of superinsulation material in the interspace and mechanism of propagation as well as the consequences of a fire. Recommendations regarding material selection for vacuum superinsulation materials in LOX applications are also provided.
Drug Delivery Properties of Six Nebulizer Systems
Authors: Wright Jaime L. , Bouma Carolyn L. , Latman Neal S.
Published: June 2009

Objectives—nebulizers offer quick and efficient drug delivery to the lungs. The purpose of this study is to characterize six nebulizer systems. Some important aspects of nebulization studied are drug content and concentration, reservoir solution temperature during nebulization, and nebulization time. Methods—four jet nebulizer-compressor systems, with the same jet nebulizer model, and two ultrasonic nebulizer systems were characterized in this study. Drug content/concentration for each nebulizer was analyzed with two concentrations (1.25 and 0.63 mg) of albuterol sulfate. UV/visible spectrophotometry was utilized to determine reservoir drug content and concentration. Reservoir temperature measurements were taken with a temperature probe. Results—for the 1.25-mg dosage form of the drug, the compressor-driven systems had the least amount of decrease in reservoir drug content while the ultrasonic nebulizer had the greatest amount of decrease in reservoir drug content. All of the nebulizers, except for one compressor-driven system, had equivalent amounts of drug remaining in the reservoir for the 0.63-mg drug dosage form. The compressor-driven and ultrasonic systems had an increase in drug concentration for both forms of the drug. However, a decrease occurred in the ultrasonic system with the 0.63-mg dosage form of the drug. The reservoir temperature decreased in most of the compressor-driven systems while the temperature increased in the ultrasonic systems. The quickest nebulization time was seen in the ultrasonic systems. Conclusions—the ultrasonic nebulizer is the most efficient in nebulizing the greatest amount of medication in the least amount of time, while the compressor-driven systems are the least efficient in nebulizing the medication and require a greater nebulization time.
The uterine environment modulates trophectodermal POU5F1 levels in equine blastocysts
Authors: Choi Y H , Harding H D , Hartman D L , Obermiller A D , Kurosaka S , McLaughlin K J , Hinrichs K
Published: June 2009

The reported patterns of trophectodermal expression of POU5F1 protein in blastocysts vary among species, and are possibly related to the differences in placental growth and function. This study investigated the pattern of embryonic POU5F1 expression in the horse, a species with delayed placental formation. Immature equine oocytes expressed POU5F1 protein in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Staining for POU5F1 protein inin vitro-produced (IVP) embryos decreased to day 5 of culture, then the nuclear staining increased to day 7. IVP day-7 to -11 blastocysts showed POU5F1 staining in nuclei throughout the blastocysts. In contrast,in vivo-produced day-7 to -10 blastocysts showed greatly reduced trophoectodermal POU5F1 protein expression. To determine whether the uterine environment modulates POU5F1 expression, IVP blastocysts were transferred to the uteri of mares, then recovered 2–3 days later (IVP-ET embryos). These embryos showed similar POU5F1 expression as thein vivo-produced embryos. Levels ofPOU5F1,SOX2, andNANOGmRNA in IVP-ET blastocysts were significantly higher in the inner cell mass than in trophectoderm (TE) cells. These data suggest that the differentiation of equine TE, as indicated by loss of POU5F1 expression, is impaired duringin vitroculture, but proceeds normally when the embryos are exposed to the uterine environment. Previously reported differences in trophectodermal expression of POU5F1 among species may thus be in part artifactual, i.e. related toin vitroculture. Failure for correction of such changes by the uterine environment is a potential factor in the placental abnormalities seen after transfer of cultured embryos in some species.
Expression pattern of meiosis associated SYCP family members during germline development in chickens
Authors: Zheng Ying Hui , Rengaraj Deivendran , Choi Jin Won , Park Kyung Je , Lee Sang In , Han Jae Yong
Published: June 2009

Synaptonemal complexes (SCs) are associated with synapsis of homologous chromosomes, chiasmata distribution, recombination and segregation of chromosomes during the extended prophase of meiosis I. Three isoforms of SC proteins, SYCP1, SYCP2 and SYCP3, were identified as the structural proteins of SCs, and may be involved in the assembly and disassembly of SCs. The aim of this present study is to determine the pattern of expression of chicken homologues ofSYCPfamily members during ovarian and testicular development. Protein sequence analysis using CLUSTAL X revealed that the sequences and potential phosphorylation sites of chicken SYCP family proteins were highly conserved with mammalian homologues of SYCP family proteins. Quantitative real-time-PCR andin situhybridisation analysis revealed that chickenSYCPfamily members were differentially expressed during ovarian and testicular development. During ovarian development, all chickenSYCPfamily members were detected in primordial germ cells (PGCs) until embryonic day (E) 8.0; the expression continued in proliferating pre-meiotic oogonia until E15.5 and was upregulated in meiotic prophase I oocytes until hatching. After hatching, all chickenSYCPfamily members were detected at a low level until 24-weeks-old. During testicular development, all chickenSYCPfamily members were detected in PGCs until E13.0; the expression continued in pro-spermatogonia and proliferating spermatogonia for up to 8 weeks, and was upregulated in meiotic prophase I spermatocytes in adults. Our data demonstrate the expression pattern of meiosis associatedSYCPfamily members during ovarian and testicular development in chickens.
A preoperatív 18-FDG PET/CT-vizsgálat szerepe primer operábilis emlőrák eseténr
Authors: Garami Zoltán , Hascsi Zsolt , Garai Ildikó , Tanyi Miklós , Lukács Géza , Damjanovich László
Published: June 2009

Absztrakt

Bevezetés: A PET/CT-vizsgálat széles körű elterjedése alapjaiban változtathatja meg az onkológiai diagnosztikát. Vizsgálatunkban arra a kérdésre kerestük a választ, hogy emlőrák tervezett műtétje előtt elvégzett PET/CT-vizsgálat mennyiben képes az axillaris nyirokcsomók állapotát megítélni, és milyen mértékben változtatja meg a hagyományos vizsgálóeljárások ismeretében felállított előzetes kezelési tervet. Beteganyag és módszer: A DEOEC Sebészeti Intézetben 2008. február és 2009. február között 52 primer operábilis emlőrákos betegnél végeztettünk 18-FDG-PET/CT-vizsgálatot a tervezett műtét előtt. Minden esetben egésztest-leképezés történt, a képeket két szakember értékelte elsődlegesen vizuálisan, majd szemikvantitatíve testtömegre korrigált laesio-SUV-max értékekre alapozva. A leletet összevetetettük az axilla UH-vizsgálatának és a végleges szövettani vizsgálatnak az eredményével. Eredmények: Két beteg további kezelésre nem jelentkezett, így őket kizártuk a vizsgálatból. Az 50 beteg eredményeinek értékelése alapján az axillaris nyirokcsomóáttétek megítélésében a PET/CT szenzitivitása 80%-os, specificitása 100%-os, a pozitív prediktív érték 100%, a negatív prediktív érték 84,6% volt. Az axilla UH-vizsgálatával ugyanezen értékek ugyanebben a sorrendben 30%, 81,8%, 60% és 56,2% voltak. A PET/CT-lelet birtokában 9 betegnél (18%) változtattunk a hagyományos vizsgálómódszerek ismeretében felállított előzetes kezelési terven. Következtetések: Pozitív axillaris PET/CTlelet birtokában felesleges SNB-t végezni, azonnali axillaris blockdissectio javasolt. A PET/CT-lelet birtokában könnyebben kijelölhető a neoadjuváns kezelésre javasolandó betegek köre. A preoperatív PET/CT-vizsgálat mintegy 15–20%-ban módosíthatja az eredeti terápiás tervet. Az axilla sebészi kezelésének biztonságos elhagyása negatív PET/CTlelet birtokában további vizsgálatokat igényel.
Transvaginalis cholecystectomia állatmodellen – kezdeti tapasztalatainkr
Authors: Horváth Szabolcs , Gál István , Rákóczi István , Jávor Szaniszló , Balatonyi Borbála , Takács Ildikó , Ferencz Andrea , Ferencz Sándor , Wéber György
Published: June 2009

Absztrakt

Bevezetés: A természetes testnyílásokon keresztüli sebészet (NOTES) a minimálisan invazív sebészet legújabb irányvonala. Az eddigi klinikai tapasztalatok szerint a transvaginalis megközelítésben végzett epehólyag-eltávolítás kisebb fájdalommal, megterheléssel, rövidebb ápolási idővel jár, és a betegek hamarabb, bőrmetszés nélkül térhetnek vissza normál életvitelükhöz. Anyag és módszerek: Hazánkban először végeztünk sertésen transvaginalis cholecystectomiát ún. hibrid technikával, laparoscopos eszközök használatával. A köldöknél bevezetett 5 mm-es trokáron keresztül történt a cysticus képletek kipreparálása, a klippek felhelyezése valamint a hólyag kifejtése. A műtét követését a transvaginalisan, 10 mm-es trokáron keresztül behelyezett optika biztosította, az epehólyagot a műtét során – az ugyancsak itt bevezetett – hajlított végű fogóeszköz segítségével pozicionáltuk. Az epehólyag eltávolítása is transvaginalisan történt. Eredmények: Hat esetben végeztünk transvaginalis cholecystectomiát. A műtéti idő átlagosan 78 perc volt (40–145 perc). A műtétek során, illetve a megfigyelési idő alatt (3 hónap) szövődményt nem észleltünk, mortalitás nem volt. Következtetések: Tapasztalataink szerint a műtét, az általunk használt eszközökkel biztonsággal végezhető állatmodellen, és a módszer alkalmas a klinikai bevezetésre.
Az urogenitális traktus mikrokeringési kutatásainak módszerei, új perspektívái – egy évtized szegedi tapasztalatair
Authors: Deák Gábor , Meszlényi Ildikó , Szalay István
Published: June 2009

Absztrakt

A microcirculatio vizsgálata régóta foglalkoztatja a kutatókat, hiszen számos kórfolyamat legelső, legfinomabb jelei már ezen a szinten megfigyelhetők, még mielőtt szervműködészavart okoznának. Az urológiai szervek mikrokeringéséről korábban szegényes információink voltak. A legmodernebb vizsgálómódszerek elterjedésének, könnyebb elérhetőségének, illetve a szegedi munkacsoportunk által kidolgozott új vizsgálóeljárásoknak és nemzetközi munkakapcsolatoknak köszönhetően sok új információval lettünk gazdagabbak az elmúlt évtizedben erről az izgalmas területről is.
Differential ligand binding and agonist-induced regulation characteristics of the two rainbow trout GH receptors, Ghr1 and Ghr2, in transfected cells
Authors: Reindl Katie M , Kittilson Jeffrey D , Sheridan Mark A
Published: June 2009

Previously, we isolated and characterized two distinct GH receptor (GHR)-encoding mRNAs, ghr1 and ghr2, from rainbow trout. In this study, Chinese hamster ovary-K1 cells were individually transfected with plasmids that contained cDNAs encoding rainbow trout ghr1 or ghr2. High affinity binding of 125I-salmonid GH (sGH) by the expressed receptors was saturable, displaceable, and ligand selective. Whole-cell binding analysis revealed a single class of binding site; for Ghr1 Kd=8 nM, for Ghr2 Kd=17 nM. While salmonid prolactin (sPrl) displaced 125I-sGH from both Ghr1 and Ghr2, the affinity of either receptor subtype for sPrl was substantially less than for sGH; salmonid somatolactin, another member of the GH–PRL family, did not displace labeled sGH except at pharmacological concentrations. 125I-sGH was internalized by Ghr1- and Ghr2-expressing cells in a time-dependent manner; the maximum internalization reached was 71% for Ghr1 and 55% for Ghr2. Long-term exposure (24 h) of transfected cells to sGH up-regulated surface expression of both Ghr1 and Ghr2; however, sGH induced surface expression of Ghr1 to a greater extent than that of Ghr2. These results indicate that rainbow trout ghrs display both overlapping and distinct characteristics that may be important for ligand selection and differential action in target organs.
Fast current programming method for OLEDs using negative capacitor circuit
Authors: Shim Chang‐Hoon , Hattori Reiji
Published: June 2009

Abstract— To accelerate the settling speed of current programming for AMOLEDs or PMOLEDs, the concept of a “negative capacitor,” which consists of a differentiation circuit, an inverting voltage amplifier, and a voltage‐to‐current converter, was introduced. Circuit simulation showed that this circuit could shorten the settling time to a range of microseconds even for 10 nA of programming current in AMOLEDs. This new driving circuit enabled accurate gray‐scale images by using both PWM and PAM methods in PMOLED panels.
The Nexus Between Ecological Risk Assessment and Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under CERCLA: Introduction to a Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Technical Workshop
Authors: Stahl Ralph G , Gouguet Ron , Charters David , Clements Will , Gala Will , Haddad Robert , Helm Roger , Landis Wayne , Maki Al , Munns Wayne R , Young Dale
Published: June 2009

A SETAC Technical Workshop titled “The Nexus Between Ecological Risk Assessment and Natural Resource Damage Assessment Under CERCLA: Understanding and Improving the Common Scientific Underpinnings,” was held 18–22 August 2008 in Gregson, Montana, USA, to examine the linkage, nexus, and overlap between ecological risk assessment (ERA) and natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Experts from a broad range of relevant scientific, legal, and policy disciplines convened to 1) ascertain the potential for improved scientific harmonization of the processes of ERA and NRDA; 2) identify where statutory, regulatory, or scientific constraints might exist that would constrain or preclude the harmonization of the 2 processes; 3) determine approaches that might overcome these constraints; and 4) recommend research or potential changes in regulatory policies that might serve to improve both processes. This is the introduction to a series of 3 papers that describe the findings and conclusions of this workshop. Although unanimity was not achieved on all technical, legal, or policy questions posed to the participants, some consensus areas did arise. First, there appear to be few if any legal constraints to using the environmental data collected for ERA or NRDA for both processes. Second, although it is important to recognize and preserve the distinctions between ERA and NRDA, opportunities for data sharing exist, particularly for the characterization of environmental exposures and derivation of ecotoxicological information. Thus, effective coordination is not precluded by the underlying science. Where a cooperative, interactive process is involved among the response agencies, the natural resource trustees, and the responsible party(s), technical, legal or regulatory constraints can be minimized. Finally, one approach that might enhance the potential applicability of data collected for the ERA is to consider ecosystem services in the development of assessment endpoints. These points are explained in greater detail in the series of papers published herein.
Translating Ecological Risk to Ecosystem Service Loss
Authors: Munns Wayne R , Helm Roger C , Adams William J , Clements William H , Cramer Martin A , Curry Mark , DiPinto Lisa M , Johns D Michael , Seiler Richard , Williams Lisa L , Young Dale
Published: June 2009

Hazardous site management in the United States includes remediation of contaminated environmental media and restoration of injured natural resources. Site remediation decisions are informed by ecological risk assessment (ERA), whereas restoration and compensation decisions are informed by the natural resource damage assessment (NRDA) process. Despite similarities in many of their data needs and the advantages of more closely linking their analyses, ERA and NRDA have been conducted largely independently of one another. This is the 4th in a series of papers reporting the results of a recent workshop that explored how ERA and NRDA data needs and assessment processes could be more closely linked. Our objective is to evaluate the technical underpinnings of recent methods used to translate natural resource injuries into ecological service losses and to propose ways to enhance the usefulness of data obtained in ERAs to the NRDA process. Three aspects are addressed: 1) improving the linkage among ERA assessment endpoints and ecological services evaluated in the NRDA process, 2) enhancing ERA data collection and interpretation approaches to improve translation of ERA measurements in damage assessments, and 3) highlighting methods that can be used to aggregate service losses across contaminants and across natural resources. We propose that ERA and NRDA both would benefit by focusing ecological assessment endpoints on the ecosystem services that correspond most directly to restoration and damage compensation decisions, and we encourage development of generic ecosystem service assessment endpoints for application in hazardous site investigations. To facilitate their use in NRDA, ERA measurements should focus on natural resource species that affect the flow of ecosystem services most directly, should encompass levels of biological organization above organisms, and should be made with the use of experimental designs that support description of responses to contaminants as continuous (as opposed to discrete) variables. Application of a data quality objective process, involving input from ERA and NRDA practitioners and site decision makers alike, can facilitate identification of data collection and analysis approaches that will benefit both assessment processes. Because of their demonstrated relationships to a number of important ecosystem services, we recommend that measures of biodiversity be targeted as key measurement endpoints in ERA to support the translation between risk and service losses. Building from case studies of recent successes, suggestions are offered for aggregating service losses at sites involving combinations of chemicals and multiple natural resource groups. Recognizing that ERA and NRDA are conducted for different purposes, we conclude that their values to environmental decision making can be enhanced by more closely linking their data collection and analysis activities.
Histopathology of an Iliac Aneurysm in a Case of Menkes Disease
Authors: de Figueiredo Borges Luciano , Martelli Helene , Fabre Monique , Touat Ziad , Jondeau Guillaume , Michel Jean-Baptiste
Published: June 2009

In Menkes disease, arterial tortuosity is frequent, whereas true aneurysms are rare. Here, we report aneurysmal pathology occurring in an infant with Menkes disease. An iliac aneurysm was diagnosed in a 2-month-old boy and attributed to Menkes syndrome on the basis of plasma copper deficiency. Samples of the aneurysmal wall were taken during surgery for histopathological analysis. As in other forms of aneurysm, the arterial wall was characterized by smooth muscle cell (SMC) disappearance, linked to SMC apoptosis and oxidative stress, areas of mucoid degeneration, and extracellular matrix breakdown, including disappearance of elastic fibers and presence of abnormal collagen.
Scalar mesons in η′ → ηπ
0
π
0 decay
Authors: Donskov Sergey , Likhoded Anatoly , Luchinsky Alexey , Samoylenko Vladimir
Published: June 2009

The decay η′ → ηπ
0
π
0 is studied in the framework of isobar model. It is shown, that good agreement with the experiment is achieved if α
0- and σ-meson contributions are taken into account. The contribution of α
0-meson is dominant, but σ-meson is necessary to reproduce the form of the Dalitz plot. Instead of the usual Breit-Wigner form of σ-meson propagator we use parametrization of the ππ-amplitude, which satisfies analyticity, crossing, unitarity and chirality constraints. This amplitude has a pole in the complex plane, which corresponds to σ-meson and describe experimental data on ππ-scattering in K
e4 decay.