bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating legislation: An alternative approach for evaluating EU Internal Market and Services law
Authors: Fitzpatrick Teresa
Published: October 2012

Although the European Commission has introduced a rigorous Impact Assessment process as part of policy proposal development since 2000, to date very little in the way of ex post evaluation of policy and legislation practice exists. In 2007, the European Commission firmly committed itself to developing ex post evaluation of these non-spending activities to match the importance of its Impact Assessment process. However, early experience when evaluating legislation, and EU Directives in particular, has highlighted problems in applying existing evaluation practices. Finding little by way of specific guidance that could be used for evaluating EU legislation, DG Internal Market and Services has developed its own methodology. This contribution aims to provide some insight for evaluation practitioners into this EU DG’s proposed approach to evaluating EU legislation, which readers may consider with a view to transferring to similar political and organizational environments.
Transnational activism of social movement organizations: The effect of European Union funding on local groups in the Czech Republic
Authors: Císař Ondřej , Vráblíková Kateřina
Published: October 2012

Focusing on social movement organizations (SMOs) in the Czech Republic, this article explores the level of transnational activism of these actors. Although knowledge exists on domestic interest groups’ choice of European Union (EU) venues for lobbying, the influence of EU funding on protest and public campaigning by actors such as SMOs remains under-studied. We show what the level of transnationalization of SMOs is, what types of transnational strategies SMOs employ, and what explains these choices. Specifically, the article examines the effect the EU has had on Czech SMOs. We are interested in whether EU funding contributed to their de-radicalization and co-optation by the political elite, or rather empowered them to engage in transnational protest. The results of our analysis support the empowerment hypothesis.
Gifts of grief: performative ethnography and the revelatory potential of emotion
Authors: Henry Rosita
Published: October 2012

After participation in the funeral of a beloved friend in the Western Highlands of Papua New Guinea, I was drawn to contemplate the revelatory potential of emotions such as grief. With reference to literature on the anthropology of emotions and the concept of empathy, I consider the relationship between ethnographic knowledge and deep emotional responses in the context of fieldwork. I argue that moments of intense emotional engagement, which many researchers record as having experienced during fieldwork, have the potential to lead to rich ethnographic understanding, particularly when such moments productively draw us into participatory cultural performances that help mediate the conceptual divide between meaning and feeling, observer and observed.
Revelatory moments in fieldwork
Authors: Trigger David , Forsey Martin , Meurk Carla
Published: October 2012

This essay prefaces a collection on revelatory moments of fieldwork engagement. Drawing upon brief vignettes from our own research experiences, we argue for the methodological significance of memorable events encountered in ethnographic studies. In addressing this relational production of knowledge, we are particularly interested in the role of emotion, discomfort and surprise in ‘fieldwork’ as understood in anthropology. The case materials illustrate moments of experience drawn from three studies conducted in different decades between 1980 and 2011, thereby marking important shifts in the methods and aims of the discipline, conceptions of where fieldwork is appropriately done, and the role of self-knowledge on the part of the researcher. We make the case for the value of revelatory moments and the epistemological approach that enables their apprehension.
Attendance Effects of Star Pitchers in Major League Baseball
Authors: Ormiston Russell
Published: October 2012

While the determinants of Major League Baseball attendance have been thoroughly researched, the literature is conspicuously incomplete in regard to the attendance effects of star players. Addressing two concerns in the research, this study develops two measures of players’ star power and, analyzing within-season fluctuations in game attendance from 1969-2010, demonstrates a positive and statistically significant relationship between attendance and varying gradations of star power of the home and visiting teams’ starting pitchers. Using over four decades worth of data, the results of this study also suggest that fan responsiveness to star players has declined considerably over time.
The Heat Is On
Authors: Hill Brian
Published: October 2012

Qualification in track and field events involves runners competing against individuals within their heat and runners in other heats. Given that the heats are run sequentially, runners in each heat have different information about their competitors. Using data on track and field events from 2001-2011, this article examines whether an individual’s placement in a specific heat and their peers affect their performance and qualification probability. Results indicate that runners’ times and qualification are correlated with the abilities of their peers as well as heat-specific fixed effects. In addition, these effects differ according to runner ability.
Caring for Children of Parents With Frontotemporal Degeneration
Authors: Denny Sharon S. , Morhardt Darby , Gaul J. Elise , Lester Paul , Andersen Gail , Higgins Paul J. , Nee Linda
Published: October 2012

The Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) organized a 7-person Task Force on Families With Children to explore the concerns of families when a parent of young children or teens is diagnosed with FTD. This report summarizes the findings of the task force and highlights the need for additional attention to this topic. The task force conducted a review of related literature and existing resources and compiled issues identified by spouses/partners, teens, and adult children within an affected family. The project confirmed a significant lack of information and support for parents caring for a spouse with FTD and for their children. Recommendations include developing resources and strategies that promote comprehensive family support, including those that build resiliency in the well parent and the children, and strengthen the changing family unit. Avenues for additional research in this area of need in the FTD community are suggested.
A Cyber-Physical Management System for Delivering and Monitoring Surgical Instruments in the OR
Authors: Li Yu-Ting , Jacob Mithun , Akingba George , Wachs Juan P.
Published: October 2012

Background. The standard practice in the operating room (OR) is having a surgical technician deliver surgical instruments to the surgeon quickly and inexpensively, as required. This human “in the loop” system may result in mistakes (eg, missing information, ambiguity of instructions, and delays). Objective. Errors can be reduced or eliminated by integrating information technology (IT) and cybernetics into the OR. Gesture and voice automatic acquisition, processing, and interpretation allow interaction with these new systems without disturbing the normal flow of surgery. Methods. This article describes the development of a cyber-physical management system (CPS), including a robotic scrub nurse, to support surgeons by passing surgical instruments during surgery as required and recording counts of surgical instruments into a personal health record (PHR). The robot used responds to hand signals and voice messages detected through sophisticated computer vision and data mining techniques. Results. The CPS was tested during a mock surgery in the OR. The in situ experiment showed that the robot recognized hand gestures reliably (with an accuracy of 97%), it can retrieve instruments as close as 25 mm, and the total delivery time was less than 3 s on average. Conclusions. This online health tool allows the exchange of clinical and surgical information to electronic medical record–based and PHR-based applications among different hospitals, regardless of the style viewer. The CPS has the potential to be adopted in the OR to handle surgical instruments and track them in a safe and accurate manner, releasing the human scrub tech from these tasks.
Evaluation of a Mixed Participatory Method to Improve Mutual Understanding Between Consumers and Chain Actors
Authors: Van Wezemael Lynn , Verbeke Wim , Alessandrin Agnès
Published: October 2012

In the research project, Medialog, a mixed participatory method, was applied to improve mutual understanding between consumers and chain actors in the French beef supply chain. This article presents a mixed methods evaluation of this participatory method using a SWOT analysis. The evaluation reveals several strengths of the participatory method such as dialogue and flexibility, as well as opportunities for wider application, for example, growing interest in multidisciplinary research and public involvement. However, identified weaknesses, such as quality of participants and time-consuming nature, and threats, such as lack of interest among policymakers and competing methods, should be monitored. The participatory method is found to be suitable to study various subjects and objects, particularly related to food consumption and supply chains.
Current Emotion Research in Behavioral Neuroscience: The Role(s) of the Amygdala
Authors: Armony Jorge L.
Published: October 2012

Substantial advances in our understanding of the neural bases of emotional processing have been made over the past decades. Overall, studies in humans and other animals highlight the key role of the amygdala in the detection and evaluation of stimuli with affective value. Nonetheless, contradictory findings have been reported, especially in terms of the exact role of this structure in the processing of different emotions, giving rise to different neural models of emotion. For instance, although the amygdala has traditionally been considered as exclusively involved in fear (and possibly anger), more recent work suggests that it may be important for processing other types of emotions, and even nonemotional information. A review of the main findings in this field is presented here, together with some of the hypotheses that have been put forward to interpret this literature and explain its inconsistencies.
Physician-Targeted Financial Incentives and Primary Care Physicians’ Self-Reported Ability to Provide High-Quality Primary Care
Authors: Baek Jong-Deuk , Xirasagar Sudha , Stoskopf Carleen H. , Seidman Robert L.
Published: October 2012

Objective: High-quality primary care is envisaged as the centerpiece of the emerging health care delivery system under the Affordable Care Act. Reengineering the US health care system into a primary care–driven model will require widespread, rapid changes in the management and organization of primary care physicians (PCPs). Financial incentives to influence physician behavior have been attempted with various approaches, without empirical evidence of their effectiveness in improving care quality. This study examines the above research question adjusting for the patient-centeredness of the practice climate, a major contextual factor affecting PCPs’ ability to provide high-quality care. Methods: Secondary data on a sample of salaried PCPs (n = 1733) from the nation-wide Community Tracking Study Physician Survey 2004-2005 were subject to generalized multinomial logit modeling to examine associations between financial incentives and PCPs’ self-reported ability to provide quality care. Results: After adjusting for patient-centered medical home (PCMH)–consistent practice environment, financial incentive aligned with care quality/care content is positively associated with PCPs’ ability to provide high-quality care. An encouraging finding was that financial incentives aligned with clinic productivity/profitability do not to impede high-quality care in a PCMH practice environment. Conclusion: Financial incentives targeted to care quality or content indicators may facilitate rapid transformation of the health system to a primary care–driven system. The study provides empirical evidence of the utility of practically deployable financial incentives to facilitate high-quality primary care.
Myeloproliferative neoplasms in Budd-Chiari syndrome and portal vein thrombosis: a meta-analysis
Authors: Smalberg Jasper H. , Arends Lidia R. , Valla Dominique C. , Kiladjian Jean-Jacques , Janssen Harry L. A. , Leebeek Frank W. G.
Published: October 2012

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are the most common cause of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) and nonmalignant, noncirrhotic portal vein thrombosis (PVT). In this meta-analysis, we determined the prevalence of MPNs and their subtypes as well as JAK2V617F and its diagnostic role in these uncommon disorders. MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched. Prevalence of MPNs, JAK2V617F, and MPN subtypes were calculated using a random-effects model. A total of 1062 BCS and 855 PVT patients were included. In BCS, mean prevalence of MPNs and JAK2V617F was 40.9% (95% CI, 32.9%-49.5%) and 41.1% (95% CI, 32.3%-50.6%), respectively. In PVT, mean prevalence of MPNs and JAK2V617F was 31.5% (95% CI, 25.1%-38.8%) and 27.7% (95% CI, 20.8%-35.8%), respectively. JAK2V617F and MPNs were more frequent in BCS compared with PVT (P = .03 and P = .09, respectively). Polycythemia vera was more prevalent in BCS than in PVT (P = .001). JAK2V617F screening in splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT) patients without typical hematologic MPN features identified MPN in 17.1% and 15.4% of screened BCS and PVT patients, respectively. These results demonstrate a high prevalence of MPNs and JAK2V617F in SVT patients and show differences in underlying etiology between these disorders. Furthermore, these results validate routine inclusion of JAK2V617F in the diagnostic workup of SVT patients.
Cardiovascular risk factors in hematopoietic cell transplantation survivors: role in development of subsequent cardiovascular disease
Authors: Armenian Saro H. , Sun Can-Lan , Vase Tabitha , Ness Kirsten K. , Blum Emily , Francisco Liton , Venkataraman Kalyanasundaram , Samoa Raynald , Wong F. Lennie , Forman Stephen J. , Bhatia Smita
Published: October 2012

Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) recipients may be at an increased risk of developing hypertension, diabetes, and dyslipidemia (referred to as cardiovascular risk factors [CVRFs]); and these factors can potentially increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). We examined the incidence and predictors of CVRFs and subsequent CVD in 1885 consecutive 1+year survivors of HCT performed at City of Hope between 1995 and 2004. Ten-year cumulative incidence of hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and multiple (≥ 2) CVRFs was 37.7%, 18.1%, 46.7%, and 31.4%, respectively. The prevalence of CVRFs was significantly higher among HCT recipients compared with the general population; contributed to largely by allogeneic HCT recipients. Older age and obesity at HCT were associated with increased risk of CVRFs. History of grade II-IV acute graft versus host disease was associated with an increased risk for hypertension (relative risk [RR] = 9.1, P < .01), diabetes (RR = 5.8, P < .01), and dyslipidemia (RR = 3.2, P < .01); conditioning with total body irradiation was associated with an increased risk of diabetes (RR = 1.5, P = .01) and dyslipidemia (RR = 1.4, P < .01). There was an incremental increase in 10-year incidence of CVD by number of CVRFs (4.7% [none], 7.0% [1 CVRF], 11.2% [≥ 2 CVRFs], P < .01); the risk was especially high (15.0%) in patients with multiple CVRFs and pre-HCT exposure to anthracyclines or chest radiation.
Multiplicative synergistic risk of hepatocellular carcinoma development among hepatitis B and C co-infected subjects in HBV endemic area: a community-based cohort study
Authors: Oh Jin-Kyoung , Shin Hai-Rim , Lim Min Kyung , Cho Heeyoun , Kim Dong-Il , Jee Youngmee , Yun Haesun , Yoo Keun-Young
Published: October 2012

Background

There has been limited study on the effect of infection with different hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotypes on the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic regions of Asia.

Methods

Hazard ratios of HCC development were estimated for HBV and HCV co-infected subjects among a community-based prospective cohort. HCV genotype was determined in HCV RNA-positive samples. Incident HCC cases were identified through linkage to the cancer registry.

Results

HCC incidence was 79 per 100,000 person-years in the study population (50 incident cases among 6,694 individuals within 63,170 person-years with an average of 9.4 years of follow-up); seroprevalence of HBsAg and anti-HCV was 5.2% and 5.6%. Adjusted hazard ratios of HCC by HBsAg positivity and anti-HCV positivity were 13.3 (CI: 7.3-24.4) and 6.7 (CI: 3.6-12.6). HRs of HBV and HCV monoinfection, and HBV/HCV coinfection were 17.1 (CI: 8.4-34.8), 10.4 (CI: 4.9-22.1) and 115.0 (CI: 32.5-407.3). Multiplicative synergistic effect of HBV/HCV coinfection on HCC risk was also observed (synergy index: 4.5, CI: 1.3-15.5). Infection with HCV genotype 1 (HR: 29.7, CI: 13.6-46.8) and mixed infection with genotype 1 and 2 (HR: 68.7, CI: 16.4-288.4) significantly elevated HCC risk, much higher than HBV infection.

Conclusions

The effect of differences in HCV genotype and the multiplicative synergistic effect of HBV/HCV coinfection on HCC risk shown in the present study underline the need for comprehensive identification of hepatitis infection status in order to prevent and control HCC in this HBV endemic area.
LFA-1 and ICAM-1 expression induced during melanoma-endothelial cell co-culture favors the transendothelial migration of melanoma cell lines in vitro
Authors: Ghislin Stephanie , Obino Dorian , Middendorp Sandrine , Boggetto Nicole , Alcaide-Loridan Catherine , Deshayes Frederique
Published: October 2012

Background

Patients with metastatic melanoma have a poor median rate of survival. It is therefore necessary to increase our knowledge about melanoma cell dissemination which includes extravasation, where cancer cells cross the endothelial barrier. Extravasation is well understood during travelling of white blood cells, and involves integrins such as LFA-1 (composed of two chains, CD11a and CD18) expressed by T cells, while ICAM-1 is induced during inflammation by endothelial cells. Although melanoma cell lines cross endothelial cell barriers, they do not express LFA-1. We therefore hypothesized that melanoma-endothelial cell co-culture might induce the LFA-1/ICAM ligand/receptor couple during melanoma transmigration.

Methods

A transwell approach has been used as well as blocking antibodies against CD11a, CD18 and ICAM-1. Data were analyzed with an epifluorescence microscope. Fluorescence intensity was quantified with the ImageJ software.

Results

We show here that HUVEC-conditioned medium induce cell-surface expression of LFA-1 on melanoma cell lines. Similarly melanoma-conditioned medium activates ICAM-1 expression in endothelial cells. Accordingly blocking antibodies of ICAM-1, CD11a or CD18 strongly decrease melanoma transmigration. We therefore demonstrate that melanoma cells can cross endothelial monolayers in vitro due to the induction of ICAM-1 and LFA-1 occurring during the co-culture of melanoma and endothelial cells. Our data further suggest a role of LFA-1 and ICAM-1 in the formation of melanoma cell clumps enhancing tumor cell transmigration.

Conclusion

Melanoma-endothelial cell co-culture induces LFA-1 and ICAM-1 expression, thereby favoring in vitro melanoma trans-migration.
Enhanced cell disruption strategy in the release of recombinant hepatitis B surface antigen from Pichia pastoris using response surface methodology
Authors: Tam Yew Joon , Allaudin Zeenathul Nazariah , Lila Mohd Azmi Mohd , Bahaman Abdul Rani , Tan Joo Shun , Rezaei Morvarid Akhavan
Published: October 2012

Background

Cell disruption strategies by high pressure homogenizer for the release of recombinant Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) from Pichia pastoris expression cells were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on the central composite design (CCD). The factors studied include number of passes, biomass concentration and pulse pressure. Polynomial models were used to correlate the above mentioned factors to project the cell disruption capability and specific protein release of HBsAg from P. pastoris cells.

Results

The proposed cell disruption strategy consisted of a number of passes set at 20 times, biomass concentration of 7.70 g/L of dry cell weight (DCW) and pulse pressure at 1,029 bar. The optimized cell disruption strategy was shown to increase cell disruption efficiency by 2-fold and 4-fold for specific protein release of HBsAg when compared to glass bead method yielding 75.68% cell disruption rate (CDR) and HBsAg concentration of 29.20 mg/L respectively.

Conclusions

The model equation generated from RSM on cell disruption of P. pastoris was found adequate to determine the significant factors and its interactions among the process variables and the optimum conditions in releasing HBsAg when validated against a glass bead cell disruption method. The findings from the study can open up a promising strategy for better recovery of HBsAg recombinant protein during downstream processing.
Photoluminescence enhancement in CdS quantum dots by thermal annealing
Authors: Kim Jae Ik , Kim Jongmin , Lee Junhee , Jung Dae-Ryong , Kim Hoechang , Choi Hongsik , Lee Sungjun , Byun Sujin , Kang Suji , Park Byungwoo
Published: October 2012

The photoluminescence behavior of CdS quantum dots in initial growth stage was studied in connection with an annealing process. Compared to the as-synthesized CdS quantum dots (quantum efficiency ≅ 1%), the heat-treated sample showed enhanced luminescence properties (quantum efficiency ≅ 29%) with a narrow band-edge emission. The simple annealing process diminished the accumulated defect states within the nanoparticles and thereby reduced the nonradiative recombination, which was confirmed by diffraction, absorption, and time-resolved photoluminescence. Consequently, the highly luminescent and defect-free nanoparticles were obtained by a facile and straightforward process.
Solving certain classes of Lane-Emden type equations using the differential transformation method
Authors: Khan Yasir , Svoboda Zdeněk , Šmarda Zdeněk
Published: October 2012

In this paper, the differential transformation method (DTM) is applied to solve singular initial problems represented by certain classes of Lane-Emden type equations. Some new differential transformation formulas for certain exponential and logarithmic nonlinearities are derived. The approximate and exact solutions of these equations are calculated in the form of series with easily computable terms. The results obtained with the proposed methods are in good agreement with those obtained by other methods. The advantages of this technique are shown as well.
Toward attenuating the impact of arm positions on electromyography pattern-recognition based motion classification in transradial amputees
Authors: Geng Yanjuan , Zhou Ping , Li Guanglin
Published: October 2012

Background

Electromyography (EMG) pattern-recognition based control strategies for multifunctional myoelectric prosthesis systems have been studied commonly in a controlled laboratory setting. Before these myoelectric prosthesis systems are clinically viable, it will be necessary to assess the effect of some disparities between the ideal laboratory setting and practical use on the control performance. One important obstacle is the impact of arm position variation that causes the changes of EMG pattern when performing identical motions in different arm positions. This study aimed to investigate the impacts of arm position variation on EMG pattern-recognition based motion classification in upper-limb amputees and the solutions for reducing these impacts.

Methods

With five unilateral transradial (TR) amputees, the EMG signals and tri-axial accelerometer mechanomyography (ACC-MMG) signals were simultaneously collected from both amputated and intact arms when performing six classes of arm and hand movements in each of five arm positions that were considered in the study. The effect of the arm position changes was estimated in terms of motion classification error and compared between amputated and intact arms. Then the performance of three proposed methods in attenuating the impact of arm positions was evaluated.

Results

With EMG signals, the average intra-position and inter-position classification errors across all five arm positions and five subjects were around 7.3% and 29.9% from amputated arms, respectively, about 1.0% and 10% low in comparison with those from intact arms. While ACC-MMG signals could yield a similar intra-position classification error (9.9%) as EMG, they had much higher inter-position classification error with an average value of 81.1% over the arm positions and the subjects. When the EMG data from all five arm positions were involved in the training set, the average classification error reached a value of around 10.8% for amputated arms. Using a two-stage cascade classifier, the average classification error was around 9.0% over all five arm positions. Reducing ACC-MMG channels from 8 to 2 only increased the average position classification error across all five arm positions from 0.7% to 1.0% in amputated arms.

Conclusions

The performance of EMG pattern-recognition based method in classifying movements strongly depends on arm positions. This dependency is a little stronger in intact arm than in amputated arm, which suggests that the investigations associated with practical use of a myoelectric prosthesis should use the limb amputees as subjects instead of using able-body subjects. The two-stage cascade classifier mode with ACC-MMG for limb position identification and EMG for limb motion classification may be a promising way to reduce the effect of limb position variation on classification performance.
Exploration of ‘hot-spots’ of methane and nitrous oxide emission from the agriculture fields of Assam, India
Authors: Mishra Satyendra Nath , Mitra Sudip , Rangan Latha , Dutta Subashisha , Singh Pooja
Published: October 2012

Background

Agricultural soils contribute towards the emission of CH4 (mainly from paddy fields) and N2O (from N-fertilizer application), the two important greenhouse gases causing global warming. Most studies had developed the inventories of CH4 and N2O emission at the country level (larger scale) for India, but not many studies are available at the local scale (e.g. district level) on these greenhouse gases (GHGs). Assam is an important state in the North Eastern region of India. In addition to being the regional economic hub for the entire region, agriculture is the major contributor to the state’s gross domestic product. In Assam about three-fourths of the area is under paddy cultivation and rice is the staple food. With this background, a district wise inventory of CH4 and N2O emission in the North Eastern state of Assam, India was carried out using different emission factors, viz., IPCC, Indian factors and others, to highlight the discrepancies that arose in the emission estimation of these important GHGs while used at the smaller scale i.e. district level. This study emphasizes the need for better methodologies at the local level for GHGs inventories. This study also reiterates the fact that no emission factor is universally applicable across all regions. The GHGs like CH4 and N2O are highly site and crop specific and the factors required for their inventory are driven by cultural practices, agronomic management, soil resources and socio-economic drivers.

Material and methods

In this study, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) methodology was used for the estimation of CH4 and N2O emission. In case of N2O emission, both direct and indirect emission from agricultural soil was estimated for the various districts of Assam.

Results

The CH4 (base year 2000–2001) and N2O (base year 2001–2002) emission was estimated to be 121 Gg and 1.36 Gg from rice paddy and agricultural fields of Assam state respectively.

Conclusions

This study is the first report on the estimation of the GHG emission at the district level from the entire state of Assam, agriculturally one very important state of North Eastern India. This state is also considered as remote due to its geographical location. The study clearly elucidates that there is large variation in the emission inventory of CH4 and N2O at the district level (local scale) when different emission factors are used. This calls for detailed and comprehensive data collection and mapping at the micro level for accurate inventory of greenhouse gases in future from agriculture fields.
View: implementing low cost air quality monitoring solution for urban areas
Authors: Ikram Jahangir , Tahir Amer , Kazmi Hasanat , Khan Zonia , Javed Rabi , Masood Usama
Published: October 2012

Background

Air pollution represents non uniform trends particularly in dense urban areas which arises the necessity for pollution monitoring at finer resolution. Since recent advancements in electrochemical technology have made it feasible to deploy economical wireless sensor nodes for environmental monitoring, we present a bed of cost effective referential sensors which replace the role of traditional weather stations. The system is intended to target lower income nations like Pakistan, where air pollution monitoring and regulation is a crucial issue, not receiving appropriate attention.

Results

The project is specifically designed to be cost effective, compact, energy efficient and possesses the ability to be deployed in large numbers to overcome the limitations of conventional static environment monitoring sites. We have developed a system which aims at increasing awareness to the average citizen and policy makers regarding the prevailing environmental conditions. We go on to investigate the feasibility, reliability and accuracy of the project when deployed in an urban setting. Here we provide a brief summary on the calibration techniques we employed to achieve accurate results, along with providing details on the future research and development with respect to the project.

Conclusion

The model proposed, was used to pilot a venture in Lahore, Pakistan and is deployed successfully.
Some thoughts on the past, present, and future of TLE and SEG
Authors: Hardage Bob
Published: October 2012

Bob Hardage, the current SEG president, was in mid-career as a researcher with Phillips Petroleum when TLE began publication in 1982. He was one of its first authors from industry (the 1983 article “A new direction in exploration seismology is down”). He has subsequently worked for a service company and in academia, has served on several executive committees (including two years as SEG editor) and as chairman of the Technical Program Committee (twice), has continued to write regularly for TLE and served as a guest editor for a special section, and will be the first person to serve as immediate past president when SEG switches to its new governance structure after the upcoming annual meeting. This wide-ranging career and Society experience make him well qualified to comment on the past, present, and future of TLE and SEG. He did so via an interview with Dean Clark, TLE Editor.
Evolution of seismic interpretation during the last three decades
Authors: Chopra Satinder , Marfurt Kurt J.
Published: October 2012

The ingredients of seismic interpretation include the right mix of geological and geophysical knowledge, together with a liberal dose of imagination, tempered with a considerable amount of patience. Seismic interpretation is a skill that one acquires with experience, but is constantly reinvigorated with new ideas and tools provided by younger university graduates. The prime ingredients for seismic interpretation are seismic reflection data coupled with a geologic depositional and tectonic model which together provide the framework for integrating borehole, microseismic, and production data resulting in a good reservoir model. Although commonly used in both engineering and environmental applications, most seismic reflection surveys are acquired for oil and gas exploration in both land and offshore areas around the world. Hydrocarbon accumulations are found at varying depths of a few thousand meters below the Earth's surface which are ultimately confirmed by drilling. Because the cost of drilling closely spaced wells can be prohibitively expensive, interpreted seismic data provide not only initial well locations in a wildcat environment, but also, when coupled statistically with production and well-log data, locations with higher probability of success in a resource play having hundreds of wells.
The value of autotrackers
Authors: Brown Alistair R.
Published: October 2012

Autotrackers on our interactive workstations have long been touted as automatic, implying that they get the tracking done quickly with little human intervention. The trade names given to autotrackers (Zap, Propagator, etc.) reinforce this image. But is this the correct image? Many interpreters have said to me, “The autotracker doesn't work in my data!” Given the above mindset, they are probably correct. Efficient, speedy, automatic autotracking requires good data with continuous horizons. The greatest value of machine autotrackers lies in their precision not in their automation. After the tracker has propagated onto the desired reflection on a given trace, the precision component locates the track exactly on the waveform crest (Figure 1). The precision with which the track is positioned is typically a quarter of a millisecond. Given that digital data is an array of sample values spaced by 2 or 4 milliseconds, this clearly involves interpolation. This interpolation is commonly performed on the postulate that the shape of the trace is locally parabolic.
Publish not perish
Authors: Herron Don
Published: October 2012

In academic circles, the phrase “publish or perish” relates to the importance of regularly contributing to scientific journals in order to establish and maintain professional credentials. I've always thought that this friendly warning, most frequently issued to graduate students and associate professors, is a bit harsh, although accurate, and might be more realistically expressed as “publish or languish.” No matter—the pressure on geoscientists in the oil and gas industry to publish their work is not as intense, and careers are not necessarily made or broken based on the number of technical articles on which one's name appears (we all know that there is a vast quantity of excellent technical work in our industry that never appears publicly for reasons of business confidentiality or intellectual property).
SAGE at 30
Authors: Baldridge W. Scott , Braile Lawrence W. , Biehler Shawn , Jiracek George R. , Ferguson John F. , Hasterok Derrick , Pellerin Louise , Bedrosian Paul A. , McPhee Darcy K. , Snelson Catherine M.
Published: October 2012

As you receive this issue of The Leading Edge the Summer of Applied Geophysical Experience (SAGE) will be starting our 30th field season. SAGE is a unique educational program that combines teaching and research as a partnership between universities, industry, government agencies and professional societies. SAGE includes a four-week period based in Santa Fe, New Mexico and one-week workshop in the following January for undergraduates, at San Diego State University, which allows us to enhance their research experience. We teach the principles and applications of refraction and reflection seismics, magnetics, gravity, GPS, several electromagnetic (EM) methods and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) in a field-based, hands-on setting. The central research activity of SAGE is the acquisition and interpretation of geophysical field data. Students learn geophysics by doing geophysics—a discovery oriented approach.
Historical preservation
Authors: Wyckoff Bob
Published: October 2012

The Historical Preservation Committee (HPC) was established to continue the preservation of important artifacts, instruments, and documents that had previously been part of the SEG Geoscience Center which was closed in 2009. Despite its relatively brief existence, HPC has completed several projects and others are moving forward. Exhibits detailing various aspects of the history of applied geophysics have been created at various locations. The first, at the University of Oklahoma, includes documents by and about John C. Karcher, a graduate of that university. The exhibit is in OU's Sarkey's Energy Center, part of the ConocoPhillips School of Geology and Geophysics, which is also the home of the Oklahoma Geological Survey. The second exhibit is at Oklahoma State University in the Noble Research Center, Boone Pickens School of Geology. A third exhibit, the vintage gravity instruments known as the Robert M. “Ivy” Iverson Collection, is on display at Fugro's offices in Houston thanks to a partnership between SEG, the Geophysical Society of Houston Museum Committee, and Fugro Gravity and Magnetic Services.
GEOPHYSICS BRIGHT SPOTS
Authors: Sun Yonghe
Published: October 2012

Imaging geophysicists often have to be content with tomographic velocity models obtained using fixed anisotropy parameters. Interpretation geophysicists often have to accept image volumes without a good measure of uncertainty. To those who have qualms about hand-specifying anisotropy parameters, and to those who question hand-ascribing uncertainties to Earth models, I suggest the current May-June issue of Geophysics. It contains an exciting special section on Borehole Geophysics. I applaud the great efforts of the editors, reviewers, and authors who have contributed to the section. We need such contributions to anchor our wealth of full-azimuth surface data by sound statistical analysis of well data and improved understanding of rock physics. The following are two brief samples of the May-June issue. I invite you to browse through the entire issue for the latest developments in exploration geophysics.
Mineralizing Enthesopathy Is a Common Feature of Renal Phosphate-Wasting Disorders Attributed to FGF23 and Is Exacerbated by Standard Therapy in Hyp Mice
Authors: Karaplis Andrew C. , Bai Xiuying , Falet Jean-Pierre , Macica Carolyn M.
Published: October 2012

We have previously confirmed a paradoxical mineralizing enthesopathy as a hallmark of X-linked hypophosphatemia. X-linked hypophosphatemia is the most common of the phosphate-wasting disorders mediated by elevated fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and occurs as a consequence of inactivating mutations of the PHEX gene product. Despite childhood management of the disease, these complications of tendon and ligament insertion sites account for a great deal of the disease's morbidity into adulthood. It is unclear whether the enthesopathy occurs in other forms of renal phosphate-wasting disorders attributable to high FGF23 levels. Here we describe two patients with autosomal recessive hypophosphatemic rickets due to the Met1Val mutation in dentin matrix acidic phosphoprotein 1 (DMP1). In addition to the biochemical and skeletal features of long-standing rickets with elevated FGF23 levels, these individuals exhibited severe, debilitating, generalized mineralized enthesopathy. These data suggest that enthesophytes are a feature common to FGF23-mediated phosphate-wasting disorders. To address this possibility, we examined a murine model of FGF23 overexpression using a transgene encoding the secreted form of human FGF23 (R176Q) cDNA (FGF23-TG mice). We report that FGF23-TG mice display a similar mineralizing enthesopathy of the Achilles and plantar facial insertions. In addition, we examined the impact of standard therapy for phosphate-wasting disorders on enthesophyte progression. We report that fibrochondrocyte hyperplasia persisted in Hyp mice treated with oral phosphate and calcitriol. In addition, treatment had the untoward effect of further exacerbating the mineralization of fibrochondrocytes that define the bone spur of the Achilles insertion. These studies support the need for newer interventions targeted at limiting the actions of FGF23 and minimizing both the toxicities and potential morbidities associated with standard therapy.
Sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 as Therapeutic Targets in Bone Diseases
Authors: Ke Hua Zhu , Richards William G. , Li Xiaodong , Ominsky Michael S.
Published: October 2012

The processes of bone growth, modeling, and remodeling determine the structure, mass, and biomechanical properties of the skeleton. Dysregulated bone resorption or bone formation may lead to metabolic bone diseases. The Wnt pathway plays an important role in bone formation and regeneration, and expression of two Wnt pathway inhibitors, sclerostin and Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), appears to be associated with changes in bone mass. Inactivation of sclerostin leads to substantially increased bone mass in humans and in genetically manipulated animals. Studies in various animal models of bone disease have shown that inhibition of sclerostin using a monoclonal antibody (Scl-Ab) increases bone formation, density, and strength. Additional studies show that Scl-Ab improves bone healing in models of bone repair. Inhibition of DKK1 by monoclonal antibody (DKK1-Ab) stimulates bone formation in younger animals and to a lesser extent in adult animals and enhances fracture healing. Thus, sclerostin and DKK1 are emerging as the leading new targets for anabolic therapies to treat bone diseases such as osteoporosis and for bone repair. Clinical trials are ongoing to evaluate the effects of Scl-Ab and DKK1-Ab in humans for the treatment of bone loss and for bone repair.
First Encounters with Pride and Prejudice in the Composition Classroom
Authors: Mangiavellano Daniel R.
Published: October 2012

This article makes a case for using Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as a tool for skill-based writing instruction in the composition classroom. The novel employs prose strategies such as commonplaces and amplification that become springboards for class conversation about prose style and student writing. Additionally, the novel’s characters admit to difficulties with composition, such as language usage and organization in letter writing, that seem eerily familiar to those voiced by novice writers in a freshman writing course. Mangiavellano contends that students eagerly seek out ways the novel reminds them of their own lives, and he argues that Pride and Prejudice in the composition classroom can reflect back to students versions of their academic selves just as much as it does their personal selves.
Restricted diffusion of OXPHOS complexes in dynamic mitochondria delays their exchange between cristae and engenders a transitory mosaic distribution
Authors: Wilkens Verena , Kohl Wladislaw , Busch Karin
Published: October 2012

Mitochondria are involved in cellular energy supply, signaling and apoptosis. Their ability to fuse and divide provides functional and morphological flexibility and is a key feature in mitochondrial quality maintenance. To study the impact of mitochondrial fusion/fission on the reorganization of inner membrane proteins, oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) complexes in mitochondria of different HeLa cells were tagged with fluorescent proteins (GFP and DsRed-HA), and cells were fused by polyethylene glycol treatment. Redistribution of the tagged OXPHOS complexes was then followed by means of immunoelectron microscopy, two color super-resolution fluorescence microscopy and single molecule tracking. In contrast to outer membrane and matrix proteins, which mix quickly and homogeneously upon mitochondrial fusion, the mixing of inner membrane proteins was decelerated. Our data suggest that the composition of cristae is preserved during fusion of mitochondria and that cristae with mixed OXPHOS complexes are only slowly and successively formed by restricted diffusion of inner membrane proteins into existing cristae. The resulting transitory mosaic composition of the inner mitochondrial membrane illuminates mitochondrial heterogeneity and potentially is linked to local differences in function and membrane potential.
The Hippo pathway member Yap plays a key role in influencing fate decisions in muscle satellite cells
Authors: Judson Robert N. , Tremblay Annie M. , Knopp Paul , White Robert B. , Urcia Roby , De Bari Cosimo , Zammit Peter S. , Camargo Fernando D. , Wackerhage Henning
Published: October 2012

Satellite cells are the resident stem cells of skeletal muscle. Mitotically quiescent in mature muscle, they can be activated to proliferate and generate myoblasts to supply further myonuclei to hypertrophying or regenerating muscle fibres, or self-renew to maintain the resident stem cell pool. Here, we identify the transcriptional co-factor Yap as a novel regulator of satellite cell fate decisions. Yap expression increases during satellite cell activation and Yap remains highly expressed until after the differentiation versus self-renewal decision is made. Constitutive expression of Yap maintains Pax7+ and MyoD+ satellite cells and satellite cell-derived myoblasts, promotes proliferation but prevents differentiation. In contrast, Yap knockdown reduces the proliferation of satellite cell-derived myoblasts by ≈40%. Consistent with the cellular phenotype, microarrays show that Yap increases expression of genes associated with Yap inhibition, the cell cycle, ribosome biogenesis and that it represses several genes associated with angiotensin signalling. We also identify known regulators of satellite cell function such as BMP4, CD34 and Myf6 (Mrf4) as genes whose expression is dependent on Yap activity. Finally, we confirm in myoblasts that Yap binds to Tead transcription factors and co-activates MCAT elements which are enriched in the proximal promoters of Yap-responsive genes.
The motor protein myosin 1G functions in FcγR-mediated phagocytosis
Authors: Dart Anna E. , Tollis Sylvain , Bright Michael D. , Frankel Gad , Endres Robert G.
Published: October 2012

Phagocytosis is the force-dependent complex cellular process by which immune cells engulf particles. Although there has been considerable progress in understanding ligand-receptor-induced actin polymerisation in pushing the membrane around the particle, significantly less is known about how localised contractile activities regulate cup closure in coordination with the actin cytoskeleton. Herein, we show that the unconventional class-I myosin, myosin 1G (Myo1G) is localised at phagocytic cups following Fcγ-receptor (FcγR) ligation in macrophages. This progressive recruitment is dependent on the activity of phosphoinositide 3-kinase and is particularly important for engulfment of large particles. Furthermore, point mutations in the conserved pleckstrin homology-like domain of Myo1G abolishes the localisation of the motor protein at phagocytic cups and inhibits engulfment downstream of FcγR. Binding of Myo1G to both F-actin and phospholipids might enable cells to transport phospholipids towards the leading edge of cups and to facilitate localised contraction for cup closure.