bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integration of functional neuroimaging in CyberKnife radiosurgery: feasibility and dosimetric results
Authors: Conti Alfredo , Pontoriero Antonio , Ricciardi Giuseppe K. , Granata Francesca , Vinci Sergio , Angileri Filippo F. , Pergolizzi Stefano , Alafaci Concetta , Rizzo Vincenzo , Quartarone Angelo , Germanò Antonino , Foroni Roberto Israel , De Renzis Costantino , Tomasello Francesco
Published: April 2013

Object

The integration of state-of-the-art neuroimaging into treatment planning may increase the therapeutic potential of stereotactic radiosurgery. Functional neuroimaging, including functional MRI, navigated brain stimulation, and diffusion tensor imaging–based tractography, may guide the orientation of radiation beams to decrease the dose to critical cortical and subcortical areas. The authors describe their method of integrating functional neuroimaging technology into radiosurgical treatment planning using the CyberKnife radiosurgery system.

Methods

The records of all patients who had undergone radiosurgery for brain lesions at the CyberKnife Center of the University of Messina, Italy, between July 2010 and July 2012 were analyzed. Among patients with brain lesions in critical areas, treatment planning with the integration of functional neuroimaging was performed in 25 patients. Morphological and functional imaging data sets were coregistered using the Multiplan dedicated treatment planning system. Treatment planning was initially based on morphological data; radiation dose distribution was then corrected in relation to the functionally relevant cortical and subcortical areas. The change in radiation dose distribution was then calculated.

Results

The data sets could be easily and reliably integrated into the Cyberknife treatment planning. Using an inverse planning algorithm, the authors achieved an average 17% reduction in the radiation dose to functional areas. Further gain in terms of dose sparing compromised other important treatment parameters, including target coverage, conformality index, and number of monitor units. No neurological deficit due to radiation was recorded at the short-term follow-up.

Conclusions

Radiosurgery treatments rely on the quality of neuroimaging. The integration of functional data allows a reduction in radiation doses to functional organs at risk, including critical cortical areas, subcortical tracts, and vascular structures. The relative simplicity of integrating functional neuroimaging into radiosurgery warrants further research to implement, standardize, and identify the limits of this procedure.
Characterizing the relationship between functional MRI–derived measures and clinical outcomes in patients with vascular lesions
Authors: Gallagher Thomas A. , Nair Veena A. , Regner Michael F. , Young Brittany M. , Radtke Andrew , Pankratz Joshua , Holdsworth Ryan L. , Baniulis Dovile , Kornder Nicole K. , Voss Jed , Austin Benjamin P. , Moritz Chad , Meyerand Mary E. , Prabhakaran Vivek
Published: April 2013

Object

Functional MRI (fMRI) has proven to be an effective component of pretreatment planning in patients harboring a variety of different brain lesions. The authors have recently reported significant relationships concerning distances between brain tumor borders and areas of functional activation (lesion-to-activation distance; LAD) with regard to patient morbidity and mortality. This study further examines the relationship between LAD, focusing on a host of vascular lesions and pre- and posttreatment morbidity.

Methods

This study included a sample population of patients with vascular lesions (n = 106), primarily arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) and cavernomas. These patients underwent pretreatment fMRI-based motor mapping (n = 72) or language mapping (n = 84). The impact of LAD and other variables derived from the patient medical record were analyzed with respect to functional deficits in terms of morbidity (weakness and/or aphasia).

Results

In patients with no pretreatment deficits, there was trend for a significant relationship between the Wernicke area LAD and posttreatment language deficits. In patients with or without pretreatment deficits, a trend toward significance was observed between sensorimotor LAD and posttreatment motor deficits. Additionally, lesion type (AVMs or cavernomas) affected posttreatment deficits, with more patients with cavernomas showing posttreatment language deficits than patients with AVMs. However, this difference was not observed for posttreatment motor deficits.

Conclusions

These findings suggest that the proximity of a vascular lesion to sensorimotor and language areas is a relevant parameter in estimating patient prognosis in the perioperative period. Additionally, vascular lesion type and existence of pretreatment deficits play a significant role in outcomes.
A naturalist of the Northern Enlightenment: Peter Forsskål after 250 years
Authors: Baack L. J.
Published: April 2013

Peter Forsskål (1732–1763) was the naturalist on the Royal Danish Expedition to Arabia (1761–1767), a particularly rich example of the eighteenth century era of scientific exploration and a quintessential project of the Enlightenment. Forsskål is noteworthy for his early writings in philosophy and politics and for his outstanding contributions to the botanical and zoological knowledge of the Middle East, specifically Egypt and the Arabian Peninsula, principally Yemen. His biological work stands out for the large number of species identified, its attention to detail, the expansiveness of his descriptions, his knowledge and use of Arabic and his early ideas on plant geography. Forsskål's research in the marine biology of the Red Sea was also pioneering. His publications and collections represent the single greatest contribution to the knowledge of the natural history of the Middle East in the eighteenth century and are still valued by scholars today. His skill in retaining local terminology in Arabic and his respect for the contributions of local inhabitants to this work are also worth noting. When he died of malaria in 1763 in Yemen, the eighteenth-century world of natural science lost a promising and adventurous scientist.
Olof Swartz's contributions to lichenology, 1781–1811
Authors: Galloway David J.
Published: April 2013

The Swedish botanist Olof Peter Swartz (1760–1818), a student of Carl Peter Thunberg and Carl Linnaeus the Younger at Uppsala University, developed an interest in mosses and lichens, which he made the subject of his medical dissertation. He visited Jamaica (1783–1786) where he collected all plant groups and a substantial number of lichens. Apart from the lichens that Swartz described himself, his lichen collections from Sweden, the eastern United States and Jamaica were critically examined by Erik Acharius who described many species from his material. Swartz was a key supporter of Acharius's work on the development of a new system of lichen taxonomy between 1794 and 1814. Although he is largely known for his pioneering work on flowering plants (especially orchids) and ferns, Swartz made important contributions to late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century lichenology, publishing five major accounts describing 37 new species. Of these, 27 names are basionyms of accepted taxa.
The Lochbuie Marine Institute, Isle of Mull, Scotland
Authors: Moore P. G.
Published: April 2013

The Lochbuie Marine Institute on the Isle of Mull (Inner Hebrides), established in 1886, had links with the short-lived National Fish Culture Association of Great Britain and Ireland (inaugurated 1882). Its amalgamation with the Scottish Marine Station at Granton (Edinburgh) was informally suggested in 1887, but it ceased to exist about this time.
Patron's Review - The role of the moving image in natural history
Authors: Henley Joanna
Published: April 2013

Images of natural history are moving, in that they have the capacity to affect our emotions. It is this emotive capacity of images of the natural world, and their power to change perceptions and behaviour, that is the main focus of this article. It is suggested that images of natural history permit the creation of narratives, anthropomorphic reflection and knowledge transfer within the realms of audience experience and may potentially lead to aesthetic and emotional attachments.

Critical reflections of the history of the moving image are presented, featuring pioneering technological advancements as well as pioneering people. Instances whereby our knowledge of the natural world has been significantly advanced are described. In a contemporary context, the role of new languages of the moving image is discussed, including interpretation and interactive forms of communication, with particular reference to engaging new audiences and changing behaviours towards the natural world.

A critique is offered regarding the unpredictable and unquantifiable impact of visual narratives as well as the often false perceptions they can create. However, it is suggested that within the contexts of natural history and environmental conservation, the artistic growth of the moving image disciplines requires an innovative and transformative approach to create meaningful visual experiences for new audiences.
Seaside natural history and divinity: a science-inclined Scottish cleric's avoidance of evolution (1860–1868)
Authors: Moore P. G.
Published: April 2013

The Reverend Robert William Fraser (1810–1876), a Presbyterian minister in Edinburgh, published on religious, historical and scientific (physical science, natural history) themes. His natural history titles Ebb and flow (1860), Seaside divinity (1861) and The seaside naturalist (1868) were aimed at the popular market. Appearing in the years immediately after Darwin's On the origin of species (1859), the tone of Fraser's books sheds light on the response of a popular, science-inclined clergyman in Scotland's Enlightenment capital to the idea of evolution. His avoidance of the issue of evolution by natural selection is evident but was not shared by all contemporary clerics.
Charles Whitlaw (né Whitly) (1771–1850): botanist, horticulturist, charlatan and quack
Authors: Nelson E. Charles
Published: April 2013

Charles Whitlaw (otherwise Whitly) was born in Yester, East Lothian, and received training in Edinburgh as a horticulturist before emigrating to North America where he spent about two decades from 1794. He collected botanical specimens, some of which are preserved in the herbarium at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin. In the United States, Whitlaw obtained a patent for processing the fibres of Urtica whitlawii which was named after him by Muhlenberg. On returning to Britain, he was proposed for election as a Fellow of The Linnean Society of London, but was black-balled. Returning again to North America Whitlaw gave lectures on botanical topics to general audiences using hand-painted “transparencies” acquired from Dr Robert Thornton. Later Whitlaw established “patent medicated vapour baths” in which he employed various North American plants with reputed medicinal properties. Claiming to be able to cure diseases such as scrofula, Whitlaw outraged the medical establishment and he was branded a charlatan and a quack.
Conrad Kelsall: “Butterflying” on the Little Mulgrave River, north Queensland, in 1903
Authors: Lambkin Kevin J.
Published: April 2013

In 1900, an English immigrant, Conrad Kelsall (1873–1936), settled on a block of virgin lowland rainforest on the Little Mulgrave River in tropical north Queensland. Four letters written to his family in Devon in 1903 tell of his butterfly collecting, both as a personal interest and a potential commercial activity. He supplied specimens to local natural history dealer, Alfred Bernie Bell, who sold them to major Australian butterfly collectors, G. A. Waterhouse and George Lyell, English natural history dealers Watkins and Doncaster, and famed lepidopterist Walter Rothschild. One letter also records Kelsall's contact with little-known Australian beetle collector, Horace Brown. The four letters provide a glimpse of the local enthusiasm for “butterflying” in north Queensland in the early twentieth century, as well as a record of how north Queensland specimens found their way to some of the major butterfly collectors of the day. Annotated transcripts of the letters are provided.
Flora Litvanica inchoata (1781–1782) by J. E. Gilibert: preliminary census of copies in European libraries
Authors: Ričkienė A.
Published: April 2013

Jean-Emmanuel Gilibert (1741–1814) was a French botanist, physician, and politician who lived in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth between 1775 and 1783, where he organized studies on medicine and natural sciences. During this time, he collected local plants, and in 1781–1782, published a two-volume compendium: Flora Litvanica inchoata. One hundred copies of the first volume and an unknown number of the second volume were issued. In 1925, Polish botanist Slawiński noted five libraries holding copies of Flora Litvanica. The current census shows at least 18 European libraries holding original copies of the book.
Archibald Menzies's visit to King George Sound, Western Australia, September–October 1791
Authors: Groves Eric W.
Published: April 2013

This paper gives a daily account of an eighteenth-century naval surgeon/botanist's visit to King George Sound, Western Australia, from 29 September to 11 October 1791, followed by a list of the herbarium specimens extant in various British herbaria.
Archibald Menzies's visit to Isla del Coco, January 1795
Authors: Nelson E. Charles
Published: April 2013

Archibald Menzies landed twice at Chatham Bay, Isla del Coco, in January 1795. A small number of his herbarium specimens are extant, including the type specimen of Callicosta rugifolium (Bryophyta; Daltoniaceae) and perhaps also that of Octoea insularis (Angiospermae; Lauraceae), indicating that he was probably the first to make scientific collections on the island.
The host bias of three epiphytic Aeridinae orchid species is reflected, but not explained, by mycorrhizal fungal associations
Authors: Gowland Kelli M. , van der Merwe Marlien M. , Linde Celeste C. , Clements Mark A. , Nicotra Adrienne B.
Published: April 2013

• Premise of the study: The three co‐occurring epiphytic orchid species, Sarcochilus hillii, Plectorrhiza tridentata, and Sarcochilus parviflorus vary in host specificity; all are found predominantly on the tree Backhousia myrtifolia but some also associate with a broad range of species. Despite this specialization, no fitness advantage has been detected for adult orchid plants growing on the preferred host. Therefore, we predicted that the host specialization of these orchid species is a consequence of a bias toward particular orchid mycorrhizal fungi, which are in turn biased toward particular woody plant species.

• Methods: To test this hypothesis, we sampled representatives of each orchid species on B. myrtifolia and other host species across sites. Rhizoctonia‐like fungi were isolated from orchid roots and identified using molecular markers.

• Key results: Three groups of fungi were identified, and the orchid species varied in their specificity for these. All fungal groups were found on the host B. myrtifolia; yet at all sites, only one orchid species, S. hillii, associated with all three groups.

• Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that these orchid species did vary in their mycorrhizal specificity; however, the distribution of their mycorrhizal associates did not directly explain their host associations. Rather, we propose that the mycorrhizal relationship of these orchid species is complex and have suggested future avenues of research.
Trends in Serious Infections in Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Ni Mhuircheartaigh Orla M. , Matteson Eric L. , Green Abigail B. , Crowson Cynthia S.
Published: April 2013

Objective.

To examine trends in the rates of serious infections among patients diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 1995–2007 compared to rates previously reported from the same geographical area diagnosed 1955–1994.

Methods.

A population-based inception cohort of patients with RA in 1995–2007 was assembled and followed through their complete medical records until death, migration, or December 31, 2008. All serious infections (requiring hospitalization or intravenous antibiotics) were recorded. Person-year (py) methods were used to compare rates of infection.

Results.

Among 464 patients with incident RA in 1995–2007, 54 had ≥ 1 serious infection (178 total). These were compared to 609 patients with incident RA in 1955–1994 (290 experienced ≥ 1 serious infection; 740 total). The rate of serious infections declined from 9.6 per 100 py in the 1955–1994 cohort to 6.6 per 100 py in the 1995–2007 cohort. Serious gastrointestinal (GI) infection rates increased from 0.5 per 100 py in the 1955–1994 cohort to 1.25 per 100 py in the 1995–2007 cohort. Among patients with a history of serious infection, the rate of subsequent infection increased from 16.5 per 100 py in 1955–1994 to 37.4 per 100 py in 1995–2007. There was an increase in the rate of serious infections in patients who received biologic agents, but this did not reach significance.

Conclusion.

Aside from GI infections, the rate of serious infections in patients with RA has declined in recent years. However, the rate of subsequent infections was higher in recent years than previously reported.
Statin Use in Giant Cell Arteritis: A Retrospective Study
Authors: Schmidt Jean , Kermani Tanaz A. , Muratore Francesco , Crowson Cynthia S. , Matteson Eric L. , Warrington Kenneth J.
Published: April 2013

Objective.

(1) To examine the association between statin use and giant cell arteritis (GCA); (2) to compare the clinical features and disease course of GCA among statin users and nonusers.

Methods.

For this retrospective study, we reviewed the medical records of all patients with biopsy-positive GCA diagnosed between 1998 and 2008. Using a case-control design, we compared the frequency of statin use in GCA patients to non-GCA population-based subjects who were randomly selected and individually matched by sex, age, and calendar year to the GCA cases. Statin use at diagnosis or index date and during followup was abstracted. In subjects with GCA, clinical information at diagnosis and followup was collected.

Results.

We included 594 patients, 297 with GCA (73% female), mean age at diagnosis 75 years. The rate of statin exposure at index date was 18.1% for GCA patients versus 33.3% for controls (p < 0.001). Patients using statins were less likely to develop GCA compared with patients not using statins (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.15–0.6, p < 0.001), even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. Among patients with GCA, the presenting clinical features and acute-phase reactants were similar in patients receiving statins compared to those not on statin therapy. These 2 groups were also similar with regard to relapse rate, prednisone tapering, and overall survival.

Conclusion.

Patients using statins may be less likely to develop GCA compared to patients who are not using statins. Statin use does not appear to modify the clinical presentation or the course of the disease.
Pathogen-specific Risk of Reactive Arthritis from Bacterial Causes of Foodborne Illness
Authors: Porter Chad K. , Choi Daniel , Riddle Mark S.
Published: April 2013

Objective.

Reactive arthritis (ReA) is a sequelae of common bacterial infections of acute gastroenteritis. We assessed incidence of ReA following Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella, or Yersinia infection utilizing a US Department of Defense medical database.

Methods.

Subjects with acute gastroenteritis attributed to these pathogens were matched with ≥ 4 unexposed subjects. Medical history was analyzed for 6 months postinfection to assess for incident ReA.

Results.

A total of 1753 cases of gastroenteritis were identified. ReA incidence ranged from 0 to 4 per 100,000 person-years.

Conclusion.

These data are consistent with prior studies and highlight the need for continued primary prevention efforts.
HLA-B27 Predicts a More Chronic Disease Course in an 8-year Followup Cohort of Patients with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: Berntson Lillemor , Nordal Ellen , Aalto Kristiina , Peltoniemi Suvi , Herlin Troels , Zak Marek , Nielsen Susan , Rygg Marite ,   for the Nordic Study Group of Paediatric Rheumatology
Published: April 2013

Objective.

We investigated associations of HLA-B27 with clinical manifestations and longterm outcome in a near population-based setting among patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods.

We studied clinical and serological data from 410 patients with HLA-B27 results among 440 prospectively collected patients with JIA with 8-year followup data in a Nordic database. The study was structured to be as close to a population-based study as possible.

Results.

HLA-B27 was analyzed in 93% of patients, and was positive in 21% of the cohort, in 18.4% of the girls and in 25.9% of the boys. Boys who were HLA-B27-positive had significantly higher age at onset compared to HLA-B27-negative boys and compared to both HLA-B27-negative and positive girls. This difference in onset age in relation to HLA-B27 was not found in girls. HLA-B27 was associated with clinical signs of sacroiliitis, enthesitis, and tenosynovitis in boys, but not in girls. After 8 years of disease, 46 children (11.2%) were classified as having enthesitis-related arthritis (ERA). Boys with ERA had clinical signs of sacroiliitis more often than girls with ERA. HLA-B27-positive children, as well as children with clinical signs of sacroiliitis, enthesitis, and hip arthritis, had higher odds of not being in remission off medication after 8 years of disease.

Conclusion.

In this near population-based Nordic JIA cohort we found significant differences between HLA-B27-positive boys and girls in age at disease onset, clinical signs of sacroiliitis, and ERA classification. HLA-B27 was negatively associated with longterm remission status, possibly because of its association with clinical disease characteristics, such as sacroiliitis, rather than being a general marker of persistent disease.
Agricultura científica globalizada e fronteira agrícola moderna no Brasil
Authors: Frederico Samuel
Published: April 2013

O artigo analisa a difusão da agricultura científica globalizada na fronteira agrícola moderna brasileira e as formas de regulação da produção exercidas pelas grandes empresas. A partir da década de 1990, parte significativa da agricultura brasileira sofreu grandes transformações com a adoção das novas tecnologias da informação, a menor intervenção estatal e a maior regulação das empresas mundiais de insumos e comércio agrícola. Trata-se da emergência de uma agricultura científica e globalizada, que ao mesmo tempo em que aumentou a eficiência produtiva e inseriu de maneira competitiva diversas regiões produtivas no mercado internacional, também criou uma maior vulnerabilidade, ao submeter os produtores atrelados aos lugares a uma lógica externa que não podem prever e nem mesmo controlar.
Dinâmica da ocupação e uso do solo em Londrina (PR): um olhar sobre a interface urbano-rural
Authors: Paula Amarildo Souza de , Barros Omar Neto Fernandes , Cainzos Rigoberto Lázaro Prieto , Ralichi Ricardo
Published: April 2013

O eixo central desse trabalho está relacionado às alterações recentes do uso do solo e aos direcionamentos da expansão físico-territorial da cidade de Londrina. Mesmo diante de seu dinamismo econômico diversificado (capitais industriais e agrícolas), desde sua fundação, não tem sido capaz de impedir o circuito imobiliário especulativo, grande responsável pelo crescimento físico-territorial da cidade, o que produziu um tecido urbano fragmentado, socialmente segregado e ambientalmente degradado. O esforço empreendido, neste trabalho, ajudou a elucidar, dentro das limitações impostas pelo seu escopo, a necessidade urgente da definição e implementação de políticas públicas e estratégias de gestão do uso e ocupação do solo rural no entorno imediato da cidade de Londrina.
Anomalias na distribuição geográfica dos dados de saúde da bacia hidrográfica do Ribeirão Lindóia, zona norte do município de Londrina/PR
Authors: Araujo Paulo Rogério , Pinese José Paulo Peccinini
Published: April 2013

Com o objetivo de caracterizar a distribuição geográfica dos dados de saúde da Bacia Hidrográfica do Ribeirão Lindóia, Município de Londrina/PR, correlacionando aos possíveis padrões de anomalias hidrogeoquímicas foram analisados parâmetros geoquímicos de qualidade da água por meio da Espectrometria de Emissão Atômica com Plasma de Argônio Indutivamente Acoplado (SiO4-4, Fe3+, Zn2+, PO3-4, Al3+) e da Espectrometria de Absorção Atômica (Na+ e K+). Para cruzamentos de informações do Datasus, organização e espacialização dos dados de saúde, foi utilizado o software Philcarto, destacando-se atendimentos da Dengue, Hepatite Viral e Meningite, no período de 2000 a 2004. Para análise espacial de dados regionalizados, foi utilizado o software Surfer 8.0. Percebe-se, com maior frequência, anomalias hidrogeoquímicas, qualidade da água degradada e doenças diagnosticadas elevadas nas UBS's em lugares onde a urbanização é excludente e desigual.
Sur la première carte des flux réalisée avec des flèches (Ravenstein, 1885)
Authors: Bahoken Françoise
Published: April 2013

La carte intitulée « Currents of migration » réalisée par Ravenstein à l’occasion de la publication des Lois de la migration pour la première fois en 1885, semble être la toute première carte civile des flux qui figure des flèches. Réalisée à partir de données qui portent sur les mobilités britanniques à l’échelle des comtés, la carte est, au premier abord, difficile à interpréter. Au regard de la formalisation de l’approche méthodologique de cartographie des flux que nous proposons, la carte n° 5 de Ravenstein apparaît innovante en de multiples aspects qui tiennent au raisonnement sous-jacent et à la mise en œuvre du procédé de la flèche. Nous faisons alors l’hypothèse que l’approche méthodologique mise en œuvre par l’auteur pour illustrer la première de ses lois sur les migrations (selon laquelle la majeure partie des courants migratoires s’effectue sur de courtes distances et vers des centres économiques d’absorption particuliers) vise à représenter de manière continue un phénomène discret. Si le contexte historique de la réalisation de cette carte est celui de la cartographie statistique discrète, Ravenstein propose, en effet, une figure fondée sur des principes physiques qui font écho à la représentation de la dynamique des mouvements. Pour ce faire, il recourt au procédé de la flèche de manière inédite, contribuant ainsi à renouveler la pratique actuelle de la cartographie des flux.
Integração regional, a região transfronteiriça da bacia do Rio da Prata e os projetos de infraestruturas de conexão
Authors: Rückert Aldomar A. , Dietz Circe I.
Published: April 2013

O artigo trata do processo de integração sul-americana no caso específico do Mercosul e da região transfronteiriça da Bacia do Rio da Prata a partir de três questões norteadoras. Uma macrorregião transfronteiriça está, efetivamente, em construção no núcleo geoeconômico do Mercosul? Qual o sentido que subespaços transfronteiriços podem adquirir neste cenário de mudanças? Podemos ainda ser otimistas em relação à “abertura” das fronteiras sul-americanas? A região possui potencial de ter alguma institucionalidade embora inexistam iniciativas formais de sua definição como tal. A aproximação de grupos sociais distintos de um e de outro lado das linhas de fronteira, como no caso da terceira ponte internacional a ser construída sobre o rio Uruguai, entre o estado do Rio Grande do Sul e ou a província de Misiones ou e Corrientes, Argentina, começa a apontar para uma atuação mais ativa dos atores locais e regionais em prol de temas relacionados à cooperação fronteiriça. Uma governança emergente nos espaços transfronteiriços do núcleo geoeconômico do Mercosul é um novo aspecto da gestão territorial dos países da região.
L’invention du biome Cerrado
Authors: Aubertin Catherine , Pinton Florence
Published: April 2013

L’enjeu de cet article est de comprendre comment le Cerrado, espace d’abord ignoré, puis voué à l’agriculture intensive, a été au début des années 2000 requalifié en biome, sujet de préoccupations environnementales. Sa propulsion sur la scène internationale lors de la conférence Climat de Copenhague en 2009 a par la suite contribué à transformer cet espace mal défini en un enjeu international du changement climatique et de la lutte contre la déforestation avec l’affirmation de deux mouvements difficiles à concilier : celui d’un agrobusiness converti aux technologies vertes et celui de la défense d’une sociodiversité. La construction du biome est analysée en mettant en perspective l’Amazonie. Les auteurs considèrent en effet que les deux régions sont inextricablement solidaires dans leur destin. Des configurations géopolitiques et scientifiques spécifiques et une temporalité autre dans l’histoire du développement durable permettent de prendre la mesure de ce qui les distingue et les relie. Au moment où il est qualifié de biome remarquable, le Cerrado possède déjà la panoplie des outils scientifiques, législatifs et économiques qui témoignent de l’évolution des regards portés sur la biodiversité.
As relações estabelecidas entre a metrópole de Belém e a cidade média de Macapá (AP)
Authors: Amaral Márcio Douglas Brito
Published: April 2013

O texto tem como objetivo contribuir para o conhecimento da relação entre metrópole e cidade média na Amazônia a partir da análise da relação estabelecida entre Belém e a cidade média de Macapá (capital do Estado do Amapá). Mais do que uma preocupação com as relações espaciais, busca-se analisar as dinâmicas econômicas e suas implicações geográficas como parte do processo geral de produção e reprodução da sociedade capitalista nessa porção do território brasileiro. O principal argumento desenvolvido neste trabalho é o de que as relações entre Belém e Macapá devem ser entendidas no bojo do processo de concentração e centralização do capital que atingiu o país.
Desenvolvimento econômico em cidades da fronteira amazônica: ações, escalas e recursos para Oiapoque-AP
Authors: Silva Gutemberg de Vilhena
Published: April 2013

O presente artigo tem um duplo objetivo: caracterizar e ao mesmo tempo avaliar o potencial para o desenvolvimento econômico do município de Oiapoque (estado do Amapá), localizado na fronteira setentrional brasileira. Inicialmente, o trabalho avalia informações gerais com dados estatísticos do último censo do Instituo Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE) e do Portal Transparência do Governo Federal e, em seguida, é feito um balanço de fatores que influenciam diretamente o desenvolvimento econômico oiapoquense. A metodologia da pesquisa foi dividida em três etapas: 1) pesquisa documental e bibliográfica; 2) trabalho de campo, momento da coleta de grande parte dos dados apresentados na segunda seção; e 3) análise em laboratório dos resultados nas duas etapas anteriores. O trabalho conclui de maneira geral que Oiapoque é um município urbanizado com aumento populacional significativo nos últimos dez anos sem o acompanhamento de melhoria na qualidade de vida dos habitantes e que sua posição geográfica fronteiriça, a estrutura fundiária e socioeconômica e a carência de políticas públicas em infraestrutura são elementos essenciais para o seu desenvolvimento econômico.
(In)visibilité des classes pauvres en ville par le prisme des cortiços paulistes au Brésil
Authors: Paris Octavie
Published: April 2013

En évoquant le thème du logement des classes les plus pauvres du Brésil, l’automatisme est souvent celui de penser à la favela, image urbaine faisant partie du paysage urbain brésilien ancré dans l’imaginaire collectif (ou crée par les médias et les discours politiques notamment). Sans dire que les problématiques liées au thème de la favela aient été épuisées par les recherches en sciences sociales, il apparaît intéressant d’étudier d’autres formes d’habitat populaire se développant dans les grandes villes brésiliennes, parmi elles, le cortiço. Cet article s’appliquera à proposer non pas une définition précise et finie du cortiço, [cela serait bien difficile] mais plutôt une présentation de cet habitat, par l’étude des cortiços d’un quartier du centre de la ville de São Paulo : Bela Vista. Après une mise en contexte de la réalité urbaine du cortiço, il s’agira de souligner en deux temps, son « invisibilité » tant à l’échelle du bâti même, au sens physique donc, de l’inscription dans le paysage urbain de la ville et à moindre échelle du quartier ; mais aussi au sens figuré du terme de par l’organisation même de l’économie d’un cortiço. Sera empruntée, pour ce faire, la notion de « régime de visibilité » à Lévy et Lussault, en soulignant les spécificités de ce mode d’habiter qu’est le cortiço.
Quatro Décadas de Transformações: A vilegiatura marítima no litoral metropolitano de Fortaleza, Ceará – Brasil
Authors: Pereira Prof. Dr. Alexandre Queiroz
Published: April 2013

A urbanização litorânea e a vilegiatura marítima são temas caros aos estudos de geografia urbana na região Nordeste. A empreitada teórica-metodologia, que ora se reveste em artigo, objetiva compreender a produção das espacialidades da maritimidade moderna nos espaços litorâneos metropolitanos de Fortaleza, tendo como recorte temporal as últimas quatro décadas. Para tanto, analisou-se o caso do espaço periurbano metropolitano de Fortaleza, destacando a rede de lugares litorâneos apropriados para a prática da vilegiatura. A priori, indica-se o exame da vilegiatura marítima como um vetor de metropolização e internacionalização. Este documento é fruto de práticas metodológicas diversas (descritivas, analíticas e explicativas) fundamentadas em pesquisa hemerotecária, pesquisa bibliográfica e observações de campo. A prática marítima em destaque é uma das múltiplas sínteses do processo de urbanização, sendo sua investigação uma contribuição ao entendimento do modo de vida urbano contemporâneo. Haja vista as vantagens locacionais historicamente produzidas, o processo consolida a urbanização do espaço litorâneo metropolitano de Fortaleza. Assim, a metrópole nordestina enfatiza sua condição litorânea, tornando-se cada vez mais reconhecida pelas práticas marítimas que abriga.
Overview of Biomedical Engineering
Authors: Azar Ahmad Taher
Published: April 2013

Biomedical Engineering is a branch that unites engineering methods with biological and medical sciences in order to enhance the quality of our lives. It focuses on understanding intricate systems of living organisms, and on technology development, algorithms, methods, and advanced medical knowledge, while enhancing the conveyance and success of clinical medicine. With engineering principles, biomedical engineering improves the procedures and devices to overcome health care and medical problems by combining both biology and medicine with engineering principals. In the field of Biomedical Engineering, engineers usually need to have background knowledge from such different fields of engineering as electronics, mechanical, and chemical engineering. Specialties in this field like bioinstrumentation, biomechanics, biomaterials, medical imagining, clinical engineering, bioinformatics, telemedicine and rehabilitation engineering, which will be introduced in this chapter together with an overview of the field of biomedical engineering.
Evaluating a Genetics Concept Inventory
Authors: Zhang Felicia , Lidbury Brett Andrew
Published: April 2013

This chapter examines the reliability and validity of a subset of the Genetics concept inventory (S. Elrod) to discriminate good students from poor performing students in the undergraduate units Genetics and Molecular Biology taught at the University of Canberra, Australia. These two units went through a series of reforms since 2005. These reforms included the implementation of a number of online and tutorial language exercises and strategies designed to promote scientific language competence and subsequent genetics learning. The effect of these interventions was analyzed through grade and assessment performance comparisons with earlier traditionally taught Genetics cohorts as well using the genetic concept inventory. The genetic concept inventory questions used at the University of Canberra have been found to be reliable and valid according to a number of statistical tests.
Overview of Knowledge Discovery in Databases Process and Data Mining for Surveillance Technologies and EWS
Authors: Batmaz Inci , Koksal Guser
Published: April 2013

Development of more effective early warning systems (EWSs) for various applications have been possible during the past decade due to advancements in information, detection, data mining (DM) and surveillance technologies. These application areas include economy, banking, finance, health care, bioinformatics, production and service delivery, hazard and crime prevention and minimization of other social risks involving the environment, administrations, politics and human rights. This chapter aims to define knowledge discovery in databases (KDD) process in five steps: Data preparation, data preprocessing, DM, evaluation and interpretation, and implementation. DM is further explained in descriptive and predictive mining categories with their functions and methods used or likely to be used in EWSs. In addition to well-known structured data types, mining of advanced data types such as spatial, temporal, sequence, images, multimedia and hypertexts is also introduced. Moreover, it presents a brief survey of overview and application papers and software in the EWS literature.
A Review of Kernel Methods Based Approaches to Classification and Clustering of Sequential Patterns
Authors: Veena T. , Dileep A. D. , Sekhar C. Chandra
Published: April 2013

Pattern analysis tasks on sequences of discrete symbols are important for pattern discovery in bioinformatics, text analysis, speech processing, and handwritten character recognition. Discrete symbols may correspond to amino acids or nucleotides in biological sequence analysis, characters in text analysis, and codebook indices in processing of speech and handwritten character data. The main issues in kernel methods based approaches to pattern analysis tasks on discrete symbol sequences are related to defining a measure of similarity between sequences of discrete symbols, and handling the varying length nature of sequences. We present a review of methods to design dynamic kernels for sequences of discrete symbols. We then present a review of approaches to classification and clustering of sequences of discrete symbols using the dynamic kernel based methods.
Linking Interactome to Disease
Authors: Garcia Maxime , Stahl Olivier , Finetti Pascal , Birnbaum Daniel , Bertucci François , Bidaut Ghislain
Published: April 2013

The introduction of high-throughput gene expression profiling technologies (DNA microarrays) in molecular biology and their expected applications to the clinic have allowed the design of predictive signatures linked to a particular clinical condition or patient outcome in a given clinical setting. However, it has been shown that such signatures are prone to several problems: (i) they are heavily unstable and linked to the set of patients chosen for training; (ii) data topology is problematic with regard to the data dimensionality (too many variables for too few samples); (iii) diseases such as cancer are provoked by subtle misregulations which cannot be readily detected by current analysis methods. To find a predictive signature generalizable for multiple datasets, a strategy of superimposition of a large scale of protein-protein interaction data (human interactome) was devised over several gene expression datasets (a total of 2,464 breast cancer tumors were integrated), to find discriminative regions in the interactome (subnetworks) predicting metastatic relapse in breast cancer. This method, Interactome-Transcriptome Integration (ITI), was applied to several breast cancer DNA microarray datasets and allowed the extraction of a signature constituted by 119 subnetworks. All subnetworks have been stored in a relational database and linked to Gene Ontology and NCBI EntrezGene annotation databases for analysis. Exploration of annotations has shown that this set of subnetworks reflects several biological processes linked to cancer and is a good candidate for establishing a network-based signature for prediction of metastatic relapse in breast cancer.
Knowledge-Driven, Data-Assisted Integrative Pathway Analytics
Authors: Reddy Padmalatha S. , Murray Stuart , Liu Wei
Published: April 2013

Target and biomarker selection in drug discovery relies extensively on the use of various genomics platforms. These technologies generate large amounts of data that can be used to gain novel insights in biology. There is a strong need to mine these information-rich datasets in an effective and efficient manner. Pathway and network based approaches have become an increasingly important methodology to mine bioinformatics datasets derived from ‘omics’ technologies. These approaches also find use in exploring the unknown biology of a disease or functional process. This chapter provides an overview of pathway databases and network tools, network architecture, text mining and existing methods used in knowledge-driven data analysis. It shows examples of how these databases and tools can be used integratively to apply existing knowledge and network-based approach in data analytics.
Medical Informatics and Bioinformatics
Authors: Facelli Julio Cesar , Hurdle John F. , Mitchell Joyce A.
Published: April 2013

In the last 50 years, computational applications have been developed to aid clinicians and researchers alike in the broad field of Biomedicine. Adopted early in the evolution of the field, the term medical informatics has been applied to the various sub-disciplines of computer applications and methods of organizing and using information principles and techniques in both clinical care and biomedical research. This chapter provides a broad survey of the complex discipline of Biomedical Informatics with special emphasis on the key emerging sub-disciplines such as translational informatics, clinical research informatics, consumer health informatics, and the informatics of the “omics” sciences, systems biology, and nanotechnology.
Genomics and Genetic Engineering
Authors: Daniel Varghese M
Published: April 2013

The hurricane growth of genomics and genetic engineering poses challenging ethical questions pertaining to the technological application in human life. Many secular and religious bioethicists observe that the new proposals of genetic engineering are described as “playing God.” The metaphor has evoked both optimistic and pessimistic perspectives among the scholars in bioethics. The American President’s Advisory Commission for Bioethics describes the ethical arguments in relation with this metaphor in many volumes. The negative renditions of “playing God” conclude that even though human beings are God’s creation they might still be able to play God, which could lead human beings and the entire cosmos to disaster. This perceptive proposes that modern genetic technologies and the researches in genomics could lead humanity into such a disaster. Contrary to this urging, some other bioethicists endorse that as an image of God, humans are called to play God. This chapter critically analyse the rationality of these arguments and its milieu in the context of Christian theology and verify its universal relevance in the context of bioethics.
The Important Role of Lipids in Cognitive Impairment
Authors: Yu Jia , Chen Zheng , Lu Jiangyang , Liu Tingting , Zhou Liang , Liu Xinying , Sun Miao , Xiao Weizhong , Fan Dongsheng , Chui Dehua
Published: April 2013

The current knowledge base on circulating serum and plasma risk factors of the cognitive decline of degenerative Alzheimer’s Disease is linked to cholesterol homeostasis and lipoprotein disturbances (i.e., total cholesterol, 24S-hydroxy-cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), or apolipoprotein E. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) is also expressed in the brain, with the highest levels found in the pyramidal cells of the hippocampus, suggesting a possible role for LPL in the regulation of cognitive function. Little is currently known, however, about the specific role of LPL in the brain. The authors of this chapter have generated an LPL-deficient mouse model that was rescued from neonatal lethality by somatic gene transfer. The levels of the presynaptic marker synaptophysin were reduced in the hippocampus while the levels of the post-synaptic marker PSD-95 remained unchanged in the LPL-deficient mice. The decreased frequency of mEPSC in LPL-deficient neurons indicated that the number of presynaptic vesicles was decreased, which was consistent with the decreases observed in the numbers of total vesicles and docking vesicles. These findings indicate that LPL plays an important role in learning and memory function, possibly by influencing presynaptic function.
Virtual Worlds for Teaching
Authors: Norton-Barker Catherine , Corbit Margaret , Bernstein Richard
Published: April 2013

Immersive virtual worlds structured for education have the potential to engage students who do not respond well to traditional classroom activities. To test the appeal and usability of virtual environments in the classroom, four ninth grade science classes in a rural Upstate New York school were randomly assigned to learn an introductory genetics unit for three class periods in either an online, multi-user, virtual world computer environment or in a traditional classroom setting using lecture, worksheets, and model building. The groups were then reversed for a second three-day trial. Quizzes were given before, at midpoint, and at the end of the study. Both groups demonstrated significant knowledge gain of the genetics curriculum. This study demonstrates that self-directed learning can occur while exploring virtual world computer environments. The students were enthusiastic about using virtual worlds for education and indicated a strong preference for a variety of teaching methods, which suggests that offering mixed modalities may engage students who are otherwise uninterested in school.
Data Intensive Computing for Bioinformatics
Authors: Qiu Judy , Ekanayake Jaliya , Gunarathne Thilina , Choi Jong Youl , Bae Seung-Hee , Ruan Yang , Ekanayake Saliya , Wu Stephen , Beason Scott , Fox Geoffrey , Rho Mina , Tang Haixu
Published: April 2013

Data intensive computing, cloud computing, and multicore computing are converging as frontiers to address massive data problems with hybrid programming models and/or runtimes including MapReduce, MPI, and parallel threading on multicore platforms. A major challenge is to utilize these technologies and large-scale computing resources effectively to advance fundamental science discoveries such as those in Life Sciences. The recently developed next-generation sequencers have enabled large-scale genome sequencing in areas such as environmental sample sequencing leading to metagenomic studies of collections of genes. Metagenomic research is just one of the areas that present a significant computational challenge because of the amount and complexity of data to be processed. This chapter discusses the use of innovative data-mining algorithms and new programming models for several Life Sciences applications. The authors particularly focus on methods that are applicable to large data sets coming from high throughput devices of steadily increasing power. They show results for both clustering and dimension reduction algorithms, and the use of MapReduce on modest size problems. They identify two key areas where further research is essential, and propose to develop new O(NlogN) complexity algorithms suitable for the analysis of millions of sequences. They suggest Iterative MapReduce as a promising programming model combining the best features of MapReduce with those of high performance environments such as MPI.