Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) study of hepatocytes cultured on collagen films and gels

Summary of paper describing the process whereby primary hepatocyte cultures form an integral part of many hybrid artificial liver designs, and the extracellular matrix environment of the cultures is an important factor for optimal expression of hepatocyte-specific phenotype. This study investigates the effect of incorporating 20% chondroitin-6-sulphate (Ch6SO4), a glycosaminoglycan (GAG), into collagen films and gels, and crosslinking the films and the gels with 1,6-diaminohexane (DAH) on the viability of hepatocytes cultured for 48 hours

On the viability of holistic cosmic-ray source models

We consider the energy spectrum of cosmic-rays (CRs) from a purely phenomenological point of view and investigate the possibility that they all be produced by the same type of sources with a single power-law spectrum, in E^{-x}, from thermal to ultra-high energies. We show that the relative fluxes of the Galactic (GCR) and extra-galactic (EGCR) components are compatible with such a holistic model, provided that the index of the source spectrum be x \simeq 2.23\pm 0.07. This is compatible with the best-fit indices for both GCRs and EGCRs, assuming that their source composition is the same, which is indeed the case in a holistic model. It is also compatible with theoretical expectations for particle acceleration at relativistic shocks.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Relevance of Dynamic Clustering to Biological Networks

Network of nonlinear dynamical elements often show clustering of synchronization by chaotic instability. Relevance of the clustering to ecological, immune, neural, and cellular networks is discussed, with the emphasis of partially ordered states with chaotic itinerancy. First, clustering with bit structures in a hypercubic lattice is studied. Spontaneous formation and destruction of relevant bits are found, which give self-organizing, and chaotic genetic algorithms. When spontaneous changes of effective couplings are introduced, chaotic itinerancy of clusterings is widely seen through a feedback mechanism, which supports dynamic stability allowing for complexity and diversity, known as homeochaos. Second, synaptic dynamics of couplings is studied in relation with neural dynamics. The clustering structure is formed with a balance between external inputs and internal dynamics. Last, an extension allowing for the growth of the number of elements is given, in connection with cell differentiation. Effective time sharing system of resources is formed in partially ordered states.Comment: submitted to Physica D, no figures include

Quantum statistical information contained in a semi-classical Fisher--Husimi measure

We study here the difference between quantum statistical treatments and semi-classical ones, using as the main research tool a semi-classical, shift-invariant Fisher information measure built up with Husimi distributions. Its semi-classical character notwithstanding, this measure also contains information of a purely quantal nature. Such a tool allows us to refine the celebrated Lieb bound for Wehrl entropies and to discover thermodynamic-like relations that involve the degree of delocalization. Fisher-related thermal uncertainty relations are developed and the degree of purity of canonical distributions, regarded as mixed states, is connected to this Fisher measure as well.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures; chenged conten

A machine learning approach to screening of non–small cell lung cancer using metabolic data

The human metabolome represents a largely unexplored area with respect to prediction of disease. I have conducted a targeted study of metabolic compounds in the human metabolome that are linked to patients with non small cell lung cancer. Through the use of machine learning techniques such as SVMs, Random Forests, and Decision Trees, I have determined models can be trained to correctly classify new patients with an F1--score above 0.95 in case vs. control classification. From these models I have produced a select subset of compounds using peak analysis as well as recursive feature extraction such that when the prediction is done on this smaller subset of compounds an F1--score of above 0.95 can still be achieved. These compounds represent potential biomarkers for future studies and clinical applications.February 202

The Why What Where and How: Children\u27s Homes

https://digitalcommons.acu.edu/crs_books/1330/thumbnail.jp

Parental agency, identity and knowledge: mothers of children with dyslexia

This is a postprint of an article whose final and definitive form has been published in the Oxford Review of Education© 2004 Copyright Taylor & Francis; Oxford Review of Education is available online at http://www.informaworld.comIn this paper we report and analyse findings from part of a two-year evaluation project which focuses on parent-professional communications over the issues of learning difficulties arising from dyslexia. The key concepts in this study are dyslexia friendly schools and parental partnership, which are discussed in the current policy interest in inclusive education and parent partnership. A conceptual framework has been derived from the study which focuses on parental strategies to ensure adequate provision for their children, knowledge about dyslexia and identity, in particular that of the mother of the child with dyslexia. Excerpts from in-depth interviews of parents are then presented to illustrate the framework. The significance of the findings is examined in relation to other studies of parent partnership. Implications for a more inclusive version of extended professionalism are also considered

On growth curves and mixture models

The multilevel model of change and the latent growth model are flexible means to describe all sorts of population heterogeneity with respect to growth and development, including the presence of sub-populations. The growth mixture model is a natural extension of these models. It comes at hand when information about sub-populations is missing and researchers nevertheless want to retrieve developmental trajectories from sub-populations. We argue that researchers have to make rather strong assumptions about the sub-populations or latent trajectory classes in order to retrieve existing population differences. A simulated example is discussed, showing that a sample of repeated measures drawn from two sub-populations easily leads to the mistaken inference of three sub-populations, when assumptions are not met. The merits of methodological advises on this issue are discussed. It is concluded that growth mixture models should be used with understanding, and offer no free way to growth patterns in unknown sub-populations. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Field Experiments at College Station with Corn, Cotton and Forage Plants.

27 p

Measurement of residual nucleus cross sections and recoil energies in p + Fe collisions at 300, 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 MeV

The production of residual nuclei in p + Fe collisions has been measured at GSI on the FRS facility by means of the reverse kinematic techniques at 300, 500, 750, 1000 and 1500 MeV/A. The cross-sections larger than 0.01 mb of all isotopes with Z larger than 8 have been obtained. Velocity distributions were also measured. Comparisons to models describing spallation reactions and some empirical formulae often used in astrophysics are presented. These data are directly used to calculate impurety production and DPAs in a thin window as foreseen in spallation sources or accelerator-driven systems