Knot invariants in lens spaces

In this survey we summarize results regarding the Kauffman bracket, HOMFLYPT, Kauffman 2-variable and Dubrovnik skein modules, and the Alexander polynomial of links in lens spaces, which we represent as mixed link diagrams. These invariants generalize the corresponding knot polynomials in the classical case. We compare the invariants by means of the ability to distinguish between some difficult cases of knots with certain symmetries

HYDROGEOLOGICAL ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDWATER DEGRADATION AT THE EASTERN NESTOS RIVER DELTA, N.E. GREECE.

This paper deals with the hydrogeological study of the evolution of groundwater salinisation - degradation at the eastern Nestos River Delta. Relevant field works including in-situ measurements of groundwater level, pH, Specific Electrical Conductivity (SEC) and temperature took place in the years 2008 and 2009. Groundwater samples were also collected for chemical analysis at the Engineering Geology Laboratory of the Department of Civil Engineering of D.U.Th. (July of 2009). Important conclusions regarding the progress of the groundwater degradation at the study area were drawn based on the analysis of all the available data and the elaboration of the designed piezometric maps and the various maps showing the distribution of SEC, Chloride, SAR (Sodium Absorption Ratio) and Revelle coefficient values. Some managerial suggestions for the confrontation of the seawater intrusion regime of the study area are also included

Period polynomials, derivatives of L-functions, and zeros of polynomials

Period polynomials have long been fruitful tools for the study of values of L-functions in the context of major outstanding conjectures. In this paper, we survey some facets of this study from the perspective of Eichler cohomology. We discuss ways to incorporate non-cuspidal modular forms and values of derivatives of L-functions into the same framework. We further review investigations of the location of zeros of the period polynomial as well as of its analogue for L-derivatives

Tourism stakeholder exclusion and conflict in a small island

Research in the Isle of Man, British Isles, reveals limited and dysfunctional collaboration between stakeholders, and in particular between public and private sector actors. Power and influence over tourism decision making is generally felt to be restricted to a small and opaque network. Moreover, different levels of interest in and support for tourism further divide stakeholders. Various negative consequences are shown to arise from this absence of collaboration, including a lack of shared vision or future strategy for local tourism, and high levels of mutual mistrust between stakeholders. Resulting conflict, wasted resources, lost enthusiasm and lack of strategic direction appear to undermine the current and future management of island tourism. Emphasised by research is the importance of stakeholder collaboration to sustainable tourism management and underlying factors which may enhance or undermine. Focus on dysfunctional collaboration and the small island setting makes a unique contribution to the existing literature

Hydatid disease of the liver: thirty years of surgical experience.

Hydatid disease of the liver is a relatively frequent disease. Although the natural history is almost completely known, several complications may occur. The aim of this study was to show that radical surgical resection of the hepatic hydatid cyst is a safe and very effective technique, based on our results after 30-year experience. A review of most significant studies was carried out. We retrospectively evaluated our surgical cases. From January 1973 to December 2003 we treated 216 patients, 98 males and 118 females. Survival was compared with the Kaplan-Meier test, using log-rank analysis to compare data. Differences with a p value less than 0.05 were considered significant. A total of 279 cysts were excised. We performed pericystectomy in 122 cases, 73 of which closed. We also performed 19 atypical resections, 10 segmentectomies, 20 lobectomies and 2 percutaneous treatments. In more than 90% of cases, preoperative data collection was completed by preoperative ultrasound. The cumulative morbidity was 13%. The recurrence rate amounted to 4.3% at 5 years and 7% at 10 years: of these, 6 occurred after non-radical surgery and 2 after total pericystectomy or liver resection (p < 0.001). Technical advances and accumulated experience permit safe treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts by radical resection, with an almost zero recurrence rate, making it the treatment of choice over partial resection. The utility of percutaneous treatment remains confined to limited indications, such as laparoscopy

HOX D13 expression across 79 tumor tissue types.

HOX genes control normal development, primary cellular processes and are characterized by a unique genomic network organization. Locus D HOX genes play an important role in limb generation and mesenchymal condensation. Dysregulated HOXD13 expression has been detected in breast cancer, melanoma, cervical cancer and astrocytomas. We have investigated the epidemiology of HOXD13 expression in human tissues and its potential deregulation in the carcinogenesis of specific tumors. HOXD13 homeoprotein expression has been detected using microarray technology comprising more than 4,000 normal and neoplastic tissue samples including 79 different tumor categories. Validation of HOXD13 expression has been performed, at mRNA level, for selected tumor types. Significant differences are detectable between specific normal tissues and corresponding tumor types with the majority of cancers showing an increase in HOXD13 expression (16.1% normal vs. 57.7% cancers). In contrast, pancreas and stomach tumor subtypes display the opposite trend. Interestingly, detection of the HOXD13 homeoprotein in pancreas-tissue microarrays shows that its negative expression has a significant and adverse effect on the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer independent of the T or N stage at the time of diagnosis. Our study provides, for the first time, an overview of a HOX protein expression in a large series of normal and neoplastic tissue types, identifies pancreatic cancer as one of the most affected by the HOXD13 hoemoprotein and underlines the way homeoproteins can be associated to human cancerogenesis

Solitary splenic metastasis of squamous lung cancer: a case report

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