2,969 research outputs found
Preparing for an interdisciplinary future: A perspective from early-career researchers
Increasingly, research is moving towards more interdisciplinary endeavours. Effective collaboration between people from different disciplines is necessary to maximise the potential benefits of interdisciplinarity for future research activity. This paper analyses an approach to fostering the skills required for successful cross-disciplinary collaboration from the perspective of an interdisciplinary group of early-career researchers. Our reflection on how specially-designed encounters can help to shape future interdisciplinary research initiatives draws on the discussion of a four-day workshop, a post-event survey, and a review of other experiences. We conclude that interdisciplinary encounters are an effective means to support the development of future interdisciplinary researchers, with a major advantage of this approach being the opportunity for open communication. Depending on the organiser's aim, we distinguish between “cultivation” and “development” encounters. Among the multiple factors that produce successful interdisciplinary encounters, we found that selection of a theme, participants and location need to be tailored to the encounter's particular objectives. We recommend that funding bodies and other members of the research community should take note of the effectiveness of encounters to foster interdisciplinarity and generate space to develop more innovative and high-impact research that delivers solutions to the challenges facing humanity in the future
Structural Properties of Planar Graphs of Urban Street Patterns
Recent theoretical and empirical studies have focused on the structural
properties of complex relational networks in social, biological and
technological systems. Here we study the basic properties of twenty
1-square-mile samples of street patterns of different world cities. Samples are
represented by spatial (planar) graphs, i.e. valued graphs defined by metric
rather than topologic distance and where street intersections are turned into
nodes and streets into edges. We study the distribution of nodes in the
2-dimensional plane. We then evaluate the local properties of the graphs by
measuring the meshedness coefficient and counting short cycles (of three, four
and five edges), and the global properties by measuring global efficiency and
cost. As normalization graphs, we consider both minimal spanning trees (MST)
and greedy triangulations (GT) induced by the same spatial distribution of
nodes. The results indicate that most of the cities have evolved into networks
as efficienct as GT, although their cost is closer to the one of a tree. An
analysis based on relative efficiency and cost is able to characterize
different classes of cities.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures, 3 table
Acute rejection features in dual kidney transplant recipients from elderly donors: comparison of calcineurin inhibitor-based and calcineurin inhibitor-free immunosuppressive protocols.
Features of acute rejection in dual kidney transplant have not been studied. The aim of this study is to compare acute rejections in dual kidney transplant recipients from elderly donors on different immunosuppressive protocols. Sixty-nine patients were evaluated: 28 received calcineurin inhibitor-based (group 1) and 41 received calcineurin inhibitor-free immunosuppression (group 2). Histology of all donor kidneys was evaluated before implantation. All rejections showed tubulitis in both groups, and were classified as T cell-mediated acute rejections. Incidence and Banff grade of rejections in the two groups were not significantly different. Late rejections however, were observed in group 1 ( P < 0.01) whereas steroid-resistant rejections occurred in group 2 ( P < 0.03). C4d deposition was only observed in group 2. Occurrence of acute rejection was significantly associated with graft loss due to interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy in both groups. In group 1 mean serum creatinine levels of patients with rejections at six months and one year were higher than those of patients without rejections ( P < 0.03 and P < 0.009, respectively). In group 2 they were higher at six months ( P < 0.01) but not at one year. In addition, graft loss due to interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy occurred in 3/28 patients in group 1 (10.7%, OR= 1.95, 95%CI 1.02–3.71), and in 1/41 patients in group 2 (2.4%, OR= 0.41, 95%CI 0.07–2.24). Taken together these results suggest better renal function in patients on calcineurin inhibitor-free immunosuppression. In conclusion, acute rejections were detrimental irrespective of the type of immunosuppression, but different features were observed with each therapy. A tailored approach should be advantageous for prevention and treatment of acute rejections
Markov Chain Methods For Analyzing Complex Transport Networks
We have developed a steady state theory of complex transport networks used to
model the flow of commodity, information, viruses, opinions, or traffic. Our
approach is based on the use of the Markov chains defined on the graph
representations of transport networks allowing for the effective network
design, network performance evaluation, embedding, partitioning, and network
fault tolerance analysis. Random walks embed graphs into Euclidean space in
which distances and angles acquire a clear statistical interpretation. Being
defined on the dual graph representations of transport networks random walks
describe the equilibrium configurations of not random commodity flows on
primary graphs. This theory unifies many network concepts into one framework
and can also be elegantly extended to describe networks represented by directed
graphs and multiple interacting networks.Comment: 26 pages, 4 figure
Invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast with the “triple-negative” phenotype: Prognostic implications of EGFR immunoreactivity
Lp-PLA 2 , a new biomarker of vascular disorders in metabolic diseases
Metabolic diseases are chronic disorders correlated to a greater risk of cardiovascular event and death. Recently, many data have sustained the biological link between microvascular dysfunction, oxidative stress, vascular inflammation, and metabolic diseases. The determination of new and specific blood biomarkers of vascular inflammation associated with obesity-related metabolic syndrome (MetS) and diabetes such as lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A 2 (Lp-PLA 2 ) could be useful to identify subject with high risk of cardiovascular events. Lp-PLA 2 participates by a crucial role in microvascular dysfunction and oxidative stress showing positive association with metabolic disorders. In this review, we will argue the evolving role of Lp-PLA 2 in predicting cardiovascular events in metabolic disease patients
Imaging of SNR IC443 and W44 with the Sardinia Radio Telescope at 1.5 GHz and 7 GHz
Observations of supernova remnants (SNRs) are a powerful tool for
investigating the later stages of stellar evolution, the properties of the
ambient interstellar medium, and the physics of particle acceleration and
shocks. For a fraction of SNRs, multi-wavelength coverage from radio to ultra
high-energies has been provided, constraining their contributions to the
production of Galactic cosmic rays. Although radio emission is the most common
identifier of SNRs and a prime probe for refining models, high-resolution
images at frequencies above 5 GHz are surprisingly lacking, even for bright and
well-known SNRs such as IC443 and W44. In the frameworks of the Astronomical
Validation and Early Science Program with the 64-m single-dish Sardinia Radio
Telescope, we provided, for the first time, single-dish deep imaging at 7 GHz
of the IC443 and W44 complexes coupled with spatially-resolved spectra in the
1.5-7 GHz frequency range. Our images were obtained through on-the-fly mapping
techniques, providing antenna beam oversampling and resulting in accurate
continuum flux density measurements. The integrated flux densities associated
with IC443 are S_1.5GHz = 134 +/- 4 Jy and S_7GHz = 67 +/- 3 Jy. For W44, we
measured total flux densities of S_1.5GHz = 214 +/- 6 Jy and S_7GHz = 94 +/- 4
Jy. Spectral index maps provide evidence of a wide physical parameter scatter
among different SNR regions: a flat spectrum is observed from the brightest SNR
regions at the shock, while steeper spectral indices (up to 0.7) are observed
in fainter cooling regions, disentangling in this way different populations and
spectra of radio/gamma-ray-emitting electrons in these SNRs.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication to MNRAS on 18 May 201
Free-amino acid metabolic profiling of visceral adipose tissue from obese subjects
Interest in adipose tissue pathophysiology and biochemistry have expanded considerably in the past two decades due to the ever increasing and alarming rates of global obesity and its critical outcome defined as metabolic syndrome (MS). This obesity-linked systemic dysfunction generates high risk factors of developing perilous diseases like type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer. Amino acids could play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of the MS onset. Focus of this study was to fully characterize amino acids metabolome modulations in visceral adipose tissues (VAT) from three adult cohorts: (i) obese patients (BMI 43-48) with metabolic syndrome (PO), (ii) obese subjects metabolically well (O), and (iii) non obese individuals (H). 128 metabolites identified as 20 protein amino acids, 85 related compounds and 13 dipeptides were measured by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectroscopy (UPLC-MS/MS) and gas chromatography-/mass spectrometry GC/MS, in visceral fat samples from a total of 53 patients. Our analysis indicates a probable enhanced BCAA (leucine, isoleucine, valine) degradation in both VAT from O and PO subjects, while levels of their oxidation products are increased. Also PO and O VAT samples were characterized by: elevated levels of kynurenine, a catabolic product of tryptophan and precursor of diabetogenic substances, a significant increase of cysteine sulfinic acid levels, a decrease of 1-methylhistidine, and an up regulating trend of 3-methylhistidine levels. We hope this profiling can aid in novel clinical strategies development against the progression from obesity to metabolic syndrome
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