\u27Who am I?\u27: Autophotography as a Teaching and Learning Tool

This paper describes a low cost, high student appeal technique for teaching and learning about the self concept via student produced photographs. Autophotography (AP) is a photographic approach to understanding the social world from the perspective of the respondent with reference to one\u27s self concept. The technique\u27s use is described relative to social psychology, the self, and the traditional symbolic interactionist measure -- the Twenty Statement Test (TST). The AP course assignment, evaluation, assessment, and limitations are presented Learnings for both the undergraduate student and sociology instructor are discussed

Book Reviews in The Great Plains Sociologist: The Continuation of a Regional Tradition

On the tenth anniversary of publication of The Great Plains Sociologist, we examine the book section for content and for participation by residents of the Great Plains. Since the inception of this journal feature in 1991, women have published 57 percent (N=57) of all book reviews. Moreover, women at masters and doctoral degree granting institutions have published a greater number of book reviews (52%. N=52) than their male counterparts (41%, N=41) and than women or men at 2-year,four-year, and tribal colleges (5%, N=5 and 2%, N=2 respectively). While there are differences in the topical areas evaluated by women and men, the primary area of interest for both is rural issues(16%, N=16). We conclude that the journal has met its goal of providing opportunities for regional scholars to publish their work and that The Great Plains Sociologist clearly plays a unique role in the region and in the discipline

Tuning a Simulated Annealing metaheuristic for cross-domain search

Simulated Annealing is a well known local search metaheuristic used for solving computationally hard optimization problems. Cross-domain search poses a higher level issue where a single solution method is used with minor, preferably no modification for solving characteristically different optimisation problems. The performance of a metaheuristic is often dependant on its initial parameter settings, hence detecting the best configuration, i.e. parameter tuning is crucial, which becomes a further challenge for cross-domain search. In this paper, we investigate the cross-domain search performance of Simulated Annealing via tuning for solving six problems, ranging from personnel scheduling to vehicle routing under a stochastic local search framework. The empirical results show that Simulated Annealing is extremely sensitive to the initial parameter settings leading to sub-standard performance when used as a single solution method for cross-domain search. Moreover, we demonstrate that cross-domain parameter tuning is inferior to domain-level tuning highlighting the requirements for adaptive parameter configurations when dealing with cross-domain search

Neuromonitoring und Neuroprotektion in der Kardioanästhesie: Bundesweite Umfrage des Arbeitskreises Kardioanästhesie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Anästhesiologie und Intensivmedizin e.V

Zusammenfassung: Fragestellung: Primäres Ziel dieser in deutschen kardioanästhesiologischen Abteilungen durchgeführten Umfrage war, die aktuelle Praxis von Neuromonitoring und Neuroprotektion zu erheben. Methodik: Zwischen Oktober 2007 und Januar 2008 wurden hierzu Daten mithilfe eines 26Punkte umfassenden, anonymisierten Fragebogens erhoben. Ermittelt wurden: präoperative Evaluation der hirnversorgenden Arterien, intraoperatives Neuromonitoring, zerebroprotektive Maßnahmen, Perfusionsmanagement während extrakorporaler Zirkulation, postoperative Erhebung des neurologischen Status und Aus-/Weiterbildung im zerebralen Monitoring. Ergebnisse: 55% der Fragebögen wurden mit folgenden Angaben beantwortet: präoperative Duplexsonographie der Hirngefäße in 90% der Kliniken; intraoperatives Neuromonitoring mithilfe der Elektroenzephalographie (EEG; 60%) bei Typ-A-Dissektionen (38,1%), bei elektiven Operationen an der thorakalen bzw. thorakoabdominellen Aorta (34,1% resp. 31,6%) und in der Karotischirurgie (43,2%), weiterhin Einsatz der Nahinfrarotspektroskopie (40%), Ableitung evozierter Potenziale (30%) und transkranielle Dopplersonographie (17,5%). Auch kombinierte Verfahren wurden angewandt. Während Bypass-, Klappen und minimal-invasiven Operationen erfolgt meistens kein Monitoring des Zentralnervensystems. Zur Zerebroprotektion werden die Kühlung des Patienten an Herz-Lungen-Maschine (HLM; 100%), externe Kühlung des Kopfes (65%), Gabe von Kortikosteroiden (58%), Barbituraten (50%) und Antiepileptika (10%) eingesetzt. Als neuroprotektive Anästhesieverfahren gelten Inhalationsanästhesie (32,5%; Favorit: Sevofluran 76,5%) und total intravenöse Anästhesie (20%; Favoriten: Propofol und Barbiturate mit je 46,2%). Standardmäßig kühlen 72,5% der Krankenhäuser die Patienten bei Operationen mit Herz-Kreislauf-Stillstand, 37,5% bei allen Operationen mit HLM. Unter normothermen Bedingungen entspricht in 84,6% der Kliniken der HLM-Fluss dem errechneten Herzzeitvolumen (HZV), der anzustrebende mittlere arterielle Druck (MAP) liegt bei 60-70mmHg (43,9%) bzw. 50-60mmHg (41,5%). Bei einer Körpertemperatur unter 18°C wird der HLM-Fluss unter das errechnete HZV gesenkt (70%), während in 27% der Kliniken normotherme Flussraten gefahren werden. Der bevorzugte MAP unter Hypothermie liegt zwischen 50 und 60mmHg (59%). Intraoperatives Neuromonitoring wird im Narkoseprotokoll (77%) dokumentiert. Postoperativ wird der neurologische Status in 42,5% der Kliniken durch individuelle Einschätzung des Anästhesisten (77,5%) erhoben. Fortbildungen zum Thema Neuromonitoring werden in 32,5% der Kliniken regelmäßig organisiert, in 37,5% dem Arzt selbst überlassen. Schlussfolgerung: Das kardioanästhesiologische Vorgehen in Deutschland ist im Bereich Neuromonitoring und neuroprotektive Therapie nicht standardisiert. Ein "multimodales Neuromonitoring" wäre wünschenswer

A comparative study of fuzzy parameter control in a general purpose local search metaheuristic

There is a growing number of studies on general purpose metaheuristics that are directly applicable to multiple domains. Parameter setting is a particular issue considering that many of such search methods come with a set of parameters to be configured. Fuzzy logic has been used extensively in control applications and is known for its ability to handle uncertainty. In this study, we investigate the potential of using fuzzy systems to control the parameter settings of a threshold accepting (TA) metaheuristic for improving the overall effectiveness of a cross-domain approach. We have evaluated the performance of various general purpose local search metaheuristics which mix multiple heuristics at random and apply the TA metaheuristic with fixed threshold, crisp (non-fuzzy) rule-based control of the threshold and various fuzzy systems controlling the threshold. The empirical results show that the approach using the TA with crisp rule-based control performs the best across six problem domains from a benchmark

Fuzzy adaptive parameter control of a late acceptance hyper-heuristic

A traditional iterative selection hyper-heuristic which manages a set of low level heuristics relies on two core components, a method for selecting a heuristic to apply at a given point, and a method to decide whether or not to accept the result of the heuristic application. In this paper, we present an initial study of a fuzzy system to control the list-size parameter of late- acceptance move acceptance method as a selection hyper-heuristic component. The performance of the fuzzy controlled selection hyper-heuristic is compared to its fixed parameter version and the best hyper-heuristic from a competition on the MAX-SAT problem domain. The results illustrate that a fuzzy control system can potentially be effective within a hyper-heuristic improving its performance

Signal Theoretical Aspects of Bistatic SAR

Abstract-Bistatic SAR uses separated transmitter and receiver flying on different platforms. This configuration is envisaged to achieve benefits like the exploitation of additional information contained in the bistatic reflectivity of targets, reduced vulnerability in military systems or forward looking SAR imaging. The feasibility of the bistatic concept was already demonstrated by experimental investigations. Nevertheless, a closed satisfying theory reaching from signal modelling over the data collection strategies and the analysis of possible imaging performance to the specification of processors for practical use does not yet exist. The reason may be found in the non-standard geometry resulting in radar signals of high complexity. In this paper, we will start from a signal model for a rather general configuration. Since the changing imaging geometry makes it difficult to derive a general processor, we first look over the well known classes of monostatic SAR-processors. Then, the inversion problem is formulated for the bistatic case resulting in the matched filter processor. Emanating from this, two techniques are derived which are locally optimum either for short apertures or for small scenes. Special attention is turned to the transfer of range-migration type algorithms to the bistatic case

Concept of a Self-Learning Workplace Cell for Worker Assistance While Collaboration with a Robot Within the Self-Adapting-Production-Planning-System

For some time, the focus of past research on industrial workplace designs has been the optimization of processes from the technological point of view. Since human workers have to work within this environment the design process must regard Human Factor needs. The operators are under additional stress due to the range of high dynamic processes and due to the integration of robots and autonomous operating machines. There have been few studies on how Human Factors influence the design of workplaces for Human-Robot Collaboration (HRC). Furthermore, a comprehensive, systematic and human-centred design solution for industrial workplaces particularly considering Human Factor needs within HRC is widely uncertain and a specific application with reference to production workplaces is missing. The research findings described in this paper aim the optimization of workplaces for manual production and maintenance processes with respect to the workers within HRC. In order to increase the acceptance of integration of human-robot teams, the concept of the Assisting-Industrial-Workplace-System (AIWS) was developed. As a flexible hybrid cell for HRC integrated into a Self-Adapting-Production-Planning-System (SAPPS) assists the worker while interaction

Digital transcriptome profiling of normal and glioblastoma-derived neural stem cells identifies genes associated with patient survival.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma multiforme, the most common type of primary brain tumor in adults, is driven by cells with neural stem (NS) cell characteristics. Using derivation methods developed for NS cells, it is possible to expand tumorigenic stem cells continuously in vitro. Although these glioblastoma-derived neural stem (GNS) cells are highly similar to normal NS cells, they harbor mutations typical of gliomas and initiate authentic tumors following orthotopic xenotransplantation. Here, we analyzed GNS and NS cell transcriptomes to identify gene expression alterations underlying the disease phenotype. METHODS: Sensitive measurements of gene expression were obtained by high-throughput sequencing of transcript tags (Tag-seq) on adherent GNS cell lines from three glioblastoma cases and two normal NS cell lines. Validation by quantitative real-time PCR was performed on 82 differentially expressed genes across a panel of 16 GNS and 6 NS cell lines. The molecular basis and prognostic relevance of expression differences were investigated by genetic characterization of GNS cells and comparison with public data for 867 glioma biopsies. RESULTS: Transcriptome analysis revealed major differences correlated with glioma histological grade, and identified misregulated genes of known significance in glioblastoma as well as novel candidates, including genes associated with other malignancies or glioma-related pathways. This analysis further detected several long non-coding RNAs with expression profiles similar to neighboring genes implicated in cancer. Quantitative PCR validation showed excellent agreement with Tag-seq data (median Pearson r = 0.91) and discerned a gene set robustly distinguishing GNS from NS cells across the 22 lines. These expression alterations include oncogene and tumor suppressor changes not detected by microarray profiling of tumor tissue samples, and facilitated the identification of a GNS expression signature strongly associated with patient survival (P = 1e-6, Cox model). CONCLUSIONS: These results support the utility of GNS cell cultures as a model system for studying the molecular processes driving glioblastoma and the use of NS cells as reference controls. The association between a GNS expression signature and survival is consistent with the hypothesis that a cancer stem cell component drives tumor growth. We anticipate that analysis of normal and malignant stem cells will be an important complement to large-scale profiling of primary tumors.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are