A model for semantic integration of business components

Today, reusable components are available in several repositories. These last are certainly conceived for the reusing However, this re-use is not immediate; it requires, in the fact, to pass through some essential conceptual operations, among them in particular, research, integration, adaptation, and composition. We are interested in the present work to the problem of semantic integration of heterogeneous Business Components. This problem is often put in syntactical terms, while the real stake is of semantic order. Our contribution concerns a model proposal for Business components integration as well as resolution method of semantic naming conflicts, met during the integration of Business Components

Neuropsychological evaluation of blast-related concussion: Illustrating the challenges and complexities through OEF/OIF case studies

Background/objective: Soldiers of Operations Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Iraqi Freedom (OIF) sustain blast-related mild traumatic brain injury (concussion) with alarming regularity. This study discusses factors in addition to concussion, such as co-morbid psychological difficulty (e.g. post-traumatic stress) and symptom validity concerns that may complicate neuropsychological evaluation in the late stage of concussive injury. Case report: The study presents the complexities that accompany neuropsychological evaluation of blast concussion through discussion of three case reports of OEF/OIF personnel. Discussion: The authors emphasize uniform assessment of blast concussion, the importance of determining concussion severity according to acute-injury characteristics and elaborate upon non-concussion-related factors that may impact course of cognitive limitation. The authors conclude with a discussion of the need for future research examining the impact of blast concussion (particularly recurrent concussion) and neuropsychological performance

Evaluation Context Impacts Neuropsychological Performance of OEF/OIF Veterans with Reported Combat-Related Concussion

Although soldiers of Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) encounter combat-related concussion at an unprecedented rate, relatively few studies have examined how evaluation context, insufficient effort, and concussion history impact neuropsychological performances in the years following injury. The current study explores these issues in a sample of 119 U.S. veterans (OEF/OIF forensic concussion, n = 24; non-OEF/OIF forensic concussion, n = 20; OEF/OIF research concussion, n = 38; OEF/OIF research without concussion, n = 37). The OEF/OIF forensic concussion group exhibited significantly higher rates of insufficient effort relative to the OEF/OIF research concussion group, but a comparable rate of insufficient effort relative to the non-OEF/OIF forensic concussion group. After controlling for effort, the research concussion and the research non-concussion groups demonstrated comparable neuropsychological performance. Results highlight the importance of effort assessment among OEF/OIF and other veterans with concussion history, particularly in forensic contexts

Management of University Biological Collections: A Framework for Policy and Practice

A broad-based task force, chaired by Lynn Kimsey of the Department of Entomology and director of the Bohart Entomological Museum, was convened to review and assess the status of living and preserved biological collections held on the Davis campus of the University of California. The task force addressed three basic issues, forming subcommittees to 1) review the data gathered in a survey by the Genetic Resources Conservation Program of living and preserved collections and report its findings, 2) make recommendations for policy guidelines on a campus basis and an individual-collection basis, and s) propose a campus-wide administrative structure to address issues of communication, documentation, and funding. Policy for administration, ownership, transfer, and disposal of collections has apparently not been previously addressed by the University of California. The task force\u27s recommendations on policy and administrative issues are the subject of this report

Experimental Control and Characterization of Autophagy in Drosophila

Insects such as the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, which fundamentally reorganize their body plan during metamorphosis, make extensive use of autophagy for their normal development and physiology. In the fruit fly, the hepatic/adipose organ known as the fat body accumulates nutrient stores during the larval feeding stage. Upon entering metamorphosis, as well as in response to starvation, these nutrients are mobilized through a massive induction of autophagy, providing support to other tissues and organs during periods of nutrient deprivation. High levels of autophagy are also observed in larval tissues destined for elimination, such as the salivary glands and larval gut. Drosophila is emerging as an important system for studying the functions and regulation of autophagy in an in vivo setting. In this chapter we describe reagents and methods for monitoring autophagy in Drosophila, focusing on the larval fat body. We also describe methods for experimentally activating and inhibiting autophagy in this system and discuss the potential for genetic analysis in Drosophila to identify novel genes involved in autophagy

Erosive Tooth Wear Among Children in the United States: Relationship to Race/Ethnicity and Obesity

Objective.  The study aims were to estimate the prevalence of erosive tooth wear (ETW) in children and to specifically examine its association with race/ethnicity and obesity in the United States. Design.  We analysed data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003–2004. ETW was measured using the modified Smith and Knight Tooth Wear Index derived from the 1998 United Kingdom Adult Health Survey. Results.  This study shows that 45.9% of children aged 13–19 years had evidence of ETW in at least one tooth. The prevalence of ETW was bilaterally symmetrical in all teeth examined and was most prevalent in maxillary teeth. Females had significantly lower rates of ETW of any tooth compared to males. African Americans had significantly lower rates of ETW (except in the canines), and Hispanics had similar rates compared to whites. Compared to ‘healthy weight’ children, those ‘at risk for overweight’ had lower rates of ETW and the ‘overweight’ groups had higher rates, but results were not significant. Conclusions.  Substantial proportions of children in the US are affected by ETW. Compared to whites, African American children had significantly lower rates of ETW. Although not significant, ‘overweight’ (obese) children had increased odds of having ETW and those at ‘risk for overweight’ had lower odds compared to ‘healthy weight’ children

Implementation and performance of SIBYLS: a dual endstation small-angle X-ray scattering and macromolecular crystallography beamline at the Advanced Light Source.

The SIBYLS beamline (12.3.1) of the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, supported by the US Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health, is optimized for both small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and macromolecular crystallography (MX), making it unique among the world's mostly SAXS or MX dedicated beamlines. Since SIBYLS was commissioned, assessments of the limitations and advantages of a combined SAXS and MX beamline have suggested new strategies for integration and optimal data collection methods and have led to additional hardware and software enhancements. Features described include a dual mode monochromator [containing both Si(111) crystals and Mo/B(4)C multilayer elements], rapid beamline optics conversion between SAXS and MX modes, active beam stabilization, sample-loading robotics, and mail-in and remote data collection. These features allow users to gain valuable insights from both dynamic solution scattering and high-resolution atomic diffraction experiments performed at a single synchrotron beamline. Key practical issues considered for data collection and analysis include radiation damage, structural ensembles, alternative conformers and flexibility. SIBYLS develops and applies efficient combined MX and SAXS methods that deliver high-impact results by providing robust cost-effective routes to connect structures to biology and by performing experiments that aid beamline designs for next generation light sources