Description:
The six cities air pollution is used to estimate and investigate the marginal curve of a function describing lung growth for set of children in a longitudinal study. This article proposes penalized regression spline technqiue based ona semiparametric mixed models (MM) framework for an additive model. This smoothing approach fits marginal models for longitudinal unbalanced measurements by using a Bayesian inference approach, implemented using a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach with the Gibbs sampler. The unbalanced case in which missing or different number of measurements for a set of subjects is more practical and common in real life studies. This methodology makes it possible to establish a straightforward approach to similar models using R programming, when it is not possible to do so using existing codes.
Description:
A cell undergoing apoptosis demonstrates multitude of characteristic morphological and biochemical features, which vary depending on the inducer of apoptosis, cell type and the “time window” at which the process of apoptosis is observed. Because the gross majority of apoptotic hallmarks can be revealed by flow and image cytometry, the cytometric methods become a technology of choice in diverse studies of cellular demise. Variety of cytometric methods designed to identify apoptotic cells, detect particular events of apoptosis and probe mechanisms associated with this mode of cell death have been developed during the past two decades. In the present review, we outline commonly used methods that are based on the assessment of mitochondrial transmembrane potential, activation of caspases, DNA fragmentation, and plasma membrane alterations. We also present novel developments in the field such as the use of cyanine SYTO and TO-PRO family of probes. Strategies of selecting the optimal multiparameter approaches, as well as potential difficulties in the experimental procedures, are thoroughly summarized
Description:
Part 1 Overview: Growth of the quality movement in higher education. Part 2 Leadership of quality in higher education: Initiative-based quality development and the role of distributed leadership; A leadership model for higher education quality; A framework for engaging leadership in higher education quality systems. Part 3 Approaches of managers to quality in higher education: Quality management in higher education: A comparative study of the United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Finland; Towards a culture of quality in South African higher education. Part 4 Auditing quality in higher education: Auditorsâ perspectives on quality in higher education. Part 5 Academic development and quality in higher education: Academic development as change leadership in higher education; Quality in the transitional process of establishing political science as a new discipline in Czech higher education (post 1989)
Description:
Algorithms for Automating Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) presents information on the gathering of information and extraction of actionable intelligence from openly available sources, including news broadcasts, public repositories, and more recently, social media. As OSINT has applications in crime fighting, state-based intelligence, and social research, this book provides recent advances in text mining, web crawling, and other algorithms that have led to advances in methods that can largely automate this process.
Description:
Cybercrime and cyberattacks are problems that cause billions of dollars in direct losses per year (Anderson et al., 2013), and even more in indirect losses, such as costs for protection systems such as antivirus programs (Layton & Watters, 2014). While defensive systems have made enormous progress over the last 20 years for these attacks, the escalating battle between attackers and defenders continues (Alazab, Layton, Venkataraman, & Watters, 2010). While it is harder (arguably) to attack systems today than ever before, cyber-based attacks continue to cause damage to online commerce, critical infrastructure, and the population in general
Description:
The concepts of ecosystem regime shifts, thresholds and alternative or multiple stable states are used extensively in the ecological and environmental management literature. When applied to aquatic ecosystems, these terms are used inconsistently reflecting differing levels of supporting evidence among ecosystem types. Although many aquatic ecosystems around the world have become degraded, the magnitude and causes of changes, relative to the range of historical variability, are poorly known. A working group supported by the Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS) reviewed 135 papers on freshwater ecosystems to assess the evidence for pressure-induced non-linear changes in freshwater ecosystems; these papers used terms indicating sudden and non-linear change in their titles and key words, and so was a positively biased sample. We scrutinized papers for study context and methods, ecosystem characteristics and focus, types of pressures and ecological responses considered, and the type of change reported (i.e., gradual, non-linear, hysteretic or irreversible change). There was little empirical evidence for regime shifts and changes between multiple or alternative stable states in these studies although some shifts between turbid phytoplankton-dominated states and clear-water, macrophyte-dominated states were reported in shallow lakes in temperate climates. We found limited understanding of the subtleties of the relevant theoretical concepts and encountered few mechanistic studies that investigated or identified cause-and-effect relationships between ecological responses and nominal pressures. Our results mirror those of reviews for estuarine, nearshore and marine aquatic ecosystems, demonstrating that although the concepts of regime shifts and alternative stable states have become prominent in the scientific and management literature, their empirical underpinning is weak outside of a specific environmental setting. The application of these concepts in future research and management applications should include evidence on the mechanistic links between pressures and consequent ecological change. Explicit consideration should also be given to whether observed temporal dynamics represent variation along a continuum rather than categorically different states.
Description:
In particular, the authors examine the benefits and drawbacks in utilising paper-based versus online surveys in relation to student response rates.
Description:
During strenuous and/or extended exercise in hot environments, considerable body heat can be produced. If the heat produced is above the body's thermoregulatory capacities, or if these capacities are impeded, a rise in core body temperature (Tc) will occur. Infantry soldiers and Airfield Defence Guards within the Australian Defence Force (ADF) are often based in areas which expose them to high levels of thermal stress. Furthermore, they must perform physically demanding training and operations, often in full camouflage, and on occasions with a range of equipment including body armour, which further increases the risk of developing a heat illness during training tasks. The ADF is addressing this issue as part of the Defence Physical Employment Standards (DPES) project, which aims at developing new employment standards using tests that reflect job requirements, and in which soldiers and airmen will be required to complete a number of strenuous and/or extended physical tasks. Two high risk tasks involve marching for either 10 or 20 km at an average velocity of 6km/hr, wearing full camouflage and carrying a 45kg pack. A third high risk task, which simulates movement in urban terrain, is shorter in duration but higher in intensity, and involves wearing ballistic vest, helmet, and webbing. In order to enhance safety by decreasing the risk of heat injury associated with completing these three tasks, Tc is being monitored using telemetric pills. A subject who reaches a Tc of 39.5oC will be withdrawn from the task. Preliminary testing in reasonably mild environmental conditions (15-20oC WBGTO), resulted in steady increases in Tc throughout each task, though no subject's core temperature reached 39.5 in any of the tasks.
Description:
Objective: The molecular processes associated with cardiac hypertrophy independent of blood pressure are still largely unknown. The hypertrophic heart rate (HHR) is normotensive and born with a reduced complement of cardiomyocytes that predisposes to cardiac hypertrophy and failure in later life. We investigated the expression of c-kit gene, a marker of cardiac stem cells and myocardial regeneration that could contribute to hypertrophy. Methods: Left ventricular c-kit mRNA expression was measured by real-time PCR in HHR and control strain in neonatal and 38-week old rats (n=7-12/group). We tested for linkage of c-kit expression with neonatal cardiac size in 197 second generation crosses (F2) of HHR and control strain. Results: c-kit mRNA was slightly up-regulated in neonatal (fold change +1.3, P=0.02) and markedly so in 38-week old HHR (+35.5, P=0.0003). Cardiac weight index was positively correlated with neonatal myocardial c-kit mRNA in the F2 population (r=0.19, P=0.007). Conclusions: In HHR hearts c-kit expression appears increased throughout life, but more so in the adult where cardiac hypertrophy is established and leading to failure. In aged hypertrophic hearts, over-expression of c-kit is likely a compensatory mechanism of the failing heart. Previous studies showed an activation of cardiac stem cells in the hypertrophic myocardium. Our study suggests that c-kit might be involved from an early age in mechanisms that lead to cardiac hypertrophy in adulthood.