Cell cultures and nephrolithiasis

Large bone flaps for free transfer can be successfully and safely harvested based on the deep branch of the superior gluteal artery. The anatomy is consistent, the vessels are large, and the complications of this technique are minimal.     

Big data in the public sector: Uncertainties and readiness

Big data is being implemented with success in the private sector and science. Yet the public sector seems to be falling behind, despite the potential value of big data for government. Government organizations do recognize the opportunities of big data but seem uncertain about whether they are ready for the introduction of big data, and if they are adequately equipped to use big data. This paper addresses those uncertainties. It presents an assessment framework for evaluating public organizations’ big data readiness. Doing so demystifies the concept of big data, as it is expressed in terms of specific and measureable organizational characteristics. The framework was tested by applying it to organizations in the Dutch public sector. The results suggest that organizations may be technically capable of using big data, but they will not significantly gain from these activities if the applications do not fit their organizations and main statutory tasks. The framework proved helpful in pointing out areas where public sector organizations could improve, providing guidance on how government can become more big data ready in the future.     

A Timed Verification of the IEEE 1394 Leader Election Protocol

The IEEE 1394 architecture standard defines a high performance serial multimedia bus that allows several components in a network to communicate with each other at high speed. In the physical layer of the architecture, a leader election protocol is used to find a spanning tree with a unique root in the network topology. If there is a cycle in the network, the protocol treats this as an error situation. This paper presents a formal model of the leader election protocol in the language IOA and a correctness proof. Hereby, it is shown that under certain timing restrictions the protocol behaves correctly. The timing parameters in the IEEE 1394 standard documentation obey the restrictions found in this proof.     

Automatic generation of instructional hypermedia with APHID

This research investigates the use of patterns in designing adaptable, flexible hypermedia applications. While patterns are particularly applicable to software design, they can also be used to assist designers of other types of applications. We have developed a method (APHID) that guides a hypermedia creator through the analysis and design process. The method ensures that good design principles are followed, both for the hypermedia application and for the interface that presents the hypermedia application. Our method uses a concept map, constraints, and patterns (instructional and presentation) to support partial automation for creating hypermedia applications. We also present a prototype software system that uses the APHID method to create instructional hypermedia applications semi-automatically. The applications created using APHID are tailored to specific types of learners. We conclude with a claim that this approach is applicable not just to instructional hypermedia, but to the larger problem of generating adaptable interfaces.     

Dexamethasone concentration in vitreous and serum after oral administration

OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcomes of changes in mental health policy introduced in Italy in 1978. METHODS: Data on psychiatric services, before and after the policy change, are presented. Effects of change are evaluated through indicators related to four issues: transfer of care, criminalisation of the mentally ill, suicides, and homelessness. RESULTS: Admissions of new patients to mental hospitals have been stopped and the size of the mental hospital population is now very low (26 per 100,000 population). Psychiatric care has been shifted to community services including general hospital psychiatric units. There has been an overall reduction of psychiatric hospitalisation. However, the provision of residential facilities is inadequate and community services are unevenly distributed across the country. Few negative effects of changing patterns of care have been reported, although the low quality of data limits the validity of such a conclusion. Outcome of care in areas where the full range of community services is available has been rated as satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: Although care of the mentally ill has been shifted to community services, we lack hard data on the social and clinical outcome of community care at the nation-wide level. Long-term monitoring and evaluation of community services is a high priority in Italy.     

Common and specific correlates of preadolescent internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.

The specificity of various child characteristics and environmental correlates of childhood internalizing and externalizing problems was examined using both cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses (from ages 2–3 and 4–5 years) in a general population sample of 10–11-year-olds. Specificity was defined according to a between-subjects and a within-subjects method, using parent and teacher reports of psychopathology. Temperamental withdrawal, parental internalizing psychopathology, and early single parenthood (for girls) were identified as correlates that are specific for internalizing problems, whereas temperamental high general activity level was identified as externalizing-specific. Further, parenting stress, poor school results (only for boys), and stressful life events (only for girls) were found to be common correlates of psychopathology. Research implications regarding the findings and the use of a within-subjects method are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

SO_4~(2-)/ZrO_2固体超强酸催化剂金属离子复合、改性及在乙酰丙酸制备中的研究

采用共沉淀法制备了SO42-/ZrO2-Fe2O3和SO42-/ZrO2-Al2O3双金属固体超强酸催化剂,其中SO42-/ZrO2-Fe2O3对葡萄糖水解生成5-羟甲基糠醛的反应有利,而SO42-/ZrO2-Al2O3对5-羟甲基糠醛脱羧生成乙酰丙酸的反应有利。采用沉淀-浸渍法制取两种金属离子改性的SO42-/ZrO2催化剂,该类催化剂对葡萄糖水解制5-羟甲基糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛脱羧生成乙酰丙酸的反应均有利。     

Buber on (looking at) architecture

Martin Buber (1878-1965), the eminent Jewish theologian and social philosopher, would probably prefer to be described as the founder of philosophical anthropology. He is perhaps best remembered today as author of the highly influential I and Thou (first published in 1923). This paper sets out to introduce his ideas on architecture. Buber's interest in architecture has hitherto been overlooked, probably because his only published utterance specifically on this subject dating from the final period of his life was hitherto available exclusively in Hebrew. Considerable insights into Buber's thinking about architecture can be obtained from studying this short, published text of 1957, his Foreword to Within the Space of Architecture [ BeHalalah shel Ardichalut ], the Hebrew edition of Bruno Zevi's Saper Vedere l'Architettura [ Architecture as Space: How to look at Architecture ], first published a decade earlier in Italian. For the Hebrew edition not only was the title modified but also Zevi added a special introduction as well as Buber's Foreword. Despite its brevity this Foreword enables one to deduce Buber's fundamental ideas about architecture and about our perception of it. Furthermore, their foreword also casts new light on Zevi's ideas, as enunciated in this book.     

Two-Dimensional Fast-Response Flood Modeling: Desktop Parallel Computing and Domain Tracking

Emergency flood management is enhanced by using models that can estimate the timing and location of flooding. Typically, flood routing and inundation prediction is accomplished by using one-dimensional (1D) models. These have been the models of choice because they are computationally simple and quick. However, these models do not adequately represent the complex physical processes present for shallow flows located in the floodplain or in urban areas. Two-dimensional (2D) models developed on the basis of the full hydrodynamic equations can be used to represent the complex flow phenomena that exist in the floodplain and are, therefore, recommended by the National Research Council for increased use in flood analysis studies. The major limitation of these models is the increased computational cost. Two-dimensional flood models are prime candidates for parallel computing, but traditional methods/equipment (e.g., message passing paradigm) are more complex in terms of code refactoring and hardware setup. In addition, these hardware systems may not be available or accessible to modelers conducting flood analyses. This paper presents a 2D flood model that implements multithreading for use on now-prevalent multicore computers. This desktop parallel computing architecture has been shown to decrease computation time by 14 times on a 16-processor computer and, when coupled with a wet cell tracking algorithm, has been shown to decrease computation by as much as 310 times. These accomplishments make high-fidelity flood modeling more feasible for flood inundation studies using readily available desktop computers.