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Precise Understanding (precise + understanding)
Selected AbstractsComplex Oxide Interfaces: Determination of Electronic Structure of Oxide,Oxide Interfaces by Photoemission Spectroscopy (Adv. Mater.ADVANCED MATERIALS, Issue 26-27 201027/2010) Precise understanding of structure , property relationships at interfaces is critical for electronic devices, particularly at the nanometer scale, and can be achieved by a synergy of high-quality growth, advanced characterization, and first principles theory (on page 2950). [source] Fibre types in skeletal muscle: a personal accountACTA PHYSIOLOGICA, Issue 4 2010S. Schiaffino Abstract Muscle performance is in part dictated by muscle fibre composition and a precise understanding of the genetic and acquired factors that determine the fibre type profile is important in sport science, but is also relevant to neuromuscular diseases and to metabolic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes. The dissection of the signalling pathways that determine or modulate the muscle fibre phenotype has thus potential clinical significance. In this brief review, I examine the evolution of the notion of muscle fibre types, discuss some aspects related to species differences, point at problems in the interpretation of transgenic and knockout models and show how in vivo transfection can be used to identify regulatory factors involved in fibre type diversification, focusing on the calcineurin-nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFAT) pathway. [source] ,-cell development: the role of intercellular signalsDIABETES OBESITY & METABOLISM, Issue 2008R. Scharfmann Understanding in detail how pancreatic endocrine cells develop is important for many reasons. From a scientific point of view, elucidation of such a complex process is a major challenge. From a more applied point of view, this may help us to better understand and treat specific forms of diabetes. Although a variety of therapeutic approaches are well validated, no cure for diabetes is available. Many arguments indicate that the development of new strategies to cure diabetic patients will require precise understanding of the way ,-cells form during development. This is obvious for a future cell therapy using ,-cells produced from embryonic stem cells. This also holds true for therapeutic approaches based on regenerative medicine. In this review, we summarize our current knowledge concerning pancreatic development and focus on the role of extracellular signals implicated in ,-cell development from pancreatic progenitors. [source] Rural Youth Migration Trends in Australia: an Overview of Recent Trends and Two Inland Case StudiesGEOGRAPHICAL RESEARCH, Issue 2 2008NEIL ARGENT Abstract Much of what has been written on the topic of Australian rural youth migration trends and processes has often proceeded from data-free, or data-poor grounds. In this context, this paper analyses recent trends in youth (15 to 24 years of age) migration for a temporally-consistent set of Statistical Divisions (SDs) in inland rural Australia, and for local government areas within the Northern Tablelands and Slopes and Ranges of northern New South Wales and the Western Australian Central Wheatbelt. The paper finds that rates of youth loss from rural regions have increased over the past twenty years. Yet the patterns, processes, causes and impacts of rural youth migration are distributed in a spatially-uneven fashion. Some remote areas are receiving net migration gains while booming ,sea change' coastal regions have experienced heavy losses. While the ,flight to the bright city lights' syndrome is evident, relatively high proportions of young people in the Northern SD of NSW move within their immediate region. Nevertheless, some common understandings concerning youth mobility were also confirmed. Gender differentials in migration propensity between women and men are evident even at quite local scales. Young people are also more likely to search out capital cities than the rest of the population. Most inland areas still continue to experience heavy losses of local youth. A more precise understanding of rural youth migration trends is an important stepping stone in the establishment of a reinvigorated research effort into young rural people's perspectives of their changing life chances in their home communities. [source] Keynote paper: Unlocking the learning value of wireless mobile devicesJOURNAL OF COMPUTER ASSISTED LEARNING, Issue 3 2003J. Roschelle Abstract Many researchers see the potential of wireless mobile learning devices to achieve large-scale impact on learning because of portability, low cost, and communications features. This enthusiasm is shared but the lessons drawn from three well-documented uses of connected handheld devices in education lead towards challenges ahead. First, ,wireless, mobile learning' is an imprecise description of what it takes to connect learners and their devices together in a productive manner. Research needs to arrive at a more precise understanding of the attributes of wireless networking that meet acclaimed pedagogical requirements and desires. Second, ,pedagogical applications' are often led down the wrong road by complex views of technology and simplistic views of social practices. Further research is needed that tells the story of rich pedagogical practice arising out of simple wireless and mobile technologies. Third, ,large scale' impact depends on the extent to which a common platform, that meets the requirements of pedagogically rich applications, becomes available. At the moment ,wireless mobile technologies for education' are incredibly diverse and incompatible; to achieve scale, a strong vision will be needed to lead to standardisation, overcoming the tendency to marketplace fragmentation. [source] Review article: somatostatin analogues in the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine (carcinoid) tumoursALIMENTARY PHARMACOLOGY & THERAPEUTICS, Issue 2 2010I. M. MODLIN Summary Background, The discovery of somatostatin (SST) and the synthesis of a variety of analogues constituted a major therapeutic advance in the treatment of gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine (carcinoid) tumours (GEP-NETs). They currently provide the most efficient treatment to achieve symptomatic relief and have recently been demonstrated to inhibit tumour growth. Aim, To review 35 years of experience regarding the clinical application and efficacy of SST analogues. Methods, The PubMed database (1972,2009) was searched using somatostatin as a search term with combinations of terms including ,treatment'; ,neuroendocrine'; ,carcinoid'; ,tumor'; ,octreotide'; ,lanreotide' and ,pasireotide'. Results, In a review of 15 studies including 481 patients, the slow-release formulations Sandostatin LAR and Somatuline SR/Autogel achieved symptomatic relief in 74.2% (61.9,92.8%) and 67.5% (40.0,100%), biochemical response in 51.4% (31.5,100%) and 39.0% (17.9,58%), and tumour response in 69.8% (47.0,87.5%) and 64.4% (48.0,87.0%) respectively. Novel SST analogues like SOM230 (pasireotide) that exhibit pan SST receptor activity and analogues with high affinity to specific somatostatin receptor (sstr) subtypes may further advance the field, but efficacy studies are lacking. Conclusion, As more precise understanding of NET cell biology evolves and molecular biological tools advance, more accurate identification of individual tumours sstr profile will probably facilitate a more precise delineation of SST analogue treatment. Aliment Pharmacol Ther,31, 169,188 [source] Genetics of cardiovascular diseases: An overviewNURSING & HEALTH SCIENCES, Issue 2 2005Carmen T Ramirez edd, acnp(c), apn-g(c) Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of illness and death in the USA, as well as other countries. Advances in genetics have led researchers to identified associations between a number of cardiac syndromes and diagnostic molecular findings. Therefore, a more precise understanding of the molecular pathways involved in cardiovascular diseases is clinically significant. Current literature suggests that while etiologies remain complex, a number of cardiovascular diseases can be linked to specific metabolic inheritable factors. A broad multifactorial model is gradually being replaced with disease specific models where independent genetic and/or teratogenic pathways may lead to a particular outcome. These genetic pathways include chromosome deletions, disruptions (translocations), duplications of particular genetic regions, point mutations involving single genes, or alteration in the ability for a gene to be transcribed into a functional protein. In this review the molecular mechanisms underlying cardiovascular diseases and their clinical manifestations will be explained. [source] Fetal Malformations and Folate Metabolism: Review of Recent EvidenceNUTRITION REVIEWS, Issue 7 2001M.B.A., Susan Moyers M.P.H. Although a reduction in incidence of neural tube defects is unequivocally linked to adequate folate status, evidence is also mounting associating folate with other fetal malformations. The emerging discoveries about single nucleotide polymorphisms have given new insight into folate biochemistry, enabling more precise understanding of how genetic variations influence folate-dependent pathways in embryogenesis. Findings suggest that folate status may be partly under genetic control, and may involve a "cocktail effect" resulting from interactions among genes, nutrients, and enzymes. Despite major laboratory advances, much of the human evidence comes from observational studies, and questions linger that cannot be definitively answered without randomized clinical trials. [source] Exploration of oligosaccharide-protein interactions in glycoprotein quality control by synthetic approachesTHE CHEMICAL RECORD, Issue 6 2006Shinya Hagihara Abstract High-mannose-type oligosaccharides, which are cotranslationally introduced to nascent polypeptides, play important roles in glycoprotein quality control. This process is highly complex, involving a number of lectins, chaperones, and glycan-processing enzymes. For example, calnexin and calreticulin (CRT) are molecular chaperones that recognize monoglucosylated forms of high-mannose-type glycans. UDP-glucose,:,glycoprotein glucosyltransferase (UGGT) only glucosylates high-mannose-type glycans attached to partially folded proteins. Fbs1 is a component of ubiquitin ligase that recognizes sugar chains. Although recent studies have clarified the properties of these proteins, most of them used oligosaccharides derived from natural sources, which contain structural heterogeneity. In order to gain a more precise understanding, we started our program to comprehensively synthesize high-mannose-type glycans associated with a protein quality control system. Additionally, investigation of artificial glycoproteins led us to the discovery of the first nonpeptidic substrate of UGGT. These synthetic oligosaccharide probes have allowed us to conduct quantitative evaluations of the activity and specificity of CRT, Fbs1, and UGGT. © 2007 The Japan Chemical Journal Forum and Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Chem Rec 6: 290,302; 2006: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com) DOI 10.1002/tcr.20088 [source] Emanuel Miller Lecture: Early onset depressions , meanings, mechanisms and processesTHE JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY AND ALLIED DISCIPLINES, Issue 12 2008Ian M. Goodyer Background:, Depressive syndromes in children and adolescents constitute a serious group of mental disorders with considerable risk for recurrence. A more precise understanding of aetiology is necessary to improve treatment and management. Methods:, Three neuroactive agents are purported to be involved in the aetiology of these disorders: serotonin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cortisol. A literature review was conducted to determine their contributions to the emergence of unipolar depressions in the adolescent years. Results:, Serotonin, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and cortisol may operate in concert within two distinct functional frameworks: atypical early epigenesis arising in the first few years of life and resulting in the formation of a vulnerable neuronal network involving in particular the amygdala and ventral prefrontal cortex. Individuals with this vulnerability are likely to show impaired mood regulation when faced with environmental demands during adolescence and over the subsequent decades; and acquired neuroendangerment, a pathological brain process leading to reduced synaptic plasticity, in particular in the hippocampus and perhaps the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmentum. This may result in motivational, cognitive and behavioural deficits at any point in the lifespan most apparent at times of environmental demand. Conclusions:, The characteristics, course and outcome of a depressive episode may depend on the extent of the involvement of both atypical early neurogenesis and acquired neuroendangerment. [source] Relativism and the Interpretation of TextsMETAPHILOSOPHY, Issue 1-2 2000Jorg J. E. Gracia This article examines the relativistic view according to which the interpretation of texts is a matter of opinion and one interpretation is as good as any other. It clarifies the question by establishing precise understandings of texts and interpretations and by introducing various distinctions between different kinds of interpretations based on their function. It argues that not all kinds of interpretations are relativistic, although all interpretations are relative, and that even those interpretations that are relativistic are not so in the same ways. [source] | |||||||||||||