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Successful
Kinds of Successful Terms modified by Successful Selected AbstractsSUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL PARTICIPATORY ARRANGEMENTS: WHY IS THERE A PARTICIPATORY MOVEMENT AT THE LOCAL LEVEL?JOURNAL OF URBAN AFFAIRS, Issue 3 2010LAURENCE BHERER ABSTRACT:,The objective of this article is to explore some of the reasons for the growing number of participatory arrangements at the local level. An approach in terms of governance allows us to examine the underlying patterns of logic that induce public authorities to develop new policy tools such as participatory arrangements. Our study focuses on a medium-sized French city, Bordeaux, where eight types of relatively weak participatory arrangements have been implemented since 1995. The article shows that the French government and European Union have fostered this type of arrangement through a complex series of public programs and policies with the aim of rebuilding their political legitimacy by encouraging participation at the municipal level. This approach is relevant to understanding the origin of the reforms affecting local governments over the past decade. [source] Joint liaison psychiatry,diabetes clinic: a new specialist serviceDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 6 2000C. Mitchell Summary Aims Specialist diabetes clinics have an established role in prevention and management of complications. As psychological problems are usually treated separately from diabetes centres, the role of a specialist psychiatrist within a teaching hospital was assessed. The aims of the study were to describe referral patterns, specific psychiatric conditions and treatments offered. Results During weekly outpatient sessions over a 12-month period, 31 patients were referred with a wide range of psychiatric diagnoses. One-third of patients were seen on the day and two-thirds within 2 weeks of referral. Treatments included anti-depressant medication, counselling and cognitive behaviour therapy. Successful discharge was obtained in 10 subjects and eight were undergoing continued treatment. Conclusions The range of specific diagnoses requiring psychiatric supervision supported the role of specifically trained personnel as seen in a joint liaison psychiatry,diabetes service. Keywords diabetes mellitus, joint clinic, liaison psychiatry [source] Genetically Engineered: Why Some Venture Capital Firms Are More Successful Than OthersENTREPRENEURSHIP THEORY AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009Jennifer M. Walske While venture capital has received a tremendous amount of attention, prior research has predominantly looked at venture capital firms (VCFs) post raising their first fund. In this paper, we move the point of analysis back further and ask what type of founding team experience best predicts VCF success, controlling for firm strategy, firm size, and the environment upon which the firm was born. Empirical results show that venture capital, senior management, and consulting experience aids VCF success, while entrepreneurial experience impedes it. None of the control variables affect a VCF's ability to raise subsequent funds. [source] Evolutionary response of landraces to climate change in centers of crop diversityEVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS (ELECTRONIC), Issue 5-6 2010Kristin L. Mercer Abstract Landraces cultivated in centers of crop diversity result from past and contemporary patterns of natural and farmer-mediated evolutionary forces. Successful in situ conservation of crop genetic resources depends on continuity of these evolutionary processes. Climate change is projected to affect agricultural production, yet analyses of impacts on in situ conservation of crop genetic diversity and farmers who conserve it have been absent. How will crop landraces respond to alterations in climate? We review the roles that phenotypic plasticity, evolution, and gene flow might play in sustaining production, although we might expect erosion of genetic diversity if landrace populations or entire races lose productivity. For example, highland maize landraces in southern Mexico do not express the plasticity necessary to sustain productivity under climate change, but may evolve in response to altered conditions. The outcome for any given crop in a given region will depend on the distribution of genetic variation that affects fitness and patterns of climate change. Understanding patterns of neutral and adaptive diversity from the population to the landscape scale is essential to clarify how landraces conserved in situ will continue to evolve and how to minimize genetic erosion of this essential natural resource. [source] The UCLan community engagement and service user support (Comensus) project: valuing authenticity, making space for emergenceHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 4 2007Soo Downe BA (Hons) RM MSc PhD Abstract Objective, To develop and evaluate service user, carer and community involvement in health and social care education. Background, Despite the high policy profile of involvement issues, there appear to be no published accounts of schemes that have used a systematic whole-faculty approach to community engagement in health and social care higher education. Focus of this paper, The set up and early development of a faculty-wide community engagement project. Setting and participants, Staff from the faculty of health in one University, local service users and carers and community group project workers and local National Health Service (NHS) and public sector staff. Design, Participatory action research including document review, field notes, questionnaires and interviews. Analysis, Thematic analysis. The emerging themes were tested by seeking disconfirming data, and through verification with stake-holders. Results, Prior to the study, there were examples of community engagement in the participating faculty, but they occurred in specific departments, and scored low on the ,ladder of involvement'. Some previous attempts at engagement were perceived to have failed, resulting in resistance from staff and the community. Despite this, an advisory group was successfully formed, and project framing and development evolved with all stake-holders over the subsequent year. The four themes identified in this phase were: building accessibility; being ,proper' service users/carers;moving from suspicion to trust: mutually respectful partnerships as a basis for sustainable change; and responses to challenge and emergence. Conclusions, Successful and sustainable engagement requires authenticity. Many problems and solutions arising from authentic engagement are emergent, and potentially challenging to organizations. [source] Somatosensory working memory performance in humans depends on both engagement and disengagement of regions in a distributed networkHUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, Issue 1 2010Saskia Haegens Abstract Successful working memory (WM) requires the engagement of relevant brain areas but possibly also the disengagement of irrelevant areas. We used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to elucidate the temporal dynamics of areas involved in a somatosensory WM task. We found an increase in gamma band activity in the primary and secondary somatosensory areas during encoding and retention, respectively. This was accompanied by an increase of alpha band activity over task-irrelevant regions including posterior and ipsilateral somatosensory cortex. Importantly, the alpha band increase was strongest during successful WM performance. Furthermore, we found frontal gamma band activity that correlated both with behavioral performance and the alpha band increase. We suggest that somatosensory gamma band activity reflects maintenance and attention-related components of WM operations, whereas alpha band activity reflects frontally controlled disengagement of task-irrelevant regions. Our results demonstrate that resource allocation involving the engagement of task-relevant and disengagement of task-irrelevant regions is needed for optimal task execution. Hum Brain Mapp, 2010. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Indirect Ingratiation: Pleasing People by Associating Them with Successful Others and by Praising Their AssociatesHUMAN COMMUNICATION RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010Nurit Tal-Or Most of the literature on impression management considers direct tactics such as self-promoting by mentioning personal achievements and ingratiating by complimenting others. These direct tactics can backfire if the target recognizes the hidden motive behind them. Therefore, people often use indirect impression management tactics. Previous research has shown that people promote themselves indirectly by associating themselves with successful others or by magnifying the characteristics of others to whom they are connected. The current research suggests that when the motive is ingratiation, the impression manager highlights the success of a person who is close to the target of ingratiation. The four experiments of the current research documented this tactic and examined its consequences for the impression manager and for the target. La recherche indirecte de faveurs : plaire aux gens en les associant à des personnes ayant réussi et en faisant l'éloge de leurs proches Nurit Tal-Or La plupart de la littérature sur la gestion de l'impression examine les tactiques directes comme l'autopromotion par la mention de réussites personnelles et la recherche des faveurs des autres en les complimentant. Ces tactiques directes peuvent avoir l'effet inverse si la cible reconnaît la motivation cachée derrière. Les gens utilisent donc souvent des tactiques indirectes de gestion de l'impression. La littérature a montré que les gens se promeuvent indirectement en s'associant avec des gens ayant réussi ou en embellissant les caractéristique de ceux et celles auxquels ils sont liés. Cette étude suggère que lorsque le motif est la recherche de faveurs, la personne qui gère l'impression souligne les succès d'un individu proche de celui ou celle dont elle veut les faveurs. Les quatre expériences de cette étude ont documenté cette tactique et examiné ses conséquences pour la personne gérant l'impression et pour sa cible. Indirekte Integration: Das Zufriedenstellen von Menschen durch die Assoziation mit erfolgreichen Anderen und durch das Loben ihrer Kollegen Nurit Tal-Or Die meiste Literatur zu Impression-Management betrachtet direkte Taktiken wie Selbsterhöhung durch das Erwähnen persönlicher Errungenschaften und das Beliebtmachen durch das Verteilen von Komplimenten an andere. Diese direkten Taktiken können sich allerdings ins Gegenteil verkehren, wenn die Zielperson die dahinter versteckten Motive bemerkt. Daher nutzen Menschen oft indirekte Taktiken des Impression-Management. Forschung zeigt, dass Menschen sich indirekt erhöhen, indem sie sich mit erfolgreichen anderen in Verbindung setzen oder indem sie die Eigenschaften anderer überhöhen, mit denen sie sich assoziieren. Vorliegende Studie zeigt, dass wenn das Motiv Beliebtmachen ist, der Impression-Manager den Erfolg einer Person hervorhebt, die nah am Ziel des Beliebtmachens ist. Die vier Experimente dokumentieren diese Taktik und untersuchen seine Konsequenzen für Impression-Manager und für das Ziel. El Congraciamiento Indirecto: Satisfaciendo a las Personas mediante su Asociación con Otros más Exitosos y mediante el Elogio de sus Asociados Nurit Tal-Or Department of Communication, University of Haifa, Mount Carmel, Haifa 31905, Israel Resumen Mucha de la literatura sobre el manejo de la impresión considera las tácticas directas tales como la promoción personal a través de la mención de logros personales y el congraciamiento a través del halago a otros. Estas tácticas directas pueden fracasar si el objetivo o blanco reconoce el motivo escondido detrás de ellos. Por consiguiente, la gente usa a menudo tácticas indirectas de manejo de la impresión. La investigación previa ha demostrado que la gente se auto promueve indirectamente mediante la asociación de sí mismo con otros más exitosos o incrementando las características de los otros con quienes ellos están conectados. La investigación corriente sugiere que cuando el motivo es el congraciamiento, el manejador de la impresión destaca el éxito de la persona cercana al blanco de congraciamiento. Los 4 experimentos de la corriente investigación documentaron esta táctica y examinaron sus consecuencias para el que maneja la impresión y para el blanco. [source] Market Valuation of Successful versus Non-successful R&D Efforts in the Pharmaceutical IndustryJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 9-10 2004Rebecca Toppe Shortridge Abstract: This paper examines the relationship between a non-financial measure of successful research and development (R&D) efforts in the pharmaceutical industry and R&D expenditures. I hypothesize that the R&D of successful producers will be valued more by the market than the R&D of non-successful producers. The regression results support the hypothesis. In the primary model, R&D is not associated with price; however, the coefficient on the interaction between R&D and successful developers is positively related to stock price. This implies that the market values the R&D expenditures of successful developers but not the expenditures of less-successful developers. [source] Turning the tide: Enabling sustainable development for Africa's mobile pastoralistsNATURAL RESOURCES FORUM, Issue 3 2008Jonathan Davies Abstract Sustainable development for Africa's mobile pastoralists is slowly becoming a reality. Success depends to a large extent on understanding the dynamics of drylands environments, accepting the logic of customary mobile livestock keeping, and enabling effective governance. Appropriate investment in pastoralism requires a clear understanding of the values that are attached to it and innovative approaches to marketing of the goods and services that emanate from the system. To make development truly sustainable it is imperative that the environmental services of pastoralism are recognised, rewarded and promoted. Constraints to sustainable pastoral development include low and misdirected public and private investment, weak security of resource rights, low human capital, weak pastoral voice and poor governance. Successful and sustainable development is observed in pastoral regions where customary governance has been legitimized, resource rights secured and economic development of the pastoral sector, as opposed to transformation of livestock keeping, has prevailed. This article presents state-of-the-art knowledge on sustainable pastoralism, gathered through the GEF/UNDP/IUCN World Initiative for Sustainable Pastoralism (WISP), with data and case studies taken from three recently published WISP reports: "Global Economic Review of Pastoralism", "Pastoralism as Conservation in the Horn of Africa", and "Policy Impacts on Pastoral Environments". [source] Successful cell-mediated cytokine-activated immunotherapy for relapsed acute myeloid leukemia after hematopoietic stem cell transplantationAMERICAN JOURNAL OF HEMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2009Benjamin Gesundheit Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an extremely aggressive disease with a high relapse rate even after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We report the successful outcome of cell-mediated cytokine-activated immunotherapy in a high-risk pediatric AML patient who relapsed shortly after allogeneic HSCT. Donor lymphocyte infusion along with interferon induced a graft-versus-leukemia effect, presenting as a reversible episode of graft-versus-host disease, which led to stable complete donor chimerism and total eradication of AML for over 24 months, at the time of this report. The curative potential of immunotherapy in hematological malignancies is discussed. Am. J. Hematol., 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Successful in utero treatment of parvovirus B19,induced fetal hydrops in a case of twin pregnancyPRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 4 2005O. Graesslin No abstract is available for this article. [source] Successful Living Donor Liver Transplantation in Portomesenteric ThrombosisAMERICAN JOURNAL OF TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 6 2010S. G. Iyer Chronic portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is often considered a relative contraindication for living donor liver transplantation due to the risks involved and higher morbidity. In this report, we describe a surgical strategy for living donor liver transplant in patient with complete PVT using venovenous bypass from the inferior mesenteric vein (IMV) and then using a jump graft from the IMV for portal inflow into the graft. IMV is a potential source for portal inflow in orthotopic liver transplant. [source] Successful early weaning of Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) in small shallow raceway systemsAQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 3 2001T Næss Abstract Small raceways were used in a weaning experiment with Atlantic halibut (Hippoglossus hippoglossus L.) larvae. The size of the tanks was 1.0 × 0.4 m with a 1- to 2-cm water level. Duplicate larval groups were transferred to the raceways from circular first feeding tanks at 0.07, 0.10 and 0.16 g wet weight, while recommended weaning size of this species is 0.2,0.3 g. During the first 7 days of weaning, Artemia was used as a food supplement in combination with the formulated dry feed. Thereafter only dry feed was used. The dry feed used in this experiment was produced by a special heat technique. The 0.07, 0.10 and 0.16 g larval groups were evaluated after 31, 25 and 17 days respectively (same date) The corresponding average survival was 81.4%, 78.0% and 96.6% and the specific daily growth rate was 3.18%, 3.17% and 2.38% respectively. In the Artemia control group, a survival rate of 96.0% and a growth rate of 5.28% was achieved. To evaluate the weaning success, the groups were followed in a 22-day post-weaning period on a commercial dry diet. Higher growth rates, 5.8,6.9%, were then obtained in all experimental groups, except control. The survival here averaged approximately 80% in the three experimental groups, but showed some differences between replicates. One hundred per cent survival was achieved during weaning in the former Artemia group. From the start of weaning to the end of the post-weaning period, the survival rates averaged 64% for the 0.07 and 0.10 g groups, approximately 80% for the 0.16 g group and 96% in the Artemia control group. Higher variance (CV) through the experiment and highest growth of the 75% quartiles of the fish groups compared with the 50% and 25%, indicated suppressed growth of the smaller fish. The successful weaning at these small sizes considerably reduced the live food period. Based on the present knowledge of the energetic demands of this species, it is calculated that weaning at 0.07 g compared with 0.25 g will reduce the amount of Artemia needed by at least 60%. No differences in pigmentation or degree of completed eye migration were detected between groups, indicating that this is determined at earlier developmental stages. [source] What Makes an Aboriginal Council Successful?AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, Issue 4 2009Case Studies of Aboriginal Community Government Performance in Far North Queensland Indigenous community governments are at the frontline of current efforts to ,close the gap' between Indigenous and non-Indigenous living standards. Yet there is little empirical evidence about successful performance by these organisations and considerable scepticism about whether introduced Western governance models can ever be viable in Indigenous communities. To identify the governance attributes that contribute to successful performance, case studies were conducted at three Aboriginal councils in far north Queensland. The untested assumptions in current notions of ,good governance' were examined. Currently accepted good governance principles and practices were investigated to ascertain their actual causal relationship with council performance. The research further identified key contextual, historical and cultural factors that are important in shaping successful or unsuccessful governance. Practical strategies are suggested for policy-makers and Indigenous leaders to build the performance of Indigenous community governments. [source] Reoperative surgery for primary hyperparathyroidismBRITISH JOURNAL OF SURGERY (NOW INCLUDES EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SURGERY), Issue 7 2009D. K. Bartsch Successful in up to 90 per cent of patients [source] Study Finds Up to Half of Phase III Clinical Trials SuccessfulCA: A CANCER JOURNAL FOR CLINICIANS, Issue 4 2008Article first published online: 31 DEC 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Comparison of Nebulized Epinephrine to Albuterol in BronchiolitisACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2008Paul Walsh MB Abstract Objectives:, To compare the effect of nebulized racemic epinephrine to nebulized racemic albuterol on successful discharge from the emergency department (ED). Methods:, Children up to their 18th month of life presenting to two teaching hospital EDs with a clinical diagnosis of bronchiolitis who were ill enough to warrant treatment but did not need immediate intubation were eligible for this double-blind randomized controlled trial (RCT). Patients received either three doses of racemic albuterol or one dose of racemic epinephrine plus two saline nebulizers. Disposition was decided 2 hours after the first nebulizer. Successful discharge was defined as not requiring additional bronchodilators in the ED after study drug administration and not subsequently admitted within 72 hours. Adjusted relative risks (aRR) were estimated using the modified Poisson regression with successful discharge as the dependent variable and study drug and severity of illness as exposures. Secondary analysis was performed for patients aged less than 12 months and first presentation. Results:, The authors analyzed 703 patients; 352 patients were given albuterol and 351 epinephrine. A total of 173 in the albuterol group and 160 in the epinephrine group were successfully discharged (crude RR = 1.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.92 to 1.26). When adjusted for severity of illness, patients who received albuterol were significantly more likely than patients receiving epinephrine to be successfully discharged (aRR = 1.18, 95% CI = 1.02 to 1.36). This was also true among those with first presentation and in those less than 12 months of age. Conclusions:, In children up to the 18th month of life, ED treatment of bronchiolitis with nebulized racemic albuterol led to more successful discharges than nebulized epinephrine. [source] Successful rescue of late-onset acute T-cell mediated rejection with anti-CD25 antibody: a case reportCLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2009Takahiro Osawa Abstract:, A 56-yr-old Japanese male with a history of diabetic nephropathy underwent a HLA 5/6 mismatch and ABO-compatible living-related kidney transplantation (donor: his 49-yr-old wife). A pre-transplant standard NIH complement-dependent cytotoxicity cross-match (Xm) test, a flow-cytometric T-cell Xm, and a FlowPRAÔ test were totally negative. Inductionimmunosuppressive protocol consisted of tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, methylprednisolone, and basiliximab (BAS). The patient's post-operative course was almost uneventful, and the graft was functioning well (sCr 1.1 mg/dL). He developed general fatigue, and his sCr was elevated to 2.2 mg/dL 792 d after transplant. A graft biopsy showed acute T-cell mediated rejection Banff grade IB (i3, t3, g0, v0, ptc0, C4d staining negative). The conventional anti-rejection therapy could not improve his graft function; therefore, we added BAS to eliminate activated graft-infiltrating T-cells. He responded to the rescue therapy, and the improvement in graft function was confirmed by a subsequent graft biopsy. He enjoyed his health without any opportunistic infections. [source] Successful rescue and maintenance of long-term remission of anti-HLA antibody-mediated acute allograft rejection by rituximab-containing therapy: case reportCLINICAL TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 2008Yasuo Takeuchi Abstract:, A 38-yr-old man with chronic renal failure received a second kidney transplantation from a cadaveric donor. Complement-dependent cytotoxicity cross-match (CDC) was negative against T cells, but positive with the B-cell warm test. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-typing showed a one haplo-identical match. The blood type was compatible. He was treated with tacrolimus, mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), methylpredonisolone (MP), and basiliximab as immunosuppressive therapy. A clinical episode graft biopsy and Flow-PRA on post-operative day (POD) 19 showed anti-HLA antibody-mediated acute rejection (AHR). The patient was treated with plasmapheresis (PP). Renal biopsy performed on POD 65 because of re-rise of serum creatinine level showed worsening of renal injury. The patient was treated with rituximab (100 mg/body) with PP and MP pulse therapy, followed by tacrolimus and MMF. Graft function thereafter improved. A renal allograft biopsy specimen on POD 300 and Flow-PRA showed the remission of AHR within one-yr after transplantation. [source] PREDICTING THE IMPACT OF ANTICIPATORY ACTION ON U.S. STOCK MARKET,AN EVENT STUDY USING ANFIS (A NEURAL FUZZY MODEL)COMPUTATIONAL INTELLIGENCE, Issue 2 2007P. Cheng In this study, the adaptive neural fuzzy inference system (ANFIS), a hybrid fuzzy neural network, is adopted to predict the actions of the investors (when and whether they buy or sell) in a stock market in anticipation of an event,changes in interest rate, announcement of its earnings by a major corporation in the industry, or the outcome of a political election for example. Generally, the model is relatively more successful in predicting when the investors take actions than what actions they take and the extent of their activities. The findings do demonstrate the learning and predicting potential of the ANFIS model in financial applications, but at the same time, suggest that some of the market behaviors are too complex to be predictable. [source] Interactive Graphics for Computer Adaptive TestingCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 8 2009I. Cheng K.3.1 [Computer Milieux]: Computer and Education , Computer Uses in Education; I.3.8 [Computing Methodologies]: Computer Graphics , Application Abstract Interactive graphics are commonly used in games and have been shown to be successful in attracting the general audience. Instead of computer games, animations, cartoons, and videos being used only for entertainment, there is now an interest in using interactive graphics for ,innovative testing'. Rather than traditional pen-and-paper tests, audio, video and graphics are being conceived as alternative means for more effective testing in the future. In this paper, we review some examples of graphics item types for testing. As well, we outline how games can be used to interactively test concepts; discuss designing chemistry item types with interactive 3D graphics; suggest approaches for automatically adjusting difficulty level in interactive graphics based questions; and propose strategies for giving partial marks for incorrect answers. We study how to test different cognitive skills, such as music, using multimedia interfaces; and also evaluate the effectiveness of our model. Methods for estimating difficulty level of a mathematical item type using Item Response Theory (IRT) and a molecule construction item type using Graph Edit Distance are discussed. Evaluation of the graphics item types through extensive testing on some students is described. We also outline the application of using interactive graphics over cell phones. All of the graphics item types used in this paper are developed by members of our research group. [source] A Semi-Lagrangian CIP Fluid Solver without Dimensional SplittingCOMPUTER GRAPHICS FORUM, Issue 2 2008Doyub Kim Abstract In this paper, we propose a new constrained interpolation profile (CIP) method that is stable and accurate but requires less amount of computation compared to existing CIP-based solvers. CIP is a high-order fluid advection solver that can reproduce rich details of fluids. It has third-order accuracy but its computation is performed over a compact stencil. These advantageous features of CIP are, however, diluted by the following two shortcomings: (1) CIP contains a defect in the utilization of the grid data, which makes the method suitable only for simulations with a tight CFL restriction; and (2) CIP does not guarantee unconditional stability. There have been several attempts to fix these problems in CIP, but they have been only partially successful. The solutions that fixed both problems ended up introducing other undesirable features, namely increased computation time and/or reduced accuracy. This paper proposes a novel modification of the original CIP method that fixes all of the above problems without increasing the computational load or reducing the accuracy. Both quantitative and visual experiments were performed to test the performance of the new CIP in comparison to existing fluid solvers. The results show that the proposed method brings significant improvements in both accuracy and speed. [source] Parallel programming on a high-performance application-runtimeCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 18 2008Wojtek James Goscinski Abstract High-performance application development remains challenging, particularly for scientists making the transition to a heterogeneous grid environment. In general areas of computing, virtual environments such as Java and .Net have proved to be successful in fostering application development, allowing users to target and compile to a single environment, rather than a range of platforms, instruction sets and libraries. However, existing runtime environments are focused on business and desktop computing and they do not support the necessary high-performance computing (HPC) abstractions required by e-Scientists. Our work is focused on developing an application-runtime that can support these services natively. The result is a new approach to the development of an application-runtime for HPC: the Motor system has been developed by integrating a high-performance communication library directly within a virtual machine. The Motor message passing library is integrated alongside and in cooperation with other runtime libraries and services while retaining a strong message passing performance. As a result, the application developer is provided with a common environment for HPC application development. This environment supports both procedural languages, such as C, and modern object-oriented languages, such as C#. This paper describes the unique Motor architecture, presents its implementation and demonstrates its performance and use. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Incentive-based scheduling in Grid computingCONCURRENCY AND COMPUTATION: PRACTICE & EXPERIENCE, Issue 14 2006Yanmin Zhu Abstract With the rapid development of high-speed wide-area networks and powerful yet low-cost computational resources, Grid computing has emerged as an attractive computing paradigm. In typical Grid environments, there are two distinct parties, resource consumers and resource providers. Enabling an effective interaction between the two parties (i.e. scheduling jobs of consumers across the resources of providers) is particularly challenging due to the distributed ownership of Grid resources. In this paper, we propose an incentive-based peer-to-peer (P2P) scheduling for Grid computing, with the goal of building a practical and robust computational economy. The goal is realized by building a computational market supporting fair and healthy competition among consumers and providers. Each participant in the market competes actively and behaves independently for its own benefit. A market is said to be healthy if every player in the market gets sufficient incentive for joining the market. To build the healthy computational market, we propose the P2P scheduling infrastructure, which takes the advantages of P2P networks to efficiently support the scheduling. The proposed incentive-based algorithms are designed for consumers and providers, respectively, to ensure every participant gets sufficient incentive. Simulation results show that our approach is successful in building a healthy and scalable computational economy. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Prospective Comparison of Ultrasound-guided and Blindly Placed Radial Arterial CathetersACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 12 2006Stephen Shiver MD Abstract Background Arterial cannulation for continuous blood-pressure measurement and frequent arterial-blood sampling commonly are required in critically ill patients. Objectives To compare ultrasound (US)-guided versus traditional palpation placement of arterial lines for time to placement, number of attempts, sites used, and complications. Methods This was a prospective, randomized interventional study at a Level 1 academic urban emergency department with an annual census of 78,000 patients. Patients were randomized to either palpation or US-guided groups. Inclusion criteria were any adult patient who required an arterial line according to the treating attending. Patients who had previous attempts at an arterial line during the visit, or who could not be randomized because of time constraints, were excluded. Enrollment was on a convenience basis, during hours worked by researchers over a six-month period. Patients in either group who had three failed attempts were rescued with the other technique for patient comfort. Statistical analysis included Fisher's exact, Mann-Whitney, and Student's t-tests. Results Sixty patients were enrolled, with 30 patients randomized to each group. Patients randomized to the US group had a shorter time required for arterial line placement (107 vs. 314 seconds; difference, 207 seconds; p = 0.0004), fewer placement attempts (1.2 vs. 2.2; difference, 1; p = 0.001), and fewer sites required for successful line placement (1.1 vs. 1.6; difference, 0.5; p = 0.001), as compared with the palpation group. Conclusions In this study, US guidance for arterial cannulation was successful more frequently and it took less time to establish the arterial line as compared with the palpation method. [source] Percutaneous Closure of a Large PDA in a 35-Year-Old Man with Elevated Pulmonary Vascular ResistanceCONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 2 2008John S. Hokanson MD ABSTRACT The presence of a large patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) may result in significant pulmonary hypertension, which may not be reversible. We present the case of a 35-year-old man with pulmonary hypertension who had successful percutaneous closure of a large PDA with an Amplatzer muscular ventricular septal defect occluder and resolution of his pulmonary hypertension. The use of prior balloon test occlusion of the PDA suggested that the procedure would be successful, despite the lack of an immediate fall in the pulmonary artery pressure. [source] Respiratory Syncytial Viral Infection in an Infant with Unrepaired Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary ArteryCONGENITAL HEART DISEASE, Issue 4 2007Karen McClard MD ABSTRACT Abnormal origin of the left coronary artery from the pulmonary artery (ALCAPA) is a rare coronary anomaly in children that requires necessary and urgent repair. We report a child who was hospitalized with respiratory failure due respiratory syncytial viral (RSV) infection and was subsequently diagnosed with ALCAPA. Aggressive treatment for RSV included synagis and nebulized ribavirin prior to surgical repair. After waiting 4 weeks for the RSV infection to resolve, she underwent successful left coronary artery reimplantation on hospital day 27 and has regained normal left ventricular size and function. [source] Effects of Habitat Fragmentation on Effective Dispersal of Florida Scrub-JaysCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2010AURÉLIE COULON Aphelocoma c,rulescens; dispersión; flujo génico; fragmentación Abstract:,Studies comparing dispersal in fragmented versus unfragmented landscapes show that habitat fragmentation alters the dispersal behavior of many species. We used two complementary approaches to explore Florida Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma c,rulescens) dispersal in relation to landscape fragmentation. First, we compared dispersal distances of color-marked individuals in intensively monitored continuous and fragmented landscapes. Second, we estimated effective dispersal relative to the degree of fragmentation (as inferred from two landscape indexes: proportion of study site covered with Florida Scrub-Jay habitat and mean distance to nearest habitat patch within each study site) by comparing genetic isolation-by-distance regressions among 13 study sites having a range of landscape structures. Among color-banded individuals, dispersal distances were greater in fragmented versus continuous landscapes, a result consistent with other studies. Nevertheless, genetic analyses revealed that effective dispersal decreases as the proportion of habitat in the landscape decreases. These results suggest that although individual Florida Scrub-Jays may disperse farther as fragmentation increases, those that do so are less successful as breeders than those that disperse short distances. Our study highlights the importance of combining observational data with genetic inferences when evaluating the complex biological and life-history implications of dispersal. Resumen:,Estudios que comparan la dispersión en paisajes fragmentados versus no fragmentados muestran que la fragmentación del hábitat altera la conducta de dispersión de muchas especies. Utilizamos dos métodos complementarios para explorar la dispersión de Aphelocoma c,rulescens en relación con la fragmentación del paisaje. Primero, comparamos las distancias de dispersión de individuos marcados con color en paisajes continuos y fragmentados monitoreados intensivamente. Segundo, estimamos la dispersión efectiva en relación con el grado de fragmentación (inferida a partir de dos índices del paisaje: proporción del sitio de estudio cubierta con hábitat para A. c,rulescens y la distancia promedio al parche más cercano en cada sitio de estudio) mediante la comparación de regresiones de aislamiento genético por distancia entre 13 sitios de estudio con una gama de estructuras de paisaje. Entre los individuos marcados con color, las distancias de dispersión fueron mayores en los paisajes fragmentados versus los continuos, un resultado consistente con otros estudios. Sin embargo, los análisis genéticos revelaron que la dispersión efectiva decrece a medida que decrece la proporción de hábitat en el paisaje. Estos resultados sugieren que aunque individuos de A. c,rulescens pueden dispersarse más lejos a medida que incrementa la fragmentación, aquellos que lo hacen son reproductores menos exitosos que los que se dispersan a corta distancia. Nuestro estudio resalta la importancia de combinar datos observacionales con inferencias genéticas cuando se evalúan las complejas implicaciones de la dispersión sobre la biología y la historia natural. [source] Assessing the Effectiveness of Reserve Acquisition Programs in Protecting Rare and Threatened SpeciesCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006WILL R. TURNER Lake Wales Ridge (Florida); especies en peligro; índice de protección; Lista Roja IUCN; matorral Abstract:,Measuring the effectiveness of reserve networks is essential to ensure that conservation objectives such as species persistence are being met. We devised a new approach for measuring the effectiveness of land conservation in protecting rare and threatened species and applied it to an ecosystem of global significance. We compiled detailed global distributional data for 36 rare and threatened plants and animals found in the Lake Wales Ridge ecosystem in central Florida (U.S.A.). For each species, we developed a set of protection indices based in part on criteria used to categorize species for the World Conservation Union's Red List. We calculated protection indexes under three different conservation scenarios: a past scenario, which assumed recent, major land-acquisition efforts never occurred; a current scenario, which assumed no additional areas are saved beyond what is currently protected; and a targeted scenario, which assumed all of the remaining areas targeted for protection are eventually acquired. This approach enabled us to quantify the progress, in terms of reduced risk of extinction, that conservationists have made in protecting target species. It also revealed the limited success these land-acquisition efforts have had in reducing those extinction risks associated with loss of habitat or small geographic ranges. Many species of the Lake Wales Ridge will remain at high risk of extinction even if planned land-acquisition efforts are completely successful. By calculating protection indexes with and without each site for all imperiled species, we also quantified the contribution of each protected area to the conservation of each species, enabling local conservation decisions to be made in the context of a larger (global) perspective. The protection index approach can be adapted readily to other ecosystems with multiple rare and threatened species. Resumen:,La cuantificación de la efectividad de las redes de reservas es esencial para asegurar que objetivos, como la persistencia de especies, se cumplan. Diseñamos un nuevo método para medir la efectividad de la conservación de tierras en la protección de especies raras y amenazadas y lo aplicamos a un ecosistema de importancia global. Compilamos datos detallados de la distribución global de 36 especies raras y amenazadas de plantas y animales que se encuentran en el ecosistema de la Lake Wales Ridge en el centro de Florida (E.U.A.). Para cada especie desarrollamos un conjunto de índices de protección basado parcialmente en criterios utilizados para clasificar especies para la Lista Roja de la Unión Mundial para la Naturaleza. Calculamos los índices de protección bajo tres escenarios de conservación distintos: un escenario pasado, que asumía que los esfuerzos recientes de adquisición de tierras nunca ocurrieron; un escenario actual, que asumía que no se protegen áreas adicionales a las ya conservadas; y un escenario deseado, que asumía que todas las áreas consideradas para ser protegidas son adquiridas eventualmente. Este método nos permitió cuantificar el progreso, en términos de la reducción del riesgo de extinción, en la protección de las especies obtenido por conservacionistas. También reveló el éxito limitado de los esfuerzos de adquisición de tierras en la disminución de los riesgos de extinción asociados con la pérdida de hábitat o con rangos geográficos pequeños. Se pronosticó que muchas especies de la Lake Wales Ridge permanecerán en alto riesgo aun si los esfuerzos de adquisición de tierra planificados son completamente exitosos. Al calcular los índices de protección con y sin cada sitio para todas las especies en peligro, también cuantificamos la contribución de cada área protegida a la conservación de cada especie, lo que permite que las decisiones de conservación se tomen en el contexto de una perspectiva mayor (global). El método del índice de protección se puede adaptar fácilmente a otros ecosistemas con múltiples especies raras y amenazadas. [source] Carnivore-Livestock Conflicts: Effects of Subsidized Predator Control and Economic Correlates on the Sheep IndustryCONSERVATION BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2006KIM MURRAY BERGER Canis latrans; coyotes; depredación; evaluación de política Abstract:,Despite the importance of carnivores in terrestrial ecosystems, many nations have implemented well-coordinated, state-funded initiatives to remove predators, largely because of conflicts with humans over livestock. Although these control efforts have been successful in terms of the number of carnivores removed, their effects on the viability of the industries they seek to protect are less understood. I assessed the efficacy of long-term efforts by the U.S. government to improve the viability of the sheep industry by reducing predation losses. I used regression analysis and hierarchical partitioning of a 60-year data set to explore associations among changes in sheep numbers and factors such as predator control effort, market prices, and production costs. In addition, I compared trends in the sheep industry in the western United States, where predator control is subsidized and coyotes (Canis latrans) are abundant, with trends in eastern states that lack federally subsidized predator control and that were (1) colonized by coyotes before 1950 or (2) colonized by coyotes between 1950 and 1990. Although control efforts were positively correlated with fluctuations in sheep numbers, production costs and market prices explained most of the model variation, with a combined independent contribution of 77%. Trends in sheep numbers in eastern and western states were highly correlated (r ,0.942) independent of the period during which they were colonized by coyotes, indicating either that control has been ineffective at reducing predation losses or that factors other than predation account for the declines in both regions. These results suggest that government-subsidized predator control has failed to prevent the decline in the sheep industry and alternative support mechanisms need to be developed if the goal is to increase sheep production and not simply to kill carnivores. Resumen:,A pesar de la importancia de carnívoros en los ecosistemas terrestres, muchos países han implementado iniciativas bien coordinadas, financiadas por el gobierno, para remover depredadores, principalmente debido a conflictos entre humanos y ganado. Aunque estos esfuerzos de control han sido exitosos en términos del número de carnívoros removidos, sus efectos sobre la viabilidad de las industrias que se busca proteger son poco comprendidos. Evalué la eficacia de los esfuerzos a largo plazo del gobierno de E.U.A. para mejorar la viabilidad de la industria ovina mediante la reducción de pérdidas por depredación. Utilicé análisis de regresión y partición jerárquica de un conjunto de datos de 60 años para explorar asociaciones entre cambios en el número de ovejas y factores como el esfuerzo de control de depredadores, precios de mercado y costos de producción. Adicionalmente comparé las tendencias en la industria ovina en el oeste de Estados Unidos, donde el control de depredadores está subsidiado y los coyotes (Canis latrans) son abundantes, con las tendencias en los estados orientales que carecen de control subsidiado federalmente y que fueron (1) colonizados por coyotes antes de 1950 o (2) colonizados por coyotes entre 1950 y 1990. Aunque los esfuerzos de control se correlacionaron positivamente con las fluctuaciones en el número de ovejas, los costos de producción y los precios de mercado explicaron la mayor parte de la variación del modelo, con una contribución independiente combinada de 77%. Las tendencias en el número de ovejas en los estados orientales y occidentales estaban muy correlacionadas (r , 0.942) independientemente del período en que fueron colonizados por coyotes, lo que indica que el control ha sido ineficiente en la reducción de depredación o que factores, distintos a la depredación, son responsables de las declinaciones en ambas regiones. Estos resultados sugieren que el control subsidiado por el gobierno ha fallado en prevenir la declinación de la industria ovina y que se necesitan desarrollar mecanismos de soporte alternativos si la meta es incrementar la producción de ovejas y no simplemente matar carnívoros. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||