Annotated Chromosome Maps for Renal Disease

A combination of linkage analyses and association studies are currently employed to promote the identification of genetic factors contributing to inherited renal disease. We have standardized and merged complex genetic data from disparate sources, creating unique chromosomal maps to enhance genetic epidemiological investigations. This database and novel renal maps effectively summarize genomic regions of suggested linkage, association, or chromosomal abnormalities implicated in renal disease. Chromosomal regions associated with potential intermediate clinical phenotypes have been integrated, adding support for particular genomic intervals. More than 500 reports from medical databases, published scientific literature, and the World Wide Web were interrogated for relevant renal-related information. Chromosomal regions highlighted for prioritized investigation of renal complications include 3q13-26, 6q22-27, 10p11-15, 16p11-13, and 18q22. Combined genetic and physical maps are effective tools to organize genetic data for complex diseases. These renal chromosome maps provide insights into renal phenotype-genotype relationships and act as a template for future genetic investigations into complex renal diseases. New data from individual researchers and/or future publications can be readily incorporated to this resource via a user-friendly web-form accessed from the website: www.qub.ac.uk/neph-res/CORGI/index.php.

Positive dilations of piecewise monotonic Markov maps

We provide an explicit formula which gives natural extensions of piecewise monotonic Markov maps defined on an interval of the real line. These maps are exact endomorphisms and define chaotic discrete dynamical systems.

DISTORTION MAPS FROM PREFERENTIAL HYPERACUITY PERIMETRY ARE HELPFUL IN MONITORING FUNCTIONAL RESPONSE TO LUCENTIS THERAPY

Purpose: To use preferential hyperacuity perimetry to obtain a quantitative measure of central visual field distortion that would aid in the monitoring of functional responsiveness to ranibizumab treatment.

Secular trends, disease maps and ecological analyses of the incidence of childhood onset type 1 diabetes in Northern Ireland, 1989-2003

Aims To investigate secular trends in the incidence of Type 1 diabetes in Northern Ireland over the period 1989-2003. To highlight geographical variations in the incidence of Type 1 diabetes by producing disease maps and to compare incidence rates by relevant area characteristics.

Light emission from gold and silver thin films in a scanning tunneling microscope: role of contamination and interpretation of grain structure in photon maps

Scanning tunnelling microscope (STM) tip-induced light emission from Au and Ag has been studied. Thin film samples similar to100nm thick were prepared by thermal evaporation at 0.5nm/s onto a room-temperature glass substrate to produce grains of 20-50nm in lateral dimension at the surface. Light emission from the samples in the STM was quasi-simultaneously recorded with the topography, at 1.8V tip bias and 3-40nA current, alternating pixel by pixel at the same bias. Typically, a surface scan range of 150 nm x 150 nm was surveyed. Au, W and PtIr tips were used.

Understanding the socio-economic distribution of multiple deprivation: An application of self-organising maps

In this paper we seek to contribute to recent efforts to develop and implement multi-dimensional approaches to social exclusion by applying self-organising maps (SOMs) to a set of material deprivation indicators from the Irish component of EU-SILC. The first stage of our analysis involves the identification of sixteen clusters that confirm the multi-dimensional nature of deprivation in contemporary Ireland and the limitations of focusing solely on income. In going beyond this mapping stage, we consider both patterns of socio-economic differentiation in relation to cluster membership and the extent to which such membership contributes to our understanding of economic stress. Our analysis makes clear the continuing importance of traditional forms of stratification relating to factors such as income, social class and housing tenure in accounting for patterns of multiple deprivation. However, it also confirms the role of acute life events and life cycle and location influences. Most importantly, it demonstrates that conclusions relating to the relative impact of different kinds of socio-economic influences are highly dependent on the form of deprivation being considered. Our analysis suggests that debates relating to the extent to which poverty and social exclusion have become individualized should take particular care to distinguish between different kinds of outcomes. Further analysis demonstrates that the SOM approach is considerably more successful than a comparable latent class analysis in identifying those exposed to subjective economic stress. (C) 2010 International Sociological Association Research Committee 28 on Social Stratification and Mobility. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mapping patterns of multiple deprivation using self-organising maps: An application to EU-SILC data for Ireland

The development of conceptual frameworks for the analysis of social exclusion has somewhat out-stripped related methodological developments. This paper seeks to contribute to filling this gap through the application of self-organising maps (SOMs) to the analysis of a detailed set of material deprivation indicators relating to the Irish case. The SOM approach allows us to offer a differentiated and interpretable picture of the structure of multiple deprivation in contemporary Ireland. Employing this approach, we identify 16 clusters characterised by distinct profiles across 42 deprivation indicators. Exploratory analyses demonstrate that, controlling for equivalised household income, SOM cluster membership adds substantially to our ability to predict subjective economic stress. Moreover, in comparison with an analogous latent class approach, the SOM analysis offers considerable additional discriminatory power in relation to individuals' experience of their economic circumstances. The results suggest that the SOM approach could prove a valuable addition to a 'methodological platform' for analysing the shape and form of social exclusion. (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.