The ghost in the city industrial complex: Le Corbusier and the fascist theory of Urbanisme

Le Corbusier participated in an urban dialogue with the first group in France to call itself fascist: the journalist Georges Valois’s militant Faisceau des Combattants et Producteurs (1925-1927), the “Blue Shirts,” inspired by the Italian “Fasci” of Mussolini. Le Corbusier’s portrait photograph materialised on the front cover of the January 1927 issue of the Faisceau League’s newspaper Le Nouveau Siècle edited by the former anarcho-syndicalist journalist Georges Valois, its leader, who fashioned himself as the French Mussolini. Le Corbusier was described in the Revue as one of les animateurs (the “organisers”) of the Party1 – meaning a member of the technical elite who would drive the Faisceau’s plans. On 1 May 1927, the Nouveau Siècle printed a full-page feature “Le Plan Voisin” on Le Corbusier’s 1922 redesign of Paris : the architect’s single-point perspective sketch appeared below an extract lifted from the architect’s original polemic Le Centre de Paris on the pages of Le Corbusier’s second book Urbanisme published two years earlier, a treatise on urbanism.2 Three weeks later, Le Corbusier presented a slide show of his urban plans at a fascist rally for the inauguration of the Faisceau’s new headquarters on the rue du faubourg Poissonniere, thereby crystalising the architect’s hallowed status in the league...

Toward principles of construct clarity: Exploring the usefulness of facet theory in guiding conceptualization

Conceptualization in theory development has received limited consideration despite its frequently stressed importance in Information Systems research. This paper focuses on the role of construct clarity in conceptualization, arguing that construct clarity should be considered an essential criterion for evaluating conceptualization and that a focus on construct clarity can advance conceptualization methodology. Drawing from Facet Theory literature, we formulate a set of principles for assessing construct clarity, particularly regarding a construct’s relationships to its extant related constructs. Conscious and targeted attention to this criterion can promote a research ecosystem more supportive of knowledge accumulation.

R1SVM: A randomised nonlinear approach to large-scale anomaly detection

The problem of unsupervised anomaly detection arises in a wide variety of practical applications. While one-class support vector machines have demonstrated their effectiveness as an anomaly detection technique, their ability to model large datasets is limited due to their memory and time complexity for training. To address this issue for supervised learning of kernel machines, there has been growing interest in random projection methods as an alternative to the computationally expensive problems of kernel matrix construction and sup-port vector optimisation. In this paper we leverage the theory of nonlinear random projections and propose the Randomised One-class SVM (R1SVM), which is an efficient and scalable anomaly detection technique that can be trained on large-scale datasets. Our empirical analysis on several real-life and synthetic datasets shows that our randomised 1SVM algorithm achieves comparable or better accuracy to deep auto encoder and traditional kernelised approaches for anomaly detection, while being approximately 100 times faster in training and testing.

Thermoelectric power in ultrathin films, quantum wires and carbon nanotubes under classically large magnetic field: Simplified theory and relative comparison

We study the thermoelectric power under classically large magnetic field (TPM) in ultrathin films (UFs), quantum wires (QWs) of non-linear optical materials on the basis of a newly formulated electron dispersion law considering the anisotropies of the effective electron masses, the spin-orbit splitting constants and the presence of the crystal field splitting within the framework of k.p formalism. The results of quantum confined III-V compounds form the special cases of our generalized analysis. The TPM has also been studied for quantum confined II-VI, stressed materials, bismuth and carbon nanotubes (CNs) on the basis of respective dispersion relations. It is found taking quantum confined CdGeAs2, InAs, InSb, CdS, stressed n-InSb and Bi that the TPM increases with increasing film thickness and decreasing electron statistics exhibiting quantized nature for all types of quantum confinement. The TPM in CNs exhibits oscillatory dependence with increasing carrier concentration and the signature of the entirely different types of quantum systems are evident from the plots. Besides, under certain special conditions, all the results for all the materials gets simplified to the well-known expression of the TPM for non-degenerate materials having parabolic energy bands, leading to the compatibility test. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reconstructing identity of older people in using day care services in Taiwan: A grounded theory study

Adult day care centers provide a means whereby frail or disabled older people can remain living at home particularly when their family care-givers engage in waged work. In Taiwan, adult day care services appear to meet the cultural needs of both older people and their families for whom filial care is vital. Little research attention has been paid to the use of day care services in Taiwan, the uptake rate of which is low. This grounded theory study explored the ways in which older people and family care-givers construct meanings around the use of day care services in Taiwan. The research methodology drew on the theoretical tenets of symbolic interactionism and methods were informed by the grounded theory. In-depth interviews with 30 participants were undertaken. Reconstructing identity in a shifting world is the core category of the study and reflects a process of reframing whereby older people came to new definitions of social responsibility and independence within the context of the day care center. The implications of the findings is that the older people, rather than seeking to be relieved of social responsibilities, worked very hard to frame and reframe a social role. Rather than letting the institutions undermine or disrupt their identity, the older people worked to actively negotiate and redefine the meaning of self. Thus, although reluctant to come to use the services at the outset, they found a way to manage their lives independently. Social roles and responsibilities as older parents were retained. This study explored the process of meaning construction of day care use and the ways in which this process entailed a reconstruction of the identities of the participants. The evidence from this study underlines the importance of recognizing and acknowledging subjectively conceived identities as work that older people undertake, when in care, to render their lives meaningful.

Location of Pathogenic Bacteria during Persistent Infections: Insights from an Analysis Using Game Theory

Bacterial persistent infections are responsible for a significant amount of the human morbidity and mortality. Unlike acute bacterial infections, it is very difficult to treat persistent bacterial infections (e.g. tuberculosis). Knowledge about the location of pathogenic bacteria during persistent infection will help to treat such conditions by designing novel drugs which can reach such locations. In this study, events of bacterial persistent infections were analyzed using game theory. A game was defined where the pathogen and the host are the two players with a conflict of interest. Criteria for the establishment of Nash equilibrium were calculated for this game. This theoretical model, which is very simple and heuristic, predicts that during persistent infections pathogenic bacteria stay in both intracellular and extracellular compartments of the host. The result of this study implies that a bacterium should be able to survive in both intracellular and extracellular compartments of the host in order to cause persistent infections. This explains why persistent infections are more often caused by intracellular pathogens like Mycobacterium and Salmonella. Moreover, this prediction is in consistence with the results of previous experimental studies.

Novel matrix metalloproteinases in intestinal inflammation and in cancer of the gastrointestinal tract

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) comprise a family of 23 zinc-dependent human endopeptidases that can degrade virtually all components of the extracellular matrix (ECM). They are classified into eight subgroups according to their structure and into six subgroups based on their substrate-specificity. MMPs have been implicated in inflammation, tissue destruction, cell migration, arthritis, vascular remodeling, angiogenesis, and tumor growth and invasion. MMPs are inhibited by their natural inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs). Different MMPs function in the same tasks depending on the tissue or cancer subtype. I investigated the role of recently discovered MMPs, especially MMPs-19 and -26, in intestinal inflammation, in intestinal and cutaneous wound healing, and in intestinal cancer. Several MMPs and TIMPs were studied to determine their exact location at tissue level and to obtain information on possible functions of MMPs in such tissues and diseases as the healthy intestine, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), and colorectal as well as pancreatic cancers. In latent celiac disease (CD), I attempted to identify markers to predict later onset of CD in children and adolescents. The main methods used were immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization, and Taqman RT-PCR. My results show that MMP-26 is important for re-epithelialization in intestinal and cutaneous wound healing. In colon and pancreatic cancers, MMP-26 seems to be a marker of invasive potential, although it is not itself expressed at the invasive front. MMP-21 is upregulated in pancreatic cancer and may be associated with tumor differentiation. MMPs-19 and -28 are associated with normal tissue turnover in the intestine, but they disappear in tumor progression as if they were protective markers . MMP-12 is an essential protease in intestinal inflammation and tissue destruction, as seen here in NEC and in previous CD studies. In patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), MMPs-1, -3, and -12 were upregulated in the intestinal mucosa. Furthermore, MMP-7 was strongly elevated in NEC. In a model of aberrant wound repair, PG, MMPs-8, -9, and 10 and TNFα may promote ECM destruction, while absence of MMP-1 and MMP-26 from keratinocytes retards re-epithelialization. Based on my results, I suggest MMP-26 to be considered a putative marker for poor prognosis in pancreatic and colon cancer. However, since it functions differently in various tissues and tumor subtypes, this use cannot be generalized. Furthermore, MMP-26 is a beneficial marker for wound healing if expressed by migrating epithelial cells. MMP-12 expression in latent CD patients warrants research in a larger patient population to confirm its role as a specific marker for CD in pathologically indistinct cases. MMP-7 should be considered one of the most crucial proteases in NEC-associated tissue destruction; hence, specific inhibitors of this MMP are worth investigating. In PG, TNFα inhibitors are potential therapeutic agents, as shown already in clinical trials. In conclusion, studies of several MMPs in specific diseases and in healthy tissues are needed to elucidate their roles at the tissue level. MMPs and TIMPs are not exclusively destructive or reparative in tissues. They seem to function differently in different tissues. To identify selective MMP inhibitors, we must thoroughly understand the MMP profile (degradome) and their functions in various organs not to interfere with normal reparative functions during wound repair or beneficial host-response effects during cancer initiation and growth.

Matrix Metalloproteinases and their Tissue Inhibitors as Biomarkers in Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn s Disease

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) represent a family of 23 metalloendopeptidases, collectively capable of degrading all components of the extracellular matrix. MMPs have been implicated in several inflammatory processes such as arthritis, atherosclerosis, and even carcinomas. They are also involved in several beneficial activities such as epithelial repair. MMPs are inhibited by endogenous tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMP). In this study, MMPs were investigated in intestinal mucosa of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), chronic intestinal disorders. The main focus was to characterize mucosal inflammation in the intestine, but also cutaneous pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), to assess similarites with IBD inflammation. MMPs and TIMPs were mainly examined in colonic mucosa, in adult Crohn s disease (CD), and paediatric CD, ulcerative colitis (UC), and indeterminate colitis (IC). Ileal pouch mucosa of proctocolectomized paediatric onset IBD patients was also investigated to characterize pouch mucosa. The focus was on finding specific MMPs that could act as markers to differentiate between different IBD disorders, and MMPs that could be implied as markers for tissue injury, potentially serving as targets for MMP-inhibitors. All examinations were performed using immunohistochemistry. The results show that immunosuppressive agents decrease stromal expression of MMP-9 and -26 that could serve as specific targets for MMP-inhibitors in treating CD. In paediatric colonic inflammation, MMP-10 and TIMP-3 present as molecular markers for IBD inflammation, and MMP-7 for CD. MMP expression in the the pouch mucosa could not be classified as strictly IBD- or non-IBD-like. For the first time, this study describes the expression of MMP-3, -7, -9, -12, and TIMP-2 and -3 in pouch mucosa. The MMP profile in PG bears resemblance to both intestinal IBD inflammation and cutaneous inflammation. Based on the results, MMPs and their inhibitors emerge as promising tools in the differential diagnosis of IBD and characterization of the disease subtype, although further research is necessary. Furthermore, the expression of several MMPs in pouch has been described for the first time. While further research is warranted, the findings contribute to a better understanding of events occurring in IBD mucosa, as well as pyoderma gangrenosum.

Facile preparation and some applications of an affinity matrix with a cleavable connector arm containing a disulfide bond

A versatile affinity matrix in which the ligand of interest is linked to the matrix through a connector arm containing a disulfide bond is described. It can be synthesized from any amino-substituted matrix by successive reaction with 2-imino-thio-lane, 5, 5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), and a thiol derivative of the ligand of choice. The repertoire of ligands can be significantly increased by the appropriate use of avidin-biotin bridges. After adsorption of the material to be fractionated, elution can be effected by reducing the disulfide bond in the connector arm with dithiothreitol. Examples of the preparation and use of various affinity matrices based on amino-substituted Sepharose 6MB are given. One involves the immobilization of the Fab' fragment of a monoclonal antibody against Aspergillus oryzae β-galactosidase and the specific binding of that enzyme to the resulting immunoaffinity matrix. Another involves the immobilization of N-biotinyl-2-thioethylamine followed by complex formation with avidin. The resulting avidin-substituted matrix was used for the selective adsorption and subsequent recovery of mouse hybridoma cells producing anti-avidin antibodies. By further complexing the avidin-substituted matrix with appropriate biotinylated antigens, it should be possible to fractionate cells producing antibodies against a variety of antigens.

Functional Imagery Training to reduce snacking: Testing a novel motivational intervention based on Elaborated Intrusion theory

Functional Imagery Training (FIT) is a new theory-based, manualized intervention that trains positive goal imagery. Multisensory episodic imagery of proximal personal goals is elicited and practised, to sustain motivation and compete with less functional cravings. This study tested the impact of a single session of FIT plus a booster phone call on snacking. In a stepped-wedge design, 45 participants who wanted to lose weight or reduce snacking were randomly assigned to receive a session of FIT immediately or after a 2-week delay. High-sugar and high-fat snacks were recorded using timeline follow back for the previous 3 days, at baseline, 2 and 4 weeks. At 2 weeks, snacking was lower in the immediate group than in the delayed group, and the reduction after FIT was replicated in the delayed group between 2 and 4 weeks. Frequencies of motivational thoughts about snack reduction rose following FIT for both groups, and this change correlated with reductions in snacking and weight loss. By showing that FIT can support change in eating behaviours, these findings show its potential as a motivational intervention for weight management.

Hamilton's theory of turns revisited

We present a new approach to Hamilton's theory of turns for the groups SO(3) and SU(2) which renders their properties, in particular their composition law, nearly trivial and immediately evident upon inspection. We show that the entire construction can be based on binary rotations rather than mirror reflections.

Matrix metalloproteinases as biomarkers in premalignant and malignant tumors of the human skin

The incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer is increasing worldwide. Basal cell carcinoma followed by squamous cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma are the most frequent skin tumors. Immunosuppressed patients have an increased risk of neoplasia, of which non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are proteolytic enzymes that collectively are capable of degrading virtually all components of the extracellular matrix. MMPs can also process substrates distinct from extracellular matrix proteins and influence cell proliferation, differentiation, angiogenesis, and apoptosis. MMP activity is regulated by their natural inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metallopro-teinases (TIMPs). In this study, the expression patterns of MMPs, TIMPs, and certain cancer-related molecules were investigated in premalignant and malignant lesions of the human skin. As methods were used immunohistochemisty, in situ hybridization, and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from the cell cultures. Our aim was to evaluate the expression pattern of MMPs in extramammary Paget's disease in order to find markers for more advanced tumors, as well as to shed light on the origin of this rare neoplasm. Novel MMPs -21, -26, and -28 were studied in melanoma cell culture, in primary cutaneous melanomas, and their sentinel nodes. The MMP expression profile in keratoacanthomas and well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas was analyzed to find markers to differentiate benign keratinocyte hyperproliferation from malignantly transformed cells. Squamous cell carcinomas of immunosuppressed organ transplant recipients were compared to squamous cell carcinomas of matched immunocompetent controls to investigate the factors explaining their more aggressive nature. We found that MMP-7 and -19 proteins are abundant in extramammary Paget's disease and that their presence may predict an underlying adenocarcinoma in these patients. In melanomas, MMP-21 was upregulated in early phases of melanoma progression, but disappeared from the more aggressive tumors with lymph node metastases. The presence of MMP-13 in primary melanomas and lymph node metastases may relate to more aggressive disease. In keratoacanthomas, the expression of MMP-7 and -9 is rare and therefore should raise a suspicion of well-differentiated squamous cell carcinomas. Furthermore, MMP-19 and p16 were observed in benign keratinocyte hyperproliferation of keratoacanthomas, whereas they were generally lost from malignant keratinocytes of SCCs. MMP-26 staining was significantly stronger in squamous cell carcinomas and Bowen s disease samples of organ transplant recipients and it may contribute to the more aggressive nature of squamous cell carcinomas in immunosuppressed patients. In addition, the staining for MMP-9 was significantly stronger in macrophages surrounding the tumors of the immunocompetent group and in neutrophils of those patients on cyclosporin medication. In conclusion, based on our studies, MMP-7 and -19 might serve as biomarkers for more aggressive extramammary Paget's disease and MMP-21 for malignant transformation of melanocytes. MMP -7, -9, and -26, however, could play an important role in the pathobiology of keratinocyte derived malignancies.