Integration pattern of HIV-1 based lentiviral vector carrying recombinant coagulation factor VIII in Sk-Hep and 293T cells

293T and Sk-Hep-1 cells were transduced with a replication-defective self-inactivating HIV-1 derived vector carrying FVIII cDNA. The genomic DNA was sequenced to reveal LTR/human genome junctions and integration sites. One hundred and thirty-two sequences matched human sequences, with an identity of at least 98%. The integration sites in 293T-FVIIIDB and in Sk-Hep-FVIIIDB cells were preferentially located in gene regions. The integrations in both cell lines were distant from the CpG islands and from the transcription start sites. A comparison between the two cell lines showed that the lentiviral-transduced DNA had the same preferred regions in the two different cell lines.

Responses to a merger: The effects of premerger group status and integration pattern

Adopting a social identity perspective, the research was designed to examine the interplay between premerger group status and integration pattern in the prediction of responses to a merger. The research employed a 2 (status: high versus low) x 3 (integration pattern: assimilation versus integrational equality versus transformation) between-participants factorial design. We predicted that integration pattern and group status would interact such that the responses of the members of high status group would be most positive under conditions of an assimilation pattern, whereas members of low status groups were expected to favour an integration-equality pattern. After working on a task in small groups, group status was manipulated and the groups worked on a second task. The merger was then announced and the integration pattern was manipulated (e.g., in terms of the logo, location, and decision rules). The main dependent variables were assessed after the merged groups had worked together on a third task. As expected, there was evidence that the effects of group status on responses to the merger were moderated by integration pattern. Field data also indicated that both premerger status and perceived integration pattern influenced employee responses to an organisational merger.

Feature integration in pattern perception

The human visual system is able to effortlessly integrate local features to form our rich perception of patterns, despite the fact that visual information is discretely sampled by the retina and cortex. By using a novel perturbation technique, we show that the mechanisms by which features are integrated into coherent percepts are scale-invariant and nonlinear (phase and contrast polarity independent). They appear to operate by assigning position labels or “place tags” to each feature. Specifically, in the first series of experiments, we show that the positional tolerance of these place tags in foveal, and peripheral vision is about half the separation of the features, suggesting that the neural mechanisms that bind features into forms are quite robust to topographical jitter. In the second series of experiment, we asked how many stimulus samples are required for pattern identification by human and ideal observers. In human foveal vision, only about half the features are needed for reliable pattern interpolation. In this regard, human vision is quite efficient (ratio of ideal to real ≈ 0.75). Peripheral vision, on the other hand is rather inefficient, requiring more features, suggesting that the stimulus may be relatively underrepresented at the stage of feature integration.

A common rule for integration and suppression of luminance contrast across eyes, space, time, and pattern

Visual perception begins by dissecting the retinal image into millions of small patches for local analyses by local receptive fields. However, image structures extend well beyond these receptive fields and so further processes must be involved in sewing the image fragments back together to derive representations of higher order (more global) structures. To investigate the integration process, we also need to understand the opposite process of suppression. To investigate both processes together, we measured triplets of dipper functions for targets and pedestals involving interdigitated stimulus pairs (A, B). Previous work has shown that summation and suppression operate over the full contrast range for the domains of ocularity and space. Here, we extend that work to include orientation and time domains. Temporal stimuli were 15-Hz counter-phase sine-wave gratings, where A and B were the positive and negative phases of the oscillation, respectively. For orientation, we used orthogonally oriented contrast patches (A, B) whose sum was an isotropic difference of Gaussians. Results from all four domains could be understood within a common framework in which summation operates separately within the numerator and denominator of a contrast gain control equation. This simple arrangement of summation and counter-suppression achieves integration of various stimulus attributes without distorting the underlying contrast code.

Pattern integration in the normal and abnormal human visual system

The processing conducted by the visual system requires the combination of signals that are detected at different locations in the visual field. The processes by which these signals are combined are explored here using psychophysical experiments and computer modelling. Most of the work presented in this thesis is concerned with the summation of contrast over space at detection threshold. Previous investigations of this sort have been confounded by the inhomogeneity in contrast sensitivity across the visual field. Experiments performed in this thesis find that the decline in log contrast sensitivity with eccentricity is bilinear, with an initial steep fall-off followed by a shallower decline. This decline is scale-invariant for spatial frequencies of 0.7 to 4 c/deg. A detailed map of the inhomogeneity is developed, and applied to area summation experiments both by incorporating it into models of the visual system and by using it to compensate stimuli in order to factor out the effects of the inhomogeneity. The results of these area summation experiments show that the summation of contrast over area is spatially extensive (occurring over 33 stimulus carrier cycles), and that summation behaviour is the same in the fovea, parafovea, and periphery. Summation occurs according to a fourth-root summation rule, consistent with a “noisy energy” model. This work is extended to investigate the visual deficit in amblyopia, finding that area summation is normal in amblyopic observers. Finally, the methods used to study the summation of threshold contrast over area are adapted to investigate the integration of coherent orientation signals in a texture. The results of this study are described by a two-stage model, with a mandatory local combination stage followed by flexible global pooling of these local outputs. In each study, the results suggest a more extensive combination of signals in vision than has been previously understood.

A Service Integration Platform for Collaborative Networks

Integrated manufacturing constitutes a complex system made of heterogeneous information and control subsystems. Those subsystems are not designed to the cooperation. Typically each subsystem automates specific processes, and establishes closed application domains, therefore it is very difficult to integrate it with other subsystems in order to respond to the needed process dynamics. Furthermore, to cope with ever growing marketcompetition and demands, it is necessary for manufacturing/enterprise systems to increase their responsiveness based on up-to-date knowledge and in-time data gathered from the diverse information and control systems. These have created new challenges for manufacturing sector, and even bigger challenges for collaborative manufacturing. The growing complexity of the information and communication technologies when coping with innovative business services based on collaborative contributions from multiple stakeholders, requires novel and multidisciplinary approaches. Service orientation is a strategic approach to deal with such complexity, and various stakeholders' information systems. Services or more precisely the autonomous computational agents implementing the services, provide an architectural pattern able to cope with the needs of integrated and distributed collaborative solutions. This paper proposes a service-oriented framework, aiming to support a virtual organizations breeding environment that is the basis for establishing short or long term goal-oriented virtual organizations. The notion of integrated business services, where customers receive some value developed through the contribution from a network of companies is a key element.

Analysis of the detection coefficient for the association between leprosy and pregnancy in the integration region of Carajas, State of Para, Brazil

Introduction The association between leprosy and pregnancy is currently poorly understood and has been linked to serious clinical consequences. Methods A retrospective study between 2007 and 2009 was performed in the integration region of Carajás, Brazil on a population of pregnant lepers, with non-lepers of ages 12-49 years serving as the reference population. Results Twenty-nine pregnant lepers were studied during the study period. The detection rates (DRs) for the studied association were 4.7 in 2007, 9.4 in 2008, and 4.3 in 2009. Conclusions The Carajás region presented a medium pattern of endemicity during most of the study period, with a high DR found in 2008.

Task clustering on ETL systems – A pattern-oriented approach

Usually, data warehousing populating processes are data-oriented workflows composed by dozens of granular tasks that are responsible for the integration of data coming from different data sources. Specific subset of these tasks can be grouped on a collection together with their relationships in order to form higher- level constructs. Increasing task granularity allows for the generalization of processes, simplifying their views and providing methods to carry out expertise to new applications. Well-proven practices can be used to describe general solutions that use basic skeletons configured and instantiated according to a set of specific integration requirements. Patterns can be applied to ETL processes aiming to simplify not only a possible conceptual representation but also to reduce the gap that often exists between two design perspectives. In this paper, we demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of an ETL pattern-based approach using task clustering, analyzing a real world ETL scenario through the definitions of two commonly used clusters of tasks: a data lookup cluster and a data conciliation and integration cluster.

IEF pattern classification-derived criteria for the identification of epoetin-delta in urine.

Epoetin-delta (Dynepo Shire Pharmaceuticals, Basing stoke, UK) is a synthetic form of erythropoietin (EPO) whose resemblance with endogenous EPO makes it hard to identify using the classical identification criteria. Urine samples collected from six healthy volunteers treated with epoetin-delta injections and from a control population were immuno-purified and analyzed with the usual IEF method. On the basis of the EPO profiles integration, a linear multivariate model was computed for discriminant analysis. For each sample, a pattern classification algorithm returned a bands distribution and intensity score (bands intensity score) saying how representative this sample is of one of the two classes, positive or negative. Effort profiles were also integrated in the model. The method yielded a good sensitivity versus specificity relation and was used to determine the detection window of the molecule following multiple injections. The bands intensity score, which can be generalized to epoetin-alpha and epoetin-beta, is proposed as an alternative criterion and a supplementary evidence for the identification of EPO abuse.

Regional integration and specialisation patterns in Spain

The aim of this paper is to analyse how economic integration in Europe has affected industrial geographical concentration in Spain and explain what the driving forces behind industry location are. Firstly, we construct regional specialisation and geographical concentration indices for Spanish 50 provinces and 30 industrial sectors in 1979, 1986 and 1992. Secondly, we carry out an econometric analysis of the determinants of geographical concentration of industries. Our main conclusion is that there is no evidence of increasing specialisation in Spain between 1979 and 1992 and that the most important determinant of Spain¿s economic geography is scale economies. Furthermore, traditional trade theory has no effects in explaining the pattern of industrial concentration

Regional integration and specialisation patterns in Spain

The aim of this paper is to analyse how economic integration in Europe has affected industrial geographical concentration in Spain and explain what the driving forces behind industry location are. Firstly, we construct regional specialisation and geographical concentration indices for Spanish 50 provinces and 30 industrial sectors in 1979, 1986 and 1992. Secondly, we carry out an econometric analysis of the determinants of geographical concentration of industries. Our main conclusion is that there is no evidence of increasing specialisation in Spain between 1979 and 1992 and that the most important determinant of Spain¿s economic geography is scale economies. Furthermore, traditional trade theory has no effects in explaining the pattern of industrial concentration

Regional integration and specialisation patterns in Spain

The aim of this paper is to analyse how economic integration in Europe has affected industrial geographical concentration in Spain and explain what the driving forces behind industry location are. Firstly, we construct regional specialisation and geographical concentration indices for Spanish 50 provinces and 30 industrial sectors in 1979, 1986 and 1992. Secondly, we carry out an econometric analysis of the determinants of geographical concentration of industries. Our main conclusion is that there is no evidence of increasing specialisation in Spain between 1979 and 1992 and that the most important determinant of Spain¿s economic geography is scale economies. Furthermore, traditional trade theory has no effects in explaining the pattern of industrial concentration

Regional integration and specialisation patterns in Spain

The aim of this paper is to analyse how economic integration in Europe has affected industrial geographical concentration in Spain and explain what the driving forces behind industry location are. Firstly, we construct regional specialisation and geographical concentration indices for Spanish 50 provinces and 30 industrial sectors in 1979, 1986 and 1992. Secondly, we carry out an econometric analysis of the determinants of geographical concentration of industries. Our main conclusion is that there is no evidence of increasing specialisation in Spain between 1979 and 1992 and that the most important determinant of Spain¿s economic geography is scale economies. Furthermore, traditional trade theory has no effects in explaining the pattern of industrial concentration

Cross-border post-acquisition integration performed by a Nordic information & telecommunication technology company in the transition economy context of the Czech Republic

Diplomityön tarkoituksena oli arvioida akvisition jälkeistä integraatioprosessia. Integraation tarkoitus on mukauttaa ostettu yritys toimivaksi osaksi konsernia. Työn empiirisenä ongelmana oli yleisesti tunnustettu integraatiojohtamisen kompleksisuus. Samoin myöskin akateemisesta kirjallisuudesta puuttui koherentti malli, jolla arvioida integraatiota. Tutkimuskohteena oli akvisitio, jossa suomalainen tietotekniikkan suuryritys osti osake-enemmistön tsekkiläisestä keskisuuresta ohjelmistoyrityksestä. Tutkimuksessa generoitiin integraatiojohtamisen malli tietopohjaiseen organisaatioon. Mallin mukaan integraatio koostuu kolmesta eriävästä, mutta toisiaan tukevasta alueesta: organisaatiokulttuurin yhdentyminen, tietopääoman tasaaminen ja konsernin sisäisten prosessien yhdenmukaistaminen. Näistä kaksi kaksi jälkimmäistä ovat johdettavissa, mutta kulttuurin yhdentymiseen integraatiojohtamisella voidaan vaikuttaa vain katalysoivasti. Organisaatiokulttuuri levittäytyy vain osallisten vuorovaikuksien kautta. Lisäksi tutkimus osoitti, miten akvisitio on revolutionaarinen vaihe yrityksen kehityksessä. Integraation ensimmäinen ajanjakso on revolutionaarista. Tällöin suurimmat ja näkyvimmät johdettavat muutokset pyritään saamaan aikaan, jotta integraatiossa edettäisiin evolutionaariseen kehitykseen. Revolutionaarisen intergaation vetojuhtana toimii integraatiojohto, kun taas evolutionaarinen integraatio etenee osallisten (organisaation jäsenten) itsensä toiminnan ja vuorovaikutusten kautta.

Cell fusion reprogramming leads to a specific hepatic expression pattern during mouse bone marrow derived hepatocyte formation In Vivo

The fusion of bone marrow (BM) hematopoietic cells with hepatocytes to generate BM derived hepatocytes (BMDH) is a natural process, which is enhanced in damaged tissues. However, the reprogramming needed to generate BMDH and the identity of the resultant cells is essentially unknown. In a mouse model of chronic liver damage, here we identify a modification in the chromatin structure of the hematopoietic nucleus during BMDH formation, accompanied by the loss of the key hematopoietic transcription factor PU.1/Sfpi1 (SFFV proviral integration 1) and gain of the key hepatic transcriptional regulator HNF-1A homeobox A (HNF-1A/Hnf1a). Through genome-wide expression analysis of laser captured BMDH, a differential gene expression pattern was detected and the chromatin changes observed were confirmed at the level of chromatin regulator genes. Similarly, Tranforming Growth Factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and neurotransmitter (e.g. Prostaglandin E Receptor 4 [Ptger4]) pathway genes were over-expressed. In summary, in vivo BMDH generation is a process in which the hematopoietic cell nucleus changes its identity and acquires hepatic features. These BMDHs have their own cell identity characterized by an expression pattern different from hematopoietic cells or hepatocytes. The role of these BMDHs in the liver requires further investigation.