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The health risk of chronic exposure to elevated natural radiation may include changes in the chromosome that increases genomic instability. There are also other phenomena, which seem to appear in particular frequently in metaphases of lymphocyte of exposed persons. This study aimed to assess a correlation between the incidence of named 8-shaped cells as cytogenetic changes in persons chronically exposed to elevated natural radiation compared to an unexposed control group. Peripheral blood lymphocyte samples obtained from 68 inhabitants of Mamuju and 27 from the control area were assessed. Both samples were then cultured and exposed to cytochalasin-B to arrest cells during the cytokinesis stage, then 8-shaped. Its characteristics were observed in binucleated cells (BNC) with cytochalasin blocked micronuclei (CBMN) assay procedure. The number of 8-shaped cells was evaluated per 1000 BNC for both Mamuju inhabitants as study group and control groups. Results showed that the frequency of 8-shaped in the study area was lower (0.0043 ± 0.0034) compared to the control group (0.0058 ± 0.0024) and statistical difference (p<0.05). In the study area group, its frequency of 8-shaped was slightly higher in >40 years old (y.o) (0.0044 ± 0.0036) than in <40 y.o (0.0042 ± 0.0031), and in males (0.0049 ± 0.0037) than in females (0.0038 ± 0.0031), although not statistically significant (p> 0.05). In conclusion, the radio-adaptive response of elevated natural radiation to the cell was observed in Mamuju inhabitants. However, demographic factors, such as age and sex, have often been shown to affect cells. It needs further evaluation of the 8-shaped to be used as optional biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mathematical model of cell dynamics is developed to link the dynamics of the phase cell thickness with the signs of the oncological pathology. The measurements of irregular oscillations of cancer cells phase thickness were made with laser interference microscope MIM-340 in order to substantiate this model. These data related to the dynamics of phase thickness for different cross-sections of cells (nuclei, nucleolus, and cytoplasm) allow the reconstruction of the attractor of dynamic system. The attractor can be associated with specific types of collective modes of phase thickness responsible for the normal and cancerous cell dynamics. Specific type of evolution operator was determined using an algorithm of designing of the mathematical cell model and temporal phase thickness data for cancerous and normal cells. Qualitative correspondence of attractor types to the cell states was analyzed in terms of morphological signs associated with maximum value of mean square irregular oscillations of phase thickness dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a new framework for optimization under fairness constraints. The problems we consider model procurement where the goal is to optimize a buyer's utility while paying sellers in a manner that reflects their contribution to the buyer's utility. The payment rules we consider are natural interpretations of fairness based on concepts such as Shapley values and the nucleolus from cooperative game theory. The question in this setting is whether the outcome (measured in terms of the buyer's utility) produced by mechanisms that enforce fair payments is competitive with the outcome of a mechanism that simply pays agents their costs and is not committed to fair payments. Our main result shows that there exists a mechanism which guarantees a solution whose value is at least one third of the optimal unfair solution for any submodular utility function, and that this ratio is optimal. We discuss several special cases for which this approximation ratio can be improved and natural extensions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Femtocells have recently appeared as a viable solution to enable broadband connectivity in mobile cellular networks. Instead of redimensioning macrocells at the base station level, the modular installation of short-range access points can grant multiple benefits, provided that interference is efficiently managed. In the case where femtocells use different frequency bands than macrocells (i.e., split-spectrum approach), interference between femtocells is the major issue. In particular, congestion cases in which femtocell demands exceed the available bandwidth pose an important challenge. If, as expected, the femtocell service is going to be separately billed by legacy wire-line Internet Service Providers, strategic interference management and resource allocation mechanisms are needed to avoid performance degradation during congestion cases. In this paper, we model the resource allocation in cooperative femtocell networks as a bankruptcy game. We identify possible solutions from cooperative game theory, namely the Shapley value and the Nucleolus, and show through extensive simulations of realistic scenarios that they outperform two state-of-the-art schemes, namely Centralized-Dynamic Frequency Planning, C-DFP, and Frequency-ALOHA, F-ALOHA. In particular, the Nucleolus solution offers best performance overall in terms of throughput and fairness, at a lower time complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental pollutant to which humans are universally exposed, evident as low BPA concentrations present in biological samples in the majority of individuals in developed countries. Although BPA is widely detected in blood, the main source of human exposure is through ingestion, as BPA is broadly used in the plastic industry and therefore present in food containers. In this work, Umbilical Vascular Endothelial Cells (HUVEC) and Human Colon Adenocarcinona (HT29) cell lines were utilized to evaluate the effects of low BPA concentrations on nucleolar organization and function. Our results show that BPA levels commonly found in humans can affect several nucleolar features, including fibrillarin distribution and mean nucleoli number, nucleolin gene expression and nucleoli epigenetic marks. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In deregulated electricity markets there is a strong need for effective allocation of fixed costs to market participants. The conventional usage based methods currently employed in market scenario may fail to send right economic signals. Hence in this paper, cooperative game theory is applied for power system fixed cost allocation. Increasing competition in the energy market can help maximize customers' payoffs. This can be achieved by applying game theory. In this regard, two solution methodologies such as Nucleolus and Shapley value are adopted in a Multilateral market. Both the methods have their pros and cons, while it can be inferred that Shapley value is a more preferable method when the solution is in the core of the game. In this paper, these methods are applied in case of IEEE 14 bus, New England 39 bus and Indian 75 bus power system and the results obtained are compared with the conventional usage based methods. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) are emerging as a key solution to provide broadband and mobile wireless connectivity in a flexible and cost effective way. In suburban areas, a common deployment model relies on OFDMA communications between mesh routers (MRs), with one MR installed at each user premises. In this paper, we investigate a possible user cooperation path to implement strategic resource allocation in OFDMA WMNs, under the assumption that users want to control their interconnection. In this case, a novel strategic situation appears: how much a MR can demand, how much it can obtain and how this shall depend on the interference with its neighbors. Strategic interference management and resource allocation mechanisms are needed to avoid performance degradation during congestion cases between MRs. In this paper, we model the problem as a bankruptcy game taking into account the interference between MRs. We identify possible solutions from cooperative game theory, namely the Shapley value and the Nucleolus, and show that they outperform two state-of-the-art schemes, namely Centralized-Dynamic Frequency Planning, C-DFP, and Frequency-ALOHA, F-ALOHA. In particular, the Nucleolus solution offers best performance overall in terms of throughput and fairness. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The early biological changes that can be associated with disease are important indicators or biomarkers for the development of preventive screening strategies. Epidemiological studies have shown that the presence of chromosome damage or instability in human lymphocytes could be considered as an indicator of cancer risk. Chromosome damage can also be estimated using the micronuclei (MN) assay. MN are nuclear bodies originated by chromosome breakage or chromosome segregation during cell division. MN assay can be performed in epithelial tissues in direct contact with xenobiotics and carcinogens, becoming an indicator of cancer risk. Cell MN are thus configurations that appear in the cell cytoplasm as small round bodies near the cell nucleus after cell division. Scoring micronuclei requires a trained individual to detect and count MN in approximately 3000–5000 cells from images in a microscope, becoming a tedious, subjective and error-prone task. We describe computer detection and counting techniques using digital image processing and pattern recognition, allowing automated detection and quantification of the cellular micronuclei configurations, making this technique much more effective for fast and reliable assessing of DNA damage by exposure to radiation and toxic substances. Besides gray-level intensities, the shape and configuration of nuclei and candidates of micronuclei had to be evaluated. Among the Image-Processing techniques chosen, Mathematical Morphology allows to process shapes in order to remove unwanted artifacts or details, filling gaps and holes, and separating touching features or weak connections. This shape-processing enabled to implement the morphological and configurational criteria suggested by the biologists. © 2003 American Institute of Physics [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used micronucleus assays and erythrocyte indices in the freshwater fish tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum, to assess environmental impacts in the Environmental Protection Area at Maracanã, São Luis, Brazil. Fish were sampled from two locations within the protected area, Serena Lagoon and Ambude River, on four occasions. Biometric data (length and weight) and an aliquot of blood were collected from each fish for analysis. Erythrocyte indices including: mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration were calculated, and blood samples were examined for micronuclei and nuclear morphological changes. Micronuclei were found in fish from both locations, although the frequency was higher in fish from Ambude River. Nuclear morphological changes were identified only in fish collected from Ambude River. Several nuclear morphological changes were found in erythrocytes stained with Giemsa, including: micronuclei and binucleate nuclei. On average, erythrocyte indices were lower in fish collected from Ambude River than in those from Serena Lagoon. Our results indicate that micronuclei and erythrocyte indices can be used in C. macropomum as indicators of environmental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]