Search

Acute leukemia results from a series of mutational events that alter cell growth and proliferation. Mutations result in protein changes that orchestrate growth alterations characteristic of leukemia. Proteomics is a methodology appropriate for study of protein changes found in leukemia. The high-throughput reverse phase protein array (RPPA) technology is particularly well-suited for the assessment of protein changes in samples derived from clinical trials. This review discusses the technical, methodological, and analytical issues related to the successful development of acute leukemia RPPAs. To obtain representative protein sample lysates, samples should be prepared from freshly collected blood or bone marrow material. Variables such as sample shipment, transit time, and holding temperature only have minimal effects on protein expression. CellSave preservation tubes are preferred for cells collected after exposure to chemotherapy, and incorporation of standardized guidelines for antibody validation is recommended. A more systematic biological approach to analyze protein expression is desired, searching for recurrent patterns of protein expression that allow classification of patients into risk groups, or groups of patients that may be treated similarly. Comparing RPPA protein analysis between cell lines and primary samples shows that cell lines are not representative of patient proteomic patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyses the collaborative leadership of a network-based approach that seeks to subvert the social inequality suffered by the residents of Los Asperones (Málaga, Spain), where approximately one thousand people live in extreme exclusion. The network is made up of various socio-educational associations, schools and social services. The main techniques for collecting information were focus groups, interviews and observations. The sample was representative of all the groups living in the area and of the network members. The data were processed using Atlas.ti software. The results show the foundations, strategies and key challenges of the existing collaborative leadership in the network. The foundations include the commitment shared by the various agents involved; the recognition of the value of the other, and the pre-eminence of the 'we' perspective over the 'I' perspective; symptomatic of a move from an 'ego' leadership to an 'eco' leadership. The main methodological strategies employed were: trust, communication, co-responsibility and shared time and space. The lack of time and political dependencies were identified as the major challenges that could weaken or hinder the success of the network's collaborative action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the last few years, the Taiwanese government has been promoting the cultural and creative industries, causing the industries in Taiwan to grow rapidly. This study utilizes data envelopment analysis (DEA) to evaluate the cultural and creative promotion performance of cities/counties in Taiwan. Furthermore, the DEA and network-based approach are combined not only to identify the most important inputs/outputs, but also to identify cities/counties that can be treated as benchmarks. This study confirms the effect of the economic gap between urban and rural areas on the promotion and development of the cultural and creative industries in Taiwan. The cultural and creative promotions in the urban areas are found to be superior to those in the rural areas in Taiwan. In addition, the cultural and creative industries in the northern Taiwan are found to be superior to those in the other areas in Taiwan. This study offers some recommendations for managers in cultural and creative departments in their decision-makings; following which will mitigate the gap between resources available in urban and rural areas and facilitate balanced development of the cultural and creative industries in Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The inherent complexity of supply chains, combined with their economic importance, has prompted research in supply chain management. While there has been a significant amount of work reported in modelling supply chains, the effectiveness of these models in addressing the complex area of supply chain management is questionable. What is giving added urgency to the need for research in this area are the recent developments in communications that offer the promise of connecting suppliers, assemblers and customers in a seamless network of information that can form integrated supply chain management. This paper aims to address the deficiency in modelling by proposing a methodology that models the integrated supply chain as an abstracted network, called a Trans-Net. The Trans-Net approach offers three main potential advantages. First, the multiple participants in a supply chain can be modelled without undue complexity. Second, it is an approach that allows users to examine the interactions between different considerations so that important attributes such as cost and lead-time can be readily calculated and bottleneck areas identified. Third, it applies a mathematical formalism to the problem, with the potential of being relatively straightforward to computerize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]