Disruptive technology has received much attention as it has changed how consumers consume tourism offerings by creating new companies such as Uber. Technology remains the most powerful external force that is shaping the world today, impacting on all aspects of life. The technology used by Uber is smartphone compatible and this means that the taxi is requested at ‘the palm of a hand’. The veloci...

Epithelial tumor metastasis is preceded by an accumulation of collagen cross-links that heighten stromal stiffness and stimulate the invasive properties of tumor cells. However, the biochemical nature of collagen cross-links in cancer is still unclear. Here, we postulated that epithelial tumorigenesis is accompanied by changes in the biochemical type of collagen cross-links. Utilizing resected ...

In the cardiac dyad, sarcolemmal L-type Ca(2+) channels (LCCs) and sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca(2+) release channels (RyR) are structurally in close proximity. This organization provides for an efficient functional coupling, tuning SR Ca(2+) release for optimal contraction of the myocyte. Given that LCC are regulated by the prevailing [Ca(2+)], this structural organization is the setting for ...

A modular system for performing Geographic Object-Based Image Analysis (GEOBIA), using entirely open source (General Public License compatible) software, is presented based around representing objects as raster clumps and storing attributes as a raster attribute table (RAT). The system utilizes a number of libraries, developed by the authors: The Remote Sensing and GIS Library (RSGISLib), the R...

This study aims to provide trypanosomiasis-affected countries with standardized datasets and methodologies for mapping the habitat of the tsetse fly (Glossina spp., the disease vector) by customizing and integrating state-of-the-art land cover maps on different spatial scales. Using a combination of inductive and deductive approaches, land cover and fly distribution maps are analysed in a geogr...

Drought is one of the major natural calamities causing important damages to natural vegetation, agriculture and the society. The climate changes scenarios forecast the increase and intensification of extreme phenomena all over the globe. Romania is one of the most vulnerable countries, and has 7 million hectares located within areas affected by the risk of desertification. An integrated system ...