Toward a modular,integrated, miniaturized,and portable microfluidic flow control architecture for organs-on-chips applications

Microfluidic organs-on-chips (OoCs) technology has emerged as the trend for in vitro functional modeling of organs in recent years. Simplifying the complexities of the human organs under controlled perfusion of required fluids paves the way for accurate prediction of human organ functionalities and their response to interventions like exposure to drugs. However, in the state-of-the-art OoC, the existing methods to control fluids use external bulky peripheral components and systems much larger than the chips used in experiments. A new generation of compact microfluidic flow control systems is needed to overcome this challenge. This study first presents a structured classification of OoC devices according to their types and microfluidic complexities. Next, we suggest three fundamental fluid flow control mechanisms and define component configurations for different levels of OoC complexity for each respective mechanism. Finally, we propose an architecture integrating modular microfluidic flow control components and OoC devices on a single platform. We emphasize the need for miniaturization of flow control components to achieve portability, minimize sample usage, minimize dead volume, improve the flowing time of fluids to the OoC cell chamber, and enable long-duration experiments.     

The Netherlands in the European Community: A cultural area of modest proportions with a few large publishing companies with international interests

As European economic integration proceeds, governments will have to address the cultural issues that they have thus far neglected. In the Netherlands, special, concerns include a decline in the level of reading and of book sales, the need for low VAT rates and fixed book prices, and the forcing out of small producers. At the same time, integration offers opportunities in the maintenance of local markets, multicultural and language education, and harmonization of copyright laws. Joost Kist has been active in publishing since 1953. He was vice-president of the Executive Board of Wolters Kluwer and retired from its board in January 1990. He remains a consultant to the board and special assistant to the chairman. Dr. Kist is a member of the Council for Libraries and Information Services and author ofElectronic Publishing: Looking for a Blueprint and many articles on the subject of new media. Wolters Kluwer was formed in 1988 by the merger of the Wolters Noordhoff and Kluwer groups. In May 1990 they purchased J.B. Lippincott from HarperCollins. Their turnover for the last fiscal year was just over $1 billion, with pretax income of $123.5 million.     

Publishing public performance results on the Internet: Do stakeholders use the Internet to hold Dutch public service organizations to account?

This paper analyzes the relation between publishing public performance results on the Internet, stakeholder accountability, and the effectiveness and legitimacy of Dutch public service organizations. The empirical research focuses on Web sites with performance results of schools and hospitals. These results are published on the Internet by ‘third parties’ (government organizations, associations of public service organizations, and newspapers). Publications of performance results stimulate schools and hospitals to score better on performance indicators because they feel the ‘public eyes’ on them. However, the risk of a ‘performance paradox’ and adverse effects is great since strategic behavior may lead to higher scores but not improve the effectiveness of these organizations. The research provides moderate support for negative effects on the legitimacy of schools and hospitals which may be attributed to the sole use of the Internet as a medium for access to information and negligence of its communicative potential.     

Selection procedures in sports: Improving predictions of athletes’ future performance

The selection of athletes has been a central topic in sports sciences for decades. Yet, little consideration has been given to the theoretical underpinnings and predictive validity of the procedures. In this paper, we evaluate current selection procedures in sports given what we know from the selection psychology literature. We contrast the popular clinical method (predictions based on overall impressions of experts) with the actuarial approach (predictions based on pre-defined decision rules), and we discuss why the latter approach often leads to superior performance predictions. Furthermore, we discuss the “signs” and the “samples” approaches. Taking the prevailing signs approach, athletes’ technical-, tactical-, physical-, and psychological skills are often assessed separately in controlled settings. However, for predicting later sport performance, taking samples of athletes’ behaviours in their sports environment may result in more valid assessments. We discuss the possible advantages and implications of making selection procedures in sports more actuarial and sample-based.     

Effects of contrasting colour patterns of the ball in the volleyball reception

The effects of three different colour patterns on the surface of volleyballs (versus that of a plain white ball) on the behaviour of a reception player were examined by presenting sidespin volleyball serves. Expert (n = 10) and novice (n = 10) volleyball players intercepted volleyballs projected straight at them or at an initial angle of 9.5 degrees outwards but eventually curving towards the players' original position. In the latter trajectories, players generally took one or more steps laterally before returning to the landing position of the ball. These excursion patterns were significantly more pronounced with the white balls than the coloured balls. Differences between balls of different colour combinations were also observed. The first finding supports the thesis that next to a prospective type of control, such as on-line maintenance of a certain spatiotemporal relationship between the player and the ball, properties of the ball itself allow prediction of the future path of the ball. Differences between types of colour patterns are explained within the framework of the between-colours wavelength contrasts of each type of ball.     

New practices for electronic publishing 2: New forms of the scientific paper

We extend the analysis of our previous paper (Learned Publishing 2001: 265–72) to a broader discussion of the major features of electronic publications. We conclude that a distinctly different granularity of information will be required and that this will allow very different levels of authentication and quality control from those currently used for the traditional scientific paper.     

New practices for electronic publishing 1: Will the scientific paper keep its form?

Discussion about the value of electronic documents is often hampered by starting from what is usual in the paper world and attempting to impose that on an electronic environment. In order to grasp the impact of the current electronic revolution, and formulate a policy for the future, we examine the aims and content of scientific communication. We then critically discuss the recommendations of an International Working Group [see Learned Publishing 2000:13(4) Oct. 251–8], and show the tension between these very reasonable recommendations and the reality of electronic publishing. We conclude that the scientific article will change considerably but that, in its new more composite form as an ensemble of various textual and non-textual components, it will retain many of the current cultural and scientific requirements with regard to editorial, quality and integrity.     

Accountability in an information age: Opportunities and risks for records management

Electronic records of government organizations are becoming increasingly important for accountability. Managing electronic records, however, proves to be difficult since information and communication technologies confront organizations with various opportunities and risks. In this paper the findings of an international expert survey on electronic records management are presented. These findings identify opportunities and risks for e-mail systems, database management systems, office systems, web technology systems and smart systems. They also point to five crucial questions that must be addressed in order to guarantee the availability of electronic records for accountability.     

Rationality and politics of algorithms. Will the promise of big data survive the dynamics of public decision making?

Big data promises to transform public decision-making for the better by making it more responsive to actual needs and policy effects. However, much recent work on big data in public decision-making assumes a rational view of decision-making, which has been much criticized in the public administration debate. In this paper, we apply this view, and a more political one, to the context of big data and offer a qualitative study. We question the impact of big data on decision-making, realizing that big data – including its new methods and functions – must inevitably encounter existing political and managerial institutions. By studying two illustrative cases of big data use processes, we explore how these two worlds meet. Specifically, we look at the interaction between data analysts and decision makers. In this we distinguish between a rational view and a political view, and between an information logic and a decision logic. We find that big data provides ample opportunities for both analysts and decision makers to do a better job, but this doesn't necessarily imply better decision-making, because big data also provides opportunities for actors to pursue their own interests. Big data enables both data analysts and decision makers to act as autonomous agents rather than as links in a functional chain. Therefore, big data's impact cannot be interpreted only in terms of its functional promise; it must also be acknowledged as a phenomenon set to impact our policymaking institutions, including their legitimacy.