Active paper for active learning

Recent research into distance learning and the virtual campus has focused on the use of electronic documents and computer‐based demonstrations to replace or reinforce traditional learning material. We show how a computer‐augmented desk, the DigitalDesk, can provide the benefits of both paper and electronic documents using a natural interface based on real paper documents. Many electronic documents, particularly those created using the guidelines produced by the Text Encoding Initiative (TEI), include detailed semantic and linguistic information that can be used to good effect in learning material. We discuss potential uses of TEI texts, and describe one simple application that allows a student's book to become an active part of a grammar lesson when placed on the DigitalDesk. The book is integrated into an interactive point‐and‐click interface, and feedback is related to the currently visible pages of the boo

New technology for interactive CAL: The origami project

Origami is a three‐year EPSRC project that forms part of a general research programme on human‐computer interaction. The goal of this research is to investigate and implement new methods for human‐computer interaction, and to apply and evaluate their use. The research centres on the DigitalDesk, an ordinary desk augmented with a computer display using projection television and a video camera to monitor inputs. The DigitalDesk allows electronic and printed documents to be combined to give richer presentation and interaction possibilities than are possible with either separate medium. This paper examines the implications of such a system for CAL, and presents two prototype applications that demonstrate the possibilities

The UK market for energy service contracts in 2014–2015

This paper provides an overview of the UK market for energy service contracts in 2014 and highlights the growing role of intermediaries. Using information from secondary literature and interviews, it identifies the businesses offering energy service contracts, the sectors and organisations that are purchasing those contracts, the types of contract that are available, the areas of market growth and the reasons for that growth. The paper finds that the UK market is relatively large, highly diverse, concentrated in particular sectors and types of site and overwhelmingly focused upon established technologies with high rates of return. A major driver is the emergence of procurement frameworks for energy service contracts in the public sector. These act as intermediaries between clients and contractors, thereby lowering transaction costs and facilitating learning. The market is struggling to become established in commercial offices, largely as a result of split incentives, and is unlikely to develop further in this sector without different business models, tenancy arrangements and policy initiatives. Overall, the paper concludes that energy service contracts can play an important role in the transition to a low-carbon economy, especially when supported by intermediaries, but their potential is still limited by high transaction costs

Immobilized fibrinogen activates human platelets through GPVI

GPVI, a major platelet activation receptor for collagen and fibrin, is considered as a particularly promising safe antithrombotic target. In this study, we show that human GPVI signals upon platelet adhesion to fibrinogen. Full spreading of human platelets on fibrinogen is abolished in platelets from GPVI-deficient patients suggesting that fibrinogen activates platelets through GPVI. While mouse platelets fail to spread on fibrinogen, human-GPVI-transgenic mouse platelets show full spreading and increased Ca2+ signalling through the tyrosine kinase Syk. Direct binding of fibrinogen to human GPVI was shown by surface plasmon resonance and by increased adhesion of human GPVI-transfected Rbl-2H3 cells to fibrinogen relative to mock-transfected cells. Blockade of human GPVI with the Fab of the monoclonal antibody 9O12 impairs platelet aggregation on preformed platelet aggregates in flowing blood independent of collagen and fibrin exposure. These results demonstrate that human GPVI binds to immobilized fibrinogen and show that this contributes to platelet spreading and platelet aggregation under flow

Axial Globe Position Measurement: A Prospective Multicenter Study by the International Thyroid Eye Disease Society

Identify a reproducible measure of axial globe position (AGP) for multicenter studies on patients with thyroid eye disease (TED)

A twins heritability study on alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein (AHSP) expression variability

Cytotoxic precipitation of free α-globin monomers and its production of reactive oxygen species cause red cell membrane damage that leads to anemia and eventually ineffective erythropoiesis in β-thalassemia. Alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein (AHSP) was found to bind only to free α-globin monomers creating a stable and inert complex which remains soluble in the cytoplasm thus preventing harmful precipitations. Alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein was shown to bind nascent α-globin monomers with transient strength before transferring α-globin to β-globin to form hemoglobin tetramer. A classical twin study would be beneficial to investigate the role of genetics and environment in the variation of alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein expression as this knowledge will enable us to determine further investigations with regards to therapeutic interventions if alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein is to be a therapeutic agent for β-thalassemia. This study investigates the heritability influence of alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein expression and factors that may contribute to this. Results indicated that a major proportion of alpha hemoglobin stabilizing protein expression was influenced by genetic heritability (46%) with cis-acting factors accounting for 19% and trans-acting factors at 27%

Interactions between antenatal sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine, drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum parasites and delivery outcomes in Malawi.

BACKGROUND Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is used as intermittent preventive therapy in pregnancy (IPTp) for malaria in sub-Saharan Africa. The resistance marker dhps A581G has been associated with reduced IPTp-SP efficacy and enhanced morbidity in SP-recipients. METHODS We measured SP-resistance allele frequencies in Malawian women participating in a trial (www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN69800930) comparing IPTp with SP against intermittent screening by rapid diagnostic tests (ISTp). We genotyped PCR-detected parasites using deep sequencing of SP-resistance alleles. RESULTS Among 125 placental infections, A581G-bearing parasites were associated with reduced birthweight (mean difference[MD]:252g, 95% CI:46,457, p=0.017). Relative to ISTp, IPTp-SP was associated with higher birthweights in women with wildtype parasites (MD:116g, 95% CI:-40,272; p=0.142) and lower birthweights in women with A581G-bearing parasites (MD:192g, 95% CI:-264,648; p=0.385) (pinteraction=0.033). Similar associations were noted on gestational age (pinteraction=0.075). Amongst only IPTp-SP recipients, relative to women who last received SP >4 weeks before delivery, recent SP receipt was associated with lower birthweight in women with wildtype parasites (MD:118g, 95% CI:-376,139; p=0.361) and higher birthweight in women with A581G-bearing parasites (MD:783g, 95% CI:-20,1586; p=0.054) (pinteraction=0.005). CONCLUSIONS The effectiveness on birthweight of IPTp-SP is compromised by A581G-bearing parasites, but there was no evidence that the adverse effects of these parasites are exacerbated by antenatal SP

Sensitive poliovirus detection using nested PCR and nanopore sequencing:a prospective validation study

Timely detection of outbreaks is needed for poliovirus eradication, but gold standard detection in the Democratic Republic of the Congo takes 30 days (median). Direct molecular detection and nanopore sequencing (DDNS) of poliovirus in stool samples is a promising fast method. Here we report prospective testing of stool samples from suspected polio cases, and their contacts, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo between 10 August 2021 and 4 February 2022. DDNS detected polioviruses in 62/2,339 (2.7%) of samples, while gold standard combination of cell culture, quantitative PCR and Sanger sequencing detected polioviruses in 51/2,339 (2.2%) of the same samples. DDNS provided case confirmation in 7 days (median) in routine surveillance conditions. DDNS enabled confirmation of three serotype 2 circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus outbreaks 23 days (mean) earlier (range 6–30 days) than the gold standard method. The mean sequence similarity between sequences obtained by the two methods was 99.98%. Our data confirm the feasibility of implementing DDNS in a national poliovirus laboratory