1,201 research outputs found
Olfoto: designing a smell-based interaction
We present a study into the use of smell for searching digi-tal photo collections. Many people now have large photo libraries on their computers and effective search tools are needed. Smell has a strong link to memory and emotion so may be a good way to cue recall when searching. Our study compared text and smell based tagging. For the first stage we generated a set of smell and tag names from user de-scriptions of photos, participants then used these to tag pho-tos, returning two weeks later to answer questions on their photos. Results showed that participants could tag effec-tively with text labels, as this is a common and familiar task. Performance with smells was lower but participants performed significantly above chance, with some partici-pants using smells well. This suggests that smell has poten-tial. Results also showed that some smells were consistently identified and useful, but some were not and highlighted issues with smell delivery devices. We also discuss some practical issues of using smell for interaction
Clinical and molecular characterization of HER2 amplified-pancreatic cancer
<p>Background:
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most lethal and molecularly diverse malignancies. Repurposing of therapeutics that target specific molecular mechanisms in different disease types offers potential for rapid improvements in outcome. Although HER2 amplification occurs in pancreatic cancer, it is inadequately characterized to exploit the potential of anti-HER2 therapies.</p>
<p>Methods:
HER2 amplification was detected and further analyzed using multiple genomic sequencing approaches. Standardized reference laboratory assays defined HER2 amplification in a large cohort of patients (n = 469) with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).</p>
<p>Results:
An amplified inversion event (1 MB) was identified at the HER2 locus in a patient with PDAC. Using standardized laboratory assays, we established diagnostic criteria for HER2 amplification in PDAC, and observed a prevalence of 2%. Clinically, HER2- amplified PDAC was characterized by a lack of liver metastases, and a preponderance of lung and brain metastases. Excluding breast and gastric cancer, the incidence of HER2-amplified cancers in the USA is >22,000 per annum.</p>
<p>Conclusions:
HER2 amplification occurs in 2% of PDAC, and has distinct features with implications for clinical practice. The molecular heterogeneity of PDAC implies that even an incidence of 2% represents an attractive target for anti-HER2 therapies, as options for PDAC are limited. Recruiting patients based on HER2 amplification, rather than organ of origin, could make trials of anti-HER2 therapies feasible in less common cancer types.</p>
The use of an e-learning constructivist solution in workplace learning
We wished to investigate whether an e-learning approach which uses constructivist principles can be successfully applied to train employees in a highly specialised skill thought to require expert individuals and extensive prolonged training. The approach involved the development of an e-learning package which included simulations and interactivity, then experimental testing in a case study workplace environment with the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data to assess the effectiveness of the package. Our study shows that this e-learning strategy improved the skills of the inexperienced
operator significantly. We therefore propose that such programmes could be used as a work based training aid and used as a model system for the training of employees in complex skilled tasks in the workplace. This research demonstrates that the e-learning can be applied outside the traditional learning environment to train unskilled employees to undertake complex practical tasks which traditionally would involve prohibitively expensive instruction. This work also illustrates that simulations and interactivity are powerful tools in the design of successful e-learning packages in preparing learners for real world practical situations. Finally this study shows that workplace learners can be better served by elearning environments rather than conventional training as they allow asynchronous learning and private study which are valued by employees who have other demands on their time and are more comfortable receiving tuition privately Relevance to industry: E-learning using constructivist principles, and incorporating simulations and interactivity can be used successfully in the training of highly specialised and skilled tasks required in the
modern workplace
Charged and Pseudoscalar Higgs production at a Muon Collider
We consider single charged Higgs () and pseudoscalar Higgs ()
production in association with a gauge boson at colliders. We find
that the tree-level t-channel and s-channel contributions to are enhanced for large values of , allowing
sizeable cross-sections whose analogies at colliders would be very
small. These processes provide attractive new ways of producing such particles
at colliders and are superior to the conventional methods in
regions of parameter space.Comment: 11 pages Latex, 5 figures, formulae added in sections 2.2 and 2.3,
extra discussion in section 2.3, references adde
The role of human milk nutrients in preventing necrotizing enterocolitis
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is an intestinal disease that primarily impacts preterm infants. The pathophysiology of NEC involves a complex interplay of factors that result in a deleterious immune response, injury to the intestinal mucosa, and in its most severe form, irreversible intestinal necrosis. Treatments for NEC remain limited, but one of the most effective preventative strategies for NEC is the provision of breast milk feeds. In this review, we discuss mechanisms by which bioactive nutrients in breast milk impact neonatal intestinal physiology and the development of NEC. We also review experimental models of NEC that have been used to study the role of breast milk components in disease pathophysiology. These models are necessary to accelerate mechanistic research and improve outcomes for neonates with NEC
Charged Higgs bosons in the Next-to MSSM (NMSSM)
The charged Higgs boson decays and
are studied in the framework of the next-to Minimal Supersymmetric Standard
Model (NMSSM). It is found that the decay rate for can
exceed the rates for the and channels both below and above
the top-bottom threshold. The dominance of is most readily
achieved when has a large doublet component and small mass. We also study
the production process at the LHC followed by the decay
which leads to the signature . We suggest
that is a promising discovery channel for a light charged
Higgs boson in the NMSSM with small or moderate and dominant decay
mode . This signature can also arise from
the Higgsstrahlung process followed by the decay . It is shown that there exist regions of parameter space where these
processes can have comparable cross sections and we suggest that their
respective signals can be distinguished at the LHC by using appropriate
reconstruction methods.Comment: 20 pages, 22 eps figures, more reference adde
The Structure and Dynamics of the Upper Chromosphere and Lower Transition Region as Revealed by the Subarcsecond VAULT Observations
The Very high Angular resolution ULtraviolet Telescope (VAULT) is a sounding
rocket payload built to study the crucial interface between the solar
chromosphere and the corona by observing the strongest line in the solar
spectrum, the Ly-a line at 1216 {\AA}. In two flights, VAULT succeeded in
obtaining the first ever sub-arcsecond (0.5") images of this region with high
sensitivity and cadence. Detailed analyses of those observations have
contributed significantly to new ideas about the nature of the transition
region. Here, we present a broad overview of the Ly-a atmosphere as revealed by
the VAULT observations, and bring together past results and new analyses from
the second VAULT flight to create a synthesis of our current knowledge of the
high-resolution Ly-a Sun. We hope that this work will serve as a good reference
for the design of upcoming Ly-a telescopes and observing plans.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure
Leveraging phylogenetics to understand HIV transmission and partner notification networks
Background: Partner notification is an important component of public health test and treat interventions. To enhance this essential function, we assessed the potential for molecular methods to supplement routine partner notification and corroborate HIV networks. Methods: All persons diagnosed with HIV infection in Wake County, NC, during 2012-2013 and their disclosed sexual partners were included in a sexual network. A data set containing HIV-1 pol sequences collected in NC during 1997-2014 from 15,246 persons was matched to HIV-positive persons in the network and used to identify putative transmission clusters. Both networks were compared. Results: The partner notification network comprised 280 index cases and 383 sexual partners and high-risk social contacts (n = 131 HIVpositive). Of the 411 HIV-positive persons in the partner notification network, 181 (44%) did not match to a HIV sequence, 61 (15%) had sequences but were not identified in a transmission cluster, and 169 (41%) were identified in a transmission cluster. More than half (59%) of transmission clusters bridged sexual network partnerships that were not recognized in the partner notification; most of these clusters were dominated by men who have sex with men. Conclusions: Partner notification and HIV sequence analysis provide complementary representations of the existent partnerships underlying the HIV transmission network. The partner notification network components were bridged by transmission clusters, particularly among components dominated by men who have sex with men. Supplementing the partner notification network with phylogenetic data highlighted avenues for intervention
Pinned Balseiro-Falicov Model of Tunneling and Photoemission in the Cuprates
The smooth evolution of the tunneling gap of Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_8 with doping
from a pseudogap state in the underdoped cuprates to a superconducting state at
optimal and overdoping, has been interpreted as evidence that the pseudogap
must be due to precursor pairing. We suggest an alternative explanation, that
the smoothness reflects a hidden SO(N) symmetry near the (pi,0) points of the
Brillouin zone (with N = 3, 4, 5, or 6). Because of this symmetry, the
pseudogap could actually be due to any of a number of nesting instabilities,
including charge or spin density waves or more exotic phases. We present a
detailed analysis of this competition for one particular model: the pinned
Balseiro-Falicov model of competing charge density wave and (s-wave)
superconductivity. We show that most of the anomalous features of both
tunneling and photoemission follow naturally from the model, including the
smooth crossover, the general shape of the pseudogap phase diagram, the
shrinking Fermi surface of the pseudogap phase, and the asymmetry of the
tunneling gap away from optimal doping. Below T_c, the sharp peak at Delta_1
and the dip seen in the tunneling and photoemission near 2Delta_1 cannot be
described in detail by this model, but we suggest a simple generalization to
account for inhomogeneity, which does provide an adequate description. We show
that it should be possible, with a combination of photoemission and tunneling,
to demonstrate the extent of pinning of the Fermi level to the Van Hove
singularity. A preliminary analysis of the data suggests pinning in the
underdoped, but not in the overdoped regime.Comment: 18 pages LaTeX, 26 ps. figure
- âŠ