216 research outputs found
Exploring the Role of Data-supported Social Interaction manifested through Public Displays
This paper presents the early findings of studies in the
role of data informing the interaction between the user,
public and public display. It focuses on exploring how
different strategies amplify and stimulate these datasupported
interactions. Building on the work by
Tomisch et al (13), we establish a taxonomy for databased
features under the category of key elements in
urban visualisations: 1) addressed topics, 2) input
technologies, and 3) visualisation output. We analyse
how these factors facilitate social interactions
meaningfully through case studies of previous projects
developed and implemented by Media Architecture
research community. We suggest that data properties
and manifestation play a significant role in 1) sustaining
attraction to passers-by 2) enriching public
understandings of display, and 3) encouraging diverse
participation
Strategy to develop centre of accreditation of excellence (CARE) with industrial-based recognition
This paper presents the strategy to develop Centre of Accreditation and Recognition of Excellence (CARE) with Industrial-based Recognition. The issue of unemployed graduates or graduates failing to obtain a job equivalent to their qualifications is a subject often addressed today by the youth. Employers argue that many graduates do not have the knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to the requirements of the industry, even though they have spent three to five years pursuing a diploma or bachelor’s degree. The aim of this study is to review the strategy in developing Centre of Accreditation and Recognition of Excellence (CARE) with Industrial-based Recognition. In this study, the strategic factors of previous case studies were identified. These strategic factors will then be verified by TVET and industry experts using the Delphi method. After the evaluation process, some of the strategic factors were ignored and new factors were included. In the end, the authorized body certification and skill sets are the new findings by expert group for the strategy in developing Centre of Accreditation and Recognition of Excellence (CARE) with Industrial-based Recognition
INFLUENCE OF α-AMYLASE AND ASCORBIC ACID COMBINATION ON EXTENSOGRAPH OF WEAK WHEAT FLOUR DOUGH AND SENSORY PROPERTIES OF PAN BREAD
The response of different concentrations of α-amylase and ascorbic acid on rheological characteristics of weak wheat flour was studied by the three dimension polynomial quaternary model. Flour physicochemical characteristics, dough extensogram, bread texture profile analysis and sensory properties of pan bread were determined. All-purpose flour was treated by fungal α-amylase and ascorbic acid compared with strong flour which using for pan bread production, and then investigates differences of dough extensograms and pan bread quality characteristics. Predicting individual extensograph parameters (Y) was assumed by quadratic polynomial regression model for the independent variables (fungal α-amylase concentrations or ascorbic acid concentrations (X)) to optimize the extensograph parameters (Y) used regression analysis. Three-dimension contour plot was used as a method to study the response surface of different extensograph parameters (Y) as dependent variables with fungal α-amylase concentration and ascorbic acid concentration (X and Z) as independent variables. The obtained optimum predicting concentrations were verified, by using applied extensograph trials and then manufacturing pan bread. Using optimal predictive fungal α-amylase and ascorbic acid concentration levels give accepted extensogram parameters relationship r2 values and good pan bread quality, fit to the strong flour characteristics
Distribution power loss minimization via distributed generation, capacitor and network reconfiguration
This paper presents a solution to solve the network reconfiguration, DG coordination (location and size) and capacitor coordination (location and size), simultaneously. The proposed solution will be determined by using Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). Various case studies are presented to see the impact on the test system, in term of power loss reduction and also voltage profiles. The proposed approach is applied to a 33-bus test system and simulate by using MATLAB programming. The simulation results show that combination of DG, capacitor and network reconfiguration gives a positive impact on total power losses minimization as well as voltage profile improvement compared to other case studies
A highly competitive system for CO methanation over an active metal-free fibrous silica mordenite via in-situ ESR and FTIR studies
Catalytic methanation of carbon monoxide (CO) offers a sustainable and attractive way to produce the synthetic natural gas (SNG), which can be a substitute for fossil fuels (coal, petroleum and natural gas) towards a low carbon future. This study focuses on CO methanation over a modified mordenite (FSMOR), which was synthesized through a microemulsion method. The Physico-chemical properties of the synthesized FSMOR were examined by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption isotherms, and electron spin resonance (ESR). The FSMOR showed a unique fibrous morphology, which has improved the CO conversion (73%), CH4 selectivity (71%) and rate of formation (0.0491 μmol-CH4/m2s) remarkably due to enhancement in BET surface area, oxygen vacancies, and basicity. The FSMOR expressed high thermal stability and low carbon deposition compared to MOR, which was confirmed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Raman and TEM observations. Besides, the in-situ ESR and FTIR observations proposed that the oxygen vacancies played a vital role to adsorb and activate the CO and H2 molecules via linear adsorbed CO* as intermediates, which dissociated into adsorbed C* to form methane by hydrogenation. This study may open up new opportunities for metal-free heterogeneous catalysis systems to enhance the catalytic CO methanation to produce SNG
HAGE (DDX43) is a biomarker for poor prognosis and a predictor of chemotherapy response in breast cancer
Background: HAGE protein is a known immunogenic cancer-specific antigen. Methods: The biological, prognostic and predictive values of HAGE expression was studied using immunohistochemistry in three cohorts of patients with BC (n=2147): early primary (EP-BC; n=1676); primary oestrogen receptor-negative (PER-BC; n=275) treated with adjuvant anthracycline-combination therapies (Adjuvant-ACT); and primary locally advanced disease (PLA-BC) who received neo-adjuvant anthracycline-combination therapies (Neo-adjuvant-ACT; n=196). The relationship between HAGE expression and the tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in matched prechemotherapy and postchemotherapy samples were investigated. Results: Eight percent of patients with EP-BC exhibited high HAGE expression (HAGEþ) and was associated with aggressive clinico-pathological features (Ps<0.01). Furthermore, HAGEþexpression was associated with poor prognosis in both univariate and multivariate analysis (Ps<0.001). Patients with HAGE+ did not benefit from hormonal therapy in high-risk ER-positive disease. HAGE+ and TILs were found to be independent predictors for pathological complete response to neoadjuvant-ACT; P<0.001. A statistically significant loss of HAGE expression following neoadjuvant-ACT was found (P=0.000001), and progression-free survival was worse in those patients who had HAGE+ residual disease (P=0.0003). Conclusions: This is the first report to show HAGE to be a potential prognostic marker and a predictor of response to ACT in patients with BC
SPAG5 as a prognostic biomarker and chemotherapy sensitivity predictor in breast cancer: a retrospective, integrated genomic, transcriptomic, and protein analysis
Background: Although the use of proliferation markers/profiles has been recommended when choosing the appropriate systemic-treatment for breast cancer (BC), the best molecular-marker/test that should be used needs to be identified.
Methods: To identify factors that drive proliferation and its associated features in BC an artificial neural network (ANN) based integrative data-mining methodology was applied to three cohorts [(Nottingham-discovery (ND), Uppsala and METABRIC (Molecular Taxonomy of Breast Cancer International Consortium)]. The most prominent genes in the resulting interactome-map were then identified. Given that SPAG5 was associated with many features of proliferation, featured prominently in the interactome-map and has a fundamental role in mitotic-progression,, we hypothesized that it could be a better indicator of proliferation activity. (BC). Subsequently to test if it could provide a more accurate guide for the delivery of systemic therapies in BC, we investigated the clinico-pathological utility of SPAG5: gene copy number aberrations (CNAs); mRNA and protein expression, in over 10,000 BCs. Integrated analysis of SPAG5-gene CNAs, transcript and protein expression was conducted in the ND cohort (n=171) and validated in the METABRIC cohort (n=1980). In addition, the associations of SPAG5 CNAs, transcript and/or protein with BC specific survival (BCSS), disease free survival (DFS) and/or distant relapse free survival (DRFS) were analysed in multiple cohorts including Uppsala (n=249), METABRIC, three-untreated lymph node (LN) negative cohorts (n=684), a combined multicentre clinical data set (n=5439), Nottingham historical early-stage-primary BC (Nottingham-HES-BC; n=1650), Nottingham oestrogen receptor (ER) negative BC (n=697), Nottingham anthracycline-Neoadjuvant-chemotherapy (Nottingham-AC-Neo-ACT; n=200), and MD Anderson Cancer Centre Taxane/anthracycline (MDACC-T/AC-Neo-ACT; n=508) cohorts. The association of SPAG5 transcript and protein expression with pathological response rate (pCR) were also tested in [MDACC-T/AC-Neo-ACT (n=508) and the phase II trial NCT00455533; n=253)] and [Nottingham-AC-Neo-ACT (n=200)] cohorts; respectively.
Findings: SPAG5 gene gain/amplification at the Ch17q11·2 locus was found in 10.4% of BC (206/1980 (; METABRIC) and was reported in 19·4% of PAM50-HER2 (46/237) and 17·8% of PAM50-LumB (87/488). SPAG5-CNA gain/amplification and high SPAG5-transcript and SPAG5-protein were associated with increased risk of death from BC [Uppsala; (HR (CI 95%): 1·50 (1·18-1·92); p=0·00010, METABRIC; (HR (CI 95%): 1·68 (1·40-2·01) p<0·0001), and Nottingham-HSE-BC; (HR (CI 95%): 1·68 (1·32-2·12), p<0·0001); respectively]. Multivariable Cox regression models, including other validated-prognostic factors, (Uppsala: age, size, LN-stage, genomic grade index (GGI), ER, TP53 mutation and MKi67; METABRIC: age, size, LN-stage, histologic-grade, ER, progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), hormone-therapy, chemotherapy, interaction term of SPAG5 and both chemotherapyy and hormonotherapy; Desmedt-untreated LN- cohort: ER, Nottingham prognostic index (NPI), 76-gene prognostic signature (Veridex) and Adjuvant-Online (AOL); Nottingham-HES-BC: menopausal status, size, LN- stage, histologic-grade, ER, PR, HER2, ki67, hormone-therapy, chemotherapy, interaction term of SPAG5 and both chemotherapy[y and hormonotherapy), showed that high SPAG5-transcript and high SPAG5-protein were associated with shorter BCSS [Uppsala: (HR (CI 95%): 1·62 (1·03-2·53) p=0·036); METABRIC: (HR (CI 95%): 1·27 (1·02-1·58) p=0·034); Desmedt-untreated LN- cohort: (HR (CI 95%): 2·34 (1·24-4·42) p=0·0090), and Nottingham-HES-BC (HR (CI 95%): 1·73 (1·23-2·46) p=0·0020); respectively]. In ER-negative-BC with high SPAG5-protein, administration of anthracycline-adjuvant-chemotherapy had reduced the risk of death by 60% compared to chemotherapy-naive (HR (95% CI): 0·37 (0·20-0·60); p=0·0010). A multivariable Cox regression analysis, which included other validated prognostic factors for chemotherapy (e.g., menopausal status, size, lymph node stage, histologic grade, ER, PR, HER2, Bcl2, chemotherapy, interaction term of SPAG5 and both chemotherapy[y), revealed that SPAG5-transcript+ was independently associated with decreased risk of DRFS after receiving Taxane/anthracycline-Neo-ACT [MDACC-T/AC-Neo-ACT: (HR (CI 95%): 0·68 (0·48-0·97); p=0·0070)]. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, both SPAG5-transcript+ and SPAG5-protein+ and were independent predictors for higher pCR after combination-cytotoxic chemotherapy [MDACC-T/AC-Neo-ACT: (OR (95% CI) 1·71 (1·07-2·74); p=0·024), and Nottingham-AC-Neo-AC: (OR (95% CI): 8·75 (2·42-31); p=0·0010); respectively].
Interpretation: SPAG5 is a novel amplified gene on Ch17q11.2 in PAM50-LumB and PAM-HER2 BC, and its transcript and protein products are independent prognostic and predictive biomarkers, with potential clinical utility as a biomarker for combination cytotoxic chemotherapy sensitivity, especially in ER- BC
Performance, emissions and carbon deposit characteristics of diesel engine operating on emulsion fuel
Little is known about the effects of using emulsion fuel for extended operation hours. Emulsion fuels comprise of water, low grade diesel fuel (D2) and surfactant in the ratio of 10:89:1 v/v% (E10) and 20:79:1 v/v% (E20). The characteristics of carbon deposits from an engine after a run of 200 h were examined. The carbon deposit analysis performed were macroscopic/microscopic photographs, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), metal element analysis (MEA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR). Increasing water in emulsion fuel decreased particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NO x ) altogether. TGA results observed that carbon deposit of E10 engine differed from E20 and D2 engines in terms of its characteristics, which includes darker colour of carbon deposit and the higher volatile content, while the MEA results observed that the elemental metal concentration in the carbon deposit was reduced with increasing water content. The intensity of the spectrum from C–H group for the carbon deposit E10 engine was higher compared to carbon deposit D2 and E20 engine respectively due to a complete combustion. Therefore, it was observed that 10% or less water content delivered better fuel consumption, emissions, and carbon deposit
Distribution power loss minimization via distributed generation, capacitor and network reconfiguration
This paper presents a solution to solve the network reconfiguration, DG coordination (location and size), and capacitor coordination (location and size), simultaneously. The proposed solution will be determined by using Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). Various case studies are presented to see the impact on the test system, in terms of power loss reduction and also voltage profiles. The proposed approach is applied to a 33-bus test system and simulated by using MATLAB programming. The simulation results show that combination of DG, capacitor and network reconfiguration gives a positive impact on total power losses minimization as well as voltage profile improvement compared to other case studies
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