Information of ocular origin impairs target discrimination during visual search

Session 9: Poster: Attention & Awareness, Visual search, Clinical population, Computer visionVisual features such as colour, orientation, luminance, eye-of-origin information are reported to modulate attentional deployment and thus visual search. Among them, the effect of ocular origin of information on visual search performance is less clear: Zhaoping (2008, 2012) found that an ocular singleton improves visual search performance when it was the target, while we (Yeung et al, 2014) found consistent search ...postprin

Texture and chemical composition analyses on the Hg0.66Pb0.33Ba2Ca2Cu3Oy superconductor using the sealed quartz tube technique

Pb-substituted Hg-based superconductor of Hg0.66Pb0.33Ba2Ca2Cu3Oy has been fabricated using the sealed quartz tube technique. R-T and x-ray diffraction pattern (XDP) measurements show that the specimen has a Tc of 135 K and contains mainly the Hg-1223 phase. Scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray analysis (SEM/EDX) and transmission electron microscopy/energy dispersive x-ray analysis (TEM/EDX) were employed to study the texture and chemical composition of the specimen. It is found that the specimen contains round-shaped grains with a mixture of Hg-1223, BaCuO2, and Ca0.85CuO2 phases, square-shaped grains with a formula of PbBa2O3, small single crystals with single Hg-1223 phase, and crystal-like layers with a mixture of Hg-1223 and BaCuO2 phase. We consider that though the doping of Pb can benefit the stabilization of the Hg-1223 phase, it introduces other impurity phases and textures in the specimen at the same time.published_or_final_versio

The importance of online resources for parents of children with special needs in Hong Kong: South China's experience

published_or_final_versio

AKR7A3 suppresses tumorigenicity and chemoresistance in hepatocellular carcinoma through attenuation of ERK, c-Jun and NF-κB signaling pathways

published_or_final_versio

An Exome-Chip Association Analysis in Chinese Subjects Reveals a Functional Missense Variant of GCKR That Regulates FGF21 Levels

Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is increasingly recognized as an important metabolic regulator of glucose homeostasis. Here, we conducted an exome-chip association analysis by genotyping 5,169 Chinese individuals from a community-based cohort and two clinic-based cohorts. A custom Asian exome-chip was used to detect genetic determinants influencing circulating FGF21 levels. Single-variant association analysis interrogating 70,444 single nucleotide polymorphisms identified a novel locus, GCKR, significantly associated with circulating FGF21 levels at genome-wide significance. In the combined analysis, the common missense variant of GCKR, rs1260326 (p.Pro446Leu), showed an association with FGF21 levels after adjustment for age and sex (P = 1.61 × 10−12; β [SE] = 0.14 [0.02]), which remained significant on further adjustment for BMI (P = 3.01 × 10−14; β [SE] = 0.15 [0.02]). GCKR Leu446 may influence FGF21 expression via its ability to increase glucokinase (GCK) activity. This can lead to enhanced FGF21 expression via elevated fatty acid synthesis, consequent to the inhibition of carnitine/palmitoyl-transferase by malonyl-CoA, and via increased glucose-6-phosphate–mediated activation of the carbohydrate response element binding protein, known to regulate FGF21 gene expression. Our findings shed new light on the genetic regulation of FGF21 levels. Further investigations to dissect the relationship between GCKR and FGF21, with respect to the risk of metabolic diseases, are warranted.postprin

Scatter-limited conduction in printed platinum nanofilms

It is demonstrated that thin platinum films may be deposited onto smooth glass substrates using a materials printer and a propriety organometallic ink. Under opti- mised printing and subsequent thermal curing conditions, excellent film adhesion to the substrates was achieved for thicknesses of about 15 nm. The resistivity of the opti- mised films is observed to be a factor of less than 3 higher than pure bulk platinum at 300 K and exhibits a slightly smaller associated thermal coefficient of resistance. The resistivity parameters are found to be insensitive to the gaseous measurement environment which suggests that intercalated carbon regions within the films following the curing process have been largely eliminated. An analysis of the resistivity data indicates that electronic conduction is consistent with enhanced boundary scattering at granular structures that are introduced during multi-pass printing. A minimum electron mean free path of ~18 nm is deduced from the measured film topography. The presented work will find application in biosensor and fuel cell technologies.</p

Malignancy risk analysis in patients with inadequate fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of the thyroid

Background Thyroid fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is the standard diagnostic modality for thyroid nodules. However, it has limitations among which is the incidence of non-diagnostic results (Thy1). Management of cases with repeatedly non-diagnostic FNAC ranges from simple observation to surgical intervention. We aim to evaluate the incidence of malignancy in non-diagnostic FNAC, and the success rate of repeated FNAC. We also aim to evaluate risk factors for malignancy in patients with non-diagnostic FNAC. Materials and Methods Retrospective analyses of consecutive cases with thyroid non diagnostic FNAC results were included. Results Out of total 1657 thyroid FNAC done during the study period, there were 264 (15.9%) non-diagnostic FNAC on the first attempt. On repeating those, the rate of a non-diagnostic result on second FNAC was 61.8% and on third FNAC was 47.2%. The overall malignancy rate in Thy1 FNAC was 4.5% (42% papillary, 42% follicular and 8% anaplastic), and the yield of malignancy decreased considerably with successive non-diagnostic FNAC. Ultrasound guidance by an experienced head neck radiologist produced the lowest non-diagnostic rate (38%) on repetition compared to US guidance by a generalist radiologist (65%) and by non US guidance (90%). Conclusions There is a low risk of malignancy in patients with a non-diagnostic FNAC result, commensurate to the risk of any nodule. The yield of malignancy decreased considerably with successive non-diagnostic FNAC

Invisible collinear integration impairs visual search

This journal suppl. entitled: Special Issue: The 9th Asia‐Pacific Conference on Vision (APCV 2013) ...Friday Afternoon Sessions: Talk Session II - Visual Search & Eye MovementOur visual search performance is compromised when the target overlaps with a task-irrelevant salient distractor organized to a snake-like configuration by collinear bars ...postprin

Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in √sNN=5.02 TeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (Δϕ) and pseudorapidity (Δη) are measured in √sNN=5.02  TeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1  μb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ΣETPb) summed over 3.1<η<4.9 in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range (2<|Δη|<5) “near-side” (Δϕ∼0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ΣETPb. A long-range “away-side” (Δϕ∼π) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ΣETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Δη and Δϕ) and ΣETPb dependence. The resultant Δϕ correlation is approximately symmetric about π/2, and is consistent with a dominant cos⁡2Δϕ modulation for all ΣETPb ranges and particle pT