User Configuration of Activity Awareness

This paper describes an approach to user configuration of activity awareness. This approach offers users increased flexibility by allowing the use of multiple methods of configuration to be used within a unified framework; these configuration methods can include context, policy rules and automatic techniques of configuring behaviour. In this paper we describe the benefits of this flexibility and discuss a model of configuration that can be used to support these features

Optic neuropathy associated with systemic sarcoidosis

Objective: To identify and follow a series of 52 patients with optic neuropathy related to sarcoidosis. Methods: Prospective observational cohort study. Results: The disorder was more common in women and affected a wide age range. It was proportionately more common in African and Caribbean ethnic groups. Two clinical subtypes were identified: the more common was a subacute optic neuropathy resembling optic neuritis; a more slowly progressive optic neuropathy arose in the remaining 17%. Sixteen (31%) were bilateral. Concurrent intraocular inflammation was seen in 36%. Pain arose in only 27% of cases. An optic perineuritis was seen in 2 cases, and predominate involvement of the chiasm in one. MRI findings showed optic nerve involvement in 75% of cases, with adjacent and more widespread inflammation in 31%. Treatment with corticosteroids was helpful in those with an inflammatory optic neuropathy, but not those with mass lesions. Relapse of visual signs arose in 25% of cases, necessitating an increase or escalation of treatment, but relapse was not a poor prognostic factor. Conclusions: This is a large prospective study of the clinical characteristics and outcome of treatment in optic neuropathy associated with sarcoidosis. Patients who experience an inflammatory optic neuropathy respond to treatment but may relapse. Those with infiltrative or progressive optic neuropathies improve less well even though the inflammatory disorder responds to therapy

Glucagon receptor gene mutations with hyperglucagonemia but without the glucagonoma syndrome

Pancreatic neoplasms producing exclusively glucagon associated with glucagon cell hyperplasia of the islets and not related to hereditary endocrine syndromes have been recently described. They represent a novel entity within the panel of non-syndromic disorders associated with hyperglucagonemia. This case report describes a 36-year-old female with a 10 years history of non-specific abdominal pain. No underlying cause was evident despite extensive diagnostic work-up. More recently she was diagnosed with gall bladder stones. Abdominal ultrasound, computerised tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed no pathologic findings apart from cholelithiasis. Endoscopic ultrasound revealed a 5.5 mm pancreatic lesion. Fine needle aspiration showed cells focally expressing chromogranin, suggestive but not diagnostic of a low grade neuroendocrine tumor. OctreoScan(®) was negative. Serum glucagon was elevated to 66 pmol/L (normal: 0-50 pmol/L). Other gut hormones, chromogranin A and chromogranin B were normal. Cholecystectomy and enucleation of the pancreatic lesion were undertaken. Postoperatively, abdominal symptoms resolved and serum glucagon dropped to 7 pmol/L. Although H and E staining confirmed normal pancreatic tissue, immunohistochemistry was initially thought to be suggestive of alpha cell hyperplasia. A count of glucagon positive cells from 5 islets, compared to 5 islets from 5 normal pancreata indicated that islet size and glucagon cell ratios were increased, however still within the wide range of normal physiological findings. Glucagon receptor gene (GCGR) sequencing revealed a heterozygous deletion, K349_G359del and 4 missense mutations. This case may potentially represent a progenitor stage of glucagon cell adenomatosis with hyperglucagonemia in the absence of glucagonoma syndrome. The identification of novel GCGR mutations suggests that these may represent the underlying cause of this condition

Fermentation-derived Aroma Compounds in Varietal Young Wines from South Africa

The volatile composition of 925 single cultivar young Sauvignon blanc, Chardonnay, Pinotage, Merlot, Shirazand Cabernet Sauvignon wines of vintages 2005 to 2007, was determined using gas chromatography – flameionisation detection. Compositional data were compared to published data on young wines from South Africa andother countries. South African young wines analysed in this study had a largely similar volatile composition tothat reported in the literature. Significant between-vintage and between-cultivar differences were observed in thevolatile composition of the wines investigated in this study. The concentration ranges of four compounds in redwines, hexanol, propanol, diethyl succinate and ethyl lactate, and four compounds in white wines, 2-phenylethanol,hexanoic acid, isoamyl acetate and propanol, were not influenced by vintage effects. This finding was interpretedas the first indication that typical concentration ranges for some aroma compounds can be established for SouthAfrican young cultivar wines. A trend was observed in the white wines that the alcohols and their respective acetateesters, as well as fatty acids and their ethyl esters, were responsible for the vintage-related effects. Differences involatile composition between Chardonnay and Sauvignon blanc wines could also largely be explained on the samebasis. Classification models were established to discriminate between individual red wine cultivars and between thetwo white wine cultivars and correct classification rates of respectively, 79 % and 85 % were achieved

Quantitative Survey of 3-alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines and First Confirmation of 3-ethyl-2-methoxypyrazine in South African Sauvignon blanc Wines

3-Alkyl-2-methoxypyrazines are important aroma components in Sauvignon blanc wine, contributing tothe typical vegetative character associated with the cultivar. The analysis of methoxypyrazines is highlychallenging and, as a result, limited quantitative data are available for South African Sauvignon blancwines. In this study, liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry was applied for the sensitivequantification of the three principal methoxypyrazines in 881 South African Sauvignon blanc wines. Thetotal wine methoxypyrazine concentration exceeded the combined recognition threshold for the vegetativearoma in more than 60% of the samples, demonstrating the involvement of these compounds in the typicalaroma of the cultivar. The analytical method was adapted to allow the accurate quantitation and spectralconfirmation of 3-ethyl-2-methoxypyrazine in Sauvignon blanc wines for the first time. Concentrationsranged between 1.1 and 4.9 ng/L. Statistically significant relationships between wine methoxypyrazineconcentrations and parameters related to the maturity of the grapes and to the climate, as well asgeographical origin and vintage, were found

Characterization of bacterial communities associated with Brassica napus L. growing on a Zn-contaminated soil and their effects on root growth

peerreview_statement: The publishing and review policy for this title is described in its Aims & Scope. aims_and_scope_url: http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=aimsScope&journalCode=bijp20The attached document is the author's final accepted/submitted version of the journal article. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it

The impact of mobility on early career earnings: A quantile regression approach for UK graduates

This paper uses HESA data from the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey 2002/03 to examine whether more mobile students have an earnings advantage over those who are less mobile. We define mobility in terms of both choice of institution and location of employment. A clear finding that emerges is that mobility is associated with superior earnings outcomes, principally through students extending their job search horizon. Our analysis examines the entire earnings distribution rather than focussing solely upon the mean, as in common in much of the existing literature. This will provide a much clearer picture as to the true effect of mobility on earnings. We also confirm, via bivariate probit analysis, that there is a positive correlation between individual mobility decisions with regard to the location of university attended and location of employment. There are important policy implications resulting from these findings. If raising student fees or associated living costs reduces mobility, for example through choosing to live at home, this may affect future earnings with consequent impact on loan repayments. Alternatively, any subsidies provided by the Scottish and Welsh governments for local students may not help their own economies given the incentive for students to leave their country of origin post-study to increase their potential earnings

Case Report: Burkitt’s lymphoma patients in Northwest Cameroon have a lower incidence of sickle cell trait (Hb AS) than healthy controls

Contradictory findings have been reported from Africa with regard to the risk of  developing Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) in sickle cell trait (AS) carriers. Haemoglobin electrophoresis was performed in 78 BL patients in the Northwest region of Cameroon, and in 78 nearest-neighbour controls of the same age, sex and tribe from the same village. AS was confirmed in 4 of 78 (5.13%) BL patients and in 11 of 78 (14.10%) controls (χ2, p=0.052; Fisher’s exact, one-tailed, p=0.050). Sickle cell trait carriers had a marginal statistically reduced risk of developing BL

Evaluation of selected chemical processes for production of low-cost silicon phase 2. silicon material task, low-cost silicon solar array project

Progress from October 1, 1977, through December 31, 1977, is reported in the design of the 50 MT/year experimental facility for the preparation of high purity silicon by the zinc vapor reduction of silicon tetrachloride in a fluidized bed of seed particles to form a free flowing granular product