1,738 research outputs found
A comparison between continuous categorical emotion responses and stimulus loudness parameters
This paper investigates the use of psychoacoustic loudness analysis as a method for determining the likely emotional responses of listeners to musical excerpts. 19 excerpts of music were presented to 86 participants (7 randomly chosen excerpts per participant) who were asked to rate the emotion category using the emotion-clock-face continuous response interface. The same excerpts were analysed with a loudness model, and time series results were summarised as both loudness median and standard deviation. Comparisons indicate that the median and standard deviation of loudness plays an important role in determining the emotion category responses. © 2013 IEEE
Improved Success of Sparse Matrix Protein Crystallization Screening with Heterogeneous Nucleating Agents
Crystallization is a major bottleneck in the process of macromolecular structure determination by X-ray crystallography. Successful crystallization requires the formation of nuclei and their subsequent growth to crystals of suitable size. Crystal growth generally occurs spontaneously in a supersaturated solution as a result of homogenous nucleation. However, in a typical sparse matrix screening experiment, precipitant and protein concentration are not sampled extensively, and supersaturation conditions suitable for nucleation are often missed
Targeting the Transforming Growth Factor-ÎČ pathway inhibits human basal-like breast cancer metastasis
<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transforming Growth Factor ÎČ (TGF-ÎČ) plays an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. We set out to investigate the possible clinical utility of TGF-ÎČ antagonists in a human metastatic basal-like breast cancer model. We examined the effects of two types of the TGF-ÎČ pathway antagonists (1D11, a mouse monoclonal pan-TGF-ÎČ neutralizing antibody and LY2109761, a chemical inhibitor of TGF-ÎČ type I and II receptor kinases) on sublines of basal cell-like MDA-MB-231 human breast carcinoma cells that preferentially metastasize to lungs (4175TR, 4173) or bones (SCP2TR, SCP25TR, 2860TR, 3847TR).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Both 1D11 and LY2109761 effectively blocked TGF-ÎČ-induced phosphorylation of receptor-associated Smads in all MDA-MB-231 subclones <it>in vitro</it>. Moreover, both antagonists inhibited TGF-ÎČ stimulated <it>in vitro </it>migration and invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 subclones, indicating that these processes are partly driven by TGF-ÎČ. In addition, both antagonists significantly reduced the metastatic burden to either lungs or bones <it>in vivo</it>, seemingly independently of intrinsic differences between the individual tumor cell clones. Besides inhibiting metastasis in a tumor cell autonomous manner, the TGF-ÎČ antagonists inhibited angiogenesis associated with lung metastases and osteoclast number and activity associated with lytic bone metastases. In aggregate, these studies support the notion that TGF-ÎČ plays an important role in both bone-and lung metastases of basal-like breast cancer, and that inhibiting TGF-ÎČ signaling results in a therapeutic effect independently of the tissue-tropism of the metastatic cells. Targeting the TGF-ÎČ pathway holds promise as a novel therapeutic approach for metastatic basal-like breast cancer.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In aggregate, these studies support the notion that TGF-ÎČ plays an important role in both bone-and lung metastases of basal-like breast cancer, and that inhibiting TGF-ÎČ signaling results in a therapeutic effect independently of the tissue-tropism of the metastatic cells. Targeting the TGF-ÎČ pathway holds promise as a novel therapeutic approach for metastatic basal-like breast cancer.</p
Re-Inventing Public Education:The New Role of Knowledge in Education Policy-Making
This article focuses on the changing role of knowledge in education policy making within the knowledge society. Through an examination of key policy texts, the Scottish case of Integrated Children Services provision is used to exemplify this new trend. We discuss the ways in which knowledge is being used in order to re-configure education as part of a range of public services designed to meet individuals' needs. This, we argue, has led to a 'scientization' of education governance where it is only knowledge, closely intertwined with action (expressed as 'measures') that can reveal problems and shape solutions. The article concludes by highlighting the key role of knowledge policy and governance in orienting education policy making through a re-invention of the public role of education
Specific Appetite for Carotenoids in a Colorful Bird
Background: Since carotenoids have physiological functions necessary for maintaining health, individuals should be selected to actively seek and develop a specific appetite for these compounds. Methodology/Principal Findings: Great tits Parus major in a diet choice experiment, both in captivity and the field, preferred carotenoid-enriched diets to control diets. The food items did not differ in any other aspects measured besides carotenoid content. Conclusions/Significance: Specific appetite for carotenoids is here demonstrated for the first time, placing these compounds on a par with essential nutrients as sodium or calcium
Costs of screening children for hearing disorders and delivery of hearing aids in China
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79593.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)BACKGROUND: The burden of disease of hearing disorders among children is high, but a large part goes undetected. School-based screening programs in combination with the delivery of hearing aids can alleviate this situation, but the costs of such programs are unknown. AIM: To evaluate the costs of a school-based screening program for hearing disorders, among approximately 216,000 school children, and the delivery of hearing aids to 206 children at three different care levels in China. METHODS: In a prospective study design, screening and hearing aid delivery costs were estimated on the basis of program records and an empirical assessment of health personnel time input. Household costs for seeking and undergoing hearing health care were collected with a questionnaire, administered to the parents of the child. Data were collected at three study sites representing primary, secondary and tertiary care levels. RESULTS: Total screening and hearing aid delivery costs ranged between RMB70,000 (US17,000) in the three study sites. Health care cost per child fitted ranged from RMB5,900 (US940) at the secondary care level, to RMB8,600 (US209-US$365), depending on perspective of analysis and study site. The program was always least costly in the primary care setting. CONCLUSION: Hearing screening and the delivery of hearing aids in China is least costly in a primary care setting. Important questions remain concerning its implementation
FusionFinder: A Software Tool to Identify Expressed Gene Fusion Candidates from RNA-Seq Data
The hallmarks of many haematological malignancies and solid tumours are chromosomal translocations, which may lead to gene fusions. Recently, next-generation sequencing techniques at the transcriptome level (RNA-Seq) have been used to verify known and discover novel transcribed gene fusions. We present FusionFinder, a Perl-based software designed to automate the discovery of candidate gene fusion partners from single-end (SE) or paired-end (PE) RNA-Seq read data. FusionFinder was applied to data from a previously published analysis of the K562 chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) cell line. Using FusionFinder we successfully replicated the findings of this study and detected additional previously unreported fusion genes in their dataset, which were confirmed experimentally. These included two isoforms of a fusion involving the genes BRK1 and VHL, whose co-deletion has previously been associated with the prevalence and severity of renal-cell carcinoma. FusionFinder is made freely available for non-commercial use and can be downloaded from the project website (http://bioinformatics.childhealthresearch.org.au/software/fusionfinder/)
Measurement of the inclusive and dijet cross-sections of b-jets in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector
The inclusive and dijet production cross-sections have been measured for jets
containing b-hadrons (b-jets) in proton-proton collisions at a centre-of-mass
energy of sqrt(s) = 7 TeV, using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The
measurements use data corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 34 pb^-1.
The b-jets are identified using either a lifetime-based method, where secondary
decay vertices of b-hadrons in jets are reconstructed using information from
the tracking detectors, or a muon-based method where the presence of a muon is
used to identify semileptonic decays of b-hadrons inside jets. The inclusive
b-jet cross-section is measured as a function of transverse momentum in the
range 20 < pT < 400 GeV and rapidity in the range |y| < 2.1. The bbbar-dijet
cross-section is measured as a function of the dijet invariant mass in the
range 110 < m_jj < 760 GeV, the azimuthal angle difference between the two jets
and the angular variable chi in two dijet mass regions. The results are
compared with next-to-leading-order QCD predictions. Good agreement is observed
between the measured cross-sections and the predictions obtained using POWHEG +
Pythia. MC@NLO + Herwig shows good agreement with the measured bbbar-dijet
cross-section. However, it does not reproduce the measured inclusive
cross-section well, particularly for central b-jets with large transverse
momenta.Comment: 10 pages plus author list (21 pages total), 8 figures, 1 table, final
version published in European Physical Journal
Observation of associated near-side and away-side long-range correlations in âsNN=5.02ââTeV proton-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector
Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle (ÎÏ) and pseudorapidity (Îη) are measured in âsNN=5.02ââTeV p+Pb collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately 1ââÎŒb-1 of data as a function of transverse momentum (pT) and the transverse energy (ÎŁETPb) 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<|Îη|<5) ânear-sideâ (ÎÏâŒ0) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing ÎŁETPb. A long-range âaway-sideâ (ÎÏâŒÏ) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small ÎŁETPb, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in Îη and ÎÏ) and ÎŁETPb dependence. The resultant ÎÏ correlation is approximately symmetric about Ï/2, and is consistent with a dominant cosâĄ2ÎÏ modulation for all ÎŁETPb ranges and particle pT
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