321 research outputs found

    Language switching in a digital library; does it make a difference if the default language is set to Maori?

    Get PDF
    In this paper we investigate the effect of default interface language on usage patterns of the Niupepa digital library (a collection of historic Māori language newspapers), by switching the default interface language between Māori and English in alternate weeks. Transaction analysis of the Niupepa collection logs indicates that changing default language affects the length of user sessions and the number of actions within sessions, and that the English language interface was used most frequently

    NÀkymÀttömÀt lapset varhaiskasvatuksessa

    Get PDF
    TiivistelmÀ. Tutkimuksemme kÀsittelee sosiaalista nÀkymÀttömyyttÀ varhaiskasvatuksessa, joka on vuorovaikutuksessa syntyvÀ ilmiö. Sosiaalinen nÀkymÀttömyys on oman kokemuksemme mukaan lÀsnÀ varhaiskasvatuksen arjessa, mutta sitÀ ei ole kÀsitelty juurikaan tutkimuksissa. Ilmiö on kasvatuksellisesta nÀkökulmasta haasteellinen, sillÀ kasvattajat eivÀt tiedosta sen olemassaoloa. Tutkimuksessamme pyrimme integroivan kirjallisuuskatsauksen keinoin muodostamaan alustavan kokonaiskuvan sosiaalisesta nÀkymÀttömyydestÀ varhaiskasvatuksessa. Avaamme tutkimuskysymystemme avulla mitÀ sosiaalinen nÀkymÀttömyys on, sekÀ mikÀ altistaa lapsen sosiaaliselle nÀkymÀttömyydelle. Tuloksissa kuvaamme sosiaalista nÀkymÀttömyyttÀ peilautumattomuuden, kohtaamattomuuden ja yksinÀisyyden kÀsitteiden kautta, jotka muodostavat sosiaalisen nÀkymÀttömyyden teorian. LisÀksi kuvaamme nÀkymÀttömyydelle altistavia tekijöitÀ, joita on havaittavissa kiintymyssuhteissa, pÀivÀkodissa tapahtuvassa vuorovaikutuksessa, temperamenttipiirteissÀ, puolustusmekanismeissa sekÀ varhaiskasvatuksen toimintakulttuurissa. NÀkymÀttömyys ilmiönÀ nivoutuu monella tapaa minÀkuvan muodostumiseen. TÀmÀ yhteys nÀkyy niin kaikkien nÀkymÀttömyyttÀ kuvaavien kuin nÀkymÀttömyydelle altistavienkin tekijöiden yhteydessÀ. NÀkymÀttömyyteen liittyy tekijöitÀ, joiden ilmeneminen voi aiheuttaa lapselle nÀkymÀttömÀn roolin pÀivÀkotiympÀristössÀ. NÀkymÀttömyydellÀ on suuri vaikutus lapsen minÀkuvan kehitykseen ja sitÀ kautta mielenterveyteen. Yksilöiden mielenterveydellÀ on taas vaikutuksensa yhteiskunnan resursseihin. Sosiaalisen nÀkymÀttömyyden ilmiötÀ onkin tÀrkeÀÀ tuoda esille, sillÀ se lisÀÀ nÀkymÀttömyyden tunnistamisen mahdollisuuksia kasvattajien keskuudessa. Ilmiön tunnistaminen vÀhentÀÀ sosiaalista nÀkymÀttömyyttÀ ja sitÀ kautta siitÀ aiheutuvia haittoja

    Applicability of open rainfall data to event-scale urban rainfall-runoff modelling

    Get PDF
    Rainfall-runoff simulations in urban environments require meteorological input data with high temporal and spatial resolutions. The availability of precipitation data is constantly increasing due to the shift towards more open data sharing. However, the applicability of such data for urban runoff assessments is often unknown. Here, the feasibility of Finnish Meteorological Institute's open rain gauge and open weather radar data as input sources was studied by conducting Storm Water Management Model simulations at a very small (33.5 ha) urban catchment in Helsinki, Finland. In addition to the open data sources, data were also available from two research gauges, one of them located on-site, and from a research radar. The results confirmed the importance of local precipitation measurements for urban rainfall-runoff simulations, implying the suitability of open gauge data to be largely dictated by the gauge's distance from the catchment. Performance of open radar data with 5 min and 1 km' resolution was acceptable in terms of runoff reproduction, albeit peak flows were constantly and flow volumes often underestimated. Gauge adjustment and advection interpolation were found to improve the quality of the radar data, and at least gauge adjustment should be performed when open radar data are used. Finally, utilizing dual-polarization capabilities of radars has a potential to improve rainfall estimates for high intensity storms although more research is still needed. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

    Virological failure after 1 year of first-line ART is not associated with HIV minority drug resistance in rural Cameroon

    Get PDF
    Objectives The aim of this study was to describe clinical and virological outcomes in therapy-naive HIV-1-positive patients treated in a routine ART programme in rural Cameroon. Methods In a prospective cohort, 300 consecutive patients starting first-line ART were enrolled and followed for 12 months. Among 238 patients with available viral load data at Month 12, logistic regression was used to analyse risk factors for virological failure (≄1000 HIV RNA copies/mL) including clinical, immunological and virological parameters, as well as data on drug adherence. Population sequencing was performed to detect the presence of drug-resistance mutations in patients with virological failure at Month 12; minority drug-resistance mutations at baseline were analysed using next-generation sequencing in these patients and matched controls. Results At Month 12, 38/238 (16%) patients experienced virological failure (≄1000 HIV RNA copies/mL). Patients with virological failure were younger, had lower CD4 cell counts and were more often WHO stage 3 or 4 at baseline. Sixty-three percent of patients with virological failure developed at least one drug-resistance mutation. The M184V (n = 18) and K103N (n = 10) mutations were most common. At baseline, 6/30 patients (20%) experiencing virological failure and 6/35 (17%) matched controls had evidence of minority drug-resistance mutations using next-generation sequencing (P = 0.77). Lower CD4 count at baseline (OR per 100 cells/mm3 lower 1.41, 95% CI 1.02-1.96, P = 0.04) and poorer adherence (OR per 1% lower 1.05, 95% CI 1.02-1.08, P < 0.001) were associated with a higher risk of virological failure. Unavailability of ART at the treatment centre was the single most common cause for incomplete adherence. Conclusions Virological failure after 1 year of ART was not associated with minority drug resistance at baseline but with incomplete adherence. Strategies to assure adherence and uninterrupted drug supplies are pivotal factors for therapy succes

    Flexible antibodies with nonprotein hinges

    Get PDF
    There is a significant need for antibodies that can bind targets with greater affinity. Here we describe a novel strategy employing chemical semisynthesis to produce symmetroadhesins: antibody-like molecules having nonprotein hinge regions that are more flexible and extendible and are capable of two-handed binding. Native chemical ligation was carried out under mild, non-denaturing conditions to join a ligand binding domain (AÎČ peptide) to an IgG1 Fc dimer via discrete oxyethylene oligomers of various lengths. Two-handed AÎČ–Fc fusion proteins were obtained in quantitative yield and shown by surface plasmon resonance to bind an anti-AÎČ antibody with a KD at least two orders of magnitude greater than the cognate AÎČ peptide. MALDI-TOF MS analysis confirmed the protein/nonprotein/protein structure of the two-handed molecules, demonstrating its power to characterize complex protein-nonprotein hybrids by virtue of desorption/ionization mediated by peptide sequences contained therein. We anticipate many applications for symmetroadhesins that combine the target specificity of antibodies with the novel physical, chemical and biological properties of nonprotein hinges

    Distinct cellular pathways select germline-encoded and somatically mutated antibodies into immunological memory

    Get PDF
    One component of memory in the antibody system is long-lived memory B cells selected for the expression of somatically mutated, high-affinity antibodies in the T cell-dependent germinal center (GC) reaction. A puzzling observation has been that the memory B cell compartment also contains cells expressing unmutated, low-affinity antibodies. Using conditional Bcl6 ablation, we demonstrate that these cells are generated through proliferative expansion early after immunization in a T cell-dependent but GC-independent manner. They soon become resting and long-lived and display a novel distinct gene expression signature which distinguishes memory B cells from other classes of B cells. GC-independent memory B cells are later joined by somatically mutated GC descendants at roughly equal proportions and these two types of memory cells efficiently generate adoptive secondary antibody responses. Deletion of T follicular helper (Tfh) cells significantly reduces the generation of mutated, but not unmutated, memory cells early on in the response. Thus, B cell memory is generated along two fundamentally distinct cellular differentiation pathways. One pathway is dedicated to the generation of high-affinity somatic antibody mutants, whereas the other preserves germ line antibody specificities and may prepare the organism for rapid responses to antigenic variants of the invading pathogen

    Variation near MTNR1A associates with early development and interacts with seasons

    Get PDF
    Melatonin is a circadian regulatory hormone with neuroprotective properties. We have previously demonstrated the association of the genetic variant rs12506228 near the melatonin receptor 1A gene (MTNR1A) with intolerance to shift‐work. Furthermore, this variant has been connected to Alzheimer's disease. Because of the previously suggested role of melatonin signalling in foetal neurocognitive and sleep development, we studied here the association of rs12506228 with early development. The study sample comprised 8‐month‐old infants from the Finnish CHILD‐SLEEP birth cohort (n = 1,301). Parental questionnaires assessed socioemotional, communication and motor development, as well as sleep length and night awakenings. The A allele of rs12506228 showed an association with slower socioemotional (p = .025) and communication (p = .0098) development, but no direct association with sleep. However, the association of the Finnish seasons with infant sleep length interacted with rs12506228. Taken together, rs12506228 near MTNR1A, which has been previously linked to adult and elderly traits, is shown here to associate with slower early cognitive development. In addition, these results suggest that the darker seasons associate with longer infant sleep time, but only in the absence of the rs12506228 AA genotype. Because the risk allele has been connected to fewer brain MT1 melatonin receptors, these associations may reflect the influence of decreased melatonin signalling in early development.Peer reviewe
    • 

    corecore