Concept Blending and Dissimilarity: Factors for Creative Design Process: A Comparison between the Linguistic Interpretation Process and Design Process

This study investigated the design process in order to clarify the characteristics of the essence of the creative design process vis-à-vis the interpretation process, by carrying out design experiments. The authors analyzed the characteristics of the creative design process by comparing it with the linguistic interpretation process, from the viewpoints of thought types (analogy, blending, and thematic relation) and recognition types (commonalities and alignable and nonalignable differences). A new concept can be created by using the noun-noun phrase as the process of synthesizing two concepts—the simplest and most essential process in formulating a new concept from existing ones. Furthermore, the noun-noun phrase can be interpreted in a natural way. In our experiment, the subjects were required to interpret a novel noun-noun phrase, create a design concept from the same noun-noun phrase, and list the similarities and dissimilarities between the two nouns. The authors compare the results of the thought types and recognition types, focusing on the perspective of the manner in which things were viewed, i.e., in terms of similarities and dissimilarities. A comparison of the results reveals that blending and nonalignable differences characterize the creative design process. The findings of this research will contribute a framework of design practice, to enhance both students’ and designers’ creativity for concept formation in design, which relates to the development of innovative design. Keywords: Noun-Noun phrase; Design; Creativity; Blending; Nonalignable difference</p

Non-radioactive Screening of p53 Mutations in Human Oral Cancers Detected by Single Strand Conformation Polymorphism Analysis : Comparison with the Protein Accumulation

p53 gene mutation and its protein accumulation are widely detected in human cancers and have prognostic significance. To examine the relationship between p53 mutation and its protein accumulation, tumor samples from 65 oral cancer patients were analyzed using both single strand conformational polymorphism (SSCP) technique to screen the presence of p53 gene mutations and immunohisto-chemistry to detect the p53 protein accumulations. Results were simultaneously associated with clinicopathological variables of the cancers and prognoses of the patients. p53 gene mutations were found in 18 cancers (7.6%), whereas aberrant accumulations of p53 protein were present in 31 cancers (47.6%). All of the oral cancers with p53 mutation showed positive immunoreactivity, but in addition, p53 protein accumulations were still found in 13 oral cancers (20%) without detect-able gene mutations. The concordance between the protein expression and the SSCP analysis was 80%. Such p53 abnormalities were significantly correlated with lymph node metastasis and clinical stage. Patients with the detectable p53 abnormalities survived for a significantly shorter period of time. p53 abnormal-ities are reliable as an indicator for evaluating malignant potential of oral can-cers

TCCON Philippines: First Measurement Results, Satellite Data and Model Comparisons in Southeast Asia

The Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON) is a global network dedicated to the precise and accurate measurements of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere. The TCCON station in Burgos, Ilocos Norte, Philippines was established with the primary purpose of validating the upcoming Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite-2 (GOSAT-2) mission and in general, to respond to the need for reliable ground-based validation data for satellite GHG observations in the region. Here, we present the first 4 months of data from the new TCCON site in Burgos, initial comparisons with satellite measurements of CO_2 and model simulations of CO . A nearest sounding from Japan’s GOSAT as well as target mode observations from NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory 2 (OCO-2) showed very good consistency in the retrieved column-averaged dry air mole fractions of CO_2 , yielding TCCON - satellite differences of 0.86 ± 1.06 ppm for GOSAT and 0.83 ± 1.22 ppm for OCO-2. We also show measurements of enhanced CO , probably from East Asia. GEOS-Chem model simulations were used to study the observed CO variability. However, despite the model capturing the pattern of the CO variability, there is an obvious underestimation in the CO magnitude in the model. We conclude that more measurements and modeling are necessary to adequately sample the variability over different seasons and to determine the suitability of current inventories

Stroke genetics informs drug discovery and risk prediction across ancestries

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke — the second leading cause of death worldwide — were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry1,2. Here, in cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of 110,182 patients who have had a stroke (five ancestries, 33% non-European) and 1,503,898 control individuals, we identify association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci: 60 in primary inverse-variance-weighted analyses and 29 in secondary meta-regression and multitrait analyses. On the basis of internal cross-ancestry validation and an independent follow-up in 89,084 additional cases of stroke (30% non-European) and 1,013,843 control individuals, 87% of the primary stroke risk loci and 60% of the secondary stroke risk loci were replicated (P < 0.05). Effect sizes were highly correlated across ancestries. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping, in silico mutagenesis analysis3, and transcriptome-wide and proteome-wide association analyses revealed putative causal genes (such as SH3PXD2A and FURIN) and variants (such as at GRK5 and NOS3). Using a three-pronged approach4, we provide genetic evidence for putative drug effects, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as possible targets, with drugs already under investigation for stroke for F11 and PROC. A polygenic score integrating cross-ancestry and ancestry-specific stroke GWASs with vascular-risk factor GWASs (integrative polygenic scores) strongly predicted ischaemic stroke in populations of European, East Asian and African ancestry5. Stroke genetic risk scores were predictive of ischaemic stroke independent of clinical risk factors in 52,600 clinical-trial participants with cardiometabolic disease. Our results provide insights to inform biology, reveal potential drug targets and derive genetic risk prediction tools across ancestries

Stroke genetics informs drug discovery and risk prediction across ancestries

Previous genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of stroke - the second leading cause of death worldwide - were conducted predominantly in populations of European ancestry(1,2). Here, in cross-ancestry GWAS meta-analyses of 110,182 patients who have had a stroke (five ancestries, 33% non-European) and 1,503,898 control individuals, we identify association signals for stroke and its subtypes at 89 (61 new) independent loci: 60 in primary inverse-variance-weighted analyses and 29 in secondary meta-regression and multitrait analyses. On the basis of internal cross-ancestry validation and an independent follow-up in 89,084 additional cases of stroke (30% non-European) and 1,013,843 control individuals, 87% of the primary stroke risk loci and 60% of the secondary stroke risk loci were replicated (P < 0.05). Effect sizes were highly correlated across ancestries. Cross-ancestry fine-mapping, in silico mutagenesis analysis(3), and transcriptome-wide and proteome-wide association analyses revealed putative causal genes (such as SH3PXD2A and FURIN) and variants (such as at GRK5 and NOS3). Using a three-pronged approach(4), we provide genetic evidence for putative drug effects, highlighting F11, KLKB1, PROC, GP1BA, LAMC2 and VCAM1 as possible targets, with drugs already under investigation for stroke for F11 and PROC. A polygenic score integrating cross-ancestry and ancestry-specific stroke GWASs with vascular-risk factor GWASs (integrative polygenic scores) strongly predicted ischaemic stroke in populations of European, East Asian and African ancestry(5). Stroke genetic risk scores were predictive of ischaemic stroke independent of clinical risk factors in 52,600 clinical-trial participants with cardiometabolic disease. Our results provide insights to inform biology, reveal potential drug targets and derive genetic risk prediction tools across ancestries.</p

Concept Generation for Design Creativity: A Systematized Theory and Methodology

The concept generation process seems like an intuitional thought: difficult to capture and perform, although everyone is capable of it. It is not an analytical process but a synthetic process which has yet to be clarified. Furthermore, new research methods for investigating the concept generation process—a very difficult task since the concept generation process is driven by inner feelings deeply etched in the mind—are necessary to establish its theory and methodology.  Concept Generation for Design Creativity—A Systematized Theory and Methodology presents the concept generation process both theoretically and methodologically. Theoretically, the concept generation process is discussed by comparing metaphor, abduction, and General Design Theory from the perspective of similarities and dissimilarities. Property mapping, concept blending, and concept integration in thematic relation have been explained methodologically. So far, these theories and methods have been discussed independently, and the relations among them have not been clarified. Two newly developed research methods to investigate the concept generation process are clearly explained: extended protocol analysis and constructive simulation.  By reading Concept Generation for Design Creativity—A Systematized Theory and Methodology, students, researchers and lecturers in design disciplines (including engineering design, industrial design, software design, CHI, design education, and cognitive science) can obtain a clear picture of the advanced research findings and the outline of the theories and methods for concept generation. Furthermore, readers are expected to achieve the competence to generate new concepts