Solitary Fibrous Tumor of the Trachea: CT Findings with a Pathological Correlation

We present the multidetector CT findings with a pathologic correlation for the case of a solitary fibrous tumor located in the trachea. The MDCT revealed a well-circumscribed intraluminal mass arising from the trachea, with strong nodular enhancement in the periphery of the mass. The enhancement pattern of the mass corresponded histopathologically to a focal hypocellular area in the center and prominent blood vessels along the periphery of the mass. We also present volume-rendered and virtual bronchoscopic images of this rare submucosal tracheal tumor

Detection of C-Peptide in Urine as a Measure of Ongoing Beta Cell Function.

C-peptide is a protein secreted by the pancreatic beta cells in equimolar quantities with insulin, following the cleavage of proinsulin into insulin. Measurement of C-peptide is used as a surrogate marker of endogenous insulin secretory capacity. Assessing C-peptide levels can be useful in classifying the subtype of diabetes as well as assessing potential treatment choices in the management of diabetes.Standard measures of C-peptide involve blood samples collected either fasted or, most often, after a fixed stimulus (such as oral glucose, mixed meal, or IV glucagon). Despite the established clinical utility of blood C-peptide measurement, its widespread use is limited. In many instances this is due to perceived practical restrictions associated with sample collection.Urine C-peptide measurement is an attractive noninvasive alternative to blood measures of beta-cell function. Urine C-peptide creatinine ratio measured in a single post stimulated sample has been shown to be a robust, reproducible measure of endogenous C-peptide which is stable for three days at room temperature when collected in boric acid. Modern high sensitivity immunoassay technologies have facilitated measurement of C-peptide down to single picomolar concentrations.Accepted manuscript - 12 month embargo (with set statement

An expanded evaluation of protein function prediction methods shows an improvement in accuracy

Background: A major bottleneck in our understanding of the molecular underpinnings of life is the assignment of function to proteins. While molecular experiments provide the most reliable annotation of proteins, their relatively low throughput and restricted purview have led to an increasing role for computational function prediction. However, assessing methods for protein function prediction and tracking progress in the field remain challenging.Results: We conducted the second critical assessment of functional annotation (CAFA), a timed challenge to assess computational methods that automatically assign protein function. We evaluated 126 methods from 56 research groups for their ability to predict biological functions using Gene Ontology and gene-disease associations using Human Phenotype Ontology on a set of 3681 proteins from 18 species. CAFA2 featured expanded analysis compared with CAFA1, with regards to data set size, variety, and assessment metrics. To review progress in the field, the analysis compared the best methods from CAFA1 to those of CAFA2.Conclusions: The top-performing methods in CAFA2 outperformed those from CAFA1. This increased accuracy can be attributed to a combination of the growing number of experimental annotations and improved methods for function prediction. The assessment also revealed that the definition of top-performing algorithms is ontology specific, that different performance metrics can be used to probe the nature of accurate predictions, and the relative diversity of predictions in the biological process and human phenotype ontologies. While there was methodological improvement between CAFA1 and CAFA2, the interpretation of results and usefulness of individual methods remain context-dependent

A principal component meta-analysis on multiple anthropometric traits identifies novel loci for body shape

Large consortia have revealed hundreds of genetic loci associated with anthropometric traits, one trait at a time. We examined whether genetic variants affect body shape as a composite phenotype that is represented by a combination of anthropometric traits. We developed an approach that calculates averaged PCs (AvPCs) representing body shape derived from six anthropometric traits (body mass index, height, weight, waist and hip circumference, waist-to-hip ratio). The first four AvPCs explain >99% of the variability, are heritable, and associate with cardiometabolic outcomes. We performed genome-wide association analyses for each body shape composite phenotype across 65 studies and meta-analysed summary statistics. We identify six novel loci: LEMD2 and CD47 for AvPC1, RPS6KA5/C14orf159 and GANAB for AvPC3, and ARL15 and ANP32 for AvPC4. Our findings highlight the value of using multiple traits to define complex phenotypes for discovery, which are not captured by single-trait analyses, and may shed light onto new pathways

Academic Design: Towards a definition in a product design context

The TU/e 2013 inaugural lecture by Kees Dorst presents the formation of Academic Design as an emerging, new practice that differs from design practice and traditional research practice – a form of design that ‘sits between the field of design practice / problem solving (in the real world) and the field of academic discussion’. Building on his definition, this paper attempts to develop a further definition of the term by studying Academic Design practice at the University of Technology Sydney, which launched its new Integrated Product Design, Honours Course in the School of Design, in 2016. The course has been designed by academics in the Integrated Product Design Program to facilitate self-initiated product design projects with the key objective of setting knowledge directives and applying theoretical frameworks through Constructive Design Research. A case study of a capstone project completed for the Degree is articulated through an operational framework that makes relevant, the role of hypothesis-making and motivational contexts in Constructive Design Research. Further, the presence of the key features of Academic Design demonstrated in the case study, are able to be located and described in terms of this operational framework and other research that explicates certain forms of Constructive Design Research practice, thereby enabling us to move closer toward defining Academic Design. Significantly, the course may represent a workable structure for the conduct of Academic Design in (advanced-level) product design education, and as such, could be extended, through further research, to define Academic Design in other product design contexts

Academic Design

This paper proposes to reshape the discussion design schools about the relationship of design practice to research. Many universities now have very successful design departments that educate high-level design practitioners. But the rapid growth of these departments, popular as they are with students, has meant that there has been very little time to step back and reflect on the nature and development of academic design in its new environment. Consequently, the formation of an academic design practice that can take its rightful place among other academic fields has been slow. In this paper we will propose a model of academic design and critically asses its qualities, as well as the challenges that lie ahead for this new species of academic design practitioner. The model builds on recent work dealing with forms of abduction in design, and on a few papers that describe the development of research programs at Aalto University

Research prototypes

\u3cp\u3eBackground Prototyping has become a key research tool in product and interaction design during the last twenty years. There is a growing debate about its processes, objectives, qualities, and types. This paper contributes to this discussion by distinguishing research prototypes from design prototypes and industrial prototypes, and by analyzing debate about research prototypes. Methods The primary method of the paper is theoretical literature review. The paper analyzes literature and its implications to research prototyping. The secondary method of the paper is a case study of a well-known research prototype built by Joep Frens (2006). Results The main result of the paper is a clarification of research prototype and how it differs from design and industrial prototypes. Research prototypes have a connection to a theory rather than practice. Because of that connection, they are theoretical objects that have to be subjected to a study to understand their meaning. Although the methodology for studying prototypes may vary depending on the philosophical background of researchers, this paper argues that it is this embeddedness to theory that is the differentia specifica of research prototypes. Conclusions If the argument of this paper is correct, research prototypes are objects of their own, and have to be understood as such rather than put to the same continuum as design and industrial prototypes.\u3c/p\u3

Social design: an introduction

School of Desig

Substance dependence and non-dependence in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD): can an identical conceptualization be achieved?

This review summarizes the history of the development of diagnostic constructs that apply to repetitive substance use, and compares and contrasts the nature, psychometric performance and utility of the major diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnostic systems.The available literature was reviewed with a particular focus on diagnostic concepts that are relevant for clinical and epidemiological practice, and so that research questions could be generated that might inform the development of the next generation of DSM and ICD diagnoses.The substance dependence syndrome is a psychometrically robust and clinically useful construct, which applies to a range of psychoactive substances. The differences between the DSM fourth edition (DSM-IV) and the ICD tenth edition (ICD-10) versions are minimal and could be resolved. DSM-IV substance abuse performs moderately well but, being defined essentially by social criteria, may be culture-dependent. ICD-10 harmful substance use performs poorly as a diagnostic entity.There are good prospects for resolving many of the differences between the DSM and ICD systems. A new non-dependence diagnosis is required. There would also be advantages in a subthreshold diagnosis of hazardous or risky substance use being incorporated into the two systems. Biomedical research can be drawn upon to define a psychophysiological 'driving force' which could underpin a broad spectrum of substance use disorders