Empathy and idea generation for color vision deficiency in virtual reality

Abstract. Virtual reality allows immersive experiences of life and the activities of others in an unprecedented way. Immersed in such experiences, operators can understand and empathize with the life challenges of others. Such empathy and understanding can be pivotal for generating ideas on how to create products that improve the lives of people with specific needs. In this project, the effect of a virtual reality experience on empathy and the generation of ideas was investigated. We experimentally examined operators’ experiences of color vision deficiencies with their own eyes in a game. We evaluated if the immersive virtual reality experience will allow the operator to gain a deeper understanding and establish empathy with color vision deficiency users. Through this, we will identify the needs of color vision deficiency users. We further investigated should such experience lead the operators to generate better design ideas. We examined two virtual environments representing commonly experienced real-life places, a grocery store and a library. They were interacted with as games. The experiment was conducted in two sessions: a virtual environment on a computer screen and a virtual reality experience of the same environment using a head-mounted display. We measured if the experiences deepened the understanding and empathy with a color vision deficiency experience in the same game. The empathy of the 23 participants was tested with questionnaires after each of the experiences, on a computer screen and in virtual reality. We also inquired about lists of the five most common issues color vision deficiency users perceived by the operators on three occasions, before the experiment, between the two sessions and at the end. At the end of the experiment, the operators were asked to generate as many as possible ideas for tangible products that might help people with color vision deficiencies. The results show that the virtual reality experience helped participants deepen their understanding of the needs of people with color vision deficiencies. The idea generation was not found to be statistically significantly affected by the VR experience. Future work is needed to measure the difference between traditional virtual environments and virtual reality on humans understanding and empathy

Conservation of structure and mechanism in primary and secondary transporters exemplified by SiaP, a sialic acid binding virulence factor from Haemophilus influenzae

Extracytoplasmic solute receptors (ESRs) are important components of solute uptake systems in bacteria, having been studied extensively as parts of ATP binding cassette transporters. Herein we report the first crystal structure of an ESR protein from a functionally characterized electrochemical ion gradient-dependent secondary transporter. This protein, SiaP, forms part of a tripartite ATP-independent periplasmic transporter specific for sialic acid in Haemophilus influenzae. Surprisingly, the structure reveals an overall topology similar to ATP binding cassette ESR proteins, which is not apparent from the sequence, demonstrating that primary and secondary transporters can share a common structural component. The structure of SiaP in the presence of the sialic acid analogue 2,3-didehydro-2-deoxyN-acetylneuraminic acid reveals the ligand bound in a deep cavity with its carboxylate group forming a salt bridge with a highly conserved Arg residue. Sialic acid binding, which obeys simple bimolecular association kinetics as determined by stopped-flow fluorescence spectroscopy, is accompanied by domain closure about a hinge region and the kinking of an alpha-helix hinge component. The structure provides insight into the evolution, mechanism, and substrate specificity of ESR-dependent secondary transporters that are widespread in prokaryotes

Non-Invasive Estimation of Plasma Sodium Concentration During Hemodialysis via Capacitively-Coupled Electrical Impedance Spectroscopy

This paper presents a compact, low-cost, and noninvasive system for real-time estimation of plasma sodium concentration ([Na]Pl) during a hemodialysis (HD) session with state-of-the-art accuracy. It is based on electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) performed with a capacitively-coupled impedance sensing cell and a high-frequency measurement device, both custom-built. The EIS data are processed to infer the resistance of the liquid inside the cell, which is used together with an optical hemoglobin sensor to estimate the [Na]Pl. Validation of the EIS was performed by estimating the conductivity of bloodmimicking fluid (BMF). The complete method was validated using whole bovine blood, comparing the results to those obtained with standard instruments. The system was able to estimate the [Na]Pl with sufficient accuracy (RMS error of 3.0 mol/m3 with respect to reference data) to provide clinically useful information. The proof-of-concept hardware can be converted to a cheap and compact circuit board for integration into an HD machine

Identification of novel tail-anchored membrane proteins integrated by the bacterial twin-arginine translocase

\ua9 2024 The Authors. The twin-arginine protein transport (Tat) system exports folded proteins across the cytoplasmic membranes of prokaryotes and the energy transducing-membranes of plant thylakoids and mitochondria. Proteins are targeted to the Tat machinery by N-terminal signal peptides with a conserved twin-arginine motif, and some substrates are exported as heterodimers where the signal peptide is present on one of the partner proteins. A subset of Tat substrates is found in the membrane. Tat-dependent membrane proteins usually have large globular domains and a single transmembrane helix present at the N-or C-terminus. Five Tat substrates that have C-terminal transmembrane helices have previously been characterized in the model bacterium Escherichia coli. Each of these is an iron–sulfur cluster-containing protein involved in electron transfer from hydrogen or formate. Here we have undertaken a bioinformatic search to identify further tail-anchored Tat substrates encoded in bacterial genomes. Our analysis has revealed additional tail-anchored iron–sulfur proteins associated in modules with either a b-type cytochrome or a quinol oxidase. We also identified further candidate tail-anchored Tat substrates, particularly among members of the actinobacterial phylum, that are not predicted to contain cofactors. Using reporter assays, we show experimentally that six of these have both N-terminal Tat signal peptides and C-terminal transmembrane helices. The newly identified proteins include a carboxypeptidase and a predicted protease, and four sortase substrates for which membrane integration is a prereq-uisite for covalent attachment to the cell wall

Outcomes analysis of new entrant screening for active tuberculosis in Heathrow and Gatwick airports, United Kingdom 2009/2010

BACKGROUND: In 2012, the United Kingdom (UK) Government announced that the new entrant screening for active tuberculosis (TB) in Heathrow and Gatwick airports would end. Our study objective was to estimate screening yield and diagnostic accuracy, and identify those at risk of active TB after entry. METHODS: We designed a retrospective cohort study and linked new entrants screened from June 2009 to September 2010 through probabilistic matching with UK Enhanced TB Surveillance (ETS) data (June 2009 to December 2010). Yield was the proportion of cases reported to ETS within three months of airport screening in the screened population. To estimate screening diagnostic accuracy we assessed sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values. Through Poisson regression we identified groups at increased risk of TB diagnosis after entry. RESULTS: We identified 200,199 screened entrants, of these 59 had suspected TB at screening and were reported within 3 months to ETS (yield = 0.03 %). Sensitivity was 26 %; specificity was 99.7 %; positive predictive value was 13.2 %; negative predictive value was 99.9 %. Overall, 350 entrants were reported in ETS. Persons from countries with annual TB incidence higher than 150 cases per 100,000 population and refugees and asylum seekers were at increased risk of TB diagnosis after entry (population attributable risk 77 and 3 % respectively). CONCLUSION: Airport screening has very low screening yields, sensitivity and positive predictive value. New entrants coming from countries with annual TB incidence higher than 150 per 100,000 population, refugees and asylum seekers should be prioritised at pre- or post-entry screening

Volcanic synchronization of Dome Fuji and Dome C Antarctic deep ice cores over the past 216 kyr

Abstract. Two deep ice cores, Dome Fuji (DF) and EPICA Dome C (EDC), drilled at remote dome summits in Antarctica, were synchronized to better understand their chronology. A total of 1401 volcanic tie points were identified covering the past 216 kyr. DFO2006, the chronology for the DF core characterized by strong constraining by the O2/N2 age markers, was compared with AICC2012, the chronology for 5 cores including the EDC core, and characterized by glaciological approaches combining ice flow modelling with various age markers. The age gaps between the two chronologies are within 2 kyr, except at Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5. DFO2006 gives ages older than AICC2012, with peak values of the gap of 4.5 and 3.1 kyr at MIS 5d and MIS 5b, respectively. Accordingly, ratios of duration DFO2006/AICC2012 are 85% at a period from the late stage of MIS 6 to MIS 5d and 114% at a period from MIS 5d to 5b. We then compared the DFO2006 with another chronology of the DF core, DFGT2006, characterized by glaciological approaches with weaker constraining by age markers. Features of the DFO2006/DFGT2006 age gaps are very similar to those of the DFO2006/AICC2012 age gaps. This fact lead us to hypothesize that a cause of the systematic DFO2006/AICC2012 age gaps at MIS 5 are associated with differences in the dating approaches. Besides, ages of speleothem records from China agreed well with DFO2006 at MIS 5c and 5d but not at MIS 5b. Thus, we hypothesize at least at MIS 5c and 5d, major sources of the gaps are systematic errors in surface mass balance estimation in the glaciological approach. Compatibility of the age markers should be carefully assessed in future. This work is a contribution to the European Project for Ice Coring in Antarctica (EPICA), a joint European Science Foundation/European Commission scientific program, funded by the European Union and by national contributions from Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (20241007) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from Copernicus Publications via http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/cpd-11-407-201

Common features between neoplastic and preneoplastic lesions of the biliary tract and the pancreas

The bile duct system and pancreas show many similarities due to their anatomical proximity and common embryological origin. Consequently, preneoplastic and neoplastic lesions of the bile duct and pancreas share analogies in terms of molecular, histological and pathophysiological features. Intraepithelial neoplasms are reported in biliary tract, as biliary intraepithelial neoplasm (BilIN), and in pancreas, as pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasm (PanIN). Both can evolve to invasive carcinomas, respectively cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Intraductal papillary neoplasms arise in biliary tract and pancreas. Intraductal papillary neoplasm of the biliary tract (IPNB) share common histologic and phenotypic features such as pancreatobiliary, gastric, intestinal and oncocytic types, and biological behavior with the pancreatic counterpart, the intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas (IPMN). All these neoplastic lesions exhibit similar immunohistochemical phenotypes, suggesting a common carcinogenic process. Indeed, CCA and PDAC display similar clinic-pathological features as growth pattern, poor response to conventional chemotherapy and radiotherapy and, as a consequence, an unfavorable prognosis. The objective of this review is to discuss similarities and differences between the neoplastic lesions of the pancreas and biliary tract with potential implications on a common origin from similar stem/progenitor cells

Design of a custom-made device for real-time optical measurement of differential mineral concentrations in three-dimensional scaffolds for bone tissue engineering

Monitoring bone tissue engineered (TEed) constructs during their maturation is important to ensure the quality of applied protocols. Several destructive, mainly histochemical, methods are conventionally used to this aim, requiring the sacrifice of the investigated samples. This implies (i) to plan several scaffold replicates, (ii) expensive and time consuming procedures and (iii) to infer the maturity level of a given tissue construct from a cognate replica. To solve these issues, non-destructive techniques such as light spectroscopy-based methods have been reported to be useful. Here, a miniaturized and inexpensive custom-made spectrometer device is proposed to enable the non-destructive analysis of hydrogel scaffolds. Testing involved samples with a differential amount of calcium salt. When compared to a reference standard device, this custom-made spectrometer demonstrates the ability to perform measurements without requiring elaborate sample preparation and/or a complex instrumentation. This preliminary study shows the feasibility of light spectroscopy-based methods as useful for the non-destructive analysis of TEed constructs. Based on these results, this custom-made spectrometer device appears as a useful option to perform real-time/in-line analysis. Finally, this device can be considered as a component that can be easily integrated on board of recently prototyped bioreactor systems, for the monitoring of TEed constructs during their conditioning

Volcanic synchronization of Dome Fuji and Dome C Antarctic deep ice cores over the past 216 kyr

第6回極域科学シンポジウム[OM] 極域気水圏11月16日（月）　国立極地研究所１階交流アトリウ

Development of a CO2 sensor for extracorporeal life support applications

Measurement of carbon dioxide (CO2) in medical applications is a well-established method for monitoring patient’s pulmonary function in a noninvasive way widely used in emergency, intensive care, and during anesthesia. Even in extracorporeal-life support applications, such as Extracorporeal Carbon Dioxide Removal (ECCO2R), Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), and cardiopulmonary by-pass (CPB), measurement of the CO2 concentration in the membrane oxygenator exhaust gas is proven to be useful to evaluate the treatment progress as well as the performance of the membrane oxygenator. In this paper, we present a new optical sensor specifically designed for the measurement of CO2 concentration in oxygenator exhaust gas. Further, the developed sensor allows measurement of the gas flow applied to the membrane oxygenator as well as the estimation of the CO2 removal rate. A heating module is implemented within the sensor to avoid water vapor condensation. Effects of temperature on the sensor optical elements of the sensors are disclosed, as well as a method to avoid signal–temperature dependency. The newly developed sensor has been tested and compared against a reference device routinely used in clinical practice in both laboratory and in vivo conditions. Results show that sensor accuracy fulfills the requirements of the ISO standard, and that is suitable for clinical applications