Sample records for ubiquitously expressed ald
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Regulation of the ald Gene Encoding Alanine Dehydrogenase by AldR in Mycobacterium smegmatis
Jeong, Ji-A; Baek, Eun-Young; Kim, Si Wouk; Choi, Jong-Soon
2013-01-01
The regulatory gene aldR was identified 95 bp upstream of the ald gene encoding l-alanine dehydrogenase in Mycobacterium smegmatis. The AldR protein shows sequence similarity to the regulatory proteins of the Lrp/AsnC family. Using an aldR deletion mutant, we demonstrated that AldR serves as both activator and repressor for the regulation of ald gene expression, depending on the presence or absence of l-alanine. The purified AldR protein exists as a homodimer in the absence of l-alanine, while it adopts the quaternary structure of a homohexamer in the presence of l-alanine. The binding affinity of AldR for the ald control region was shown to be increased significantly by l-alanine. Two AldR binding sites (O1 and O2) with the consensus sequence GA-N2-ATC-N2-TC and one putative AldR binding site with the sequence GA-N2-GTT-N2-TC were identified upstream of the ald gene. Alanine and cysteine were demonstrated to be the effector molecules directly involved in the induction of ald expression. The cellular level of l-alanine was shown to be increased in M. smegmatis cells grown under hypoxic conditions, and the hypoxic induction of ald expression appears to be mediated by AldR, which senses the intracellular level of alanine. PMID:23749971
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Jeong, Ji-A; Hyun, Jaekyung; Oh, Jeong-Il
2015-10-01
In the presence of alanine, AldR, which belongs to the Lrp/AsnC family of transcriptional regulators and regulates ald encoding alanine dehydrogenase in Mycobacterium smegmatis, changes its quaternary structure from a homodimer to an octamer with an open-ring conformation. Four AldR-binding sites (O2, O1, O4, and O3) with a consensus sequence of GA/T-N2-NWW/WWN-N2-A/TC were identified upstream of the M. smegmatis ald gene by means of DNase I footprinting analysis. O2, O1, and O4 are required for the induction of ald expression by alanine, while O3 is directly involved in the repression of ald expression. In addition to O3, both O1 and O4 are also necessary for full repression of ald expression in the absence of alanine, due to cooperative binding of AldR dimers to O1, O4, and O3. Binding of a molecule of the AldR octamer to the ald control region was demonstrated to require two AldR-binding sites separated by three helical turns between their centers and one additional binding site that is in phase with the two AldR-binding sites. The cooperative binding of AldR dimers to DNA requires three AldR-binding sites that are aligned with a periodicity of three helical turns. The aldR gene is negatively autoregulated independently of alanine. Comparative analysis of ald expression of M. smegmatis and Mycobacterium tuberculosis in conjunction with sequence analysis of both ald control regions led us to suggest that the expression of the ald genes in both mycobacterial species is regulated by the same mechanism. In mycobacteria, alanine dehydrogenase (Ald) is the enzyme required both to utilize alanine as a nitrogen source and to grow under hypoxic conditions by maintaining the redox state of the NADH/NAD(+) pool. Expression of the ald gene was reported to be regulated by the AldR regulator that belongs to the Lrp/AsnC (feast/famine) family, but the underlying mechanism was unknown. This study revealed the regulation mechanism of ald in Mycobacterium smegmatis and
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1994-01-01
Taking advantage of our understanding of the peptide specificity of the major histocompatibility complex class I-b molecule M3a, we sought to determine why these molecules are poorly represented on the cell surface. To this end we constructed a chimeric molecule with the alpha 1 and alpha 2 domains of M3a and alpha 3 of Ld thereby allowing use of available monoclonal antibodies to quantify surface expression. Transfected, but not control, B10.CAS2 (H-2M3b) cells were lysed readily by M3a-restricted monoclonal cytotoxic T lymphocytes. Thus, the chimera bound, trafficked, and presented endogenous mitochondrial peptides. However, despite high levels of M3a-Ld mRNA, transfectants were negative by surface staining. This finding was consistent with inefficient trafficking to the cell surface. Incubation at 26 degrees C, thought to permit trafficking of unoccupied heavy (H) chains, resulted in detectable cell surface expression of chimeric molecules. Incubation with exogenous peptide at 26 degrees C (but not at 37 degrees C) greatly enhanced expression of M3a-Ld molecules in a dose- dependent manner, suggesting stabilization of unoccupied molecules. Stable association of beta 2-microglobulin with the chimeric H chain was observed in labeled cell lysates only in the presence of exogenous specific peptide, indicating that peptide is required for the formation of a ternary complex. These results indicate that surface expression of M3a-Ld is limited largely by the steady-state availability of endogenous peptides. Since most known M3a-binding peptides are N- formylated, native M3a may normally be expressed at high levels only during infection by intracellular bacteria. PMID:8270862
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Giffin, Michelle M.; Modesti, Lucia; Raab, Ronald W.; Wayne, Lawrence G.
2012-01-01
The putative glycine dehydrogenase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis catalyzes the reductive amination of glyoxylate to glycine but not the reverse reaction. The enzyme was purified and identified as the previously characterized alanine dehydrogenase. The Ald enzyme was expressed in Escherichia coli and had both pyruvate and glyoxylate aminating activities. The gene, ald, was inactivated in M. tuberculosis, which resulted in the loss of all activities. Both enzyme activities were found associated with the cell and were not detected in the extracellular filtrate. By using an anti-Ald antibody, the protein was localized to the cell membrane, with a smaller fraction in the cytosol. None was detected in the extracellular medium. The ald knockout strain grew without alanine or glycine and was able to utilize glycine but not alanine as a nitrogen source. Transcription of ald was induced when alanine was the sole nitrogen source, and higher levels of Ald enzyme were measured. Ald is proposed to have several functions, including ammonium incorporation and alanine breakdown. PMID:22210765
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Xu, J; Johnson, R C
1995-06-01
Escherichia coli aldB was identified as a gene that is negatively regulated by Fis but positively regulated by RpoS. The complete DNA sequence determined in this study indicates that aldB encodes a 56.3-kDa protein which shares a high degree of homology with an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase encoded by acoD of Alcaligenes eutrophus and an aldehyde dehydrogenase encoded by aldA of Vibrio cholerae and significant homology with a group of other aldehyde dehydrogenases from prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Expression of aldB is maximally induced during the transition from exponential phase to stationary phase. Its message levels are elevated three- to fourfold by a fis mutation and abolished by an rpoS mutation. In addition, the expression of an aldB-lacZ fusion was decreased about 20-fold in the absence of crp. DNase I footprinting analysis showed that five Fis binding sites and one Crp binding site are located within the aldB promoter region, suggesting that Fis and Crp are acting directly to control aldB transcription. AldB expression is induced by ethanol, but in contrast to that of most of the RpoS-dependent genes, the expression of aldB is not altered by an increase in medium osmolarity.
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An abundance of ubiquitously expressed genes revealed by tissue transcriptome sequence data.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel Ramsköld
2009-12-01
Full Text Available The parts of the genome transcribed by a cell or tissue reflect the biological processes and functions it carries out. We characterized the features of mammalian tissue transcriptomes at the gene level through analysis of RNA deep sequencing (RNA-Seq data across human and mouse tissues and cell lines. We observed that roughly 8,000 protein-coding genes were ubiquitously expressed, contributing to around 75% of all mRNAs by message copy number in most tissues. These mRNAs encoded proteins that were often intracellular, and tended to be involved in metabolism, transcription, RNA processing or translation. In contrast, genes for secreted or plasma membrane proteins were generally expressed in only a subset of tissues. The distribution of expression levels was broad but fairly continuous: no support was found for the concept of distinct expression classes of genes. Expression estimates that included reads mapping to coding exons only correlated better with qRT-PCR data than estimates which also included 3' untranslated regions (UTRs. Muscle and liver had the least complex transcriptomes, in that they expressed predominantly ubiquitous genes and a large fraction of the transcripts came from a few highly expressed genes, whereas brain, kidney and testis expressed more complex transcriptomes with the vast majority of genes expressed and relatively small contributions from the most expressed genes. mRNAs expressed in brain had unusually long 3'UTRs, and mean 3'UTR length was higher for genes involved in development, morphogenesis and signal transduction, suggesting added complexity of UTR-based regulation for these genes. Our results support a model in which variable exterior components feed into a large, densely connected core composed of ubiquitously expressed intracellular proteins.
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Atomic layer deposition (ALD) for optical nanofabrication
Maula, Jarmo
2010-02-01
ALD is currently one of the most rapidly developing fields of thin film technology. Presentation gives an overview of ALD technology for optical film deposition, highlighting benefits, drawbacks and peculiarities of the ALD, especially compared to PVD. Viewpoint is practical, based on experience gained from tens of different applications over the last few decades. ALD is not competing, but enabling technology to provide coatings, which are difficult for traditional technologies. Examples of such cases are films inside of tubes; double side deposition on the substrate; large area accurate coatings; decorative coating for 3D parts; conformal coatings on high aspect ratio surfaces or inside porous structures. Novel materials can be easily engineered by making modifications on molecular level. ALD coats large surfaces effectively and fast. Opposite to common view, it actually provides high throughput (coated area/time), when used properly with a batch and/or in-line tools. It is possible to use ALD for many micrometers thick films or even produce thin parts with competitive cost. Besides optical films ALD provides large variety of features for nanofabrication. For example pin hole free films for passivation and barrier applications and best available films for conformal coatings like planarization or to improve surface smoothness. High deposition repeatability even with subnanometer film structures helps fabrication. ALD enters to production mostly through new products, not yet existing on the market and so the application IP field is reasonably open. ALD is an enabling, mature technology to fabricate novel optical materials and to open pathways for new applications.
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Expressing clinical data sets with openEHR archetypes: a solid basis for ubiquitous computing.
Garde, Sebastian; Hovenga, Evelyn; Buck, Jasmin; Knaup, Petra
2007-12-01
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the feasibility and usefulness of expressing clinical data sets (CDSs) as openEHR archetypes. For this, we present an approach to transform CDS into archetypes, and outline typical problems with CDS and analyse whether some of these problems can be overcome by the use of archetypes. Literature review and analysis of a selection of existing Australian, German, other European and international CDSs; transfer of a CDS for Paediatric Oncology into openEHR archetypes; implementation of CDSs in application systems. To explore the feasibility of expressing CDS as archetypes an approach to transform existing CDSs into archetypes is presented in this paper. In case of the Paediatric Oncology CDS (which consists of 260 data items) this lead to the definition of 48 openEHR archetypes. To analyse the usefulness of expressing CDS as archetypes, we identified nine problems with CDS that currently remain unsolved without a common model underpinning the CDS. Typical problems include incompatible basic data types and overlapping and incompatible definitions of clinical content. A solution to most of these problems based on openEHR archetypes is motivated. With regard to integrity constraints, further research is required. While openEHR cannot overcome all barriers to Ubiquitous Computing, it can provide the common basis for ubiquitous presence of meaningful and computer-processable knowledge and information, which we believe is a basic requirement for Ubiquitous Computing. Expressing CDSs as openEHR archetypes is feasible and advantageous as it fosters semantic interoperability, supports ubiquitous computing, and helps to develop archetypes that are arguably of better quality than the original CDS.
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High speed atmospheric pressure ALD for industrial scale solar cell passivation
Vermang, B.; Rothschild, A.; Racz, A.; John, J.; Poortmans, J.; Mertens, R.; Poodt, P.; Tiba, M.V.; Roozeboom, F.
2010-01-01
A next generation material for surface passivation is atomic layer deposition (ALD) Al2O3. However, conventional time-resolved ALD is limited by its low deposition rate. Therefore, an experimental high-deposition-rate prototype ALD reactor based on the spatially-separated ALD principle has been
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Hall, D.L. (ed.)
1979-08-01
Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) is examining the analysis of large data sets (ALDS). After one year's work, a panel was convened to evaluate the project. This document is the permanent record of that panel review. It consists of edited transcripts of presentations made to the panel by the PNL staff, a summary of the responses of the panel to these presentations, and PNL's plans for the development of the ALDS project. The representations of the PNL staff described various aspects of the project and/or the philosophy surrounding the project. Supporting materials appear in appendixes. 20 figures, 4 tables. (RWR)
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Kobayashi, Toshihiro; Kato-Itoh, Megumi; Yamaguchi, Tomoyuki; Tamura, Chihiro; Sanbo, Makoto; Hirabayashi, Masumi; Nakauchi, Hiromitsu
2012-11-01
Recent discovery of a method for derivation and culture of germline-competent rat pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) enables generation of transgenic rats or knock-out rats via genetic modification of such PSCs. This opens the way to use rats, as is routine in mice, for analyses of gene functions or physiological features. In mouse or human, one widely used technique to express a gene of interest stably and ubiquitously is to insert that gene into the Rosa26 locus via gene targeting of PSCs. Rosa26 knock-in mice conditionally expressing a reporter or a toxin gene have contributed to tracing or ablation of specific cell lineages. We successfully identified a rat orthologue of the mouse Rosa26 locus. Insertion of tdTomato, a variant of red fluorescent protein, into the Rosa26 locus of PSCs of various rat strains allows ubiquitous expression of tdTomato. Through germline transmission of one Rosa26-tdTomato knock-in embryonic stem cell line, we also obtained tdTomato knock-in rats. These expressed tdTomato ubiquitously throughout their bodies, which indicates that the rat Rosa26 locus conserves functions of its orthologues in mouse and human. The new tools described here (targeting vectors, knock-in PSCs, and rats) should be useful for a variety of research using rats.
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Dey, Abhishek; Shree, Sonal; Pandey, Sarvesh Kumar; Tripathi, Rama Pati; Ramachandran, Ravishankar
2016-06-03
Here we report the crystal structure of M. tuberculosis AldR (Rv2779c) showing that the N-terminal DNA-binding domains are swapped, forming a dimer, and four dimers are assembled into an octamer through crystal symmetry. The C-terminal domain is involved in oligomeric interactions that stabilize the oligomer, and it contains the effector-binding sites. The latter sites are 30-60% larger compared with homologs like MtbFFRP (Rv3291c) and can consequently accommodate larger molecules. MtbAldR binds to the region upstream to the ald gene that is highly up-regulated in nutrient-starved tuberculosis models and codes for l-alanine dehydrogenase (MtbAld; Rv2780). Further, the MtbAldR-DNA complex is inhibited upon binding of Ala, Tyr, Trp and Asp to the protein. Studies involving a ligand-binding site G131T mutant show that the mutant forms a DNA complex that cannot be inhibited by adding the amino acids. Comparative studies suggest that binding of the amino acids changes the relative spatial disposition of the DNA-binding domains and thereby disrupt the protein-DNA complex. Finally, we identified small molecules, including a tetrahydroquinoline carbonitrile derivative (S010-0261), that inhibit the MtbAldR-DNA complex. The latter molecules represent the very first inhibitors of a feast/famine regulatory protein from any source and set the stage for exploring MtbAldR as a potential anti-tuberculosis target. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.
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Garde, Sebastian; Hovenga, Evelyn; Buck, Jasmin; Knaup, Petra
2006-01-01
Ubiquitous computing requires ubiquitous access to information and knowledge. With the release of openEHR Version 1.0 there is a common model available to solve some of the problems related to accessing information and knowledge by improving semantic interoperability between clinical systems. Considerable work has been undertaken by various bodies to standardise Clinical Data Sets. Notwithstanding their value, several problems remain unsolved with Clinical Data Sets without the use of a common model underpinning them. This paper outlines these problems like incompatible basic data types and overlapping and incompatible definitions of clinical content. A solution to this based on openEHR archetypes is motivated and an approach to transform existing Clinical Data Sets into archetypes is presented. To avoid significant overlaps and unnecessary effort during archetype development, archetype development needs to be coordinated nationwide and beyond and also across the various health professions in a formalized process.
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Homogeneous transparent conductive ZnO:Ga by ALD for large LED wafers
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Szabó, Zoltán; Baji, Zsófia [MTA EK Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Konkoly Thege M. út 29-33, 1121 Budapest (Hungary); Basa, Péter [Semilab Semiconductor Physics Laboratory Co. Ltd., Prielle K. u. 2, H-1117 Budapest (Hungary); Czigány, Zsolt; Bársony, István [MTA EK Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Konkoly Thege M. út 29-33, 1121 Budapest (Hungary); Wang, Hsin-Ying [Epistar corporation No 5, Li-hsin 5th Rd., Hsinchu Science Park, Hsinchu 300, Taiwan (China); Volk, János, E-mail: volk@mfa.kfki.hu [MTA EK Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Konkoly Thege M. út 29-33, 1121 Budapest (Hungary)
2016-08-30
Highlights: • Highly conductive, transparent GZO layers were deposited by ALD. • The ALD layers show superior thickness and sheet resistance homogeneity for 4” wafers. • A two-step ALD deposition technique was proposed and demonstrated to improve the quality of GZO/p-GaN interface. - Abstract: Highly conductive and uniform Ga doped ZnO (GZO) films were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as transparent conductive layers for InGaN/GaN LEDs. The optimal Ga doping concentration was found to be 3 at%. Even for 4” wafers, the TCO layer shows excellent homogeneity of film resistivity (0.8 %) according to Eddy current and spectroscopic ellipsometry mapping. This makes ALD a favourable technique over concurrent methods like MBE and PLD where the up-scaling is problematic. In agreement with previous studies, it was found that by an annealing treatment the quality of the GZO/p-GaN interface can be improved, although it causes the degradation of TCO conductivity. Therefore, a two-step ALD deposition technique was proposed and demonstrated: a “buffer layer” deposited and annealed first was followed by a second deposition step to maintain the high conductivity of the top layer.
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Spatial atmospheric ALD of functional layers for CIGS Solar Cells
Illiberi, A.; Frijters, C.; Balder, J. E.; Poodt, P.; Roozeboom, F.
2015-01-01
Spatial Atmospheric Atomic Layer Deposition combines the advantages of temporal ALD, i.e. excellent control of film composition and uniformity over large area substrates, with high growth rates (up to nm/s). In this paper we present a short overview of our research activity carried out on S-ALD of
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Spatial atmospheric ALD of functional layers for CIGS Solar Cells
Illiberi, A.; Frijters, C.; Balder, J.E.; Poodt, P.W.G.; Roozeboom, F.
2015-01-01
Spatial Atmosperic Atomic Layer Depositon combines the advantages of temporal ALD, i.e. excellent control of film composition and uniformity over large area substrates, with high growth rages (up tot nm/s). In this paper we present a short overview of our research acctivity carried out on S-ALD of
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Controllable ALD synthesis of platinum nanoparticles by tuning different synthesis parameters
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang, Chuandao; Lin, Yuyuan; Marks, Laurence; Hu, Linhua; Poeppelmeier, Kenneth; Stair, Peter
2017-01-01
Pt nanoparticles were successfully deposited using three different atomic layer deposition (ALD) methods, e.g. AB-type, ABC-type and static ABC-type ALD, on two different types of strontium titanate nanocuboids (STO-NCs) samples in a reaction temperature window of 125 °C–300 °C. The influence of reaction temperature, number of ALD cycles, type of substrate, 2nd reagent and type of ALD method on Pt nanoparticle deposition are comprehensively studied and discussed in this work. Varying the reaction temperature and number of cycles across the three different ALD methods affects Pt particle size, density, and loading. Surface termination of STO-NCs substrate will change deposited Pt nanoparticle growth orientation and thermodynamic shape. The B reagent besides platinum precursor can lead to different ligand decomposition mechanism when Pt precursors are exposed: oxygen allows more effective ligand combustion compared to water, however, the Pt particles are more oxidized according to XPS studies. We expect this work provides a way for tailoring nanoparticles with desired size, dispersion, exposed surfaces and chemical state etc, which helps controlling and optimizing their performance when applied as catalysts or nanosensors. (paper)
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Toxic AGE (TAGE Theory for the Pathophysiology of the Onset/Progression of NAFLD and ALD
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Masayoshi Takeuchi
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD and alcoholic liver disease (ALD are among the most common causes of chronic liver diseases in the westernized world. NAFLD and ALD are frequently accompanied by extrahepatic complications, including hepatocellular carcinoma and cardiovascular diseases, which have a negative impact on patient survival. The chronic ingestion of an excessive daily diet containing sugar/high-fructose corn syrup increases the level of the fructose/glucose metabolite, glyceraldehyde (GA, while the chronic consumption of an excessive number of alcoholic beverages increases the level of the alcohol metabolite, acetaldehyde (AA in the liver. GA and AA are known to react non-enzymatically with the ε- or α-amino groups of proteins, thereby generating advanced glycation end-products (AGEs, GA-AGEs, and AA-AGEs, respectively in vivo. The interaction between GA-AGEs and the receptor for AGEs (RAGE alters intracellular signaling, gene expression, and the release of pro-inflammatory molecules and also elicits the production of reactive oxygen species by human hepatocytes and hepatic stellate cells, all of which may contribute to the pathological changes associated with chronic liver diseases. We herein discuss the pathophysiological roles of GA-AGEs and AA-AGEs (toxic AGEs, TAGE and a related novel theory for preventing the onset/progression of NAFLD and ALD.
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Nanomechanical study of amorphous and polycrystalline ALD HfO2 thin films
K. Tapily; J.E. Jakes; D. Gu; H. Baumgart; A.A. Elmustafa
2011-01-01
Thin films of hafnium oxide (HfO2) were deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD). The structural properties of the deposited films were characterised by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). We investigated the effect of phase transformations induced by thermal treatments on the mechanical properties of ALD HfO
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Effect of ALD surface treatment on structural and optical properties of ZnO nanorods
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Jang, Jin-Tak [Department of Nano Systems Engineering, Center for Nano Manufacturing, Inje University, Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 621-749 (Korea, Republic of); Ryu, Hyukhyun, E-mail: hhryu@inje.ac.kr [Department of Nano Systems Engineering, Center for Nano Manufacturing, Inje University, Obang-dong, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 621-749 (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Won-Jae [Department of Materials and Components Engineering, Dong-Eui University, 995 Eomgwangno, Busanjin-gu, Busan 614-714 (Korea, Republic of)
2013-07-01
In this study, we report on the improvement of the optical and structural properties of ZnO nanorods using atomic layer deposition (ALD) on seed ZnO nanorods. After the initial growth of ZnO seed nanorods by hydrothermal synthesis for 1 h, a ZnO layer with a thickness of 10 nm was deposited on the initial ZnO seed nanorods using ALD. Then ZnO was further grown by hydrothermal synthesis for 4 h. The samples were characterized using room temperature photoluminescence (PL), field emission-scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). From this experiment, it was found that the ZnO nanorods with the ALD surface treatment show improved optical and structural properties when compared with the ZnO nanorods grown only by hydrothermal synthesis. The ZnO nanorods with the ALD surface treatment show about 2.7 times higher XRD (0 0 2) peak intensity, about 2.64 times higher PL NBE peak intensity, and about 3.1 times better NBE/DLE ratio than the ZnO nanorods without an ALD surface treatment.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Guo, Hongwei; Liu, Yunlong; Xu, Yang; Meng, Nan; Luo, Jikui; Wang, Hongtao; Hasan, Tawfique; Wang, Xinran; Yu, Bin
2014-01-01
Ultrathin dielectric materials prepared by atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) technology are commonly used in graphene electronics. Using the first-principles density functional theory calculations with van der Waals (vdW) interactions included, we demonstrate that single-side fluorinated graphene (SFG) and hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) exhibit large physical adsorption energy and strong electrostatic interactions with H 2 O-based ALD precursors, indicating their potential as the ALD seed layer for dielectric growth on graphene. In graphene-SFG vdW heterostructures, graphene is n-doped after ALD precursor adsorption on the SFG surface caused by vertical intrinsic polarization of SFG. However, graphene-h-BN vdW heterostructures help preserving the intrinsic characteristics of the underlying graphene due to in-plane intrinsic polarization of h-BN. By choosing SFG or BN as the ALD seed layer on the basis of actual device design needs, the graphene vdW heterostructures may find applications in low-dimensional electronics. (paper)
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Silva, R M; Ferro, M C; Araujo, J R; Achete, C A; Clavel, G; Silva, R F; Pinna, N
2016-07-19
Zinc oxide thin films were deposited on vertically aligned nitrogen-doped carbon nanotubes (N-CNTs) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) from diethylzinc and water. The study demonstrates that doping CNTs with nitrogen is an effective approach for the "activation" of the CNTs surface for the ALD of metal oxides. Conformal ZnO coatings are already obtained after 50 ALD cycles, whereas at lower ALD cycles an island growth mode is observed. Moreover, the process allows for a uniform growth from the top to the bottom of the vertically aligned N-CNT arrays. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy demonstrates that ZnO nucleation takes place at the N-containing species on the surface of the CNTs by the formation of the Zn-N bonds at the interface between the CNTs and the ZnO film.
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A single gene (Eu4) encodes the tissue-ubiquitous urease of soybean.
Torisky, R S; Griffin, J D; Yenofsky, R L; Polacco, J C
1994-02-01
We sought to determine the genetic basis of expression of the ubiquitous (metabolic) urease of soybean. This isozyme is termed the metabolic urease because its loss, in eu4/eu4 mutants, leads to accumulation of urea, whereas loss of the embryo-specific urease isozyme does not. The eu4 lesion eliminated the expression of the ubiquitous urease in vegetative and embryonic tissues. RFLP analysis placed urease clone LC4 near, or within, the Eu4 locus. Sequence comparison of urease proteins (ubiquitous and embryo-specific) and clones (LC4 and LS1) indicated that LC4 and LS1 encode ubiquitous and embryo-specific ureases, respectively. That LC4 is transcribed into poly(A)+ RNA in all tissues was indicated by the amplification of its transcript by an LC4-specific PCR primer. (The LS1-specific primer, on the other hand, amplified poly(A)+ RNA only from developing embryos expressing the embryo-specific urease.) These observations are consistent with Eu4 being the ubiquitous urease structural gene contained in the LC4 clone. In agreement with this notion, the mutant phenotype of eu4/eu4 callus was partially corrected by the LC4 urease gene introduced by particle bombardment.
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Enhanced Corrosion Resistance of PVD-CrN Coatings by ALD Sealing Layers
Wan; Zhang, Teng Fei; Ding, Ji Cheng; Kim, Chang-Min; Park, So-Won; Yang, Yang; Kim, Kwang-Ho; Kwon, Se-Hun
2017-04-01
Multilayered hard coatings with a CrN matrix and an Al2O3, TiO2, or nanolaminate-Al2O3/TiO2 sealing layer were designed by a hybrid deposition process combined with physical vapor deposition (PVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The strategy was to utilize ALD thin films as pinhole-free barriers to seal the intrinsic defects to protect the CrN matrix. The influences of the different sealing layers added in the coatings on the microstructure, surface roughness, and corrosion behaviors were investigated. The results indicated that the sealing layer added by ALD significantly decreased the average grain size and improved the corrosion resistance of the CrN coatings. The insertion of the nanolaminate-Al2O3/TiO2 sealing layers resulted in a further increase in corrosion resistance, which was attributed to the synergistic effect of Al2O3 and TiO2, both acting as excellent passivation barriers to the diffusion of corrosive substances.
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Aquaporin 4 is a Ubiquitously Expressed Isoform in the Dogfish (Squalus acanthias) Shark.
Cutler, Christopher P; Maciver, Bryce; Cramb, Gordon; Zeidel, Mark
2011-01-01
The dogfish ortholog of aquaporin 4 (AQP4) was amplified from cDNA using degenerate PCR followed by cloning and sequencing. The complete coding region was then obtained using 5' and 3' RACE techniques. Alignment of the sequence with AQP4 amino acid sequences from other species showed that dogfish AQP4 has high levels (up to 65.3%) of homology with higher vertebrate sequences but lower levels of homology to Agnathan (38.2%) or teleost (57.5%) fish sequences. Northern blotting indicated that the dogfish mRNA was approximately 3.2 kb and was highly expressed in the rectal gland (a shark fluid secretory organ). Semi-quantitative PCR further indicates that AQP4 is ubiquitous, being expressed in all tissues measured but at low levels in certain tissues, where the level in liver > gill > intestine. Manipulation of the external environmental salinity of groups of dogfish showed that when fish were acclimated in stages to 120% seawater (SW) or 75% SW, there was no change in AQP4 mRNA expression in either rectal gland, kidney, or esophagus/cardiac stomach. Whereas quantitative PCR experiments using the RNA samples from the same experiment, showed a significant 63.1% lower abundance of gill AQP4 mRNA expression in 120% SW-acclimated dogfish. The function of dogfish AQP4 was also determined by measuring the effect of the AQP4 expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Dogfish AQP4 expressing-oocytes, exhibited significantly increased osmotic water permeability (P(f)) compared to controls, and this was invariant with pH. Permeability was not significantly reduced by treatment of oocytes with mercury chloride, as is also the case with AQP4 in other species. Similarly AQP4 expressing-oocytes did not exhibit enhanced urea or glycerol permeability, which is also consistent with the water-selective property of AQP4 in other species.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Zhang, Hongbo; Lei, Yu; Kropf, A. Jeremy; Zhang, Guanghui; Elam, Jeffrey W.; Miller, Jeffrey T.; Sollberger, Fred; Ribeiro, Fabio; Akatay, M. Cem; Stach, Eric A.; Dumesic, James A.; Marshall, Christopher L.
2014-08-01
The stability of a gas-phase furfural hydrogenation catalyst (CuCr2O4 center dot CuO) was enhanced by depositing a thin Al2O3 layer using atomic layer deposition (ALD). Based on temperature-programed reduction (TPR) measurements, the reduction temperature of Cu was raised significantly, and the activation energy for furfural reduction was decreased following the ALD treatment. Thinner ALD layers yielded higher furfural hydrogenation activities. X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy studies indicated that Cu1+/Cu-0 are the active species for furfural reduction.
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Mannings, Robin
2008-01-01
This groundbreaking resource offers a practical, in-depth understanding of Ubiquitous Positioning - positioning systems that identify the location and position of people, vehicles and objects in time and space in the digitized networked economy. The future and growth of ubiquitous positioning will be fueled by the convergence of many other areas of technology, from mobile telematics, Internet technology, and location systems, to sensing systems, geographic information systems, and the semantic web. This first-of-its-kind volume explores ubiquitous positioning from a convergence perspective, of
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Preparation and characterization of ALD deposited ZnO thin films studied for gas sensors
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Boyadjiev, S.I., E-mail: boiajiev@gmail.com [MTA-BME Technical Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary); Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Georgieva, V. [Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Yordanov, R. [Department of Microelectronics, Technical University of Sofia, 8 Kliment Ohridski Blvd., 1756 Sofia (Bulgaria); Raicheva, Z. [Georgi Nadjakov Institute of Solid State Physics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 72 Tzarigradsko Chaussee Blvd., 1784 Sofia (Bulgaria); Szilágyi, I.M. [MTA-BME Technical Analytical Chemistry Research Group, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary); Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry, Szent Gellért tér 4, Budapest, H-1111 (Hungary)
2016-11-30
Highlights: • For the first time the gas sensing towards NO{sub 2} of very thin ALD ZnO films is studied. • The very thin ALD ZnO films showed excellent sensitivity to NO{sub 2} at room temperature. • These very thin film ZnO-based QCM sensors very well register even low concentrations. • The sensors have fully reversible sorption and are able to be recovered in short time. • Described fast and cost-effective ALD deposition of ZnO thin films for QCM gas sensor. - Abstract: Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin zinc oxide (ZnO) films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The gas sensing of the ZnO films to NO{sub 2} was tested in the concentration interval between 10 and 5000 ppm. On the basis of registered frequency change of the QCM, for each concentration the sorbed mass was calculated. Further characterization of the films was carried out by various techniques, i.e. by SEM-EDS, XRD, ellipsometry, and FTIR spectroscopy. Although being very thin, the films were gas sensitive to NO{sub 2} already at room temperature and could register very well as low concentrations as 100 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible. Our results for very thin ALD ZnO films show that the described fast, simple and cost-effective technology could be implemented for producing gas sensors working at room temperature and being capable to detect in real time low concentrations of NO{sub 2}.
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Aquaporin 4 is a ubiquitously expressed isoform in the dogfish (Squalus acanthias shark.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christopher P Cutler
2012-01-01
Full Text Available The dogfish orthologue of aquaporin 4 (AQP4 was amplified from cDNA using degenerate PCR followed by cloning and sequencing. The complete coding region was then obtained using 5’ and 3’ RACE techniques. Alignment of the sequence with AQP4 amino acid sequences from other species showed that dogfish AQP4 has high levels (up to 65.3% of homology with higher vertebrate sequences but lower levels of homology to agnathan (38.2% or teleost (57.5% fish sequences. Northern blotting indicated that the dogfish mRNA was approximately 3.2 kb and was highly expressed in the rectal gland (a shark fluid secretory organ. Semi-quantitative PCR further indicates that AQP4 is ubiquitous, being expressed in all tissues measured but at low levels in certain tissues, where the level in liver>gill> intestine. Manipulation of the external environmental salinity of groups of dogfish showed that when fish were acclimated in stages to 120% seawater (SW or 75% SW, there was no change in AQP4 mRNA expression in either rectal gland, kidney or esophagus/cardiac stomach. Whereas quantitative PCR experiments using the RNA samples from the same experiment, showed a significant 63.1% lower abundance of gill AQP4 mRNA expression in 120% SW-acclimated dogfish. The function of dogfish AQP4 was also determined by measuring the effect of the AQP4 expression in Xenopus laevis oocytes. Dogfish AQP4 expressingoocytes, exhibited significantly increased osmotic water permeability (Pf compared to controls, and this was invariant with pH. Permeability was not significantly reduced by treatment of oocytes with mercury chloride, as is also the case with AQP4 in other species. Similarly AQP4 expressing oocytes did not exhibit enhanced urea or glycerol permeability, which is also consistent with the water-selective property of AQP4 in other species.
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Electrocatalytic activity of Pt grown by ALD on carbon nanotubes for Si-based DMFC applications
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Johansson, Alicia Charlotte; Dalslet, Bjarke Thomas; Yang, R.B.
2012-01-01
in a top-flow ALD reactor at 250°C, using MeCpPtMe3 and O2 as precursors. The anode was tested for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) in a three-electrode electrochemical set-up and it showed improved catalytic activity compared to a reference sample of Pt deposited on flat Si. It is demonstrated......We present an anode design for silicon-based direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) applications. Platinum was deposited conformally by atomic layer deposition (ALD) onto vertically aligned, nitrogendoped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) grown on porous silicon. The deposition was carried out...... that ALD could be a MEMS compatible deposition technique for Si-based fuel cell applications. © The Electrochemical Society....
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
King Yiu Lee
Full Text Available Makorin-2 (MKRN2 is a highly conserved protein and yet its functions are largely unknown. We investigated the expression levels of MKRN2 and RAF1 in normal and malignant hematopoietic cells, and leukemia cell lines. We also attempted to delineate the role of MKRN2 in umbilical cord blood CD34+ stem/progenitor cells and K562 cell line by over-expression and inhibition of MKRN2 through lentivirus transduction and shRNA nucleofection, respectively. Our results provided the first evidence on the ubiquitous expression of MKRN2 in normal hematopoietic cells, embryonic stem cell lines, primary leukemia and leukemic cell lines of myeloid, lymphoid, erythroid and megakaryocytic lineages. The expression levels of MKRN2 were generally higher in primary leukemia samples compared with those in age-matched normal BM cells. In all leukemia subtypes, there was no significant correlation between expression levels of MKRN2 and RAF1. sh-MKRN2-silenced CD34+ cells had a significantly lower proliferation capacity and decreased levels of the early stem/progenitor subpopulation (CFU-GEMM compared with control cultures. Over-expression of MKRN2 in K562 cells increased cell proliferation. Our results indicated possible roles of MKRN2 in normal and malignant hematopoiesis.
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ALD Sapphire Coating for Large Area Soft X-ray Mirrors
National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This proposed work is to demonstrate that the already established ALD coating method can be applied to the X-ray mirror fabrication and is suitable to produce an...
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Operando SXRD of E-ALD deposited sulphides ultra-thin films: Crystallite strain and size
Giaccherini, Andrea; Russo, Francesca; Carlà, Francesco; Guerri, Annalisa; Picca, Rosaria Anna; Cioffi, Nicola; Cinotti, Serena; Montegrossi, Giordano; Passaponti, Maurizio; Di Benedetto, Francesco; Felici, Roberto; Innocenti, Massimo
2018-02-01
Electrochemical Atomic Layer Deposition (E-ALD), exploiting surface limited electrodeposition of atomic layers, can easily grow highly ordered ultra-thin films and 2D structures. Among other compounds CuxZnyS grown by means of E-ALD on Ag(111) has been found particularly suitable for the solar energy conversion due to its band gap (1.61 eV). However its growth seems to be characterized by a micrometric thread-like structure, probably overgrowing a smooth ultra-thin films. On this ground, a SXRD investigation has been performed, to address the open questions about the structure and the growth of CuxZnyS by means of E-ALD. The experiment shows a pseudo single crystal pattern as well as a powder pattern, confirming that part of the sample grows epitaxially on the Ag(111) substrate. The growth of the film was monitored by following the evolution of the Bragg peaks and Debye rings during the E-ALD steps. Breadth and profile analysis of the Bragg peaks lead to a qualitative interpretation of the growth mechanism. This study confirms that Zn lead to the growth of a strained Cu2S-like structure, while the growth of the thread-like structure is probably driven by the release of the stress from the epitaxial phase.
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Recent developments in the MOCVD and ALD of rare earth oxides and silicates
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jones, Anthony C.; Aspinall, Helen C.; Chalker, Paul R.; Potter, Richard J.; Kukli, Kaupo; Rahtu, Antti; Ritala, Mikko; Leskelae, Markku
2005-01-01
Lanthanide, or rare-earth oxides are currently being investigated as alternatives to SiO 2 as the dielectric insulating layer in sub-0.1 μm CMOS technology. Metalorganic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) are promising techniques for the deposition of these high-κ dielectric oxides and in this paper some of our recent research into the MOCVD and ALD of PrO x , La 2 O 3 , Gd 2 O 3 , Nd 2 O 3 and their related silicates are reviewed
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Dynamic Modeling for the Design and Cyclic Operation of an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD Reactor
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Curtisha D. Travis
2013-08-01
Full Text Available A laboratory-scale atomic layer deposition (ALD reactor system model is derived for alumina deposition using trimethylaluminum and water as precursors. Model components describing the precursor thermophysical properties, reactor-scale gas-phase dynamics and surface reaction kinetics derived from absolute reaction rate theory are integrated to simulate the complete reactor system. Limit-cycle solutions defining continuous cyclic ALD reactor operation are computed with a fixed point algorithm based on collocation discretization in time, resulting in an unambiguous definition of film growth-per-cycle (gpc. A key finding of this study is that unintended chemical vapor deposition conditions can mask regions of operation that would otherwise correspond to ideal saturating ALD operation. The use of the simulator for assisting in process design decisions is presented.
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A SURVEY ON UBIQUITOUS COMPUTING
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vishal Meshram
2016-01-01
Full Text Available This work presents a survey of ubiquitous computing research which is the emerging domain that implements communication technologies into day-to-day life activities. This research paper provides a classification of the research areas on the ubiquitous computing paradigm. In this paper, we present common architecture principles of ubiquitous systems and analyze important aspects in context-aware ubiquitous systems. In addition, this research work presents a novel architecture of ubiquitous computing system and a survey of sensors needed for applications in ubiquitous computing. The goals of this research work are three-fold: i serve as a guideline for researchers who are new to ubiquitous computing and want to contribute to this research area, ii provide a novel system architecture for ubiquitous computing system, and iii provides further research directions required into quality-of-service assurance of ubiquitous computing.
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Dingemans, G.; Helvoirt, van C.A.A.; Pierreux, D.; Keuning, W.; Kessels, W.M.M.
2012-01-01
Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to deposit SiO2 films in the temperature range of Tdep = 50–400°C on Si(100). H2Si[N(C2H5)2]2 and an O2 plasma were used as Si precursor and oxidant, respectively. The ALD growth process and material properties were characterized in detail.
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Li, Yunlin; Jiang, Jing; Zhu, Chaosheng; Li, Lili; Li, Quanliang; Ding, Yongjie; Yang, Weijie
2018-01-22
Rh/γ-Al₂O₃ catalysts were synthesized by both incipient wetness impregnation (IWI) and atomic layer deposition (ALD). The TEM images of the two catalysts showed that the catalyst from ALD had smaller particle size, and narrower size distribution. The surface chemical states of both catalysts were investigated by both XPS and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES), and the catalyst from IWI had higher concentration of Rh 3+ than that from ALD. The catalytic performance of both catalysts was tested in the dry reforming of methane reaction. The catalyst from ALD showed a higher conversion and selectivity than that from IWI. The stability testing results indicated that the catalyst from ALD showed similar stability to that from IWI at 500 °C, but higher stability at 800 °C.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ana Isabel Garcia Diaz
2016-04-01
Full Text Available The Wistar Kyoto (WKY rat and the spontaneously hypertensive (SHR rat inbred strains are well-established models for human crescentic glomerulonephritis (CRGN and metabolic syndrome, respectively. Novel transgenic (Tg strains add research opportunities and increase scientific value to well-established rat models. We have created two novel Tg strains using Sleeping Beauty transposon germline transgenesis, ubiquitously expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP under the rat elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1a promoter on the WKY and SHR genetic backgrounds. The Sleeping Beauty system functioned with high transgenesis efficiency; 75% of new rats born after embryo microinjections were transgene positive. By ligation-mediated PCR, we located the genome integration sites, confirming no exonic disruption and defining a single or low copy number of the transgenes in the new WKY-GFP and SHR-GFP Tg lines. We report GFP-bright expression in embryos, tissues and organs in both lines and show preliminary in vitro and in vivo imaging data that demonstrate the utility of the new GFP-expressing lines for adoptive transfer, transplantation and fate mapping studies of CRGN, metabolic syndrome and other traits for which these strains have been extensively studied over the past four decades.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Aziz, Ramy K.; Monk, Jonathan M.; Andrews, Kathleen A.
2017-01-01
is highly conserved among members of the family Enterobacteriacea. To test this hypothesis, we first performed computational model simulation, which confirmed the essentiality of the aldA gene for 1,2-PDO utilization by the evolved PDO-degrading E. coli. Next, we deleted the aldA gene from the evolved...
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Enhancement of fiber-optic low-coherence Fabry-Pérot interferometer with ZnO ALD films
Hirsch, Marzena; Listewnik, Paulina; Jedrzejewska-Szczerska, Małgorzata
2018-04-01
In this paper investigation of the enhanced fiber-optic low coherence Fabry-Pérot interferometer with zinc oxide (ZnO) film deposited by atomic layer deposition (ALD) was presented. Model of the interferometer, which was constructed of single-mode optical fiber with applied ZnO ALD films, was built. The interferometer was also examined by means of experiment. Measurements were performed for both reflective and transmission modes, using wavelengths of 1300 nm and 1500 nm. The measurements with the air cavity showed the best performance in terms of a visibility of the interference signal can be achieved for small cavity lengths ( 50μm) in both configurations. Combined with the enhancement of reflectance of the interferometer mirrors due to the ALD film, proposed construction could be successfully applied in refractive index (RI) sensor that can operate with improved visibility of the signal even in 1.3-1.5 RI range as well as with small volume samples, as shown by the modeling.
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Papapetridis, Ioannis; van Dijk, Marlous; Dobbe, Arthur P A; Metz, Benjamin; Pronk, Jack T; van Maris, Antonius J A
2016-04-26
Acetic acid, an inhibitor of sugar fermentation by yeast, is invariably present in lignocellulosic hydrolysates which are used or considered as feedstocks for yeast-based bioethanol production. Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains have been constructed, in which anaerobic reduction of acetic acid to ethanol replaces glycerol formation as a mechanism for reoxidizing NADH formed in biosynthesis. An increase in the amount of acetate that can be reduced to ethanol should further decrease acetic acid concentrations and enable higher ethanol yields in industrial processes based on lignocellulosic feedstocks. The stoichiometric requirement of acetate reduction for NADH implies that increased generation of NADH in cytosolic biosynthetic reactions should enhance acetate consumption. Replacement of the native NADP(+)-dependent 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase in S. cerevisiae by a prokaryotic NAD(+)-dependent enzyme resulted in increased cytosolic NADH formation, as demonstrated by a ca. 15% increase in the glycerol yield on glucose in anaerobic cultures. Additional deletion of ALD6, which encodes an NADP(+)-dependent acetaldehyde dehydrogenase, led to a 39% increase in the glycerol yield compared to a non-engineered strain. Subsequent replacement of glycerol formation by an acetate reduction pathway resulted in a 44% increase of acetate consumption per amount of biomass formed, as compared to an engineered, acetate-reducing strain that expressed the native 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase and ALD6. Compared to a non-acetate reducing reference strain under the same conditions, this resulted in a ca. 13% increase in the ethanol yield on glucose. The combination of NAD(+)-dependent 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase expression and deletion of ALD6 resulted in a marked increase in the amount of acetate that was consumed in these proof-of-principle experiments, and this concept is ready for further testing in industrial strains as well as in hydrolysates. Altering the cofactor
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Zittrain, Jonathan
2008-10-28
Ubiquitous computing means network connectivity everywhere, linking devices and systems as small as a drawing pin and as large as a worldwide product distribution chain. What could happen when people are so readily networked? This paper explores issues arising from two possible emerging models of ubiquitous human computing: fungible networked brainpower and collective personal vital sign monitoring.
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Plasma-assisted ALD of LiPO(N) for solid state batteries
Put, B.; Mees, M.J.; Hornsveld, N.; Sepúlveda, A.; Vereecken, P.M.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Creatore, M.
2016-01-01
All solid state 3D batteries are pursued for their increased safety and high power capabilities. At present conformai coating of the solid electrolyte remains one of the key hurdles for the implementation of such devices. In the present work we investigate atomic layer deposition (ALD) as means of
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AlGaN/GaN MISHEMTs with AlN gate dielectric grown by thermal ALD technique.
Liu, Xiao-Yong; Zhao, Sheng-Xun; Zhang, Lin-Qing; Huang, Hong-Fan; Shi, Jin-Shan; Zhang, Chun-Min; Lu, Hong-Liang; Wang, Peng-Fei; Zhang, David Wei
2015-01-01
Recently, AlN plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (ALD) passivation technique had been proposed and investigated for suppressing the dynamic on-resistance degradation behavior of high-electron-mobility transistors (HEMTs). In this paper, a novel gate dielectric and passivation technique for GaN-on-Si AlGaN/GaN metal-insulator-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistors (MISHEMTs) is presented. This technique features the AlN thin film grown by thermal ALD at 400°C without plasma enhancement. A 10.6-nm AlN thin film was grown upon the surface of the HEMT serving as the gate dielectric under the gate electrode and as the passivation layer in the access region at the same time. The MISHEMTs with thermal ALD AlN exhibit enhanced on/off ratio, reduced channel sheet resistance, reduction of gate leakage by three orders of magnitude at a bias of 4 V, reduced threshold voltage hysteresis of 60 mV, and suppressed current collapse degradation.
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Developments in plasma enhanced spatial ALD for high throughput applications [3.04
Creyghton, Y.; Illiberi, A.; Mione, M.; Boekel, W. van; Debernardi, N.; Seitz, M.; Bruele, F. van den; Poodt, P.; Roozeboom,F.
2016-01-01
Atomic layer deposition by means of spatial separation of reactive gases is emerging as an industrial manufacturing technology. Integration of non-thermal plasma in spatial ALD machines will further expand the process window towards lower operation temperatures and specific materials requiring
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yunlin Li
2018-01-01
Full Text Available Rh/γ-Al2O3 catalysts were synthesized by both incipient wetness impregnation (IWI and atomic layer deposition (ALD. The TEM images of the two catalysts showed that the catalyst from ALD had smaller particle size, and narrower size distribution. The surface chemical states of both catalysts were investigated by both XPS and X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES, and the catalyst from IWI had higher concentration of Rh3+ than that from ALD. The catalytic performance of both catalysts was tested in the dry reforming of methane reaction. The catalyst from ALD showed a higher conversion and selectivity than that from IWI. The stability testing results indicated that the catalyst from ALD showed similar stability to that from IWI at 500 °C, but higher stability at 800 °C.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hansen, Frank Allan
2006-01-01
Ubiquitous annotation systems allow users to annotate physical places, objects, and persons with digital information. Especially in the field of location based information systems much work has been done to implement adaptive and context-aware systems, but few efforts have focused on the general...... requirements for linking information to objects in both physical and digital space. This paper surveys annotation techniques from open hypermedia systems, Web based annotation systems, and mobile and augmented reality systems to illustrate different approaches to four central challenges ubiquitous annotation...... systems have to deal with: anchoring, structuring, presentation, and authoring. Through a number of examples each challenge is discussed and HyCon, a context-aware hypermedia framework developed at the University of Aarhus, Denmark, is used to illustrate an integrated approach to ubiquitous annotations...
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McAnear, Anita
2006-01-01
When we planned the editorial calendar with the topic ubiquitous computing, we were thinking of ubiquitous computing as the one-to-one ratio of computers to students and teachers and 24/7 access to electronic resources. At the time, we were aware that ubiquitous computing in the computer science field had more to do with wearable computers. Our…
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Xu, Ke
2013-01-01
This PhD thesis is consisted of two major parts: precursor development for ALD and MOCVD applications as well as thin film deposition using ALD and MOCVD with self developed precursors. The first part of this work presents the synthesis, characterization and detailed thermal property investigations of different novel group IV and rare earth precursor classes (guandinate, guanidine and ketoiminate). The second part of this work presents the ALD and MOCVD depositions using various guanidinate precursors for forming corresponding metal oxide thin films. The overall motivation of this work is to fulfill the lack of precursors of rare earth and group IV elements for ALD and MOCVD applications that satisfy the stringent requirements for the modern microelectronic and optoelectronic technologies. The aspect of the precursor engineering part is focusing on influence of ligand sphere on precursors' chemical and thermal properties. In this way, we successfully introduced guanidine and ketoiminate as potential ligands for the precursor design. The thin film deposition part of this work is ALD of rare earth oxides and group IV oxides employing literature known compounds which were previously developed in our research group. The main focus was dedicated to the process optimization, the characterization of the structural, morphological, compositional and functional properties of the deposited thin films. Certain film properties were discussed comparatively with the corresponding thin films deposited with literature known precursors. It was already shortly demonstrated in Chapter 6 that the guanidine ligand showed potential interest as suitable ligand for precursor engineering. This titan guanidine precursor [Ti(NC(NMe 2 ) 2 ) 4 ] (GD1) possesses higher thermal stability compared to its parent amide, [Ti(NMe 2 ) 4 ], while reactivity against water is not significantly affected. It could be very interesting to transfer this ligand for the precursor development of rare earth
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ramirez Masferrer, J. A.
2001-07-01
As a consequence of the weathering, the pyrite is combined together with the oxygen and water, Mine Acid Drainage is produced, with rather low pH and dissolved metals. In order to treat this kind of polluted water it could be good to increase its alkalinity (capacity to neutralize the acid). There are several ways to increase the water alkalinity. One of them is the ALD. limestone beds buried through which the polluted water flows, in which carbonates are dissolved. (mostly calcium carbonate), in a media lacking of oxygen. (Author) 11 refs.
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Xu, J; Johnson, R C
1995-01-01
Escherichia coli aldB was identified as a gene that is negatively regulated by Fis but positively regulated by RpoS. The complete DNA sequence determined in this study indicates that aldB encodes a 56.3-kDa protein which shares a high degree of homology with an acetaldehyde dehydrogenase encoded by acoD of Alcaligenes eutrophus and an aldehyde dehydrogenase encoded by aldA of Vibrio cholerae and significant homology with a group of other aldehyde dehydrogenases from prokaryotes and eukaryotes...
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Learning with Ubiquitous Computing
Rosenheck, Louisa
2008-01-01
If ubiquitous computing becomes a reality and is widely adopted, it will inevitably have an impact on education. This article reviews the background of ubiquitous computing and current research projects done involving educational "ubicomp." Finally it explores how ubicomp may and may not change education in both formal and informal settings and…
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A Collaborative Model for Ubiquitous Learning Environments
Barbosa, Jorge; Barbosa, Debora; Rabello, Solon
2016-01-01
Use of mobile devices and widespread adoption of wireless networks have enabled the emergence of Ubiquitous Computing. Application of this technology to improving education strategies gave rise to Ubiquitous e-Learning, also known as Ubiquitous Learning. There are several approaches to organizing ubiquitous learning environments, but most of them…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Françoise Acquier
2014-09-01
Full Text Available Aldébaran est une revue électronique en libre accès qui propose une sélection de ressources documentaires en sciences humaines à travers des notices de sites et des conseils de recherche. Les notices présentées dans ce numéro ont été rédigées par Françoise Acquier (CRESSON, Grenoble, Fabrice Melka (IMAF, Julien Gillet (Cléo et Véronique Ginouvès (MMSH USR3125. Afriterra. The Cartographic Free Library http://aldebaran.revues.org/6775 La fondation Afriterra, à but non lucratif, est une bibl...
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HCI in Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing
椎尾, 一郎; 安村, 通晃; 福本, 雅明; 伊賀, 聡一郎; 増井, 俊之
2003-01-01
This paper provides some perspectives to human computer interaction in mobile and ubiquitous computing. The review covers overview of ubiquitous computing, mobile computing and wearable computing. It also summarizes HCI topics on these field, including real-world oriented interface, multi-modal interface, context awareness and in-visible computers. Finally we discuss killer applications for coming ubiquitous computing era.
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Jo, Sung-Eun; Seong, Yeong-Je; Lee, Hyun-Soo; Lee, Soo Min; Kim, Soo-Jung; Park, Kyungmoon; Park, Yong-Cheol
2016-06-10
Xylose is a major monosugar in cellulosic biomass and should be utilized for cost-effective ethanol production. In this study, xylose-converting ability of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae SX6(MUT) expressing NADH-preferring xylose reductase mutant (R276H) and other xylose-metabolic enzymes, and deficient in aldehyde dehydrogenase 6 (Ald6p) were characterized at microaerobic conditions using various sugar mixtures. The reduction of air supply from 0.5vvm to 0.1vvm increased specific ethanol production rate by 75% and did not affect specific xylose consumption rate. In batch fermentations using various concentrations of xylose (50-104g/L), higher xylose concentration enhanced xylose consumption rate and ethanol productivity but reduced ethanol yield, owing to the accumulation of xylitol and glycerol from xylose. SX6(MUT) consumed monosugars in pitch pine hydrolysates and produced 23.1g/L ethanol from 58.7g/L sugars with 0.39g/g ethanol yield, which was 14% higher than the host strain of S. cerevisiae D452-2 without the xylose assimilating enzymes. In conclusion, S. cerevisiae SX6(MUT) was characterized to possess high xylose-consuming ability in microaerobic conditions and a potential for ethanol production from cellulosic biomass. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Eleonora Pantano
2013-05-01
Full Text Available The current advances in information and communications technologies developed new tools for retailers to innovate. In fact, the increasing computing capacity and the advancements in networking systems provided a new ubiquitous scenario that can be adapted for retailing in order to develop innovative shopping environments. The aim of this paper is to deeply understand the emergence of the ubiquitous retailing phenomenon and the possible shift from the physical point of sale to a ubiquitous one, by analysing this radical innovation and the main consequences for frms and market.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Françoise Acquier
2013-12-01
Full Text Available Aldébaran est une revue électronique en libre accès qui propose une sélection de ressources documentaires en sciences humaines à travers des notices de sites et des conseils de recherche. Les notices présentées dans ce numéro ont été rédigées par Véronique Ginouvès (MMSH USR3125 et Françoise Acquier (CRESSON. Arab Cinema Directory [http://aldebaran.revues.org/6945] Le site « Arab Cinema Directory » rassemble des informations sur plus de 6 500 films arabes depuis les années 1930 jusqu'à auj...
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The Future of Ubiquitous Elearning
Arndt, Timothy
2014-01-01
Post-secondary students are increasingly receiving instruction by eLearning. Many or these are part-time students or are working while taking classes. In such circumstances, students may find themselves short of time to study. One mechanism that can be exploited to make the best use of available time is ubiquitous eLearning. Ubiquitous eLearning…
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Governance assessment of a protected area : the case of the Alde Feanen National Park
Lordkipanidze, Maia; Bressers, Hans; Lulofs, Kris
2018-01-01
This paper addresses the challenge of appropriate governance of complexity and diversity in the Dutch national park of Alde Feanen. The issue is how to enhance ecosystem resilience. Our focus relates to a navigable waterway within the park that affects the natural values of the area. The governance
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Ultrahigh capacitance density for multiple ALD-grown MIM capacitor stacks in 3-D silicon
Klootwijk, J.H.; Jinesh, K.B.; Dekkers, W.; Verhoeven, J.F.C.; Heuvel, van den F.C.; Kim, H.-D.; Blin, D.; Verheijen, M.A.; Weemaes, R.G.R.; Kaiser, M.; Ruigrok, J.J.M.; Roozeboom, F.
2008-01-01
"Trench" capacitors containing multiple metal-insulator-metal (MIM) layer stacks are realized by atomic-layer deposition (ALD), yielding an ultrahigh capacitance density of 440 nF/mm2 at a breakdown voltage VBD > 6 V. This capacitance density on silicon is at least 10 times higher than the values
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Effect of growth temperature on the epitaxial growth of ZnO on GaN by ALD
Särkijärvi, Suvi; Sintonen, Sakari; Tuomisto, Filip; Bosund, Markus; Suihkonen, Sami; Lipsanen, Harri
2014-07-01
We report on the epitaxial growth of ZnO on GaN template by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Diethylzinc (DEZn) and water vapour (H2O) were used as precursors. The structure and the quality of the grown ZnO layers were studied with scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) measurements and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The ZnO films were confirmed epitaxial, and the film quality was found to improve with increasing deposition temperature in the vicinity of the threshold temperature of two dimensional growth. We conclude that high quality ZnO thin films can be grown by ALD. Interestingly only separate Zn-vacancies were observed in the films, although ZnO thin films typically contain fairly high density of surface pits and vacancy clusters.
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Met, R.; Reekers, J.A.; Koelemay, M.J.W.; Legemate, D.A.; de Haan, R.J.
2009-01-01
Background: The AMC Linear Disability Score (ALDS) is a calibrated generic itembank to measure the level of physical disability in patients with chronic diseases. The ALDS has already been validated in different patient populations suffering from chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to assess
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Zduniak, Krzysztof; Agrawal, Siddarth; Symonowicz, Krzysztof; Jurczyszyn, Kamil; Ziółkowski, Piotr
2014-03-01
Nuclear ubiquitous casein and cyclin-dependent kinases substrate (NUCKS) is a chromosomal protein of unknown function. Its amino acid composition and structure of its DNA binding domain resemble those of high mobility group A (HMGA) proteins which are associated with various malignancies. Since changes in expression of HMGA are considered as a marker of tumor progression, it is possible that similar changes in expression of NUCKS could be a useful tool in diagnosis of malignant skin tumors. To investigate this assumption we used specific antibodies against NUCKS for immunohistochemistry of squamous (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) as well as keratoacanthoma (KA). We found high expression of NUCKS in nuclei of SCC and BCC cells which exceeded expression of the well-known proliferation marker Ki67. Expression of NUCKS in benign KA was much below that of malignant tumors. With the present study and based on our previous experience we would like to suggest the NUCKS protein as a novel proliferation marker for immunohistochemical evaluation of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded skin tumor specimens. We would like to emphasize that NUCKS abundance in malignant skin tumors is higher than that of the well-known proliferation marker Ki67, thus allowing more precise assessment of tumor proliferation potential.
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Hemoglobin Expression in Nonerythroid Cells: Novel or Ubiquitous?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Debarchana Saha
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Hemoglobin (Hb is a major protein involved in transport of oxygen (O2. Red blood cells (RBCs contain maximum amount of Hb and because of their unique structure and plasticity they transport O2 to various tissues of the body at an optimal concentration. Recently, it has been reported that, apart from RBCs, Hb is also expressed by nonerythroid cells such as epithelial cells of different origin. The cells expressing Hb are from the tissues where maintenance of O2 homeostasis is of paramount importance. Hb expression has been observed in the epithelial cells from human tissues including lungs, neurons, retina, and endometrium. Our group has recently demonstrated that Hb is expressed by the cervicovaginal epithelial cells. We further showed that, apart from maintaining O2 homeostasis, Hb and the peptides derived from it play an indispensable role in the protection of vaginal epithelium by exhibiting antimicrobial activity. In this review, we discuss the significance of Hb expression in vaginal epithelial cells and its role in the recognition of pathogens thereby reducing the risk and/or severity of inflammation and/or infections and the possible mechanism by which Hb exhibits antimicrobial and antioxidative functions.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
H.C.S. Silveira
2004-06-01
Full Text Available The Down's syndrome candidate region 1 (DSCR1 protein, encoded by a gene located in the human chromosome 21, interacts with calcineurin and is overexpressed in Down's syndrome patients. As an approach to clarifying a putative function for this protein, in the present study we used the yeast two-hybrid system to identify DSCR1 partners. The two-hybrid system is a method that allows the identification of protein-protein interactions through reconstitution of the activity of the yeast GAL 4 transcriptional activator. The gene DSCR1 fused to the GAL 4 binding domain (BD was used to screen a human fetal brain cDNA library cloned in fusion with the GAL 4 activation domain (AD. Three positive clones were found and sequence analysis revealed that all the plasmids coded for the ubiquitously expressed transcript (UXT. UXT, which is encoded in human Xp11, is a 157-amino acid protein present in both cytosol and nucleus of the cells. This positive interaction of DSCR1 and UXT was confirmed in vivo by mating the yeast strain AH109 (MATaexpressing AD-UXT with the strain Y187 (MATalpha expressing BD-DSCR1, and in vitro by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. These results may help elucidate a new function for DSCR1 and its participation in Down's syndrome pathogenesis.
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Dashboard for Analyzing Ubiquitous Learning Log
Lkhagvasuren, Erdenesaikhan; Matsuura, Kenji; Mouri, Kousuke; Ogata, Hiroaki
2016-01-01
Mobile and ubiquitous technologies have been applied to a wide range of learning fields such as science, social science, history and language learning. Many researchers have been investigating the development of ubiquitous learning environments; nevertheless, to date, there have not been enough research works related to the reflection, analysis…
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Desenvolvimento e caracterização de filmes de base celulósica incorporados com aldeído cinâmico
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Franceline Aparecida Lopes
2014-03-01
Full Text Available Filmes antimicrobianos foram desenvolvidos com a incorporação de aldeído cinâmico nas concentrações de 5%, 10% e 20% v/p. Suas atividades de inibição do crescimento foram avaliadas para as bactérias Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes e Escherichia coli e para os fungos Fusarium oxysporum e Aspergillus flavus. As propriedades mecânicas dos filmes também foram avaliadas. Para as bactérias, à exceção de E. coli, foram observados halos de inibição que aumentaram proporcionalmente ao aumento da concentração de aldeído cinâmico no filme. A espessura média dos filmes utilizados, independentemente da concentração, foi de 32,47 µm e a média de deformação relativa na carga máxima dos filmes foi de 2,05% a 8 ºC e 1,73% a 25 ºC. O filme contendo 10% de aldeído cinâmico apresentou carga máxima de deformação de 108,27 N (Newton, significativamente menor (p<0,05 que os filmes com 0% e 5%. Os resultados mostraram que o uso de filmes incorporados com aldeído cinâmico é uma alternativa como embalagem ativa para o controle do crescimento de micro-organismos em produtos alimentícios.
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Multimedia and ubiquitous engineering MUE 2013
Ng, Joseph; Jeong, Hwa; Waluyo, Borgy
2013-01-01
The new multimedia standards (for example, MPEG-21) facilitate the seamless integration of multiple modalities into interoperable multimedia frameworks, transforming the way people work and interact with multimedia data. These key technologies and multimedia solutions interact and collaborate with each other in increasingly effective ways, contributing to the multimedia revolution and having a significant impact across a wide spectrum of consumer, business, healthcare, education, and governmental domains. Multimedia and Ubiquitous Engineering provides an opportunity for academic and industry professionals to discuss recent progress in the area of multimedia and ubiquitous environment including models and systems, new directions, novel applications associated with the utilization and acceptance of ubiquitous computing devices and systems.
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CMOS compatible thin-film ALD tungsten nanoelectromechanical devices
Davidson, Bradley Darren
This research focuses on the development of a novel, low-temperature, CMOS compatible, atomic-layer-deposition (ALD) enabled NEMS fabrication process for the development of ALD Tungsten (WALD) NEMS devices. The devices are intended for use in CMOS/NEMS hybrid systems, and NEMS based micro-processors/controllers capable of reliable operation in harsh environments not accessible to standard CMOS technologies. The majority of NEMS switches/devices to date have been based on carbon-nano-tube (CNT) designs. The devices consume little power during actuation, and as expected, have demonstrated actuation voltages much smaller than MEMS switches. Unfortunately, NEMS CNT switches are not typically CMOS integrable due to the high temperatures required for their growth, and their fabrication typically results in extremely low and unpredictable yields. Thin-film NEMS devices offer great advantages over reported CNT devices for several reasons, including: higher fabrication yields, low-temperature (CMOS compatible) deposition techniques like ALD, and increased control over design parameters/device performance metrics, i.e., device geometry. Furthermore, top-down, thin-film, nano-fabrication techniques are better capable of producing complicated device geometries than CNT based processes, enabling the design and development of multi-terminal switches well-suited for low-power hybrid NEMS/CMOS systems as well as electromechanical transistors and logic devices for use in temperature/radiation hard computing architectures. In this work several novel, low-temperature, CMOS compatible fabrication technologies, employing WALD as a structural layer for MEMS or NEMS devices, were developed. The technologies developed are top-down nano-scale fabrication processes based on traditional micro-machining techniques commonly used in the fabrication of MEMS devices. Using these processes a variety of novel WALD NEMS devices have been successfully fabricated and characterized. Using two different
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QCM gas sensor characterization of ALD-grown very thin TiO2 films
Boyadjiev, S.; Georgieva, V.; Vergov, L.; Szilágyi, I. M.
2018-03-01
The paper presents a technology for preparation and characterization of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films suitable for gas sensor applications. Applying atomic layer deposition (ALD), very thin TiO2 films were deposited on quartz resonators, and their gas sensing properties were studied using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The TiO2 thin films were grown using Ti(iOPr)4 and water as precursors. The surface of the films was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), coupled with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) used for a composition study. The research was focused on the gas-sensing properties of the films. Films of 10-nm thickness were deposited on quartz resonators with Au electrodes and the QCMs were used to build highly sensitive gas sensors, which were tested for detecting NO2. Although very thin, these ALD-grown TiO2 films were sensitive to NO2 already at room temperature and could register as low concentrations as 50 ppm, while the sorption was fully reversible, and the sensors could be fully recovered. With the technology presented, the manufacturing of gas sensors is simple, fast and cost-effective, and suitable for energy-effective portable equipment for real-time environmental monitoring of NO2.
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Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of CoFeB\\Ta bilayers on ALD HfO2
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bart F. Vermeulen
2017-05-01
Full Text Available Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA is an essential condition for CoFe thin films used in magnetic random access memories. Until recently, interfacial PMA was mainly known to occur in materials stacks with MgO\\CoFe(B interfaces or using an adjacent crystalline heavy metal film. Here, PMA is reported in a CoFeB\\Ta bilayer deposited on amorphous high-κ dielectric (relative permittivity κ=20 HfO2, grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD. PMA with interfacial anisotropy energy Ki up to 0.49 mJ/m2 appears after annealing the stacks between 200°C and 350°C, as shown with vibrating sample magnetometry. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the decrease of PMA starting from 350°C coincides with the onset of interdiffusion in the materials. High-κ dielectrics are potential enablers for giant voltage control of magnetic anisotropy (VCMA. The absence of VCMA in these experiments is ascribed to a 0.6 nm thick magnetic dead layer between HfO2 and CoFeB. The results show PMA can be easily obtained on ALD high-κ dielectrics.
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Privacy-related context information for ubiquitous health.
Seppälä, Antto; Nykänen, Pirkko; Ruotsalainen, Pekka
2014-03-11
Ubiquitous health has been defined as a dynamic network of interconnected systems. A system is composed of one or more information systems, their stakeholders, and the environment. These systems offer health services to individuals and thus implement ubiquitous computing. Privacy is the key challenge for ubiquitous health because of autonomous processing, rich contextual metadata, lack of predefined trust among participants, and the business objectives. Additionally, regulations and policies of stakeholders may be unknown to the individual. Context-sensitive privacy policies are needed to regulate information processing. Our goal was to analyze privacy-related context information and to define the corresponding components and their properties that support privacy management in ubiquitous health. These properties should describe the privacy issues of information processing. With components and their properties, individuals can define context-aware privacy policies and set their privacy preferences that can change in different information-processing situations. Scenarios and user stories are used to analyze typical activities in ubiquitous health to identify main actors, goals, tasks, and stakeholders. Context arises from an activity and, therefore, we can determine different situations, services, and systems to identify properties for privacy-related context information in information-processing situations. Privacy-related context information components are situation, environment, individual, information technology system, service, and stakeholder. Combining our analyses and previously identified characteristics of ubiquitous health, more detailed properties for the components are defined. Properties define explicitly what context information for different components is needed to create context-aware privacy policies that can control, limit, and constrain information processing. With properties, we can define, for example, how data can be processed or how components
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Trust Models in Ubiquitous Computing
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Nielsen, Mogens; Krukow, Karl; Sassone, Vladimiro
2008-01-01
We recapture some of the arguments for trust-based technologies in ubiquitous computing, followed by a brief survey of some of the models of trust that have been introduced in this respect. Based on this, we argue for the need of more formal and foundational trust models.......We recapture some of the arguments for trust-based technologies in ubiquitous computing, followed by a brief survey of some of the models of trust that have been introduced in this respect. Based on this, we argue for the need of more formal and foundational trust models....
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Ubiquitous Computing, Complexity and Culture
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
environments, experience time, and develop identities individually and socially. Interviews with working media artists lend further perspectives on these cultural transformations. Drawing on cultural theory, new media art studies, human-computer interaction theory, and software studies, this cutting-edge book......The ubiquitous nature of mobile and pervasive computing has begun to reshape and complicate our notions of space, time, and identity. In this collection, over thirty internationally recognized contributors reflect on ubiquitous computing’s implications for the ways in which we interact with our...... critically unpacks the complex ubiquity-effects confronting us every day....
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Milanov, Andrian Petrov
2010-01-01
The present thesis deals with the development of metal-organic complexes of rare elements. They should be used as novel precursors for the production of rare earth thin films by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD). Within the work two precursor classes were examined, the tris-Malonato-complexes as well as the tris-Guanidinato-complexes of a series of rare earth metals. The latter showed excellent properties regarding to their volatility, their thermal stability, the defined decomposition and high reactivity towards water. They have been successfully used as precursors for the MOCVD of rare earth oxide layers. By using of a gadolinium guanidinate it could also be shown that the rare earth guanidinates are promising precursors for ALD of rare earth oxide and MOCVD of rare earth nitride layers. [de
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Disclosure of Personal Data in Ubiquitous Social Networking
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sapuppo, Antonio
users' privacy. Firstly, it updates the current privacy guidelines of ubiquitous computing by proposing four drawbacks to be avoided when designing for privacy in ubiquitous social networking environments. Secondly, this dissertation identifies and investigates the determinants that might influence......Ubiquitous social networking focuses on developing possible advantageous relationships such as friendships, partnerships and business relations in the physical world, by uncovering hidden connections that people share with others nearby. The foundation of these services is based on disclosure...... of personal information, which can provoke numerous accidental invasions of privacy. This dissertation contributes by addressing two problems, related to support of privacy-aware social networking in ubiquitous computing environments that focus on maximizing potential networking benefits while preserving...
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Integrating Collaborative and Decentralized Models to Support Ubiquitous Learning
Barbosa, Jorge Luis Victória; Barbosa, Débora Nice Ferrari; Rigo, Sandro José; de Oliveira, Jezer Machado; Rabello, Solon Andrade, Jr.
2014-01-01
The application of ubiquitous technologies in the improvement of education strategies is called Ubiquitous Learning. This article proposes the integration between two models dedicated to support ubiquitous learning environments, called Global and CoolEdu. CoolEdu is a generic collaboration model for decentralized environments. Global is an…
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The Construction of an Ontology-Based Ubiquitous Learning Grid
Liao, Ching-Jung; Chou, Chien-Chih; Yang, Jin-Tan David
2009-01-01
The purpose of this study is to incorporate adaptive ontology into ubiquitous learning grid to achieve seamless learning environment. Ubiquitous learning grid uses ubiquitous computing environment to infer and determine the most adaptive learning contents and procedures in anytime, any place and with any device. To achieve the goal, an…
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Privacy-Related Context Information for Ubiquitous Health
Nykänen, Pirkko; Ruotsalainen, Pekka
2014-01-01
Background Ubiquitous health has been defined as a dynamic network of interconnected systems. A system is composed of one or more information systems, their stakeholders, and the environment. These systems offer health services to individuals and thus implement ubiquitous computing. Privacy is the key challenge for ubiquitous health because of autonomous processing, rich contextual metadata, lack of predefined trust among participants, and the business objectives. Additionally, regulations and policies of stakeholders may be unknown to the individual. Context-sensitive privacy policies are needed to regulate information processing. Objective Our goal was to analyze privacy-related context information and to define the corresponding components and their properties that support privacy management in ubiquitous health. These properties should describe the privacy issues of information processing. With components and their properties, individuals can define context-aware privacy policies and set their privacy preferences that can change in different information-processing situations. Methods Scenarios and user stories are used to analyze typical activities in ubiquitous health to identify main actors, goals, tasks, and stakeholders. Context arises from an activity and, therefore, we can determine different situations, services, and systems to identify properties for privacy-related context information in information-processing situations. Results Privacy-related context information components are situation, environment, individual, information technology system, service, and stakeholder. Combining our analyses and previously identified characteristics of ubiquitous health, more detailed properties for the components are defined. Properties define explicitly what context information for different components is needed to create context-aware privacy policies that can control, limit, and constrain information processing. With properties, we can define, for example, how
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Plasma-Assisted ALD TiN/Al2O3 stacks for MIMIM Trench Capacitor Applications
Hoogeland, D.; Jinesh, K.B.; Voogt, F.C.; Besling, W.F.A.; Lamy, Y.; Roozeboom, F.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Gendt, de S.
2009-01-01
In this paper we report on the overall plasma-assisted ALD processes of Al2O3 and TiN conducted in a single reactor chamber and at a single temperature (340 oC). The individual Al2O3 and TiN films in the stack were consecutively deposited in such a way that they were separated by purge intervals
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CILT2000: Ubiquitous Computing--Spanning the Digital Divide.
Tinker, Robert; Vahey, Philip
2002-01-01
Discusses the role of ubiquitous and handheld computers in education. Summarizes the contributions of the Center for Innovative Learning Technologies (CILT) and describes the ubiquitous computing sessions at the CILT2000 Conference. (Author/YDS)
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Effects of annealing temperature on the characteristics of ALD-deposited HfO2 in MIM capacitors
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jeong, S.-W.; Lee, H.J.; Kim, K.S.; You, M.T.; Roh, Y.; Noguchi, T.; Xianyu, W.; Jung, J.
2006-01-01
We have investigated the annealing effects of HfO 2 films deposited by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method on the electrical and physical properties in the Si/SiO 2 /Pt/ALD-HfO 2 /Pd metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors. If the annealing temperature for HfO 2 films was restricted below 500 deg. C, an annealing step using a rapid thermal processor (RTP) improves the electrical properties such as the dissipation factor and the dielectric constant. On the other hand, annealing at 700 deg. C degrades the electrical characteristics in general; the dissipation factor increases over the frequency range of 1∼4 MHz, and the leakage current increases up to 2 orders at the low electric field regions. We found that the degradation of electrical properties is due to the grain growth in the HfO 2 film (i.e., poly-crystallization of the film) by the high temperature annealing processing. We suggested that the annealing temperature must be restricted below 500 deg. C to obtain the high quality high-k film for the MIM capacitors
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Ubiquitous fuzzy computing in open ambient intelligence environments
Acampora, G.; Loia, V.
2006-01-01
Ambient intelligence (AmI) is considered as the composition of three emergent technologies: ubiquitous computing, ubiquitous communication and intelligent user interfaces. The aim of integration of aforesaid technologies is to make wider the interaction between human beings and information
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Karbalaei Akbari, Mohammad; Hai, Zhenyin; Wei, Zihan; Detavernier, Christophe; Solano, Eduardo; Verpoort, Francis; Zhuiykov, Serge
2018-03-28
Electrically responsive plasmonic devices, which benefit from the privilege of surface plasmon excited hot carries, have supported fascinating applications in the visible-light-assisted technologies. The properties of plasmonic devices can be tuned by controlling charge transfer. It can be attained by intentional architecturing of the metal-semiconductor (MS) interfaces. In this study, the wafer-scaled fabrication of two-dimensional (2D) TiO 2 semiconductors on the granular Au metal substrate is achieved using the atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique. The ALD-developed 2D MS heterojunctions exhibited substantial enhancement of the photoresponsivity and demonstrated the improvement of response time for 2D Au-TiO 2 -based plasmonic devices under visible light illumination. To circumvent the undesired dark current in the plasmonic devices, a 2D WO 3 nanofilm (∼0.7 nm) was employed as the intermediate layer on the MS interface to develop the metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) 2D heterostructure. As a result, 13.4% improvement of the external quantum efficiency was obtained for fabricated 2D Au-WO 3 -TiO 2 heterojunctions. The impedancometry measurements confirmed the modulation of charge transfer at the 2D MS interface using MIS architectonics. Broadband photoresponsivity from the UV to the visible light region was observed for Au-TiO 2 and Au-WO 3 -TiO 2 heterostructures, whereas near-infrared responsivity was not observed. Consequently, considering the versatile nature of the ALD technique, this approach can facilitate the architecturing and design of novel 2D MS and MIS heterojunctions for efficient plasmonic devices.
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Van Hao, B.; Groenland, A.W.; Aarnink, Antonius A.I.; Wolters, Robertus A.M.; Schmitz, Jurriaan; Kovalgin, Alexeij Y.
2011-01-01
Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) was employed to investigate the growth of atomic layer deposited (ALD) TiN thin films from titanium chloride (TiCl4) and ammonia (NH3) and the followed oxidation in dry oxygen. Two regimes were found in the growth including a transient stage prior to a linear regime.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Skistims, Hendrik
2011-01-01
Full Text Available With respect to ubiquitous computing there is a great potential of application, particularly in medicine and health care. This work deals with the legal problems which ubiquitous computing is facing in these areas. At the beginning, issues with respect to data protection and professional secrecy are treated. Afterwards the problem of applicability of medical product law for medical ubiquitous computing applications as well as the resulting requirements for manufactures, operators and users will be discussed.
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Towards context adaptive privacy decisions in ubiquitous computing
Schaub, Florian; Könings, Bastian; Weber, M.; Kargl, Frank
2012-01-01
In ubiquitous systems control of privacy settings will be increasingly difficult due to the pervasive nature of sensing and communication capabilities. We identify challenges for privacy decisions in ubiquitous systems and propose a system for in situ privacy decision support. When context changes
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Non-Orthogonal Multiple Access for Ubiquitous Wireless Sensor Networks.
Anwar, Asim; Seet, Boon-Chong; Ding, Zhiguo
2018-02-08
Ubiquitous wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) have become a critical technology for enabling smart cities and other ubiquitous monitoring applications. Their deployment, however, can be seriously hampered by the spectrum available to the sheer number of sensors for communication. To support the communication needs of UWSNs without requiring more spectrum resources, the power-domain non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) technique originally proposed for 5th Generation (5G) cellular networks is investigated for UWSNs for the first time in this paper. However, unlike 5G networks that operate in the licensed spectrum, UWSNs mostly operate in unlicensed spectrum where sensors also experience cross-technology interferences from other devices sharing the same spectrum. In this paper, we model the interferences from various sources at the sensors using stochastic geometry framework. To evaluate the performance, we derive a theorem and present new closed form expression for the outage probability of the sensors in a downlink scenario under interference limited environment. In addition, diversity analysis for the ordered NOMA users is performed. Based on the derived outage probability, we evaluate the average link throughput and energy consumption efficiency of NOMA against conventional orthogonal multiple access (OMA) technique in UWSNs. Further, the required computational complexity for the NOMA users is presented.
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Intelligent Multi-Agent Middleware for Ubiquitous Home Networking Environments
Minwoo Son; Seung-Hun Lee; Dongkyoo Shin; Dongil Shin
2008-01-01
The next stage of the home networking environment is supposed to be ubiquitous, where each piece of material is equipped with an RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tag. To fully support the ubiquitous environment, home networking middleware should be able to recommend home services based on a user-s interests and efficiently manage information on service usage profiles for the users. Therefore, USN (Ubiquitous Sensor Network) technology, which recognizes and manages a ...
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Ubiquitous Learning Environments in Higher Education: A Scoping Literature Review
Virtanen, Mari Aulikki; Haavisto, Elina; Liikanen, Eeva; Kääriäinen, Maria
2018-01-01
Ubiquitous learning and the use of ubiquitous learning environments heralds a new era in higher education. Ubiquitous learning environments enhance context-aware and seamless learning experiences available from any location at any time. They support smooth interaction between authentic and digital learning resources and provide personalized…
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New functionalities in abundant element oxides: ubiquitous element strategy
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Hosono, Hideo; Hayashi, Katsuro; Kamiya, Toshio; Atou, Toshiyuki; Susaki, Tomofumi
2011-01-01
While most ceramics are composed of ubiquitous elements (the ten most abundant elements within the Earth's crust), many advanced materials are based on rare elements. A 'rare-element crisis' is approaching owing to the imbalance between the limited supply of rare elements and the increasing demand. Therefore, we propose a 'ubiquitous element strategy' for materials research, which aims to apply abundant elements in a variety of innovative applications. Creation of innovative oxide materials and devices based on conventional ceramics is one specific challenge. This review describes the concept of ubiquitous element strategy and gives some highlights of our recent research on the synthesis of electronic, thermionic and structural materials using ubiquitous elements. (topical review)
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Dubald, M; Barakate, A; Mandaron, P; Mache, R
1993-11-01
Exopolygalacturonase (exoPG) is a pectin-degrading enzyme abundant in maize pollen. Using immunochemistry and in situ hybridization it is shown that in addition to its presence in pollen, exoPG is also present in sporophytic tissues, such as the tapetum and mesophyll cells. The enzyme is located in the cytoplasm of pollen and of some mesophyll cells. In other mesophyll cells, the tapetum and the pollen tube, exoPG is located in the cell wall. The measurement of enzyme activity shows that exoPG is ubiquitous in the vegetative organs. These results suggest a general function for exoPG in cell wall edification or degradation. ExoPG is encoded by a closely related multigene family. The regulation of the expression of one of the exoPG genes was analyzed in transgenic tobacco. Reporter GUS activity was detected in anthers, seeds and stems but not in leaves or roots of transgenic plants. This strongly suggests that the ubiquitous presence of exoPG in maize is the result of the expression of different exoPG genes.
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Attacker Modelling in Ubiquitous Computing Systems
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Papini, Davide
in with our everyday life. This future is visible to everyone nowadays: terms like smartphone, cloud, sensor, network etc. are widely known and used in our everyday life. But what about the security of such systems. Ubiquitous computing devices can be limited in terms of energy, computing power and memory...... attacker remain somehow undened and still under extensive investigation. This Thesis explores the nature of the ubiquitous attacker with a focus on how she interacts with the physical world and it denes a model that captures the abilities of the attacker. Furthermore a quantitative implementation...
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Learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Dalsgaard, Christian; Pedersen, Nicholai Friis; Aaen, Janus Holst
The aim of this paper is to identify the key learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet. Rather than focusing on mobile technology or the mobility of the learner, the paper emphasises the ubiquity of internet access as a paramount catalyst for new learning in the digital age. From...... a sociocultural perspective the paper discusses different ways in which the use of mobile devices can extend and augment the context of the learner. The learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet relate to the opportunities to extend the context of the learner on three levels: 1) personalisation...
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Unit and ubiquitous Internet of Things
Ning, Huansheng
2013-01-01
Although the Internet of Things (IoT) will play a key role in the development of next generation information, network, and communication technologies, many are still unclear about what makes IoT different from similar concepts. Answering fundamental questions about IoT architectures and models, Unit and Ubiquitous Internet of Things introduces essential IoT concepts from the perspectives of mapping and interaction between the physical world and the cyber world. It addresses key issues such as strategy and education, particularly around unit and ubiquitous IoT technologies. Supplying a new pers
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Ubiquitous emotion-aware computing
van den Broek, Egon
Emotions are a crucial element for personal and ubiquitous computing. What to sense and how to sense it, however, remain a challenge. This study explores the rare combination of speech, electrocardiogram, and a revised Self-Assessment Mannequin to assess people’s emotions. 40 people watched 30
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Verena E. Strempel
2018-05-01
Full Text Available A low amount of AlOx was successfully deposited on an unordered, mesoporous SiO2 powder using 1–3 ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition cycles of trimethylaluminium and water. The process was realized in a self-built ALD setup featuring a microbalanceand a fixed particle bed. The reactor temperature was varied between 75, 120, and 200 °C. The self-limiting nature of the deposition was verified by in situ gravimetric monitoring for all temperatures. The coated material was further analyzed by nitrogen sorption, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, attenuated total reflection Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. The obtained mass gains correspond to average growth between 0.81–1.10 Å/cycle depending on substrate temperature. In addition, the different mass gains during the half-cycles in combination with the analyzed aluminum content after one, two, and three cycles indicate a change in the preferred surface reaction of the trimethylaluminium molecule from a predominately two-ligand exchange with hydroxyl groups to more single-ligand exchange with increasing cycle number. Nitrogen sorption isotherms demonstrate (1 homogeneously coated mesopores, (2 a decrease in surface area, and (3 a reduction of the pore size. The experiment is successfully repeated in a scale-up using a ten times higher substrate batch size.
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Ubiquitous and pervasive commerce new frontiers for electronic business
Roussos, George
2006-01-01
The new capabilities of ubiquitous and pervasive computing imply that products, locations, consumers and employees create rich streams of information about themselves, their immediate environment and their use. This book brings together technological and business aspects of conducting commerce using ubiquitous and pervasive computing techniques and also examines its implications for society at large. Individual chapters examine in detail the core technologies that make ubiquitous computing possible, the business standards that must be established to support the envisioned global infrastructure
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Trust information-based privacy architecture for ubiquitous health.
Ruotsalainen, Pekka Sakari; Blobel, Bernd; Seppälä, Antto; Nykänen, Pirkko
2013-10-08
Ubiquitous health is defined as a dynamic network of interconnected systems that offers health services independent of time and location to a data subject (DS). The network takes place in open and unsecure information space. It is created and managed by the DS who sets rules that regulate the way personal health information is collected and used. Compared to health care, it is impossible in ubiquitous health to assume the existence of a priori trust between the DS and service providers and to produce privacy using static security services. In ubiquitous health features, business goals and regulations systems followed often remain unknown. Furthermore, health care-specific regulations do not rule the ways health data is processed and shared. To be successful, ubiquitous health requires novel privacy architecture. The goal of this study was to develop a privacy management architecture that helps the DS to create and dynamically manage the network and to maintain information privacy. The architecture should enable the DS to dynamically define service and system-specific rules that regulate the way subject data is processed. The architecture should provide to the DS reliable trust information about systems and assist in the formulation of privacy policies. Furthermore, the architecture should give feedback upon how systems follow the policies of DS and offer protection against privacy and trust threats existing in ubiquitous environments. A sequential method that combines methodologies used in system theory, systems engineering, requirement analysis, and system design was used in the study. In the first phase, principles, trust and privacy models, and viewpoints were selected. Thereafter, functional requirements and services were developed on the basis of a careful analysis of existing research published in journals and conference proceedings. Based on principles, models, and requirements, architectural components and their interconnections were developed using system
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Mobile and ubiquitous learning technologies
Specht, Marcus
2012-01-01
Specht, M. (2012, 22 November). Mobile and ubiquitous learning technologies. Presentation given at the Workshop "Blended Learning an Hochschulen" at the Fakultätentag Informatik at the Universität Jena, Jena, Germany.
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Mining the preferences of patients for ubiquitous clinic recommendation.
Chen, Tin-Chih Toly; Chiu, Min-Chi
2018-03-06
A challenge facing all ubiquitous clinic recommendation systems is that patients often have difficulty articulating their requirements. To overcome this problem, a ubiquitous clinic recommendation mechanism was designed in this study by mining the clinic preferences of patients. Their preferences were defined using the weights in the ubiquitous clinic recommendation mechanism. An integer nonlinear programming problem was solved to tune the values of the weights on a rolling basis. In addition, since it may take a long time to adjust the values of weights to their asymptotic values, the back propagation network (BPN)-response surface method (RSM) method is applied to estimate the asymptotic values of weights. The proposed methodology was tested in a regional study. Experimental results indicated that the ubiquitous clinic recommendation system outperformed several existing methods in improving the successful recommendation rate.
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Gas Diffusion Barriers Prepared by Spatial Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Enhanced ALD.
Hoffmann, Lukas; Theirich, Detlef; Pack, Sven; Kocak, Firat; Schlamm, Daniel; Hasselmann, Tim; Fahl, Henry; Räupke, André; Gargouri, Hassan; Riedl, Thomas
2017-02-01
In this work, we report on aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) gas permeation barriers prepared by spatial ALD (SALD) at atmospheric pressure. We compare the growth characteristics and layer properties using trimethylaluminum (TMA) in combination with an Ar/O 2 remote atmospheric pressure plasma for different substrate velocities and different temperatures. The resulting Al 2 O 3 films show ultralow water vapor transmission rates (WVTR) on the order of 10 -6 gm -2 d -1 . In notable contrast, plasma based layers already show good barrier properties at low deposition temperatures (75 °C), while water based processes require a growth temperature above 100 °C to achieve equally low WVTRs. The activation energy for the water permeation mechanism was determined to be 62 kJ/mol.
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A proposal of ubiquitous fuzzy computing for ambient Intelligence
Acampora, G.; Loia, V.
2008-01-01
Ambient Intelligence is considered as the composition of three emergent technologies: Ubiquitous Computing, Ubiquitous Communication and Intelligent User Interfaces. The aim of integration of aforesaid technologies is to make wider the interaction between human beings and information technology
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Dodick, David W; Goadsby, Peter J; Silberstein, Stephen D
2014-01-01
BACKGROUND: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is crucial in the pathophysiology of migraine. We assessed the safety, tolerability, and efficacy of ALD403, a genetically engineered humanised anti-CGRP antibody, for migraine prevention. METHODS: In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-contro...
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Internet messenger based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing
Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.
2017-06-01
Internet messenger (IM) has become an important educational technology component in college education, IM makes it possible for students to engage in learning and collaborating at smart virtual class learning (SVCL) using ubiquitous computing. However, the model of IM-based smart virtual class learning using ubiquitous computing and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application to improve engagement and behavior are still limited. In addition, the expectation that IM based SVCL using ubiquitous computing could improve engagement and behavior on smart class cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present the model of IM-based SVCL using ubiquitous computing and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous computing and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect and its contribution to learning
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Ubiquitous Information Technologies and Applications CUTE 2012
Park, Doo-Soon; Jia, Weijia; Yeo, Sang-Soo
2013-01-01
This book is for The 7th International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Technologies and Applications (CUTE 2012). Ubiquitous computing will require a new approach to fitting technology to our lives. The advent of new computing devices, and the seamless connectivity between these devices, thanks to diverse wired and wireless networks, are enabling new opportunities for a user to perform his/her operation all the time and everywhere. These seamlessly connected devices are ranging from mobile handset to wearable computers. Also, it is expected that these devices will become so pervasive that they will be embedded in the surrounding physical environment, and transparent and invisible to a user. Such devices, whether carried on by people or embedded into other systems, will constitute a global internetworking infrastructure and likely to provide a new level of openness and dynamics. Ubiquitous computing has as its goal the enhancing computer use by pushing computational services out of conventional desktop in...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Cristian USCATU
2006-01-01
Full Text Available Technology is evolving faster than ever in the ITC domain. Computing devices become smaller and more powerful by the day (and cheaper than ever. They have started to move away from the classical “computer” towards portable devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs and mobile phones. Even these devices are no longer what they used to be. A phone is no longer a simple voice communication device, but a minicomputer with lots of functions. The addition of wireless communication protocols, like WiFi and Bluetooth, leads to a web of interconnected devices with the final purpose of enabling us to access desired services anywhere, at any time. Adding less complicated devices, as sensors and detectors, located everywhere (clothes, cars, furniture, home appliances etc. but connected to the same global network, we have a technological world aware of itself and aware of us, ready to serve our needs without hindering our lives. “Ubiquitous computing names the third wave in computing, just now beginning. First were mainframes, each shared by lots of people. Now we are in the personal computing era, person and machine staring uneasily at each other across the desktop. Next comes ubiquitous computing, or the age of calm technology, when technology recedes into the background of our lives.” [Weiser, 1995
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Supply Chain difficulties in the Operational Leasing industry : A case study of ALD Automotive
Forslöf, Oscar; Jazic, Armen
2012-01-01
Abstract In today’s competitive world companies strive to be best in class and at the same time have high revenue. They try to sell the best products, deliver the best service and at the same time reduce costs in order to make high profits. They strive for high efficiency at all levels of the organization as well as reduced costs where possible. This report examines a company in the operational leasing industry, ALD Automotive. The company is a part of Société Générale, a Financial Services c...
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Fast method for reactor and feature scale coupling in ALD and CVD
Yanguas-Gil, Angel; Elam, Jeffrey W.
2017-08-08
Transport and surface chemistry of certain deposition techniques is modeled. Methods provide a model of the transport inside nanostructures as a single-particle discrete Markov chain process. This approach decouples the complexity of the surface chemistry from the transport model, thus allowing its application under general surface chemistry conditions, including atomic layer deposition (ALD) and chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Methods provide for determination of determine statistical information of the trajectory of individual molecules, such as the average interaction time or the number of wall collisions for molecules entering the nanostructures as well as to track the relative contributions to thin-film growth of different independent reaction pathways at each point of the feature.
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Ubi-RKE: A Rhythm Key Based Encryption Scheme for Ubiquitous Devices
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jae Dong Lee
2014-01-01
Full Text Available As intelligent ubiquitous devices become more popular, security threats targeting them are increasing; security is seen as one of the major challenges of the ubiquitous computing. Now a days, applying ubiquitous computing in number of fields for human safety and convenience was immensely increased in recent years. The popularity of the technology is rising day by day, and hence the security is becoming the main focused point with the advent and rising popularity of the applications. In particular, the number of wireless networks based on ubiquitous devices has increased rapidly; these devices support transmission for many types of data traffic. The convenient portability of ubiquitous devices makes them vulnerable to security threats, such as loss, theft, data modification, and wiretapping. Developers and users should seriously consider employing data encryption to protect data from such vulnerabilities. In this paper, we propose a Rhythm Key based Encryption scheme for ubiquitous devices (Ubi-RKE. The concept of Rhythm Key based Encryption has been applied to numerous real world applications in different domains. It provides key memorability and secure encryption through user touching rhythm on ubiquitous devices. Our proposed scheme is more efficient for users than existing schemes, by providing a strong cipher.
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The influence of surface preparation on low temperature HfO2 ALD on InGaAs (001) and (110) surfaces
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Kent, Tyler; Edmonds, Mary; Kummel, Andrew C.; Tang, Kechao; Negara, Muhammad Adi; McIntyre, Paul; Chobpattana, Varistha; Mitchell, William; Sahu, Bhagawan; Galatage, Rohit; Droopad, Ravi
2015-01-01
Current logic devices rely on 3D architectures, such as the tri-gate field effect transistor (finFET), which utilize the (001) and (110) crystal faces simultaneously thus requiring passivation methods for the (110) face in order to ensure a pristine 3D surface prior to further processing. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and correlated electrical measurement on MOSCAPs were utilized to compare the effects of a previously developed in situ pre-atomic layer deposition (ALD) surface clean on the InGaAs (001) and (110) surfaces. Ex situ wet cleans are very effective on the (001) surface but not the (110) surface. Capacitance voltage indicated the (001) surface with no buffered oxide etch had a higher C max hypothesized to be a result of poor nucleation of HfO 2 on the native oxide. An in situ pre-ALD surface clean employing both atomic H and trimethylaluminum (TMA) pre-pulsing, developed by Chobpattana et al. and Carter et al. for the (001) surface, was demonstrated to be effective on the (110) surface for producing low D it high C ox MOSCAPs. Including TMA in the pre-ALD surface clean resulted in reduction of the magnitude of the interface state capacitance. The XPS studies show the role of atomic H pre-pulsing is to remove both carbon and oxygen while STM shows the role of TMA pre-pulsing is to eliminate H induced etching. Devices fabricated at 120 °C and 300 °C were compared
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Architecture of personal healthcare information system in ubiquitous healthcare
Bhardwaj, S.; Sain, M.; Lee, H.-J.; Chung, W.Y.; Slezak, D.; et al., xx
2009-01-01
Due to recent development in Ubiquitous Healthcare now it’s time to build such application which can work independently and with less interference of Physician. In this paper we are try to build the whole architecture of personal Healthcare information system for ubiquitous healthcare which also
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Implications of Ubiquitous Computing for the Social Studies Curriculum
van Hover, Stephanie D.; Berson, Michael J.; Bolick, Cheryl Mason; Swan, Kathleen Owings
2004-01-01
In March 2002, members of the National Technology Leadership Initiative (NTLI) met in Charlottesville, Virginia to discuss the potential effects of ubiquitous computing on the field of education. Ubiquitous computing, or "on-demand availability of task-necessary computing power," involves providing every student with a handheld computer--a…
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Socio-technical Issues for Ubiquitous Information Society in 2010
Funabashi, Motohisa; Homma, Koichi; Sasaki, Toshiro; Sato, Yoshinori; Kido, Kunihiko; Fukumoto, Takashi; Yano, Koujin
Impact of the ubiquitous information technology on our society is so significant that directing technological development and preparing institutional apparatus are quite important and urgent. The present paper elaborates, with the efforts by both humanity and engineering disciplines, to find out the socio-technical issues of ubiquitous information society in 2010 by inspecting social implications of emerging technology as well as social expectations. In order to deliberate the issues, scenarios are developed that describes possible life in ubiquitous information society. The derived issues cover integrating information technology and human body, producing smart sharable environment, protecting individual rights, fostering new service business, and forming community.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Kozodaev, M.G.; Chernikova, A.G.; Markeev, A.M. [Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutsky Lane 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region 141700 (Russian Federation); Lebedinskii, Y.Y. [Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Institutsky Lane 9, Dolgoprudny, Moscow Region 141700 (Russian Federation); National Research Nuclear University MEPhI, Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, Kashirskoye Shosse 31, 115409 Moscow (Russian Federation); Polyakov, S.N. [Technological Institute for Superhard and Novel Carbon Materials, Tsentral' naya str. 7a, 142190, Troitsk, Moscow (Russian Federation)
2017-06-15
In this work chemical and electrical properties of TiN films, grown by low temperature plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PE-ALD) process from TiCl{sub 4} and NH{sub 3}, were investigated. Electrical resistivity as low as 250 μOhm x cm, as well as the lowest Cl impurity content, was achieved at 320 C. Full-ALD Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2}-based metal-ferroelectric-metal capacitor with TiN electrodes was fabricated and its electrical properties were investigated. It was also shown that the proposed PE-ALD process provides an early film continuity, which was confirmed by ultrathin fully continuous film growth. Such ultrathin (3 nm) and fully continuous TiN film was also successfully implemented as the top electrode to Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2}-based ferroelectric capacitor. Angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AR-XPS) was used for its thickness determination and a visible wake-up effect in underlying Hf{sub 0.5}Zr{sub 0.5}O{sub 2} layer was clearly observed. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
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An Instrumental Paradigm for Ubiquitous Interaction
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Klokmose, Clemens Nylandsted
2008-01-01
will require comprehensive experimental user centred development. Originality/Value -- This research offers a new way of thinking interaction, suited for the dynamism of modern computing. Take away message -- Through a strong foundation in activity theory and ecological psychology a new paradigm for ubiquitous...... shortcomings of some of the restrictive assumptions contemporary graphical user interfaces are built upon. Research approach -- Based on activity theory and ecological psychology a conceptual model for ubiquitous interaction is proposed and iteratively challenged and developed through actual implementation....... Findings/Design -- The project will ultimately shed light on how an understanding of interaction form activity theory and ecological psychology maps to an implementation of a new conceptual model for interaction with technology. Research limitations/Implications -- Implementation of an actual system...
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bardram, Jakob Eyvind; Friday, Adrian
2009-01-01
. While such growth is positive, the newest generation of ubicomp practitioners and researchers, isolated to specific tasks, are in danger of losing their sense of history and the broader perspective that has been so essential to the field’s creativity and brilliance. Under the guidance of John Krumm...... applications Privacy protection in systems that connect personal devices and personal information Moving from the graphical to the ubiquitous computing user interface Techniques that are revolutionizing the way we determine a person’s location and understand other sensor measurements While we needn’t become...
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Ubiquitous media for collocated interaction
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Morrison, Ann; Jacucci, Giulio; Peltonen, Peter
2010-01-01
Has ubiquitous computing entered our lives as anticipated in the early 90s or at the turn of the millennium? In this last decade, the processing of media combined with sensing and communication capabilities has been slowly entering our lives through powerful smartphones, multimodal game consoles,...
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Trust models in ubiquitous computing.
Krukow, Karl; Nielsen, Mogens; Sassone, Vladimiro
2008-10-28
We recapture some of the arguments for trust-based technologies in ubiquitous computing, followed by a brief survey of some of the models of trust that have been introduced in this respect. Based on this, we argue for the need of more formal and foundational trust models.
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The Status of Ubiquitous Computing.
Brown, David G.; Petitto, Karen R.
2003-01-01
Explains the prevalence and rationale of ubiquitous computing on college campuses--teaching with the assumption or expectation that all faculty and students have access to the Internet--and offers lessons learned by pioneering institutions. Lessons learned involve planning, technology, implementation and management, adoption of computer-enhanced…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Eduardo Molina-Jijón
Full Text Available Hyperglycemia in diabetes alters tight junction (TJ proteins in the kidney. We evaluated the participation of aldosterone (ALD, and the effect of spironolactone (SPL, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist, on the expressions of claudin-2, -4, -5 and -8, and occludin in glomeruli, proximal and distal tubules isolated from diabetic rats. Type 1 diabetes was induced in female Wistar rats by a single tail vein injection of streptozotocin (STZ, and SPL was administrated daily by gavage, from days 3-21. Twenty-one days after STZ injection the rats were sacrificed. In diabetic rats, the serum ALD levels were increased, and SPL-treatment did not have effect on these levels or in hyperglycemia, however, proteinuria decreased in SPL-treated diabetic rats. Glomerular damage, evaluated by nephrin and Wilm's tumor 1 (WT1 protein expressions, and proximal tubular damage, evaluated by kidney injury molecule 1 (Kim-1 and heat shock protein 72 kDa (Hsp72 expressions, were ameliorated by SPL. Also, SPL prevented decrement in claudin-5 in glomeruli, and claudin-2 and occludin in proximal tubules by decreasing oxidative stress, evaluated by superoxide anion (O2●- production, and oxidative stress markers. In distal tubules, SPL ameliorated increase in mRNA, protein expression, and phosphorylation in threonine residues of claudin-4 and -8, through a serum and glucocorticoid-induced kinase 1 (SGK1, and with-no-lysine kinase 4 (WNK4 signaling pathway. In conclusion, this is the first study that demonstrates that ALD modulates the expression of renal TJ proteins in diabetes, and that the blockade of its actions with SPL, may be a promising therapeutic strategy to prevent alterations of TJ proteins in diabetic nephropathy.
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Ubiquitous Learning Project Using Life-Logging Technology in Japan
Ogata, Hiroaki; Hou, Bin; Li, Mengmeng; Uosaki, Noriko; Mouri, Kosuke; Liu, Songran
2014-01-01
A Ubiquitous Learning Log (ULL) is defined as a digital record of what a learner has learned in daily life using ubiquitous computing technologies. In this paper, a project which developed a system called SCROLL (System for Capturing and Reusing Of Learning Log) is presented. The aim of developing SCROLL is to help learners record, organize,…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Denis V. Nazarov
2015-12-01
Full Text Available In this study, an integrated approach was used for the preparation of a nanotitanium-based bioactive material. The integrated approach included three methods: severe plastic deformation (SPD, chemical etching and atomic layer deposition (ALD. For the first time, it was experimentally shown that the nature of the etching medium (acidic or basic Piranha solutions and the etching time have a significant qualitative impact on the nanotitanium surface structure both at the nano- and microscale. The etched samples were coated with crystalline biocompatible TiO2 films with a thickness of 20 nm by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD. Comparative study of the adhesive and spreading properties of human osteoblasts MG-63 has demonstrated that presence of nano- and microscale structures and crystalline titanium oxide on the surface of nanotitanium improve bioactive properties of the material.
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Effect of allogenic thymic cells on radioleukaemogenesis in AKR-T1ALD mice
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Legrand, E.; Sankar-Mistry, P.; Kressmann, M.C.
1975-01-01
When AKR mice are irradiated with a sub-lethal dose (4 times 175 R), thymic lymphosarcomas (L.S.) occur earlier than in controls. This accelerated leukaemogenesis is not inhibited by syngenic restoration with bone marrows cells (BM). Using the AKR/T1ALD substrain which bears 38 chromosomes with 1 metacentric markers, it has been shown that AKR radio-chimaeras restored by T1ALD BM developed two kinds of L.S.: early (radiation-induced) L.S. originating mainly from host cells surviving irradiation and late L.S. from donor cells. The experiments were to investigate the potential influence of normal allogenic thymic cells, with or without syngenic B.M., on the incidence, latency and origin of LS appearing in irradiated AKR recipients. Adding C3H allogenic thymic cells to syngenic B.M. increases the percentage of early L.S. whose latencies are unchanged. Besides, when C3H thymic cells are injected to irradiated controls without syngenic B.M. cells, L.S. are seen to occur significantly earlier than in just the irradiated animals alone. In radio-chimaeras restored by allogenic thymic cells and syngenic B.M., except in one case, all the L.S. were seen to originate from B.M. cells. The interpretation of these results depends on the possible role of allogenic thymic cells on host cells surviving the irradiation, or the exogeneous B.M. In the first case, allogenic thymocytes could induce a graft versus host reaction increasing the post-irradiation depletion of lymphoid system and hastening thymic endoregeneration which is supposed to be the first step towards leukaemogenesis. The second hypothesis, which seems the most likely, would be that C1H thymic cells could selectively act on host cells surviving irradiation and enhance the differenciation of haemopoietic precursors at the expense of the lymphoid cells [fr
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mitja Skubic
2000-12-01
Full Text Available L'apparizione dell'atlante linguistico di un territorio romanzo va salutata con gioia, come una festa della ricerca scientifica in tale settore. E il sentimenta di gioia ci pervade quando sfogliamo i primi quattro volumi, in folio, dell 'ALD. Non solo per la mole e l'ampia concezione dell'opera, ma altrettanto e più ancora per il ricco materiale che l' ALD offre. A tutta l' equipe scientifica guidata dal rinomato romanista salisburghese prof. Hans Goebl che assieme a Lois Craffonara é anche ideatore dell 'opera, nonché ai collaboratori e all'editore vadano i nostri sinceri ringraziamenti. Ci sia permesso di aggiungere che la nostra rivista si pregia d'aver potuto ospitare alcuni studi scientifici del prof. Goebl, come anche del suo stretto collaboratore prof. Roland Bauer.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mitja Skubic
2015-08-01
Full Text Available L'apparizione dell'atlante linguistico di un territorio romanzo va salutata con gioia, come una festa della ricerca scientifica in tale settore. E il sentimento di gioia ci pervade quando sfogliamo i primi quattro vol umi, in folio, deli' ALD. Non sol oper la mole e l'ampia concezione dell'opera, ma altrettanto e più ancora per il ricco materiale che l 'ALD offre. A tutta l' équipe scientifica guidata dal rinomato romanista salisburghese prof. Hans Goebl che assieme a Lois Craffonara e anche ideatore deli' opera, nonché ai collaboratori è all'editore vadano i nostri sinceri ringraziamenti. Ci sia permesso di aggiungere che la nostra rivista si pregia d'aver potuto ospitare alcuni studi scientifici del prof. Goebl, come anche del suo stretto collaboratore prof. Roland Bauer.
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Pilling, J; Willmitzer, L; Bücking, H; Fisahn, J
2004-05-01
Two pectin methyl esterases (PMEs; EC 3.1.1.11) from Solanum tuberosum were isolated and their expression characterised. One partial clone ( pest1) was expressed in leaves and fruit tissue, while pest2 was a functional full-length clone and was expressed ubiquitously, with a preference for aerial organs. Potato plants were transformed with a chimeric antisense construct that was designed to simultaneously inhibit pest1 and pest2 transcript accumulation; however, reduction of mRNA levels was confined to pest2. The decrease in pest2 transcript was accompanied by up to 50% inhibition of total PME activity, which was probably due to the reduction of only one PME isoform. PME inhibition affected plant development as reflected by smaller stem elongation rates of selected transformants when compared with control plants, leading to a reduction in height throughout the entire course of development. Expansion rates of young developing leaves were measured simultaneously by two displacement transducers in the direction of the leaf tip (proximal-distal axis) and in the perpendicular direction (medial-lateral axis). Significant differences in leaf growth patterns were detected between wild-type and transgenic plants. We suggest that these visual phenotypes could be correlated with modifications of ion accumulation and partitioning within the transgenic plants. The ion-binding capacities of cell walls from PME-inhibited plants were specifically modified as they preferentially bound more sodium, but less potassium and calcium. X-ray microanalysis also indicated an increase in the concentration of several ions within the leaf apoplast of transgenic plants. Moreover, quantification of the total content of major cations revealed differences specific for a given element between the leaves of PME-inhibited and wild-type plants. Reduced growth rates might also be due to effects of PME inhibition on pectin metabolism, predominantly illustrated by an accumulation of galacturonic acid
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International Symposium on Ubiquitous Networking
Medromi, Hicham; Sadik, Mohamed
2016-01-01
This volume publishes new trends and findings in hot topics related to ubiquitous computing/networking. It is the outcome of UNet - ainternational scientific event that took place on September 08-10, 2015, in the fascinating city of Casablanca, Morocco. UNet’15 is technically sponsored by IEEE Morocco Section and IEEE COMSOC Morocco Chapter.
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Multimodal and ubiquitous computing systems: supporting independent-living older users.
Perry, Mark; Dowdall, Alan; Lines, Lorna; Hone, Kate
2004-09-01
We document the rationale and design of a multimodal interface to a pervasive/ubiquitous computing system that supports independent living by older people in their own homes. The Millennium Home system involves fitting a resident's home with sensors--these sensors can be used to trigger sequences of interaction with the resident to warn them about dangerous events, or to check if they need external help. We draw lessons from the design process and conclude the paper with implications for the design of multimodal interfaces to ubiquitous systems developed for the elderly and in healthcare, as well as for more general ubiquitous computing applications.
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A model for ubiquitous care of noncommunicable diseases.
Vianna, Henrique Damasceno; Barbosa, Jorge Luis Victória
2014-09-01
The ubiquitous computing, or ubicomp, is a promising technology to help chronic diseases patients managing activities, offering support to them anytime, anywhere. Hence, ubicomp can aid community and health organizations to continuously communicate with patients and to offer useful resources for their self-management activities. Communication is prioritized in works of ubiquitous health for noncommunicable diseases care, but the management of resources is not commonly employed. We propose the UDuctor, a model for ubiquitous care of noncommunicable diseases. UDuctor focuses the resources offering, without losing self-management and communication supports. We implemented a system and applied it in two practical experiments. First, ten chronic patients tried the system and filled out a questionnaire based on the technology acceptance model. After this initial evaluation, an alpha test was done. The system was used daily for one month and a half by a chronic patient. The results were encouraging and show potential for implementing UDuctor in real-life situations.
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Navigation studies based on the ubiquitous positioning technologies
Ye, Lei; Mi, Weijie; Wang, Defeng
2007-11-01
This paper summarized the nowadays positioning technologies, such as absolute positioning methods and relative positioning methods, indoor positioning and outdoor positioning, active positioning and passive positioning. Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) technologies were introduced as the omnipresent out-door positioning technologies, including GPS, GLONASS, Galileo and BD-1/2. After analysis of the shortcomings of GNSS, indoor positioning technologies were discussed and compared, including A-GPS, Cellular network, Infrared, Electromagnetism, Computer Vision Cognition, Embedded Pressure Sensor, Ultrasonic, RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification), Bluetooth, WLAN etc.. Then the concept and characteristics of Ubiquitous Positioning was proposed. After the ubiquitous positioning technologies contrast and selection followed by system engineering methodology, a navigation system model based on Incorporate Indoor-Outdoor Positioning Solution was proposed. And this model was simulated in the Galileo Demonstration for World Expo Shanghai project. In the conclusion, the prospects of ubiquitous positioning based navigation were shown, especially to satisfy the public location information acquiring requirement.
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Embedding Moodle into Ubiquitous Computing Environments
Glahn, Christian; Specht, Marcus
2010-01-01
Glahn, C., & Specht, M. (2010). Embedding Moodle into Ubiquitous Computing Environments. In M. Montebello, et al. (Eds.), 9th World Conference on Mobile and Contextual Learning (MLearn2010) (pp. 100-107). October, 19-22, 2010, Valletta, Malta.
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Starostin, S.A.; Keuning, W.; Schalken, J.R.G.; Creatore, M.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Bouwstra, J.B.; Sanden, van de M.C.M.; Vries, de H.W.
2016-01-01
The synergy between fast (1600 nm · min−1), roll-to-roll plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PE-CVD) SiO2 layers and plasma-assisted atomic layer deposited (PA-ALD) ultra-thin Al2O3 films has been investigated in terms of moisture permeation barrier properties. The effective and intrinsic
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Starostin, S. A.; Keuning, W.; Schalken, J.; Creatore, M.; Kessels, W. M. M.; Bouwstra, J. B.; van de Sanden, M. C. M.; de Vries, H. W.
2016-01-01
The synergy between fast (1600 nm · min−1), roll-to-roll plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposited (PE-CVD) SiO2 layers and plasma-assisted atomic layer deposited (PA-ALD) ultra-thin Al2O3 films has been investigated in terms of moisture permeation barrier properties. The effective and intrinsic
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Effects of O2 plasma post-treatment on ZnO: Ga thin films grown by H2O-thermal ALD
Lee, Yueh-Lin; Chuang, Jia-Hao; Huang, Tzu-Hsuan; Ho, Chong-Long; Wu, Meng-Chyi
2013-03-01
Transparent conducting oxides have been widely employed in optoelectronic devices using the various deposition methods such as sputtering, thermal evaporator, and e-gun evaporator technologies.1-3 In this work, gallium doped zinc oxide (ZnO:Ga) thin films were grown on glass substrates via H2O-thermal atomic layer deposition (ALD) at different deposition temperatures. ALD-GZO thin films were constituted as a layer-by-layer structure by stacking zinc oxides and gallium oxides. Diethylzinc (DEZ), triethylgallium (TEG) and H2O were used as zinc, gallium precursors and oxygen source, respectively. Furthermore, we investigated the influences of O2 plasma post-treatment power on the surface morphology, electrical and optical property of ZnO:Ga films. As the result of O2 plasma post-treatment, the characteristics of ZnO:Ga films exhibit a smooth surface, low resistivity, high carrier concentration, and high optical transmittance in the visible spectrum. However, the transmittance decreases with O2 plasma power in the near- and mid-infrared regions.
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USE OF UBIQUITOUS TECHNOLOGIES IN MILITARY LOGISTIC SYSTEM IN IRAN
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
P. Jafari
2013-09-01
Full Text Available This study is about integration and evaluation of RFID and ubiquitous technologies in military logistic system management. Firstly, supply chain management and the necessity of a revolution in logistic systems especially in military area, are explained. Secondly RFID and ubiquitous technologies and the advantages of their use in supply chain management are introduced. Lastly a system based on these technologies for controlling and increasing the speed and accuracy in military logistic system in Iran with its unique properties, is presented. The system is based on full control of military logistics (supplies from the time of deployment to replenishment using sensor network, ubiquitous and RFID technologies.
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Use of Ubiquitous Technologies in Military Logistic System in Iran
Jafari, P.; Sadeghi-Niaraki, A.
2013-09-01
This study is about integration and evaluation of RFID and ubiquitous technologies in military logistic system management. Firstly, supply chain management and the necessity of a revolution in logistic systems especially in military area, are explained. Secondly RFID and ubiquitous technologies and the advantages of their use in supply chain management are introduced. Lastly a system based on these technologies for controlling and increasing the speed and accuracy in military logistic system in Iran with its unique properties, is presented. The system is based on full control of military logistics (supplies) from the time of deployment to replenishment using sensor network, ubiquitous and RFID technologies.
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Milanov, Andrian P; Fischer, Roland A; Devi, Anjana
2008-12-01
Eight novel homoleptic tris-guanidinato complexes M[(N(i)Pr)(2)CNR(2)](3) [M = Y (a), Gd (b), Dy (c) and R = Me (1), Et (2), (i)Pr (3)] have been synthesized and characterized by NMR, CHN-analysis, mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy. Single crystal structure analysis revealed that all the compounds are monomers with the rare-earth metal center coordinated to six nitrogen atoms of the three chelating guanidinato ligands in a distorted trigonal prism geometry. With the use of TGA/DTA and isothermal TGA analysis, the thermal characteristics of all the complexes were studied in detail to evaluate their suitability as precursors for thin film deposition by MOCVD and ALD. The (i)Pr-Me(2)N-guanidinates of Y, Gd and Dy (1a-c) showed excellent thermal characteristics in terms of thermal stability and volatility. Additionally, the thermal stability of the (i)Pr-Me(2)N-guanidinates of Y and Dy (1a, c) in solution was investigated by carrying out NMR decomposition experiments and both the compounds were found to be remarkably stable. All these studies indicate that (i)Pr-Me(2)N-guanidinates of Y, Gd and Dy (1a-c) have the prerequisites for MOCVD and ALD applications which were confirmed by the successful deposition of Gd(2)O(3) and Dy(2)O(3) thin films on Si(100) substrates. The MOCVD grown films of Gd(2)O(3) and Dy(2)O(3) were highly oriented in the cubic phase, while the ALD grown films were amorphous.
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Ubiquitous Computing in Physico-Spatial Environments
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Dalsgård, Peter; Eriksson, Eva
2007-01-01
Interaction design of pervasive and ubiquitous computing (UC) systems must take into account physico-spatial issues as technology is implemented into our physical surroundings. In this paper we discuss how one conceptual framework for understanding interaction in context, Activity Theory (AT...
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Ubiquitous Computing: The Universal Use of Computers on College Campuses.
Brown, David G., Ed.
This book is a collection of vignettes from 13 universities where everyone on campus has his or her own computer. These 13 institutions have instituted "ubiquitous computing" in very different ways at very different costs. The chapters are: (1) "Introduction: The Ubiquitous Computing Movement" (David G. Brown); (2) "Dartmouth College" (Malcolm…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ga Young Jung
2016-08-01
Full Text Available ALD1 (ABERRANT GROWTH AND DEATH2 [AGD2]-LIKE DEFENSE1 is one of the key defense regulators in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. In these model plants, ALD1 is responsible for triggering basal defense response and systemic resistance against bacterial infection. As well ALD1 is involved in the production of pipecolic acid and an unidentified compound(s for systemic resistance and priming syndrome, respectively. These previous studies proposed that ALD1 is a potential candidate for developing genetically modified (GM plants that may be resistant to pathogen infection. Here we introduce a role of ALD1-LIKE gene of Oryza sativa, named as OsALD1, during plant immunity. OsALD1 mRNA was strongly transcribed in the infected leaves of rice plants by Magnaporthe oryzae, the rice blast fungus. OsALD1 proteins predominantly localized at the chloroplast in the plant cells. GM rice plants over-expressing OsALD1 were resistant to the fungal infection. The stable expression of OsALD1 also triggered strong mRNA expression of PATHOGENESIS-RELATED PROTEIN1 genes in the leaves of rice plants during infection. Taken together, we conclude that OsALD1 plays a role in disease resistance response of rice against the infection with rice blast fungus.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Kjaerulff, S; Dooijes, D; Clevers, H
1997-01-01
The Schizosaccharomyces pombe mfm1 gene is expressed in an M cell-specific fashion. This regulation requires two HMG-box proteins: the ubiquitous Ste11 transcription factor and the M cell-controlling protein Mat1-Mc. Here we report that the mfm1 promoter contains a single, weak Stell-binding site...... where we could not detect Mat1-Mc in the resulting protein-DNA complex. When we changed a single base in the mfm1 TR-box, such that it resembled those boxes found in ubiquitously expressed genes, Ste11 binding was enhanced, and in vivo the mfm1 gene also became expressed in P cells where Mat1-Mc...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Kynan T Lawlor
Full Text Available Expanded DNA repeat sequences are known to cause over 20 diseases, including Huntington's disease, several types of spinocerebellar ataxia and myotonic dystrophy type 1 and 2. A shared genetic basis, and overlapping clinical features for some of these diseases, indicate that common pathways may contribute to pathology. Multiple mechanisms, mediated by both expanded homopolymeric proteins and expanded repeat RNA, have been identified by the use of model systems, that may account for shared pathology. The use of such animal models enables identification of distinct pathways and their 'molecular hallmarks' that can be used to determine the contribution of each pathway in human pathology. Here we characterise a tergite disruption phenotype in adult flies, caused by ubiquitous expression of either untranslated CUG or CAG expanded repeat RNA. Using the tergite phenotype as a quantitative trait we define a new genetic system in which to examine 'hairpin' repeat RNA-mediated cellular perturbation. Further experiments use this system to examine whether pathways involving Muscleblind sequestration or Dicer processing, which have been shown to mediate repeat RNA-mediated pathology in other model systems, contribute to cellular perturbation in this model.
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Characterization of ALD grown TixAlyN and TixAlyC thin films
Kinnunen, S. A.; Malm, J.; Arstila, K.; Lahtinen, M.; Sajavaara, T.
2017-09-01
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to grow TixAlyN and TixAlyC thin films using trimethylaluminum (TMA), titanium tetrachloride and ammonia as precursors. Deposition temperature was varied between 325 °C and 500 °C. Films were also annealed in vacuum and N2-atmosphere at 600-1000 °C. Wide range of characterization methods was used including time-of-flight elastic recoil detection analysis (ToF-ERDA), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), X-ray reflectometry (XRR), Raman spectroscopy, ellipsometry, helium ion microscopy (HIM), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and 4-point probe measurement for resistivity. Deposited films were roughly 100 nm thick and contained mainly desired elements. Carbon, chlorine and hydrogen were found to be the main impurities.
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Cluster-based localization and tracking in ubiquitous computing systems
Martínez-de Dios, José Ramiro; Torres-González, Arturo; Ollero, Anibal
2017-01-01
Localization and tracking are key functionalities in ubiquitous computing systems and techniques. In recent years a very high variety of approaches, sensors and techniques for indoor and GPS-denied environments have been developed. This book briefly summarizes the current state of the art in localization and tracking in ubiquitous computing systems focusing on cluster-based schemes. Additionally, existing techniques for measurement integration, node inclusion/exclusion and cluster head selection are also described in this book.
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Creating ubiquitous intelligent sensing environments (CRUISE)
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Prasad, Neeli R.; Prasad, Ramjee
2006-01-01
The recent developments in the research and the technology have brought attention to the wireless sensor networks as one of the key enabling technologies in the next 10 years. Ubiquitous Intelligent Sensing Environments have promising future in supporting the everyday life of the European citizens...
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An improved anonymous authentication scheme for roaming in ubiquitous networks.
Lee, Hakjun; Lee, Donghoon; Moon, Jongho; Jung, Jaewook; Kang, Dongwoo; Kim, Hyoungshick; Won, Dongho
2018-01-01
With the evolution of communication technology and the exponential increase of mobile devices, the ubiquitous networking allows people to use our data and computing resources anytime and everywhere. However, numerous security concerns and complicated requirements arise as these ubiquitous networks are deployed throughout people's lives. To meet the challenge, the user authentication schemes in ubiquitous networks should ensure the essential security properties for the preservation of the privacy with low computational cost. In 2017, Chaudhry et al. proposed a password-based authentication scheme for the roaming in ubiquitous networks to enhance the security. Unfortunately, we found that their scheme remains insecure in its protection of the user privacy. In this paper, we prove that Chaudhry et al.'s scheme is vulnerable to the stolen-mobile device and user impersonation attacks, and its drawbacks comprise the absence of the incorrect login-input detection, the incorrectness of the password change phase, and the absence of the revocation provision. Moreover, we suggest a possible way to fix the security flaw in Chaudhry et al's scheme by using the biometric-based authentication for which the bio-hash is applied in the implementation of a three-factor authentication. We prove the security of the proposed scheme with the random oracle model and formally verify its security properties using a tool named ProVerif, and analyze it in terms of the computational and communication cost. The analysis result shows that the proposed scheme is suitable for resource-constrained ubiquitous environments.
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An improved anonymous authentication scheme for roaming in ubiquitous networks.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hakjun Lee
Full Text Available With the evolution of communication technology and the exponential increase of mobile devices, the ubiquitous networking allows people to use our data and computing resources anytime and everywhere. However, numerous security concerns and complicated requirements arise as these ubiquitous networks are deployed throughout people's lives. To meet the challenge, the user authentication schemes in ubiquitous networks should ensure the essential security properties for the preservation of the privacy with low computational cost. In 2017, Chaudhry et al. proposed a password-based authentication scheme for the roaming in ubiquitous networks to enhance the security. Unfortunately, we found that their scheme remains insecure in its protection of the user privacy. In this paper, we prove that Chaudhry et al.'s scheme is vulnerable to the stolen-mobile device and user impersonation attacks, and its drawbacks comprise the absence of the incorrect login-input detection, the incorrectness of the password change phase, and the absence of the revocation provision. Moreover, we suggest a possible way to fix the security flaw in Chaudhry et al's scheme by using the biometric-based authentication for which the bio-hash is applied in the implementation of a three-factor authentication. We prove the security of the proposed scheme with the random oracle model and formally verify its security properties using a tool named ProVerif, and analyze it in terms of the computational and communication cost. The analysis result shows that the proposed scheme is suitable for resource-constrained ubiquitous environments.
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Evaluation of a ubiquitous learning system in a design engineering environment
Vroom, R.W.; Horvath, I.; Rusak, Z.; De Smit, A.; Opiyo, E.Z.
2012-01-01
Ubiquitous computing is computing power that is integrated in devices and environments in such a way that they offer optimal support to human daily life activities. For industrial design engineering students, applying ubiquitous technologies offer a great opportunity and challenge for innovating
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Mobile, ubiquitous, and pervasive learning fundaments, applications, and trends
2016-01-01
This book is concerned with the mobile, ubiquitous, and pervasive learning arena. It present a collection of works corresponding to four categories: reviews, studies, conceptual proposals, and approaches. As a result of the submission and revision processes eight manuscripts were accepted and organized into the aforementioned four parts as follows: ·Review: a couple of chapters offer a survey of related works. One concerns with the diversity of mobile, ubiquitous, and pervasive labor, where interested findings are unveiled based on correlations. Other focuses on adaptive and adaptable architectures that are suitable to implement ubiquitous learning sceneries, whose contribution represents a model of a domain specific architecture. ·Studies: two chapters explore issues related to the effect of question styles made through smartphones and tablets, and the disposition of teachers to exploit mobile devices at classroom. ·Conceptual: a pair of chapters offer a given proposal, the first to develop adaptive mobil...
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[Zr(NEtMe)2(guan-NEtMe)2] as a novel ALD precursor: ZrO2 film growth and mechanistic studies
Blanquart, T.; Niinistö, J.; Aslam, N.; Banerjee, M.; Tomczak, Y.; Gavagnin, M.; Longo, V.; Puukilainen, E.; Wanzenboeck, H.D.; Kessels, W.M.M.; Devi, A.; Hoffmann-Eifert, S.; Ritala, M.; Leskelä, M.
2013-01-01
[Zr(NEtMe)2(guan-NEtMe2)2], a recently developed compound, was investigated as a novel precursor for the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ZrO2. With water as the oxygen source, the growth rate remained constant over a wide temperature range, whereas with ozone the growth rate increased steadily with
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FTRA 4th International Conference on Mobile, Ubiquitous, and Intelligent Computing
Adeli, Hojjat; Park, Namje; Woungang, Isaac
2014-01-01
MUSIC 2013 will be the most comprehensive text focused on the various aspects of Mobile, Ubiquitous and Intelligent computing. MUSIC 2013 provides an opportunity for academic and industry professionals to discuss the latest issues and progress in the area of intelligent technologies in mobile and ubiquitous computing environment. MUSIC 2013 is the next edition of the 3rd International Conference on Mobile, Ubiquitous, and Intelligent Computing (MUSIC-12, Vancouver, Canada, 2012) which was the next event in a series of highly successful International Workshop on Multimedia, Communication and Convergence technologies MCC-11 (Crete, Greece, June 2011), MCC-10 (Cebu, Philippines, August 2010).
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Diode behavior in ultra-thin low temperature ALD grown zinc-oxide on silicon
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Nazek El-Atab
2013-10-01
Full Text Available A thin-film ZnO(n/Si(p+ heterojunction diode is demonstrated. The thin film ZnO layer is deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD at different temperatures on a p-type silicon substrate. Atomic force microscopy (AFM AC-in-Air method in addition to conductive AFM (CAFM were used for the characterization of ZnO layer and to measure the current-voltage characteristics. Forward and reverse bias n-p diode behavior with good rectification properties is achieved. The diode with ZnO grown at 80°C exhibited the highest on/off ratio with a turn-on voltage (VON ∼3.5 V. The measured breakdown voltage (VBR and electric field (EBR for this diode are 5.4 V and 3.86 MV/cm, respectively.
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Role of a Ubiquitously Expressed Receptor in the Vertebrate Olfactory System
DeMaria, Shannon; Berke, Allison P.; Van Name, Eric; Heravian, Anisa; Ferreira, Todd; Ngai, John
2013-01-01
Odorant cues are recognized by receptors expressed on olfactory sensory neurons, the primary sensory neurons of the olfactory epithelium. Odorant receptors typically obey the “one receptor, one neuron” rule, in which the receptive field of the olfactory neuron is determined by the singular odorant receptor that it expresses. Odor-evoked receptor activity across the population of olfactory neurons is then interpreted by the brain to identify the molecular nature of the odorant stimulus. In the...
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An improved anonymous authentication scheme for roaming in ubiquitous networks
Lee, Hakjun; Lee, Donghoon; Moon, Jongho; Jung, Jaewook; Kang, Dongwoo; Kim, Hyoungshick
2018-01-01
With the evolution of communication technology and the exponential increase of mobile devices, the ubiquitous networking allows people to use our data and computing resources anytime and everywhere. However, numerous security concerns and complicated requirements arise as these ubiquitous networks are deployed throughout people’s lives. To meet the challenge, the user authentication schemes in ubiquitous networks should ensure the essential security properties for the preservation of the privacy with low computational cost. In 2017, Chaudhry et al. proposed a password-based authentication scheme for the roaming in ubiquitous networks to enhance the security. Unfortunately, we found that their scheme remains insecure in its protection of the user privacy. In this paper, we prove that Chaudhry et al.’s scheme is vulnerable to the stolen-mobile device and user impersonation attacks, and its drawbacks comprise the absence of the incorrect login-input detection, the incorrectness of the password change phase, and the absence of the revocation provision. Moreover, we suggest a possible way to fix the security flaw in Chaudhry et al’s scheme by using the biometric-based authentication for which the bio-hash is applied in the implementation of a three-factor authentication. We prove the security of the proposed scheme with the random oracle model and formally verify its security properties using a tool named ProVerif, and analyze it in terms of the computational and communication cost. The analysis result shows that the proposed scheme is suitable for resource-constrained ubiquitous environments. PMID:29505575
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Ubiquitous Robotic Technology for Smart Manufacturing System.
Wang, Wenshan; Zhu, Xiaoxiao; Wang, Liyu; Qiu, Qiang; Cao, Qixin
2016-01-01
As the manufacturing tasks become more individualized and more flexible, the machines in smart factory are required to do variable tasks collaboratively without reprogramming. This paper for the first time discusses the similarity between smart manufacturing systems and the ubiquitous robotic systems and makes an effort on deploying ubiquitous robotic technology to the smart factory. Specifically, a component based framework is proposed in order to enable the communication and cooperation of the heterogeneous robotic devices. Further, compared to the service robotic domain, the smart manufacturing systems are often in larger size. So a hierarchical planning method was implemented to improve the planning efficiency. A test bed of smart factory is developed. It demonstrates that the proposed framework is suitable for industrial domain, and the hierarchical planning method is able to solve large problems intractable with flat methods.
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A proposal of an open ubiquitous fuzzy computing system for Ambient Intelligence
Acampora, G.; Loia, V.; Lee, R.S.T.; Lioa, V.
2007-01-01
Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is considered as the composition of three emergent technologies: Ubiquitous Computing, Ubiquitous Communication and Intelligent User Interfaces. The aim of integration of aforesaid technologies is to make wider the interaction between human beings and information
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Designing for Privacy in Ubiquitous Social Networking
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sapuppo, Antonio; Figueiras, Joao
2015-01-01
Improving human communication during face–to–face meetings is nowadays possible by transferring online social networking benefits to the physical world. This is enabled by the ubiquitous social networking services that became available by means of wirelessly interconnected smart devices...
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Lu, B; Yang, X J; Chen, K; Yang, D J; Yan, J Q
2009-12-15
Previous studies have indicated that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) is implicated in the induction of sodium appetite in rats and that different dietary sodium intakes influence the mRNA expression of central and peripheral RAAS components. To determine whether dietary sodium deprivation activates regional brain neurons related to sodium appetite, and changes their gene expression of RAAS components of rats, the present study examined the c-Fos expression after chronic exposure to low sodium diet, and determined the relationship between plasma and brain angiotensin I (ANG I), angiotensin II (ANG II) and aldosterone (ALD) levels and the sodium ingestive behavior variations, as well as the effects of prolonged dietary sodium deprivation on ANG II type 1 (AT1) and ANG II type 2 (AT2) receptors and angiotensin-convertion enzyme (ACE) mRNA levels in the involved brain regions using the method of real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed that the Fos immunoreactivity (Fos-ir) expression in forebrain areas such as subfornical organ (SFO), paraventricular hypothalamic nuclei (PVN), supraoptic nucleus (SON) and organum vasculosum laminae terminalis (OVLT) all increased significantly and that the levels of ANG I, ANG II and ALD also increased in plasma and forebrain in rats fed with low sodium diet. In contrast, AT1, ACE mRNA in PVN, SON and OVLT decreased significantly in dietary sodium depleted rats, while AT2 mRNA expression did not change in the examined areas. These results suggest that many brain areas are activated by increased levels of plasma and/or brain ANG II and ALD, which underlies the elevated preference for hypertonic salt solution after prolonged exposure to low sodium diet, and that the regional AT1 and ACE mRNA are down-regulated after dietary sodium deprivation, which may be mediated by increased ANG II in plasma and/or brain tissue.
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USE OF UBIQUITOUS TECHNOLOGIES IN MILITARY LOGISTIC SYSTEM IN IRAN
P. Jafari; A. Sadeghi-Niaraki
2013-01-01
This study is about integration and evaluation of RFID and ubiquitous technologies in military logistic system management. Firstly, supply chain management and the necessity of a revolution in logistic systems especially in military area, are explained. Secondly RFID and ubiquitous technologies and the advantages of their use in supply chain management are introduced. Lastly a system based on these technologies for controlling and increasing the speed and accuracy in military logistic system ...
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Role of a Ubiquitously Expressed Receptor in the Vertebrate Olfactory System
DeMaria, Shannon; Berke, Allison P.; Van Name, Eric; Heravian, Anisa; Ferreira, Todd
2013-01-01
Odorant cues are recognized by receptors expressed on olfactory sensory neurons, the primary sensory neurons of the olfactory epithelium. Odorant receptors typically obey the “one receptor, one neuron” rule, in which the receptive field of the olfactory neuron is determined by the singular odorant receptor that it expresses. Odor-evoked receptor activity across the population of olfactory neurons is then interpreted by the brain to identify the molecular nature of the odorant stimulus. In the present study, we characterized the properties of a C family G-protein-coupled receptor that, unlike most other odorant receptors, is expressed in a large population of microvillous sensory neurons in the zebrafish olfactory epithelium and the mouse vomeronasal organ. We found that this receptor, OlfCc1 in zebrafish and its murine ortholog Vmn2r1, is a calcium-dependent, low-sensitivity receptor specific for the hydrophobic amino acids isoleucine, leucine, and valine. Loss-of-function experiments in zebrafish embryos demonstrate that OlfCc1 is required for olfactory responses to a diverse mixture of polar, nonpolar, acidic, and basic amino acids. OlfCc1 was also found to promote localization of other OlfC receptor family members to the plasma membrane in heterologous cells. Together, these results suggest that the broadly expressed OlfCc1 is required for amino acid detection by the olfactory system and suggest that it plays a role in the function and/or intracellular trafficking of other olfactory and vomeronasal receptors with which it is coexpressed. PMID:24048853
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Alexithymia in anorexia and bulimia: Ubiquitous and primary trait?
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
F. Amianto
2016-05-01
Full Text Available Background: Alexithymia is associated to Eating Disorders (ED and relevant for their prognosis but it is uncertain if it is ubiquitous, primary and necessary for ED outburst. Methods: 124 ED outpatients and 80 healthy controls were compared with the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, personality and psychopathology measures. Alexithymia and the other features are compared between anorexia nervosa (AN, bulimia nervosa (BN and control groups. Alexithymia-based clusters were explored and compared with controls. Alexithymia traits are correlated with the other features. Results: Difficulty in identifying feelings was ubiquitous in ED subjects. A Non-Alexithymic Cluster (NAC and an Alexithymic Cluster (ALC were found with no difference in AN/BN distribution. ALC displays disordered personality and high psychopathology. Self-directiveness and interoceptive awareness were independently related to alexithymia and to depressive feelings. These two features along with depressive features completely accounted for alexithymia variance. Conclusion: even though the difficulty in identifying feelings is ubiquitous in ED subjects, Alexithymia may not represent a primary trait but a complex dysfunction consequent to co-occurring character immaturity, altered interoceptive awareness, and depressive traits.
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National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This proposal is intended to perform basic research using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) as a means of coating various substrate materials with a variety of metallic...
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Drayton, Brian; Falk, Joni K.; Stroud, Rena; Hobbs, Kathryn; Hammerman, James
2010-01-01
There are few studies of the impact of ubiquitous computing on high school science, and the majority of studies of ubiquitous computing report only on the early stages of implementation. The present study presents data on 3 high schools with carefully elaborated ubiquitous computing systems that have gone through at least one "obsolescence cycle"…
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Using gene expression noise to understand gene regulation
Munsky, B.; Neuert, G.; van Oudenaarden, A.
2012-01-01
Phenotypic variation is ubiquitous in biology and is often traceable to underlying genetic and environmental variation. However, even genetically identical cells in identical environments display variable phenotypes. Stochastic gene expression, or gene expression "noise," has been suggested as a
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Ubiquitous developments of the digital single market
Maciejewski, M.; Porrino, F.; Veenstra, A.F.E. van; Marcus, J.S.; Cave, J.; Huijboom, N.M.; Elixmann, D.; Hillebrand, A.; Schindler, R.; Horvath, V.
2013-01-01
Ubiquitous solutions providing access from anywhere at any time are a next step for government and commercial services, and are expected to result in lower costs, increased flexibility, and an enhanced user experience. These solutions, based on modern cloud technologies, may facilitate re-use across
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Thin-barrier enhancement-mode AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMT using ALD Al2O3 as gate insulator
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Wang Zheli; Zhou Jianjun; Kong Yuechan; Kong Cen; Dong Xun; Yang Yang; Chen Tangsheng
2015-01-01
A high-performance enhancement-mode (E-mode) gallium nitride (GaN)-based metal–insulator–semiconductor high electron mobility transistor (MIS-HEMT) that employs a 5-nm-thick aluminum gallium nitride (Al 0.3 Ga 0.7 N) as a barrier layer and relies on silicon nitride (SiN) passivation to control the 2DEG density is presented. Unlike the SiN passivation, aluminum oxide (Al 2 O 3 ) by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on AlGaN surface would not increase the 2DEG density in the heterointerface. ALD Al 2 O 3 was used as gate insulator after the depletion by etching of the SiN in the gate region. The E-mode MIS-HEMT with gate length (L G ) of 1 μm showed a maximum drain current density (I DS ) of 657 mA/mm, a maximum extrinsic transconductance (g m ) of 187 mS/mm and a threshold voltage (V th ) of 1 V. Comparing with the corresponding E-mode HEMT, the device performances had been greatly improved due to the insertion of Al 2 O 3 gate insulator. This provided an excellent way to realize E-mode AlGaN/GaN MIS-HEMTs with both high V th and I DS . (paper)
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Ubiquitous mobile knowledge construction in collaborative learning environments.
Baloian, Nelson; Zurita, Gustavo
2012-01-01
Knowledge management is a critical activity for any organization. It has been said to be a differentiating factor and an important source of competitiveness if this knowledge is constructed and shared among its members, thus creating a learning organization. Knowledge construction is critical for any collaborative organizational learning environment. Nowadays workers must perform knowledge creation tasks while in motion, not just in static physical locations; therefore it is also required that knowledge construction activities be performed in ubiquitous scenarios, and supported by mobile and pervasive computational systems. These knowledge creation systems should help people in or outside organizations convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge, thus supporting the knowledge construction process. Therefore in our understanding, we consider highly relevant that undergraduate university students learn about the knowledge construction process supported by mobile and ubiquitous computing. This has been a little explored issue in this field. This paper presents the design, implementation, and an evaluation of a system called MCKC for Mobile Collaborative Knowledge Construction, supporting collaborative face-to-face tacit knowledge construction and sharing in ubiquitous scenarios. The MCKC system can be used by undergraduate students to learn how to construct knowledge, allowing them anytime and anywhere to create, make explicit and share their knowledge with their co-learners, using visual metaphors, gestures and sketches to implement the human-computer interface of mobile devices (PDAs).
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Ubiquitous computing in shared-care environments.
Koch, S
2006-07-01
In light of future challenges, such as growing numbers of elderly, increase in chronic diseases, insufficient health care budgets and problems with staff recruitment for the health-care sector, information and communication technology (ICT) becomes a possible means to meet these challenges. Organizational changes such as the decentralization of the health-care system lead to a shift from in-hospital to both advanced and basic home health care. Advanced medical technologies provide solutions for distant home care in form of specialist consultations and home monitoring. Furthermore, the shift towards home health care will increase mobile work and the establishment of shared care teams which require ICT-based solutions that support ubiquitous information access and cooperative work. Clinical documentation and decision support systems are the main ICT-based solutions of interest in the context of ubiquitous computing for shared care environments. This paper therefore describes the prerequisites for clinical documentation and decision support at the point of care, the impact of mobility on the documentation process, and how the introduction of ICT-based solutions will influence organizations and people. Furthermore, the role of dentistry in shared-care environments is discussed and illustrated in the form of a future scenario.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Honoré, B; Rasmussen, H H; Vorum, H
1995-01-01
Molecular cDNA cloning, two-dimensional gel immunoblotting, and amino acid microsequencing identified three sequence-unique and distinct proteins that constitute a subfamily of ubiquitously expressed heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins corresponding to hnRNPs H, H', and F. These proteins share...... epitopes and sequence identity with two other proteins, isoelectric focusing sample spot numbers 2222 (37.6 kDa; pI 6.5) and 2326 (39.5 kDa; pI 6.6), indicating that the subfamily may contain additional members. The identity between hnRNPs H and H' is 96%, between H and F 78%, and between H' and F 75......%, respectively. The three proteins contain three repeats, which we denote quasi-RRMs (qRRMs) since they have a remote similarity to the RNA recognition motif (RRM). The three qRRMs of hnRNP H, with a few additional NH2-terminal amino acids, were constructed by polymerase chain reaction amplification and used...
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A Survey of Service Composition Mechanisms in Ubiquitous Computing
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Brønsted, Jeppe; Hansen, Klaus Marius; Ingstrup, Mads
2007-01-01
Composition of services, i.e., providing new services by combining existing ones, is a pervasive idea in ubiquitous computing. We surveyed the field by looking at what features are actually present in technologies that support service composition in some form. Condensing this into a list...... of features allowed us to discuss the qualitative merits and drawbacks of various approaches to service composition, focusing in particular on usability, adaptability and efficiency. Moreover, we found that further research is needed into quality-of-service assurance of composites and into contingency...... management for composites—one of the concerns differentiating service composition in ubiquitous computing from its counterpart in less dynamic settings....
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Commentary: Ubiquitous Computing Revisited--A New Perspective
Bull, Glen; Garofalo, Joe
2006-01-01
In 2002, representatives from the teacher educator associations representing the core content areas (science, mathematics, language arts, and social studies) and educational technology met at the National Technology Leadership Retreat (NTLR) to discuss potential implications of ubiquitous computing for K-12 schools. This paper re-examines some of…
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Towards ubiquitous access of computer-assisted surgery systems.
Liu, Hui; Lufei, Hanping; Shi, Weishong; Chaudhary, Vipin
2006-01-01
Traditional stand-alone computer-assisted surgery (CAS) systems impede the ubiquitous and simultaneous access by multiple users. With advances in computing and networking technologies, ubiquitous access to CAS systems becomes possible and promising. Based on our preliminary work, CASMIL, a stand-alone CAS server developed at Wayne State University, we propose a novel mobile CAS system, UbiCAS, which allows surgeons to retrieve, review and interpret multimodal medical images, and to perform some critical neurosurgical procedures on heterogeneous devices from anywhere at anytime. Furthermore, various optimization techniques, including caching, prefetching, pseudo-streaming-model, and compression, are used to guarantee the QoS of the UbiCAS system. UbiCAS enables doctors at remote locations to actively participate remote surgeries, share patient information in real time before, during, and after the surgery.
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CELLULAR LOCALIZATION AND EXPRESSION OF pygo DURING DROSOPHILA DEVELOPMENT
Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
LINXin-da; LINXin-hua; CHENGJia-an
2003-01-01
Wg/Wnt signaling is a key signaling pathway in Drosophila. Many genes involved in Wingless(wg) signal transduction pathway downstream of Wg, or it'' s vertebrate Wg homologue Wnt, have been identified.Transduction of the Wg signal downstream of Wg is mediated by nuclear TCF/LEF-1, through association with Ar-madillo (Arm)/β-catenin. Pygopus (pygo) is a new identified component in this pathway . Cellular localization experiment showed that pygo was expressed specifically in the nucleus. The expression profile of pygo in embryos was examined using in situ hybridization. Although pygo expressed ubiquitously in the embryos, it expressed at relatively high level in pre-blastoderm embryos which indicate a high degree of maternally provided message, fol-lowed by a low level of ubiquitous zygotic expression. This continues into larval tissues (including wing disc, eye disc and leg disc), where pygo appears to be expressed at low level. Comparison of pygo expression levels, in the wing disc, eye disc and leg disc, showed pygo expression level in the wing disc pouch and leg disc were rela-tive higher.
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From Many-to-One to One-to-Many: The Evolution of Ubiquitous Computing in Education
Chen, Wenli; Lim, Carolyn; Tan, Ashley
2011-01-01
Personal, Internet-connected technologies are becoming ubiquitous in the lives of students, and ubiquitous computing initiatives are already expanding in educational contexts. Historically in the field of education, the terms one-to-one (1:1) computing and ubiquitous computing have been interpreted in a number of ways and have at times been used…
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Börner, Dirk
2012-01-01
Börner, D. (2012). Ambient Learning Displays - Distributed Mixed Reality Information Mash-ups to support Ubiquitous Learning. 2012 IEEE Seventh International Conference on Wireless, Mobile and Ubiquitous Technology in Education (pp. 337-338). March, 27-30, 2012, Takamatsu, Japan: IEEE Computer
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Ubiquitous Accessibility for People with Visual Impairments: Are We There Yet?
Billah, Syed Masum; Ashok, Vikas; Porter, Donald E; Ramakrishnan, I V
2017-05-01
Ubiquitous access is an increasingly common vision of computing, wherein users can interact with any computing device or service from anywhere, at any time. In the era of personal computing, users with visual impairments required special-purpose, assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to interact with computers. This paper investigates whether technologies like screen readers have kept pace with, or have created a barrier to, the trend toward ubiquitous access, with a specific focus on desktop computing as this is still the primary way computers are used in education and employment. Towards that, the paper presents a user study with 21 visually-impaired participants, specifically involving the switching of screen readers within and across different computing platforms, and the use of screen readers in remote access scenarios. Among the findings, the study shows that, even for remote desktop access-an early forerunner of true ubiquitous access-screen readers are too limited, if not unusable. The study also identifies several accessibility needs, such as uniformity of navigational experience across devices, and recommends potential solutions. In summary, assistive technologies have not made the jump into the era of ubiquitous access, and multiple, inconsistent screen readers create new practical problems for users with visual impairments.
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The Synergy of Paper-Based and Digital Material for Ubiquitous Foreign Language Learners
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sabrina Leone
2011-09-01
Full Text Available In recent years, the development of digital information transfer, storage and communication methods has allowed for access to ubiquitous global connections and to a large number of resources available to foreign language students at all age and levels of schooling. Further, the combination of traditional paper-based learning material with digital one in a ubiquitous learning environment may offer great innovation in the delivery of education, to foster a student-centred approach, and to accommodate the needs of ubiquitous learners’ personal lifestyles. In this direction, research has increasingly emphasised the importance of a technology-enhanced rather than technology-driven learning approach. This paper aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the integration of paper-based and digital material through Quick Response (QR code for ubiquitous English language learners in three different scenarios. Results show that, despite some difficulties, flexibility and personalisation of learning have been perceived as an asset.
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Characterization of gene expression regulated by human OTK18 ...
Indian Academy of Sciences (India)
ing regulated by interactions with the Tat protein (Carlson et al. 2004a). In contrast, OTK18 is ubiquitously expressed in all normal human tissues, and OTK18 expression in HIV-1 ..... and Social Sciences and the UNK Biology Department.
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Ubiquitous Computing--Are We Crazy? Point/Counterpoint
DeWitt, Scott W.; Horn, Patricia S.
2005-01-01
The push for ubiquitous computing (UC) relies on an understandable and well-intentioned belief that teaching and schooling need to be transformed. This view appears credible based on large-scale criteria, such as test scores relative to other countries, drop-out rates, and economic changes. And the use of technology to achieve this goal is…
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New Trends on Ubiquitous Mobile Multimedia Applications
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Oliveira Marco
2010-01-01
Full Text Available Mobile devices present the opportunity to enhance our fast-growing and globally connected society, improving user-experience through novel approaches for information dissemination through mobile communication. The research community is developing new technologies, services, and applications to enable ubiquitous environments based on mobile technology. This paper tackles several important challenges such as communication cost and device limitations for development of ubiquitous multimedia applications. And we propose a system for news delivery using a set of wireless multimedia applications. For this purpose, we have performed a case study with Apple iPhone's platform, featuring two multimedia application contexts, namely, Web and native applications. The multimedia mobile applications draw on iPhone's assets, enabling context-awareness to distribute news, improving communication efficiency and setting-up viewing optimizations, thus enhancing user-experience. The proposed system is evaluated and validated through a series of real-life experiments on real devices, with online full availability. Moreover, due to the Web application availability, the system is not restrained to Apple's iPhone platform, but can also benefit users with other devices.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Petersen, Marianne Graves; Grønbæk, Kaj
2004-01-01
collaborative structuring and ubiquitous presentation of materials in private homes. With DoHM we propose establishing new relationship between digital and physical hyperspaces, folding hyperspaces into the physical space of the household. Thus we strive to combine the qualities of physical domestic materials...... and spaces with the flexibility and dynamics of digital hyperspaces. We propose a variety of new ubiquitous home appliances called MediaWall, MediaTable, MediaTray and MediaPort, which address these issues....
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Petersen, Marianne Graves; Grønbæk, Kaj
2004-01-01
collaborative structuring and ubiquitous presentation of materials in private homes. With DoHM we propose establishing new relationship between digital and physical hyperspaces, folding hyperspaces into the physical space of the household. Thus we strive to combine the qualities of physical domestic materials...... and spaces with the flexibility and dynamics of digital hyperspaces. We propose a variety of new ubiquitous home appliances called MediaWall, MediaTable, MediaTray and MediaPort, which address these issues....
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Integrated Environment for Ubiquitous Healthcare and Mobile IPv6 Networks
Cagalaban, Giovanni; Kim, Seoksoo
The development of Internet technologies based on the IPv6 protocol will allow real-time monitoring of people with health deficiencies and improve the independence of elderly people. This paper proposed a ubiquitous healthcare system for the personalized healthcare services with the support of mobile IPv6 networks. Specifically, this paper discusses the integration of ubiquitous healthcare and wireless networks and its functional requirements. This allow an integrated environment where heterogeneous devices such a mobile devices and body sensors can continuously monitor patient status and communicate remotely with healthcare servers, physicians, and family members to effectively deliver healthcare services.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Weimer, Alan
2012-11-26
This project will demonstrate the feasibility of using atomic layer deposition (ALD) to apply ultrathin neutron-absorbing, corrosion-resistant layers consisting of ceramics, metals, or combinations thereof, on particles for enhanced nuclear fuel pellets. Current pellet coating technology utilizes chemical vapor deposition (CVD) in a fluidized bed reactor to deposit thick, porous layers of C (or PyC) and SiC. These graphitic/carbide materials degrade over time owing to fission product bombardment, active oxidation, thermal management issues, and long-term irradiation effects. ALD can be used to deposit potential ceramic barrier materials of interest, including ZrO{sub 2}, Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}:ZrO{sub 2} (YSZ), Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}, and TiO{sub 2}, or neutron-absorbing materials, namely B (in BN or B{sub 2}O{sub 3}) and Gd (in Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}). This project consists of a two-pronged approach to integrate ALD into the next-generation nuclear plant (NGNP) fuel pellet manufacturing process:
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Gretta Roberts
Full Text Available Two component regulatory systems are used widely by bacteria to coordinate changes in global gene expression profiles in response to environmental signals. The SenX3-RegX3 two component system of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has previously been shown to play a role in virulence and phosphate-responsive control of gene expression. We demonstrate that expression of SenX3-RegX3 is controlled in response to growth conditions, although the absolute changes are small. Global gene expression profiling of a RegX3 deletion strain and wild-type strain in different culture conditions (static, microaerobic, anaerobic, as well as in an over-expressing strain identified a number of genes with changed expression patterns. Among those were genes previously identified as differentially regulated in aerobic culture, including ald (encoding alanine dehydrogenase cyd,encoding a subunit of the cytochrome D ubiquinol oxidase, and gltA1, encoding a citrate synthase. Promoter activity in the upstream regions of both cydB and gltA1 was altered in the RegX3 deletion strain. DNA-binding assays confirmed that RegX3 binds to the promoter regions of ald, cydB and gltA1 in a phosphorylation-dependent manner. Taken together these data suggest a direct role for the SenX-RegX3 system in modulating expression of aerobic respiration, in addition to its role during phosphate limitation.
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Network architecture test-beds as platforms for ubiquitous computing.
Roscoe, Timothy
2008-10-28
Distributed systems research, and in particular ubiquitous computing, has traditionally assumed the Internet as a basic underlying communications substrate. Recently, however, the networking research community has come to question the fundamental design or 'architecture' of the Internet. This has been led by two observations: first, that the Internet as it stands is now almost impossible to evolve to support new functionality; and second, that modern applications of all kinds now use the Internet rather differently, and frequently implement their own 'overlay' networks above it to work around its perceived deficiencies. In this paper, I discuss recent academic projects to allow disruptive change to the Internet architecture, and also outline a radically different view of networking for ubiquitous computing that such proposals might facilitate.
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A system for ubiquitous health monitoring in the bedroom via a Bluetooth network and wireless LAN.
Choi, J M; Choi, B H; Seo, J W; Sohn, R H; Ryu, M S; Yi, W; Park, K S
2004-01-01
Advances in information technology have enabled ubiquitous health monitoring at home, which is particularly useful for patients, who have to live alone. We have focused on the automatic and unobtrusive measurement of biomedical signals and activities of patients. We have constructed wireless communication networks in order to transfer data. The networks consist of Bluetooth and Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN). In this paper, we present the concept of a ubiquitous-Bedroom (u-Bedroom) which is a part of a ubiquitous-House (u-House) and we present our systems for ubiquitous health monitoring.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Malgorzata Milkiewicz
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Background. Enhanced expression of cell cycle inhibitor p27kip1 suppresses cell proliferation. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA delays progression of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC but its effect on p27kip1 expression is uncertain. Aims. To analyze the expression of p27kip1 and its transcription modulator FoxO1 in patients with PBC, and to assess the impact of UDCA on this pathway. Materials and Methods. The examined human tissue included explanted livers from patients with cirrhotic PBC (n=23, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC; n=9, alcoholic liver disease (ALD; n=9, and routine liver biopsies from patients with non-cirrhotic PBC (n=26. Healthy liver samples served as controls (n=19. Livers of FoxO-deficient mice were also studied. mRNA and protein expressions were analyzed by real-time PCR and Western blot. Results. p27kip1 expression was increased in cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic PBC. FoxO1 mRNA levels were increased in PBC (8.5-fold increase versus controls. FoxO1 protein expression in PBC was comparable to controls, but it was decreased in patients with PSC and ALD (63% and 70% reduction, respectively; both P<0.05 versus control. UDCA-treated non-cirrhotic patients with PBC showed decreased expression of p27kip1 mRNA. Conclusion. PBC progression is characterized by a FoxO1-independent increase of p27kip1 expression. In early PBC, UDCA may enhance liver regeneration via p27kip1-dependent mechanism.
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RECON: Capturing Mobile and Ubiquitous Interaction in Real Contexts
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jensen, Kasper Løvborg
2009-01-01
for studying the user experience of such applications in the field tend to be cumbersome and expensive with regard to time and manpower, and they generally do not scale well with number of users and duration of studies. RECON addresses these challenges and provides an addition to the methodological...... to conduct large scale remote studies of mobile and ubiquitous applications in real contexts.......Evaluating the user experience of mobile and ubiquitous applications is a challenging task. They are becoming increasingly complex and tightly interwoven into the fabric of everyday life and thus cannot easily be taken out of context and evaluated in controlled experimental environments. Methods...
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ALD TiO x as a top-gate dielectric and passivation layer for InGaZnO115 ISFETs
Pavlidis, S.; Bayraktaroglu, B.; Leedy, K.; Henderson, W.; Vogel, E.; Brand, O.
2017-11-01
The suitability of atomic layer deposited (ALD) titanium oxide (TiO x ) as a top gate dielectric and passivation layer for indium gallium zinc oxide (InGaZnO115) ion sensitive field effect transistors (ISFETs) is investigated. TiO x is an attractive barrier material, but reports of its use for InGaZnO thin film transistor (TFT) passivation have been conflicting thus far. In this work, it is found that the passivated TFT’s behavior depends on the TiO x deposition temperature, affecting critical device characteristics such as threshold voltage, field-effect mobility and sub-threshold swing. An O2 annealing step is required to recover TFT performance post passivation. It is also observed that the positive bias stress response of the passivated TFTs improves compared the original bare device. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy excludes the effects of hydrogen doping and inter-diffusion as sources of the temperature-dependent performance change, therefore indicating that oxygen gettering induced by TiO x passivation is the likely source of oxygen vacancies and, consequently, carriers in the InGaZnO film. It is also shown that potentiometric sensing using ALD TiO x exhibits a near Nernstian response to pH change, as well as minimizes V TH drift in TiO x passivated InGaZnO TFTs immersed in an acidic liquid. These results add to the understanding of InGaZnO passivation effects and underscore the potential for low-temperature fabricated InGaZnO ISFETs to be used as high-performance mobile chemical sensors.
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Awareness for Contextualized Digital Contents in Ubiquitous Learning Environments
Börner, Dirk
2010-01-01
Börner, D. (2009). Awareness for Contextualized Digital Contents in Ubiquitous Learning Environments. Presented at the Doctoral Consortium of the Fourth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2009). September, 29-October, 2, 2009, Nice, France.
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Ubiquitous Learning Ecologies for a Critical Cyber-Citizenship
Díez-Gutiérrez, Enrique; Díaz-Nafría, José-María
2018-01-01
The aim of this research is to identify and analyse the ubiquitous learning acquired through blending education settings devoted to the "lifelong training of trainers" and how these contribute to the development of a conscious, critic and engaged citizenship. Through active exploration of the learning process, the study analyses the…
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The Influential Factors for the Variation of Data Sensitivity in Ubiquitous Social Networking
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Sapuppo, Antonio
2013-01-01
Ubiquitous social networking services offer new opportunities for developing advantageous relationships by uncovering hidden connections that people share with others nearby. As sharing of personal information is an intrinsic part of ubiquitous social networking, these services are subject......, mood, location familiarity, number of previous encounters and mutual friends, were also discovered to influence participants' data disclosure, but as factors of secondary importance....
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Automatic, Global and Dynamic Student Modeling in a Ubiquitous Learning Environment
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sabine Graf
2009-03-01
Full Text Available Ubiquitous learning allows students to learn at any time and any place. Adaptivity plays an important role in ubiquitous learning, aiming at providing students with adaptive and personalized learning material, activities, and information at the right place and the right time. However, for providing rich adaptivity, the student model needs to be able to gather a variety of information about the students. In this paper, an automatic, global, and dynamic student modeling approach is introduced, which aims at identifying and frequently updating information about students’ progress, learning styles, interests and knowledge level, problem solving abilities, preferences for using the system, social connectivity, and current location. This information is gathered in an automatic way, using students’ behavior and actions in different learning situations provided by different components/services of the ubiquitous learning environment. By providing a comprehensive student model, students can be supported by rich adaptivity in every component/service of the learning environment. Furthermore, the information in the student model can help in giving teachers a better understanding about the students’ learning process.
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Ubiquitous geospatial concept in evolution of the macro and micro spatial planning
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sabri, S; Ludin, A N M; Majid, M R
2014-01-01
There are many examples of GIS application in planning such as urban land-use planning, cultural heritage conservation, coastal zone management, and the design of structure plans for sustainable economic development. All these applications are dealing with systems in which natural and human factors are interconnected. But an issue that should be addressed is to what extent the current information technology is able to connect all these parts together? Contemporary improvement in information technology made the computer so imbedded in our everyday practices that we use it without having to think about it. Thus, computing is becoming truly ubiquitous and is available anywhere anytime. Advances in the internet facilities and devices, such as high speed wireless networks, mobile middleware, and smart technologies, has pushed the concept of ubiquitous computing to the forefront of GIS research and development. There are developments in this regards, these are such as GeoWeb 2.0, voluntarily geographic Information (VGI), and Mashups, whereby the application of cloud computing was possible in visualizing urban air pollution and emergency responses to ensure the safety and security. These advancements therefore, have changed the conventional facet of macro and micro spatial planning. Every possible information system such as residential, medical, business, environmental, governmental, and the like can be linked through ubiquitous computing technologies and acts as a virtually one system which works for society. However, the journey to achieve a true ubiquitous GIS is not without challenges. Despite the current potentials there are many issues and obstacles need to be addressed before GIS can to be truly ubiquitous in planning context. Perhaps four criteria as explained by Goodchild et al (1997) can be applied to ubiquitous GIS in planning very well: the system must be distributed (data storage, processing and user interaction can occur at locations that are potentially
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Ubiquitous geospatial concept in evolution of the macro and micro spatial planning
Sabri, S.; Ludin, A. N. M.; Majid, M. R.
2014-02-01
There are many examples of GIS application in planning such as urban land-use planning, cultural heritage conservation, coastal zone management, and the design of structure plans for sustainable economic development. All these applications are dealing with systems in which natural and human factors are interconnected. But an issue that should be addressed is to what extent the current information technology is able to connect all these parts together? Contemporary improvement in information technology made the computer so imbedded in our everyday practices that we use it without having to think about it. Thus, computing is becoming truly ubiquitous and is available anywhere anytime. Advances in the internet facilities and devices, such as high speed wireless networks, mobile middleware, and smart technologies, has pushed the concept of ubiquitous computing to the forefront of GIS research and development. There are developments in this regards, these are such as GeoWeb 2.0, voluntarily geographic Information (VGI), and Mashups, whereby the application of cloud computing was possible in visualizing urban air pollution and emergency responses to ensure the safety and security. These advancements therefore, have changed the conventional facet of macro and micro spatial planning. Every possible information system such as residential, medical, business, environmental, governmental, and the like can be linked through ubiquitous computing technologies and acts as a virtually one system which works for society. However, the journey to achieve a true ubiquitous GIS is not without challenges. Despite the current potentials there are many issues and obstacles need to be addressed before GIS can to be truly ubiquitous in planning context. Perhaps four criteria as explained by Goodchild et al (1997) can be applied to ubiquitous GIS in planning very well: the system must be distributed (data storage, processing and user interaction can occur at locations that are potentially
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Wu, Po-Han; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Tsai, Wen-Hung
2013-01-01
Context-aware ubiquitous learning has been recognized as being a promising approach that enables students to interact with real-world learning targets with supports from the digital world. Several researchers have indicated the importance of providing learning guidance or hints to individual students during the context-aware ubiquitous learning…
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Conjoint Analysis for Mobile Devices for Ubiquitous Learning in Higher Education: The Korean Case
Lee, Hyeongjik
2013-01-01
Despite the increasing importance of mobile devices in education, the essential features of these devices for ubiquitous learning have not been empirically addressed. This study empirically investigated the necessary conditions for using mobile devices as an educational tool for ubiquitous learning in higher education by a conjoint method. The…
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Awareness for Contextualized Digital Contents in Ubiquitous Learning Environments
Börner, Dirk; Specht, Marcus
2010-01-01
Börner, D., & Specht, M. (2009). Awareness for Contextualized Digital Contents in Ubiquitous Learning Environments. Proceedings of the Doctoral Consortium of the Fourth European Conference on Technology Enhanced Learning (EC-TEL 2009). September, 29-October, 2, 2009, Nice, France. [unpublished
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ting-Ting Xiao
Full Text Available Accumulating evidence indicates that oxymatrine (OMT possesses variously pharmacological properties, especially on the cardiovascular system. We previously demonstrated that activated calpain/apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF-mediated pathway was the key molecular mechanism in aldosterone (ALD induces cardiomyocytes apoptosis. In the present study, we extended the experimentation by investigating the effect of OMT on cardiomyocytes exposed to ALD, as compared to spironolactone (Spiro, a classical ALD receptor antagonist. Cardiomyocytes were pre-incubated with OMT, Spiro or vehicle for 1 h, and then, cardiomyocytes were exposed to ALD 24 h. The cell injury was evaluated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT assay and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH leakage ratio. Apoptosis was determined by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL assay, annexin V/PI staining, and relative caspase-3 activity assay. Furthermore, expression of pro-apoptotic proteins including truncated Bid (tBid, calpain and AIF were evaluated by western blot analysis. ALD stimulation increased cardiomyocytes apoptosis, caspase-3 activity and protein expression of calpain, tBid and AIF in the cytosol (p<0.05. Pre-incubated with cardiomyocytes injury and increased caspase-3 activity were significantly attenuated (p<0.05. Furthermore, OMT suppressed ALD-induced high expression of calpain and AIF. And these effects of OMT could be comparable to Spiro. These findings indicated that OMT might be a potential cardioprotective-agent against excessive ALD-induced cardiotoxicity, at least in part, mediated through inhibition of calpain/AIF signaling.
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Aldehyded Dextran and ε-Poly(L-lysine Hydrogel as Nonviral Gene Carrier
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yumiko Togo
2013-01-01
Full Text Available Background. The expression term of the gene transfected in cells needs to belong enough inorder to make a gene therapy clinically effective. The controlled release of the transfected gene can be utilized. The new biodegradable hydrogel material created by 20 w/w% aldehyded dextran and 10 w/w% ε-poly(L-lysine (ald-dex/PLL was developed. We examined whether it could be as a nonviral carrier of the gene transfer. Methods. A plasmid (Lac-Z was mixed with ald-dex/PLL. An in vitro study was performed to assess the expression of Lac-Z with X-gal stain after gene transfer into the cultured 293 cells and bone marrow cells. As a control group, PLL was used as a cationic polymer. Results. We confirmed that the transfection efficiency of the ald-dex/PLL had a higher transfection efficiency than PLL in 293 cells (plasmid of 2 μg: ald-dex/PLL 1.1%, PLL 0.23%, plasmid of 16 μg: ald-dex/PLL 1.23%, PLL 0.48%. In bone marrow cells, we confirmed the expression of Lac-Z by changing the quantity of aldehyded dextran. In the groups using ald-dextran of the quantity of 1/4 and 1/12 of PLL, their transfection efficiency was 0.43% and 0.41%, respectively. Conclusions. This study suggested a potential of using ald-dex/PLL as a non-carrier for gene transfer.
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Choi, Okkyung; Han, SangYong
2007-01-01
Ubiquitous Computing makes it possible to determine in real time the location and situations of service requesters in a web service environment as it enables access to computers at any time and in any place. Though research on various aspects of ubiquitous commerce is progressing at enterprises and research centers, both domestically and overseas, analysis of a customer's personal preferences based on semantic web and rule based services using semantics is not currently being conducted. This paper proposes a Ubiquitous Computing Services System that enables a rule based search as well as semantics based search to support the fact that the electronic space and the physical space can be combined into one and the real time search for web services and the construction of efficient web services thus become possible.
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Distributed user interfaces for clinical ubiquitous computing applications.
Bång, Magnus; Larsson, Anders; Berglund, Erik; Eriksson, Henrik
2005-08-01
Ubiquitous computing with multiple interaction devices requires new interface models that support user-specific modifications to applications and facilitate the fast development of active workspaces. We have developed NOSTOS, a computer-augmented work environment for clinical personnel to explore new user interface paradigms for ubiquitous computing. NOSTOS uses several devices such as digital pens, an active desk, and walk-up displays that allow the system to track documents and activities in the workplace. We present the distributed user interface (DUI) model that allows standalone applications to distribute their user interface components to several devices dynamically at run-time. This mechanism permit clinicians to develop their own user interfaces and forms to clinical information systems to match their specific needs. We discuss the underlying technical concepts of DUIs and show how service discovery, component distribution, events and layout management are dealt with in the NOSTOS system. Our results suggest that DUIs--and similar network-based user interfaces--will be a prerequisite of future mobile user interfaces and essential to develop clinical multi-device environments.
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Dynamic Service Discovery and Composition for Ubiquitous Networks Applications
Bonino da Silva Santos, L.O.; van Sinderen, Marten J.; Ferreira Pires, Luis
2006-01-01
The realization of ubiquitous networks brings new challenges to application development. In this kind of network, services and, more specifically web services, have been used to provide the functionality required by its users and applications. In such environments features like automatic service
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Mobile Computing and Ubiquitous Networking: Concepts, Technologies and Challenges.
Pierre, Samuel
2001-01-01
Analyzes concepts, technologies and challenges related to mobile computing and networking. Defines basic concepts of cellular systems. Describes the evolution of wireless technologies that constitute the foundations of mobile computing and ubiquitous networking. Presents characterization and issues of mobile computing. Analyzes economical and…
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Comparing XPS on bare and capped ZrN films grown by plasma enhanced ALD: Effect of ambient oxidation
Muneshwar, Triratna; Cadien, Ken
2018-03-01
In this article we compare x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements on bare- and capped- zirconium nitride (ZrN) films to investigate the effect of ambient sample oxidation on the detected bound O in the form of oxide ZrO2 and/or oxynitride ZrOxNy. ZrN films in both bare- and Al2O3/AlN capped- XPS samples were grown by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) technique using tetrakis dimethylamino zirconium (TDMAZr) precursor, forming gas (5% H2, rest N2) inductively coupled plasma (ICP), and as received research grade process gases under identical process conditions. Capped samples were prepared by depositing 1 nm thick PEALD AlN on ZrN, followed by additional deposition of 1 nm thick ALD Al2O3, without venting of ALD reactor. On bare ZrN sample at room temperature, spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements with increasing ambient exposure times (texp) showed a self-limiting surface oxidation with the oxide thickness (dox) approaching 3.7 ± 0.02 nm for texp > 120 min. In XPS data measured prior to sample sputtering (tsput = 0), ZrO2 and ZrOxNy were detected in bare- samples, whereas only ZrN and Al2O3/AlN from capping layer were detected in capped- samples. For bare-ZrN samples, appearance of ZrO2 and ZrOxNy up to sputter depth (dsput) of 15 nm in depth-profile XPS data is in contradiction with measured dox = 3.7 nm, but explained from sputtering induced atomic inter-diffusion within analyzed sample. Appearance of artifacts in the XPS spectra from moderately sputtered (dsput = 0.2 nm and 0.4 nm) capped-ZrN sample, provides an evidence to ion-bombardment induced modifications within analyzed sample.
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Student Assessment in the Ubiquitously Connected World
Adams, A. A.
2017-01-01
Student cheating on university assessments from entrance exams to finals and from contract cheating on coursework to requesting exam answers using a mobile phone during the exam, has received more and more attention of late. As connection to the Internet becomes ubiquitous and computing and communications technology more embedded in our environment, it is argued that a re-focussing on providing educational opportunities is needed in higher education, rather than chasing the ever-retreating p...
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Liu, Jiatong; Sun, Cuifeng; Fu, Ming; Long, Jie; He, Dawei; Wang, Yongsheng
2018-02-01
The development of porous materials exhibiting photon regulation abilities for improved photoelectrochemical catalysis performance is always one of the important goals of solar energy harvesting. In this study, methods to improve the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 inverse opals were discussed. TiO2 inverse opals were prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using colloidal crystal templates. In addition, TiO2 inverse opal heterostructures were fabricated using colloidal heterocrystals by repeated vertical deposition using different colloidal spheres. The hydrothermal method and ALD were used to prepare ZnO- or Fe2O3-modified TiO2 inverse opals on the internal surfaces of the TiO2 porous structures. Although the photonic reflection band was not significantly varied by oxide modification, the presence of Fe2O3 in the TiO2 inverse opals enhanced their visible absorption. The conformally modified oxides on the TiO2 inverse opals could also form energy barriers and avoid the recombination of electrons and holes. The fabrication of the TiO2 photonic crystal heterostructures and modification with ZnO or Fe2O3 can enhance the photocatalytic activity of TiO2 inverse opals.
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Study on the Context-Aware Middleware for Ubiquitous Greenhouses Using Wireless Sensor Networks
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jeonghwang Hwang
2011-04-01
Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Network (WSN technology is one of the important technologies to implement the ubiquitous society, and it could increase productivity of agricultural and livestock products, and secure transparency of distribution channels if such a WSN technology were successfully applied to the agricultural sector. Middleware, which can connect WSN hardware, applications, and enterprise systems, is required to construct ubiquitous agriculture environment combining WSN technology with agricultural sector applications, but there have been insufficient studies in the field of WSN middleware in the agricultural environment, compared to other industries. This paper proposes a context-aware middleware to efficiently process data collected from ubiquitous greenhouses by applying WSN technology and used to implement combined services through organic connectivity of data. The proposed middleware abstracts heterogeneous sensor nodes to integrate different forms of data, and provides intelligent context-aware, event service, and filtering functions to maximize operability and scalability of the middleware. To evaluate the performance of the middleware, an integrated management system for ubiquitous greenhouses was implemented by applying the proposed middleware to an existing greenhouse, and it was tested by measuring the level of load through CPU usage and the response time for users’ requests when the system is working.
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[Facing the challenges of ubiquitous computing in the health care sector].
Georgieff, Peter; Friedewald, Michael
2010-01-01
The steady progress of microelectronics, communications and information technology will enable the realisation of the vision for "ubiquitous computing" where the Internet extends into the real world embracing everyday objects. The necessary technical basis is already in place. Due to their diminishing size, constantly falling price and declining energy consumption, processors, communications modules and sensors are being increasingly integrated into everyday objects today. This development is opening up huge opportunities for both the economy and individuals. In the present paper we discuss possible applications, but also technical, social and economic barriers to a wide-spread use of ubiquitous computing in the health care sector. .
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Smart Geographic object: Toward a new understanding of GIS Technology in Ubiquitous Computing
Zakaria, Sakyoud; Rey, Gaëtan; Mohamed, Eladnani; Lavirotte, Stéphane; Abdelaziz, El Fazziki; Tigli, Jean-Yves
2015-01-01
International audience; One of the fundamental aspects of ubiquitous computing is the instrumentation of the real world by smart devices. This instrumentation constitutes an opportunity to rethink the interactions between human beings and their environment on the one hand, and between the components of this environment on the other. In this paper we discuss what this understanding of ubiquitous computing can bring to geographic science and particularly to GIS technology. Our main idea is the ...
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Leotta, Lisa; Spratt, Joanne M; Kong, Carlyn U; Triccas, James A
2015-09-01
A novel protein expression vector utilising the inducible hspX promoter of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was constructed and evaluated in this study. High-level induction of three mycobacterial antigens, comprising up to 9% of bacterial sonicate, was demonstrated in recombinant Mycobacterium bovis BCG when grown under low-oxygen tension, which serves to enhance hspX promoter activity. Recombinant proteins were efficiently purified from bacterial lysates in a soluble form by virtue of a C-terminal 6-histidine tag. Purification of the immunodominant M. tuberculosis Ag85B antigen using this system resulted in a recombinant protein that stimulated significant IFN-γ release from Ag85B-reactive T cells generated after vaccination of mice with an Ag85B-expressing vaccine. Further, the M. tuberculosis L-alanine dehydrogenase (Ald) protein purified from recombinant BCG displayed strong enzymatic activity in recombinant form. This study demonstrated that high levels of native-like recombinant mycobacterial proteins can be produced in mycobacterial hosts, and this may aid the analysis of mycobacterial protein function and the development of new treatments. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Design requirements for ubiquitous computing environments for healthcare professionals.
Bång, Magnus; Larsson, Anders; Eriksson, Henrik
2004-01-01
Ubiquitous computing environments can support clinical administrative routines in new ways. The aim of such computing approaches is to enhance routine physical work, thus it is important to identify specific design requirements. We studied healthcare professionals in an emergency room and developed the computer-augmented environment NOSTOS to support teamwork in that setting. NOSTOS uses digital pens and paper-based media as the primary input interface for data capture and as a means of controlling the system. NOSTOS also includes a digital desk, walk-up displays, and sensor technology that allow the system to track documents and activities in the workplace. We propose a set of requirements and discuss the value of tangible user interfaces for healthcare personnel. Our results suggest that the key requirements are flexibility in terms of system usage and seamless integration between digital and physical components. We also discuss how ubiquitous computing approaches like NOSTOS can be beneficial in the medical workplace.
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Application of Thin ZnO ALD Layers in Fiber-Optic Fabry-Pérot Sensing Interferometers
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daria Majchrowicz
2016-03-01
Full Text Available In this paper we investigated the response of a fiber-optic Fabry-Pérot sensing interferometer with thin ZnO layers deposited on the end faces of the optical fibers forming the cavity. Standard telecommunication single-mode optical fiber (SMF-28 segments were used with the thin ZnO layers deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD. Measurements were performed with the interferometer illuminated by two broadband sources operating at 1300 nm and 1550 nm. Reflected interference signal was acquired by an optical spectrum analyzer while the length of the air cavity was varied. Thickness of the ZnO layers used in the experiments was 50 nm, 100 nm, and 200 nm. Uncoated SMF-28 fiber was also used as a reference. Based on the results of measurements, the thickness of the ZnO layers and the length of the cavity were selected in order to achieve good visibility. Following, the interferometer was used to determine the refractive index of selected liquids.
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Vandana; Batra, Neha; Gope, Jhuma; Singh, Rajbir; Panigrahi, Jagannath; Tyagi, Sanjay; Pathi, P; Srivastava, S K; Rauthan, C M S; Singh, P K
2014-10-21
Thermal ALD deposited Al2O3 films on silicon show a marked difference in surface passivation quality as a function of annealing time (using a rapid thermal process). An effective and quality passivation is realized in short anneal duration (∼100 s) in nitrogen ambient which is reflected in the low surface recombination velocity (SRV passivation. Both as-deposited and low thermal budget annealed films show the presence of positive fixed charges and this is never been reported in the literature before. The role of field and chemical passivation is investigated in terms of fixed charge and interface defect densities. Further, the importance of the annealing step sequence in the MIS structure fabrication protocol is also investigated from the view point of its effect on the nature of fixed charges.
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Umam, K.; Mardi, S. N. S.; Hariadi, M.
2017-01-01
The recent popularity of internet messenger based smartphone technologies has motivated some university lecturers to use them for educational activities. These technologies have enormous potential to enhance the teaching and ubiquitous learning experience for smart campus development. However, the design ubiquitous learning model using interactive internet messenger group (IIMG) and empirical evidence that would favor a broad application of mobile and ubiquitous learning in smart campus settings to improve engagement and behavior is still limited. In addition, the expectation that mobile learning could improve engagement and behavior on smart campus cannot be confirmed because the majority of the reviewed studies followed instructions paradigms. This article aims to present ubiquitous learning model design and showing learners’ experiences in improved engagement and behavior using IIMG for learner-learner and learner-lecturer interactions. The method applied in this paper includes design process and quantitative analysis techniques, with the purpose of identifying scenarios of ubiquitous learning and realize the impressions of learners and lecturers about engagement and behavior aspect, and its contribution to learning.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Piotr Ziółkowski
2009-01-01
Full Text Available Nuclear ubiquitous casein and cyclin-dependent kinases substrate (NUCKS is 27 kDa chromosomal protein of unknown function. Its amino acid composition as well as structure of its DNA binding domain resembles that of high-mobility group A, HMGA proteins. HMGA proteins are associated with various malignancies. Since changes in expression of HMGA are considered as marker of tumor progression, it is possible that similar changes in expression of NUCKS could be useful tool in diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer. For identification and analysis of NUCKS we used proteomic and histochemical methods. Analysis of patient-matched samples of normal and breast cancer by mass spectrometry revealed elevated levels of NUCKS in protein extracts from ductal breast cancers. We elicited specific antibodies against NUCKS and used them for immunohistochemistry in invasive ductal carcinoma of breast. We found high expression of NUCKS in 84.3% of cancer cells. We suggest that such overexpression of NUCKS can play significant role in breast cancer biology.
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Multimedia Adaptation in Ubiquitous Environments: Benefits of Structured Multimedia Documents
P.S. Cesar Garcia (Pablo Santiago); I. Vaishnavi (Ishan); R. Kernchen; S. Meissner; M. Boussard; A. Spedalieri; B. Gao (Bo); D.C.A. Bulterman (Dick)
2008-01-01
htmlabstractThis paper demonstrates the advantages of using structured multimedia documents for session management and media distribution in ubiquitous environments. We show how document manipulations can be used to perform powerful operations such as content to context adaptation and presentation
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Twenty-First Century Learning: Communities, Interaction and Ubiquitous Computing
Leh, Amy S.C.; Kouba, Barbara; Davis, Dirk
2005-01-01
Advanced technology makes 21st century learning, communities and interactions unique and leads people to an era of ubiquitous computing. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the discussion of learning in the 21st century. The paper will review literature on learning community, community learning, interaction, 21st century learning and…
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Kim, Kyong-Jee; Hwang, Jee-Young
2016-03-01
Ubiquitous testing has the potential to affect medical education by enhancing the authenticity of the assessment using multimedia items. This study explored medical students' experience with ubiquitous testing and its impact on student learning. A cohort (n=48) of third-year students at a medical school in South Korea participated in this study. The students were divided into two groups and were given different versions of 10 content-matched items: one in text version (the text group) and the other in multimedia version (the multimedia group). Multimedia items were delivered using tablets. Item response analyses were performed to compare item characteristics between the two versions. Additionally, focus group interviews were held to investigate the students' experiences of ubiquitous testing. The mean test score was significantly higher in the text group. Item difficulty and discrimination did not differ between text and multimedia items. The participants generally showed positive responses on ubiquitous testing. Still, they felt that the lectures that they had taken in preclinical years did not prepare them enough for this type of assessment and clinical encounters during clerkships were more helpful. To be better prepared, the participants felt that they needed to engage more actively in learning in clinical clerkships and have more access to multimedia learning resources. Ubiquitous testing can positively affect student learning by reinforcing the importance of being able to understand and apply knowledge in clinical contexts, which drives students to engage more actively in learning in clinical settings.
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Ubiquitous Supervisory System Based on Social Contexts Using Ontology
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Satoru Izumi
2009-01-01
Full Text Available As described in this paper, we propose a supervisory system that considers actual situations and social aspects of users in a ubiquitous computing environment. To realize gentle and safe supervision while providing efficient supervisory services, the system must recognize the situations of a watched person, such as the person's physical condition. To achieve this, we have proposed a ubiquitous supervisory system "uEyes", which introduces Social Context Awareness: a distinguishing feature for supervision. Using this feature, the system can combine environmental information acquired from sensors in the real world and common-sense knowledge related to human activities in daily life. As described in this paper, we specifically examine design of Social Context Awareness using ontology technologies. Based on this advanced feature, a live video streaming system is configured autonomously depending on the users' circumstances in runtime. We implemented a uEyes prototype for supervising elderly people and performed some experiments based on several scenarios. Based on those experimental results, we confirmed that the social contexts are handled effectively to support the supervision.
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Pervasion of what? : techno–human ecologies and their ubiquitous spirits.
Coeckelbergh, Mark
2012-01-01
Are the robots coming? Is the singularity near? Will we be dominated by technology? The usual response to ethical issues raised by pervasive and ubiquitous technologies assumes a philosophical anthropology centered on existential autonomy and agency, a dualistic ontology separating humans from
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Privacy context model for dynamic privacy adaptation in ubiquitous computing
Schaub, Florian; Koenings, Bastian; Dietzel, Stefan; Weber, M.; Kargl, Frank
Ubiquitous computing is characterized by the merger of physical and virtual worlds as physical artifacts gain digital sensing, processing, and communication capabilities. Maintaining an appropriate level of privacy in the face of such complex and often highly dynamic systems is challenging. We argue
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Peng, Hsinyi; Chuang, Po-Ya; Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chu, Hui-Chun; Wu, Ting-Ting; Huang, Shu-Xian
2009-01-01
Researchers have conducted various studies on applying wireless communication and ubiquitous computing technologies to education, so that the technologies can provide learners and educators with more active and adaptive support. This study proposes a Ubiquitous Performance-support System (UPSS) that can facilitate the seamless use of powerful new…
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Darwanto, Agus; Kitazawa, Riko; Mori, Kiyoshi; Kondo, Takeshi; Kitazawa, Sohei
2008-01-01
Hypermethylation-dependent silencing of the gene is achieved by recruiting methyl-CpG binding proteins (MeCPs). Among the MeCPs, MeCP2 is the most abundantly and ubiquitously expressed in various types of cells. We first screened the distribution and expression pattern of MeCP2 in adult and developing rat tissues and found strong MeCP2 expression, albeit rather ubiquitously among normal tissues, in ganglion cells and intestinal epithelium in the small intestine, in Purkinje cells and neurons in the brain, in spermatogonia and in epithelial cells in the epididymal duct of the testis. We then assessed the expression and the methylation pattern of the promoter region of cyclin D1 by immunohistochemistry and sodium bisulfite mapping, and found that cyclin D1 expression in the epididymal duct decreased rapidly during rat development: strong in newborn rats and very weak or almost negative in 7-day-old rats. Mirroring the decrease of cyclin D1 expression, methylated cytosine at both CpG and non-CpG loci in the cyclin D1 promoter was frequently observed in the epididymal duct of 7-day-old rats but not in that of newborn rats. Interestingly, MeCP2 expression also increased concomitant with the increase of methylation. Cyclin D1 expression in the epididymal duct may be efficiently regulated by the epigenetic mechanism of the cooperative increase of MeCP2 expression and promoter methylation
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Metallothionein expression and roles in the CNS
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Penkowa, Milena
2002-01-01
Metallothioneins (MTs) are low-molecular-weight (6-7 kDa) nonenzymatic proteins (60-68 amino acid residues, 25-30% being cysteine) expressed ubiquitous in the animal kingdom. In the central nervous system (CNS), three MT isoforms are known, namely MT-I to MT-III. MT-I and MT-II (MT...
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Properties of slow traps of ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/GeO{sub x}/Ge nMOSFETs with plasma post oxidation
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Ke, M., E-mail: kiramn@mosfet.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Yu, X.; Chang, C.; Takenaka, M.; Takagi, S. [Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan and JST-CREST, K' s Gobancho 6F, 7 Gobancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0076 (Japan)
2016-07-18
The realization of Ge gate stacks with a small amount of slow trap density as well as thin equivalent oxide thickness and low interface state density (D{sub it}) is a crucial issue for Ge CMOS. In this study, we examine the properties of slow traps, particularly the location of slow traps, of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/GeO{sub x}/n-Ge and HfO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/GeO{sub x}/n-Ge MOS interfaces with changing the process and structural parameters, formed by atomic layer deposition (ALD) of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} and HfO{sub 2}/Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} combined with plasma post oxidation. It is found that the slow traps can locate in the GeO{sub x} interfacial layer, not in the ALD Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} layer. Furthermore, we study the time dependence of channel currents in the Ge n-MOSFETs with 5-nm-thick Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}/GeO{sub x}/Ge gate stacks, with changing the thickness of GeO{sub x}, in order to further clarify the position of slow traps. The time dependence of the current drift and the effective time constant of slow traps do not change among the MOSFETs with the different thickness GeO{sub x}, demonstrating that the slow traps mainly exist near the interfaces between Ge and GeO{sub x}.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Huo Ying; Zhu Yalin; Liu Yun
2008-01-01
Objective: To explore the changes of renin, angiotensin and aldosterone system in patients with hepatic disorders. Methods: Plasma renin activity (PRA), AT-II and Ald levels were measured with RIA in 31 patients with viral hepatitis, 35 patients with hepatic cirrhosis and 38 controls. Results: The levels of PRA, AT-II and Ald in patients with viral hepatitis were slightly but non-significantly higher than those in controls (P>0.05). The levels of PRA, AT-II and Ald in patients with cirrhosis were significantly higher than those in controls (P<0.01). Conclusion: RAAS was activated during progression of hepatic disorders and participated in the development of hepatic fibrosis. (authors)
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A survey on web modeling approaches for ubiquitous web applications
Schwinger, W.; Retschitzegger, W.; Schauerhuber, A.; Kappel, G.; Wimmer, M.; Pröll, B.; Cachero Castro, C.; Casteleyn, S.; De Troyer, O.; Fraternali, P.; Garrigos, I.; Garzotto, F.; Ginige, A.; Houben, G.J.P.M.; Koch, N.; Moreno, N.; Pastor, O.; Paolini, P.; Pelechano Ferragud, V.; Rossi, G.; Schwabe, D.; Tisi, M.; Vallecillo, A.; Sluijs, van der K.A.M.; Zhang, G.
2008-01-01
Purpose – Ubiquitous web applications (UWA) are a new type of web applications which are accessed in various contexts, i.e. through different devices, by users with various interests, at anytime from anyplace around the globe. For such full-fledged, complex software systems, a methodologically sound
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PERKAM: Personalized Knowledge Awareness Map for Computer Supported Ubiquitous Learning
El-Bishouty, Moushir M.; Ogata, Hiroaki; Yano, Yoneo
2007-01-01
This paper introduces a ubiquitous computing environment in order to support the learners while doing tasks; this environment is called PERKAM (PERsonalized Knowledge Awareness Map). PERKAM allows the learners to share knowledge, interact, collaborate, and exchange individual experiences. It utilizes the RFID ubiquities technology to detect the…
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A Wireless Sensor Network-Based Ubiquitous Paprika Growth Management System
Hwang, Jeonghwan; Shin, Changsun; Yoe, Hyun
2010-01-01
Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) technology can facilitate advances in productivity, safety and human quality of life through its applications in various industries. In particular, the application of WSN technology to the agricultural area, which is labor-intensive compared to other industries, and in addition is typically lacking in IT technology applications, adds value and can increase the agricultural productivity. This study attempts to establish a ubiquitous agricultural environment and improve the productivity of farms that grow paprika by suggesting a ‘Ubiquitous Paprika Greenhouse Management System’ using WSN technology. The proposed system can collect and monitor information related to the growth environment of crops outside and inside paprika greenhouses by installing WSN sensors and monitoring images captured by CCTV cameras. In addition, the system provides a paprika greenhouse environment control facility for manual and automatic control from a distance, improves the convenience and productivity of users, and facilitates an optimized environment to grow paprika based on the growth environment data acquired by operating the system. PMID:22163543
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Toward ubiquitous healthcare services with a novel efficient cloud platform.
He, Chenguang; Fan, Xiaomao; Li, Ye
2013-01-01
Ubiquitous healthcare services are becoming more and more popular, especially under the urgent demand of the global aging issue. Cloud computing owns the pervasive and on-demand service-oriented natures, which can fit the characteristics of healthcare services very well. However, the abilities in dealing with multimodal, heterogeneous, and nonstationary physiological signals to provide persistent personalized services, meanwhile keeping high concurrent online analysis for public, are challenges to the general cloud. In this paper, we proposed a private cloud platform architecture which includes six layers according to the specific requirements. This platform utilizes message queue as a cloud engine, and each layer thereby achieves relative independence by this loosely coupled means of communications with publish/subscribe mechanism. Furthermore, a plug-in algorithm framework is also presented, and massive semistructure or unstructured medical data are accessed adaptively by this cloud architecture. As the testing results showing, this proposed cloud platform, with robust, stable, and efficient features, can satisfy high concurrent requests from ubiquitous healthcare services.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Aziz, Ramy K.; Khaw, Valerie L.; Monk, Jonathan M.
2015-01-01
Mathematical models of biochemical networks form a cornerstone of bacterial systems biology. Inconsistencies between simulation output and experimental data point to gaps in knowledge about the fundamental biology of the organism. One such inconsistency centers on the gene aldA in Escherichia col...
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A Client-Server System for Ubiquitous Video Service
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ronit Nossenson
2012-12-01
Full Text Available In this work we introduce a simple client-server system architecture and algorithms for ubiquitous live video and VOD service support. The main features of the system are: efficient usage of network resources, emphasis on user personalization, and ease of implementation. The system supports many continuous service requirements such as QoS provision, user mobility between networks and between different communication devices, and simultaneous usage of a device by a number of users.
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CyberPsychological Computation on Social Community of Ubiquitous Learning
Zhou, Xuan; Dai, Genghui; Huang, Shuang; Sun, Xuemin; Hu, Feng; Hu, Hongzhi; Ivanović, Mirjana
2015-01-01
Under the modern network environment, ubiquitous learning has been a popular way for people to study knowledge, exchange ideas, and share skills in the cyberspace. Existing research findings indicate that the learners' initiative and community cohesion play vital roles in the social communities of ubiquitous learning, and therefore how to stimulate the learners' interest and participation willingness so as to improve their enjoyable experiences in the learning process should be the primary consideration on this issue. This paper aims to explore an effective method to monitor the learners' psychological reactions based on their behavioral features in cyberspace and therefore provide useful references for adjusting the strategies in the learning process. In doing so, this paper firstly analyzes the psychological assessment of the learners' situations as well as their typical behavioral patterns and then discusses the relationship between the learners' psychological reactions and their observable features in cyberspace. Finally, this paper puts forward a CyberPsychological computation method to estimate the learners' psychological states online. Considering the diversity of learners' habitual behaviors in the reactions to their psychological changes, a BP-GA neural network is proposed for the computation based on their personalized behavioral patterns. PMID:26557846
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System architecture for ubiquitous live video streaming in university network environment
CSIR Research Space (South Africa)
Dludla, AG
2013-09-01
Full Text Available an architecture which supports ubiquitous live streaming for university or campus networks using a modified bluetooth inquiry mechanism with extended ID, integrated end-user device usage and adaptation to heterogeneous networks. Riding on that architecture...
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Development of Wearable Systems for Ubiquitous Healthcare Service Provisioning
Ogunduyile, O.O.; Olugbara, O.O.; Lall, M.
2013-01-01
This paper reports on the development of a wearable system using wireless biomedical sensors for ubiquitous healthcare service provisioning. The prototype system is developed to address current healthcare challenges such as increasing cost of services, inability to access diverse services, low quality services and increasing population of elderly as experienced globally. The biomedical sensors proactively collect physiological data of remote patients to recommend diagnostic services. The prot...
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Noise and Vibration Risk Prevention Virtual Web for Ubiquitous Training
Redel-Macías, María Dolores; Cubero-Atienza, Antonio J.; Martínez-Valle, José Miguel; Pedrós-Pérez, Gerardo; del Pilar Martínez-Jiménez, María
2015-01-01
This paper describes a new Web portal offering experimental labs for ubiquitous training of university engineering students in work-related risk prevention. The Web-accessible computer program simulates the noise and machine vibrations met in the work environment, in a series of virtual laboratories that mimic an actual laboratory and provide the…
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Tissue specific and androgen-regulated expression of human prostate-specific transglutaminase
H.J. Dubbink (Erik Jan); N.S. Verkaik (Nicole); P.W. Faber; J. Trapman (Jan); F.H. Schröder (Fritz); J.C. Romijn (Johannes)
1996-01-01
textabstractTransglutaminases (TGases) are calcium-dependent enzymes catalysing the post-translational cross-linking of proteins. In the prostate at least two TGases are present, the ubiquitously expressed tissue-type TGase (TGC), and a prostate-restricted TGase (TGP).
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NOVEL APPLICATIONS FOR EMERGING MARKETS USING TELEVISION AS A UBIQUITOUS DEVICE
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pal, Arpan
2013-01-01
– personal computer (including laptop and tablet), television and mobile (including smart phone). For emerging market countries like India, personal computers are not yet affordable to masses and most of the people are not savvy or skilled enough to operate a personal computer. Mobile phones, though being...... connected to the internet-world in a low-cost manner, it has the potential of becoming the ―Ubiquitous Computing Screen‖ for the home. The emerging markets are characterized by some unique issues like low bandwidth / low Quality-of-Service (QoS) of the available wireless networks, extreme cost...... solutions for seamlessly blending Internet with broadcasting content. To this end, in this thesis a novel application development framework is proposed first on top of a low-cost over-the-top box that uses television as a ubiquitous device with a focus on emerging markets. Then an end-to-end solution...
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A Wireless Sensor Network-Based Ubiquitous Paprika Growth Management System
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jeonghwan Hwang
2010-12-01
Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Network (WSN technology can facilitate advances in productivity, safety and human quality of life through its applications in various industries. In particular, the application of WSN technology to the agricultural area, which is labor-intensive compared to other industries, and in addition is typically lacking in IT technology applications, adds value and can increase the agricultural productivity. This study attempts to establish a ubiquitous agricultural environment and improve the productivity of farms that grow paprika by suggesting a ‘Ubiquitous Paprika Greenhouse Management System’ using WSN technology. The proposed system can collect and monitor information related to the growth environment of crops outside and inside paprika greenhouses by installing WSN sensors and monitoring images captured by CCTV cameras. In addition, the system provides a paprika greenhouse environment control facility for manual and automatic control from a distance, improves the convenience and productivity of users, and facilitates an optimized environment to grow paprika based on the growth environment data acquired by operating the system.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
M. A. Shoushtari
2014-10-01
Full Text Available The growing trend in technological advances and Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS has targeted for intelligent human lives. Accordingly, Ubiquitous Computing Approach was proposed by Mark Weiser. This paper proposes an ubiquitous surveying solution in Geometrics and surveying field. Ubiquitous Surveying provides cost-effective, smart and available surveying techniques while traditional surveying equipment are so expensive and have small availability specially in indoor and daily surveying jobs. In order to have a smart surveying instrument, different information technology methods and tools like Triangle method, Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI method and laser sensor are used. These new ways in combine with surveying equations introduces a modern surveying equipment called Ubi-Total Station that also employed different sensors embedded in smartphone and mobile stand. RSSI-based localization and Triangle method technique are easy and well known methods to predict the position of an unknown node in indoor environments whereas additional measures are required for a sufficient accuracy. In this paper the main goal is to introduce the Ubiquitous Total Station as a development in smart and ubiquitous GIS. In order to public use of the surveying equipment, design and implementation of this instrument has been done. Conceptual model of Smartphone-based system is designed for this study and based on this model, an Android application as a first sample is developed. Finally the evaluations shows that absolute errors in X and Y calculation are 0.028 and 0.057 meter respectively. Also RMSE of 0.26 was calculated in RSSI method for distance measurement. The high price of traditional equipment and their requirement for professional surveyors has given way to intelligent surveying. In the suggested system, smartphones can be used as tools for positioning and coordinating geometric information of objects.
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Mao, Xiaoli; Wu, Yunyun; Diao, Huitian; Hao, Jianlei; Tian, Gaofei; Jia, Zhenghu; Li, Zheng; Xiong, Sidong; Wu, Zhenzhou; Wang, Puyue; Zhao, Liqing; Yin, Zhinan
2014-11-01
Our aim is to reveal the role of interleukin 6 (IL-6) in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in a murine model of SLE. Normal female C57BL/6 mice were immunized with syngeneic-activated lymphocyte-derived DNA (ALD-DNA) to induce SLE. Non-immunized mice were used as control. SLE-associated markers, including anti-double-stranded DNA (anti-dsDNA) Abs, urine protein, and kidney histopathology, were assayed to ensure the induction of the disease. Compared with control mice, ALD-DNA immunized mice exhibited high levels of anti-dsDNA Abs, IL-6 expression in vivo and in vitro. We also found that IL-6 knockout (IL-6KO) mice were resistant to ALD-DNA-induced SLE. The activation of CD4(+) T cells in immunized IL-6KO mice was lower than in immunized wild-type (Wt) mice. Intracellular cytokine staining showed that Foxp3 expression in immunized IL-6KO mice was higher than in immunized Wt mice, which might be associated with the disease severity. We further discovered that ALD-DNA-stimulated dendritic cells supernatants could result in higher IL-6 and TNF-α expression and could suppress Foxp3 expression. In addition, blocking IL-6 could up-regulate Foxp3 expression. Therefore, our findings show that IL-6 promotes the progression of SLE via suppressing Treg differentiation.
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Cheng, Chih-Fu; Pan, Tzu-Ming
2018-03-01
Alcoholic hepatitis is a necroinflammatory process that is associated with fibrosis and leads to cirrhosis in 40% of cases. The hepatoprotective effects of red mold dioscorea (RMD) from Monascus purpureus NTU 568 were evaluated in vivo using a mouse model of chronic alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD). ALD mice were orally administered vehicle (ALD group) or vehicle plus 307.5, 615.0 or 1537.5 mg kg -1 (1 ×, 2 × and 5 ×) RMD for 5 weeks. RMD lowered serum leptin, hepatic total cholesterol, free fatty acid and hepatic triglyceride levels and increased serum adiponectin, hepatic alcohol dehydrogenase and antioxidant enzyme levels. Furthermore, ankaflavin (AK) and monascin (MS), metabolites of RMD fermented with M. purpureus 568, induced peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ expression and the concomitant suppression of ethanol-induced elevation of sterol regulatory element-binding transcription factor-1 and TG in HepG2 cells. These results indicate the hepatoprotective effect of Monascus-fermented RMD. Moreover, AK and MS were identified as the active constituents of RMD for the first time and were shown to protect against ethanol-induced liver damage. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.
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Evaluating Ubiquitous Media Usability Challenges: Content Transfer and Channel Switching Delays
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Fleury, Alexandre; Pedersen, Jakob Schou; Larsen, Lars Bo
2011-01-01
As ubiquitous media is developing rapidly, new HCI challenges emerge. In this paper, we address usability issues related to the transfer of content between fixed and mobile devices, as well as channel switching delays on mobile devices. We first provide an extensive review of the field. We...
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A new concept for spatially divided Deep Reactive Ion Etching with ALD-based passivation
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Roozeboom, F; Kniknie, B; Lankhorst, A M; Winands, G; Knaapen, R; Smets, M; Poodt, P; Dingemans, G; Keuning, W; Kessels, W M M
2012-01-01
Conventional Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) is a plasma etch process with alternating half-cycles of 1) Si-etching with SF 6 to form gaseous SiF x etch products, and 2) passivation with C 4 F 8 that polymerizes as a protecting fluorocarbon deposit on the sidewalls and bottom of the etched features. In this work we report on a novel alternative and disruptive technology concept of Spatially-divided Deep Reactive Ion Etching, S-DRIE, where the process is converted from the time-divided into the spatially divided regime. The spatial division can be accomplished by inert gas bearing 'curtains' of heights down to ∼20 μm. These curtains confine the reactive gases to individual (often linear) injection slots constructed in a gas injector head. By horizontally moving the substrate back and forth under the head one can realize the alternate exposures to the overall cycle. A second improvement in the spatially divided approach is the replacement of the CVD-based C 4 F 8 passivation steps by ALD-based oxide (e.g. SiO 2 ) deposition cycles. The method can have industrial potential in cost-effective creation of advanced 3D interconnects (TSVs), MEMS manufacturing and advanced patterning, e.g., in nanoscale transistor line edge roughness using Atomic Layer Etching.
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FAN-SHAPED JETS IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL RECONNECTION SIMULATION AS A MODEL OF UBIQUITOUS SOLAR JETS
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Jiang Ronglin; Fang Cheng; Shibata, Kazunari; Isobe, Hiroaki
2011-01-01
Magnetic reconnection is a fundamental process in space and astrophysical plasmas in which the oppositely directed magnetic field changes its connectivity and eventually converts its energy into kinetic and thermal energy of the plasma. Recently, ubiquitous jets (for example, chromospheric anemone jets, penumbral microjets, umbral light bridge jets) have been observed by the Solar Optical Telescope on board the satellite Hinode. These tiny and frequently occurring jets are considered to be a possible evidence of small-scale ubiquitous reconnection in the solar atmosphere. However, the details of three-dimensional (3D) magnetic configuration are still not very clear. Here, we propose a new model based on 3D simulations of magnetic reconnection using a typical current sheet magnetic configuration with a strong guide field. The most interesting feature is that the jets produced by the reconnection eventually move along the guide field lines. This model provides a fresh understanding of newly discovered ubiquitous jets and moreover a new observational basis for the theory of astrophysical magnetic reconnection.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Francisco Javier Ferrández-Pastor
2016-07-01
Full Text Available The application of Information Technologies into Precision Agriculture methods has clear benefits. Precision Agriculture optimises production efficiency, increases quality, minimises environmental impact and reduces the use of resources (energy, water; however, there are different barriers that have delayed its wide development. Some of these main barriers are expensive equipment, the difficulty to operate and maintain and the standard for sensor networks are still under development. Nowadays, new technological development in embedded devices (hardware and communication protocols, the evolution of Internet technologies (Internet of Things and ubiquitous computing (Ubiquitous Sensor Networks allow developing less expensive systems, easier to control, install and maintain, using standard protocols with low-power consumption. This work develops and test a low-cost sensor/actuator network platform, based in Internet of Things, integrating machine-to-machine and human-machine-interface protocols. Edge computing uses this multi-protocol approach to develop control processes on Precision Agriculture scenarios. A greenhouse with hydroponic crop production was developed and tested using Ubiquitous Sensor Network monitoring and edge control on Internet of Things paradigm. The experimental results showed that the Internet technologies and Smart Object Communication Patterns can be combined to encourage development of Precision Agriculture. They demonstrated added benefits (cost, energy, smart developing, acceptance by agricultural specialists when a project is launched.
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Ferrández-Pastor, Francisco Javier; García-Chamizo, Juan Manuel; Nieto-Hidalgo, Mario; Mora-Pascual, Jerónimo; Mora-Martínez, José
2016-07-22
The application of Information Technologies into Precision Agriculture methods has clear benefits. Precision Agriculture optimises production efficiency, increases quality, minimises environmental impact and reduces the use of resources (energy, water); however, there are different barriers that have delayed its wide development. Some of these main barriers are expensive equipment, the difficulty to operate and maintain and the standard for sensor networks are still under development. Nowadays, new technological development in embedded devices (hardware and communication protocols), the evolution of Internet technologies (Internet of Things) and ubiquitous computing (Ubiquitous Sensor Networks) allow developing less expensive systems, easier to control, install and maintain, using standard protocols with low-power consumption. This work develops and test a low-cost sensor/actuator network platform, based in Internet of Things, integrating machine-to-machine and human-machine-interface protocols. Edge computing uses this multi-protocol approach to develop control processes on Precision Agriculture scenarios. A greenhouse with hydroponic crop production was developed and tested using Ubiquitous Sensor Network monitoring and edge control on Internet of Things paradigm. The experimental results showed that the Internet technologies and Smart Object Communication Patterns can be combined to encourage development of Precision Agriculture. They demonstrated added benefits (cost, energy, smart developing, acceptance by agricultural specialists) when a project is launched.
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Kolek, J; Diallo, M; Vasylkivska, M; Branska, B; Sedlar, K; López-Contreras, A M; Patakova, P
2017-11-01
The production of acetone, butanol and ethanol by fermentation of renewable biomass has potential to become a valuable industrial process. Mechanisms of solvent production and sporulation involve some common regulators in some ABE-producing clostridia, although details of the links between the pathways are not clear. In this study, we compare a wild-type (WT) Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B-598 with its mutant strain OESpo0A, in which the gene encoding Spo0A, an important regulator of both sporulation and solventogenesis, is overexpressed in terms of solvent and acid production. We also compare morphologies during growth on two different media: TYA broth, where the WT culture sporulates, and RCM, where the WT culture does not. In addition, RT-qPCR-based analysis of expression profiles of spo0A, spoIIE, sigG, spoVD, ald and buk1 genes involved in sporulation or solvent production in these strains, were compared. The OESpo0A mutant did not produce spores and butanol titre was lower compared to the WT, but increased amounts of butyric acid and ethanol were produced. The gene spo0A had high levels of expression in the WT under non-sporulating culture conditions while other selected genes for sporulation factors were downregulated significantly. Similar observations were obtained for OESpo0A where spo0A overexpression and downregulation of other sporulation genes were demonstrated. Higher expression of spo0A led to higher expression of buk1 and ald, which could confirm the role of spo0A in activation of the solventogenic pathway, although solvent production was not affected significantly in the WT and was weakened in the OESpo0A mutant.
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Ubiquitous health in practice: the interreality paradigm.
Gaggioli, Andrea; Raspelli, Simona; Grassi, Alessandra; Pallavicini, Federica; Cipresso, Pietro; Wiederhold, Brenda K; Riva, Giuseppe
2011-01-01
In this paper we introduce a new ubiquitous computing paradigm for behavioral health care: "Interreality". Interreality integrates assessment and treatment within a hybrid environment, that creates a bridge between the physical and virtual worlds. Our claim is that bridging virtual experiences (fully controlled by the therapist, used to learn coping skills and emotional regulation) with real experiences (allowing both the identification of any critical stressors and the assessment of what has been learned) using advanced technologies (virtual worlds, advanced sensors and PDA/mobile phones) may improve existing psychological treatment. To illustrate the proposed concept, a clinical scenario is also presented and discussed: Daniela, a 40 years old teacher, with a mother affected by Alzheimer's disease.
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Lally, Vic; Sharples, Mike; Tracy, Frances; Bertram, Neil; Masters, Sherriden
2012-01-01
In this article, we examine the ethical dimensions of researching the mobile, ubiquitous and immersive technology enhanced learning (MUITEL), with a particular focus on learning in informal settings. We begin with an analysis of the interactions between mobile, ubiquitous and immersive technologies and the wider context of the digital economy. In…
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Application of ubiquitous computing in personal health monitoring systems.
Kunze, C; Grossmann, U; Stork, W; Müller-Glaser, K D
2002-01-01
A possibility to significantly reduce the costs of public health systems is to increasingly use information technology. The Laboratory for Information Processing Technology (ITIV) at the University of Karlsruhe is developing a personal health monitoring system, which should improve health care and at the same time reduce costs by combining micro-technological smart sensors with personalized, mobile computing systems. In this paper we present how ubiquitous computing theory can be applied in the health-care domain.
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Ubiquitous Knowledge Construction: Mobile Learning Re-Defined and a Conceptual Framework
Peng, Hsinyi; Su, Yi-Ju; Chou, Chien; Tsai, Chin-Chung
2009-01-01
Emerging from recent mobile technologies, mobile learning, or m-learning, is beginning to offer "stunning new technical capabilities" in education (DiGiano et al., 2003). This new genre of learning is viewed as a revolutionary stage in educational technology. However, ubiquitous computing technologies have given rise to several issues. This…
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Kanagarajan, Sujith; Ramakrishnan, Sivakumar
2018-01-01
Ubiquitous Learning Environment (ULE) has been becoming a mobile and sensor based technology equipped environment that suits the modern world education discipline requirements for the past few years. Ambient Intelligence (AmI) makes much smarter the ULE by the support of optimization and intelligent techniques. Various efforts have been so far…
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Ubiquitous Multicriteria Clinic Recommendation System.
Chen, Toly
2016-05-01
Advancements in information, communication, and sensor technologies have led to new opportunities in medical care and education. Patients in general prefer visiting the nearest clinic, attempt to avoid waiting for treatment, and have unequal preferences for different clinics and doctors. Therefore, to enable patients to compare multiple clinics, this study proposes a ubiquitous multicriteria clinic recommendation system. In this system, patients can send requests through their cell phones to the system server to obtain a clinic recommendation. Once the patient sends this information to the system, the system server first estimates the patient's speed according to the detection results of a global positioning system. It then applies a fuzzy integer nonlinear programming-ordered weighted average approach to assess four criteria and finally recommends a clinic with maximal utility to the patient. The proposed methodology was tested in a field experiment, and the experimental results showed that it is advantageous over two existing methods in elevating the utilities of recommendations. In addition, such an advantage was shown to be statistically significant.
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Börner, Dirk
2010-01-01
Börner, D. (2010, 19-21 March). Ambient Learning Displays Distributed Mixed Reality Information Mash-ups to support Ubiquitous Learning. Presented at the IADIS International Conference Mobile Learning 2010, Porto, Portugal.
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Ubiquitous Wireless Sensor Networks and future “Internet of Things""
Vermesan, Ovidiu
2009-01-01
Overview of heterogeneous networks of embedded devices that can range from RFID, to smart identifiable systems with sensing and actuating capabilitie. Presentation of wireless sensor networks protocols and Internet of Things future technology. Bridging the real, virtual and digital worlds by using wireless connectivity. Application examples in automotive, aeronautics, healthcare, building, oil and gas industries. Ubiquitous Wireless Sensor Networks and future “Internet ...
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Discovery, characterization, and kinetic analysis of an alditol oxidase from streptomyces coelicolor
Heuts, Dominic P. H. M.; van Hellemond, Erik W.; Janssen, Dick B.; Fraaije, Marco W.
2007-01-01
A gene encoding an alditol oxidase was found in the genome of Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2). This newly identified oxidase, AldO, was expressed at extremely high levels in Escherichia coli when fused to maltose-binding protein. AldO is a soluble monomeric flavoprotein with subunits of 45.1 kDa, each
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Four Stages of Research on the Educational Use of Ubiquitous Computing
Laru, Jari; Naykki, Piia; Järvelä, Sanna
2015-01-01
In this paper, the Gartner Group's hype cycle is used as the basis for categorizing and analyzing research on the educational use of ubiquitous computing. There are five phases of the hype cycle: the technology trigger, the peak of inflated expectations, the trough of disillusionment, the slope of enlightenment, and the plateau of productivity.…
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Programmable ubiquitous telerobotic devices
Doherty, Michael; Greene, Matthew; Keaton, David; Och, Christian; Seidl, Matthew L.; Waite, William; Zorn, Benjamin G.
1997-12-01
We are investigating a field of research that we call ubiquitous telepresence, which involves the design and implementation of low-cost robotic devices that can be programmed and operated from anywhere on the Internet. These devices, which we call ubots, can be used for academic purposes (e.g., a biologist could remote conduct a population survey), commercial purposes (e.g., a house could be shown remotely by a real-estate agent), and for recreation and education (e.g., someone could tour a museum remotely). We anticipate that such devices will become increasingly common due to recent changes in hardware and software technology. In particular, current hardware technology enables such devices to be constructed very cheaply (less than $500), and current software and network technology allows highly portable code to be written and downloaded across the Internet. In this paper, we present our prototype system architecture, and the ubot implementation we have constructed based on it. The hardware technology we use is the handy board, a 6811-based controller board with digital and analog inputs and outputs. Our software includes a network layer based on TCP/IP and software layers written in Java. Our software enables users across the Internet to program the behavior of the vehicle and to receive image feedback from a camera mounted on it.
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Using TinyOS Components for the Design of an Adaptive Ubiquitous System
Kaya, O.S.; Durmaz, O.; Dulman, S.O.; Gemesi, R.; Jansen, P.G.; Havinga, Paul J.M.
2005-01-01
This work is an initiative attempt toward component-based software engineering in ubiquitous computing systems. Software components cooperate in a distributed manner to meet a demand, and adapt their software bindings during run-time depending on the context information. There are two main research
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Using TinyOS Components for the Design of an Adaptive Ubiquitous System
Kaya, O.S.; Durmaz, O.; Dulman, S.O.; Gemesi, R.; Jansen, P.G.; Havinga, Paul J.M.
This work is an initiative attempt toward component-based software engineering in ubiquitous computing systems. Software components cooperate in a distributed manner to meet a demand, and adapt their software bindings during run-time depending on the context information. There are two main research
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Rodríguez-Domínguez, Carlos; Benghazi, Kawtar; Noguera, Manuel; Garrido, José Luis; Rodríguez, María Luisa; Ruiz-López, Tomás
2012-01-01
The Request-Response (RR) paradigm is widely used in ubiquitous systems to exchange information in a secure, reliable and timely manner. Nonetheless, there is also an emerging need for adopting the Publish-Subscribe (PubSub) paradigm in this kind of systems, due to the advantages that this paradigm offers in supporting mobility by means of asynchronous, non-blocking and one-to-many message distribution semantics for event notification. This paper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of both the RR and PubSub paradigms to support communications in ubiquitous systems and proposes an abstract communication model in order to enable their seamless integration. Thus, developers will be focused on communication semantics and the required quality properties, rather than be concerned about specific communication mechanisms. The aim is to provide developers with abstractions intended to decrease the complexity of integrating different communication paradigms commonly needed in ubiquitous systems. The proposal has been applied to implement a middleware and a real home automation system to show its applicability and benefits.
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Lim, Jeff
2013-01-01
"A ubiquitous English vocabulary learning system: evidence of active/passive attitudes vs. usefulness/ease-of-use" introduces and develops "Ubiquitous English Vocabulary Learning" (UEFL) system. It introduces to the memorization using the video clips. According to their paper the video clip gives a better chance for students to…
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Selection for the compactness of highly expressed genes in Gallus gallus
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhou Ming
2010-05-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Coding sequence (CDS length, gene size, and intron length vary within a genome and among genomes. Previous studies in diverse organisms, including human, D. Melanogaster, C. elegans, S. cerevisiae, and Arabidopsis thaliana, indicated that there are negative relationships between expression level and gene size, CDS length as well as intron length. Different models such as selection for economy model, genomic design model, and mutational bias hypotheses have been proposed to explain such observation. The debate of which model is a superior one to explain the observation has not been settled down. The chicken (Gallus gallus is an important model organism that bridges the evolutionary gap between mammals and other vertebrates. As D. Melanogaster, chicken has a larger effective population size, selection for chicken genome is expected to be more effective in increasing protein synthesis efficiency. Therefore, in this study the chicken was used as a model organism to elucidate the interaction between gene features and expression pattern upon selection pressure. Results Based on different technologies, we gathered expression data for nuclear protein coding, single-splicing genes from Gallus gallus genome and compared them with gene parameters. We found that gene size, CDS length, first intron length, average intron length, and total intron length are negatively correlated with expression level and expression breadth significantly. The tissue specificity is positively correlated with the first intron length but negatively correlated with the average intron length, and not correlated with the CDS length and protein domain numbers. Comparison analyses showed that ubiquitously expressed genes and narrowly expressed genes with the similar expression levels do not differ in compactness. Our data provided evidence that the genomic design model can not, at least in part, explain our observations. We grouped all somatic-tissue-specific genes
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Thermoelectric characterization of Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films deposited by ALD
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Zastrow, Sebastian; Schumacher, Christian; Nielsch, Kornelius [University of Hamburg (Germany); Regus, Matthias [University of Kiel (Germany); Schulz, Stephan [University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany)
2012-07-01
Thermoelectric materials can be used as temperature sensors or peltier cooling devices as well as to recover a part of the massive losses of energy due to the waste heat generated in fossil-fuel driven power plants and vehicles. Antimony Telluride (Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3}) is a p-doped semiconductor and in the focus of interest for room temperature applications because of its thermoelectric peak performance at around 350 K. However, thermoelectric properties of Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} ALD thin films have not been reported yet. Based on the work of Pore et al., Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} is deposited with a home-made reactor on SiO{sub 2} by using (Et{sub 3}Si){sub 2}Te and SbCl{sub 3}. The surface roughness as well as the growth rate depend strongly on the deposition temperature as reported by Cu et al. To check the preferential growth directions and the composition, XRD and EDX measurements are carried out. The thermoelectric properties are influenced by the deposition parameters. Therefore, spatial scans of the Seebeck coefficient are performed and the electrical resistivity is measured. In order to enhance the thermoelectric performance, a first optimization by short annealing processes is done under helium atmosphere up to 570 K. The authors would like to thank the ''Karl-Vossloh-Stiftung''.
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Chen, Shu-Ching; Choo, Kim-Kwang
2017-01-01
This book presents the proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Multimedia and Ubiquitous Engineering (MUE2017) and the 12th International Conference on Future Information Technology (FutureTech2017), held in Seoul, South Korea on May 22–24, 2017. These two conferences provided an opportunity for academic and industrial professionals to discuss recent advances in the area of multimedia and ubiquitous environments including models and systems, new directions, and novel applications associated with the utilization and acceptance of ubiquitous computing devices and systems. The resulting papers address the latest technological innovations in the fields of digital convergence, multimedia convergence, intelligent applications, embedded systems, mobile and wireless communications, bio-inspired computing, grid and cloud computing, semantic web, user experience, HCI, and security and trust computing. The book offers a valuable resource for a broad readership, including students, academic researchers, and...
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A Socio-technical study of an Ubiquitous CPOE-system in Local Use
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Wentzer, Helle; Böttger, Ulrich; Boye, Niels
2006-01-01
, transformation in competencies, and less time spent at the bedside for nurses and doctors, as a system - constructed for ubiquitous drug-order entries and handling - was implemented for local use. This study throws light on problems of patient continuity, patient-related and IT-system-related error...
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Zhu, Shan; Pang, Fufei; Huang, Sujuan; Zou, Fang; Guo, Qiang; Wen, Jianxiang; Wang, Tingyun
2016-01-01
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology is introduced to fabricate a high sensitivity refractometer based on an adiabatic tapered optical fiber. Different thicknesses of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanofilm were coated around the tapered fiber precisely and uniformly under different deposition cycles. Attributed to the higher refractive index of the TiO2 nanofilm compared to that of silica, an asymmetric Fabry–Perot (F-P) resonator could be constructed along the fiber taper. The central wavelength of the F-P resonator could be controlled by adjusting the thickness of the TiO2 nanofilm. Such a F-P resonator is sensitive to changes in the surrounding refractive index (SRI), which is utilized to realize a high sensitivity refractometer. The refractometer developed by depositing 50.9-nm-thickness TiO2 on the tapered fiber shows SRI sensitivity as high as 7096 nm/RIU in the SRI range of 1.3373–1.3500. Due to TiO2’s advantages of high refractive index, lack of toxicity, and good biocompatibility, this refractometer is expected to have wide applications in the biochemical sensing field. PMID:27537885
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HSDPA (3.5G)-based ubiquitous integrated biotelemetry system for emergency care.
Kang, Jaemin; Shin, Il Hyung; Koo, Yoonseo; Jung, Min Yang; Suh, Gil Joon; Kim, Hee Chan
2007-01-01
We have developed the second prototype system of Ubiquitous Integrated Biotelemetry System for Emergency Care(UIBSEC) using a HSDPA(High Speed Downlink Packet Access) modem to be used by emergency rescuers to get directions from medical doctors in providing emergency medical services for patients in ambulance. Five vital bio-signal instrumentation modules have been implemented, which include noninvasive arterial blood pressure (NIBP), arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2), 6-channel electro-cardiogram(ECG), blood glucose level, and body temperature and real-time motion picture of the patient and GPS information are also taken. Measured patient data, captured motion picture and GPS information are then transferred to a doctor's PC through the HSDPA and TCP/IP networks using stand-alone HSDPA modem. Most prominent feature of the developed system is that it is based on the HSDPA backbone networks available in Korea now, through which we will be able to establish a ubiquitous emergency healthcare service system.
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Ubiquitous health monitoring and real-time cardiac arrhythmias detection: a case study.
Li, Jian; Zhou, Haiying; Zuo, Decheng; Hou, Kun-Mean; De Vaulx, Christophe
2014-01-01
As the symptoms and signs of heart diseases that cause sudden cardiac death, cardiac arrhythmia has attracted great attention. Due to limitations in time and space, traditional approaches to cardiac arrhythmias detection fail to provide a real-time continuous monitoring and testing service applicable in different environmental conditions. Integrated with the latest technologies in ECG (electrocardiograph) analysis and medical care, the pervasive computing technology makes possible the ubiquitous cardiac care services, and thus brings about new technical challenges, especially in the formation of cardiac care architecture and realization of the real-time automatic ECG detection algorithm dedicated to care devices. In this paper, a ubiquitous cardiac care prototype system is presented with its architecture framework well elaborated. This prototype system has been tested and evaluated in all the clinical-/home-/outdoor-care modes with a satisfactory performance in providing real-time continuous cardiac arrhythmias monitoring service unlimitedly adaptable in time and space.
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Real-time long term measurement using integrated framework for ubiquitous smart monitoring
Heo, Gwanghee; Lee, Giu; Lee, Woosang; Jeon, Joonryong; Kim, Pil-Joong
2007-04-01
Ubiquitous monitoring combining internet technologies and wireless communication is one of the most promising technologies of infrastructure health monitoring against the natural of man-made hazards. In this paper, an integrated framework of the ubiquitous monitoring is developed for real-time long term measurement in internet environment. This framework develops a wireless sensor system based on Bluetooth technology and sends measured acceleration data to the host computer through TCP/IP protocol. And it is also designed to respond to the request of web user on real time basis. In order to verify this system, real time monitoring tests are carried out on a prototype self-anchored suspension bridge. Also, wireless measurement system is analyzed to estimate its sensing capacity and evaluate its performance for monitoring purpose. Based on the evaluation, this paper proposes the effective strategies for integrated framework in order to detect structural deficiencies and to design an early warning system.
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Design and Implementation of Ubiquitous Health System U-Health Using Smart-Watches Sensors
Razavi Termeh, V.; Sadeghi Niaraki, A.
2015-12-01
Today as diseases grow rapidly, the responsibilities of the health clinics in giving services to patients increase and patients have to be more monitored and controlled. Remote systems of monitoring patients result in reducing cost, ease of movement, and also persistent control of patients by their doctors, so that patient can be monitored without need to go to the clinic. Recent advances in the field of ubiquitous sciences as well as using smartphones have resulted in increasingly use of this devices in remote monitoring of patients. The aim of this paper is to design and implement a ubiquitous health system using smartphones and sensors of smart-watches. This is accomplished through the information sent to the smartphone from the sensors of the watch, e.g. heart beat measurement sensor and ultraviolet ray. Then, this information is analyzed in the smartphone and some information based on the position of the patient and the path of him/her using GIS analyses as well as the information about the health level of the patient is sent to the doctor via SMS or phone call. Unnatural heart beats can be resulted in diseases such as Heart Failure and Arterial Fibrillation. With the approach adopted in this study, the patient or the doctor could be aware of these diseases at any time. The proposed approach is a low cost, without need to complex and resilient equipment, system in ubiquitous health that does not limit the movement of the patient.
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Conditions for Ubiquitous Computing: What Can Be Learned from a Longitudinal Study
Lei, Jing
2010-01-01
Based on survey data and interview data collected over four academic years, this longitudinal study examined how a ubiquitous computing project evolved along with the changes in teachers, students, the human infrastructure, and technology infrastructure in the school. This study also investigated what conditions were necessary for successful…
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National Research Council Canada - National Science Library
Wani, Altaf
2003-01-01
A series of column studies, with aquifer material from the former Nebraska Ordnance Plant, were performed to explore the phenomenon of electron competition from ubiquitous inorganic electron acceptors (nitrate and sulfate...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tomás Ruiz-López
2012-06-01
Full Text Available The Request-Response (RR paradigm is widely used in ubiquitous systems to exchange information in a secure, reliable and timely manner. Nonetheless, there is also an emerging need for adopting the Publish-Subscribe (PubSub paradigm in this kind of systems, due to the advantages that this paradigm offers in supporting mobility by means of asynchronous, non-blocking and one-to-many message distribution semantics for event notification. This paper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of both the RR and PubSub paradigms to support communications in ubiquitous systems and proposes an abstract communication model in order to enable their seamless integration. Thus, developers will be focused on communication semantics and the required quality properties, rather than be concerned about specific communication mechanisms. The aim is to provide developers with abstractions intended to decrease the complexity of integrating different communication paradigms commonly needed in ubiquitous systems. The proposal has been applied to implement a middleware and a real home automation system to show its applicability and benefits.
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Rodríguez-Domínguez, Carlos; Benghazi, Kawtar; Noguera, Manuel; Garrido, José Luis; Rodríguez, María Luisa; Ruiz-López, Tomás
2012-01-01
The Request-Response (RR) paradigm is widely used in ubiquitous systems to exchange information in a secure, reliable and timely manner. Nonetheless, there is also an emerging need for adopting the Publish-Subscribe (PubSub) paradigm in this kind of systems, due to the advantages that this paradigm offers in supporting mobility by means of asynchronous, non-blocking and one-to-many message distribution semantics for event notification. This paper analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of both the RR and PubSub paradigms to support communications in ubiquitous systems and proposes an abstract communication model in order to enable their seamless integration. Thus, developers will be focused on communication semantics and the required quality properties, rather than be concerned about specific communication mechanisms. The aim is to provide developers with abstractions intended to decrease the complexity of integrating different communication paradigms commonly needed in ubiquitous systems. The proposal has been applied to implement a middleware and a real home automation system to show its applicability and benefits. PMID:22969366
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Belkina, L M; Terekhina, O L; Antipova, T A; Smirnova, E A; Kruglov, S V; Malyshev, I Iu
2013-11-01
Previously, we have shown that nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of alloxan diabetes (ALD). In this study in August rats, with the congenital increased activity of NO, and in Wistar rats was induced ALD (130 mg/kg, p/c) and 15 days after were examined the effects of the NO-blockade synthesis, induced by administration of Nω-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) cour- se on the activity of lipid peroxidation (LP), HIF-1α level, the degree of NO-system activation. The activation of iNOS, HIF-1a expression and 3-nitrotyrosine accumulation in liver were more pronounced in August-ALD rats than in Wistar-ALD rats. The level of TBA-active products in the heart and liver was increased in both diabetic groups only in the first 3 days ofALD and then this indicator of LP sharply was decreased as compared with the control. This effect was pronounced more in August rats. The inhibition of NO overproduction reduced significantly the severity of ALD and prevented the activation of LP, iNOS and HIF-1a. Thus, these data suggest, that NO plays an important role in the pathogenesis of ALD and in the regulation of oxygen homeostasis.
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Swan, Karen; Van 'T Hooft, Mark; Kratcoski, Annette; Schenker, Jason
2007-01-01
This article reports on preliminary findings from an ongoing study of teaching and learning in a ubiquitous computing classroom. The research employed mixed methods and multiple measures to document changes in teaching and learning that result when teachers and students have access to a variety of digital devices wherever and whenever they need…
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Song, Min Su; Lee, Jae Dong; Jeong, Young-Sik; Jeong, Hwa-Young; Park, Jong Hyuk
2014-01-01
Despite the convenience, ubiquitous computing suffers from many threats and security risks. Security considerations in the ubiquitous network are required to create enriched and more secure ubiquitous environments. The address resolution protocol (ARP) is a protocol used to identify the IP address and the physical address of the associated network card. ARP is designed to work without problems in general environments. However, since it does not include security measures against malicious attacks, in its design, an attacker can impersonate another host using ARP spoofing or access important information. In this paper, we propose a new detection scheme for ARP spoofing attacks using a routing trace, which can be used to protect the internal network. Tracing routing can find the change of network movement path. The proposed scheme provides high constancy and compatibility because it does not alter the ARP protocol. In addition, it is simple and stable, as it does not use a complex algorithm or impose extra load on the computer system.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Weidong Shi
2013-01-01
Full Text Available To investigate the relationship between interleukin-17 and proteins involved in fatty acid metabolism with respect to alcoholic liver disease, male ICR mice were randomized into five groups: control, alcoholic liver disease (ALD at 4 weeks, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks, and anti-IL-17 antibody treated ALD. A proteomic approach was adopted to investigate changes in liver proteins between control and ALD groups. The proteomic analysis was performed by two-dimensional difference gel electrophoresis. Spots of interest were subsequently subjected to nanospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS for protein identification. Additionally, expression levels of selected proteins were confirmed by western blot. Transcriptional levels of some selected proteins were determined by RT-PCR. Expression levels of 95 protein spots changed significantly (ratio >1.5, P<0.05 during the development of ALD. Sterol regulatory element-binding protein-lc (SREBP-1c, carbohydrate response element binding protein (ChREBP, enoyl-coenzyme A hydratase (ECHS1, and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α were identified by MS/MS among the proteins shown to vary the most; increased IL-17 elevated the transcription of SREBP-1c and ChREBP but suppressed ECHS1 and PPAR-α. The interleukin-17 signaling pathway is involved in ALD development; anti-IL-17 antibody improved hepatic steatosis by suppressing interleukin-17-related fatty acid metabolism.
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Networked Biomedical System for Ubiquitous Health Monitoring
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Arjan Durresi
2008-01-01
Full Text Available We propose a distributed system that enables global and ubiquitous health monitoring of patients. The biomedical data will be collected by wearable health diagnostic devices, which will include various types of sensors and will be transmitted towards the corresponding Health Monitoring Centers. The permanent medical data of patients will be kept in the corresponding Home Data Bases, while the measured biomedical data will be sent to the Visitor Health Monitor Center and Visitor Data Base that serves the area of present location of the patient. By combining the measured biomedical data and the permanent medical data, Health Medical Centers will be able to coordinate the needed actions and help the local medical teams to make quickly the best decisions that could be crucial for the patient health, and that can reduce the cost of health service.
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Mobile-PKI Service Model for Ubiquitous Environment
Jeun, Inkyung; Chun, Kilsoo
One of the most important things in PKI(Public Key Infrastructure) is the private key management issue. The private key must be deal with safely for secure PKI service. Even though PKI service is usually used for identification and authentication of user in e-commerce, PKI service has many inconvenient factors. Especially, the fact that storage media of private key for PKI service is limited to PC hard disk drive or smart card users must always carry, gives an inconvenience to user and is not suitable in ubiquitous network. This paper suggests the digital signature service using a mobile phone(m-PKI service) which is suitable in future network. A mobile phone is the most widely used for personal communication means and has a characteristic of high movability. We can use the PKI service anytime and anywhere using m-PKI.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yen, C.-Y.; Jian, S.-R.; Chen, G.-J.; Lin, C.-M.; Lee, H.-Y.; Ke, W.-C.; Liao, Y.-Y.; Yang, P.-F.; Wang, C.-T.; Lai, Y.-S.; Jang, Jason S.-C.; Juang, J.-Y.
2011-01-01
ZnO thin films grown on Si(1 1 1) substrates by using atomic layer deposition (ALD) were annealed at the temperatures ranging from 300 to 500 deg. C. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results show that the annealed ZnO thin films are highly (0 0 2)-oriented, indicating a well ordered microstructure. The film surface examined by the atomic force microscopy (AFM), however, indicated that the roughness increases with increasing annealing temperature. The photoluminescence (PL) spectrum showed that the intensity of UV emission was strongest for films annealed at 500 deg. C. The mechanical properties of the resultant ZnO thin films investigated by nanoindentation reveal that the hardness decreases from 9.2 GPa to 7.2 GPa for films annealed at 300 deg. C and 500 deg. C, respectively. On the other hand, the Young's modulus for the former is 168.6 GPa as compared to a value of 139.5 GPa for the latter. Moreover, the relationship between the hardness and film grain size appear to follow closely with the Hall-Petch equation.
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I WHATSAPP AN IGUANA: AN ATTEMPT TO APPLY UBIQUITOUS LEARNING
Dwi Haryanti
2017-01-01
This paper aims at presenting how Whatsapp provides alternative method to enhance writing skills on personal letter for senior high school student. This method Whatsapps inspired by the concept called ubiquitous learning (U-Learning), which means ―learning supported by ICT resources held anytime, anywhere and fits the context of the learner‖ (de Sousa Monteiro et al., 2014). Participants were 40 11-th grade students in one class in Cirebon High School. A short story in the form of personal le...
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Some guidelines for the ethical development of ubiquitous computing.
Greenfield, Adam
2008-10-28
At a time when both the landscape of everyday life and the choices available to us there are increasingly conditioned by ubiquitous information processing systems, it seems wise to articulate some general principles guiding their ethical design and deployment. I here enunciate five broad guidelines for the designers of such systems, including recommendations that they be devised in such a way as to default to harmlessness, be conservative of time, be conservative of face, be self-disclosing and be deniable. I conclude with some observations about the likelihood of any such principles winning usefully widespread voluntary adherence.
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Bott, O J; Ammenwerth, E; Brigl, B; Knaup, P; Lang, E; Pilgram, R; Pfeifer, B; Ruderich, F; Wolff, A C; Haux, R; Kulikowski, C
2005-01-01
To review recent research efforts in the field of ubiquitous computing in health care. To identify current research trends and further challenges for medical informatics. Analysis of the contents of the Yearbook on Medical Informatics 2005 of the International Medical Informatics Association (IMIA). The Yearbook of Medical Informatics 2005 includes 34 original papers selected from 22 peer-reviewed scientific journals related to several distinct research areas: health and clinical management, patient records, health information systems, medical signal processing and biomedical imaging, decision support, knowledge representation and management, education and consumer informatics as well as bioinformatics. A special section on ubiquitous health care systems is devoted to recent developments in the application of ubiquitous computing in health care. Besides additional synoptical reviews of each of the sections the Yearbook includes invited reviews concerning E-Health strategies, primary care informatics and wearable healthcare. Several publications demonstrate the potential of ubiquitous computing to enhance effectiveness of health services delivery and organization. But ubiquitous computing is also a societal challenge, caused by the surrounding but unobtrusive character of this technology. Contributions from nearly all of the established sub-disciplines of medical informatics are demanded to turn the visions of this promising new research field into reality.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Duran, Joan; Navarro-Sabate, Aurea; Pujol, Anna; Perales, Jose C.; Manzano, Anna; Obach, Merce; Gomez, Marta; Bartrons, Ramon
2008-01-01
Fructose 2,6-bisphosphate (Fru-2,6-P 2 ) is an important metabolite that controls glycolytic and gluconeogenic pathways in several cell types. Its synthesis and degradation are catalyzed by the bifunctional enzyme 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose 2,6-bisphosphatase (PFK-2). Four genes, designated Pfkfb1-4, codify the different PFK-2 isozymes. The Pfkfb3 gene product, ubiquitous PFK-2 (uPFK-2), has the highest kinase/bisphosphatase activity ratio and is associated with proliferation and tumor metabolism. A transgenic mouse model that overexpresses uPFK-2 under the control of the phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase promoter was designed to promote sustained and elevated Fru-2,6-P 2 levels in the liver. Our results demonstrate that in diet-induced obesity, high Fru-2,6-P 2 levels in transgenic livers caused changes in hepatic gene expression profiles for key gluconeogenic and lipogenic enzymes, as well as an accumulation of lipids in periportal cells, and weight gain
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The new transparency: police violence in the context of ubiquitous surveillance
Brucato, Ben
2015-01-01
Media and surveillance scholars often comment on the purported empowering quality of transparency, which they expect participatory media to promote. From its Enlightenment origins, transparency is related to accountability and legitimacy: its increase is believed to promote these. It has earned a position as an unassailed, prime normative value in contemporary liberal and social democracies. Though still valued, transparency is undergoing change in an era of ubiquitous surveillance. Publics s...
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Ubiquitous Graphene Electronics on Scotch Tape
Chung, Yoonyoung; Ho Kim, Hyun; Lee, Sangryun; Lee, Eunho; Won Kim, Seong; Ryu, Seunghwa; Cho, Kilwon
2015-07-01
We report a novel concept of graphene transistors on Scotch tape for use in ubiquitous electronic systems. Unlike common plastic substrates such as polyimide and polyethylene terephthalate, the Scotch tape substrate is easily attached onto various objects such as banknotes, curved surfaces, and human skin, which implies potential applications wherein electronics can be placed in any desired position. Furthermore, the soft Scotch tape serves as an attractive substrate for flexible/foldable electronics that can be significantly bent, or even crumpled. We found that the adhesive layer of the tape with a relatively low shear modulus relaxes the strain when subjected to bending. The capacitance of the gate dielectric made of oxidized aluminum oxide was 1.5 μF cm-2, so that a supply voltage of only 2.5 V was sufficient to operate the devices. As-fabricated graphene transistors on Scotch tape exhibited high electron mobility of 1326 (±155) cm2 V-1 s-1 the transistors still showed high mobility of 1254 (±478) cm2 V-1 s-1 even after they were crumpled.
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Ubiquitous Creation of Bas-Relief Surfaces with Depth-of-Field Effects Using Smartphones
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Bong-Soo Sohn
2017-03-01
Full Text Available This paper describes a new method to automatically generate digital bas-reliefs with depth-of-field effects from general scenes. Most previous methods for bas-relief generation take input in the form of 3D models. However, obtaining 3D models of real scenes or objects is often difficult, inaccurate, and time-consuming. From this motivation, we developed a method that takes as input a set of photographs that can be quickly and ubiquitously captured by ordinary smartphone cameras. A depth map is computed from the input photographs. The value range of the depth map is compressed and used as a base map representing the overall shape of the bas-relief. However, the resulting base map contains little information on details of the scene. Thus, we construct a detail map using pixel values of the input image to express the details. The base and detail maps are blended to generate a new depth map that reflects both overall depth and scene detail information. This map is selectively blurred to simulate the depth-of-field effects. The final depth map is converted to a bas-relief surface mesh. Experimental results show that our method generates a realistic bas-relief surface of general scenes with no expensive manual processing.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Zhenting Zhou
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Alcoholic liver disease (ALD is a series of abnormalities of liver function, including alcoholic steatosis, steatohepatitis, and cirrhosis. Hesperidin, the major constituent of flavanone in grapefruit, is proved to play a role in antioxidation, anti-inflammation, and reducing multiple organs damage in various animal experiments. However, the underlying mechanism of resistance to alcoholic liver injury is still unclear. Thus, we aimed to investigate the protective effects of hesperidin against ALD and its molecular mechanism in this study. We established an ALD zebrafish larvae model induced by 350 mM ethanol for 32 hours, using wild-type and transgenic line with liver-specific eGFP expression Tg (lfabp10α:eGFP zebrafish larvae (4 dpf. The results revealed that hesperidin dramatically reduced the hepatic morphological damage and the expressions of alcohol and lipid metabolism related genes, including cyp2y3, cyp3a65, hmgcra, hmgcrb, fasn, and fads2 compared with ALD model. Moreover, the findings demonstrated that hesperidin alleviated hepatic damage as well, which is reflected by the expressions of endoplasmic reticulum stress and DNA damage related genes (chop, gadd45αa, and edem1. In conclusion, this study revealed that hesperidin can inhibit alcoholic damage to liver of zebrafish larvae by reducing endoplasmic reticulum stress and DNA damage, regulating alcohol and lipid metabolism.
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A Framework for Real-Time Collection, Analysis, and Classification of Ubiquitous Infrasound Data
Christe, A.; Garces, M. A.; Magana-Zook, S. A.; Schnurr, J. M.
2015-12-01
Traditional infrasound arrays are generally expensive to install and maintain. There are ~10^3 infrasound channels on Earth today. The amount of data currently provided by legacy architectures can be processed on a modest server. However, the growing availability of low-cost, ubiquitous, and dense infrasonic sensor networks presents a substantial increase in the volume, velocity, and variety of data flow. Initial data from a prototype ubiquitous global infrasound network is already pushing the boundaries of traditional research server and communication systems, in particular when serving data products over heterogeneous, international network topologies. We present a scalable, cloud-based approach for capturing and analyzing large amounts of dense infrasonic data (>10^6 channels). We utilize Akka actors with WebSockets to maintain data connections with infrasound sensors. Apache Spark provides streaming, batch, machine learning, and graph processing libraries which will permit signature classification, cross-correlation, and other analytics in near real time. This new framework and approach provide significant advantages in scalability and cost.
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Wang, Xiuyan; Zheng, Liyu; Wu, Jinming; Tang, Binbin; Zhang, Mengqin; Zhu, Debin; Lin, Xianfan
2017-06-01
Increased plasma levels of bilirubin have been reported in rat models and patients with alcoholic liver disease (ALD). The constitutive androstane receptor (CAR) is a known xenobiotic receptor, which induces the detoxification and transport of bilirubin. In the present study, the bilirubin transport regulatory mechanisms, and the role of CAR activation in hepatic and extrahepatic bilirubin clearance were investigated in a murine model of ALD. The mice were fed a Lieber-DeCarli ethanol diet or an isocaloric control diet for 4 weeks, followed by the administration of CAR agonists, 1,4-bis-[2‑(3,5-dichlorpyridyloxy)]benzene (TCPOBOP) and phenobarbital (PB), and their vehicles to examine the effect of the pharmacological activation of CAR on serum levels of bilirubin and on the bilirubin clearance pathway in ALD by serological survey, western blotting and reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results showed that chronic ethanol ingestion impaired the nuclear translocation of CAR, which was accompanied by elevated serum levels of bilirubin, suppression of the expression of hepatic and renal organic anion transporting polypeptide (OATP) 1A1 and hepatic multidrug resistance‑associated protein 2 (MRP2), and induction of the expression of UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1. The activation of CAR by TCPOBOP and PB resulted in downregulation of the serum levels of bilirubin followed by selective upregulation of the expression levels of OATP1A1, OATP1A4, UGT1A1 and MRP2 in ALD. These results revealed the bilirubin transport regulatory mechanisms and highlighted the importance of CAR in modulating the bilirubin clearance pathway in the ALD mouse model.
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Ubiquitous and Seamless Localization: Fusing GNSS Pseudoranges and WLAN Signal Strengths
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Philipp Richter
2017-01-01
Full Text Available Ubiquitous global positioning is not feasible by GNSS alone, as it lacks accurate position fixes in dense urban centres and indoors. Hybrid positioning methods have been developed to aid GNSS in those environments. Fingerprinting localization in wireless local area networks (WLANs is a promising aiding system because of its availability, accuracy, and error mechanisms opposed to that of GNSS. This article presents a low-cost approach to ubiquitous, seamless positioning based on a particle filter integrating GNSS pseudoranges and WLAN received signal strength indicators (RSSIs. To achieve accurate location estimates indoors/outdoors and in the transition zones, appropriate likelihood functions are essential as they determine the influence of each sensor information on the position estimate. We model the spatial RSSI distributions with Gaussian processes and use these models to predict RSSIs at the particle’s positions to obtain point estimates of the RSSI likelihood function. The particle filter’s performance is assessed with real data of two test trajectories in an environment challenging for GNSS and WLAN fingerprinting localization. Outcomes of an extended Kalman filter using pseudoranges and a WLAN position as observation is included as benchmark. The proposed algorithm achieves accurate and robust seamless localization with a median accuracy of five meters.
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Plangsorn, Boonrat; Na-Songkhla, Jaitip; Luetkehans, Lara M.
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to study undergraduate students' opinions with regard to the ubiquitous massive open online course (MOOC) for enhancing cross-cultural competence. This descriptive research applied a survey method. The survey data were collected by using survey questionnaires and online questionnaires from 410 undergraduate students…
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Handling membership dynamicity in service composition for ubiquitous computing
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Brønsted, Jeppe
2007-01-01
In ubiquitous computing, as more and more devices are introduced into the environment, new applications are made possible that exploit device capabilities in new ways. Currently, however, there is a mismatch between the effort involved in implementing these applications and the benefit they provide...... to specify which nodes partake in the composite and how they interact. In this paper we introduce mechanisms for handling membership dynamicity in service composition specifications. We demonstrate how an application scenario developed in cooperation with users can be implemented using the mechanisms...
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CSIR Research Space (South Africa)
Anderson, F
2008-11-01
Full Text Available of an S&T capability based on international technology trends in persistent, ubiquitous surveillance. The ultimate aim of this programme is to develop and produce a series of South African innovations that can be used by departments and agencies...
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Swan, Karen; Kratcoski, Annette; Mazzer, Pat; Schenker, Jason
2005-01-01
This article describes an ongoing situated professional development program in which teachers bring their intact classes for an extended stay in a ubiquitous computing environment equipped with a variety of state-of-the-art computing devices. The experience is unique in that it not only situates teacher learning about technology integration in…
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Security policies and trust in ubiquitous computing.
Joshi, Anupam; Finin, Tim; Kagal, Lalana; Parker, Jim; Patwardhan, Anand
2008-10-28
Ubiquitous environments comprise resource-constrained mobile and wearable devices and computational elements embedded in everyday artefacts. These are connected to each other using both infrastructure-based as well as short-range ad hoc networks. Limited Internet connectivity limits the use of conventional security mechanisms such as public key infrastructures and other forms of server-centric authentication. Under these circumstances, peer-to-peer interactions are well suited for not just information interchange, but also managing security and privacy. However, practical solutions for protecting mobile devices, preserving privacy, evaluating trust and determining the reliability and accuracy of peer-provided data in such interactions are still in their infancy. Our research is directed towards providing stronger assurances of the reliability and trustworthiness of information and services, and the use of declarative policy-driven approaches to handle the open and dynamic nature of such systems. This paper provides an overview of some of the challenges and issues, and points out directions for progress.
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Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin expression in the human brain
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Hundahl, Christian Ansgar; Kelsen, Jesper; Hay-Schmidt, Anders
2013-01-01
Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin are new members of the heme-globin family. Both globins are primarily expressed in neurons of the brain and retina. Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin have been suggested as novel therapeutic targets in various neurodegenerative diseases based on their oxygen binding and cell...... protecting properties. However, findings in Neuroglobin-deficient mice question the endogenous neuroprotective properties. The expression pattern of Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin in the rodent brain is also in contradiction to a major role of neuronal protection. In a recent study, Neuroglobin was ubiquitously...... expressed and up-regulated following stroke in the human brain. The present study aimed at confirming our previous observations in rodents using two post-mortem human brains. The anatomical localization of Neuroglobin and Cytoglobin in the human brain is much like what has been described for the rodent...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hatakeyama Keiichi
2012-12-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Alternative splicing of pre-mRNA transcripts not only plays a role in normal molecular processes but is also associated with cancer development. While normal transcripts are ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues, splice variants created through abnormal alternative splicing events are often expressed in cancer cells. Although the Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor β (ARHGDIB gene has been found to be ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues and involved in cancer development, the presence of splice variants of ARHGDIB has not yet been investigated. Results Validation analysis for the presence of and exon structures of splice variants of ARHGDIB, performed using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing, successfully identified novel splice variants of ARHGDIB, that is, 6a, 6b, and 6c, in colon, pancreas, stomach, and breast cancer cell lines. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that these variants were also highly expressed in normal placental tissue but not in other types of normal tissue. Conclusions Expression of ARHGDIB variants 6a, 6b, and 6c appears to be restricted to cancer cells and normal placental tissue, suggesting that these variants possess cancer-specific functions and, as such, are potential cancer-related biomarkers.
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A SURVEY OF SMART ELECTRICAL BOARDS IN UBIQUITOUS SENSOR NETWORKS FOR GEOMATICS APPLICATIONS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
S. M. R. Moosavi
2015-12-01
Full Text Available Nowadays more advanced sensor networks in various fields are developed. There are lots of online sensors spreading around the world. Sensor networks have been used in Geospatial Information Systems (GIS since sensor networks have expanded. Health monitoring, environmental monitoring, traffic monitoring, etc, are the examples of its applications in Geomatics. Sensor network is an infrastructure comprised of sensing (measuring, computing, and communication elements that gives an administrator the ability to instrument, observe, and react to events and phenomena in a specified environment. This paper describes about development boards which can be used in sensor networks and their applications in Geomatics and their role in wireless sensor networks and also a comparison between various types of boards. Boards that are discussed in this paper are Arduino, Raspberry Pi, Beagle board, Cubieboard. The Boards because of their great potential are also known as single board computers. This paper is organized in four phases: First, Reviewing on ubiquitous computing and sensor networks. Second, introducing of some electrical boards. Then, defining some criterions for comparison. Finally, comparing the Ubiquitous boards.
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A pervasive health monitoring service system based on ubiquitous network technology.
Lin, Chung-Chih; Lee, Ren-Guey; Hsiao, Chun-Chieh
2008-07-01
The phenomenon of aging society has derived problems such as shortage of medical resources and reduction of quality in healthcare services. This paper presents a system infrastructure for pervasive and long-term healthcare applications, i.e. a ubiquitous network composed of wireless local area network (WLAN) and cable television (CATV) network serving as a platform for monitoring physiological signals. Users can record vital signs including heart rate, blood pressure, and body temperature anytime either at home or at frequently visited public places in order to create a personal health file. The whole system was formally implemented in December 2004. Analysis of 2000 questionnaires indicates that 85% of users were satisfied with the provided community-wide healthcare services. Among the services provided by our system, health consultation services offered by family doctors was rated the most important service by 17.9% of respondents, and was followed by control of one's own health condition (16.4% of respondents). Convenience of data access was rated most important by roughly 14.3% of respondents. We proposed and implemented a long-term healthcare system integrating WLAN and CATV networks in the form of a ubiquitous network providing a service platform for physiological monitoring. This system can classify the health levels of the resident according to the variation tendency of his or her physiological signal for important reference of health management.
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Glucose transporters: expression, regulation and cancer
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
RODOLFO A. MEDINA
2002-01-01
Full Text Available Mammalian cells depend on glucose as a major substrate for energy production. Glucose is transported into the cell via facilitative glucose transporters (GLUT present in all cell types. Many GLUT isoforms have been described and their expression is cell-specific and subject to hormonal and environmental control. The kinetic properties and substrate specificities of the different isoforms are specifically suited to the energy requirements of the particular cell types. Due to the ubiquitousness of these transporters, their differential expression is involved in various disease states such as diabetes, ischemia and cancer. The majority of cancers and isolated cancer cell lines over-express the GLUT family members which are present in the respective tissue of origin under non-cancerous conditions. Moreover, due to the requirement of energy to feed uncontrolled proliferation, cancer cells often express GLUTs which under normal conditions would not be present in these tissues. This over-expression is predominantly associated with the likelihood of metastasis and hence poor patient prognosis. This article presents a review of the current literature on the regulation and expression of GLUT family members and has compiled clinical and research data on GLUT expression in human cancers and in isolated human cancer cell lines.
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Empowering Pre-Service Teachers to Produce Ubiquitous Flipped Classes
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Soraya García-Sánchez
2017-01-01
Full Text Available This work focuses on technological and educational outcomes that resulted from the production of foreign language educational videos by 90 pre-service instructors enrolled in an official Master’s Degree in Secondary Education programme. This teaching practice, conducted during two consecutive years, was set in a ubiquitous learning environment with the intention of effectively linking digital technology with pedagogy by means of producing flipped classroom units. The findings reveal that these pre-service teachers successfully combined instructional dynamics with digital skills to produce flipped classes adapted to the young generation’s needs. The classroom becomes, therefore, a more participatory learner-centred scenario with a variety of interactive and collaborative activities performed by foreign language students.
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Transparency of intentions decreases privacy concerns in ubiquitous surveillance.
Oulasvirta, Antti; Suomalainen, Tiia; Hamari, Juho; Lampinen, Airi; Karvonen, Kristiina
2014-10-01
An online experiment (n=1,897) was carried out to understand how data disclosure practices in ubiquitous surveillance affect users' privacy concerns. Information about the identity and intentions of a data collector was manipulated in hypothetical surveillance scenarios. Privacy concerns were found to differ across the scenarios and moderated by knowledge about the collector's identity and intentions. Knowledge about intentions exhibited a stronger effect. When no information about intentions was disclosed, the respondents postulated negative intentions. A positive effect was found for disclosing neutral intentions of an organization or unknown data collector, but not for a private data collector. The findings underline the importance of disclosing intentions of data use to users in an easily understandable manner.
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Revisiting Frequency Reuse towards Supporting Ultra-Reliable Ubiquitous-Rate Communication
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Park, Jihong; Kim, Dong Min; Popovski, Petar
2017-01-01
One of the goals of 5G wireless systems stated by the NGMN alliance is to provide moderate rates (50+ Mbps) everywhere and with very high reliability. We term this service Ultra-Reliable Ubiquitous-Rate Communication (UR2C). This paper investigates the role of frequency reuse in supporting UR2C...... in the downlink. To this end, two frequency reuse schemes are considered: user-specific frequency reuse (FRu) and BS-specific frequency reuse (FRb). For a given unit frequency channel, FRu reduces the number of serving user equipments (UEs), whereas FRb directly decreases the number of interfering base stations...
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Observations on sustainable and ubiquitous healthcare informatics from Florence Nightingale.
Betts, Helen J; Wright, Graham
2009-01-01
As nurses around the world prepare to celebrate the centenary of the death of Florence Nightingale in 2010 this paper reviews her work on using information, especially statistics, to analyze and manage patient care and links that to current developments in informatics. It then examines assistive technologies and how they may impact on nursing practice in the future and links these developments to the writings of Florence Nightingale. The paper concludes by suggesting that in progressing towards sustainable and ubiquitous healthcare informatics we need to study history in order to learn from the lessons of Florence Nightingale and other healthcare pioneers.
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A ubiquitous reflective e-portfolio architecture.
Forte, Marcos; de Souza, Wanderley L; da Silva, Roseli F; do Prado, Antonio F; Rodrigues, Jose F
2013-11-01
In nurse and in medicine courses, the use of reflective portfolios as a pedagogical tool is becoming a common practice; in the last years, this practice has gradually migrated from paper-based to electronic-based portfolios. Current approaches for reflective e-portfolios, however, do not widely operate at outdoor sites, where data networks are limited or nonexistent. Considering that many of the activities related to nurse and medicine courses relate to professional practices conducted in such conditions, these network shortcomings restrict the adoption of e-portfolios. The present study describes the requirements specification, design, implementation, and evaluation of the Ubiquitous Reflective E-Portfolio Architecture, a solution proposed to support the development of systems based on mobile and wired access for both online and offline operation. We have implemented a prototype named Professional Practice Module to evaluate the Ubiquitous Reflective E-Portfolio Architecture; the module was based on requirements observed during the professional practice, the paper-based portfolio in use, and related learning meetings in the Medicine Course of a Brazilian University. The evaluation of the system was carried out with a learning group of 2nd year students of the medicine course, who answered to extensive evaluation questionnaires. The prototype proved to be operational in the activities of the professional practice of the Medicine Course object of the study, including homework tasks, patient care, data sharing, and learning meetings. It also demonstrated to be versatile with respect to the availability of the computer network that, many times, was not accessible. Moreover, the students considered the module useful and easy to use, but pointed out difficulties about the keyboard and the display sizes of the netbook devices, and about their operational system. Lastly, most of the students declared preference for the electronic Professional Practice Module in internal
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2nd FTRA International Conference on Ubiquitous Computing Application and Wireless Sensor Network
Pan, Yi; Chao, Han-Chieh; Yi, Gangman
2015-01-01
IT changes everyday’s life, especially in education and medicine. The goal of ITME 2014 is to further explore the theoretical and practical issues of Ubiquitous Computing Application and Wireless Sensor Network. It also aims to foster new ideas and collaboration between researchers and practitioners. The organizing committee is soliciting unpublished papers for the main conference and its special tracks.
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Cheok, Adrian David
This chapter details the Human Pacman system to illuminate entertainment computing which ventures to embed the natural physical world seamlessly with a fantasy virtual playground by capitalizing on infrastructure provided by mobile computing, wireless LAN, and ubiquitous computing. With Human Pacman, we have a physical role-playing computer fantasy together with real human-social and mobile-gaming that emphasizes on collaboration and competition between players in a wide outdoor physical area that allows natural wide-area human-physical movements. Pacmen and Ghosts are now real human players in the real world experiencing mixed computer graphics fantasy-reality provided by using the wearable computers on them. Virtual cookies and actual tangible physical objects are incorporated into the game play to provide novel experiences of seamless transitions between the real and virtual worlds. This is an example of a new form of gaming that anchors on physicality, mobility, social interaction, and ubiquitous computing.
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Relationships among alcoholic liver disease, antioxidants, and antioxidant enzymes.
Han, Kyu-Ho; Hashimoto, Naoto; Fukushima, Michihiro
2016-01-07
Excessive consumption of alcoholic beverages is a serious cause of liver disease worldwide. The metabolism of ethanol generates reactive oxygen species, which play a significant role in the deterioration of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Antioxidant phytochemicals, such as polyphenols, regulate the expression of ALD-associated proteins and peptides, namely, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione reductase. These plant antioxidants have electrophilic activity and may induce antioxidant enzymes via the Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1-NF-E2-related factor-2 pathway and antioxidant responsive elements. Furthermore, these antioxidants are reported to alleviate cell injury caused by oxidants or inflammatory cytokines. These phenomena are likely induced via the regulation of mitogen-activating protein kinase (MAPK) pathways by plant antioxidants, similar to preconditioning in ischemia-reperfusion models. Although the relationship between plant antioxidants and ALD has not been adequately investigated, plant antioxidants may be preventive for ALD because of their electrophilic and regulatory activities in the MAPK pathway.
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Baig, Mirza Mansoor; GholamHosseini, Hamid; Moqeem, Aasia A; Mirza, Farhaan; Lindén, Maria
2017-11-01
Supporting clinicians in decision making using advanced technologies has been an active research area in biomedical engineering during the past years. Among a wide range of ubiquitous systems, smartphone applications have been increasingly developed in healthcare settings to help clinicians as well as patients. Today, many smartphone applications, from basic data analysis to advanced patient monitoring, are available to clinicians and patients. Such applications are now increasingly integrating into healthcare for clinical decision support, and therefore, concerns around accuracy, stability, and dependency of these applications are rising. In addition, lack of attention to the clinicians' acceptability, as well as the low impact on the medical professionals' decision making, are posing more serious issues on the acceptability of smartphone applications. This article reviews smartphone-based decision support applications, focusing on hospital care settings and their overall impact of these applications on the wider clinical workflow. Additionally, key challenges and barriers of the current ubiquitous device-based healthcare applications are identified. Finally, this article addresses current challenges, future directions, and the adoption of mobile healthcare applications.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Iatsunskyi, Igor; Kempiński, Mateusz; Nowaczyk, Grzegorz; Jancelewicz, Mariusz; Pavlenko, Mykola; Załęski, Karol; Jurga, Stefan
2015-01-01
Highlights: • Porous silicon/TiO 2 nanocomposites have been investigated. • Morphology and chemical composition of PSi/TiO 2 nanocomposites were established. • Valence-band XPS maximums for PSi/TiO 2 nanocomposites were found and analyzed. - Abstract: PSi/TiO 2 nanocomposites fabricated by atomic layer deposition (ALD) and metal-assisted chemical etching (MACE) were investigated. The morphology and phase structure of PSi/TiO 2 nanocomposites were studied by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) with an energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Raman spectroscopy. The mean size of TiO 2 nanocrystals was determined by TEM and Raman spectroscopy. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze the chemical elemental composition by observing the behavior of the Ti 2p, O 1s and Si 2p lines. TEM, Raman spectroscopy and XPS binding energy analysis confirmed the formation of TiO 2 anatase phase inside the PSi matrix. The XPS valence band analysis was performed in order to investigate the modification of PSi/TiO 2 nanocomposites electronic structure. Surface defects states of Ti 3+ at PSi/TiO 2 nanocomposites were identified by analyzing of XPS valence band spectra
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Javed Iqbal
2016-10-01
Full Text Available Nanostructured ZnO thin films with high transparency have been grown on glass substrate by atomic layer deposition at various temperatures ranging from 100 °C to 300 °C. Efforts have been made to observe the effect of substrate temperature on the thickness of the deposited thin films and its consequences on the energy band gap. A remarkably high growth rate of 0.56 nm per cycle at a substrate temperature of 200 °C for ZnO thin films have been achieved. This is the maximum growth rate for ALD deposited ZnO thin films ever reported so far to the best of our knowledge. The studies of field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffractometry patterns confirm the deposition of uniform and high quality nanosturtured ZnO thin films which have a polycrystalline nature with preferential orientation along (100 plane. The thickness of the films deposited at different substrate temperatures was measured by ellipsometry and surface profiling system while the UV–visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy studies have been used to evaluate the optical properties of the respective thin films. It has been observed that the thickness of the thin film depends on the substrate temperatures which ultimately affect the optical and structural parameters of the thin films.
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Successful enrichment of the ubiquitous freshwater acI Actinobacteria.
Garcia, Sarahi L; McMahon, Katherine D; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Warnecke, Falk
2014-02-01
Actinobacteria of the acI lineage are often the numerically dominant bacterial phylum in surface freshwaters, where they can account for > 50% of total bacteria. Despite their abundance, there are no described isolates. In an effort to obtain enrichment of these ubiquitous freshwater Actinobacteria, diluted freshwater samples from Lake Grosse Fuchskuhle, Germany, were incubated in 96-well culture plates. With this method, a successful enrichment containing high abundances of a member of the lineage acI was established. Phylogenetic classification showed that the acI Actinobacteria of the enrichment belonged to the acI-B2 tribe, which seems to prefer acidic lakes. This enrichment grows to low cell densities and thus the oligotrophic nature of acI-B2 was confirmed. © 2013 Society for Applied Microbiology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Quasistatic Cavity Resonance for Ubiquitous Wireless Power Transfer.
Chabalko, Matthew J; Shahmohammadi, Mohsen; Sample, Alanson P
2017-01-01
Wireless power delivery has the potential to seamlessly power our electrical devices as easily as data is transmitted through the air. However, existing solutions are limited to near contact distances and do not provide the geometric freedom to enable automatic and un-aided charging. We introduce quasistatic cavity resonance (QSCR), which can enable purpose-built structures, such as cabinets, rooms, and warehouses, to generate quasistatic magnetic fields that safely deliver kilowatts of power to mobile receivers contained nearly anywhere within. A theoretical model of a quasistatic cavity resonator is derived, and field distributions along with power transfer efficiency are validated against measured results. An experimental demonstration shows that a 54 m3 QSCR room can deliver power to small coil receivers in nearly any position with 40% to 95% efficiency. Finally, a detailed safety analysis shows that up to 1900 watts can be transmitted to a coil receiver enabling safe and ubiquitous wireless power.
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Quasistatic Cavity Resonance for Ubiquitous Wireless Power Transfer.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matthew J Chabalko
Full Text Available Wireless power delivery has the potential to seamlessly power our electrical devices as easily as data is transmitted through the air. However, existing solutions are limited to near contact distances and do not provide the geometric freedom to enable automatic and un-aided charging. We introduce quasistatic cavity resonance (QSCR, which can enable purpose-built structures, such as cabinets, rooms, and warehouses, to generate quasistatic magnetic fields that safely deliver kilowatts of power to mobile receivers contained nearly anywhere within. A theoretical model of a quasistatic cavity resonator is derived, and field distributions along with power transfer efficiency are validated against measured results. An experimental demonstration shows that a 54 m3 QSCR room can deliver power to small coil receivers in nearly any position with 40% to 95% efficiency. Finally, a detailed safety analysis shows that up to 1900 watts can be transmitted to a coil receiver enabling safe and ubiquitous wireless power.
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Quasistatic Cavity Resonance for Ubiquitous Wireless Power Transfer
Shahmohammadi, Mohsen; Sample, Alanson P.
2017-01-01
Wireless power delivery has the potential to seamlessly power our electrical devices as easily as data is transmitted through the air. However, existing solutions are limited to near contact distances and do not provide the geometric freedom to enable automatic and un-aided charging. We introduce quasistatic cavity resonance (QSCR), which can enable purpose-built structures, such as cabinets, rooms, and warehouses, to generate quasistatic magnetic fields that safely deliver kilowatts of power to mobile receivers contained nearly anywhere within. A theoretical model of a quasistatic cavity resonator is derived, and field distributions along with power transfer efficiency are validated against measured results. An experimental demonstration shows that a 54 m3 QSCR room can deliver power to small coil receivers in nearly any position with 40% to 95% efficiency. Finally, a detailed safety analysis shows that up to 1900 watts can be transmitted to a coil receiver enabling safe and ubiquitous wireless power. PMID:28199321
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Mavrommati, I.; Kameas, A.; Markopoulos, P.
2003-01-01
The paper firstly presents the concepts and infrastructure developed within the extrovert-Gadgets research project, which enable end-users to realize Ubiquitous Computing applications. Then, it discusses user-acceptance considerations of the proposed concepts based on the outcome of an early
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UBIQUITOUS POLLUTION FROM HEALTH AND COSMETIC ...
Those chemical pollutants that are regulated under various international, federal, and state programs represent but a small fraction of the universe of chemicals that occur in the environment as a result of both natural processses and human influence. Although this galaxy of targeted chemicals might be miniuscule compared with the universe of both known and yet-to-be identified chemicals, an implicit assumption is that these selective lists of chemicals are responsible for the most significant share of risk with respect to environmental or economic impairment or to human health.Pharmaceuticals and person care products (PPCPs) comprise a particularly large and diverse array of unregulated pollutants that occur in the environment from the combined activities and actions of multitudes of individuals as well as from veterinary and agricultural use. Although the concentration of any individual PPCP are generally less than ppt-ppb), evidence is accumulateing that these trace-level pollutants are ubiquitous, they can have a continuous presence regardless of environment half-lives (especially where sanitary wastewaters enter the environment), and the numbers of distinct and varied chemical entities could be extremely large (given that thousands are in commerical use). The research focused on in the subtasks is the development and application of state-of the-art technologies to meet the needs of the public, Office of Water, and ORD in the area of Water Quality. Locat
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Ubiquitous computing in the workplace what ethical issues? : an interdisciplinary perspective
Nihan, Céline
2015-01-01
This book provides an interdisciplinary collection of views on the ethical challenges and opportunities of workplaces in the Internet of things. Current developments within Ubiquitous computing (ubicomp) systems designed for the workplace are introduced and philosophical, organizational and socio-ethical considerations of ubicomp in workplaces are provided. Suggestions regarding the rules that should be respected in order to favor an adequate implementation of ubicomp in the workplace are offered, considering both intra-organizational but also wider societal concerns. The interdisciplinary collection of contributions invites the reader to engage in the discussion of ubicomp in everyday working environments.
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Van der Voort, M.; Pieters, W.; Consoli, L.
2015-01-01
In the past decades, computers have become more and more involved in society by the rise of ubiquitous systems, increasing the number of interactions between humans and IT systems. At the same time, the technology itself is getting more complex, enabling devices to act in a way that previously only
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Automated Construction of Node Software Using Attributes in a Ubiquitous Sensor Network Environment
Lee, Woojin; Kim, Juil; Kang, JangMook
2010-01-01
In sensor networks, nodes must often operate in a demanding environment facing restrictions such as restricted computing resources, unreliable wireless communication and power shortages. Such factors make the development of ubiquitous sensor network (USN) applications challenging. To help developers construct a large amount of node software for sensor network applications easily and rapidly, this paper proposes an approach to the automated construction of node software for USN applications using attributes. In the proposed technique, application construction proceeds by first developing a model for the sensor network and then designing node software by setting the values of the predefined attributes. After that, the sensor network model and the design of node software are verified. The final source codes of the node software are automatically generated from the sensor network model. We illustrate the efficiency of the proposed technique by using a gas/light monitoring application through a case study of a Gas and Light Monitoring System based on the Nano-Qplus operating system. We evaluate the technique using a quantitative metric—the memory size of execution code for node software. Using the proposed approach, developers are able to easily construct sensor network applications and rapidly generate a large number of node softwares at a time in a ubiquitous sensor network environment. PMID:22163678
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Automated Construction of Node Software Using Attributes in a Ubiquitous Sensor Network Environment
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
JangMook Kang
2010-09-01
Full Text Available In sensor networks, nodes must often operate in a demanding environment facing restrictions such as restricted computing resources, unreliable wireless communication and power shortages. Such factors make the development of ubiquitous sensor network (USN applications challenging. To help developers construct a large amount of node software for sensor network applications easily and rapidly, this paper proposes an approach to the automated construction of node software for USN applications using attributes. In the proposed technique, application construction proceeds by first developing a model for the sensor network and then designing node software by setting the values of the predefined attributes. After that, the sensor network model and the design of node software are verified. The final source codes of the node software are automatically generated from the sensor network model. We illustrate the efficiency of the proposed technique by using a gas/light monitoring application through a case study of a Gas and Light Monitoring System based on the Nano-Qplus operating system. We evaluate the technique using a quantitative metric—the memory size of execution code for node software. Using the proposed approach, developers are able to easily construct sensor network applications and rapidly generate a large number of node softwares at a time in a ubiquitous sensor network environment.
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Automated construction of node software using attributes in a ubiquitous sensor network environment.
Lee, Woojin; Kim, Juil; Kang, JangMook
2010-01-01
In sensor networks, nodes must often operate in a demanding environment facing restrictions such as restricted computing resources, unreliable wireless communication and power shortages. Such factors make the development of ubiquitous sensor network (USN) applications challenging. To help developers construct a large amount of node software for sensor network applications easily and rapidly, this paper proposes an approach to the automated construction of node software for USN applications using attributes. In the proposed technique, application construction proceeds by first developing a model for the sensor network and then designing node software by setting the values of the predefined attributes. After that, the sensor network model and the design of node software are verified. The final source codes of the node software are automatically generated from the sensor network model. We illustrate the efficiency of the proposed technique by using a gas/light monitoring application through a case study of a Gas and Light Monitoring System based on the Nano-Qplus operating system. We evaluate the technique using a quantitative metric-the memory size of execution code for node software. Using the proposed approach, developers are able to easily construct sensor network applications and rapidly generate a large number of node softwares at a time in a ubiquitous sensor network environment.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Changwen Zhang
2016-11-01
Full Text Available Alcoholic liver disease (ALD results from alcohol overconsumption and is among the leading causes of liver-related morbidity and mortality worldwide. Elevated expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF and its receptors has been observed in ALD, but how it contributes to ALD pathophysiology is unclear. Here, we investigated the impact of VEGF signaling inhibition on an established zebrafish model of acute alcoholic liver injury. Kdrl activity was blocked by chemical inhibitor treatment or by genetic mutation. Exposing 4-day-old zebrafish larvae to 2% ethanol for 24 h induced hepatic steatosis, angiogenesis and fibrogenesis. The liver started self-repair once ethanol was removed. Although inhibiting Kdrl did not block the initial activation of hepatic stellate cells during ethanol treatment, it suppressed their proliferation, extracellular matrix protein deposition and fibrogenic gene expression after ethanol exposure, thus enhancing the liver repair. It also ameliorated hepatic steatosis and attenuated hepatic angiogenesis that accelerated after the ethanol treatment. qPCR showed that hepatic stellate cells are the first liver cell type to increase the expression of VEGF ligand and receptor genes in response to ethanol exposure. Both hepatic stellate cells and endothelial cells, but not hepatic parenchymal cells, expressed kdrl upon ethanol exposure and were likely the direct targets of Kdrl inhibition. Ethanol-induced steatosis and fibrogenesis still occurred in cloche mutants that have hepatic stellate cells but lack hepatic endothelial cells, and Kdrl inhibition suppressed both phenotypes in the mutants. These results suggest that VEGF signaling mediates interactions between activated hepatic stellate cells and hepatocytes that lead to steatosis. Our study demonstrates the involvement of VEGF signaling in regulating sustained liver injuries after acute alcohol exposure. It also provides a proof of principle of using the
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tan-Hsu Tan
2017-01-01
Full Text Available This study presents a new ubiquitous emergency medical service system (UEMS that consists of a ubiquitous tele-diagnosis interface and a traffic guiding subsystem. The UEMS addresses unresolved issues of emergency medical services by managing the sensor wires for eliminating inconvenience for both patients and paramedics in an ambulance, providing ubiquitous accessibility of patients’ biosignals in remote areas where the ambulance cannot arrive directly, and offering availability of real-time traffic information which can make the ambulance reach the destination within the shortest time. In the proposed system, patient’s biosignals and real-time video, acquired by wireless biosensors and a webcam, can be simultaneously transmitted to an emergency room for pre-hospital treatment via WiMax/3.5 G networks. Performances of WiMax and 3.5 G, in terms of initialization time, data rate, and average end-to-end delay are evaluated and compared. A driver can choose the route of the shortest time among the suggested routes by Google Maps after inspecting the current traffic conditions based on real-time CCTV camera streams and traffic information. The destination address can be inputted vocally for easiness and safety in driving. A series of field test results validates the feasibility of the proposed system for application in real-life scenarios.
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Structure and Expression Analyses of SVA Elements in Relation to Functional Genes
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yun-Jeong Kwon
2013-09-01
Full Text Available SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA elements are present in hominoid primates and are divided into 6 subfamilies (SVA-A to SVA-F and active in the human population. Using a bioinformatic tool, 22 SVA element-associated genes are identified in the human genome. In an analysis of genomic structure, SVA elements are detected in the 5' untranslated region (UTR of HGSNAT (SVA-B, MRGPRX3 (SVA-D, HYAL1 (SVA-F, TCHH (SVA-F, and ATXN2L (SVA-F genes, while some elements are observed in the 3'UTR of SPICE1 (SVA-B, TDRKH (SVA-C, GOSR1 (SVA-D, BBS5 (SVA-D, NEK5 (SVA-D, ABHD2 (SVA-F, C1QTNF7 (SVA-F, ORC6L (SVA-F, TMEM69 (SVA-F, and CCDC137 (SVA-F genes. They could contribute to exon extension or supplying poly A signals. LEPR (SVA-C, ALOX5 (SVA-D, PDS5B (SVA-D, and ABCA10 (SVA-F genes also showed alternative transcripts by SVA exonization events. Dominant expression of HYAL1_SVA appeared in lung tissues, while HYAL1_noSVA showed ubiquitous expression in various human tissues. Expression of both transcripts (TDRKH_SVA and TDRKH_noSVA of the TDRKH gene appeared to be ubiquitous. Taken together, these data suggest that SVA elements cause transcript isoforms that contribute to modulation of gene regulation in various human tissues.
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Kwon, Hyok Chon; Na, Doosu; Ko, Byung Geun; Lee, Songjun
2008-01-01
Wireless sensor networks have been studied in the area of intelligent transportation systems, disaster perception, environment monitoring, ubiquitous healthcare, home network, and so on. For the ubiquitous healthcare, the previous systems collect the sensed health related data at portable devices without regard to correlations of various biological signals to determine the health conditions. It is not the energy-efficient method to gather a lot of information into a specific node to decide the health condition. Since the biological signals are related with each other to estimate certain body condition, it is necessary to be collected selectively by their relationship for energy efficiency of the networked nodes. One of researches about low power consumption is the reduction of the amount of packet transmission. In this paper, a health monitoring system, which allows the transmission of the reduced number of packets by means of setting the routing path considered the relations of biological signals, is proposed.
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Processing models for conflicting user requests in ubiquitous corporate smart spaces
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Levonevskiy Dmitriy
2018-01-01
Full Text Available This paper considers processing of conflicting user requests in ubiquitous corporate smart spaces. The formulated problem consists in the contradiction between the limitation of available smart space resources to perform the conflicting user requests and necessity to provide the proper quality of service in corporate smart spaces. The principles of constructing the simulation model are described. The experiments were carried out basing on a model of the SPIIRAS digital signage service. Several task management strategies are discussed, an assessment of their effectiveness is given. The research is aimed at improving the quality of service and user experience in human-computer interaction within the corporate smart spaces.
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Identification and expression analysis of zebrafish glypicans during embryonic development.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mansi Gupta
Full Text Available Heparan sulfate Proteoglycans (HSPG are ubiquitous molecules with indispensable functions in various biological processes. Glypicans are a family of HSPG's, characterized by a Gpi-anchor which directs them to the cell surface and/or extracellular matrix where they regulate growth factor signaling during development and disease. We report the identification and expression pattern of glypican genes from zebrafish. The zebrafish genome contains 10 glypican homologs, as opposed to six in mammals, which are highly conserved and are phylogenetically related to the mammalian genes. Some of the fish glypicans like Gpc1a, Gpc3, Gpc4, Gpc6a and Gpc6b show conserved synteny with their mammalian cognate genes. Many glypicans are expressed during the gastrulation stage, but their expression becomes more tissue specific and defined during somitogenesis stages, particularly in the developing central nervous system. Existence of multiple glypican orthologs in fish with diverse expression pattern suggests highly specialized and/or redundant function of these genes during embryonic development.
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Ubiquitous monitoring of electrical household appliances.
Lloret, Jaime; Macías, Elsa; Suárez, Alvaro; Lacuesta, Raquel
2012-11-07
The number of appliances at home is increasing continuously, mainly because they make our lives easier. Currently, technology is integrated in all objects of our daily life. TCP/IP let us monitor our home in real time and check ubiquitously if something is happening at home. Bearing in mind this idea, we have developed a low-cost system, which can be used in any type of electrical household appliance that takes information from the appliance and posts the information to the Twitter Social network. Several sensors placed in the household appliances gather the sensed data and send them wired or wirelessly, depending on the case, using small and cheap devices to a gateway located in the home. This gateway takes decisions, based on the received data, and sends notifications to Twitter. We have developed a software application that takes the values and decides when to issue an alarm to the registered users (Twitter friends of our smart home). The performance of our system has been measured taking into account the home network (using IEEE 802.3u and IEEE 802.11g) and the data publishing in Twitter. As a result, we have generated an original product and service for any electrical household appliance, regardless of the model and manufacturer, that helps home users improve their quality of life. The paper also shows that there is no system with the same innovative features like the ones presented in this paper.
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Ubiquitous Monitoring of Electrical Household Appliances
Lloret, Jaime; Macías, Elsa; Suárez, Alvaro; Lacuesta, Raquel
2012-01-01
The number of appliances at home is increasing continuously, mainly because they make our lives easier. Currently, technology is integrated in all objects of our daily life. TCP/IP let us monitor our home in real time and check ubiquitously if something is happening at home. Bearing in mind this idea, we have developed a low-cost system, which can be used in any type of electrical household appliance that takes information from the appliance and posts the information to the Twitter Social network. Several sensors placed in the household appliances gather the sensed data and send them wired or wirelessly, depending on the case, using small and cheap devices to a gateway located in the home. This gateway takes decisions, based on the received data, and sends notifications to Twitter. We have developed a software application that takes the values and decides when to issue an alarm to the registered users (Twitter friends of our smart home). The performance of our system has been measured taking into account the home network (using IEEE 802.3u and IEEE 802.11g) and the data publishing in Twitter. As a result, we have generated an original product and service for any electrical household appliance, regardless of the model and manufacturer, that helps home users improve their quality of life. The paper also shows that there is no system with the same innovative features like the ones presented in this paper. PMID:23202205
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FTO is expressed in neurones throughout the brain and its expression is unaltered by fasting.
McTaggart, James S; Lee, Sheena; Iberl, Michaela; Church, Chris; Cox, Roger D; Ashcroft, Frances M
2011-01-01
Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the first intron of the ubiquitously expressed FTO gene are associated with obesity. Although the physiological functions of FTO remain unclear, food intake is often altered when Fto expression levels are manipulated. Furthermore, deletion of FTO from neurones alone has a similar effect on food intake to deletion of FTO in all tissues. These results indicate that FTO expression in the brain is particularly important. Considerable focus has been placed on the dynamic regulation of Fto mRNA expression in the hypothalamus after short-term (16-48 hour) fasting, but results have been controversial. There are no studies that quantify FTO protein levels across the brain, and assess its alteration following short-term fasting. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that FTO protein is widely expressed in mouse brain, and present in the majority of neurones. Using quantitative Western blotting and RT-qPCR we show that FTO protein and mRNA levels in the hypothalamus, cerebellum and rostral brain are relatively uniform, and levels in the brain are higher than in skeletal muscles of the lower limbs. Fasting for 18 hours does not alter the expression pattern, or levels, of FTO protein and mRNA. We further show that the majority of POMC neurones, which are critically involved in food intake regulation, also express FTO, but that the percentage of FTO-positive POMC neurones is not altered by fasting. In summary, we find no evidence that Fto/FTO expression is regulated by short-term (18-hour) fasting. Thus, it is unlikely that the hunger and increased post-fasting food intake caused by such food deprivation is driven by alterations in Fto/FTO expression. The widespread expression of FTO in neurones also suggests that physiological studies of this protein should not be limited to the hypothalamus.
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FTO is expressed in neurones throughout the brain and its expression is unaltered by fasting.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James S McTaggart
Full Text Available Single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the first intron of the ubiquitously expressed FTO gene are associated with obesity. Although the physiological functions of FTO remain unclear, food intake is often altered when Fto expression levels are manipulated. Furthermore, deletion of FTO from neurones alone has a similar effect on food intake to deletion of FTO in all tissues. These results indicate that FTO expression in the brain is particularly important. Considerable focus has been placed on the dynamic regulation of Fto mRNA expression in the hypothalamus after short-term (16-48 hour fasting, but results have been controversial. There are no studies that quantify FTO protein levels across the brain, and assess its alteration following short-term fasting. Using immunohistochemistry, we found that FTO protein is widely expressed in mouse brain, and present in the majority of neurones. Using quantitative Western blotting and RT-qPCR we show that FTO protein and mRNA levels in the hypothalamus, cerebellum and rostral brain are relatively uniform, and levels in the brain are higher than in skeletal muscles of the lower limbs. Fasting for 18 hours does not alter the expression pattern, or levels, of FTO protein and mRNA. We further show that the majority of POMC neurones, which are critically involved in food intake regulation, also express FTO, but that the percentage of FTO-positive POMC neurones is not altered by fasting. In summary, we find no evidence that Fto/FTO expression is regulated by short-term (18-hour fasting. Thus, it is unlikely that the hunger and increased post-fasting food intake caused by such food deprivation is driven by alterations in Fto/FTO expression. The widespread expression of FTO in neurones also suggests that physiological studies of this protein should not be limited to the hypothalamus.
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Hsu, Ching-Kun; Hwang, Gwo-Jen
2014-01-01
Personal computer assembly courses have been recognized as being essential in helping students understand computer structure as well as the functionality of each computer component. In this study, a context-aware ubiquitous learning approach is proposed for providing instant assistance to individual students in the learning activity of a…
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Pan, Yi; Yi, Gangman; Loia, Vincenzo
2017-01-01
This book presents the combined proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Computer Science and its Applications (CSA-16) and the 11st International Conference on Ubiquitous Information Technologies and Applications (CUTE 2016), both held in Bangkok, Thailand, December 19 - 21, 2016. The aim of these two meetings was to promote discussion and interaction among academics, researchers and professionals in the field of ubiquitous computing technologies. These proceedings reflect the state-of-the-art in the development of computational methods, involving theory, algorithm, numerical simulation, error and uncertainty analysis and novel application of new processing techniques in engineering, science, and other disciplines related to ubiquitous computing.
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Unfolding and Refolding Embodiment into the Landscape of Ubiquitous Computing
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Schick, Lea; Malmborg, Lone
2009-01-01
This paper advocates the future of the body as a distributed and shared embodiment; an unfolded body that doesn’t end at one's skin, but emerges as intercorporeality between bodies and the technological environment. Looking at new tendencies within interaction design and ubiquitous computing to see...... how these are to an increasing extent focusing on sociality, context-awareness, relations, affects, connectedness, and collectivity we will examine how these new technological movements can change our perception of embodiment towards a distributed and shared one. By examining interactive textiles...... as part of a future rising landscape of multi-sensory networks we will exemplify how the new technologies can shutter dichotomies and challenge traditional notions of embodiment and the subject. Finally, we show how this ‘new embodiment’ manifests Deleuze’s philosophy of the body as something unstable...
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Decentralized Sensor Fusion for Ubiquitous Networking Robotics in Urban Areas
Sanfeliu, Alberto; Andrade-Cetto, Juan; Barbosa, Marco; Bowden, Richard; Capitán, Jesús; Corominas, Andreu; Gilbert, Andrew; Illingworth, John; Merino, Luis; Mirats, Josep M.; Moreno, Plínio; Ollero, Aníbal; Sequeira, João; Spaan, Matthijs T.J.
2010-01-01
In this article we explain the architecture for the environment and sensors that has been built for the European project URUS (Ubiquitous Networking Robotics in Urban Sites), a project whose objective is to develop an adaptable network robot architecture for cooperation between network robots and human beings and/or the environment in urban areas. The project goal is to deploy a team of robots in an urban area to give a set of services to a user community. This paper addresses the sensor architecture devised for URUS and the type of robots and sensors used, including environment sensors and sensors onboard the robots. Furthermore, we also explain how sensor fusion takes place to achieve urban outdoor execution of robotic services. Finally some results of the project related to the sensor network are highlighted. PMID:22294927
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A Survey of Software Infrastructures and Frameworks for Ubiquitous Computing
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christoph Endres
2005-01-01
Full Text Available In this survey, we discuss 29 software infrastructures and frameworks which support the construction of distributed interactive systems. They range from small projects with one implemented prototype to large scale research efforts, and they come from the fields of Augmented Reality (AR, Intelligent Environments, and Distributed Mobile Systems. In their own way, they can all be used to implement various aspects of the ubiquitous computing vision as described by Mark Weiser [60]. This survey is meant as a starting point for new projects, in order to choose an existing infrastructure for reuse, or to get an overview before designing a new one. It tries to provide a systematic, relatively broad (and necessarily not very deep overview, while pointing to relevant literature for in-depth study of the systems discussed.
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Ubiquitous computing technology for just-in-time motivation of behavior change.
Intille, Stephen S
2004-01-01
This paper describes a vision of health care where "just-in-time" user interfaces are used to transform people from passive to active consumers of health care. Systems that use computational pattern recognition to detect points of decision, behavior, or consequences automatically can present motivational messages to encourage healthy behavior at just the right time. Further, new ubiquitous computing and mobile computing devices permit information to be conveyed to users at just the right place. In combination, computer systems that present messages at the right time and place can be developed to motivate physical activity and healthy eating. Computational sensing technologies can also be used to measure the impact of the motivational technology on behavior.
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Xu, Wenxuan; Lu, Chunfeng; Yao, Lu; Zhang, Feng; Shao, Jiangjuan [Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Zheng, Shizhong, E-mail: nytws@163.com [Department of Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China); Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Pharmacology and Safety Evaluation of Chinese Materia Medica, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province (China)
2017-01-15
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a common etiology of liver diseases, characterized by hepatic steatosis. We previously identified farnesoid X receptor (FXR) as a potential therapeutic target for ALD. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has been recently identified to possess potent pharmacological activities on liver diseases. This study was aimed to explore the impact of DHA on ALD and further elaborate the underlying mechanisms. Gain- or loss-of-function analyses of FXR were applied in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Results demonstrated that DHA rescued FXR expression and activity in alcoholic rat livers. DHA also reduced serodiagnostic markers of liver injury, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase. DHA improved alcohol-induced liver histological lesions, expression of inflammation genes, and inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, DHA not only attenuated hyperlipidemia but also reduced hepatic steatosis through regulating lipogenesis and lipolysis genes. In vitro experiments further consolidated the concept that DHA ameliorated ethanol-caused hepatocyte injury and steatosis. Noteworthily, DHA effects were reinforced by FXR agonist obeticholic acid or FXR expression plasmids but abrogated by FXR antagonist Z-guggulsterone or FXR siRNA. In summary, DHA significantly improved alcoholic liver injury by inhibiting hepatic steatosis, which was dependent on its activation of FXR in hepatocytes. - Highlights: • DHA rescues FXR expression in alcoholic livers. • DHA improves alcoholic liver inflammation and steatosis in a FXR-dependent way. • DHA alleviates ethanol-induced hepatocyte steatosis by activation of FXR.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Xu, Wenxuan; Lu, Chunfeng; Yao, Lu; Zhang, Feng; Shao, Jiangjuan; Zheng, Shizhong
2017-01-01
Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is a common etiology of liver diseases, characterized by hepatic steatosis. We previously identified farnesoid X receptor (FXR) as a potential therapeutic target for ALD. Dihydroartemisinin (DHA) has been recently identified to possess potent pharmacological activities on liver diseases. This study was aimed to explore the impact of DHA on ALD and further elaborate the underlying mechanisms. Gain- or loss-of-function analyses of FXR were applied in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Results demonstrated that DHA rescued FXR expression and activity in alcoholic rat livers. DHA also reduced serodiagnostic markers of liver injury, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, and lactate dehydrogenase. DHA improved alcohol-induced liver histological lesions, expression of inflammation genes, and inflammatory cell infiltration. In addition, DHA not only attenuated hyperlipidemia but also reduced hepatic steatosis through regulating lipogenesis and lipolysis genes. In vitro experiments further consolidated the concept that DHA ameliorated ethanol-caused hepatocyte injury and steatosis. Noteworthily, DHA effects were reinforced by FXR agonist obeticholic acid or FXR expression plasmids but abrogated by FXR antagonist Z-guggulsterone or FXR siRNA. In summary, DHA significantly improved alcoholic liver injury by inhibiting hepatic steatosis, which was dependent on its activation of FXR in hepatocytes. - Highlights: • DHA rescues FXR expression in alcoholic livers. • DHA improves alcoholic liver inflammation and steatosis in a FXR-dependent way. • DHA alleviates ethanol-induced hepatocyte steatosis by activation of FXR.
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Klemm, Elizabeth J.; Spooner, Eric; Ploegh, Hidde L.
2011-01-01
Quality control of endoplasmic reticulum proteins involves the identification and engagement of misfolded proteins, dislocation of the misfolded protein across the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane, and ubiquitin-mediated targeting to the proteasome for degradation. Ancient ubiquitous protein 1 (AUP1) physically associates with the mammalian HRD1-SEL1L complex, and AUP1 depletion impairs degradation of misfolded ER proteins. One of the functions of AUP1 in ER quality control is to recruit the soluble E2 ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2G2. We further show that the CUE domain of AUP1 regulates polyubiquitylation and facilitates the interaction of AUP1 with the HRD1 complex and with dislocation substrates. AUP1 localizes both to the ER and to lipid droplets. The AUP1 expression level affects the abundance of cellular lipid droplets and as such represents the first protein with lipid droplet regulatory activity to be linked to ER quality control. These findings indicate a possible connection between ER protein quality control and lipid droplets. PMID:21857022
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Bernard, Robert M.; Bethel, Edward Clement; Abrami, Philip C.; Wade, C. Anne
2007-01-01
This study examines the achievement outcomes accompanying the implementation of a Grade 3 laptop or so-called "ubiquitous computing" program in a Quebec school district. CAT3 reading, language, and mathematics batteries were administered at the end of Grade 2 and again at the end of Grade 3, after the first year of computer…
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Analysis of energy efficient routing protocols for implementation of a ubiquitous health system
Kwon, Jongwon; Park, Yongman; Koo, Sangjun; Ayurzana, Odgeral; Kim, Hiesik
2007-12-01
The innovative Ubiquitous-Health was born through convergence of medical service, with development of up to date information technologies and ubiquitous IT. The U-Health can be applied to a variety of special situations for managing functions of each medical center efficiently. This paper focuses on estimation of various routing protocols for implementation of U-health monitoring system. In order to facilitate wireless communication over the network, a routing protocol on the network layer is used to establish precise and efficient route between sensor nodes so that information acquired from sensors may be delivered in a timely manner. A route establishment should be considered to minimize overhead, data loss and power consumption because wireless networks for U-health are organized by a large number of sensor nodes which are small in size and have limited processing power, memory and battery life. In this paper a overview of wireless sensor network technologies commonly known is described as well as evaluation of three multi hop routing protocols which are flooding, gossiping and modified low energy adaptive clustering hierarchy(LEACH) for use with these networks using TOSSIM simulator. As a result of evaluation the integrated wireless sensor board was developed in particular. The board is embedded device based on AVR128 porting TinyOS. Also it employs bio sensor measures blood pressure, pulse frequency and ZigBee module for wireless communication. This paper accelerates the digital convergence age through continual research and development of technologies related the U-Health.
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Lentiviral hematopoietic cell gene therapy for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy.
Cartier, Nathalie; Hacein-Bey-Abina, Salima; Bartholomae, Cynthia C; Bougnères, Pierre; Schmidt, Manfred; Kalle, Christof Von; Fischer, Alain; Cavazzana-Calvo, Marina; Aubourg, Patrick
2012-01-01
X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) is a severe genetic demyelinating disease caused by a deficiency in ALD protein, an adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter encoded by the ABCD1 gene. When performed at an early stage of the disease, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT) can arrest the progression of cerebral demyelinating lesions. To overcome the limitations of allogeneic HCT, hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) gene therapy strategy aiming to perform autologous transplantation of lentivirally corrected cells was developed. We demonstrated the preclinical feasibility of HSC gene therapy for ALD based on the correction of CD34+ cells from X-ALD patients using an HIV1-derived lentiviral vector. These results prompted us to initiate an HSC gene therapy trial in two X-ALD patients who had developed progressive cerebral demyelination, were candidates for allogeneic HCT, but had no HLA-matched donors or cord blood. Autologous CD34+ cells were purified from the peripheral blood after G-CSF stimulation, genetically corrected ex vivo with a lentiviral vector encoding wild-type ABCD1 cDNA, and then reinfused into the patients after they had received full myeloablative conditioning. Over 3 years of follow-up, the hematopoiesis remained polyclonal in the two patients treated with 7-14% of granulocytes, monocytes, and T and B lymphocytes expressing the lentivirally encoded ALD protein. There was no evidence of clonal dominance or skewing based on the retrieval of lentiviral insertion repertoire in different hematopoietic lineages by deep sequencing. Cerebral demyelination was arrested 14 and 16months, respectively, in the two treated patients, without further progression up to the last follow-up, a clinical outcome that is comparable to that observed after allogeneic HCT. Longer follow-up of these two treated patients and HSC gene therapy performed in additional ALD patients are however needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of lentiviral HSC
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Oxidant stress is believed to play an important role in particulate matter (PM)–mediated toxicity in the respiratory tract. Zinc (Zn2+) is a ubiquitous component of PM that has been shown to induce adverse responses such as inflammatory and adaptive gene expression in airway epit...
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Pouladi, Mahmoud A; Xie, Yuanyun; Skotte, Niels Henning
2010-01-01
of the IGF-1 pathway in mediating the effect of htt on body weight. IGF-1 expression was examined in transgenic mouse lines expressing different levels of FL wild-type (WT) htt (YAC18 mice), FL mutant htt (YAC128 and BACHD mice) and truncated mutant htt (shortstop mice). We demonstrate that htt influences...... body weight by modulating the IGF-1 pathway. Plasma IGF-1 levels correlate with body weight and htt levels in the transgenic YAC mice expressing human htt. The effect of htt on IGF-1 expression is independent of CAG size. No effect on body weight is observed in transgenic YAC mice expressing...... and decreases the body weight of YAC128 animals to WT levels. Furthermore, given the ubiquitous expression of IGF-1 within the central nervous system, we also examined the impact of FL htt levels on IGF-1 expression in different regions of the brain, including the striatum, cerebellum of YAC18, YAC128...
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Structure of the vault, a ubiquitous celular component.
Kong, L B; Siva, A C; Rome, L H; Stewart, P L
1999-04-15
The vault is a ubiquitous and highly conserved ribonucleoprotein particle of approximately 13 MDa. This particle has been shown to be upregulated in certain multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines and to share a protein component with the telomerase complex. Determination of the structure of the vault was undertaken to provide a first step towards understanding the role of this cellular component in normal metabolism and perhaps to shed some light on its role in mediating drug resistance. Over 1300 particle images were combined to calculate an approximately 31 A resolution structure of the vault. Rotational power spectra did not yield a clear symmetry peak, either because of the thin, smooth walls or inherent flexibility of the vault. Although cyclic eightfold (C8) symmetry was imposed, the resulting reconstruction may be partially cylindrically averaged about the eightfold axis. Our results reveal the vault to be a hollow, barrel-like structure with two protruding caps and an invaginated waist. Although the normal cellular function of the vault is as yet undetermined, the structure of the vault is consistent with either a role in subcellular transport, as previously suggested, or in sequestering macromolecular assemblies.
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A concept for ubiquitous robotics in industrial environment
Sallinen, Mikko; Heilala, Juhani; Kivikunnas, Sauli
2007-09-01
In this paper a concept for industrial ubiquitous robotics is presented. The concept combines two different approaches to manage agile, adaptable production: firstly the human operator is strongly in the production loop and secondly, the robot workcell will be more autonomous and smarter to manage production. This kind of autonomous robot cell can be called production island. Communication to the human operator working in this kind of smart industrial environment can be divided into two levels: body area communication and operator-infrastructure communication including devices, machines and infra. Body area communication can be supportive in two directions: data is recorded by means of measuring physical actions, such as hand movements, body gestures or supportive when it will provide information to user such as guides or manuals for operation. Body area communication can be carried out using short range communication technologies such as NFC (Near Field communication) which is RFID type of communication. In the operator-infrastructure communication, WLAN or Bluetooth -communication can be used. Beyond the current Human Machine interaction HMI systems, the presented system concept is designed to fulfill the requirements for hybrid, knowledge intensive manufacturing in the future, where humans and robots operate in close co-operation.
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Decentralized Sensor Fusion for Ubiquitous Networking Robotics in Urban Areas
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Aníbal Ollero
2010-03-01
Full Text Available In this article we explain the architecture for the environment and sensors that has been built for the European project URUS (Ubiquitous Networking Robotics in Urban Sites, a project whose objective is to develop an adaptable network robot architecture for cooperation between network robots and human beings and/or the environment in urban areas. The project goal is to deploy a team of robots in an urban area to give a set of services to a user community. This paper addresses the sensor architecture devised for URUS and the type of robots and sensors used, including environment sensors and sensors onboard the robots. Furthermore, we also explain how sensor fusion takes place to achieve urban outdoor execution of robotic services. Finally some results of the project related to the sensor network are highlighted.
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A Comprehensive Ubiquitous Healthcare Solution on an Android™ Mobile Device
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Pei-Cheng Hii
2011-06-01
Full Text Available Provision of ubiquitous healthcare solutions which provide healthcare services at anytime anywhere has become more favorable nowadays due to the emphasis on healthcare awareness and also the growth of mobile wireless technologies. Following this approach, an Android™ smart phone device is proposed as a mobile monitoring terminal to observe and analyze ECG (electrocardiography waveforms from wearable ECG devices in real time under the coverage of a wireless sensor network (WSN. The exploitation of WSN in healthcare is able to substitute the complicated wired technology, moving healthcare away from a fixed location setting. As an extension to the monitoring scheme, medicine care is taken into consideration by utilizing the mobile phone as a barcode decoder, to verify and assist out-patients in the medication administration process, providing a better and more comprehensive healthcare service.
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SiC: An Agent Based Architecture for Preventing and Detecting Attacks to Ubiquitous Databases
Pinzón, Cristian; de Paz Santana, Yanira; Bajo Pérez, Javier; Abraham, Ajith P.; Corchado Rodríguez, Juan M.
2009-01-01
One of the main attacks to ubiquitous databases is the structure query language (SQL) injection attack, which causes severe damages both in the commercial aspect and in the user’s confidence. This chapter proposes the SiC architecture as a solution to the SQL injection attack problem. This is a hierarchical distributed multiagent architecture, which involves an entirely new approach with respect to existing architectures for the prevention and detection of SQL injections. SiC incorporates a k...
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Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)
QIAO Xiu-quan; LI Xiao-feng; LIANG Shou-qing
2006-01-01
A reference model for future ubiquitous convergent network is analyzed. To provide user-centric, intelligent,personalized service, this article presents a context-aware telecommunication service platform (CaTSP) to adapt to dynamically changing context. This article focuses on the new design method of context-aware telecommunication service platform and its architecture. Through the use of model-driven architecture (MDA) and semantic web technologies, CaTSP can enable context reasoning and service personalization adaption.This article explores a new approach for service intelligence,personalization, and adaptability in the semantic web service computing era.
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"I had a dream and i built it": power and self-staging in ubiquitous high-end homes
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lynggaard, Aviaja Borup; Petersen, Marianne Graves; Hepworth, Sam
2012-01-01
Research on smart homes and ubiquitous homes is often highly focused on the challenges and obstacles for establishing and living in smart homes. Few have studied peoples' motivations for establishing smart homes as well as the real life experiences living in such homes. We have had the chance to ...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Matos Isa
2011-12-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Squalius alburnoides is an Iberian cyprinid fish resulting from an interspecific hybridisation between Squalius pyrenaicus females (P genome and males of an unknown Anaecypris hispanica-like species (A genome. S. alburnoides is an allopolyploid hybridogenetic complex, which makes it a likely candidate for ploidy mosaicism occurrence, and is also an interesting model to address questions about gene expression regulation and genomic interactions. Indeed, it was previously suggested that in S. alburnoides triploids (PAA composition silencing of one of the three alleles (mainly of the P allele occurs. However, not a whole haplome is inactivated but a more or less random inactivation of alleles varying between individuals and even between organs of the same fish was seen. In this work we intended to correlate expression differences between individuals and/or between organs to the occurrence of mosaicism, evaluating if mosaics could explain previous observations and its impact on the assessment of gene expression patterns. Results To achieve our goal, we developed flow cytometry and cell sorting protocols for this system generating more homogenous cellular and transcriptional samples. With this set-up we detected 10% ploidy mosaicism within the S. alburnoides complex, and determined the allelic expression profiles of ubiquitously expressed genes (rpl8; gapdh and β-actin in cells from liver and kidney of mosaic and non-mosaic individuals coming from different rivers over a wide geographic range. Conclusions Ploidy mosaicism occurs sporadically within the S. alburnoides complex, but in a frequency significantly higher than reported for other organisms. Moreover, we could exclude the influence of this phenomenon on the detection of variable allelic expression profiles of ubiquitously expressed genes (rpl8; gapdh and β-actin in cells from liver and kidney of triploid individuals. Finally, we determined that the expression patterns
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A cloud-based X73 ubiquitous mobile healthcare system: design and implementation.
Ji, Zhanlin; Ganchev, Ivan; O'Droma, Máirtín; Zhang, Xin; Zhang, Xueji
2014-01-01
Based on the user-centric paradigm for next generation networks, this paper describes a ubiquitous mobile healthcare (uHealth) system based on the ISO/IEEE 11073 personal health data (PHD) standards (X73) and cloud computing techniques. A number of design issues associated with the system implementation are outlined. The system includes a middleware on the user side, providing a plug-and-play environment for heterogeneous wireless sensors and mobile terminals utilizing different communication protocols and a distributed "big data" processing subsystem in the cloud. The design and implementation of this system are envisaged as an efficient solution for the next generation of uHealth systems.
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Akt1 Controls the Timing and Amplitude of Vascular Circadian Gene Expression
Luciano, Amelia K.; Santana, Jeans M.; Velazquez, Heino; Sessa, William C.
2017-01-01
The AKT signaling pathway is important for circadian rhythms in mammals and flies (Drosophila). However, AKT signaling in mammals is more complicated since there are 3 isoforms of AKT, each performing slightly different functions. Here we study the most ubiquitous AKT isoform, Akt1, and its role at the organismal level in the central and vascular peripheral clocks. Akt1−/− mice exhibit relatively normal behavioral rhythms with only minor differences in circadian gene expression in the liver a...
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Luis M. L. Oliveira
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs belongs to a new trend in technology in which tiny and resource constrained devices are wirelessly interconnected and are able to interact with the surrounding environment by collecting data such as temperature and humidity. Recently, due to the huge growth in the use of mobile devices with Internet connection, smartphones are becoming the center of future ubiquitous wireless networks. Interconnecting WSNs with smartphones and the Internet is a big challenge and new architectures are required due to the heterogeneity of these devices. Taking into account that people are using smartphones with Internet connection, there is a good opportunity to propose a new architecture for wireless sensors monitoring using push notifications and smartphones. Then, this paper proposes a ubiquitous approach for WSN monitoring based on a REST Web Service, a relational database, and an Android mobile application. Real-time data sensed by WSNs are sent directly to a smartphone or stored in a database and requested by the mobile application using a well-defined RESTful interface. A push notification system was created in order to alert mobile users when a sensor parameter overcomes a given threshold. The proposed architecture and mobile application were evaluated and validated using a laboratory WSN testbed and are ready for use.
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Chao, Han-Chieh; Arabnia, Hamid; Yen, Neil; Advanced Multimedia and Ubiquitous Engineering : Future Information Technology; MUE-15; FutureTech 2015
This volume brings together contributions representing the state-of-the-art in new multimedia and future technology information research, currently a major topic in computer science and electronic engineering. Researchers aim to interoperate multimedia frameworks, transforming the way people work and interact with multimedia data. This book covers future information technology topics including digital and multimedia convergence, ubiquitous and pervasive computing, intelligent computing and applications, embedded systems, mobile and wireless communications, bio-inspired computing, grid and cloud computing, semantic web, human-centric computing and social networks, adaptive and context-aware computing, security and trust computing and related areas. Representing the combined proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Multimedia and Ubiquitous Engineering (MUE-15) and the 10th International Conference on Future Information Technology (FutureTech 2015), this book aims to provide a complete coverage of...
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Prevention of sexually transmitted infections using mobile devices and ubiquitous computing.
Besoain, Felipe; Perez-Navarro, Antoni; Caylà, Joan A; Aviñó, Constanza Jacques; de Olalla, Patricia García
2015-05-03
Advances in the development of information and communication technologies have facilitated social interrelationships, but also sexual contacts without appropriate preventive measures. In this paper, we will focus on situations in which people use applications to meet sexual partners nearby, which could increase their chance of exposure to sexually transmitted infections (STI). How can we encourage users to adopt preventive measures without violating their privacy or infringing on the character of the application? To achieve the goal of preventing STI, we have used the design and creation methodology and have developed a prototype software package. This prototype follows the RESTful services principles and has two parts: an Android OS application with emphasis on ubiquitous computing and designed according to General Responsibility Assignment Software Patterns (GRASP), and a server with a web page. To choose the preventive messages, we performed a test in 17 men who have sex with men (MSM). Our software sends preventive notifications to users when it detects situations such as the activation of particular applications on their smartphones, or their proximity to areas with a high probability of intercourse (hot zones). The underlying idea is the same as that for warning messages on cigarette packets, since users read the message just when they are going to smoke. The messages used have been selected from a list that has been rated by the users themselves. The most popular message is "Enjoy sex and enjoy life. Do not expose yourself to HIV". The user is unaware of the software, which runs in the background. Ubiquitous computing may be useful for alerting users with preventive and educational messages. The proposed application is non-intrusive because: 1) the users themselves decide to install it and, therefore, users' privacy rights are preserved; 2) it sends a message that helps users think about taking appropriate preventive measures; and 3) it works in the
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Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chu, Hui-Chun; Shih, Ju-Ling; Huang, Shu-Hsien; Tsai, Chin-Chung
2010-01-01
A context-aware ubiquitous learning environment is an authentic learning environment with personalized digital supports. While showing the potential of applying such a learning environment, researchers have also indicated the challenges of providing adaptive and dynamic support to individual students. In this paper, a decision-tree-oriented…
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Ubiquitous Monitoring of Electrical Household Appliances
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Raquel Lacuesta
2012-11-01
Full Text Available The number of appliances at home is increasing continuously, mainly because they make our lives easier. Currently, technology is integrated in all objects of our daily life. TCP/IP let us monitor our home in real time and check ubiquitously if something is happening at home. Bearing in mind this idea, we have developed a low-cost system, which can be used in any type of electrical household appliance that takes information from the appliance and posts the information to the Twitter Social network. Several sensors placed in the household appliances gather the sensed data and send them wired or wirelessly, depending on the case, using small and cheap devices to a gateway located in the home. This gateway takes decisions, based on the received data, and sends notifications to Twitter. We have developed a software application that takes the values and decides when to issue an alarm to the registered users (Twitter friends of our smart home. The performance of our system has been measured taking into account the home network (using IEEE 802.3u and IEEE 802.11g and the data publishing in Twitter. As a result, we have generated an original product and service for any electrical household appliance, regardless of the model and manufacturer, that helps home users improve their quality of life. The paper also shows that there is no system with the same innovative features like the ones presented in this paper.
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Expression of Fox genes in the cephalochordate Branchiostoma lanceolatum
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Daniel eAldea
2015-07-01
Full Text Available Forkhead box (Fox genes code for transcription factors that play important roles in different biological processes. They are found in a wide variety of organisms and appeared in unicellular eukaryotes. In metazoans, the gene family includes many members that can be subdivided into 24 classes. Cephalochordates are key organisms to understand the functional evolution of gene families in the chordate lineage due to their phylogenetic position as an early divergent chordate, their simple anatomy and genome structure. In the genome of the cephalochordate amphioxus Branchiostoma floridae, 32 Fox genes were identified, with at least one member for each of the classes that were present in the ancestor of bilaterians. In this work we describe the expression pattern of 13 of these genes during the embryonic development of the Mediterranean amphioxus, Branchiostoma lanceolatum. We found that FoxK and FoxM genes present an ubiquitous expression while all the others show specific expression patterns restricted to diverse embryonic territories. Many of these expression patterns are conserved with vertebrates, suggesting that the main functions of Fox genes in chordates were present in their common ancestor.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Yang, Jae Mo; Ko, Byung Seok; Park, Chulhwan; Ko, Jae Wook; Yoo, Byungtae; Shin, Dongil
2014-01-01
To increase awareness of safety in facilities where hazards may exist, operators, managers, and executive officers on the site should be able to monitor such facilities. However, most compressed natural gas (CNG) service stations in Korea use only local-mode monitoring, with only on-site operators to monitor the facility. To complement this local-mode monitoring, an online safety management system called Ubiquitous-gas safety management system (U-GSMS) was developed. The U-GSMS consists largely of software and hardware. The software consists of systems that can manage safety and operations, while the hardware consists of sensors installed in the gas facility and wireless communication systems using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) technology that facilitates communication between sensors as well as between sensors and other devices. As these systems are web-based, on-site operators as well as managers and executive officers at the headquarters can more effectively and efficiently perform monitoring and safety management
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Yang, Jae Mo; Ko, Byung Seok; Park, Chulhwan; Ko, Jae Wook [Kwangwoon University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Yoo, Byungtae [National Disaster Management Institute, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shin, Dongil [Myongji University, Yongin (Korea, Republic of)
2014-03-15
To increase awareness of safety in facilities where hazards may exist, operators, managers, and executive officers on the site should be able to monitor such facilities. However, most compressed natural gas (CNG) service stations in Korea use only local-mode monitoring, with only on-site operators to monitor the facility. To complement this local-mode monitoring, an online safety management system called Ubiquitous-gas safety management system (U-GSMS) was developed. The U-GSMS consists largely of software and hardware. The software consists of systems that can manage safety and operations, while the hardware consists of sensors installed in the gas facility and wireless communication systems using a ubiquitous sensor network (USN) technology that facilitates communication between sensors as well as between sensors and other devices. As these systems are web-based, on-site operators as well as managers and executive officers at the headquarters can more effectively and efficiently perform monitoring and safety management.
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Ubiquitous computing in sports: A review and analysis.
Baca, Arnold; Dabnichki, Peter; Heller, Mario; Kornfeind, Philipp
2009-10-01
Ubiquitous (pervasive) computing is a term for a synergetic use of sensing, communication and computing. Pervasive use of computing has seen a rapid increase in the current decade. This development has propagated in applied sport science and everyday life. The work presents a survey of recent developments in sport and leisure with emphasis on technology and computational techniques. A detailed analysis on new technological developments is performed. Sensors for position and motion detection, and such for equipment and physiological monitoring are discussed. Aspects of novel trends in communication technologies and data processing are outlined. Computational advancements have started a new trend - development of smart and intelligent systems for a wide range of applications - from model-based posture recognition to context awareness algorithms for nutrition monitoring. Examples particular to coaching and training are discussed. Selected tools for monitoring rules' compliance and automatic decision-making are outlined. Finally, applications in leisure and entertainment are presented, from systems supporting physical activity to systems providing motivation. It is concluded that the emphasis in future will shift from technologies to intelligent systems that allow for enhanced social interaction as efforts need to be made to improve user-friendliness and standardisation of measurement and transmission protocols.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Tavares, Ana; Nielsen, Jesper B; Boye, Kit
2014-01-01
BACKGROUND: Alpha-hemolysin (Hla) is a major virulence factor in the pathogenesis of Staphylococcus aureus infection, being active against a wide range of host cells. Although hla is ubiquitous in S. aureus, its genetic diversity and variation in expression in different genetic backgrounds...... and SCCmec typing. The internal regions of hla and the hla promoter were sequenced and gene expression was assessed by RT-PCR. RESULTS: Alpha-hemolysin encoding- and promoter sequences were diverse, with 12 and 23 different alleles, respectively. Based on phylogenetic analysis, we suggest that hla may have...... in the RNAIII binding site were not associated to hla expression. Although expression rates of hla were in general strain-specific, we observed CA clones showed significantly higher hla expression (p = 0.003) when compared with HA clones. CONCLUSION: We propose that the hla gene has evolved together...
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Willis, Katharine S.; Corino, Gianni
2014-01-01
In design teaching ubiquitous technologies can offer new ways of situating learning within real world experiences. Yet they require new types of knowledge; both an understanding of how to work with the technology and also an understanding of how to use the technologies to respond to changing contexts such as the place and the people. We sought to…
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Peng, Hui; Yang, Tianbao; Jurick, Wayne M.
2014-01-01
Calmodulin, a ubiquitous calcium sensor, plays an important role in decoding stress-triggered intracellular calcium changes and regulates the functions of numerous target proteins involved in various plant physiological responses. To determine the functions of calmodulin in fleshy fruit, expression studies were performed on a family of six calmodulin genes (SlCaMs) in mature-green stage tomato fruit in response to mechanical injury and Botrytis cinerea infection. Both wounding and pathogen in...
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Benoit, Isabelle; Zhou, Miaomiao; Duarte, Alexandra Vivas; Downes, Damien J.; Todd, Richard B.; Kloezen, Wendy; Post, Harm; Heck, Albert J. R.; Altelaar, A. F. Maarten; de Vries, Ronald P.
2015-01-01
Degradation of plant biomass to fermentable sugars is of critical importance for the use of plant materials for biofuels. Filamentous fungi are ubiquitous organisms and major plant biomass degraders. Single colonies of some fungal species can colonize massive areas as large as five soccer stadia. During growth, the mycelium encounters heterogeneous carbon sources. Here we assessed whether substrate heterogeneity is a major determinant of spatial gene expression in colonies of Aspergillus nige...
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Chang, Chi-Cheng; Lei, Hao; Tseng, Ju-Shih
2011-01-01
Although ubiquitous learning enhances students' access to learning materials, it is crucial to find out which media presentation modes produce the best results for English listening comprehension. The present study examined the effect of media presentation mode (sound and text versus sound) on English listening comprehension and cognitive load.…
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Tungsten atomic layer deposition on polymers
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Wilson, C.A. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215 (United States); McCormick, J.A. [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0424 (United States); Cavanagh, A.S. [Department of Physics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0390 (United States); Goldstein, D.N. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215 (United States); Weimer, A.W. [Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0424 (United States); George, S.M. [Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0215 (United States); Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309-0424 (United States)], E-mail: Steven.George@Colorado.Edu
2008-07-31
Tungsten (W) atomic layer deposition (ALD) was investigated on a variety of polymer films and polymer particles. These polymers included polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, polystyrene, polycarbonate, polypropylene and polymethylmethacrylate. The W ALD was performed at 80 {sup o}C using WF{sub 6} and Si{sub 2}H{sub 6} as the gas phase reactants. W ALD on flat polymer films can eventually nucleate and grow after more than 60 AB cycles. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies of W ALD on polystyrene after 50 AB cycles suggested that tungsten nanoclusters are present in the W ALD nucleation regime. The W ALD nucleation is greatly facilitated by a few cycles of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD. W ALD films were grown at 80 {sup o}C on spin-coated polymers on silicon wafers after 10 AB cycles of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD. The W ALD film was observed to grow linearly with a growth rate of 3.9 A per AB cycle on the polymer films treated with the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD seed layer. The W ALD films displayed an excellent, mirror-like optical reflectivity. The resistivity was 100-400 {mu}{omega} cm for W ALD films with thicknesses from 95-845 A. W ALD was also observed on polymer particles after W ALD in a rotary reactor. Without the Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD seed layer, the nucleation of W ALD directly on the polymer particles at 80 {sup o}C required > 50 AB cycles. In contrast, the polymer particles treated with only 5 AB cycles of Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} ALD were observed to blacken after 25 AB cycles of W ALD. W ALD on polymers may have applications for flexible optical mirrors, electromagnetic interference shielding and gas diffusion barriers.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ambartsumian, N; Klingelhöfer, Jörg; Grigorian, M
1998-01-01
The S100A4(mts1) is a gene associated with generation of metastatic disease. In order to analyze the consequences of alteration of the pattern of expression of the S100A4(mts1) gene we obtained strains of transgenic mice bearing the S100A4(mts1) gene under the control of a ubiquitous and constitu....../or posttranslational degradation....
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Nagai, Hiroki; Sezaki, Maiko; Bertocchini, Federica; Fukuda, Kimiko; Sheng, Guojun
2014-05-01
Grafting and transplantation experiments in embryology require proper distinction between host and donor tissues. For the avian model this has traditionally been achieved by using two closely related species (e.g., chick and quail) followed by species-specific antibody staining. Here, we show that an in situ hybridization probe against the HINTW gene is a robust and reliable marker for female-derived chicken cells. At all pre-circulation stages tested, all cells in female embryos, independently confirmed by PCR analysis, were strongly positive for HINTW, whereas all male embryos were negative. This probe is broadly applicable in intra-specific chick/chick chimera studies, and as a proof of principle, we utilized this probe to detect female cells in three experimental settings: (1) to mark female donor cells in a node transplantation assay; (2) to distinguish female cells in male/female twins generated by the Cornish pasty culture; and (3) to detect female half of the embryo in artificially generated bilateral gynandromorphs. A rapid, PCR based pre-screening step increases the efficiency of obtaining desired donor/host sex combination from 25% to 100%. For most avian chimera studies, this female-specific in situ probe is a low cost alternative to the commonly used QCPN antibody and to ubiquitous-GFP chicken strains which are not widely available to the research community. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Transgenic chickens expressing human urokinase-type plasminogen activator.
Lee, Sung Ho; Gupta, Mukesh Kumar; Ho, Young Tae; Kim, Teoan; Lee, Hoon Taek
2013-09-01
Urokinase-type plasminogen activator is a serine protease that is clinically used in humans for the treatment of thrombolytic disorders and vascular diseases such as acute ischemic stroke and acute peripheral arterial occlusion. This study explored the feasibility of using chickens as a bioreactor for producing human urokinase-type plasminogen activator (huPA). Recombinant huPA gene, under the control of a ubiquitous Rous sarcoma virus promoter, was injected into the subgerminal cavity of freshly laid chicken eggs at stage X using the replication-defective Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV)-based retrovirus vectors encapsidated with VSV-G (vesicular stomatitis virus G) glycoprotein. A total of 38 chicks, out of 573 virus-injected eggs, hatched and contained the huPA gene in their various body parts. The mRNA transcript of the huPA gene was present in various organs, including blood and egg, and was germ-line transmitted to the next generation. The level of active huPA protein was 16-fold higher in the blood of the transgenic chicken than in the nontransgenic chicken (P huPA protein in eggs increased from 7.82 IU/egg in the G0 generation to 17.02 IU/egg in the G1 generation. However, huPA-expressing embryos had reduced survival and hatchability at d 18 and 21 of incubation, respectively, and the blood clotting time was significantly higher in transgenic chickens than their nontransgenic counterparts (P huPA transgenic chickens could be successfully produced by the retroviral vector system. Transgenic chickens, expressing the huPA under the control of a ubiquitous promoter, may not only be used as a bioreactor for pharming of the huPA drug but also be useful for studying huPA-induced bleeding and other disorders.
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New Challenges for Design Participation in the Era of Ubiquitous Computing
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Brereton, Margot; Buur, Jacob
2008-01-01
Since the event of participatory design in the work democracy projects of the 1970’s and 1980’s in Scandinavia, computing technology and people’s engagement with it have undergone fundamental changes. Although participatory design continues to be a precondition for designing computing that aligns...... with human practices, the motivations to engage in participatory design have changed, and the new era requires formats that are different from the original ones. Through the analysis of three case studies this paper seeks to explain why participatory design must be brought to bear on the field of ubiquitous...... computing, and how this challenges the original participatory design thinking. In particular we will argue that more casual, exploratory formats of engagement with people are required, and rather than planning the all-encompassing systems development project, participatory design needs to move towards...
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Boyer, Edward W; Smelson, David; Fletcher, Richard; Ziedonis, Douglas; Picard, Rosalind W
2010-06-01
Beneficial advances in the treatment of substance abuse and compliance with medical therapies, including HAART, are possible with new mobile technologies related to personal physiological sensing and computational methods. When incorporated into mobile platforms that allow for ubiquitous computing, these technologies have great potential for extending the reach of behavioral interventions from clinical settings where they are learned into natural environments.
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Tsai, Chia-Wen; Shen, Pei-Di; Tsai, Meng-Chuan; Chen, Wen-Yu
2017-01-01
Much application software education in Taiwan can hardly be regarded as practical. The researchers in this study provided a flexible means of ubiquitous learning (u-learning) with a mobile app for students to access the learning material. In addition, the authors also adopted computational thinking (CT) to help students develop practical computing…
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Translational selection is ubiquitous in prokaryotes.
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Fran Supek
2010-06-01
Full Text Available Codon usage bias in prokaryotic genomes is largely a consequence of background substitution patterns in DNA, but highly expressed genes may show a preference towards codons that enable more efficient and/or accurate translation. We introduce a novel approach based on supervised machine learning that detects effects of translational selection on genes, while controlling for local variation in nucleotide substitution patterns represented as sequence composition of intergenic DNA. A cornerstone of our method is a Random Forest classifier that outperformed previous distance measure-based approaches, such as the codon adaptation index, in the task of discerning the (highly expressed ribosomal protein genes by their codon frequencies. Unlike previous reports, we show evidence that translational selection in prokaryotes is practically universal: in 460 of 461 examined microbial genomes, we find that a subset of genes shows a higher codon usage similarity to the ribosomal proteins than would be expected from the local sequence composition. These genes constitute a substantial part of the genome--between 5% and 33%, depending on genome size--while also exhibiting higher experimentally measured mRNA abundances and tending toward codons that match tRNA anticodons by canonical base pairing. Certain gene functional categories are generally enriched with, or depleted of codon-optimized genes, the trends of enrichment/depletion being conserved between Archaea and Bacteria. Prominent exceptions from these trends might indicate genes with alternative physiological roles; we speculate on specific examples related to detoxication of oxygen radicals and ammonia and to possible misannotations of asparaginyl-tRNA synthetases. Since the presence of codon optimizations on genes is a valid proxy for expression levels in fully sequenced genomes, we provide an example of an "adaptome" by highlighting gene functions with expression levels elevated specifically in
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Voronina, Olga L.; Kunda, Marina S.; Aksenova, Ekaterina I.; Ryzhova, Natalia N.; Semenov, Andrey N.; Petrov, Evgeny M.; Didenko, Lubov V.; Lunin, Vladimir G.; Ananyina, Yuliya V.; Gintsburg, Alexandr L.
2014-01-01
Background and Aim. Leptospira, the causal agent of leptospirosis, has been isolated from the environment, patients, and wide spectrum of animals in Russia. However, the genetic diversity of Leptospira in natural and anthropurgic foci was not clearly defined. Methods. The recent MLST scheme was used for the analysis of seven pathogenic species. 454 pyrosequencing technology was the base of the whole genome sequencing (WGS). Results. The most wide spread and prevalent Leptospira species in Russia were L. interrogans, L. kirschneri, and L. borgpetersenii. Five STs, common for Russian strains: 37, 17, 199, 110, and 146, were identified as having a longtime and ubiquitous distribution in various geographic areas. Unexpected properties were revealed for the environmental Leptospira strain Bairam-Ali. WGS of this strain genome suggested that it combined the features of the pathogenic and nonpathogenic strains and may be a reservoir of the natural resistance genes. Results of the comparative analysis of rrs and rpoB genes and MLST loci for different Leptospira species strains and phenotypic and serological properties of the strain Bairam-Ali suggested that it represented separate Leptospira species. Conclusions. Thus, the natural and anthropurgic foci supported ubiquitous Leptospira species and the pool of genes important for bacterial adaptivity to various conditions. PMID:25276806
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Banos, Oresti; Villalonga, Claudia; Damas, Miguel; Gloesekoetter, Peter; Pomares, Hector; Rojas, Ignacio
2014-01-01
Technological advances on the development of mobile devices, medical sensors, and wireless communication systems support a new generation of unobtrusive, portable, and ubiquitous health monitoring systems for continuous patient assessment and more personalized health care. There exist a growing number of mobile apps in the health domain; however, little contribution has been specifically provided, so far, to operate this kind of apps with wearable physiological sensors. The PhysioDroid, presented in this paper, provides a personalized means to remotely monitor and evaluate users' conditions. The PhysioDroid system provides ubiquitous and continuous vital signs analysis, such as electrocardiogram, heart rate, respiration rate, skin temperature, and body motion, intended to help empower patients and improve clinical understanding. The PhysioDroid is composed of a wearable monitoring device and an Android app providing gathering, storage, and processing features for the physiological sensor data. The versatility of the developed app allows its use for both average users and specialists, and the reduced cost of the PhysioDroid puts it at the reach of most people. Two exemplary use cases for health assessment and sports training are presented to illustrate the capabilities of the PhysioDroid. Next technical steps include generalization to other mobile platforms and health monitoring devices.
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Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Equine ( Gene in Horse (
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Ki-Duk Song
2014-05-01
Full Text Available The objective of this study was to determine the molecular characteristics of the horse vascular endothelial growth factor alpha gene (VEGFα by constructing a phylogenetic tree, and to investigate gene expression profiles in tissues and blood leukocytes after exercise for development of suitable biomarkers. Using published amino acid sequences of other vertebrate species (human, chimpanzee, mouse, rat, cow, pig, chicken and dog, we constructed a phylogenetic tree which showed that equine VEGFα belonged to the same clade of the pig VEGFα. Analysis for synonymous (Ks and non-synonymous substitution ratios (Ka revealed that the horse VEGFα underwent positive selection. RNA was extracted from blood samples before and after exercise and different tissue samples of three horses. Expression analyses using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR and quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR showed ubiquitous expression of VEGFα mRNA in skeletal muscle, kidney, thyroid, lung, appendix, colon, spinal cord, and heart tissues. Analysis of differential expression of VEGFα gene in blood leukocytes after exercise indicated a unimodal pattern. These results will be useful in developing biomarkers that can predict the recovery capacity of racing horses.
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A seamless ubiquitous emergency medical service for crisis situations.
Lin, Bor-Shing
2016-04-01
In crisis situations, a seamless ubiquitous communication is necessary to provide emergency medical service to save people's lives. An excellent prehospital emergency medicine provides immediate medical care to increase the survival rate of patients. On their way to the hospital, ambulance personnel must transmit real-time and uninterrupted patient information to the hospital to apprise the physician of the situation and provide options to the ambulance personnel. In emergency and crisis situations, many communication channels can be unserviceable because of damage to equipment or loss of power. Thus, data transmission over wireless communication to achieve uninterrupted network services is a major obstacle. This study proposes a mobile middleware for cognitive radio (CR) for improving the wireless communication link. CRs can sense their operating environment and optimize the spectrum usage so that the mobile middleware can integrate the existing wireless communication systems with a seamless communication service in heterogeneous network environments. Eventually, the proposed seamless mobile communication middleware was ported into an embedded system, which is compatible with the actual network environment without the need for changing the original system architecture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
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Ubiquitous Health in Korea: Progress, Barriers, and Prospects
Lee, Yountae
2012-01-01
Objectives Korea has one of the most advanced information technology (IT) infrastructures in the world, and the application of IT in health systems is rapidly progressing from computerization to information systems, ubiquitous systems, and smart systems. This study aims to analyze Korean environments in regards to the development of their u-Health industry and propose directions for u-Healthcare services based on this analysis. Methods This paper reviews the background, progress history, and current status of u-Health in Korea, and suggests strategies for the u-Health industry based on an analysis of its barriers and obstacles. Results When u-Health was introduced to Koreans, their policies and approaches focused mainly on environmental factors, yet these efforts have not progressed further to impact the u-Healthcare service industry itself. To develop the u-Healthcare industry, four points need to be considered: the development and support of the practical service model, institutional support, support of core technology and industry, and the institutionalization of health management service. Conclusions Korea is at a strategic point to start building u-Healthcare service delivery models. u-Healthcare is a healthcare service that provides added value through u-Health environments. By identifying critical success factors in u-Healthcare, we can strengthen the u-Health industry and implement policies to coordinate our efforts in the process of value chains to which we belong. PMID:23346474
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Maricic, Igor; Sheng, Huiming; Marrero, Idania; Seki, Ehikiro; Kisseleva, Tatiana; Chaturvedi, Som; Molle, Natasha; Mathews, K. Stephanie; Gao, Bin; Kumar, Vipin
2015-01-01
Innate immune mechanisms leading to liver injury following chronic alcohol ingestion are poorly understood. Natural killer T (NKT) cells, enriched in the liver and comprised of at least two distinct subsets, type I and type II, recognize different lipid antigens presented by CD1d molecules. We have investigated whether differential activation of NKT cell subsets orchestrates inflammatory events leading to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). We found that following chronic plus binge feeding of Lieber-DeCarli liquid diet in male C57BL/6 mice, type I but not type II NKT cells are activated leading to recruitment of inflammatory Gr-1highCD11b+ cells into liver. A central finding is that liver injury following alcohol feeding is dependent upon type I NKT cells. Thus liver injury is significantly inhibited in Jα18−/− mice deficient in type I NKT cells as well as following their inactivation by sulfatide-mediated activation of type II NKT cells. Furthermore we have identified a novel pathway involving all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) and its receptor RARγ signaling that inhibits type I NKT cells and consequently ALD. A semi-quantitative PCR analysis of hepatic gene expression of some of the key proinflammatory molecules shared in human disease indicated that their upregulation in ALD is dependent upon type I NKT cells. Conclusion Type I but not type II NKT cells become activated following alcohol feeding. Type I NKT cells-induced inflammation and neutrophil recruitment results in liver tissue damage while type II NKT cells protect from injury in ALD. Inhibition of type I NKT cells by retinoids or by sulfatide prevents ALD. Since the CD1d pathway is highly conserved between mice and humans, NKT cell subsets might be targeted for potential therapeutic intervention in ALD. PMID:25477000
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Witthoff, Sabrina; Mühlroth, Alice
2013-01-01
Methanol is considered an interesting carbon source in “bio-based” microbial production processes. Since Corynebacterium glutamicum is an important host in industrial biotechnology, in particular for amino acid production, we performed studies of the response of this organism to methanol. The C. glutamicum wild type was able to convert 13C-labeled methanol to 13CO2. Analysis of global gene expression in the presence of methanol revealed several genes of ethanol catabolism to be upregulated, indicating that some of the corresponding enzymes are involved in methanol oxidation. Indeed, a mutant lacking the alcohol dehydrogenase gene adhA showed a 62% reduced methanol consumption rate, indicating that AdhA is mainly responsible for methanol oxidation to formaldehyde. Further studies revealed that oxidation of formaldehyde to formate is catalyzed predominantly by two enzymes, the acetaldehyde dehydrogenase Ald and the mycothiol-dependent formaldehyde dehydrogenase AdhE. The Δald ΔadhE and Δald ΔmshC deletion mutants were severely impaired in their ability to oxidize formaldehyde, but residual methanol oxidation to CO2 was still possible. The oxidation of formate to CO2 is catalyzed by the formate dehydrogenase FdhF, recently identified by us. Similar to the case with ethanol, methanol catabolism is subject to carbon catabolite repression in the presence of glucose and is dependent on the transcriptional regulator RamA, which was previously shown to be essential for expression of adhA and ald. In conclusion, we were able to show that C. glutamicum possesses an endogenous pathway for methanol oxidation to CO2 and to identify the enzymes and a transcriptional regulator involved in this pathway. PMID:24014532
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... talk about donating their baby's cord blood College football player stays true to his commitment Be the ... doctor will: Review your or your child’s medical history Talk with you about treatment options Discuss the ...
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Phthalate esters such as di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP)either promote or inhibit rat liver tumorigenesis depending on the carcinogenesis protocol. In this study, we examined the expression of two histochemical markers, the tumor associated isozyme of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALD...
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Comparative Genomics of the Ubiquitous, Hydrocarbon-degrading Genus Marinobacter
Singer, E.; Webb, E.; Edwards, K. J.
2012-12-01
The genus Marinobacter is amongst the most ubiquitous in the global oceans and strains have been isolated from a wide variety of marine environments, including offshore oil-well heads, coastal thermal springs, Antarctic sea water, saline soils and associations with diatoms and dinoflagellates. Many strains have been recognized to be important hydrocarbon degraders in various marine habitats presenting sometimes extreme pH or salinity conditions. Analysis of the genome of M. aquaeolei revealed enormous adaptation versatility with an assortment of strategies for carbon and energy acquisition, sensation, and defense. In an effort to elucidate the ecological and biogeochemical significance of the Marinobacters, seven Marinobacter strains from diverse environments were included in a comparative genomics study. Genomes were screened for metabolic and adaptation potential to elucidate the strategies responsible for the omnipresence of the Marinobacter genus and their remedial action potential in hydrocarbon-polluted waters. The core genome predominantly encodes for key genes involved in hydrocarbon degradation, biofilm-relevant processes, including utilization of external DNA, halotolerance, as well as defense mechanisms against heavy metals, antibiotics, and toxins. All Marinobacter strains were observed to degrade a wide spectrum of hydrocarbon species, including aliphatic, polycyclic aromatic as well as acyclic isoprenoid compounds. Various genes predicted to facilitate hydrocarbon degradation, e.g. alkane 1-monooxygenase, appear to have originated from lateral gene transfer as they are located on gene clusters of 10-20% lower GC-content compared to genome averages and are flanked by transposases. Top ortholog hits are found in other hydrocarbon degrading organisms, e.g. Alcanivorax borkumensis. Strategies for hydrocarbon uptake encoded by various Marinobacter strains include cell surface hydrophobicity adaptation via capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis and attachment
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Ubiquitous Green Computing Techniques for High Demand Applications in Smart Environments
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Jose M. Moya
2012-08-01
Full Text Available Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time.
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Ubiquitous green computing techniques for high demand applications in Smart environments.
Zapater, Marina; Sanchez, Cesar; Ayala, Jose L; Moya, Jose M; Risco-Martín, José L
2012-01-01
Ubiquitous sensor network deployments, such as the ones found in Smart cities and Ambient intelligence applications, require constantly increasing high computational demands in order to process data and offer services to users. The nature of these applications imply the usage of data centers. Research has paid much attention to the energy consumption of the sensor nodes in WSNs infrastructures. However, supercomputing facilities are the ones presenting a higher economic and environmental impact due to their very high power consumption. The latter problem, however, has been disregarded in the field of smart environment services. This paper proposes an energy-minimization workload assignment technique, based on heterogeneity and application-awareness, that redistributes low-demand computational tasks from high-performance facilities to idle nodes with low and medium resources in the WSN infrastructure. These non-optimal allocation policies reduce the energy consumed by the whole infrastructure and the total execution time.
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Molecular Characterization and Expression Analysis of Creatine Kinase Muscle (CK-M) Gene in Horse.
Do, Kyong-Tak; Cho, Hyun-Woo; Badrinath, Narayanasamy; Park, Jeong-Woong; Choi, Jae-Young; Chung, Young-Hwa; Lee, Hak-Kyo; Song, Ki-Duk; Cho, Byung-Wook
2015-12-01
Since ancient days, domestic horses have been closely associated with human civilization. Today, horse racing is an important industry. Various genes involved in energy production and muscle contraction are differentially regulated during a race. Among them, creatine kinase (CK) is well known for its regulation of energy preservation in animal cells. CK is an iso-enzyme, encoded by different genes and expressed in skeletal muscle, heart, brain and leucocytes. We confirmed that the expression of CK-M significantly increased in the blood after a 30 minute exercise period, while no considerable change was observed in skeletal muscle. Analysis of various tissues showed an ubiquitous expression of the CK-M gene in the horse; CK-M mRNA expression was predominant in the skeletal muscle and the cardiac muscle compared to other tissues. An evolutionary study by synonymous and non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphism ratio of CK-M gene revealed a positive selection that was conserved in the horse. More studies are warranted in order to develop the expression of CK-M gene as a biomarker in blood of thoroughbred horses.
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Kotani, Takeshi; Toyono, Takashi; Seta, Yuji; Kitou, Ayae; Kataoka, Shinji; Toyoshima, Kuniaki
2013-09-01
Synaptogyrins are conserved components of the exocytic apparatus and function as regulators of Ca(2+)-dependent exocytosis. The synaptogyrin family comprises three isoforms: two neuronal (synaptogyrin-1 and -3) and one ubiquitous (synaptogyrin-2) form. Although the expression patterns of the exocytic proteins synaptotagmin-1, SNAP-25, synaptobrevin-2 and synaptophysin have been elucidated in taste buds, the function and expression pattern of synaptogyrin-1 in rat gustatory tissues have not been determined. Therefore, we examined the expression patterns of synaptogyrin-1 and several cell-specific markers of type II and III cells in rat gustatory tissues. Reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction assays and immunoblot analysis revealed the expression of synaptogyrin-1 mRNA and its protein in circumvallate papillae. In fungiform, foliate and circumvallate papillae, the antibody against synaptogyrin-1 immunolabeled a subset of taste bud cells and intra- and subgemmal nerve processes. Double-labeling experiments revealed the expression of synaptogyrin-1 in most taste cells immunoreactive for aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase and the neural cell adhesion molecule. A subset of synaptogyrin-1-immunoreactive taste cells also expressed phospholipase Cβ2, gustducin, or sweet taste receptor (T1R2). In addition, most synaptogyrin-1-immunoreactive taste cells expressed synaptobrevin-2. These results suggest that synaptogyrin-1 plays a regulatory role in transmission at the synapses of type III cells and is involved in exocytic function with synaptobrevin-2 in a subset of type II cells in rat taste buds.
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Cortez-Valadez, M.; Fierro, C.; Farias-Mancilla, J. R.; Vargas-Ortiz, A.; Flores-Acosta, M.; Ramírez-Bon, R.; Enriquez-Carrejo, J. L.; Soubervielle-Montalvo, C.; Mani-Gonzalez, P. G.
2016-06-01
The final structure of HfO2 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) after reaction with OH- ions has been analyzed by DFT (density functional theory). The interaction of the precursors: HfCl4 (hafnium tetrachloride), HfI4 (hafnium tetraiodide), TEMA-Hf (tetrakis-ethylmethylamino hafnium), and TDMA-Hf (tetrakis-dimethylamino hafnium) with HO-H was studied employing the B3LYP (Becke 3-parameter, Lee-Yang-Parr) hybrid functional and the PBE (Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof) generalized gradient functional. The structural evolution at the Si(100) surface has been analyzed by LDA (local density approximation). The structural parameters: bond length and bond angle, and the vibrational parameters for the optimized structures are also reported. The presence of hafnium silicate at the interface was detected. The infrared spectra and structural parameters obtained in this work agree with previously reported experimental results.
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FCJ-135 Feral Computing: From Ubiquitous Calculation to Wild Interactions
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Matthew Fuller
2011-12-01
Full Text Available In ‘The Coming Age of Calm Technology’, Mark Weiser and John Seely Brown are clear in their assertions, what really ‘matters’ about technology is not technology in itself, rather, its capacity to continuously recreate our relationship with the world at large (Brown and Weiser 1996. Even though they promote such an idea under the banner of ‘calm technology’, what is central to their thesis is the mutational capacities brought into the world by the spillage of computation out from its customary boxes. What their work tends to occlude is that in setting the sinking of technology almost imperceptibly, but deeply into the ‘everyday’ as a target for ubiquitous computing, other possibilities are masked, for instance, those of greater hackability or interrogability of such technologies. Our contention is that making ubicomp seamless (MacColl et al, 2002 tends to obfuscate the potential of computation in reworking computational subjects, including societies, modes of life, and inter-relations with the dynamics of thought and the composition of experience and understanding.
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PHF8 and REST/NRSF co-occupy gene promoters to regulate proximal gene expression
Wang, Juan; Lin, Xueqiu; Wang, Su; Wang, Chenfei; Wang, Qixuan; Duan, Xikun; Lu, Peng; Wang, Qian; Wang, Chengyang; Liu, X. Shirley; Huang, Jinyan
2014-01-01
Chromatin regulators play an important role in the development of human diseases. In this study, we focused on Plant Homeo Domain Finger protein 8 (PHF8), a chromatin regulator that has attracted special concern recently. PHF8 is a histone lysine demethylase ubiquitously expressed in nuclei. Mutations of PHF8 are associated with X-linked mental retardation. It usually functions as a transcriptional co-activator by associating with H3K4me3 and RNA polymerase II. We found that PHF8 may associat...
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Li, Yongxin
2015-03-24
Bacilli are ubiquitous low G+C environmental Gram-positive bacteria that produce a wide assortment of specialized small molecules. Although their natural product biosynthetic potential is high, robust molecular tools to support the heterologous expression of large biosynthetic gene clusters in Bacillus hosts are rare. Herein we adapt transformation-associated recombination (TAR) in yeast to design a single genomic capture and expression vector for antibiotic production in Bacillus subtilis. After validating this direct cloning plug-and-playa approach with surfactin, we genetically interrogated amicoumacin biosynthetic gene cluster from the marine isolate Bacillus subtilis 1779. Its heterologous expression allowed us to explore an unusual maturation process involving the N-acyl-asparagine pro-drug intermediates preamicoumacins, which are hydrolyzed by the asparagine-specific peptidase into the active component amicoumacin A. This work represents the first direct cloning based heterologous expression of natural products in the model organism B. subtilis and paves the way to the development of future genome mining efforts in this genus.
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Li, Yongxin; Li, Zhongrui; Yamanaka, Kazuya; Xu, Ying; Zhang, Weipeng; Vlamakis, Hera; Kolter, Roberto; Moore, Bradley S.; Qian, Pei-Yuan
2015-03-01
Bacilli are ubiquitous low G+C environmental Gram-positive bacteria that produce a wide assortment of specialized small molecules. Although their natural product biosynthetic potential is high, robust molecular tools to support the heterologous expression of large biosynthetic gene clusters in Bacillus hosts are rare. Herein we adapt transformation-associated recombination (TAR) in yeast to design a single genomic capture and expression vector for antibiotic production in Bacillus subtilis. After validating this direct cloning ``plug-and-play'' approach with surfactin, we genetically interrogated amicoumacin biosynthetic gene cluster from the marine isolate Bacillus subtilis 1779. Its heterologous expression allowed us to explore an unusual maturation process involving the N-acyl-asparagine pro-drug intermediates preamicoumacins, which are hydrolyzed by the asparagine-specific peptidase into the active component amicoumacin A. This work represents the first direct cloning based heterologous expression of natural products in the model organism B. subtilis and paves the way to the development of future genome mining efforts in this genus.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jiangwei Liu
2018-06-01
Full Text Available Thanks to its excellent intrinsic properties, diamond is promising for applications of high-power electronic devices, ultraviolet detectors, biosensors, high-temperature tolerant gas sensors, etc. Here, an overview of high-k oxides on hydrogenated-diamond (H-diamond for metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS capacitors and MOS field-effect transistors (MOSFETs is demonstrated. Fabrication routines for the H-diamond MOS capacitors and MOSFETs, band configurations of oxide/H-diamond heterointerfaces, and electrical properties of the MOS and MOSFETs are summarized and discussed. High-k oxide insulators are deposited using atomic layer deposition (ALD and sputtering deposition (SD techniques. Electrical properties of the H-diamond MOS capacitors with high-k oxides of ALD-Al2O3, ALD-HfO2, ALD-HfO2/ALD-Al2O3 multilayer, SD-HfO2/ALD-HfO2 bilayer, SD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3 bilayer, and ALD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3 bilayer are discussed. Analyses for capacitance-voltage characteristics of them show that there are low fixed and trapped charge densities for the ALD-Al2O3/H-diamond and SD-HfO2/ALD-HfO2/H-diamond MOS capacitors. The k value of 27.2 for the ALD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3 bilayer is larger than those of the other oxide insulators. Drain-source current versus voltage curves show distinct pitch-off and p-type channel characteristics for the ALD-Al2O3/H-diamond, SD-HfO2/ALD-HfO2/H-diamond, and ALD-TiO2/ALD-Al2O3/H-diamond MOSFETs. Understanding of fabrication routines and electrical properties for the high-k oxide/H-diamond MOS electronic devices is meaningful for the fabrication of high-performance H-diamond MOS capacitor and MOSFET gas sensors.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
J. E. Holloway
2017-06-01
Full Text Available Warming of the Arctic in recent years has led to changes in the active layer and uppermost permafrost. In particular, thick active layer formation results in more frequent thaw of the ice-rich transient layer. This addition of moisture, as well as infiltration from late season precipitation, results in high pore-water pressures (PWPs at the base of the active layer and can potentially result in landscape degradation. To predict areas that have the potential for subsurface pressurization, we use susceptibility maps generated using a generalized additive model (GAM. As model response variables, we used active layer detachments (ALDs and mud ejections (MEs, both formed by high PWP conditions at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory, Melville Island, Canada. As explanatory variables, we used the terrain characteristics elevation, slope, distance to water, topographic position index (TPI, potential incoming solar radiation (PISR, distance to water, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; ME model only, geology, and topographic wetness index (TWI. ALDs and MEs were accurately modelled in terms of susceptibility to disturbance across the study area. The susceptibility models demonstrate that ALDs are most probable on hill slopes with gradual to steep slopes and relatively low PISR, whereas MEs are associated with higher elevation areas, lower slope angles, and areas relatively far from water. Based on these results, this method identifies areas that may be sensitive to high PWPs and helps improve our understanding of geomorphic sensitivity to permafrost degradation.
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Asif, Muhammad; Chen, Chen; Peng, Ding; Xi, Wang; Zhi, Jin
2018-04-01
Owing to the great influence of surface passivation on DC and RF performance of InP-based HEMTs, the DC and RF performance of InAlAs/InGaAs InP HEMTs were studied before and after passivation, using an ultra-thin 15 nm atomic layer deposition Al2O3 layer. Increase in Cgs and Cgd was significantly limited by scaling the thickness of the Al2O3 layer. For verification, an analytical small-signal equivalent circuit model was developed. A significant increase in maximum transconductance (gm) up to 1150 mS/mm, drain current (IDS) up to 820 mA/mm and fmax up to 369.7 GHz was observed, after passivation. Good agreement was obtained between the measured and the simulated results. This shows that the RF performance of InP-based HEMTs can be improved by using an ultra-thin ALD-Al2O3 surface passivation.
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Molnár, Péter Béla; Bognár, Csengele; Erdei, Anna Laura; Fujii, Takeshi; Vági, Pál; Jósvai, Júlia Katalin; Kárpáti, Zsolt
2018-03-01
The European pepper moth (Duponchelia fovealis, Lepidoptera, Crambidae, Spilomelinae) is an invasive pest of greenhouses in many countries, causing serious damages to horticultural plants. Coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection analysis of the female gland extract revealed two antennally active peaks. Using coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), one was identified as (Z)-11-hexadecenal (Z11-16:Ald); however, further analysis on different types of capillary columns indicated that the second active compound has two different isomers, (E)-13-octadecenal (E13-18:Ald) and (Z)-13-octadecenal (Z13-18:Ald). The approximate ratio of E13-18:Ald, Z13-18:Ald and Z11-16:Ald in the crude pheromone gland extract was 10:1:0.1, respectively. Single sensillum recordings showed that there was one sensory neuron that responded with a high amplitude spike to both E13-18:Ald and Z13-18:Ald, while another neuron housed in the same sensillum responded to Z11-16:Ald. Field evaluation of the identified compounds indicated that the E13-18:Ald was necessary to evoke the attraction of males; although the presence of Z13-18:Ald and Z11-16:Ald increased the catches in traps. The highest number of caught males was achieved when E13-18:Ald, Z13-18:Ald and Z11-16:Ald were present in baits in the same ratio as in the female gland extract. This pheromone can be used in a monitoring strategy and could potentially lead to the development of mating disruption.
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Kofler, Michael J.; Raiker, Joseph S.; Sarver, Dustin E.; Wells, Erica L.; Soto, Elia F.
2016-01-01
Hyperactivity, or excess gross motor activity, is considered a core and ubiquitous characteristic of ADHD. Alternate models question this premise, and propose that hyperactive behavior reflects, to a large extent, purposeful behavior to cope with environmental demands that interact with underlying neurobiological vulnerabilities. The present review critically evaluates the ubiquity and environmental modifiability of hyperactivity in ADHD through meta-analysis of 63 studies of mechanically measured activity level in children, adolescents, and adults with ADHD relative to typically developing (TD) groups. Random effects models corrected for publication bias confirmed elevated gross motor activity in ADHD (d = 0.86); surprisingly, neither participant age (child vs. adult) nor the proportion of each ADHD sample diagnosed with the Inattentive subtype/presentation moderated this effect. In contrast, activity level assessed during high cognitive load conditions in general (d = 1.14) and high executive functioning demands in particular (d = 1.39) revealed significantly higher effect sizes than activity level during low cognitive load (d = 0.36) and in-class schoolwork (d = 0.50) settings. Low stimulation environments, more rigorous diagnostic practices, actigraph measurement of movement frequency and intensity, and ADHD samples that included fewer females were also associated with larger effects. Overall, the results are inconsistent with DSM-5 and ADHD models that a) describe hyperactivity as ubiquitous behavior, b) predict a developmental decline in hyperactivity, or c) differentiate subtypes/presentations according to perceived differences in hyperactive behavior. Instead, results suggest that the presence and magnitude of hyperactive behavior in ADHD may be influenced to a considerable extent by environmental factors in general, and cognitive/executive functioning demands in particular. PMID:27131918
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From computers to ubiquitous computing by 2010: health care.
Aziz, Omer; Lo, Benny; Pansiot, Julien; Atallah, Louis; Yang, Guang-Zhong; Darzi, Ara
2008-10-28
Over the past decade, miniaturization and cost reduction in semiconductors have led to computers smaller in size than a pinhead with powerful processing abilities that are affordable enough to be disposable. Similar advances in wireless communication, sensor design and energy storage have meant that the concept of a truly pervasive 'wireless sensor network', used to monitor environments and objects within them, has become a reality. The need for a wireless sensor network designed specifically for human body monitoring has led to the development of wireless 'body sensor network' (BSN) platforms composed of tiny integrated microsensors with on-board processing and wireless data transfer capability. The ubiquitous computing abilities of BSNs offer the prospect of continuous monitoring of human health in any environment, be it home, hospital, outdoors or the workplace. This pervasive technology comes at a time when Western world health care costs have sharply risen, reflected by increasing expenditure on health care as a proportion of gross domestic product over the last 20 years. Drivers of this rise include an ageing post 'baby boom' population, higher incidence of chronic disease and the need for earlier diagnosis. This paper outlines the role of pervasive health care technologies in providing more efficient health care.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jeonghwan Hwang
2010-12-01
Full Text Available Many hog farmers are now suffering from high pig mortality rates due to various wasting diseases and increased breeding costs, etc. It is therefore necessary for hog farms to implement systematic and scientific pig production technology to increase productivity and produce high quality pork in order to solve these problems. In this study, we describe such a technology by suggesting a ubiquitous hog farm system which applies WSN (Wireless Sensor Network technology to the pig industry. We suggest that a WSN and CCTV (Closed-circuit television should be installed on hog farms to collect environmental and image information which shall then help producers not only in monitoring the hog farm via the Web from outside the farm, but also facilitate the control of hog farm facilities in remote locations. In addition, facilities can be automatically controlled based on breeding environment parameters which are already set up and a SMS notice service to notify of deviations shall provide users with convenience. Hog farmers may increase production and improve pork quality through this ubiquitous hog farm system and prepare a database with information collected from environmental factors and the hog farm control devices, which is expected to provide information needed to design and implement suitable control strategies for hog farm operation.
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Blagec, Kathrin; Koopmann, Rudolf; Crommentuijn-van Rhenen, Mandy; Holsappel, Inge; van der Wouden, Cathelijne H; Konta, Lidija; Xu, Hong; Steinberger, Daniela; Just, Enrico; Swen, Jesse J; Guchelaar, Henk-Jan; Samwald, Matthias
2018-02-09
Clinical pharmacogenomics (PGx) has the potential to make pharmacotherapy safer and more effective by utilizing genetic patient data for drug dosing and selection. However, widespread adoption of PGx depends on its successful integration into routine clinical care through clinical decision support tools, which is often hampered by insufficient or fragmented infrastructures. This paper describes the setup and implementation of a unique multimodal, multilingual clinical decision support intervention consisting of digital, paper-, and mobile-based tools that are deployed across implementation sites in seven European countries participating in the Ubiquitous PGx (U-PGx) project. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.
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Pereira-Fantini, Prue M; Lapthorne, Susan; Gahan, Cormac G M; Joyce, Susan A; Charles, Jenny; Fuller, Peter J; Bines, Julie E
2017-07-01
Options for the prevention of short-bowel syndrome-associated liver disease (SBS-ALDs) are limited and often ineffective. The farnesoid X receptor (FXR) is a newly emerging pharmaceutical target and FXR agonists have been shown to ameliorate cholestasis and metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy of obeticholic acid (OCA) treatment in preventing SBS-ALDs. Piglets underwent 75% small-bowel resection (SBS) or sham surgery (sham) and were assigned to either a daily dose of OCA (2.4 mg/kg/day) or were untreated. Clinical measures included weight gain and stool studies. Histologic features were assessed. Ultraperformance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry was used to determine bile acid composition in end point bile and portal serum samples. Gene expression of key FXR targets was assessed in intestinal and hepatic tissues via quantitative polymerase chain reaction. OCA-treated SBS piglets showed decreased stool fat and altered liver histology when compared with nontreated SBS piglets. OCA prevented SBS-associated taurine depletion, however, further analysis of bile and portal serum samples indicated that OCA did not prevent SBS-associated alterations in bile acid composition. The expression of FXR target genes involved in bile acid transport and synthesis increased within the liver of SBS piglets after OCA administration whereas, paradoxically, intestinal expression of FXR target genes were decreased by OCA administration. Administration of OCA in SBS reduced fat malabsorption and altered bile acid composition, but did not prevent the development of SBS-ALDs. We postulate that extensive small resection impacts the ability of the remnant intestine to respond to FXR activation.
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Kilmury, Sara L. N.; Burrows, Lori L.
2016-01-01
Although two-component systems are a ubiquitous means of rapid bacterial adaptation to changing environments, identification of the specific signals detected by sensor kinases can be challenging. Also, little is known about the diverse, poorly characterized family of sensor kinases that detect intramembrane signals. We show that the major type IV pilin, PilA, is an inhibitory intramembrane ligand for the PilS sensor kinase that controls pilA expression and we characterize the mechanism of sig...
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Hospitals of the Future - Ubiquitous Computing support for Medical Work in Hospitals
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Bardram, Jakob Eyvind
2003-01-01
This paper describes the visions and on-going research within creating ubiquitous computing support for medical work in the hospitals of the future. Today, clinical computer systems seldom play any role in the execution of clinical work as such. Electronic Patient Records (EPR) are more often...... located in offices at a hospital rather than at patients' bedside, or in operating theaters. There are a number of challenges to the hardware and software design of contemporary computer systems that make them unsuitable for clinical work. It is, for example, difficult to operate a keyboard and a mouse...... while operating a patient. Research within UbiComp provides a range of new conceptual and technological possibilities, which enable us to move clinical computer support closer to the clinical work setting. An important barnce of the research at the Danish Center for Pervasive Healthcare is to design...
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Functional specificity of sex pheromone receptors in the cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera.
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yang Liu
Full Text Available Male moths can accurately perceive the sex pheromone emitted from conspecific females by their highly accurate and specific olfactory sensory system. Pheromone receptors are of special importance in moth pheromone reception because of their central role in chemosensory signal transduction processes that occur in olfactory receptor neurons in the male antennae. There are a number of pheromone receptor genes have been cloned, however, only a few have been functionally characterized. Here we cloned six full-length pheromone receptor genes from Helicoverpa armigera male antennae. Real-time PCR showing all genes exhibited male-biased expression in adult antennae. Functional analyses of the six pheromone receptor genes were then conducted in the heterologous expression system of Xenopus oocytes. HarmOR13 was found to be a specific receptor for the major sex pheromone component Z11-16:Ald. HarmOR6 was equally tuned to both of Z9-16: Ald and Z9-14: Ald. HarmOR16 was sensitively tuned to Z11-16: OH. HarmOR11, HarmOR14 and HarmOR15 failed to respond to the tested candidate pheromone compounds. Our experiments elucidated the functions of some pheromone receptor genes of H. armigera. These advances may provide remarkable evidence for intraspecific mating choice and speciation extension in moths at molecular level.
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Curcumin: Reintroduced Therapeutic Agent from Traditional Medicine for Alcoholic Liver Disease
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hamid Reza Rahimi
2015-03-01
Full Text Available Alcoholic liver disease (ALD is the main cause of chronic liver disease across the world and can lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis. The etiopathogenesis of ALD is related to ethanol-induced oxidative stress, glutathione reduction, abnormal methionine metabolism, malnutrition, and production of endotoxins that activate Kupffer cells. Curcumin is an active ingredient of the rhizome of turmeric. The substance is shown to have minor adverse effects. As the substance possess low bioavailability in free formulation, different strategies has been conducted to improve its bioavailability which resulted in production of nanomiscels and nanoparticles. Curcumin can provide protection for the liver against toxic effects of alcohol use. Several studies showed curcumin blocks endotoxin-mediated activation of NF-κB and suppresses the expression of cytokines, chemokines, COX-2, and iNOS in Kupffer cells. According to the molecular studies, curcumin inhibits NF-κB signaling pathway, regulates cytokines production and modulates immune response. It has been shown that curcumin can suppress gene expression, especially cytokines genes resulting in down-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α, interleukin 1 (IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, adhesion molecules (ICAM, VCAM and C-reactive protein. Hence, curcumin can have therapeutic effects on the majority of chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ALD, fatty liver, and allergy.
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Expression analysis of HMGB1 in histological samples of malignant pleural mesothelioma.
Rrapaj, Eltjona; Trisolini, Elena; Bertero, Luca; Salvo, Michela; Indellicato, Rossella; Andorno, Silvano; Garcia-Manteiga, Jose M; Rena, Ottavio; Boldorini, Renzo L
2018-05-01
High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) is a chromatin structural protein, expressed ubiquitously in the nuclei of mammalian cells. When transported extracellularly, it acts as a tumour suppressor and oncogenic protein. In malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), high serum levels of HMGB1 have been related to a poor prognosis. Conversely, the significance of HMGB1 expression in MPM tissues is still unclear. Biopsy samples from 170 patients with MPM were assessed by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to evaluate HMGB1 protein and gene expression. The expression level of HMGB1 protein was scored using a semiquantitative system that sums the intensity (0-3) and the percentage (from 0 to 4) of positively stained cells in nuclei, cytoplasm and in both. The final score was considered as high (>3) or low (<3) expression. Gene expression levels were calculated using the ΔΔC t method. High expression levels of HMGB1 as total (P = 0.0011) and cytoplasmic score (P = 0.0462) were related to a worse disease-specific survival (DSS) in the entire cohort and in the clinicopathological subgroups. No significant correlation was found between HMGB1 gene expression and DSS. These findings indicate that HMGB1 may be a useful prognostic biomarker in MPM when detected by immunohistochemistry. Conversely, as it is also expressed in normal and reactive mesothelial cells, HMGB1 cannot be considered a diagnostic biomarker in histological samples of mesothelioma. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
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Alhassan, Riyadh
2016-01-01
The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and level of readiness, and possible barriers to implementing Mobile Learning as a part of ubiquitous learning. In addition, the study attempted to find out to what extent students are interested in mobile learning. It also aimed to answer the question regarding the readiness of college…
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Lee, Sung-Haeng; Kodaki, Tsutomu; Park, Yong-Cheol; Seo, Jin-Ho
2012-04-30
Efficient conversion of xylose to ethanol is an essential factor for commercialization of lignocellulosic ethanol. To minimize production of xylitol, a major by-product in xylose metabolism and concomitantly improve ethanol production, Saccharomyces cerevisiae D452-2 was engineered to overexpress NADH-preferable xylose reductase mutant (XR(MUT)) and NAD⁺-dependent xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) from Pichia stipitis and endogenous xylulokinase (XK). In vitro enzyme assay confirmed the functional expression of XR(MUT), XDH and XK in recombinant S. cerevisiae strains. The change of wild type XR to XR(MUT) along with XK overexpression led to reduction of xylitol accumulation in microaerobic culture. More modulation of the xylose metabolism including overexpression of XR(MUT) and transaldolase, and disruption of the chromosomal ALD6 gene encoding aldehyde dehydrogenase (SX6(MUT)) improved the performance of ethanol production from xylose remarkably. Finally, oxygen-limited fermentation of S. cerevisiae SX6(MUT) resulted in 0.64 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹ xylose consumption rate, 0.25 g l⁻¹ h⁻¹ ethanol productivity and 39% ethanol yield based on the xylose consumed, which were 1.8, 4.2 and 2.2 times higher than the corresponding values of recombinant S. cerevisiae expressing XR(MUT), XDH and XK only. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Roberts, T.H.; Marttila, S.; Rasmussen, S.K.
2003-01-01
centres in vitro, were ubiquitous at low levels, but the protein could not be detected. EST analysis showed that expression of genes for serpins with BSZx-type reactive centres in vegetative tissues is widespread in the plant kingdom, suggesting a common regulatory function. For BSZ4 and BSZ7, expression...... their irreversible inhibitory mechanism in the inhibition of exogenous proteinases capable of breaking down seed storage proteins, and in the defence of specific cell types in vegetative tissues.......Proteins of the serpin superfamily (similar to43 kDa) from mature cereal grains are in vitro suicide-substrate inhibitors of specific mammalian serine proteinases of the chymotrypsin family. However, unlike the 'standard-mechanism' serine proteinase inhibitors (
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Oguchi, Kimio
2016-03-01
The recent dramatic advances in information and communication technologies have yielded new environments. However, adoption still differs area by area. To realize the future broadband environment that everyone can enjoy everywhere, several technical issues have to be resolved before network penetration becomes ubiquitous. One such key is the use of fiber optics for the home and mobile services. This article overviews initial observations drawn from numerical survey data gathered over the last decade in several countries/regions, and gives some example scenarios for network/service evolution. One result implies that implementing new/future services must consider the gross domestic product impact.
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Use of the viral 2A peptide for bicistronic expression in transgenic mice
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Trichas Georgios
2008-09-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Transgenic animals are widely used in biomedical research and biotechnology. Multicistronic constructs, in which several proteins are encoded by a single messenger RNA, are commonly used in genetically engineered animals. This is currently done by using an internal ribosomal entry site to separate the different coding regions. 2A peptides result in the co-translational 'cleavage' of proteins and are an attractive alternative to the internal ribosomal entry site. They are more reliable than the internal ribosomal entry site and lead to expression of multiple cistrons at equimolar levels. They work in a wide variety of eukaryotic cells, but to date have not been demonstrated to function in transgenic mice in an inheritable manner. Results To test 2A function in transgenic mice and uncover any possible toxicity of widespread expression of the 2A peptide, we made a bicistronic reporter construct containing the coding sequence for a membrane localised red fluorescent protein (Myr-TdTomato and a nuclear localised green fluorescent protein (H2B-GFP, separated by a 2A sequence. When this reporter is transfected into HeLa cells, the two fluorescent proteins correctly localise to mutually exclusive cellular compartments, demonstrating that the bicistronic construct is a reliable readout of 2A function. The two fluorescent proteins also correctly localise when the reporter is electroporated into chick neural tube cells. We made two independent transgenic mouse lines that express the bicistronic reporter ubiquitously. For both lines, transgenic mice are born in Mendelian frequencies and are found to be healthy and fertile. Myr-TdTomato and H2B-GFP segregate to mutually exclusive cellular compartments in all tissues examined from a broad range of developmental stages, ranging from embryo to adult. One transgenic line shows X-linked inheritance of the transgene and mosaic expression in females but uniform expression in males, indicating
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Elitez, Yetkin; Ekinci, Meliha; Ilem-Ozdemir, Derya; Gundogdu, Evren; Asikoglu, Makbule
2018-01-01
Alendronate sodium (ALD) is used orally but it is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. For this reason, microemulsion system was chosen to evaluate ALD from the GI tract after oral delivery. This study was aimed to prepare water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsion formulation of ALD and evaluate the permeability of ALD microemulsion from Caco-2 cell lines with radioactive and nonradioactive studies. The ALD microemulsion was developed by using pseudo-ternary phase diagram and composed of Soybean oil, Colliphor EL, Tween 80, Transcutol and distilled water. The prepared ALD microemulsion was characterized by physical appearance, droplet size, viscosity, pH, electrical conductivity and refractive index. The stability of the formulation was investigated for 6 months at 25±2°C/60±5% of relative humidity (RH) as well as at 40±2°C/75±5% RH. After that 1 mg of ALD was radiolabeled with 99mTc and added to microemulsion. The permeability studies were performed with both 99mTc-ALD microemulsion and ALD microemulsion. The experimental results suggested that ALD microemulsion presented adequate stability with droplet size varying from 37.8±0.9 to 39.9±1.2 nm during incubation time. In addition, ALD microemulsion was radiolabeled with high labeling efficiency (>95%). In a non-radioactive study, ALD permeability was found to be 45 µg.mL-1 and microemulsion has high permeability percentage when compared to another study. The novel w/o microemulsion formulation has been developed for oral delivery of ALD. Based on the results, permeability of ALD could be significantly improved by the microemulsion formulation. In addition, 99mTc-ALD microemulsion in capsule can be used for bone disease treatment and diagnosis. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.
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Chen, Chih-Hung; Hwang, Gwo-Jen
2017-01-01
Previous research has illustrated the importance of acquiring knowledge from authentic contexts; however, without full engagement, students' learning performance might not be as good as expected. In this study, a Team Competition-based Ubiquitous Gaming approach was proposed for improving students' learning effectiveness in authentic learning…
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SUPAR: Smartphone as a ubiquitous physical activity recognizer for u-healthcare services.
Fahim, Muhammad; Lee, Sungyoung; Yoon, Yongik
2014-01-01
Current generation smartphone can be seen as one of the most ubiquitous device for physical activity recognition. In this paper we proposed a physical activity recognizer to provide u-healthcare services in a cost effective manner by utilizing cloud computing infrastructure. Our model is comprised on embedded triaxial accelerometer of the smartphone to sense the body movements and a cloud server to store and process the sensory data for numerous kind of services. We compute the time and frequency domain features over the raw signals and evaluate different machine learning algorithms to identify an accurate activity recognition model for four kinds of physical activities (i.e., walking, running, cycling and hopping). During our experiments we found Support Vector Machine (SVM) algorithm outperforms for the aforementioned physical activities as compared to its counterparts. Furthermore, we also explain how smartphone application and cloud server communicate with each other.
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Atomic layer deposition for semiconductors
Hwang, Cheol Seong
2014-01-01
This edited volume discusses atomic layer deposition (ALD) for all modern semiconductor devices, moving from the basic chemistry of ALD and modeling of ALD processes to sections on ALD for memories, logic devices, and machines.
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The level of CD147 expression correlates with cyclophilin-induced signalling and chemotaxis
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Constant Stephanie
2011-10-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Previous studies identified CD147 as the chemotactic receptor on inflammatory leukocytes for extracellular cyclophilins (eCyp. However, CD147 is not known to associate with signal transducing molecules, so other transmembrane proteins, such as proteoglycans, integrins, and CD98, were suggested as receptor or co-receptor for eCyp. CD147 is ubiquitously expressed on many cell types, but relationship between the level of CD147 expression and cellular responses to eCyp has never been analyzed. Given the role of eCyp in pathogenesis of many diseases, it is important to know whether cellular responses to eCyp are regulated at the level of CD147 expression. Results Here, we manipulated CD147 expression levels on HeLa cells using RNAi and investigated the signalling and chemotactic responses to eCypA. Both Erk activation and chemotaxis correlated with the level of CD147 expression, with cells exhibiting low level expression being practically unresponsive to eCypA. Conclusions Our results provide the first demonstration of a chemotactic response of HeLa cells to eCypA, establish a correlation between the level of CD147 expression and the magnitude of cellular responses to eCypA, and indicate that CD147 may be a limiting factor in the receptor complex determining cyclophilin-induced Erk activation and cell migration.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sharma, Kashish; Routkevitch, Dmitri; Varaksa, Natalia; George, Steven M.
2016-01-01
Spatial atomic layer deposition (S-ALD) was examined on flexible porous substrates utilizing a rotating cylinder reactor to perform the S-ALD. S-ALD was first explored on flexible polyethylene terephthalate polymer substrates to obtain S-ALD growth rates on flat surfaces. ZnO ALD with diethylzinc and ozone as the reactants at 50 °C was the model S-ALD system. ZnO S-ALD was then performed on nanoporous flexible anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) films. ZnO S-ALD in porous substrates depends on the pore diameter, pore aspect ratio, and reactant exposure time that define the gas transport. To evaluate these parameters, the Zn coverage profiles in the pores of the AAO films were measured using energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). EDS measurements were conducted for different reaction conditions and AAO pore geometries. Substrate speeds and reactant pulse durations were defined by rotating cylinder rates of 10, 100, and 200 revolutions per minute (RPM). AAO pore diameters of 10, 25, 50, and 100 nm were utilized with a pore length of 25 μm. Uniform Zn coverage profiles were obtained at 10 RPM and pore diameters of 100 nm. The Zn coverage was less uniform at higher RPM values and smaller pore diameters. These results indicate that S-ALD into porous substrates is feasible under certain reaction conditions. S-ALD was then performed on porous Li ion battery electrodes to test S-ALD on a technologically important porous substrate. Li 0.20 Mn 0.54 Ni 0.13 Co 0.13 O 2 electrodes on flexible metal foil were coated with Al 2 O 3 using 2–5 Al 2 O 3 ALD cycles. The Al 2 O 3 ALD was performed in the S-ALD reactor at a rotating cylinder rate of 10 RPM using trimethylaluminum and ozone as the reactants at 50 °C. The capacity of the electrodes was then tested versus number of charge–discharge cycles. These measurements revealed that the Al 2 O 3 S-ALD coating on the electrodes enhanced the capacity stability. This S-ALD process could be extended to roll-to-roll operation for
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ismed Jauhar
2016-03-01
Full Text Available Along with the many environmental changes, it enables a disaster either natural or man-made objects. One of the efforts made to prevent disasters from happening is to make a system that is able to provide information about the status of the environment that is around. Many developments in the sensor system makes it possible to load a system that will supply real-time on the status of environmental conditions with a good security system. This study created a supply system status data of environmental conditions, especially on bridges by using Ubiquitous Sensor Network. Sensor used to detect vibrations are using an accelerometer. Supply of data between sensors and servers using ZigBee communication protocol wherein the data communication will be done using the Elliptic Curve Integrated security mechanisms Encryption Scheme and on the use of Elliptic Curve key aggrement Menezes-Qu-Vanstone. Test results show the limitation of distance for communication is as far as 55 meters, with the computation time for encryption and decryption with 97 and 42 seconds extra time for key exchange is done at the beginning of communication . Keywords: Ubiquitous Sensor Network, Accelerometer, ZigBee,Elliptic Curve Menezes-Qu-Vanstone
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Uri Barenholz
Full Text Available Most proteins show changes in level across growth conditions. Many of these changes seem to be coordinated with the specific growth rate rather than the growth environment or the protein function. Although cellular growth rates, gene expression levels and gene regulation have been at the center of biological research for decades, there are only a few models giving a base line prediction of the dependence of the proteome fraction occupied by a gene with the specific growth rate. We present a simple model that predicts a widely coordinated increase in the fraction of many proteins out of the proteome, proportionally with the growth rate. The model reveals how passive redistribution of resources, due to active regulation of only a few proteins, can have proteome wide effects that are quantitatively predictable. Our model provides a potential explanation for why and how such a coordinated response of a large fraction of the proteome to the specific growth rate arises under different environmental conditions. The simplicity of our model can also be useful by serving as a baseline null hypothesis in the search for active regulation. We exemplify the usage of the model by analyzing the relationship between growth rate and proteome composition for the model microorganism E.coli as reflected in recent proteomics data sets spanning various growth conditions. We find that the fraction out of the proteome of a large number of proteins, and from different cellular processes, increases proportionally with the growth rate. Notably, ribosomal proteins, which have been previously reported to increase in fraction with growth rate, are only a small part of this group of proteins. We suggest that, although the fractions of many proteins change with the growth rate, such changes may be partially driven by a global effect, not necessarily requiring specific cellular control mechanisms.
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Cloning, characterization and expression analysis of porcine microRNAs
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Desilva Udaya
2009-02-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRNAs are small ~22-nt regulatory RNAs that can silence target genes, by blocking their protein production or degrading the mRNAs. Pig is an important animal in the agriculture industry because of its utility in the meat production. Besides, pig has tremendous biomedical importance as a model organism because of its closer proximity to humans than the mouse model. Several hundreds of miRNAs have been identified from mammals, humans, mice and rats, but little is known about the miRNA component in the pig genome. Here, we adopted an experimental approach to identify conserved and unique miRNAs and characterize their expression patterns in diverse tissues of pig. Results By sequencing a small RNA library generated using pooled RNA from the pig heart, liver and thymus; we identified a total of 120 conserved miRNA homologs in pig. Expression analysis of conserved miRNAs in 14 different tissue types revealed heart-specific expression of miR-499 and miR-208 and liver-specific expression of miR-122. Additionally, miR-1 and miR-133 in the heart, miR-181a and miR-142-3p in the thymus, miR-194 in the liver, and miR-143 in the stomach showed the highest levels of expression. miR-22, miR-26b, miR-29c and miR-30c showed ubiquitous expression in diverse tissues. The expression patterns of pig-specific miRNAs also varied among the tissues examined. Conclusion Identification of 120 miRNAs and determination of the spatial expression patterns of a sub-set of these in the pig is a valuable resource for molecular biologists, breeders, and biomedical investigators interested in post-transcriptional gene regulation in pig and in related mammals, including humans.
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The organization and expression of the mdm2 gene
Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Montes De Oca Luna, R.; Tabor, A.D.; Eberspaecher, H. [Univ. of Texas, Houston, TX (United States)] [and others
1996-05-01
The mdm2 gene encodes a zinc finger protein that negatively regulates p53 function by binding and masking the p53 transcriptional activation domain. Two different promoters control expression of mdm2, one of which is also transactivated by p53. We cloned and characterized the mdm2 gene from a murine 129 library. It contained at least 12 exons and spanned approximately 25 kb of DNA. Sequencing of the mdm2 gene revealed three nucleotide differences that resulted in amino acid substitutions in the previously published mdm2 sequence. Sequences of normal BalbC/J DNA and the original cosmid clone is isolated from the 3T3DM cell line revealed that they are identical, suggesting that the published sequence is in error at these three positions. In addition, we analyzed the expression pattern of mdm2 and found ubiquitous low-level expression throughout embryo development and in adult tissues. Analysis of mRNA from numerous tissues for several mdm2 spliced variants that had been identified in the transformed 3T3DM cell line revealed that these variants could not be detected in the developing embryo or in adult tissues. 25 refs., 3 figs., 2 tabs.
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Expression and Functional Studies on the Noncoding RNA, PRINS
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Márta Széll
2012-12-01
Full Text Available PRINS, a noncoding RNA identified earlier by our research group, contributes to psoriasis susceptibility and cellular stress response. We have now studied the cellular and histological distribution of PRINS by using in situ hybridization and demonstrated variable expressions in different human tissues and a consistent staining pattern in epidermal keratinocytes and in vitro cultured keratinocytes. To identify the cellular function(s of PRINS, we searched for a direct interacting partner(s of this stress-induced molecule. In HaCaT and NHEK cell lysates, the protein proved to be nucleophosmin (NPM protein as a potential physical interactor with PRINS. Immunohistochemical experiments revealed an elevated expression of NPM in the dividing cells of the basal layers of psoriatic involved skin samples as compared with healthy and psoriatic uninvolved samples. Others have previously shown that NPM is a ubiquitously expressed nucleolar phosphoprotein which shuttles to the nucleoplasm after UV-B irradiation in fibroblasts and cancer cells. We detected a similar translocation of NPM in UV-B-irradiated cultured keratinocytes. The gene-specific silencing of PRINS resulted in the retention of NPM in the nucleolus of UV-B-irradiated keratinocytes; suggesting that PRINS may play a role in the NPM-mediated cellular stress response in the skin.
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Intestinal CYP2E1: A mediator of alcohol-induced gut leakiness
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christopher B. Forsyth
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Chronic alcohol use can result in many pathological effects including alcoholic liver disease (ALD. While alcohol is necessary for the development of ALD, only 20–30% of alcoholics develop alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH with progressive liver disease leading to cirrhosis and liver failure (ALD. This suggests that while chronic alcohol consumption is necessary it is not sufficient to induce clinically relevant liver damage in the absence of a secondary risk factor. Studies in rodent models and alcoholic patients show that increased intestinal permeability to microbial products like endotoxin play a critical role in promoting liver inflammation in ALD pathogenesis. Therefore identifying mechanisms of alcohol-induced intestinal permeability is important in identifying mechanisms of ALD and for designing new avenues for therapy. Cyp2e1 is a cytochrome P450 enzyme that metabolizes alcohol has been shown to be upregulated by chronic alcohol use and to be a major source of oxidative stress and liver injury in alcoholics and in animal and in vitro models of chronic alcohol use. Because Cyp2e1 is also expressed in the intestine and is upregulated by chronic alcohol use, we hypothesized it could play a role in alcohol-induced intestinal hyperpermeability. Our in vitro studies with intestinal Caco-2 cells and in mice fed alcohol showed that circadian clock proteins CLOCK and PER2 are required for alcohol-induced permeability. We also showed that alcohol increases Cyp2e1 protein and activity but not mRNA in Caco-2 cells and that an inhibitor of oxidative stress or siRNA knockdown of Cyp2e1 prevents the increase in CLOCK or PER2 proteins and prevents alcohol-induced hyperpermeability. With our collaborators we have also shown that Cyp2e1 knockout mice are resistant to alcohol-induced gut leakiness and liver inflammation. Taken together our data support a novel Cyp2e1-circadian clock protein mechanism for alcohol-induced gut leakiness that could provide new
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Pogany, Wade S.
2009-01-01
With technology changing the world at a rapid rate, the impact of ubiquitous computing in the classroom has had an influence on education. As the number of one-to-one laptop initiatives grows, the need for further research on the effects of teaching and learning also increases. This case study sought to examine changes in teaching that resulted…
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Dalsgaard, Christian; Pedersen, Nicholai Friis; Aaen, Janus Holst
2013-01-01
The aim of this paper is to identify the key learning potentials of the ubiquitous internet. Rather than focusing on mobile technology or the mobility of the learner, the paper emphasises the ubiquity of internet access as a paramount catalyst for new learning in the digital age. From a sociocultural perspective the paper discusses different ways…
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Christian Ulrik Andersen
2011-12-01
Full Text Available This article proposes and introduces the concept of ‘scripted space’ as a new perspective on ubiquitous computing in urban environments. Drawing on urban history, computer games, and a workshop study of the city of Lund the article discusses the experience of digitally scripted spaces, and their relation to the history of public spaces. In conclusion, the article discusses the potential for employing scripted spaces as a reinvigoration of urban public space.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Veale Robin B
2006-04-01
Full Text Available Abstract Background Integrin-linked kinase (ILK is a ubiquitously expressed protein kinase that has emerged as one of the points of convergence between integrin- and growth factor-signalling pathways. Results In this study we identify the ILK isoform expressed in five human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma cell lines of South African origin as ILK1, and demonstrate its cellular distribution. ILK expression, although similar in the majority of the cell lines, did show variation. Furthermore, the ILK expressed was shown to be catalytically functional. The effect of growth factors on ILK expression was examined. An increase in ILK expression, following EGF and TGFβ1 exposure, was a trend across all the five oesophageal carcinoma cell lines tested. Conclusion These results suggest that growth factor modulation of ILK expression relies on the internalisation/recycling of growth factor receptors and stimulation of the PI3K pathway, which may have implications with regards to cell adhesion and tumourigenesis.
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Highly specialized cash-grain production systems based upon corn-soybean rotations under tilled soil management are common in the northwestern U.S. Corn Belt. This study, initiated in 1997, was conducted to determine if diversification of this ubiquitous corn-soybean rotation would affect soil char...
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Functional improvement of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to reduce volatile acidity in wine.
Luo, Zongli; Walkey, Christopher J; Madilao, Lufiani L; Measday, Vivien; Van Vuuren, Hennie J J
2013-08-01
Control of volatile acidity (VA) is a major issue for wine quality. In this study, we investigated the production of VA by a deletion mutant of the fermentation stress response gene AAF1 in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fermentations were carried out in commercial Chardonnay grape must to mimic industrial wine-making conditions. We demonstrated that a wine yeast strain deleted for AAF1 reduced acetic acid levels in wine by up to 39.2% without increasing the acetaldehyde levels, revealing a potential for industrial application. Deletion of the cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase gene ALD6 also reduced acetic acid levels dramatically, but increased the acetaldehyde levels by 41.4%, which is not desired by the wine industry. By comparison, ALD4 and the AAF1 paralog RSF2 had no effects on acetic acid production in wine. Deletion of AAF1 was detrimental to the growth of ald6Δ and ald4Δald6Δ mutants, but had no effect on acetic acid production. Overexpression of AAF1 dramatically increased acetic acid levels in wine in an Ald6p-dependent manner, indicating that Aaf1p regulates acetic acid production mainly via Ald6p. Overexpression of AAF1 in an ald4Δald6Δ strain produced significantly more acetic acid in wine than the ald4Δald6Δ mutant, suggesting that Aaf1p may also regulate acetic acid synthesis independently of Ald4p and Ald6p. © 2013 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.
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DMP: Detouring Using Multiple Paths against Jamming Attack for Ubiquitous Networking System
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Mihui Kim
2010-04-01
Full Text Available To successfully realize the ubiquitous network environment including home automation or industrial control systems, it is important to be able to resist a jamming attack. This has recently been considered as an extremely threatening attack because it can collapse the entire network, despite the existence of basic security protocols such as encryption and authentication. In this paper, we present a method of jamming attack tolerant routing using multiple paths based on zones. The proposed scheme divides the network into zones, and manages the candidate forward nodes of neighbor zones. After detecting an attack, detour nodes decide zones for rerouting, and detour packets destined for victim nodes through forward nodes in the decided zones. Simulation results show that our scheme increases the PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio and decreases the delay significantly in comparison with rerouting by a general routing protocol on sensor networks, AODV (Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector, and a conventional JAM (Jammed Area Mapping service with one reroute.
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DMP: detouring using multiple paths against jamming attack for ubiquitous networking system.
Kim, Mihui; Chae, Kijoon
2010-01-01
To successfully realize the ubiquitous network environment including home automation or industrial control systems, it is important to be able to resist a jamming attack. This has recently been considered as an extremely threatening attack because it can collapse the entire network, despite the existence of basic security protocols such as encryption and authentication. In this paper, we present a method of jamming attack tolerant routing using multiple paths based on zones. The proposed scheme divides the network into zones, and manages the candidate forward nodes of neighbor zones. After detecting an attack, detour nodes decide zones for rerouting, and detour packets destined for victim nodes through forward nodes in the decided zones. Simulation results show that our scheme increases the PDR (Packet Delivery Ratio) and decreases the delay significantly in comparison with rerouting by a general routing protocol on sensor networks, AODV (Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector), and a conventional JAM (Jammed Area Mapping) service with one reroute.
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Special Issue on Entropy-Based Applied Cryptography and Enhanced Security for Ubiquitous Computing
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
James (Jong Hyuk Park
2016-09-01
Full Text Available Entropy is a basic and important concept in information theory. It is also often used as a measure of the unpredictability of a cryptographic key in cryptography research areas. Ubiquitous computing (Ubi-comp has emerged rapidly as an exciting new paradigm. In this special issue, we mainly selected and discussed papers related with ore theories based on the graph theory to solve computational problems on cryptography and security, practical technologies; applications and services for Ubi-comp including secure encryption techniques, identity and authentication; credential cloning attacks and countermeasures; switching generator with resistance against the algebraic and side channel attacks; entropy-based network anomaly detection; applied cryptography using chaos function, information hiding and watermark, secret sharing, message authentication, detection and modeling of cyber attacks with Petri Nets, and quantum flows for secret key distribution, etc.
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The ubiquitous reflex and its critics in post-revolutionary Russia.
Sirotkina, Irina
2009-03-01
In the last century, the reflex was more than a scientific concept: it was a cultural idiom that could be used to various aims--political, scholarly, and artistic. In Russia in the 1920s, the reflex became a ubiquitous notion and a current word, part of the revolutionary discourse and, finally, a password to modernity. Two major factors contributed to it: physiological theories of the reflex, widespread in Russia at the early twentieth-century, and the materialist philosophy backed after the Revolution by the Communist party. Everybody who wished to be modern and materialist, in conformity with the official communist views, had to refer to reflexes. Yet, even in this period, the concept was not unproblematic and was criticized by some scientists, philosophers, artists and even Party members. In the paper, I describe both the array of uses of the term and the criticism it received in political, scientific and artistic discourses. It is not uncommon that, taking their origins in culture and common language, scientific concepts later return there in the form of metaphors. Similarly, the reflex was made into a rigorous scientific concept in the nineteenth century but, in the next century, it circulated as a cultural idiom penetrating various areas of political, artistic and academic life.
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Expression of the epidermal growth factor system in human endometrium during the menstrual cycle
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Ejskjaer, Kirsten; Sørensen, B S; Poulsen, Steen Seier
2005-01-01
The epidermal growth factor (EGF) system is ubiquitous in humans and plays fundamental roles in embryogenesis, development, proliferation and differentiation. As the endometrium of fertile women is characterized by proliferation and differentiation, we hypothesize a role for the EGF system....... Fourteen premenopausal women had endometrial samples removed on day 6 +/- 1 and day 6 +/- 1 and 12 +/- 1 after ovulation during one menstrual cycle. RNA was extracted and analysed by real-time PCR, and immunohistochemistry was performed to localize the components of the EGF system. Human EGF Receptor 1...... (HER1) showed highest expression during the proliferative phase, HER2 and HER4 during the early and HER3 during the late secretory phase. Amphiregulin (AR) and transforming growth factor alpha (TGFalpha) expression is highest in proliferative phase. Heparin binding (HB)-EGF and betacellulin (BCL) show...
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Jou, Min; Wang, Jingying
2015-01-01
This study investigated a Ubiquitous Sensor System (USS) that we developed to assess student thought process during practical lessons on a real-time basis and to provide students with a reflective learning environment. Behavioral curves and data obtained by the USS would help students understand where they had made mistakes during practical…
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Effect of enhanced expression of connexin 43 on sunitinib-induced cytotoxicity in mesothelioma cells
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Miaki Uzu
2015-05-01
Full Text Available Connexin (Cx makes up a type of intercellular channel called gap junction (GJ. GJ plays a regulatory role in cellular physiology. The Cx expression level is often decreased in cancer cells compared to that in healthy ones, and the restoration of its expression has been shown to exert antiproliferative effects. This work aims to evaluate the effect of the restoration of connexin 43 (Cx43 (the most ubiquitous Cx subtype expression on sunitinib (SU-induced cytotoxicity in malignant mesothelioma (MM cells. Increased Cx43 expression in an MM cell line (H28 improved the ability of SU to inhibit receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK signaling. Moreover, higher Cx43 expression promoted SU-induced apoptosis. The cell viability test revealed that Cx43 enhanced the cytotoxic effect of SU in a GJ-independent manner. The effect of Cx43 on a proapoptotic factor, Bax, was then investigated. The interaction between Cx43 and Bax was confirmed by immunoprecipitation. Furthermore, higher Cx43 expression increased the production of a cleaved (active form of Bax during SU-induced apoptosis with no alteration in total Bax expression. These findings indicate that Cx43 most likely increases sensitivity to SU in H28 through direct interaction with Bax. In conclusion, we found that Cx43 overcame the chemoresistance of MM cells.
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Grossi, Alberto; Karlsson, Anders H; Lawson, Moira Ann
2008-01-01
. Stimulation due to stretch- or load-induced signaling is now beginning to be understood as a factor which affects gene sequences, protein synthesis and an increase in Ca2+ influx in myocytes. Evidence of the involvement of Ca2+ -dependent activity in myoblast fusion, cell membrane and cytoskeleton component...... reorganization due to the activity of the ubiquitous proteolytic enzymes, calpains, has been reported. Whether there is a link between stretch- or load-induced signaling and calpain expression and activation is not known. Using a magnetic bead stimulation assay and C2C12 mouse myoblasts cell population, we have...... demonstrated that mechanical stimulation via laminin receptors leads to an increase in m-calpain expression, but no increase in the expression of other calpain isoforms. Our study revealed that after a short period of stimulation, m-calpain relocates into focal adhesion complexes and is followed by a breakdown...
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Distributing Workflows over a Ubiquitous P2P Network
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Eddie Al-Shakarchi
2007-01-01
Full Text Available This paper discusses issues in the distribution of bundled workflows across ubiquitous peer-to-peer networks for the application of music information retrieval. The underlying motivation for this work is provided by the DART project, which aims to develop a novel music recommendation system by gathering statistical data using collaborative filtering techniques and the analysis of the audio itsel, in order to create a reliable and comprehensive database of the music that people own and which they listen to. To achieve this, the DART scientists creating the algorithms need the ability to distribute the Triana workflows they create, representing the analysis to be performed, across the network on a regular basis (perhaps even daily in order to update the network as a whole with new workflows to be executed for the analysis. DART uses a similar approach to BOINC but differs in that the workers receive input data in the form of a bundled Triana workflow, which is executed in order to process any MP3 files that they own on their machine. Once analysed, the results are returned to DART's distributed database that collects and aggregates the resulting information. DART employs the use of package repositories to decentralise the distribution of such workflow bundles and this approach is validated in this paper through simulations that show that suitable scalability is maintained through the system as the number of participants increases. The results clearly illustrate the effectiveness of the approach.
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Light-Dependent Expression of Four Cryptic Archaeal Circadian Gene Homologs
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Michael eManiscalco
2014-03-01
Full Text Available Circadian rhythms are important biological signals that have been found in almost all major groups of life from bacteria to man, yet it remains unclear if any members of the second major prokaryotic domain of life, the Archaea, also possess a biological clock. To investigate this question, we examined the regulation of four cyanobacterial-like circadian gene homologs present in the genome of the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii. These genes, designated cirA, cirB, cirC, and cirD, display similarity to the KaiC-family of cyanobacterial clock proteins, which act to regulate rhythmic gene expression and to control the timing of cell division. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis was used to examine the expression of each of the four cir genes in response to 12 h light/12 h dark cycles (LD 12:12 during balanced growth in H. volcanii. Our data reveal that there is an approximately two to sixteen-fold increase in cir gene expression when cells are shifted from light to constant darkness and this pattern of gene expression oscillates with the light conditions in a rhythmic manner. Targeted single- and double-gene knockouts in the H. volcanii cir genes results in disruption of light-dependent, rhythmic gene expression, although it does not lead to any significant effect on growth under these conditions. Restoration of light-dependent, rhythmic gene expression was demonstrated by introducing, in trans, a wild-type copy of individual cir genes into knockout strains. These results are noteworthy as this is the first attempt to characterize the transcriptional expression and regulation of the ubiquitous kaiC homologs found among archaeal genomes.
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Adropin induction of lipoprotein lipase expression in tilapia hepatocytes.
Lian, Anji; Wu, Keqiang; Liu, Tianqiang; Jiang, Nan; Jiang, Quan
2016-01-01
The peptide hormone adropin plays a role in energy homeostasis. However, biological actions of adropin in non-mammalian species are still lacking. Using tilapia as a model, we examined the role of adropin in lipoprotein lipase (LPL) regulation in hepatocytes. To this end, the structural identity of tilapia adropin was established by 5'/3'-rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The transcripts of tilapia adropin were ubiquitously expressed in various tissues with the highest levels in the liver and hypothalamus. The prolonged fasting could elevate tilapia hepatic adropin gene expression, whereas no effect of fasting was observed on hypothalamic adropin gene levels. In primary cultures of tilapia hepatocytes, synthetic adropin was effective in stimulating LPL release, cellular LPL content, and total LPL production. The increase in LPL production also occurred with parallel rises in LPL gene levels. In parallel experiments, adropin could elevate cAMP production and up-regulate protein kinase A (PKA) and PKC activities. Using a pharmacological approach, cAMP/PKA and PLC/inositol trisphosphate (IP3)/PKC cascades were shown to be involved in adropin-stimulated LPL gene expression. Parallel inhibition of p38MAPK and Erk1/2, however, were not effective in these regards. Our findings provide, for the first time, evidence that adropin could stimulate LPL gene expression via direct actions in tilapia hepatocytes through the activation of multiple signaling mechanisms. © 2016 Society for Endocrinology.
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Sensor-based atomic layer deposition for rapid process learning and enhanced manufacturability
Lei, Wei
In the search for sensor based atomic layer deposition (ALD) process to accelerate process learning and enhance manufacturability, we have explored new reactor designs and applied in-situ process sensing to W and HfO 2 ALD processes. A novel wafer scale ALD reactor, which features fast gas switching, good process sensing compatibility and significant similarity to the real manufacturing environment, is constructed. The reactor has a unique movable reactor cap design that allows two possible operation modes: (1) steady-state flow with alternating gas species; or (2) fill-and-pump-out cycling of each gas, accelerating the pump-out by lifting the cap to employ the large chamber volume as ballast. Downstream quadrupole mass spectrometry (QMS) sampling is applied for in-situ process sensing of tungsten ALD process. The QMS reveals essential surface reaction dynamics through real-time signals associated with byproduct generation as well as precursor introduction and depletion for each ALD half cycle, which are then used for process learning and optimization. More subtle interactions such as imperfect surface saturation and reactant dose interaction are also directly observed by QMS, indicating that ALD process is more complicated than the suggested layer-by-layer growth. By integrating in real-time the byproduct QMS signals over each exposure and plotting it against process cycle number, the deposition kinetics on the wafer is directly measured. For continuous ALD runs, the total integrated byproduct QMS signal in each ALD run is also linear to ALD film thickness, and therefore can be used for ALD film thickness metrology. The in-situ process sensing is also applied to HfO2 ALD process that is carried out in a furnace type ALD reactor. Precursor dose end-point control is applied to precisely control the precursor dose in each half cycle. Multiple process sensors, including quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and QMS are used to provide real time process information. The
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Wagnerberger, S.; Schäfer, C.; Bode, C.
2006-01-01
Impaired metabolism of retinol has been shown to occur in alcohol-induced liver disease (ALD). The purpose of the present study was to investigate the saturation of retinol-binding protein (RBP) in 6 patients with different stages of ALD. Hospitalized alcohol consumers (n=118) with different stages...... chromatography and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods, respectively. No differences were noted in daily retinol intake, but subjects with ALD had significantly lower concentrations of retinol in plasma (ALD1: 1.81+/-0.17 micromol/l [mean+/-S.E.M.]; ALD2: 1.95+/-0.24 micromol/l; ALD3: 0.67+/-0.13 micromol......: 43.5+/-6.2%; ALD3: 29.0+/-5.1%). The present study indicates that plasma concentrations of retinol and RBP per se do not correlate to severity of ALD, but rather that the retinol/RBP ratio links to the severity of alcohol-induced liver damage. From these results, a reduced availability of retinol...
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Energy-enhanced atomic layer deposition : offering more processing freedom
Potts, S.E.; Kessels, W.M.M.
2013-01-01
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a popular deposition technique comprising two or more sequential, self-limiting surface reactions, which make up an ALD cycle. Energy-enhanced ALD is an evolution of traditional thermal ALD methods, whereby energy is supplied to a gas in situ in order to convert a
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Cotesia vestalis parasitization suppresses expression of a Plutella xylostella thioredoxin.
Shi, M; Zhao, S; Wang, Z-H; Stanley, D; Chen, X-X
2016-12-01
Thioredoxins (Trxs) are a family of small, highly conserved and ubiquitous proteins involved in protecting organisms against toxic reactive oxygen species. In this study, a typical thioredoxin gene, PxTrx, was isolated from Plutella xylostella. The full-length cDNA sequence is composed of 959 bp containing a 321 bp open reading frame that encodes a predicted protein of 106 amino acids, a predicted molecular weight of 11.7 kDa and an isoelectric point of 5.03. PxTrx was mainly expressed in larval Malpighian tubules and the fat body. An enriched recombinant PxTrx had insulin disulphide reductase activity and stimulated Human Embryonic Kidney 293 (HEK293) cell proliferation. It also protected supercoiled DNA and living HEK293 cells from H 2 O 2 -induced damage. Parasitization by Cotesia vestalis and injections of 0.05 and 0.01 equivalents of C. vestalis Bracovirus (CvBv), the symbiotic virus carried by the parasitoid, led to down-regulation of PxTrx expression in host fat body. Taken together, our results indicate that PxTrx contributes to the maintenance of P. xylostella cellular haemostasis. Host fat body expression of PxTrx is strongly attenuated by parasitization and by injections of CvBv. © 2016 The Royal Entomological Society.
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RIDES: Robust Intrusion Detection System for IP-Based Ubiquitous Sensor Networks.
Amin, Syed Obaid; Siddiqui, Muhammad Shoaib; Hong, Choong Seon; Lee, Sungwon
2009-01-01
The IP-based Ubiquitous Sensor Network (IP-USN) is an effort to build the "Internet of things". By utilizing IP for low power networks, we can benefit from existing well established tools and technologies of IP networks. Along with many other unresolved issues, securing IP-USN is of great concern for researchers so that future market satisfaction and demands can be met. Without proper security measures, both reactive and proactive, it is hard to envisage an IP-USN realm. In this paper we present a design of an IDS (Intrusion Detection System) called RIDES (Robust Intrusion DEtection System) for IP-USN. RIDES is a hybrid intrusion detection system, which incorporates both Signature and Anomaly based intrusion detection components. For signature based intrusion detection this paper only discusses the implementation of distributed pattern matching algorithm with the help of signature-code, a dynamically created attack-signature identifier. Other aspects, such as creation of rules are not discussed. On the other hand, for anomaly based detection we propose a scoring classifier based on the SPC (Statistical Process Control) technique called CUSUM charts. We also investigate the settings and their effects on the performance of related parameters for both of the components.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Alba Amato
2012-12-01
Full Text Available With the proliferation of modern mobile devices having the capability to interact each other and with the environment in a transparent manner, there is an increase in the development of those applications that are specifically designed for pervasive and ubiquitous environments. Those applications are able to provide a service of interest for the user that depends on context information, such as the user's position, his preferences, the capability of the device and its available resources. Services have to respond in a rational way in manydifferent situations choosing the actions with the best expected result by the user, so making environment not only more connected and efficient, but smarter. Here we present a semantic framework that provides the technology for the development of intelligent, context aware service.
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Regulated gene expression in cultured type II cells of adult human lung.
Ballard, Philip L; Lee, Jae W; Fang, Xiaohui; Chapin, Cheryl; Allen, Lennell; Segal, Mark R; Fischer, Horst; Illek, Beate; Gonzales, Linda W; Kolla, Venkatadri; Matthay, Michael A
2010-07-01
Alveolar type II cells have multiple functions, including surfactant production and fluid clearance, which are critical for lung function. Differentiation of type II cells occurs in cultured fetal lung epithelial cells treated with dexamethasone plus cAMP and isobutylmethylxanthine (DCI) and involves increased expression of 388 genes. In this study, type II cells of human adult lung were isolated at approximately 95% purity, and gene expression was determined (Affymetrix) before and after culturing 5 days on collagen-coated dishes with or without DCI for the final 3 days. In freshly isolated cells, highly expressed genes included SFTPA/B/C, SCGB1A, IL8, CXCL2, and SFN in addition to ubiquitously expressed genes. Transcript abundance was correlated between fetal and adult cells (r = 0.88), with a subset of 187 genes primarily related to inflammation and immunity that were expressed >10-fold higher in adult cells. During control culture, expression increased for 8.1% of expressed genes and decreased for approximately 4% including 118 immune response and 10 surfactant-related genes. DCI treatment promoted lamellar body production and increased expression of approximately 3% of probed genes by > or =1.5-fold; 40% of these were also induced in fetal cells. Highly induced genes (> or =10-fold) included PGC, ZBTB16, DUOX1, PLUNC, CIT, and CRTAC1. Twenty-five induced genes, including six genes related to surfactant (SFTPA/B/C, PGC, CEBPD, and ADFP), also had decreased expression during control culture and thus are candidates for hormonal regulation in vivo. Our results further define the adult human type II cell molecular phenotype and demonstrate that a subset of genes remains hormone responsive in cultured adult cells.
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Nuclear myosin is ubiquitously expressed and evolutionary conserved in vertebrates
Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database
Kahle, Michal; Přidalová, Jarmila; Špaček, M.; Dzijak, Rastislav; Hozák, Pavel
2007-01-01
Roč. 127, č. 2 (2007), s. 139-184 ISSN 0948-6143 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA204/04/0108; GA AV ČR IAA5039202; GA MŠk LC545; GA ČR GD204/05/H023 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50390512; CEZ:AV0Z50520514 Keywords : Nuclear myosin I * Transcription * Chromatin Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.893, year: 2007
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Neonatal Death and Heart Failure in Mouse with Transgenic HSP60 Expression
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Tsung-Hsien Chen
2015-01-01
Full Text Available Mitochondrial heat shock proteins, such as HSP60, are chaperones responsible for the folding, transport, and quality control of mitochondrial matrix proteins and are essential for maintaining life. Both prosurvival and proapoptotic roles have been proposed for HSP60, and HSP60 is reportedly involved in the initiation of autoimmune, metabolic, and cardiovascular diseases. The role of HSP60 in pathogenesis of these diseases remains unclear, partly because of the lack of mouse models expressing HSP60. In this study we generated HSP60 conditional transgenic mice suitable for investigating in vivo outcomes by expressing HSP60 at the targeted organ in disease models. Ubiquitous HSP60 induction in the embryonic stage caused neonatal death in mice at postnatal day 1. A high incidence of atrial septal defects was observed in HSP60-expressing mice, with increased apoptosis and myocyte degeneration that possibly contributed to massive hemorrhage and sponge-like cardiac muscles. Our results showed that neonatal heart failure through HSP60 induction likely involves developmental defects and excessive apoptosis. The conditional HSP60 mouse model is useful for studying crucial biological questions concerning HSP60.
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Dietary exposure of largemouth bass to OCPs changes expression of genes important for reproduction.
Garcia-Reyero, Natàlia; Barber, David S; Gross, Timothy S; Johnson, Kevin G; Sepúlveda, María S; Szabo, Nancy J; Denslow, Nancy D
2006-07-20
Dieldrin and p,p'-DDE are ubiquitous contaminants known to act as endocrine disruptors, causing impaired development and reproduction in fish and wildlife. In order to elucidate the mechanisms by which dieldrin and p,p'-DDE cause endocrine disruption in largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), fish were exposed subchronically through the diet to both contaminants. Following 120 days of exposure, p,p'-DDE decreased estradiol in females, but increased 11-ketotestosterone in both sexes. Dieldrin on the other hand, decreased estradiol and 11-ketotestosterone in both sexes. Both pesticides also altered steady state mRNA expression levels of a set of genes chosen to represent three possible mechanisms of endocrine disruption: (1) direct interaction with soluble sex steroid receptors, (2) biosynthesis of endogenous sex hormones, and (3) metabolism of endogenous hormones. p,p'-DDE acted as a weak estrogen, increasing the expression of vitellogenin and estrogen receptor alpha in the liver. p,p'-DDE also altered the expression of genes involved in the synthesis of endogenous hormones as well as their metabolism. Dieldrin, on the other hand, only altered expression of vitellogenin and not estrogen receptor alpha. Dieldrin also altered the expression of genes involved in hormone synthesis and metabolism, and it dramatically lowered plasma hormone levels. Both pesticides targeted expression of genes involved in all three modes of action, suggesting that they each have multiple modes of action.
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Lim, Hyoun-Sub; Park, Sang-Un; Bae, Hyeun-Jong; Natarajan, Savithiry
2014-01-01
Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR) is an important enzyme for lignin biosynthesis as it catalyzes the first specific committed step in monolignol biosynthesis. We have cloned a full length coding sequence of CCR from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.), which contains a 1,020-bp open reading frame (ORF), encoding 339 amino acids of 37.37 kDa, with an isoelectric point (pI) of 6.27 (JX524276, HcCCR2). BLAST result found that it has high homology with other plant CCR orthologs. Multiple alignment with other plant CCR sequences showed that it contains two highly conserved motifs: NAD(P) binding domain (VTGAGGFIASWMVKLLLEKGY) at N-terminal and probable catalytic domain (NWYCYGK). According to phylogenetic analysis, it was closely related to CCR sequences of Gossypium hirsutum (ACQ59094) and Populus trichocarpa (CAC07424). HcCCR2 showed ubiquitous expression in various kenaf tissues and the highest expression was detected in mature flower. HcCCR2 was expressed differentially in response to various stresses, and the highest expression was observed by drought and NaCl treatments. PMID:24723816
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Ritesh Ghosh
2014-01-01
Full Text Available Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase (CCR is an important enzyme for lignin biosynthesis as it catalyzes the first specific committed step in monolignol biosynthesis. We have cloned a full length coding sequence of CCR from kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L., which contains a 1,020-bp open reading frame (ORF, encoding 339 amino acids of 37.37 kDa, with an isoelectric point (pI of 6.27 (JX524276, HcCCR2. BLAST result found that it has high homology with other plant CCR orthologs. Multiple alignment with other plant CCR sequences showed that it contains two highly conserved motifs: NAD(P binding domain (VTGAGGFIASWMVKLLLEKGY at N-terminal and probable catalytic domain (NWYCYGK. According to phylogenetic analysis, it was closely related to CCR sequences of Gossypium hirsutum (ACQ59094 and Populus trichocarpa (CAC07424. HcCCR2 showed ubiquitous expression in various kenaf tissues and the highest expression was detected in mature flower. HcCCR2 was expressed differentially in response to various stresses, and the highest expression was observed by drought and NaCl treatments.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Yasunari Yamanaka
2015-05-01
Full Text Available Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs, including natural antisense transcripts (NATs, are expressed more extensively than previously anticipated and have widespread roles in regulating gene expression. Nevertheless, the molecular mechanisms of action of the majority of NATs remain largely unknown. Here, we identify a NAT of low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 1 (Lrp1, referred to as Lrp1-AS, that negatively regulates Lrp1 expression. We show that Lrp1-AS directly binds to high-mobility group box 2 (Hmgb2 and inhibits the activity of Hmgb2 to enhance Srebp1a-dependent transcription of Lrp1. Short oligonucleotides targeting Lrp1-AS inhibit the interaction of antisense transcript and Hmgb2 protein and increase Lrp1 expression by enhancing Hmgb2 activity. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of brain tissue samples from Alzheimer’s disease patients and aged-matched controls revealed upregulation of LRP1-AS and downregulation of LRP1. Our data suggest a regulatory mechanism whereby a NAT interacts with a ubiquitous chromatin-associated protein to modulate its activity in a locus-specific fashion.
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Cave, Jonathan; van Oranje-Nassau, Constantijn; Schindler, Helen Rebecca; Shehabi, Ala'a; Brutscher, Philipp-Bastian; Robinson, Neil
2009-01-01
This report is intended to inform the European Commission's DG Information Society and Media in developing its policies for the period 2010-2020. It is targeted to policymakers with expert knowledge of the field. The report summarises the work conducted in the study: "Policy Options for the Ubiquitous Internet Society". It builds on…
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I WHATSAPP AN IGUANA: AN ATTEMPT TO APPLY UBIQUITOUS LEARNING
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Dwi Haryanti
2017-12-01
Full Text Available This paper aims at presenting how Whatsapp provides alternative method to enhance writing skills on personal letter for senior high school student. This method Whatsapps inspired by the concept called ubiquitous learning (U-Learning, which means ―learning supported by ICT resources held anytime, anywhere and fits the context of the learner‖ (de Sousa Monteiro et al., 2014. Participants were 40 11-th grade students in one class in Cirebon High School. A short story in the form of personal letter entitled I Wanna Iguana by Karen Kaufman Orloff was used as main learning source and the mobile version of the story was sent to the class Whatsapp group along with the reading comprehension questions and the personal letter template. The study was conducted for three weeks in the middle of the second semester year 2017. Contrary to the basic face-to-face teaching and learning, the using of Whatsapp group demonstrates how mobile technology can be fully integrated in an educational context to support students‘ learning beyond the classroom. Another advantages of using Whatsapp group is the fact that learning become the responsibility of learners and may take place through observation, trial and error, asking for help, conversing with others, reading to stories, reflecting on a one‘s personal event, or stimulated by general interests
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Zhang, Wenliang; Zhong, Wei; Sun, Qian; Sun, Xinguo; Zhou, Zhanxiang
2017-08-21
Chronic alcohol feeding causes lipid accumulation and apoptosis in the liver. This study investigated the role of bioactive lipid metabolites in alcohol-induced liver damage and tested the potential of targeting arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase (ALOX15) in treating alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Results showed that chronic alcohol exposure induced hepatocyte apoptosis in association with increased hepatic 13-HODE. Exposure of 13-HODE to Hepa-1c1c7 cells induced oxidative stress, ER stress and apoptosis. 13-HODE also perturbed proteins related to lipid metabolism. HODE-generating ALOX15 was up-regulated by chronic alcohol exposure. Linoleic acid, but not ethanol or acetaldehyde, induced ALOX15 expression in Hepa-1c1c7 cells. ALOX15 knockout prevented alcohol-induced liver damage via attenuation of oxidative stress, ER stress, lipid metabolic disorder, and cell death signaling. ALOX15 inhibitor (PD146176) treatment also significantly alleviated alcohol-induced oxidative stress, lipid accumulation and liver damage. These results demonstrated that activation of ALOX15/13-HODE circuit critically mediates the pathogenesis of ALD. This study suggests that ALOX15 is a potential molecular target for treatment of ALD.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
WANG Xiaoyu
2014-02-01
Full Text Available Alcoholic liver disease (ALD has become one of the major public health problems in the world, and its pathogenesis has not yet been completely clarified. Proteomics and metabonomics provide a new way for the studies on ALD, and some progress has been made in this regard. Here, the applications of proteomics and metabonomics in studies on ALD in recent 10 years, as well as existing problems, are comprehensively reviewed, and it is proposed that joint use of proteomics and metabonomics in studies on ALD is a good strategy, which helps to reveal the pathogenesis of ALD in a panoramic view and provide important information for the early detection, clinical diagnosis, treatment, and prognostic evaluation of ALD.
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Atomic layer deposition for photovoltaics: applications and prospects for solar cell manufacturing
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Van Delft, J A; Garcia-Alonso, D; Kessels, W M M
2012-01-01
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a vapour-phase deposition technique capable of depositing high quality, uniform and conformal thin films at relatively low temperatures. These outstanding properties can be employed to face processing challenges for various types of next-generation solar cells; hence, ALD for photovoltaics (PV) has attracted great interest in academic and industrial research in recent years. In this review, the recent progress of ALD layers applied to various solar cell concepts and their future prospects are discussed. Crystalline silicon (c-Si), copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) and dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) benefit from the application of ALD surface passivation layers, buffer layers and barrier layers, respectively. ALD films are also excellent moisture permeation barriers that have been successfully used to encapsulate flexible CIGS and organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells. Furthermore, some emerging applications of the ALD method in solar cell research are reviewed. The potential of ALD for solar cells manufacturing is discussed, and the current status of high-throughput ALD equipment development is presented. ALD is on the verge of being introduced in the PV industry and it is expected that it will be part of the standard solar cell manufacturing equipment in the near future. (paper)
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"I had a dream and i built it": power and self-staging in ubiquitous high-end homes
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Lynggaard, Aviaja Borup; Petersen, Marianne Graves; Hepworth, Sam
2012-01-01
Research on smart homes and ubiquitous homes is often highly focused on the challenges and obstacles for establishing and living in smart homes. Few have studied peoples' motivations for establishing smart homes as well as the real life experiences living in such homes. We have had the chance...... to study 27 homes of very wealthy people around the world, living in homes containing the smartness and intelligence money can buy today. We report on the passions and experiences motivating people to live in smart environments. In particular we describe how people use technologies for staging themselves...
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Cortez-Valadez, M.; Fierro, C.; Farias-Mancilla, J.R.; Vargas-Ortiz, A.; Flores-Acosta, M.; Ramírez-Bon, R.; Enriquez-Carrejo, J.L.
2016-01-01
Highlights: • Hafnium oxide growth on Si(100) by atomic layer deposition was simulated. • The interface structure was considered as silicate and silicide. • The interface was studied employing DFT. • TDMA-Hf precursor show better interface stability. - Abstract: The final structure of HfO 2 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) after reaction with OH − ions has been analyzed by DFT (density functional theory). The interaction of the precursors: HfCl 4 (hafnium tetrachloride), HfI 4 (hafnium tetraiodide), TEMA-Hf (tetrakis-ethylmethylamino hafnium), and TDMA-Hf (tetrakis-dimethylamino hafnium) with HO–H was studied employing the B3LYP (Becke 3-parameter, Lee–Yang–Parr) hybrid functional and the PBE (Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof) generalized gradient functional. The structural evolution at the Si(100) surface has been analyzed by LDA (local density approximation). The structural parameters: bond length and bond angle, and the vibrational parameters for the optimized structures are also reported. The presence of hafnium silicate at the interface was detected. The infrared spectra and structural parameters obtained in this work agree with previously reported experimental results.
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Let Me Relax: Toward Automated Sedentary State Recognition and Ubiquitous Mental Wellness Solutions
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Vijay Rajanna
2018-12-01
Full Text Available Advances in ubiquitous computing technology improve workplace productivity, reduce physical exertion, but ultimately result in a sedentary work style. Sedentary behavior is associated with an increased risk of stress, obesity, and other health complications. Let Me Relax is a fully automated sedentary-state recognition framework using a smartwatch and smartphone, which encourages mental wellness through interventions in the form of simple relaxation techniques. The system was evaluated through a comparative user study of 22 participants split into a test and a control group. An analysis of NASA Task Load Index pre- and post- study survey revealed that test subjects who followed relaxation methods, showed a trend of both increased activity as well as reduced mental stress. Reduced mental stress was found even in those test subjects that had increased inactivity. These results suggest that repeated interventions, driven by an intelligent activity recognition system, is an effective strategy for promoting healthy habits, which reduce stress, anxiety, and other health risks associated with sedentary workplaces.
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Su, Chuan-Jun; Chiang, Chang-Yu; Chih, Meng-Chun
2014-03-07
Good physical fitness generally makes the body less prone to common diseases. A personalized exercise plan that promotes a balanced approach to fitness helps promotes fitness, while inappropriate forms of exercise can have adverse consequences for health. This paper aims to develop an ontology-driven knowledge-based system for generating custom-designed exercise plans based on a user's profile and health status, incorporating international standard Health Level Seven International (HL7) data on physical fitness and health screening. The generated plan exposing Representational State Transfer (REST) style web services which can be accessed from any Internet-enabled device and deployed in cloud computing environments. To ensure the practicality of the generated exercise plans, encapsulated knowledge used as a basis for inference in the system is acquired from domain experts. The proposed Ubiquitous Exercise Plan Generation for Personalized Physical Fitness (UFIT) will not only improve health-related fitness through generating personalized exercise plans, but also aid users in avoiding inappropriate work outs.
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The Impact of Ubiquitous Technologies on the Art Museum as Urban [Political] Space
DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Jacobsen, Mogens; Søndergaard, Morten
art practice. Our hypothesis is that these new domains have a more general existence and ’profile’ in the paradigm of media art – even though the following is based on the process of creating the ‘MAP – Media Art Platform’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art (MFSK) in Roskilde, Denmark, between 2005...... and 2008, a process in which we both were involved as media artist and media art curator, respectively. Our focus in this article is to investigate further the status of these new competencies and roles, and to ask: what are these new domains that emerge with regard to the artist, the software developer......The Museum is part of a ubiquitous framing of cultural production and a common, urban (political) space. In later years, technology has enhanced the ubiquity, as well as challenged the foundation of, the Museum. From this enhancement and challenge, which is transforming the museum itself, new...
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Shin, Jeong Woo; Kang, Myung Hoon; Oh, Seongkook; Yang, Byung Chan; Seong, Kwonil; Ahn, Hyo-Sok; Lee, Tae Hoon; An, Jihwan
2018-05-01
Atomic layer-deposited (ALD) dielectric films on graphene usually show noncontinuous and rough morphology owing to the inert surface of graphene. Here, we demonstrate the deposition of thin and uniform ALD ZrO2 films with no seed layer on chemical vapor-deposited graphene functionalized by atmospheric oxygen plasma treatment. Transmission electron microscopy showed that the ALD ZrO2 films were highly crystalline, despite a low ALD temperature of 150 °C. The ALD ZrO2 film served as an effective passivation layer for graphene, which was shown by negative shifts in the Dirac voltage and the enhanced air stability of graphene field-effect transistors after ALD of ZrO2. The ALD ZrO2 film on the functionalized graphene may find use in flexible graphene electronics and biosensors owing to its low process temperature and its capacity to improve device performance and stability.
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Chen, B; Han, B H; Sun, X H; Lim, R W
1997-01-15
We have examined the role of an Id-like protein, Id3 (also known as HLH462), in the regulation of muscle-specific gene expression. Id proteins are believed to block expression of muscle-specific genes by preventing the dimerization between ubiquitous bHLH proteins (E proteins) and myogenic bHLH proteins such as MyoD. Consistent with its putative role as an inhibitor of differentiation, Id3 mRNA was detected in proliferating skeletal muscle cells, was further induced by basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and was down-regulated in differentiated muscle cultures. Overexpression of Id3 efficiently inhibited the MyoD-mediated activation of the muscle-specific creatine kinase (MCK) reporter gene. Deletion analysis indicated that the C-terminal 15 amino acids of Id3 are critical for the full inhibitory activity while deleting up to 42 residues from the C-terminus of the related protein, Id2, did not affect its ability to inhibit the MCK reporter gene. Chimeric protein containing the N-terminal region of Id3 and the C-terminus of Id2 was also non-functional in transfected cells. In contrast, wild-type Id3, the C-terminal mutants, and the Id3/Id2 chimera could all interact with the E-protein E47in vitro. Additional studies indicated that truncation of the Id3 C-terminus might have adversely affected the expression level of the mutant proteins but the Id3/Id2 chimera was stably expressed. Taken together, our results revealed a more complex requirement for the expression and proper function of the Id family proteins than was hitherto expected.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Franziska D Weber
Full Text Available X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD, the most common peroxisomal disorder, is a clinically heterogeneous disease that can manifest as devastating inflammatory cerebral demyelination (CALD leading to death of affected males. Currently, the only curative treatment is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT. However, HSCT is only effective when performed at an early stage because the inflammation may progress for eighteen months after HSCT. Thus, alternative treatment options able to immediately halt the progression are urgently needed. X-ALD is caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene, encoding the peroxisomal membrane protein ABCD1, resulting in impaired very long-chain fatty acid metabolism. The related ABCD2 protein is able to functionally compensate for ABCD1-deficiency both in vitro and in vivo. Recently, we demonstrated that of the cell types derived from CD34+ stem cells, predominantly monocytes but not lymphocytes are metabolically impaired in X-ALD. As ABCD2 is virtually not expressed in these cells, we hypothesize that a pharmacological up-regulation of ABCD2 should compensate metabolically and halt the inflammation in CALD. Retinoids are anti-inflammatory compounds known to act on ABCD2. Here, we investigated the capacity of selected retinoids for ABCD2 induction in human monocytes/macrophages. In THP-1 cells, 13-cis-retinoic acid reached the highest, fivefold, increase in ABCD2 expression. To test the efficacy of retinoids in vivo, we analyzed ABCD2 mRNA levels in blood cells isolated from acne patients receiving 13-cis-retinoic acid therapy. In treated acne patients, ABCD2 mRNA levels were comparable to pre-treatment levels in monocytes and lymphocytes. Nevertheless, when primary monocytes were in vitro differentiated into macrophages and treated with 13-cis-retinoic acid, we observed a fourfold induction of ABCD2. However, the level of ABCD2 induction obtained by retinoids alone is probably not of therapeutic relevance
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Paspaliari, Dafni Katerina; Kastbjerg, Vicky Gaedt; Ingmer, Hanne
2017-01-01
The chitinolytic system of Listeria monocytogenes thus far comprises two chitinases, ChiA and ChiB, and a lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase, Lmo2467. The role of the system in the bacterium appears to be pleiotropic, as besides mediating hydrolysis of chitin, the second most ubiquitous...... chitinase activities enabling them to utilize chitin as the sole source of carbon and nitrogen. Interestingly, several bacterial chitinases may also be involved in host pathogenesis. For example, in the important food borne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes, the chitinases ChiA and ChiB, and the lytic...... ChiA and ChiB in the culture supernatants of the mutant strain. Our results provide new information regarding the function of the lmo0325-lmo0327 locus in L. monocytogenes and link it to the expression of chitinolytic activity.Importance: Many bacteria from terrestrial and marine environments express...
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Issues involved in the atomic layer deposition of metals
Grubbs, Robert Kimes
Auger Electron Spectroscopy (AES) was used to study the nucleation and growth of tungsten on aluminum oxide surfaces. Tungsten metal was deposited using Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) techniques. ALD uses sequential surface reactions to deposit material with atomic layer control. W ALD is performed using sequential exposures of WF6 and Si2H6. The step-wise nature of W ALD allows nucleation studies to be performed by analyzing the W surface concentration after each ALD reaction. Nucleation and growth regions can be identified by quantifying the AES signal intensities from both the W surface and the Al2O3 substrate. W nucleation occurred in 3 ALD reaction cycles. The AES results yielded a nucleation rate of 1.0 A/ALD cycle and a growth rate of ≈3 A/ALD cycle. AES studies also explored the nucleation and growth of Al2O3 on W. Al2O3 nucleated in 1 ALD cycle giving a nucleation rate of 3.5 A/ALD cycle and a subsequent growth rate of 1.0 A/ALD cycle. Mass spectrometry was then used to study the ALD reaction chemistry of tungsten deposition. Because of the step-wise nature of the W ALD chemistry, each W ALD reaction could be studied independently. The gaseous mass products were identified from both the WF6 and Si2H6 reactions. H2, HF and SiF4 mass products were observed for the WF6 reaction. The Si2H6 reaction displayed a room temperature reaction and a 200°C reaction. Products from the room temperature Si2H6 reaction were H2 and SiF3H. The reaction at 200°C yielded only H2 as a reaction product. H2 desorption from the surface contributes to the 200°C Si2H6 reaction. AES was used to confirm that the gas phase reaction products are correlated with a change in the surface species. Atomic hydrogen reduction of metal halides and oganometallic compounds provides another method for depositing metals with atomic layer control. The quantity of atomic hydrogen necessary to perform this chemistry is critical to the metal ALD process. A thermocouple probe was constructed to
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DEFF Research Database (Denmark)
Wang, Christian W; Lavstsen, Thomas; Bengtsson, Dominique C
2012-01-01
ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Members of the Plasmodium falciparum erythrocyte membrane protein 1 (PfEMP1) adhesion antigen family are major contributors to the pathogenesis of P. falciparum malaria infections. The PfEMP1-encoding var genes are among the most diverse sequences in nature, but three genes......, var1, var2csa and var3 are found conserved in most parasite genomes. The most severe forms of malaria disease are caused by parasites expressing a subset of antigenically conserved PfEMP1 variants. Thus the ubiquitous and conserved VAR3 PfEMP1 is of particular interest to the research field. Evidence...... of VAR3 expression on the infected erythrocyte surface has never been presented, and var3 genes have been proposed to be transcribed and expressed differently from the rest of the var gene family members. METHODS: In this study, parasites expressing VAR3 PfEMP1 were generated using anti-VAR3 antibodies...
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Ye, Xiaoyun; Zhou, Xiaoliu; Hennings, Ryan; Kramer, Joshua; Calafat, Antonia M
2013-03-01
Biomonitoring studies are conducted to assess internal dose (i.e., body burden) to environmental chemicals. However, because of the ubiquitous presence in the environment of some of these chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), external contamination during handling and analysis of the biospecimens collected for biomonitoring evaluations could compromise the reported concentrations of such chemicals. We examined the contamination with the target analytes during analysis of biological specimens in biomonitoring laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. We present several case studies using the quantitative determination of BPA and other organic chemicals (i.e., benzophenone-3, triclosan, parabens) in human urine, milk, and serum to identify potential contamination sources when the biomarkers measured are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Contamination with target analytes during biomonitoring analysis could result from solvents and reagents, the experimental apparatus used, the laboratory environment, and/or even the analyst. For biomonotoring data to be valid-even when obtained from high-quality analytical methods and good laboratory practices-the following practices must be followed to identify and track unintended contamination with the target analytes during analysis of the biological specimens: strict quality control measures including use of laboratory blanks; replicate analyses; engineering controls (e.g., clean rooms, biosafety cabinets) as needed; and homogeneous matrix-based quality control materials within the expected concentration ranges of the study samples.
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PAX6 MiniPromoters drive restricted expression from rAAV in the adult mouse retina
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Jack W Hickmott
2016-01-01
Full Text Available Current gene therapies predominantly use small, strong, and readily available ubiquitous promoters. However, as the field matures, the availability of small, cell-specific promoters would be greatly beneficial. Here we design seven small promoters from the human paired box 6 (PAX6 gene and test them in the adult mouse retina using recombinant adeno-associated virus. We chose the retina due to previous successes in gene therapy for blindness, and the PAX6 gene since it is: well studied; known to be driven by discrete regulatory regions; expressed in therapeutically interesting retinal cell types; and mutated in the vision-loss disorder aniridia, which is in need of improved therapy. At the PAX6 locus, 31 regulatory regions were bioinformatically predicted, and nine regulatory regions were constructed into seven MiniPromoters. Driving Emerald GFP, these MiniPromoters were packaged into recombinant adeno-associated virus, and injected intravitreally into postnatal day 14 mice. Four MiniPromoters drove consistent retinal expression in the adult mouse, driving expression in combinations of cell-types that endogenously express Pax6: ganglion, amacrine, horizontal, and Müller glia. Two PAX6-MiniPromoters drive expression in three of the four cell types that express PAX6 in the adult mouse retina. Combined, they capture all four cell types, making them potential tools for research, and PAX6-gene therapy for aniridia.
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PAX6 MiniPromoters drive restricted expression from rAAV in the adult mouse retina.
Hickmott, Jack W; Chen, Chih-Yu; Arenillas, David J; Korecki, Andrea J; Lam, Siu Ling; Molday, Laurie L; Bonaguro, Russell J; Zhou, Michelle; Chou, Alice Y; Mathelier, Anthony; Boye, Sanford L; Hauswirth, William W; Molday, Robert S; Wasserman, Wyeth W; Simpson, Elizabeth M
2016-01-01
Current gene therapies predominantly use small, strong, and readily available ubiquitous promoters. However, as the field matures, the availability of small, cell-specific promoters would be greatly beneficial. Here we design seven small promoters from the human paired box 6 (PAX6) gene and test them in the adult mouse retina using recombinant adeno-associated virus. We chose the retina due to previous successes in gene therapy for blindness, and the PAX6 gene since it is: well studied; known to be driven by discrete regulatory regions; expressed in therapeutically interesting retinal cell types; and mutated in the vision-loss disorder aniridia, which is in need of improved therapy. At the PAX6 locus, 31 regulatory regions were bioinformatically predicted, and nine regulatory regions were constructed into seven MiniPromoters. Driving Emerald GFP, these MiniPromoters were packaged into recombinant adeno-associated virus, and injected intravitreally into postnatal day 14 mice. Four MiniPromoters drove consistent retinal expression in the adult mouse, driving expression in combinations of cell-types that endogenously express Pax6: ganglion, amacrine, horizontal, and Müller glia. Two PAX6-MiniPromoters drive expression in three of the four cell types that express PAX6 in the adult mouse retina. Combined, they capture all four cell types, making them potential tools for research, and PAX6-gene therapy for aniridia.
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Kan, Yao-Chiang; Chen, Kai-Hong; Lin, Hsueh-Chun
2017-06-01
Self-management in healthcare can allow patients managing their health data anytime and everywhere for prevention of chronic diseases. This study established a prototype of ubiquitous health management system (UHMS) with healthy diet control (HDC) for people who need services of metabolic syndrome healthcare in Taiwan. System infrastructure comprises of three portals and a database tier with mutually supportive components to achieve functionality of diet diaries, nutrition guides, and health risk assessments for self-health management. With the diet, nutrition, and personal health database, the design enables the analytical diagrams on the interactive interface to support a mobile application for diet diary, a Web-based platform for health management, and the modules of research and development for medical care. For database integrity, dietary data can be stored at offline mode prior to transformation between mobile device and server site at online mode. The UHMS-HDC was developed by open source technology for ubiquitous health management with personalized dietary criteria. The system integrates mobile, internet, and electronic healthcare services with the diet diary functions to manage healthy diet behaviors of users. The virtual patients were involved to simulate the self-health management procedure. The assessment functions were approved by capturing the screen snapshots in the procedure. The proposed system development was capable for practical intervention. This approach details the expandable framework with collaborative components regarding the self-developed UHMS-HDC. The multi-disciplinary applications for self-health management can support the healthcare professionals to reduce medical resources and improve healthcare effects for the patient who requires monitoring personal health condition with diet control. The proposed system can be practiced for intervention in the hospital. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Rui de Abrantes
2005-06-01
Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Caracterizar as emissões de acetaldeído e formaldeído, substâncias nocivas para a saúde das pessoas e cujas emissões dos veículos a diesel ainda não estão regulamentadas. MÉTODOS: Testes padronizados foram realizados em quatro veículos leves comerciais do ciclo diesel, testados num dinamômetro de chassis, usando o procedimento de teste FTP-75. Os poluentes foram analisados por cromatografia líquida de alta eficiência. RESULTADOS: Os resultados mostraram que a emissão de acetaldeído variou de 5,9 a 45,4 mg/km e a de formaldeído variou de 16,5 a 115,2 mg/km. A emissão média para a soma dos aldeídos foi de 58,7 mg/km, variando de 22,5 mg/km a 160 mg/km. A proporção entre os dois se manteve constante, próximo de 74% de formaldeído e 26% de acetaldeído. CONCLUSÕES: A emissão de aldeídos provenientes de veículos movidos a diesel foi significativa quando comparada com as emissões reais dos veículos de ignição por centelha ou com o limite previsto para os veículos do ciclo Otto na legislação brasileira. O estabelecimento de limites de emissão para essas substâncias para veículos a diesel mostra-se importante, considerando o crescimento da frota de veículos a diesel, a toxicidade desses compostos e sua participação como precursores nas reações de formação de gás ozônio na baixa troposfera.OBJECTIVE: To characterize acetaldehyde and formaldehyde emissions, which are harmful gases to human health and not yet regulated for diesel engines. METHODS: Standardized tests were performed in four diesel light duty commercial vehicles, using a frame dynamometer and test procedure FTP-75. The pollutants were analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. RESULTS: Results have shown acetaldehyde emission ranged from 5.9 to 45.4 mg/km, and formaldehyde emission from 16.5 to 115.2 mg/km. The average emission for aldehyde sum was 58.7 mg/km, ranging from 22.4 to 160.6 mg/km. The proportion between the two
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RIDES: Robust Intrusion Detection System for IP-Based Ubiquitous Sensor Networks
Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Sungwon Lee
2009-05-01
Full Text Available TheIP-based Ubiquitous Sensor Network (IP-USN is an effort to build the “Internet of things”. By utilizing IP for low power networks, we can benefit from existing well established tools and technologies of IP networks. Along with many other unresolved issues, securing IP-USN is of great concern for researchers so that future market satisfaction and demands can be met. Without proper security measures, both reactive and proactive, it is hard to envisage an IP-USN realm. In this paper we present a design of an IDS (Intrusion Detection System called RIDES (Robust Intrusion DEtection System for IP-USN. RIDES is a hybrid intrusion detection system, which incorporates both Signature and Anomaly based intrusion detection components. For signature based intrusion detection this paper only discusses the implementation of distributed pattern matching algorithm with the help of signature-code, a dynamically created attack-signature identifier. Other aspects, such as creation of rules are not discussed. On the other hand, for anomaly based detection we propose a scoring classifier based on the SPC (Statistical Process Control technique called CUSUM charts. We also investigate the settings and their effects on the performance of related parameters for both of the components.
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EphrinB1 expression is dysregulated and promotes oncogenic signaling in medulloblastoma.
McKinney, Nicole; Yuan, Liangping; Zhang, Hongying; Liu, Jingbo; Cho, Yoon-Jae; Rushing, Elisabeth; Schniederjan, Matthew; MacDonald, Tobey J
2015-01-01
Eph receptors and ephrin ligands are master regulators of oncogenic signaling required for proliferation, migration, and metastasis. Yet, Eph/ephrin expression and activity in medulloblastoma (MB), the most common malignant brain tumor of childhood, remains poorly defined. We hypothesized that Eph/ephrins are differentially expressed by sonic hedgehog (SHH) and non-SHH MB and that specific members contribute to the aggressive phenotype. Affymetrix gene expression profiling of 29 childhood MB, separated into SHH (N = 11) and non-SHH (N = 18), was performed followed by protein validation of selected Eph/ephrins in another 60 MB and two MB cell lines (DAOY, D556). Functional assays were performed using MB cells overexpressing or deleted for selected ephrins. We found EPHB4 and EFNA4 almost exclusively expressed by SHH MB, whereas EPHA2, EPHA8, EFNA1 and EFNA3 are predominantly expressed by non-SHH MB. The remaining family members, except EFNB1, are ubiquitously expressed by over 70-90 % MB, irrespective of subgroup. EFNB1 is the only member differentially expressed by 28 % of SHH and non-SHH MB. Corresponding protein expression for EphB/ephrinB1 and B2 was validated in MB. Only ephrinB2 was also detected in fetal cerebellum, indicating that EphB/ephrinB1 expression is MB-specific. EphrinB1 immunopositivity localizes to tumor cells within MB with the highest proliferative index. EphrinB1 overexpression promotes EphB activation, alters F-actin distribution and morphology, decreases adhesion, and significantly promotes proliferation. Either silencing or overexpression of ephrinB1 impairs migration. These results indicate that EphrinB1 is uniquely dysregulated in MB and promotes oncogenic responses in MB cells, implicating ephrinB1 as a potential target.
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Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)
Hiroyuki Igarashi
Full Text Available Despite the strength of the Cre/loxP recombination system in animal models, its application in rats trails that in mice because of the lack of relevant reporter strains. Here, we generated a floxed STOP tdTomato rat that conditionally expresses a red fluorescent protein variant (tdTomato in the presence of exogenous Cre recombinase. The tdTomato signal vividly visualizes neurons including their projection fibers and spines without any histological enhancement. In addition, a transgenic rat line (FLAME that ubiquitously expresses tdTomato was successfully established by injecting intracytoplasmic Cre mRNA into fertilized ova. Our rat reporter system will facilitate connectome studies as well as the visualization of the fine structures of genetically identified cells for long periods both in vivo and ex vivo. Furthermore, FLAME is an ideal model for organ transplantation research owing to improved traceability of cells/tissues.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Camacho-Bunquin, Jeffrey; Shou, Heng; Marshall, Christopher L.; Aich, Payoli; Beaulieu, David R.; Klotzsch, Helmut; Bachman, Stephen; Hock, Adam; Stair, Peter
2015-01-01
An integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis-catalysis (I-ALD-CAT) tool was developed. It combines an ALD manifold in-line with a plug-flow reactor system for the synthesis of supported catalytic materials by ALD and immediate evaluation of catalyst reactivity using gas-phase probe reactions. The I-ALD-CAT delivery system consists of 12 different metal ALD precursor channels, 4 oxidizing or reducing agents, and 4 catalytic reaction feeds to either of the two plug-flow reactors. The system can employ reactor pressures and temperatures in the range of 10 −3 to 1 bar and 300–1000 K, respectively. The instrument is also equipped with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer unit for the detection and quantification of volatile species from ALD and catalytic reactions. In this report, we demonstrate the use of the I-ALD-CAT tool for the synthesis of platinum active sites and Al 2 O 3 overcoats, and evaluation of catalyst propylene hydrogenation activity
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Camacho-Bunquin, Jeffrey; Shou, Heng; Marshall, Christopher L. [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Aich, Payoli [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60607 (United States); Beaulieu, David R.; Klotzsch, Helmut; Bachman, Stephen [Arradiance Inc., Sudbury, Massachusetts 01776 (United States); Hock, Adam [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois 60616 (United States); Stair, Peter [Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Lemont, Illinois 60439 (United States); Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208 (United States)
2015-08-15
An integrated atomic layer deposition synthesis-catalysis (I-ALD-CAT) tool was developed. It combines an ALD manifold in-line with a plug-flow reactor system for the synthesis of supported catalytic materials by ALD and immediate evaluation of catalyst reactivity using gas-phase probe reactions. The I-ALD-CAT delivery system consists of 12 different metal ALD precursor channels, 4 oxidizing or reducing agents, and 4 catalytic reaction feeds to either of the two plug-flow reactors. The system can employ reactor pressures and temperatures in the range of 10{sup −3} to 1 bar and 300–1000 K, respectively. The instrument is also equipped with a gas chromatograph and a mass spectrometer unit for the detection and quantification of volatile species from ALD and catalytic reactions. In this report, we demonstrate the use of the I-ALD-CAT tool for the synthesis of platinum active sites and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} overcoats, and evaluation of catalyst propylene hydrogenation activity.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Li, Jinwei; Chen, Xi; Xu, Weihe; Nam, Chang-Yong; Shi, Yong
2013-01-01
We incorporated a thin but structurally dense TiO 2 layer prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) as an efficient hole blocking layer in the TiO 2 nanofiber based solid-state dye sensitized solar cell (ss-DSSC). The nanofiber ss-DSSCs having ALD TiO 2 layers displayed increased open circuit voltage, short circuit current density, and power conversion efficiency compared to control devices with blocking layers prepared by spin-coating liquid TiO 2 precursor. We attribute the improved photovoltaic device performance to the structural integrity of ALD-coated TiO 2 layer and consequently enhanced hole blocking effect that results in reduced dark leakage current and increased charge carrier lifetime. - Highlights: • TiO 2 blocking locking layer prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) method. • ALD-coated TiO 2 layer enhanced hole blocking effect. • ALD blocking layer improved the voltage, current and efficiency. • ALD blocking layer reduced dark leakage current and increased electron lifetime
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mORCA: ubiquitous access to life science web services.
Diaz-Del-Pino, Sergio; Trelles, Oswaldo; Falgueras, Juan
2018-01-16
Technical advances in mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets have produced an extraordinary increase in their use around the world and have become part of our daily lives. The possibility of carrying these devices in a pocket, particularly mobile phones, has enabled ubiquitous access to Internet resources. Furthermore, in the life sciences world there has been a vast proliferation of data types and services that finish as Web Services. This suggests the need for research into mobile clients to deal with life sciences applications for effective usage and exploitation. Analysing the current features in existing bioinformatics applications managing Web Services, we have devised, implemented, and deployed an easy-to-use web-based lightweight mobile client. This client is able to browse, select, compose parameters, invoke, and monitor the execution of Web Services stored in catalogues or central repositories. The client is also able to deal with huge amounts of data between external storage mounts. In addition, we also present a validation use case, which illustrates the usage of the application while executing, monitoring, and exploring the results of a registered workflow. The software its available in the Apple Store and Android Market and the source code is publicly available in Github. Mobile devices are becoming increasingly important in the scientific world due to their strong potential impact on scientific applications. Bioinformatics should not fall behind this trend. We present an original software client that deals with the intrinsic limitations of such devices and propose different guidelines to provide location-independent access to computational resources in bioinformatics and biomedicine. Its modular design makes it easily expandable with the inclusion of new repositories, tools, types of visualization, etc.
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Hwang, Gwo-Jen; Chen, Chih-Hung
2017-01-01
In this paper, an inquiry-based ubiquitous gaming approach was proposed. The objective of the study was to enhance students' performances in in-field learning activities. To show the advantages of the approach, an experiment was carried out to assess the effects of it on students' learning achievement, motivation, critical thinking, and problem…
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Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)
Liu, Rui [Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Han, Lihao [Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD) Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5031, GA Delft 2600 (Netherlands); Huang, Zhuangqun; Ferrer, Ivonne M. [Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 210 Noyes Laboratory 127-72, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Smets, Arno H.M.; Zeman, Miro [Photovoltaic Materials and Devices (PVMD) Laboratory, Delft University of Technology, P.O. Box 5031, GA Delft 2600 (Netherlands); Brunschwig, Bruce S., E-mail: bsb@caltech.edu [Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Lewis, Nathan S., E-mail: nslewis@caltech.edu [Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Beckman Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, 210 Noyes Laboratory 127-72, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Kavli Nanoscience Institute, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)
2015-07-01
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to deposit nanoparticles and thin films of Pt onto etched p-type Si(111) wafers and glassy carbon discs. Using precursors of MeCpPtMe{sub 3} and ozone and a temperature window of 200–300 °C, the growth rate was 80–110 pm/cycle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the composition, structure, morphology, and thickness of the ALD-grown Pt nanoparticle films. The catalytic activity of the ALD-grown Pt for the hydrogen evolution reaction was shown to be equivalent to that of e-beam evaporated Pt on glassy carbon electrode. - Highlights: • Pure Pt films were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using MeCpPtMe3 and ozone. • ALD-grown Pt thin films had high growth rates of 110 pm/cycle. • ALD-grown Pt films were electrocatalytic for hydrogen evolution from water. • Electrocatalytic activity of the ALD Pt films was equivalent to e-beam deposited Pt. • No carbon species were detected in the ALD-grown Pt films.
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International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Liu, Rui; Han, Lihao; Huang, Zhuangqun; Ferrer, Ivonne M.; Smets, Arno H.M.; Zeman, Miro; Brunschwig, Bruce S.; Lewis, Nathan S.
2015-01-01
Atomic layer deposition (ALD) was used to deposit nanoparticles and thin films of Pt onto etched p-type Si(111) wafers and glassy carbon discs. Using precursors of MeCpPtMe 3 and ozone and a temperature window of 200–300 °C, the growth rate was 80–110 pm/cycle. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to analyze the composition, structure, morphology, and thickness of the ALD-grown Pt nanoparticle films. The catalytic activity of the ALD-grown Pt for the hydrogen evolution reaction was shown to be equivalent to that of e-beam evaporated Pt on glassy carbon electrode. - Highlights: • Pure Pt films were grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) using MeCpPtMe3 and ozone. • ALD-grown Pt thin films had high growth rates of 110 pm/cycle. • ALD-grown Pt films were electrocatalytic for hydrogen evolution from water. • Electrocatalytic activity of the ALD Pt films was equivalent to e-beam deposited Pt. • No carbon species were detected in the ALD-grown Pt films
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Expression and Localization of TRK-Fused Gene Products in the Rat Brain and Retina
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Maebayashi, Hisae; Takeuchi, Shigako; Masuda, Chiaki; Makino, Satoshi; Fukui, Kenji; Kimura, Hiroshi; Tooyama, Ikuo
2012-01-01
The TRK-fused gene (TFG in human, Tfg in rat) was originally identified in human papillary thyroid cancer as a chimeric form of the NTRK1 gene. It has been reported that the gene product (TFG) plays a role in regulating phosphotyrosine-specific phosphatase-1 activity. However, no information regarding the localization of Tfg in rat tissues is available. In this study, we investigated the expression of Tfg mRNA in normal rat tissues using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We also produced an antibody against Tfg gene products and examined the localization of TFG in the rat brain and retina. The RT-PCR experiments demonstrated that two types of Tfg mRNA were expressed in rat tissues: the conventional form of Tfg (cTfg) and a novel variant form, retinal Tfg (rTfg). RT-PCR analyses demonstrated that cTfg was ubiquitously expressed in rat tissues, while rTfg was predominantly expressed in the brain and retina. Western blot analysis demonstrated two bands with molecular weights of about 30 kDa and 50 kDa in the rat brain. Immunohistochemistry indicated that TFG proteins were predominantly expressed by neurons in the brain. In the rat retina, intense TFG-immunoreactivity was detected in the layer of rods and cones and the outer plexiform layer
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Spatial atomic layer deposition on flexible substrates using a modular rotating cylinder reactor
International Nuclear Information System (INIS)
Sharma, Kashish; Hall, Robert A.; George, Steven M.
2015-01-01
Spatial atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a new version of ALD based on the separation of reactant gases in space instead of time. In this paper, the authors present results for spatial ALD on flexible substrates using a modular rotating cylinder reactor. The design for this reactor is based on two concentric cylinders. The outer cylinder remains fixed and contains a series of slits. These slits can accept a wide range of modules that attach from the outside. The modules can easily move between the various slit positions and perform precursor dosing, purging, or pumping. The inner cylinder rotates with the flexible substrate and passes underneath the various spatially separated slits in the outer cylinder. Trimethyl aluminum and ozone were used to grow Al 2 O 3 ALD films at 40 °C on metallized polyethylene terephthalate (PET) substrates to characterize this spatial ALD reactor. Spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements revealed a constant Al 2 O 3 ALD growth rate of 1.03 Å/cycle with rotation speeds from 40 to 100 RPM with the outer cylinder configured for one Al 2 O 3 ALD cycle per rotation. The Al 2 O 3 ALD growth rate then decreased at higher rotation rates for reactant residence times < 5 ms. The Al 2 O 3 ALD films were also uniform to within <1% across the central portion of metallized PET substrate. Fixed deposition time experiments revealed that Al 2 O 3 ALD films could be deposited at 2.08 Å/s at higher rotation speeds of 175 RPM. Even faster deposition rates are possible by adding more modules for additional Al 2 O 3 ALD cycles for every one rotation of the inner cylinder