FROM LINE-DRAWINGS TO IMPRESSIONS OF 3D OBJECTS - DEVELOPING A MODEL TO ACCOUNT FOR THE SHAPES THAT PEOPLE SEE

The interpretations people attach to line drawings reflect shape-related processes in human vision. Their divergences from expectations embodied in related machine vision traditions are summarized, and used to suggest how human vision decomposes the task of interpretation. A model called IO implements this idea. It first identifies geometrically regular, local fragments. Initial decisions fix edge orientations, and this information constrains decisions about other properties. Relations between fragments are explored, beginning with weak consistency checks and moving to fuller ones. IO's output captures multiple distinctive characteristics of human performance, and it suggests steady progress towards understanding shape-related visual processes is possible.

Agency and Appetite for religious Song: Vexilla regis prodeunt and its first thousand years

When James Joyce made two of his characters in ‘‘Portrait of an Artist as a Young Man’’ refer approvingly to ‘‘Vexilla regis prodeunt’’ he was following in the footsteps of a long line of the Latin text’s admirers. Since Anglo-Saxon times English audiences had clearly appreciated the sonorous majesty of this processional hymn, largely because of the solemnity and craft with which it celebrated the nature of Christ’s martial triumph and sacrifice. This article offers a snapshot of different kinds of English appetite for Venantius Fortunatus’ famous religious song for the first thousand years of its existence, from the Anglo-Saxon period through to the mid sixteenth century.

Porcine Circovirus Type 2 Morphogenesis in a Clone Derived from the L35 Lymphoblastoid Cell Line

Porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) is the essential infectious agent of post-weaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS), one of the most important diseases of swine. Although several studies have described different biological properties of the virus, some aspects of its replication cycle, including ultrastructural alterations, remain unknown. The aim of the present study was to describe for the first time a complete morphogenesis study of PCV2 in a clone of the lymphoblastoid L35 cell line at the ultrastructural level using electron microscopy techniques. Cells were infected with PCV2 at a multiplicity of infection of 10 and examined at 0, 6, 12, 24, 48, 60 and 72 h post-infection. PCV2 was internalized by endocytosis, after which the virus aggregated in intracytoplasmic inclusion bodies (ICIs). Subsequently, PCV2 was closely associated with mitochondria, completing a first cytoplasmic phase. The virus entered the nucleus for replication and virus assembly and encapsidation occurred with the participation of the nuclear membrane. Immature virions left the nucleus and formed ICIs in a second cytoplasmic phase. The results suggest that at the end of the replication cycle (between 24 and 48 h), PCV2 was released either by budding of mature virion clusters or by lysis of apoptotic or dead cells. In conclusion, the L35-derived clone represents a suitable in-vitro model for PCV2 morphogenesis studies and characterization of the PCV2 replication cycle. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A longitudinal analysis of estimation, counting skills, and mathematical ability across the first school year

In response to claims that the quality (and in particular linearity) of children's mental representation of number acts as a constraint on number development, we carried out a longitudinal assessment of the relationships between number line estimation, counting, and mathematical abilities. Ninety-nine 5-year-olds were tested on 4 occasions at 3 monthly intervals. Correlations between the 3 types of ability were evident, but while the quality of children's estimations changed over time and performance on the mathematical tasks improved over the same period, changes in one were not associated with changes in the other. In contrast to the earlier claims that the linearity of number representation is potentially a unique contributor to children's mathematical development, the data suggest that this variable is not significantly privileged in its impact over and above simple procedural number skills. We propose that both early arithmetic success and estimating skill are bound closely to developments in counting ability.

International on-line reciprocal peer tutoring to promote modern language development in primary schools

The paper reports data from an on-line peer tutoring project. In the project 78, 9–12-year-old students from Scotland and Catalonia peer tutored each other in English and Spanish via a managed on-line envi- ronment. Significant gains in first language (Catalonian pupils) modern language (Scottish pupils) and attitudes towards modern languages (both Catalonian and Scottish pupils) were reported for the exper- imental group as compared to the control group. Results indicated that pupils tutored each other in using Piagetian techniques of error correction during the project. Error correction provided by tutors to tutees focussed on morph syntaxys, more specifically the correction of verbs. Peer support provided via the on- line environment was predominantly based on the tutor giving the right answer to the tutee. High rates of impact on tutee corrected messages were observed. The implications for peer tutoring initiative taking place via on-line environments are discussed. Implications for policy and practice are explored

Rhinovirus upregulates transient receptor potential channels in a human neuronal cell line: Implications for respiratory virus-induced cough reflex sensitivity

ABSTRACT (250 words)
BACKGROUND: The mechanism underlying respiratory virus-induced cough hypersensitivity is unknown. Up-regulation of airway neuronal receptors responsible for sensing physical and chemical stimuli is one possibility and the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel family are potential candidates. We have used an in vitro model of sensory neurones and human rhinovirus (HRV-16) to study the effect of virus infection on TRP expression.
METHODS: IMR32 neuroblastoma cells were differentiated in culture to express three TRP channels, TRPV1, TRPA1 and TRPM8. Flow cytometry and qRT-PCR were used to measure TRP channel protein and mRNA levels following inoculation with live virus, inactivated virus, virus- induced soluble factors or pelleted virus particles. Multiplex bioassay was used to determine nerve growth factor (NGF), interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-6 and IL-8 levels in response to infection.
RESULTS: Early up-regulation of TRPA1 and TRPV1 expression occurred 2 to4 hours post infection. This was independent of replicating virus as virus induced soluble factors alone were sufficient to increase channel expression 50 and 15 fold, respectively. NGF, IL-6 and IL-8 levels, increased in infected cell supernatants, represent possible candidates. In contrast, TRPM8 expression was maximal at 48 hours (9.6 fold) and required virus replication rather than soluble factors
CONCLUSIONS We show for the first time that rhinovirus can infect neuronal cells. Furthermore, infection causes up-regulation of TRP channels by channel specific mechanisms. Increase in TRPA1 and TRPV1 levels can be mediated by soluble factors induced by infection whereas TRPM8 requires replicating virus. TRP channels may be novel therapeutic targets for controlling virus-induced cough.

First results on cell irradiation with laser-driven protons on the TARANIS system

The ultra short duration of laser-driven multi-MeV ion bursts offers the possibility of radiobiological studies at extremely high dose rates. Employing the TARANIS Terawatt laser at Queen's University, the effect of proton irradiation at MeV-range energies on live cells has been investigated at dose rates exceeding 10 Gy/s as a single exposure. A clonogenic assay showed consistent lethal effects on V-79 live, cells, which, even at these dose rates, appear to be in line with previously published results employing conventional sources. A Relative Biological Effectiveness (RBE) of 1.4±0.2 at 10% survival is estimated from a comparison with a 225 kVp X-ray source.

A simple disc wind model for broad absorption line quasars

Approximately 20 per cent of quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) exhibit broad, blue-shifted absorption lines in their ultraviolet spectra. Such features provide clear evidence for significant outflows from these systems, most likely in the form of accretion disc winds. These winds may represent the ‘quasar’ mode of feedback that is often invoked in galaxy formation/evolution models, and they are also key to unification scenarios for active galactic nuclei (AGN) and QSOs. To test these ideas, we construct a simple benchmark model of an equatorial, biconical accretion disc wind in a QSO and use a Monte Carlo ionization/radiative transfer code to calculate the ultraviolet spectra as a function of viewing angle. We find that for plausible outflow parameters, sightlines looking directly into the wind cone do produce broad, blue-shifted absorption features in the transitions typically seen in broad absorption line (BAL) QSOs. However, our benchmark model is intrinsically X-ray weak in order to prevent overionization of the outflow, and the wind does not yet produce collisionally excited line emission at the level observed in non-BAL QSOs. As a first step towards addressing these shortcomings, we discuss the sensitivity of our results to changes in the assumed X-ray luminosity and mass-loss rate, Ṁwind. In the context of our adopted geometry, Ṁwind ∼ Ṁacc is required in order to produce significant BAL features. The kinetic luminosity and momentum carried by such outflows would be sufficient to provide significant feedback.

Prevalence of germ-line mutations in p16, p19ARF, and CDK4 in familial melanoma:analysis of a clinic-based population

Five to ten percent of individuals with melanoma have another affected family member, suggesting familial predisposition. Germ-line mutations in the cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p16 have been reported in a subset of melanoma pedigrees, but their prevalence is unknown in more common cases of familial melanoma that do not involve large families with multiple affected members. We screened for germ-line mutations in p16 and in two other candidate melanoma genes, p19ARF and CDK4, in 33 consecutive patients treated for melanoma; these patients had at least one affected first or second degree relative (28 independent families). Five independent, definitive p16 mutations were detected (18%, 95% confidence interval: 6%, 37%), including one nonsense, one disease-associated missense, and three small deletions. No mutations were detected in CDK4. Disease-associated mutations in p19ARF, whose transcript is derived in part from an alternative codon reading frame of p16, were only detected in patients who also had mutations inactivating p16. We conclude that germ-line p16 mutations are present in a significant fraction of individuals who have melanoma and a positive family history.

High-dose therapy and autologous stem cell transplantation in first relapse for diffuse large B cell lymphoma in the rituximab era:an analysis based on data from the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry

Autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) consolidation remains the treatment of choice for patients with relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The impact of rituximab combined with chemotherapy in either first- or second-line therapy on the ultimate results of ASCT remains to be determined, however. This study was designed to evaluate the benefit of ASCT in patients achieving a second complete remission after salvage chemotherapy by retrospectively comparing the disease-free survival (DFS) after ASCT for each patient with the duration of the first complete remission (CR1). Between 1990 and 2005, a total of 470 patients who had undergone ASCT and reported to the European Blood and Bone Transplantation Registry with Medical Essential Data Form B information were evaluated. Of these 470 patients, 351 (74%) had not received rituximab before ASCT, and 119 (25%) had received rituximab before ASCT. The median duration of CR1 was 11 months. The median time from diagnosis to ASCT was 24 months. The BEAM protocol was the most frequently used conditioning regimen (67%). After ASCT, the 5-year overall survival was 63% (95% confidence interval, 58%-67%) and 5-year DFS was 48% (95% confidence interval, 43%-53%) for the entire patient population. Statistical analysis showed a significant increase in DFS after ASCT compared with duration of CR1 (median, 51 months versus 11 months; P < .001). This difference was also highly significant for patients with previous exposure to rituximab (median, 10 months versus not reached; P < .001) and for patients who had experienced relapse before 1 year (median, 6 months versus 47 months; P < .001). Our data indicate that ASCT can significantly increase DFS compared with the duration of CR1 in relapsed diffuse large B cell lymphoma and can alter the disease course even in patients with high-risk disease previously treated with rituximab.

Implementation of a new atomic basis for the He i equilibrium line ratio technique for electron temperature and density diagnostic in the SOL for H-mode plasmas in DIII-D

Evaluating the ratio of selected helium lines allows for measurement of electron densities and temperatures. This technique is applied for L-mode plasmas at TEXTOR (O. Schmitz et al., Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 50 (2008) 115004). We report our first efforts to extend it to H-mode plasma diagnostics in DIII-D. This technique depends on the accuracy of the atomic data used in the collisional radiative model (CRM). We present predictions for the electron temperatures and densities by using recently calculated R-Matrix With Pseudostates (RMPS) and Convergent Close-Coupling (CCC) electron-impact excitation and ionization data. We include contributions from higher Rydberg states by means of the projection matrix. These effects become significant for high electron density conditions, which are typical in H-mode. We apply a non-equilibrium model for the time propagation of the ionization balance to predict line emission profiles from experimental H-mode data from DIII-D. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Fast Analysis Method for the Groove Gap Waveguide Using Transmission Line Theory

The Groove Gap Waveguide (GGW) shows a behavior similar to the classical rectangular waveguide (RWG), but it is formed by two pieces which do not require metal contact. This feature suggests the GGW as a suitable alternative to the RGW for mm-wave frequencies, where ensuring the proper metal contact according to the wavelength size results challenging. Nevertheless, there is a lack of effective analysis tools for the complex GGW topology, and assuming a direct equivalence between the RGW and the GGW is too rough, so that dilatory full-wave simulations are required. This work presents a fast analysis method based on transmission line theory, which establishes the proper correspondence between the GGW and the RWG. In addition, below cutoff behavior of the GGW is studied for the first time. Several numerical tests and two manufactured prototypes validate the proposed method, which seems very adequate to optimize future GGW structures.

First Detection of Gas-phase Methanol in a Protoplanetary Disk

The first detection of gas-phase methanol in a protoplanetary disk (TW Hya) is presented. In addition to being one of the largest molecules detected in disks to date, methanol is also the first disk organic molecule with an unambiguous ice chemistry origin. The stacked methanol emission, as observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, is spectrally resolved and detected across six velocity channels (>3σ), reaching a peak signal-to-noise of 5.5σ, with the kinematic pattern expected for TW Hya. Using an appropriate disk model, a fractional abundance of 3 x 10^-12 – 4 x 10^-11 (with respect to H₂) reproduces the stacked line profile and channel maps, with the favored abundance dependent upon the assumed vertical location (midplane versus molecular layer). The peak emission is offset from the source position, suggesting that the methanol emission has a ring-like morphology: the analysis here suggests it peaks at ≈30 au, reaching a column density ≈3–6 x 10¹² cm⁻². In the case of TW Hya, the larger (up to millimeter-sized) grains, residing in the inner 50 au, may thus host the bulk of the disk ice reservoir. The successful detection of cold gas-phase methanol in a protoplanetary disk implies that the products of ice chemistry can be explored in disks, opening a window into studying complex organic chemistry during planetary system formation.

Reinventing America on the battlefields of Spain or following the party line: conflicting perceptions of the Spanish Civil War in the present and in the past

Isolationism and neutrality are two of the recurrent themes in the study of the history of the U.S. foreign policy in the interwar years. The trauma of the Great War, which had swept away 130.000 U.S. lives and had cost $30 billion, had led public opinion to strongly oppose any involvement with European affairs. Besides, the urgent need for economic recovery during the dismal years of the Great Depression did not leave Roosevelt much room for manoeuvre to influence international events. His positions regarding the intentions of the Fascist states remained, at best, ambivalent. These facts notwithstanding, about 2800 U.S. citizens crossed the Atlantic and rushed in to help democratic Spain, which was on the verge of becoming one more hostage in the hands of the Fascism. They joined the other British, Irish and Canadian volunteers and formed the XV International Brigade. 900 Americans never returned home. This alone should challenge the commonly held assumption that the American people were indifferent to the rise of the Fascist threat in Europe. But it also begs other questions. Considering the prevailing isolationist mood, what really motivated them? With what discursive elements did these men construct their anti Fascist representations? How far did their understanding of the Spanish democracy correspond to their own American democratic ideal? In what way did their war experience across the Atlantic mould their perception of U.S. politics (both domestic and foreign)? How far did the Spanish Civil War constitute one first step towards the realization that the U.S. might actually be drawn into another international conflict of unpredictable consequences? Last but not the least, what ideological, political and cultural complicity existed between the men from the English-speaking battalions? In order to unearth some of the answers, I intend to examine their letters and see how these men recorded the historical events in which they took part. Their correspondence emerged from the desire to prove their commitment to a common cause and spoke of a common war experience, but each letter, in its uniqueness, ends up mirroring not only the social and political background of each individual fighter, but also his own particular perspective of the war, of world politics and of the Spanish people. We shall see how these letters differ and converge and how these particular accounts weave, as in an epistolary novel, a larger-than-life narrative of outrage and solidarity, despair and hope.

Do impresso ao on-line: o caso da revista Sábado.

Relatório de estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Jornalismo.