A Heuristic Evaluation for Deaf Web User Experience (HE4DWUX)

Websites that are usable and accessible can have a positive impact on the overall user experience. Usability Inspection Methods (UIMs) can be applied to evaluate and measure the usability. The current research in the fields of Web Accessibility and Human –Computer Interaction (HCI) is in need of additional UIMs that can be applied to also measure the accessibility, in addition to the usability alone. In this article, a novel UIM in the form of a heuristic evaluation is presented. The heuristic evaluation aims to support HCI experts and Web developers in designing and evaluating websites that provide positive user experiences to users who are deaf. This article discusses the development of the Heuristic Evaluation for Deaf Web User Experience (HE4DWUX). Following an iteration cycle, version 2 of the HE4DWUX is presented in Appendix A. An existing three-phase process to develop heuristics for specific application domains was applied to construct the HE4DWUX. The outcome of this research is 12 heuristics, with each containing its own set of checklist items to operationalize its applicability in measuring the Web user experience for users who are deaf. The heuristics and their checklist items can identify important aspects of design that will impact the Web user experience for this particular user group.     

The Neglected Water Rebound Effect of Income and Employment Growth

Water Resources Management - The water footprint assessment, particularly for the agricultural sector, is often a valuable input to water policy formation globally. Efforts on reducing it focus on...     

Peptide and protein drugs: the study of their metabolism and catabolism by mass spectrometry

Peptide and protein drugs have evolved in recent years into mainstream therapeutics, representing a significant portion of the pharmaceutical market. Peptides and proteins exhibit highly diverse structures, broad biological activities as hormones, neurotransmitters, structural proteins, metabolic modulators and therefore have a significant role as both therapeutics and biomarkers. Understanding the metabolism of synthetic or biotechnologically derived peptide and protein drugs is critical for pharmaceutical development as metabolism has a significant impact on drug efficacy and safety. Although the same principles of pharmacokinetics and metabolism of small molecule drugs apply to peptide and protein drugs, there are few notable differences. Moreover, the study of peptide and protein drug metabolism is a rather complicated process which requires sophisticated analytical techniques, and mass spectrometry based approaches have provided the capabilities for efficient and reliable quantification, characterization, and metabolite identification. This review article will focus on the current use of mass spectrometry for the study of the metabolism of peptide and protein drugs.     

The Bul1/2 Alpha-Arrestins Promote Ubiquitylation and Endocytosis of the Can1 Permease upon Cycloheximide-Induced TORC1-Hyperactivation

Selective endocytosis followed by degradation is a major mechanism for downregulating plasma membrane transporters in response to specific environmental cues. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this endocytosis is promoted by ubiquitylation catalyzed by the Rsp5 ubiquitin-ligase, targeted to transporters via adaptors of the alpha-arrestin family. However, the molecular mechanisms of this targeting and their control according to conditions remain incompletely understood. In this work, we dissect the molecular mechanisms eliciting the endocytosis of Can1, the arginine permease, in response to cycloheximide-induced TORC1 hyperactivation. We show that cycloheximide promotes Rsp5-dependent Can1 ubiquitylation and endocytosis in a manner dependent on the Bul1/2 alpha-arrestins. Also crucial for this downregulation is a short acidic patch sequence in the N-terminus of Can1 likely acting as a binding site for Bul1/2. The previously reported inhibition by cycloheximide of transporter recycling, from the trans-Golgi network to the plasma membrane, seems to additionally contribute to efficient Can1 downregulation. Our results also indicate that, contrary to the previously described substrate-transport elicited Can1 endocytosis mediated by the Art1 alpha-arrestin, Bul1/2-mediated Can1 ubiquitylation occurs independently of the conformation of the transporter. This study provides further insights into how distinct alpha-arrestins control the ubiquitin-dependent downregulation of a specific amino acid transporter under different conditions.     

Liquid Biopsy: A New Translational Diagnostic and Monitoring Tool for Musculoskeletal Tumors

Soft tissue and bone sarcomas represent a group of aggressive neoplasms often accompanied by dismal patient prognosis, especially when distant metastases are present. Moreover, effective treatment can pose a challenge, as recurrences are frequent and almost half of patients present with advanced disease. Researchers have unveiled the molecular abnormalities implicated in sarcomas’ carcinogenesis, paving the way for novel treatment strategies based on each individual tumor’s characteristics. Therefore, the development of new techniques aiding in early disease detection and tumor molecular profiling is imperative. Liquid biopsy refers to the sampling and analysis of patients’ fluids, such as blood, to identify tumor biomarkers, through a variety of methods, including qRT-PCR, qPCR, droplet digital PCR, magnetic microbeads and digital PCR. Assessment of circulating tumor cells (CTCs), circulating free DNA (ctDNA), micro RNAs (miRs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), exosomes and exosome–associated proteins can yield a plethora of information on tumor molecular signature, histologic type and disease stage. In addition, the minimal invasiveness of the procedure renders possible its wide application in the clinical setting, and, therefore, the early detection of the presence of tumors. In this review of the literature, we gathered information on biomarkers assessed through liquid biopsy in soft tissue and bone sarcoma patients and we present the information they can yield for each individual tumor type.     

Fatigue assessment of offshore wind turbines on monopile foundations using multi‐band modal expansion

Offshore wind turbines (OWTs) are subjected to both quasi‐static loads originating from variations in the thrust force and dynamic loads linked to turbulence, waves and turbine dynamics. Both types of loads contribute to fatigue life progression and thus define the turbine's age. As a structural health monitoring solution, one could thus directly measure the stress history at fatigue critical locations. However, for OWTs on monopile foundations some fatigue critical locations are located below the seabed. Installing strain sensors at these hotspots is therefore impossible for existing wind turbines. This measurement restriction is overcome by reconstructing the full‐field response of the structure based on the limited number of accelerometers and strain sensors (installed at a few easily accessible locations) and a calibrated finite element model of the system. The system model uses a multi‐band modal expansion approach constituted of the quasi‐static and dynamic contributions. These contributions are superimposed to reconstruct the stress history at all degrees of freedom of the finite element model, and the subsequent assess fatigue life consumption at all fatigue hot spots of the OWT. In this paper, the proposed virtual sensing technique is validated by predicting the stresses in the transition piece with 12 days of consecutive measurements from an operational OWT. The data set contains both variations in environmental and operating conditions as well as extreme events. Finally, a full‐field strain assessment in the tower and foundation system of the OWT is demonstrated. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heat transfer and performance characteristics of axial cooling fans with downstream guide vanes

This study examines experimentally the effect of stators on the performance and heat transfer characteristics of small axial cooling fans. A single fan impeller, followed by nine stator blades in the case of a complete stage, was used for all the experimental configurations. Performance measurements were carried out in a constant speed stage performance test rig while the transient liquid crystal technique was used for the heat transfer measurements. Full surface heat transfer coefficient distributions were obtained by recording the temperature history of liquid crystals on a target plate. The experimental data indicated that the results are highly affected by the flow conditions at the fan outlet. Stators can be beneficial in terms of pressure drop and efficiency, and thus more economical operation, as well as, in the local heat transfer distribution at the wake of the stator blades if the fan is installed very close to the cooling object. However, as the separation distance increases, enhanced heat transfer rate in the order of 25% is observed in the case of the fan impeller.     

Modelling flow and filtration in liquid composite moulding of nanoparticle loaded thermosets

This paper presents analytical and numerical models of liquid moulding of hybrid composites. An 1-D analytical solution of Darcy’s problem, accompanied by nanoparticle filtration kinetics and conservation, has been developed. A non-linear finite difference model incorporating variations in permeability, porosity and viscosity as a function of local nanoparticle loading was formulated. Comparison of the two models allowed verification of their validity, whilst a mesh sensitivity study demonstrated the convergence of the numerical scheme. The limits of validity of the analytical solution were established over a range of infiltration lengths and filtration rates for different nanoparticle loadings. The analytical model provides an accurate and efficient approximation of through thickness infusion of hybrid composites, whereas use of the numerical scheme is necessary for accurate simulation of in-plane filling processes. The models developed here can serve as the basis of process design/optimisation for the production of hybrid composites with controlled distribution of nano-reinforcement.     

RTM processing and electrical performance of carbon nanotube modified epoxy/fibre composites

This investigation focuses on nanoparticle filtration in the processing of multiscale carbon and glass fibre composites via resin transfer moulding. Surface modified and unmodified carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were incorporated into a commercial epoxy resin. The dispersion quality was evaluated using electrical measurements of the liquid suspensions. The manufacturing process was adapted to the challenges posed by the modified rheological behaviour of the CNT loaded resin. Nanoparticle filtration was observed; with some of the unmodified systems following so called ‘cake filtration’ behaviour. This resulted in nonlinear flow behaviour that deviated from the ideal response observed in RTM filling in conventional composites. The electrical conductivity of relatively high fibre volume fraction multiscale carbon and glass laminates increased by less than an order of magnitude with the addition of the nanotubes.     

Screen-Printing of Cotton with Natural Pigments: Evaluation of Color and Fastness Properties of the Prints

Eleven natural pigments were selected for the production of environment-friendly cotton prints. Physicochemical properties pH, conductivity, viscosity of the printing pastes were measured in order to evaluate their stability and suitability for printing. Quality control standard tests and color measurements were carried out for all the prints with their fastness properties ranging from poor to very good in some cases.