MicroRNAs as Potential Biomarkers in the Differential Diagnosis of Lipomatous Tumors and Their Mimics

Adipocytic tumors are the most common subtype of soft tissue tumors. In current clinical practice, distinguishing benign lipomas from well-differentiated liposarcomas (WDLPS), as well as dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLPS) from their morphologic mimics, remains a significant diagnostic challenge. This is especially so when examining small biopsy samples and without the aid of additional ancillary tests. Recognizing the important role that microRNAs (miRNAs) play in tumorigenesis and their potential utility in tumor classification, we analyzed routine clinical tissue samples of benign and malignant lipomatous tumors, as well as other sarcoma mimics, to identify distinguishing miRNA-based signatures that can aid in the differential diagnosis of these entities. We discovered a 6-miRNA signature that separated lipomas from WDLPS with high confidence (AUC of 0.963), as well as a separate 6-miRNA signature that distinguished DDLPS from their more aggressive histologic mimics (AUC of 0.740). Functional enrichment analysis unveiled possible mechanistic involvement of these predictive miRNAs in adipocytic cancer-related biological processes and pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK signaling, further supporting the relevance of these miRNAs as biomarkers for adipocytic tumors. Our results demonstrate that miRNA expression profiling may potentially be used as an adjunctive tool for the diagnosis of benign and malignant adipocytic tumors. Further validation studies are warranted.     

Nutritional Calcium Supply Dependent Calcium Balance,Bone Calcification and Calcium Isotope Ratios in Rats

Serum calcium isotopes (δ^44/42Ca) have been suggested as a non-invasive and sensitive Ca balance marker. Quantitative δ^44/42Ca changes associated with Ca flux across body compartment barriers relative to the dietary Ca and the correlation of δ^44/42Ca_Serum with bone histology are unknown. We analyzed Ca and δ^44/42Ca by mass-spectrometry in rats after two weeks of standard-Ca-diet (0.5%) and after four subsequent weeks of standard- and of low-Ca-diet (0.25%). In animals on a low-Ca-diet net Ca gain was 61 ± 3% and femur Ca content 68 ± 41% of standard-Ca-diet, bone mineralized area per section area was 68 ± 15% compared to standard-Ca-diet. δ^44/42Ca was similar in the diets, and decreased in feces and urine and increased in serum in animals on low-Ca-diet. δ^44/42Ca_Bone was higher in animals on low-Ca-diet, lower in the diaphysis than the metaphysis and epiphysis, and unaffected by gender. Independent of diet, δ^44/42Ca_Bone was similar in the femora and ribs. At the time of sacrifice, δ^44/42Ca_Serum inversely correlated with intestinal Ca uptake and histological bone mineralization markers, but not with Ca content and bone mineral density by µCT. In conclusion, δ^44/42Ca_Bone was bone site specific, but mechanical stress and gender independent. Low-Ca-diet induced marked changes in feces, serum and urine δ^44/42Ca in growing rats. δ^44/42Ca_Serum inversely correlated with markers of bone mineralization.     

Simulation of Dynamic Earthquake Ruptures in Complex Geometries Using High-Order Finite Difference Methods

We develop a stable and high-order accurate finite difference method for problems in earthquake rupture dynamics in complex geometries with multiple faults. The bulk material is an isotropic elastic solid cut by pre-existing fault interfaces that accommodate relative motion of the material on the two sides. The fields across the interfaces are related through friction laws which depend on the sliding velocity, tractions acting on the interface, and state variables which evolve according to ordinary differential equations involving local fields. The method is based on summation-by-parts finite difference operators with irregular geometries handled through coordinate transforms and multi-block meshes. Boundary conditions as well as block interface conditions (whether frictional or otherwise) are enforced weakly through the simultaneous approximation term method, resulting in a provably stable discretization. The theoretical accuracy and stability results are confirmed with the method of manufactured solutions. The practical benefits of the new methodology are illustrated in a simulation of a subduction zone megathrust earthquake, a challenging application problem involving complex free-surface topography, nonplanar faults, and varying material properties.     

Examining the relationships among e-government maturity,corruption, economic prosperity and environmental degradation: A cross-country analysis

There is growing interest in the role and contribution of e-government to the levels of corruption, economic prosperity and environmental degradation of nation states. In this paper, we use publicly available archival data to explore the relationships among them. Results substantiate a significant relationship between (1) e-government maturity and corruption; and (2) e-government maturity, economic prosperity and environmental degradation through the mediating effects of corruption. The findings suggest that while e-government maturity did not contribute to economic prosperity and environmental degradation, its value could be realized indirectly via its impacts on corruption. Our findings contribute to the theoretical discourse on e-government impact by identifying the role of e-government in a country and provide indications to practice on enhancing its economic prosperity and lowering its environmental degradation by managing the levels of e-government maturity and corruption.     

Virtual Interpersonal Touch: Expressing and Recognizing Emotions Through Haptic Devices

ABSTRACT

This article examines the phenomenon of Virtual Interpersonal Touch (VIT), people touching one another via force-feedback haptic devices. As collaborative virtual environments become utilized more effectively, it is only natural that interactants will have the ability to touch one another. In the work presented here, we used relatively basic devices to begin to explore the expression of emotion through VIT. In Experiment 1, participants utilized a 2 DOF force-feedback joystick to express seven emotions. We examined various dimensions of the forces generated and subjective ratings of the difficulty of expressing those emotions. In Experiment 2, a separate group of participants attempted to recognize the recordings of emotions generated in Experiment 1. In Experiment 3, pairs of participants attempted to communicate the seven emotions using physical handshakes. Results indicated that humans were above chance when recognizing emotions via VIT but not as accurate as people expressing emotions through nonmediated handshakes. We discuss a theoretical framework for understanding emotions expressed through touch as well as the implications of the current findings for the utilization of VIT in human-computer interaction.     

Providing Dynamic Visual Information for Collaborative Tasks: Experiments With Automatic Camera Control

One possibility presented by novel communication technologies is the ability for remotely located experts to provide guidance to others who are performing difficult technical tasks in the real world, such as medical procedures or engine repair. In these scenarios, video views and other visual information seem likely to be useful in the ongoing negotiation of shared understanding, or common ground, but actual results with experimental systems have been mixed. One difficulty in designing these systems is achieving a balance between close-up shots that allow for discussion of detail and wide shots that allow for orientation or establishing a mutual point of focus in a larger space. Achieving this balance can be difficult without disorienting or overloading task participants. In this article we present results from two experiments involving three automated camera control systems for remote repair tasks. Results show that a system providing both detailed and overview information was superior to systems providing only one or the other in terms of performance but that some participants preferred the detail-only system.     

Simulation of hole-mobility in doped relaxed and strained Ge

As silicon CMOS begins to reach the limits of its performance, alternative channel materials are being considered. Thus there is renewed interest in employing Germanium for p-MOSFETs, due to the significant improvement in hole mobility as compared to silicon for undoped materials. Of considerable interest from a device point of view is the transport in doped layers. We investigate hole transport at high carrier-densities in doped Germanium layers using a bulk 6-band k·p Monte Carlo simulator, and show that both dynamic and multi-ion screening play a significant role in describing the resulting transport.     

Strength Recovery in a High-Strength Steel During Multiple Weld Thermal Simulations

BlastAlloy 160 (BA160) is a low-carbon martensitic steel strengthened by copper and M₂C precipitates. Heat-affected zone (HAZ) microstructure evaluation of BA160 exhibited softening in samples subjected to the coarse-grained HAZ thermal simulations of this steel. This softening is partially attributed to dissolution of copper precipitates and metal carbides. After subjecting these coarse-grained HAZs to a second weld thermal cycle below the A _c1 temperature (at which austenite begins to form on heating), recovery of strength was observed. Atom-probe tomography and microhardness analyses correlated this strength recovery to re-precipitation of copper precipitates and metal carbides. A continuum model is proposed to rationalize strengthening and softening in the HAZ regions of BlastAlloy 160.     

Locking‐free discontinuous finite elements for the upper bound yield design of thick plates

This work investigates the formulation of finite elements dedicated to the upper bound kinematic approach of yield design or limit analysis of Reissner–Mindlin thick plates in shear‐bending interaction. The main novelty of this paper is to take full advantage of the fundamental difference between limit analysis and elasticity problems as regards the class of admissible virtual velocity fields. In particular, it has been demonstrated for 2D plane stress, plane strain or 3D limit analysis problems that the use of discontinuous velocity fields presents a lot of advantages when seeking for accurate upper bound estimates. For this reason, discontinuous interpolations of the transverse velocity and the rotation fields for Reissner–Mindlin plates are proposed. The subsequent discrete minimization problem is formulated as a second‐order cone programming problem and is solved using the industrial software package MOSEK . A comprehensive study of the shear‐locking phenomenon is also conducted, and it is shown that discontinuous elements avoid such a phenomenon quite naturally whereas continuous elements cannot without any specific treatment. This particular aspect is confirmed through numerical examples on classical benchmark problems and the so‐obtained upper bound estimates are confronted to recently developed lower bound equilibrium finite elements for thick plates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.