1,656 research outputs found
Evaluating Research Impact through Open Access to Scholarly Communication
No full textScientific research is a competitive business – in order to secure funding, promotion and tenure researchers must demonstrate their work has impact in their field. To maximise impact researchers undertake high priority research, aim to get results first, and publish in the highest impact journals. The Internet now presents a new opportunity to the scholarly author seeking higher impact: s/he can now make their work instantly accessible on the Web through author self-archiving. This growing body of open access literature (coupled with new publishing models that make journals available for-free to the reader) maximises research impact by maximising the number of people who can read it, and making it available sooner. Open access also provides a new opportunity for bibliometric research. This thesis describes the relatively recent phenomenon of open access to research literature, tools that were built to collect and analyse that literature, and the results of analyses of the effect of open access and its effect on author behaviour. It shows that articles self-archived by authors receive between 50-250% more citations, that rapid pre-printing on the Web has dramatically reduced the peak citation rate from over a year to virtually instant and how citation-impact – now widely used for evaluation – can be expanded to include a new web metric of download impact
DNA fusion gene vaccination mobilizes effective anti-leukemic cytotoxic T lymphocytes from a tolerized repertoire
No full textThe majority of known human tumor-associated antigens derive from non-mutated self proteins. T cell tolerance, essential to prevent autoimmunity, must therefore be cautiously circumvented to generate cytotoxic T cell responses against these targets. Our strategy uses DNA fusion vaccines to activate high levels of peptide-specific CTL. Key foreign sequences from tetanus toxin activate tolerance-breaking CD4+ T cell help. Candidate MHC class Ibinding tumor peptide sequences are fused to the C terminus for optimal processing and presentation. To model performance against a leukemia-associated antigen in a tolerized setting, we constructed a fusion vaccine encoding an immunodominant CTL epitopederived from Friend murine leukemia virus gag protein (FMuLVgag) and vaccinated tolerant FMuLVgag-transgenic (gag-Tg) mice. Vaccination with the construct induced epitopespecificIFN-c-producing CD8+ T cells in normal and gag-Tg mice. The frequency and avidity of activated cells were reduced in gag-Tg mice, and no autoimmune injury resulted. However, these CD8+ T cells did exhibit gag-specific cytotoxicity in vitro and in vivo. Also, epitope-specific CTL killed FBL-3 leukemia cells expressing endogenous FMuLVgag antigen and protected against leukemia challenge in vivo. These results demonstrate a simple strategy to engage anti-microbial T cell help to activate epitope-specific polyclonal CD8+ T cell responses from a residual tolerized repertoire
Increasing Distributed Generation Penetration using Soft Normally-Open Points
No full textThis paper considers the effects of various voltage control solutions on facilitating an increase in allowable levels of distributed generation installation before voltage violations occur. In particular, the voltage control solution that is focused on is the implementation of `soft' normally-open points (SNOPs), a term which refers to power electronic devices installed in place of a normally-open point in a medium-voltage distribution network which allows for control of real and reactive power flows between each end point of its installation sites. While other benefits of SNOP installation are discussed, the intent of this paper is to determine whether SNOPs are a viable alternative to other voltage control strategies for this particular application. As such, the SNOPs ability to affect the voltage profile along feeders within a distribution system is focused on with other voltage control options used for comparative purposes. Results from studies on multiple network models with varying topologies are presented and a case study which considers economic benefits of increasing feasible DG penetration is also given
AN ANALYSIS OF VOCAL STEREOTYPY AND THERAPIST FADING
No full textA functional analysis for a boy with Down syndrome and autism suggested that vocal stereotypy was maintained by automatic reinforcement. The analysis also showed that instructions and noncontingent attention suppressed vocal stereotypy. A treatment package consisting of noncontingent attention, contingent demands, and response cost effectively reduced vocal stereotypy. The treatment package remained effective even when noncontingent attention was removed, making the procedure easier to implement. Also, the presence of the therapist in the room with the participant was faded systematically. After completion of fading, vocal stereotypy remained low during conditions similar to the no‐consequence phase of the functional analysis.Peer reviewedFinal article publishedAutismDown syndromeResponse costTreatment fadingVocal stereotyp
Decentering the Dancing Text: From Dance Intertext to Hypertext
No full textThis paper explains and draws together two projects from different disciplines: dance studies and hypertext writing. Each project sets out to examine the processes and practices of hypertextuality, and to develop new ways of writing using electronic technology and the Internet. The dance studies project seeks to link the critical theory of intertextuality (as a means of dance interpretation) with the theoretical and practical concerns of hypertextuality. It hopes to show a convergence of the two into a working system for analysing dance in a network of people, institutions and information. The Associative Writing Framework (AWF) project seeks to explore how writers could best be supported in representing and exploring hypertextuality in a Web environment, and in producing new hypertexts which integrate or 'glue together' existing Web resources (ideas, concepts, data, descriptions, experiences, claims, theories, suggestions, reports, etc). Following the combining of the two projects we report on some initial evaluation of the AWF system by dance experts, and discuss where the relationship might lead and potential future outcomes of the collaboration
Dark ecology and queer, amphibious vampires
No full textThis paper argues that early vampire narratives can be reread as queer ecological fictions, darkly re-imagining the human as a liminal, amphibious entity. I highlight the importance of the amphibian—a slippery, ambiguous creature—to contemporary eco-deconstructive accounts that seek to disrupt and queer species categorizations, focusing in particular on Timothy Morton’s notion of “dark ecology” (2007). Early vampire literature, I argue, similarly deconstructs the distinction between different species through its erotic depictions of enmeshed ecologies. Analyzing the new blood-relations established in Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1897) and the figure of the queer female vampire described as “amphibious” in Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla (1872), I suggest that vampire narratives depict dark new ecologies, establishing an “in-betweeness” shared by the living and the undead. The final part of this paper considers the importance of loss to current theorizations of queer ecology: Catriona Mortimer-Sandilands (2010) has recently advocated a state of suspended mourning for what has been destroyed by anthropocentric and homophobic violence. I posit the haunting figure of the vampire as one example of literature’s “non-normalizing relationship to the past” (Mortimer-Sandilands)—a relation of return that might form an important part of queer, ecological resistance to current practices of unmarked destruction
Selected Topics In Nonparametric Testing And Variable Selection For High Dimensional Data
No full textPart I: The Gaussian white noise model has been used as a general framework for nonparametric problems. The asymptotic equivalence of this model to density estimation and nonparametric regression has been established by Nussbaum (1996), Brown and Low (1996). In Chapter 1, we consider testing for presence of a signal in Gaussian white noise with intensity n[-]1/2 , when the alternatives are given by smoothness ellipsoids with an L2 -ball of radius [rho] removed. It is known that, for a fixed Sobolev type ellipsoid [SIGMA]([beta], M ) of smoothness [beta] and size M , the radius rate [rho] n[-]4[beta]/(4[beta]+1) is the critical separation rate, in the sense that the minimax error of second kind over [alpha]-tests stays asymptotically between 0 and 1 strictly (Ingster, 1982). In addition, Ermakov (1990) found the sharp asymptotics of the minimax error of second kind at the separation rate. For adaptation over both [beta] and M in that context, it is known that a log log-penalty over the separation rate for [rho] is necessary for a nonzero asymptotic power. Here, following an example in nonparametric estimation related to the Pinsker constant, we investigate the adaptation problem over the ellipsoid size M only, for fixed smoothness degree [beta]. It is established that the Ermakov type sharp asymptotics can be preserved in that adaptive setting, if [rho] [RIGHTWARDS ARROW] 0 slower than the separation rate. The penalty for adapation in that setting turns out to be a sequence tending to infinity arbitrarily slowly. In Chapter 2, motivated by the sharp asymptotics of nonparametric estimation for non-Gaussian regression (Golubev and Nussbaum, 1990), we extend Ermakov's sharp asymptotics for the minimax testing errors to the nonparametric regression model with nonnormal errors. The paper entitled "Sharp Asymptotics for Risk Bounds in Nonparametric Testing with Uncertainty in Error Distributions" is in preparation. This part is joint work with Michael Nussbaum. Part II: Consider a linear model Y = X [beta] + z, z ~ N (0, In ). Here, X = Xn, p , where both p and n are large but p > n. We model the rows of X as iid samples from N (0, 1 Ω), where Ω is a p x p correlation matrix, which is unknown to us but is n presumably sparse. The vector [beta] is also unknown but has relatively few nonzero coordinates, and we are interested in identifying these nonzeros. We propose the Univariate Penalization Screeing (UPS) for variable selection. This is a Screen and Clean method where we screen with Univariate thresholding, and clean with Penalized MLE. It has two important properties: Sure Screening and Separable After Screening. These properties enable us to reduce the original regression problem to many small-size regression problems that can be fitted separately. The UPS is effective both in theory and in computation. We measure the performance of a procedure by the Hamming distance, and use an asymptotic framework where p [RIGHTWARDS ARROW] [INFINITY] and other quantities (e.g., n, sparsity level and strength of signals) are linked to p by fixed parameters. We find that in many cases, the UPS achieves the optimal rate of convergence. Al- so, for many different Ω, there is a common three-phase diagram in the twodimensional phase space quantifying the signal sparsity and signal strength. In the first phase, it is possible to recover all signals. In the second phase, it is possible to recover most of the signals, but not all of them. In the third phase, successful variable selection is impossible. UPS partitions the phase space in the same way that the optimal procedures do, and recovers most of the signals as long as successful variable selection is possible. The lasso and the subset selection are well-known approaches to variable selection. However, somewhat surprisingly, there are regions in the phase space where neither of them is rate optimal, even in very simple settings such as Ω is tridiagonal, and when the tuning parameter is ideally set. This part is joint work with Jiashun Jin, and has appeared in Annals of Statistics
Foreign direct investment in Africa : policies also matter
No full textAfrica has not succeeded in attracting much foreign direct investment in the past few decades. When countries did attract multinational companies, it was principally because of their (abundant) natural resources and the size of their domestic market. Angola, Cote d'Ivoire, Nigeria, and South Africa have traditionally been the main recipients of foreign direct investment in Sub-Saharan Africa. But the author shows that a few Sub-Saharan countries have generated interest among international investors by improving their business environment. In the 1990s, Mali, Mozambique, Namibia, and Senegal attracted substantial foreign direct investment--more so than countries with bigger domestic markets (Cameroon, Republic of Congo, and Kenya) and greater natural resources (Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe). Mali and Mozambique, which improved their business climate spectacularly in the 1990s, did so with a few strategic actions: liberalizing trade, launching an attractive privatization program, modernizing mining and investment codes, adopting international agreements on foreign direct investment, developing a few priority projects that had multiplier effects on other investment projects, and mounting an image-building effort in which political figures such as the nation's president participated. These actions are similar to those associated with the success of other small countries with limited natural resources, such as Ireland and Singapore about 20 years ago.Environmental Economics&Policies,Economic Theory&Research,Governance Indicators,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Foreign Direct Investment
Anthocephalum meadowsi Ruhnke, Caira & Cox, 2015, n. sp.
No full textAnthocephalum meadowsi n. sp. (Figs. 1 E, 6 A–B, 7 A–E) Type host. Himantura leoparda Manjaji-Matsumoto & Last. Type locality. Arafura Sea east of Wessel Islands (11 ° 17 ' 44 "S, 136 ° 59 ' 48 "E), Northern Territory, Australia (NT– 32 and NT– 117). Site of infection. Spiral intestine. Type material. Holotype (QM G 234607); 2 paratypes (QM G 234608, G 234609); 3 paratypes (USNM 1251818–1251820), 3 paratypes (LRP 8540–8542); hologenophore (LRP 8514). Etymology. The species is named for John Meadows, husband of junior author Allison Cox. Description. Based on 13 whole mounts and 2 scoleces prepared for SEM. Worms slightly craspedote, euapolytic, 7.9–16.8 mm long, with 30–40 proglottids; maximum width 320–840 at scolex. Scolex with 4 bothridia and short cephalic peduncle. Bothridia stalked, slightly folded, with 98–134 marginal loculi and round apical sucker; apical sucker 45–50 in diameter. Proximal surfaces of bothridial rims covered with acicular filitriches; proximal surfaces of marginal loculi adjacent to rims densely covered with small scolopate spinitriches and acicular filitriches (Figures 7 B, C), area away from bothridial rim with acicular filitriches only; proximal nonlocular surfaces of bothridia covered with acicular filitriches (Figure 7 D). Distal bothridial surfaces and distal surfaces of apical suckers covered with small gladiate spinitriches and acicular filitriches (Figure 7 E). Immature proglottids initially wider than long, becoming longer than wide with maturity; length:width ratio at mid-strobila 1.3–3: 1. Terminal proglottid 580–1,880 long by 120–240 wide, length:width ratio 2.8–12.7: 1. Testes 15–25 in number; slightly oblong, 10–40 long by 13–40 wide, arranged in 2 irregular columns anterior to cirrussac. Cirrus-sac posteriorly recurved, 152–252 long by 80–100 wide, containing coiled cirrus; cirrus armed with spinitriches. Vas deferens dorsal, coiled anterior to cirrus-sac, expanded and descending to ovarian bridge. Genital pores lateral, slightly muscular, 42–53 % of proglottid length from posterior end, irregularly alternating. Ovary near posterior end of proglottid, H-shaped in frontal view 220–650 long by 60–90 wide. Vagina sinuous, extends from Mehlis’ gland anteriorly, then ventral and lateral to cirrus-sac, opening into genital atrium. Ovicapt at posterior margin of ovarian bridge, ventral, 20–40 in diameter. Uterus median, ventral, extending from ovarian bridge to anterior margin of proglottid; uterine duct inconspicuous. Vitellarium follicular; follicles 13–25 long by 18–43 wide, in 2 lateral bands; each band consisting of 2–3 dorsal and 2–3 ventral columns of follicles, extending from near anterior to near posterior margin of proglottid; interrupted by ovary, not interrupted by cirrus-sac. Excretory ducts lateral, consisting of 1 dorsal and 1 ventral pair. Remarks. Of the 13 species of Anthocephalum described to date, Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp. differs from all species except A. duszynskii in that its columns of vitelline follicles are not interrupted by the cirrus-sac. Anthocephalum meadowsi n. sp. conspicuously differs from A. duszynskii in its possession of fewer proglottids (30–40 vs. 120–160) and fewer testes (15–25 vs. 35–71). It is also a much smaller (7.9–16.8 mm vs. 18–31 mm long) and more slender (320–840 vs. 1,300–1,825) worm.Published as part of Ruhnke, Timothy R., Caira, Janine N. & Cox, Allison, 2015, The cestode order Rhinebothriidea no longer family-less: A molecular phylogenetic investigation with erection of two new families and description of eight new species of Anthocephalum, pp. 51-81 in Zootaxa 3904 (1) on pages 66-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3904.1.3, http://zenodo.org/record/28763
MR Imaging Features May Help Predict Gene Expression in Retinoblastoma, with Possible Therapeutic Implications
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