171,799 research outputs found
Learning theories and interprofessional education: a user's guide
No full textThere is increasing interest in the theoretical underpinning of interprofessional education (IPE) and writers in this field are drawing on a wide range of disciplines for theories that have utility in IPE. While this has undoubtedly enriched the research literature, for the educational practitioner, whose aim is to develop and deliver an IPE curriculum that has sound theoretical underpinnings, this plethora of theories has become a confusing, and un-navigable quagmire. This article aims to provide a compass for those educational practitioners by presenting a framework that summarizes key learning theories used in IPE and the relationship between them. The study reviews key contemporary learning theories from the wider field of education used in IPE and the explicit applications of these theories in the IPE literature to either curriculum design or programme evaluation. Through presenting a broad overview and summary framework, the study clarifies the way in which learning theories can aid IPE curriculum development and evaluation. It also highlights areas where future theoretical development in the IPE field is required
Towards Automated Analysis of Connectomes: The Configurable Pipeline for the Analysis of Connectomes
No full text<p>Craddock C, et al. Towards Automated Analysis of Connectomes: The Configurable Pipeline for the Analysis of Connectomes. OHBM, 2013</p
moral-dilemma: Release 1.0.1
No full textThis is a <a href="http://www.psychopy.org/">PsychoPy</a> implementation of the Moral Dilemma task described in <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/105/28/9781.long#sec-13">Harrison et al. 2008</a> and in particular in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/suppl/2008/07/18/0711791105.DCSupplemental/0711791105SI.pdf#nameddest=STXT">Supporting Information Materials and Methods</a> and <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/suppl/2008/07/18/0711791105.DCSupplemental/Appendix_PDF.pdf">Supporting Information Appendix</a>.
See the <a href="https://github.com/OpenCogLabRepository/moral-dilemma">repository README</a> for more information
Craddock and Mynors-Wallis's assault on thinking
No full textComments on an article by Nick Craddock et al. (see record 2014-05072-003). In their recent editorial Craddock and Mynors-Wallis frame this diagnostic debate in terms of 'benefits and limitations'; possible 'disadvantages' are acknowledged but mention of potential harms is conspicuously absent. Craddock and Mynors-Wallis seem to want to be reasonable; identifying themselves, with other psychiatrists, as 'reflective and tolerant of strongly opposing views and ideologies'. First, however, they resort to an unsubstantiated moral and emotive appeal to their position: ‘This can be to our patients' disadvantage if we allow these views [i.e. critical of standard diagnostic practices] to be unopposed by suggesting that our patients are somehow less deserving of a psychiatric diagnosis than a physical diagnosis'. Then, just in case we are still equivocating, using the College's Good Psychiatric Practice to bring us into line (as if this too was some ahistorical and acultural document), they pronounce: 'This [use of standardized diagnosis] is not an issue of personal choice for a practitioner. It is a professional responsibility to the patient'. Their penultimate reference betrays their own ideological foray. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/the-british-journal-of-psychiatry/article/craddock-and-mynorswalliss-assault-on-thinking/9044A2CD6252283BCDFDB45D37CC88F
Identification of NO-sensing protein domains that regulate bacterial pathogenesis and biofilm formation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
No full textMost species of bacteria preferentially grow in sessile communities, known as biofilms, rather than as free-living planktonic cells. Biofilms can be up to 1000 times more tolerant to antimicrobials compared to their planktonic counterparts, making them a growing problem within the medical and industrial settings. Biofilms formed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa are involved in chronic infections, such as those affecting the lungs of Cystic Fibrosis patients. High or low intracellular levels of a bacterial secondary messenger, bis-(3’-5’)-cyclic dimeric guanosine monophosphate (c-di-GMP), regulates biofilm formation and dispersal respectively. The synthesis of c-di-GMP is carried out by diguanylate cyclases (DGC) due to catalytic domains known as GGDEF domains. Whereas c-di-GMP degradation is carried out by phosphodiesterases (PDE) due to catalytic domains known as EAL domains. Low (non-toxic) concentrations of nitric oxide are known to induce a biofilm dispersal through a reduction in the c-di-GMP levels and an increase in the PDE activity. However the nitric oxide sensor and the protein responsible for the reduction in c-di-GMP levels is unknown. Previously found to be involved in an NO-induced biofilm dispersal, the bi-functional enzyme RbdA (regulation of biofilm disposal) contains a GGDEF and an EAL domain in tandem. Using an enzymatic assay measuring PDE activity, we investigate the relationship between the tandem GGDEF and EAL domains. We find that the isolated EAL domain of RbdA has a higher PDE activity, suggesting that the tandem GGDEF domain negatively influences the activity of the EAL domain. We attempt to further investigate this at the molecular level using X-ray crystallography and structure determination. The structure of the EAL domain of RbdA wasdetermined and appears to be in a primed state for substrate binding, with a single Mg2+ ion bound within the active site. After comparisons to other EAL domain structures, we suggest a schematic for substrate binding to EAL domains. We investigate an RbdA homologue, PA2072, as previous biological data indicates opposing physiological roles. By comparing the primary and secondary structures of RbdA and PA2072 we suggest that their physiological differences are caused by disparities between their periplasmic regions and / or their putative sensory PAS domains. Protein crystallisation of the PA2072 periplasmic region (a putative CHASE4 domain) and the PA2072 PAS domain were attempted but require further optimisation. The first and second PAS domain of PA0285 were predicted to bind a haem-b and FAD (flavin adenine dinucleotide) cofactor respectively. We hypothesise that NO can be sensed by a haem-bound PAS domain. Using ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy we could only identify a very weak haem-b cofactor binding to the PAS1 domain of PA0285 and so requires further investigation. However, we identified a PA0285 PAS2 : FAD binding stoichiometry of approximately 2 : 1. Here we put forward models suggesting that, NO-induced changes to the redox potential are sensed by the FAD bound PAS2 domain, leading to changes in the enzymatic output of PA0285 and potentially biofilm dispersal. Restoring the sensitivity of bacterial cells to antimicrobials by inducing a biofilm dispersal, is thought to be a novel treatment strategy. This work lays some of the foundations required to understand the molecular mechanisms that lead to a biofilm dispersal in P. aeruginosa
Letter re: Will Rogers' death
No full textLetter from Frank L. Craddock to Amon Carter regarding the death of Will Rogers.8-17th '35 Mr. Amon G. Carter Ft Worth, Tex My Dear Mr. Carter: May I not have the privaledge of expressing to you my profound sorrow and heart-sympathy in the Death of your friend, Will Rogers - truly the friend of millions. My own sorrow in his death (?) me in this expression; for this reason to believe no one else in all of Texas is today more sorrowful than one you, and that, perhaps, no one not related to him, anywhere, ever did more to please and comfort our restless and big hearted Will. Yours truly, F. L. Craddock. A.B. Please do not consider the usual reply necessary, nor wished - I simply am desirous that you know I have thought of your sorrow, as have many others F. L. C
The treatment of geometrically small structures in FDTD by the modification of assigned material parameters
No full textA number of different improvements to the analysis by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) of small structures, such as wires, strips and slots have been proposed in the literature. One of these methods takes account of the fringing fields associated with metal edges and wires by empirically modifying the assigned material parameters in neighboring cells. In this contribution it is shown that, in many cases, it is possible to derive these modified assigned material parameters (MAMPs) analytically. In this form, the approach provides an alternative, and novel, way of incorporating Static Field Solutions into the FDTD method which has advantages of simplicity and robustness over existing techniques. Results are presented for a number of structures including wire transmission lines and a microstrip patch antenna.A number of different improvements to the analysis by finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) of small structures, such as wires, strips and slots have been proposed in the literature. One of these methods takes account of the fringing fields associated with metal edges and wires by empirically modifying the assigned material parameters in neighboring cells. In this contribution it is shown that, in many cases, it is possible to derive these modified assigned material parameters (MAMPs) analytically. In this form, the approach provides an alternative, and novel, way of incorporating Static Field Solutions into the FDTD method which has advantages of simplicity and robustness over existing techniques. Results are presented for a number of structures including wire transmission lines and a microstrip patch antenna
Addendum: Montagnier, L.; Aïssa, J.; Capolupo, A.; Craddock, T.J.A.; Kurian, P.; Lavallee, C.; Polcari, A.; Romano, P.; Tedeschi, A.; Vitiello, G. Water Bridging Dynamics of Polymerase Chain Reaction in the Gauge Theory Paradigm of Quantum Fields. Water 2017, 9, 339
No full textThe authors wish to make the following addendum to their paper [1]:
After the publication of our paper, submitted on 11 February 2017, we read the paper “DNA’s
Chiral Spine of Hydration”, by M. Luke McDermott, Heather Vanselous, Steven A. Corcelli, and Poul B.
Petersen, published in ACS Central Science, doi:10.1021/acscentsci.7b00100, on 24 May 2017 [2], where
the authors report their discovery of a chiral water superstructure surrounding DNA under ambient
conditions. This is the first observation of a chiral spine of hydration templated by a biomolecule and
has been obtained by use of chiral sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, a method analogous
to circular dichroism measurements. In this specific case, water forms a robust chiral superstructure of
the DNA helical structure. The authors report that, at room temperature and in 100 mM NaCl solution,
they “indeed observe that DNA imprints its chirality on the surrounding water molecules, generating
a chiral SFG water response. This confirms the existence of a DNA minor groove spine of hydration at
room temperature and further shows that the chiral structure of biomolecules can be imprinted on the
surrounding solvation structure”. The biological relevance of the discovery is evident.
Here we observe that such a discovery is fully consistent with the predictions presented in our
paper, namely that polymerase chain reaction (PCR) processes rest on the mediating influence of such
hydration structures, templated by the DNA and Taq polymerase biomolecules. In fact, our conclusion
is that, without organized water structures, no PCR processes can occur and no amplification of
DNA can be obtained. The observation reported in [2] of the robustness of the DNA’s chiral spine
of hydration, and the fact that “a change in the hydration state can lead to dramatic changes to the
DNA structure” [2] also confirm that such a water superstructure actually constitutes a detailed mold
or “electromagnetic image”, as we have called it in our paper, of the DNA (and, additionally, other
biomolecules) generating molecular electric dipole interactions. This electromagnetic image imprinted
in the water dipole field is what the polymerase enzyme recognizes in the DNA’s water environment.
These studies open the way toward novel biomolecular “imaging” technologies and new research
disciplines, which have been incited by L. Montagnier’s PCR experiments. The analysis in our paper,
as well as in previous ones along similar research lines, is fully grounded in the quantum field theory
description of the phenomenon and finds experimental support in this latest discovery of the existence
of DNA’s chiral spine of hydration
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