13,510 research outputs found
Remarks by World Bank Group President David Malpass to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors at the 2022 Spring Meetings
No full textThese remarks were delivered by World
Bank Group President David Malpass to G20 Finance Ministers
and Central Bank Governors at the 2022 Spring Meetings on
April 20, 2022. He spoke about the following: (i) Global
Economy and Risk; (ii) Global Health Issues; and (iii)
International Financial Architecture
The agential fork : the hidden consequences of agency for plenitude in David Lewis' thesis of genuine modal realism
No full textIn this dissertation, I argue that David Lewis' abductive argument for Genuine Modal Realism (GMR) has the unwelcome, and hidden, implication of being unable to
accommodate agent causation theories of free will. This is because of his formulation of plenitude, which basically says that every way that a world or a part of a world could be is the way that some world, or part of some world is. This formulation tacitly assumes
that chance and nomological principles are sufficient to account for everything that happens at worlds. However, agent causation theories argue that free will is neither reducible to chance nor determined by physics. My argument recasts a fork argument made by Andrew Beedle. I proceed by arguing that chance-based principles evince an ontologically distinct kind of modality than agent causation principles. However,
plenitude only accounts for the physics/chance-based kind of modality. There is no similar principle of plenitude that can be given for agential modality that does not
collapse into the chance-based principle. But even if such a principle could be found, it would violate the doctrine in GMR that claims worlds are causally isolated. If no agential plenitude principle can be found and there is agential modality, then plenitude fails. If there is no agency at our world, and Lewis’ original formulation of plenitude is correct, then GMR implies no agency at any
world. This is the fork: If there is agency and GMR holds, then either plenitude fails, or isolation fails. But if there is no agency, and GMR holds, then there is no agency at any possible world. The latter prong is too strong a claim for an abductive argument like GMR. The
former proves that GMR cannot accommodate agent-causation theories. GMR loses its neutrality either way, to its detriment
Design and synthesis of a biotinylated chemical probe for detecting the molecular targets of an inhibitor of the production of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa virulence factor pyocyanin
No full textPseudomonas aeruginosa is a human pathogen associated with a variety of life-threatening nosocomial infections. This organism produces a range of virulence factors which actively cause damage to host tissues. One such virulence factor is pyocyanin, known to play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa infections. Previous studies had identified a novel compound capable of strongly inhibiting the production of pyocyanin. It was postulated that this inhibition results from modulation of an intercellular communication system termed quorum sensing, via direct binding of the compound with the LasR protein receptor. This raised the possibility that the compound could be an antagonist of quorum sensing in P. aeruginosa, which could have important implications as this intercellular signaling mechanism is known to regulate many additional facets of P. aeruginosa pathogenicity. However, there was no direct evidence for the binding of the active compound to LasR (or any other targets). Herein we describe the design and synthesis of a biotin-tagged version of the active compound. This could potentially be used as an affinity-based chemical probe to ascertain, in a direct fashion, the active compound’s macromolecular biological targets, and thus better delineate the mechanism by which it reduces the level of pyocyanin production
Naval Postgraduate School Graduation Ceremony, Spring 2011, with Keynote Speaker David R. Oliver, Chief Operating Officer of EADS North America [video]
No full textNaval Postgraduate School Graduation Ceremony, Spring 2011, with Keynote Speaker David R. Oliver, Chief Operating Officer of EADS North Americ
The Pseudomonas Quinolone Signal (PQS)
No full textPseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistichuman pathogen that routinely appears near the top ofpublic health threat lists worldwide. P. aeruginosa causes in-fections by secreting a wealth of exceptionally active exo-products, leading to tissue damage. The synthesis of manyof these virulence factors is now known to be under the con-trol of the quorum sensing (QS) system. Over the last15 years, the Pseudomonas quinolone signal (PQS) has beenfound to play a crucial role in QS by linking the two seg-ments (las and rhl) of the P. aeruginosa N-acylhomoserinelactone-dependent QS signaling pathways. Herein, we pres-ent the discovery and elucidation of PQS signaling froma historical perspective, and also outline some of the out-standing research questions that still need to be addressed.Finally, we show how a better understanding of the bio-chemistry underpinning this pathway is leading to the devel-opment of new antimicrobial interventions with clear thera-peutic potential
Cult: A Composite Novel
Get PDFCult (redacted)
The first component of the thesis is a composite novel called Cult which falls into two parts with seven narratives in each. Part 1 tracks the protagonist, Ellen, from her first involvement with the cult through to her eventually leaving it. Although fiction, the first half of the book answers the kinds of questions the author is asked when people discover that she was once a sannyasin (a follower of the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh). While the experiences of meditation, group therapy and communal living are all faithfully rendered within the stories, the need for strong characters, narrative drive and a lightness of touch takes precedence.
Part 2 picks up Ellen’s story some twenty or so years later and explores what becomes of her in middle age. It also looks at other groups in society, such as academia, the law and the internet dating community which each have their own jargon, hierarchies, rituals and rules but are not considered to be cults.
The book examines the question raised in the Epigraph, ‘how do we be together when we feel so alone’ with a focus on relationships other than the familial and the romantic.
Collisions, Chasms and Connections: a Performative Exploration of the Composite Novel Form
The second part of the thesis is both a critical and creative response to three contemporary American books: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout; A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan; and Legend of a Suicide by David Vann. The critical element comprises a close reading of the three books; a chronological reconstruction of their overarching storylines; and a consideration of what their authors have said about writing the books. It concludes that, in the composite novel, the simultaneous presentation of multiple views and storylines operate much like a 3D image to give the impression of depth to the characters and situations rendered. The creative element of the essay is a playful and personal response to the texts
Determination of the spring constants of the higher flexural modes of microcantilever sensors
Get PDFFunding: University of St Andrews.A method for the simultaneous calibration of the spring constants of all flexural modes of microcantilevers is presented. It is based on a flow of gas from a microchannel that interacts with the microcantilever. The gas flow causes a measurable shift in the resonance frequencies of thermal noise spectra of the flexural modes. From the magnitude of the frequency shifts of the individual modes the spring constants can be determined with high accuracy and precision. The method is non-invasive and does not risk damage to the cantilever. Experimental data is presented for several V-shaped and rectangular cantilevers with nominal fundamental spring constants in the range of 0.03-1.75 N/m. The spring constants of the fundamental modes compare favorably to those obtained using the Sader method. The higher modes of oscillation are readily calibrated with experimental uncertainties of 5-10%.Peer reviewe
Economic Effects of Lifting the Spring Load Restriction Policy in Minnesota
Get PDFSpring load restrictions (SLR) regulate the weight per axle carried by heavy trucks during the spring thaw period. This policy aims to reduce pavement damage caused by heavy vehicles and extend the useful life of roads, but it also imposes costs on the trucking industry due to detouring or increased number of truckloads. Although the policies have been implemented for many years, their resulting economic effect has been unclear. The Minnesota Local Road Research Board (LRRB) and the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) sponsored a cost/benefit study of spring load restrictions in Minnesota. The study, based on the results of surveys of industry costs, a pavement performance model, and a freight demand model, concludes that the benefits of lifting the existing SLR policy outweigh the additional costs. Roadways operating at 5-tons require additional study; however, current analysis warrants repealing SLR and keeping roadways operating year-round at 9-tons. The cost of additional damage should be recovered from those who benefit from the change in policy.
Veteran Industry Executive, Retired Rear Adm. David Oliver, Jr, Keynotes Spring Graduation Ceremonies
No full textFaculty Showcase Archive ArticleRetired Rear Adm. David R. Oliver, Jr., delivered a message of inspiration and change with his keynote address during the Spring Quarter 2011 graduation ceremonies, June 17, in King Auditorium.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited
Calibration of the torsional and lateral spring constants of cantilever sensors
No full textFinancial support from the EPSRC (EP/K000411/1) and the University of St. Andrews under an Impact Acceleration Account (EP/K503940/1) are gratefully acknowledged.A method suitable for the calibration of the spring constants of all torsional and lateral eigenmodes of micro- and nanocantilever sensors is described. Such sensors enable nanomechanical measurements and the characterization of nanomaterials, for example with atomic force microscopy. The method presented involves the interaction of a flow of fluid from a microchannel with the cantilever beam. Forces imparted by the flow cause the cantilever to bend and induce a measurable change of the torsional and lateral resonance frequencies. From the frequency shifts the cantilever spring constants can be determined. The method does not involve physical contact between the cantilever or its tip and a hard surface. As such it is non-invasive and does not risk damage to the cantilever. Experimental data is presented for two rectangular microcantilevers with fundamental flexural spring constants of 0.046 and 0.154 N/m. The experimentally determined torsional stiffness values are compared with those obtained by the Sader method. We demonstrate that the torsional spring constants can be readily calibrated using the method with an accuracy of around 15%.Peer reviewe
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