189 research outputs found
Interview: Jason Dittmer Interviewed by Steven M. Schnell, Editor, The Geographical Bulletin
No full textJason Dittmer is from Jacksonville, Florida, received his PhD from Florida State University in 2003, and has taught at University College London in the United Kingdom since 2007. He is the author of Popular Culture, Geopolitics, and Identity (Rowman and Littlefield, 2010) and the co-editor of Mapping the End Times: American Evangelical Geopolitics and Apocalyptic Visions (Ashgate, 2010). He is married to the lovely Stephanie and has two cats. They all live in southeast London
Hepatitis C virus infection in injection drug users
No full textInjection drug users (IDUs) represent the core of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic, but little
is known about the natural history and treatment of HCV in IDUs. This thesis characterizes
spontaneous clearance of HCV, investigates HCV re-infection following clearance and evaluates
novel models for improving uptake and treatment responses among IDUs.
To better understand characteristics associated with HCV clearance in IDUs, data from a
community-based cohort study were linked with longitudinal laboratory databases to compare
individuals with HCV clearance to those with HCV persistence to evaluate factors associated
with clearance of HCV infection. Aboriginal ethnicity and female gender were associated with
increased rates of HCV clearance, while HIV co-infection and illicit drug use were associated
with increased HCV persistence.
To further investigate the impact of illicit drug use on HCV persistence, we compared the rate of
re-infection in individuals with HCV clearance to the rate of infection observed in previously
uninfected individuals to evaluate whether previous clearance of HCV infection is protective
against re-infection. Those with viral clearance were about 4 times less likely to become re-infected
than those infected for the first time, suggesting that individuals with HCV clearance
have a lower risk of acquiring HCV than individuals who have never been infected, despite
ongoing exposure to HCV.
Lastly, we sought to evaluate novel models for improving uptake of and response rates to the
treatment of HCV among current and former IDUs. First, we demonstrated that within a
prospective, multidisciplinary, directly observed therapy program for the treatment of HCV
infection of IDUs, overall response rates parallel results from large, randomized controlled trials,
despite ongoing illicit drug use during treatment. Second, we demonstrated a high uptake of and
response to therapy among IDUs infected with HCV attending a weekly support group. Taken
together, these data demonstrate that IDUs can be safely and successfully treated for HCV
infection within a multidisciplinary program integrating HCV, addiction and primary care. Given the considerable burden of HCV infection in IDUs, this data contributes significantly to
the field by providing a greater understanding of the natural history and treatment of HCV in this
setting.Medicine, Faculty ofAnesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department ofGraduat
Gravity: a new play by Greg Belanger
No full textGravity was first performed at Strider Theatre, Colby College in Waterville, Maine. It was directed by the author with the following cast: STEVEN: Harold Withee PAMELA: Sue Larsen JEREMY: Jason Reifler IXXTOR: Amanda Starr MOTHER: Catherine C. Coyne BREIT: Scott W. Cole TONI: Laura Smishkis
Error-Bounded Approximation of Pareto Fronts in Robot Planning Problems
No full textMany problems in robotics seek to simultaneously optimize several competing objectives under constraints. A conventional approach to solving such multi-objective optimization problems is to create a single cost function comprised of the weighted sum of the individual objectives. Solutions to this scalarized optimization problem are Pareto optimal solutions to the original multi-objective problem. However, finding an accurate representation of a Pareto front remains an important challenge. Using uniformly spaced weight vectors is often inefficient and does not provide error bounds. Thus, we address the problem of computing a finite set of weight vectors such that for any other weight vector, there exists an element in the set whose error compared to optimal is minimized. To this end, we prove fundamental properties of the optimal cost as a function of the weight vector, including its continuity and concavity. Using these, we propose an algorithm that greedily adds the weight vector least-represented by the current set, and provide bounds on the error. Finally, we illustrate that the proposed approach significantly outperforms uniformly distributed weights for different robot planning problems with varying numbers of objective functions.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository 'You share, we take care!' - Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Learning & Autonomous Contro
Rich Dad Poor Dad: An Entrepreneurial Approach to the Teaching of Business French
No full textUS higher education has focused on the development of new cadres of employees to the near exclusion of entrepreneurship as a career path. In this article, the authors describe an entrepreneurial approach to the teaching of Business French. The senior author served as the course instructor while the junior author was a student who completed the course. To provide an entry into the world of global entrepreneurship, the senior author selected the French translation of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad. In parallel with the reading of Rich Dad, students completed a series of entrepreneurial course activities. Selected activities are described from the perspectives of both authors. The article ends with students’ feelings about (1) entrepreneurship, (2) future career plans, (3) the theme of the course, and (4) the use of Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Poor Dad
BCM International and Its Role in the Contemporary Wind Band
No full textabstract: Formed in 1999, BCM International, comprised of composers Eric Whitacre, Jonathan Newman, Steven Bryant, and James (Jim) Bonney dedicated itself to publishing repertoire in the wind band medium. This project focuses on the work of these four composers, who, at the beginning of the “digital age,” joined together to create a new entrepreneurial and self-published entity. This paper aims to discuss their contribution to the wind band medium, thereby adding to the genre’s body of research.
Similarly to previous investigations of this sort, the author will: 1) offer a biographical sketch through the lens of each individual composer; 2) discuss the establishment of BCM International; 3) track the individual output for wind band of each of the four composers through performance data found in the College Band Directors National Association’s Report; and 4) discuss the composer reported influence of John Corigliano, their teacher, on their compositional process.Dissertation/ThesisDoctoral Dissertation Music 201
Movement patterns of exhibition swine and associations of influenza A virus infection with swine management practices
No full textPerformance evaluation of Arizona's LTPP SPS-6 project : strategic study of rehabilitation techniques
No full textabstract: As part of the Long Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) Program, the Arizona Department of Transportation constructed 19 Specific Pavement Studies 6 (SPS‐6) test sections on Interstate 40 near Flagstaff. The SPS‐6 project studied the effect of specific rehabilitation treatments on jointed portland cement concrete pavement (JPCP) performance. The test sections had various JPCP surface preparations, including crack and seat, minimum and maximum restoration, rubblization, asphalt concrete (AC) with fabric, and asphalt rubber with conventional AC. Opened to traffic in 1991, the project was monitored at regular intervals until 2002. Surface distress, profile, and deflection data collected throughout the life of the pavement were used to evaluate the performance of various flexible pavement design features, layer configurations, and thickness. This report documents the analyses conducted as well as practical findings and lessons learned that will be of interest to ADOT.Performing organization: Nichols Consulting Engineers, The University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.Includes bibliographical references (p. 133-134)
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