246 research outputs found
N-version Design vs. One Good Version
No full textEvidence indicates that n-version development techniques are more reliable than producing one "good" version-and cost effective in the long run. The author concludes that diverse, independent channels used in parallel are significantly superior to even the current state of the art, especially in situations where cost of failure is high
Palaeoecological, archaeological and historical data and the making of Devon landscapes. I. The Blackdown Hills
No full textThis paper presents the first systematic study of the vegetation history of a range of low hills in SW England, UK,lying between more researched fenlands and uplands. After the palaeoecological sites were located bespoke archaeological, historical and documentary studies of the surrounding landscape were undertaken specifically to inform palynological interpretation at each site. The region has a distinctive archaeology with late Mesolithic tool scatters, some evidence of early Neolithic agriculture, many Bronze Age funerary monuments and Romano- British iron-working. Historical studies have suggested that the present landscape pattern is largely early Medieval. However, the pollen evidence suggests a significantly different Holocene vegetation history in comparison with other areas in lowland England, with evidence of incomplete forest clearance in later-Prehistory (Bronze?Iron Age). Woodland persistence on steep, but poorly drained, slopes, was probably due to the unsuitability of these areas for mixed farming. Instead they may have been under woodland management (e.g. coppicing) associated with the iron-working industry. Data from two of the sites also suggest that later Iron Age and Romano-British impact may have been geographically restricted. The documented Medieval land management that maintained the patchwork of small fields, woods and heathlands had its origins in later Prehistory, but there is also evidence of landscape change in the 6th–9th centuries AD. We conclude that the Blackdown Hills area was one of many ‘distinctive subregions’, which due to a combination of edaphic, topographic and cultural factors could qualify as an eco-cultural region or ‘pays’. It is argued that the use of such eco-culturally distinctive regions or pays can provide a spatial and archaeological framework for palaeoecology, which has implications for landscape research, designation and heritage management
Rearmament to the rescue? New estimates of the impact of ‘Keynesian’ policies in 1930s’ Britain
No full textWe report estimates of the fiscal multiplier for interwar Britain based on quarterly data, time-series econometrics, and ‘defense news’. We find that the government expenditure multiplier was in the range 0.3 to 0.8, much lower than previous estimates. The scope for a
Keynesian solution to recession was less than is generally supposed. We find that rearmament gave a smaller boost to real GDP than previously claimed. Rearmament may,
however, have had a larger impact than a temporary public works program of similar magnitude if private investment anticipated the need to add capacity to cope with future defense spending
Cooperative nanoparticles for tumor detection and photothermally triggered drug delivery
No full textAuthor Manuscript: 2011 March 15.A cooperative nanosystem consisting of two distinct nanomaterials works in vivo to detect tumor tissues and deliver drugs to the site. Gold nanorods (GNRs) localize to the tumor region, where they report their location and convert near-infrared radiation to thermal energy. Circulating thermally labile therapeutic liposomes respond to the thermal signal, releasing their drug payload selectively in the GNR-populated tumor.National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (U54 CA 119335 UCSD CCNE)National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant 5-R01-CA124427)National Cancer Institute (U.S.) (Grant U54 CA119349 MIT CCNE)Moores Cancer CenterNanoTUMOR Cente
Brain responses to mechanical rectal stimuli in patients with faecal incontinence: an fMRI study
No full textAIM: Continence is dependent on anorectal/brain interactions. Consequently, aberrations of the brain-gut axis may be important in the pathophysiology of faecal incontinence (FI) in certain patients. The aim of this study was to assess the feasibility of recording brain responses to rectal mechanical stimuli in patients with FI using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). METHOD: A prospective, cohort pilot study was performed to assess brain responses during rectal stimulation in 14 patients (4 male, mean [SD] age 62 [15] years). Blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) signals were measured by fMRI during rest and mechanical distension, involving random repetitions of isobaric phasic rectal distensions at fixed (15 & 45 mmHg) and variable (10% above sensory perception threshold) pressures. RESULTS: Increases in BOLD signals in response to high-pressure rectal distension (45mmHg) and maximum toleration were observed in the cingulate gyrus, thalamus, insular cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, cerebellum, caudate nucleus, supramarginal gyrus, putamen and amygdala. Additionally, activation of the supplementary motor cortex and caudate nucleus with inconsistent activity in the frontal lobe was observed. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated the feasibility of recording brain responses to rectal mechanical stimulation using fMRI in patients with FI, revealing activity in widespread areas of the brain involved in visceral sensory processing. The observed activity in the supplementary motor cortex and caudate nucleus, with relative paucity of activity in the frontal lobes, warrants investigation in future studies to determine whether aberrations in cerebral processing of rectal stimuli play a role in the pathogenesis of FI. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Naseem Mirbagheri, Sean Hatton, Kheng-Seong Ng, Jim Lagopoulos, Marc A Gladma
Dynamic support by the Icelandic plume and vertical tectonics of the northeast Atlantic continental margins
No full textLate Paleocene-early Eocene continental rifting in the northeast Atlantic differs significantly from earlier episodes of margin formation in the Central Atlantic. At a nonvolcanic margin, rifting occurs over a wide area, with little associated magmatism. Postrift subsidence decreases in a predictable, exponential pattern with time. In contrast, subsidence analysis of the Voring Plateau, Hatton Bank, and East Greenland Margin show that in these areas the continent-ocean transition (COT) is very sharp. Anomalous slow subsidence in the early postrift period at 63°N offshore East Greenalnd is attributed to support by the Icelandic plume. Dynamic support is weaker on the Hatton Bank and on the Voring Plateau. Variations in the strength and duration of the support suggest that the plume was a large, 1000-km-radius structure that lay under the Greenland craton at the time of breakup. -from Author
The impacts of short break provision on disabled children and families: an international literature review
No full textFor over 30 years, short breaks have been part of the landscape of support provision for families with a disabled child. Historically, the term ‘respite care’ has been used in much of the research literature concerning short breaks for families with a disabled child. However, ‘short breaks’ has become the preferred term, partly due to the negative connotations of family carers requiring ‘respite’ from their children, and partly because short breaks now encompass a much wider range of supports than out-of-home placement in specialist residential facilities (Cramer and Carlin, 2008). As such, the term ‘short breaks’ will be used throughout this review, with the exception of direct quotes from research studies where the term ‘respite’ is used by study participants or study authors
The prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder in a sample of people living with intellectual disability that have been raped or sexually assaulted
No full textIncludes bibliographical references (leaves 52-57).The phenomena of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in people living with intellectual disability that had been raped or sexually assaulted have not previously been researched in the South African context. The aim of the research is to investigate the prevalence of PTSD diagnosis as well as the intensity and frequency of PTSD symptoms in a sample of people living with intellectual disability of whom rape and sexual assault is known and not known. In addition, the study aims to identify differences in the prevalence rates of a PTSD diagnosis as well as the frequency of PTSD symptoms when the self-report of symptoms are compared to caregiver report of symptoms. The study compares 27 participants living with intellectual disability that were raped or sexually assaulted with 27 participants with no reported history of rape or sexual assault. Pat1icipants were recruited from Cape Mental Health Society in Cape Town. PTSD symptoms were reported on the Child PTSD Checklist. Caregivers of the participants in the experimental group were also interviewed for their report of PTSD symptoms that they might have observed in the participant. The DSM-IV-TR criteria for PTSD were used to elicit this information from the caregivers. Rape and sexual assault was associated with higher rates of PTSD diagnosis and higher levels of PTSD symptoms in the experimental group. No significant differences were observed in the prevalence of a PTSD diagnosis when the symptoms were either self-reported or caregiver reported, although some differences were found between the self-report and caregiver report on the different criteria of PTSD. The study provides tentative evidence that rape or sexual assault is significantly associated with a higher rate of PTSD diagnosis and increased frequency of PTSD symptoms in people living with intellectual disability. Although differences presented in the rate of PTSD diagnosis when the source of the report was the participant versus the caregiver, these differences were not significant. However, significant differences presented in the criteria of re-experiencing and arousal when the self-report of PTSD symptoms were compared to the caregiver report of PTSD symptoms. The heightened incidents of a PTSD diagnosis as well as increased PTSD symptoms with participants who were raped or sexually assaulted should be a source of concern to those agencies in the South African context that are tasked with the protection and safety of people who live with intellectual disability
- …
