278 research outputs found
Cloud-assisted rendering support for mobile online gaming
No full textThe objective of this project is to provide adjustable display resolution and mouse pointer input for the client-side application of the cross platform cloud gaming system. The aims of the adjustable visual and input display support allow the client application to be uses on mobile devices such as tablet or smartphone. The client application uses noVNC, a Virtual Networking Computing client application which is written in HTML5 and JavaScript, as the thin client to provide input to the server, while the server provide a live streaming of the gameplay back to the client browser. When the client application is use on mobile devices, the game display is not adjusted to fit the devices display properly. By shrinking the visual display size of the video, the gameplay can be display properly on the device monitor. However, the mouse pointer input does not match correspond to the display. Therefore, by modifying the VNC (Virtual Networking Computing) protocol, the mouse pointer input can match according to the adjusted display size. At the same time, the client does not require a larger video display size streaming from the server. Therefore, with the corresponding client display size information, modification is made on the server side to adjust the video size during the encoding of the gameplay video. During this project, an issue arise that has been affect the system is the client connectivity. Due to the server start up is non-deterministic; the client sometime would be unable to connect to the server. Some redesign of process for connecting client to server is implemented to make the system more robust.Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Science
Japan's delayed antinuclear power mobilization after 3.11
No full textThesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Political Science, 2013.This electronic version was submitted by the student author. The certified thesis is available in the Institute Archives and Special Collections."September 2013." Cataloged from student-submitted PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (pages 99-112).The meltdown of Fukushima Daiichi's nuclear plant was one of three disasters that rocked Japan on 11 March 2011, a day often referred to as "3.11." This nuclear accident led to increased attention to and disapproval of nuclear power among the Japanese public. However, despite widespread antinuclear sentiment, the public did not mobilize into sustained mass protests until June 2012. Using historical and contemporary comparisons, this thesis shows that Japan's 15- month delay in antinuclear mobilization was unusual. Both the 1979 Three Mile Island and the 1986 Chernobyl accidents had been quickly followed by mobilized protests. Moreover, the 3.11 Fukushima meltdown prompted mass protests in Germany almost immediately. Given these patterns, one would expect to have seen the Japanese mobilize earlier. The question that drives this thesis is: What led to Japan's 15-month delay in antinuclear power mobilization? Using social movement theory, I test to see whether low levels of grievance, limited availability of resources, or the lack of effective mobilizing structure and strategy help to explain this delay. Of the three explanations, I find the mobilization structure and strategy explanation to be best supported. Due to a history of overlooking antinuclear power issues in Japanese civil society, the early post-3.11 movement lacked longstanding true believers and activists, the two types of participants most effective at mobilizing. Furthermore, the use of social media platforms to organize the early protests may have contributed to why sustained protests were delayed. The empirical findings from this thesis allow us to examine more closely the devastation resulting from 3.11's nuclear meltdown and assess the strengths and weaknesses in Japanese civil society after the disaster. On a theoretical level, these findings may encourage us to question the relevance of grievance to mobilization, refine how resource availability is measured, and ask if the growing use of social media and other online tools should change the way we study social movement mobilization.by Lin Ern Charis Teo.S.M
alpha 2-chimaerin, a Cdc42/Rac1 regulator, is selectively expressed in the rat embryonic nervous system and is involved in neuritogenesis in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells
No full textNeuronal differentiation involves Rac and Cdc42 GTPases. alpha -Chimaerin, a Rac/Cdc42 regulator, occurs as alpha 1- and alternatively spliced Src homology 2 (SH2) domain-containing alpha 2-isoforms. alpha 2-chimaerin mRNA was highly expressed in the rat embryonic nervous system, especially in early postmitotic neurons. alpha 1-chimaerin mRNA was undetectable before embryonic day 16.5. Adult alpha 2-chimaerin mRNA was restricted to neurons within specific brain regions, with highest expression in the entorhinal cortex. alpha 2-chimaerin protein localized to neuronal perikarya, dendrites, and axons. The overall pattern of alpha 2-chimaerin mRNA expression resembles that of cyclin-dependent kinase regulator p35 (CDK5/p35) which participates in neuronal differentiation and with which chimaerin interacts. To determine whether alpha 2-chimaerin may have a role in neuronal differentiation and the relevance of the SH2 domain, the morphological effects of both chimaerin isoforms were investigated in N1E-115 neuroblastoma cells. When plated on poly-lysine, transient alpha 2-chimaerin but not alpha 1-chimaerin transfectants formed neurites. Permanent alpha 2-chimaerin transfectants generated neurites whether or not they were stimulated by serum starvation, and many cells were enlarged. Permanent alpha 1-chimaerin transfectants displayed numerous microspikes and contained F-actin clusters, a Cdc42-phenotype, but generated few neurites. In neuroblastoma cells, alpha 2-chimaerin was predominantly soluble with some being membrane-associated, whereas alpha 1-chimaerin was absent from the cytosol, being membrane- and cytoskeleton-associated, paralleling their subcellular distribution in brain. Transient transfection with alpha 2-chimaerin mutated in the SH2 domain (N94H) generated an alpha 1-chimaerin-like phenotype, protein partitioned in the particulate fraction, and in NGF-stimulated pheochromocytoma cell line 12 (PC12) cells, neurite formation was inhibited. These results indicate a role for alpha 2-chimaerin in morphological differentiation for which its SH2 domain is vital
The evolution of citizenship education in nation-building in Singapore and Hong Kong
No full textCitizenship Education is a highly political agenda for politicians and governments, especially those of the emerging nations studied in transitology. Political circumstances that surround the birth of ล nation are inextricably tied up with the unique economic, social and even globalisation contexts that shape the formation of that particular nation. Citizenship education mirrors the political climate of such circumstances. A ruling government's policies and ideologies are often transmitted to the masses through education in the form of citizenship education in its evolving forms that take after the political orientations of the nation. A historical-comparative study of Singapore and Hong Kong is the focus of the thesis and a combined case in point. This historical-comparative approach presents a chronological and qualitative analysis of Singapore and Hong Kong that links the past to the present, and points to future direction on how citizenship education has transformed in its focus, dimensions, content, message and values. Theories of nationalism, nation-state and national identity provide a basis for the understanding of the political, economic and social factors that impact nation- building and the subsequent evolvement of Civic and Moral Education in Singapore and Hong Kong after independence. In an analysis of the content-domain of citizenship education, Singapore’s curriculum is shown to reflect the ruling party's ideologies infused through National Education, where the Singapore story is sacrosanct and has to be mastered by all students so that the continual survival instinct is preserved at ill times. Hong Kong covers more breadth with a curriculum that includes the history of China that can be taught critically and a Chinese cultural heritage element that is infused into all the Key Learning subjects. The Life Event Approach is also more practical and relevant to the students' appreciation of the more individual-growth values learnt. Singapore is identified as an Objective/Globalised nation-state with a parallel Objective/Globalised National Identity that has a predominantly strong political leadership and economic priority in its nation-building foundation. It recognizes the need to rise up to the global challenges ahead. Hong Kong has a combination of Objective/Subjective/Globalised region-state with a parallel Objective/Subjective/Globalised National Identity with China due to its cultural heritage component inherited from China and also the need to meet global challenges. The thesis demonstrates how education can be used as a channel to serve the ideologies of the politicians who have a direct stake in shaping the focus of the political content in citizenship education in building national identity. It also illustrates how the respective political circumstances, economic reasons, social contexts and globalisation challenges drive the evolvement of the citizenship education in both Singapore and Hong Kong
A decade of change and improvement? An industry view of construction industry development in Singapore under construction 21
No full textSir John Egan\u92s report on UK construction industry in 1998, Rethinking Construction, inspired a similar review in Singapore in 1999. The Construction 21 (C21) report has served as the blueprint for developing Singapore\u92s construction industry. A series of interviews was carried out in late 2009 to investigate the implementation of the C21 report during the tenyear period. The aim was to ascertain the achievements and challenges, and the consequent changes in practices and procedures in the industry. A representative cross section of samples was taken to include policy makers, clients, consultants, professional bodies, and trade associations. The general perception was that considerable progress had been attained in the development of construction industry, although the achievements had not as much as had been intended in the C21 report. Although a range of progressive practices highlighted in C21 have been adopted in the industry, some of the initiatives in the recommendations in the report are still in progress and some have been launched but have not been pervasively used in the industry. Although Singapore has made much progress in developing its construction industry, the extent to which the industry reforms have fulfilled their original intentions is not completely clear. The impact of the initiatives on the way companies and practitioners work is also not clear. Hence, there is a need to revisit priorities and review the progress so far and map out general strategies for the future
Determinant Of The Behavioral Intention Of Flazz BCA Prepaid Shopping Card In Surabaya
No full textRecently, the people intention to use information technology to fulfill their needs has increased. One of the new information technology’s products is a Flazz BCA prepaid shopping card. This study aims to examine the factors that significantly affect behavioral intention of prepaid shopping card’s consumer in Surabaya. The study is to analyze the effect of perceived of usefulness, perceived ease of use, perceived credibility on behavioral intention. This study uses a quantitative approach using Structural Equation Model (SEM) through the program AMOS 16. The samples were 100 respondents with non probability sampling technique. The sampling method was purposive sampling. The results showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and perceived credibility have significant and positive influences on behavioral intention of Flazz BCA prepaid shopping card’s consumer in Surabaya. There is also a significant and positive influence of perceived ease of use on perceived usefulness and perceived credibility.
Keywords : Behavioral Intention, Perceived of Usefulness, Perceived Ease of Use, Perceived Credibility, Prepaid Shopping Car
Tedizolid Activity Against Clinical Mycobacterium abscessus Complex Isolates—An in vitro Characterization Study
No full textMycobacterium abscessus complex consist of three rapidly growing subspecies: M. abscessus, M. massiliense, and M. bolletii. They are clinically important human pathogens responsible for opportunistic pulmonary and skin and soft tissue infections. Treatment of M. abscessus infections is difficult due to in vitro resistance to most antimicrobial agents. Tedizolid (TZD) is a next-generation oxazolidinone antimicrobial with a wide spectrum of activity even against multidrug resistant Gram-positive bacteria. In this study, the in vitro activity of TZD against the M. abscessus complex (n = 130) was investigated. Susceptibility testing by broth microdilution showed lower TZD minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) when compared to linezolid. The MIC50 and MIC90 was 1 mg/L and 4 mg/L, respectively across all M. abscessus complex members, reflecting no difference in subspecies response to TZD. Pre-exposure of M. abscessus complex to subinhibitory concentrations of TZD did not trigger any inducible drug resistance. Single-drug time kill assays and bactericidal activity assays demonstrated bacteriostatic activity of TZD in all three M. abscessus subspecies, even at high drug concentrations of 4 to 8x MIC. Combination testing of TZD with clarithromycin, doxycycline and amikacin using the checkerboard approach showed no antagonistic interactions. TZD may be an effective therapeutic antimicrobial agent for the treatment of M. abscessus infections
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