Can existing payment networks meet future needs? a conference summary

Payment systems

Synthesis of a Molecular Charm Bracelet via Click Cyclization and Olefin Metathesis Clipping

We describe the synthesis of a polycatenated cyclic polymer, a structure that resembles a molecular charm bracelet. Ruthenium-catalyzed ring-opening metathesis polymerization of an aminocontaining cyclic olefin monomer in the presence of a chain transfer agent generated an α,ω-diazide functionalized polyamine. Cyclization of the resulting linear polyamine using pseudo-high-dilution coppercatalyzed click cyclization produced a cyclic polymer in 19% yield. The click reaction was then further employed to remove linear contaminants from the cyclic polymer using azide- and alkyne-functionalized scavenging resins, and the purified cyclic polymer product was characterized by gel permeation chromatography, ^1H NMR spectroscopy, and IR spectroscopy. Polymer hydrogenation and conversion to the corresponding polyammonium species enabled coordination and interlocking of diolefin polyether fragments around the cyclic polymer backbone using ruthenium-catalyzed ring-closing olefin metathesis to afford a molecular charm bracelet structure. This charm bracelet complex was characterized by ^1H NMR spectroscopy, and the catenated nature of the small rings was confirmed using two-dimensional diffusion-ordered NMR spectroscopy

The Rendezvous Monitoring Display Capabilities of the Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Program

The Rendezvous and Proximity Operations Program (RPOP) is a laptop computer- based relative navigation tool and piloting aid that was developed during the Space Shuttle program. RPOP displays a graphical representation of the relative motion between the target and chaser vehicles in a rendezvous, proximity operations and capture scenario. After being used in over 60 Shuttle rendezvous missions, some of the RPOP display concepts have become recognized as a minimum standard for cockpit displays for monitoring the rendezvous task. To support International Space Station (ISS) based crews in monitoring incoming visiting vehicles, RPOP has been modified to allow crews to compare the Cygnus visiting vehicle s onboard navigated state to processed range measurements from an ISS-based, crew-operated Hand Held Lidar sensor. This paper will discuss the display concepts of RPOP that have proven useful in performing and monitoring rendezvous and proximity operations

The Rise of Art Therapy as a Robust Treatment for Mental Health Issues

Art therapy is a method of treatment used within a broad spectrum of patients. There are many forms of art therapy: it can be done through music, drama, painting or drawing, and dance-movement. These methods of therapy can be used for mentally disabled patients, PTSD victims, persons facing a phobia, non-vocal patients, and patients with psychosis. On top of all these situations, art therapy is also utilized in traditional therapy with neurotypical patients. The common goal of art therapy varies on the patient. In some cases, the common goal is a lift of trauma or even full recovery, in other cases, it is better communication or relief of pain. Art therapy has allowed many to surpass these mental illnesses while in other situations it has allowed many to live with these mental illnesses in a controlled and healthy way. Art therapy has been an underappreciated form in relation to all that it offers patients. Art allows patients to transcend into an alternate reality within their therapy and escape through a creative outlet. These creative outlets appear in different ways for different patients, differing from music and dance therapy to drama or visual arts therapy

Immigrants as cultural revitalization? A study of the American quality magazines

The turn of the 20th century in the United States was a time of new phenomena of department stores, urban living, monopolies, and millionaires. It was also the period in which the popular magazine flourished. The technology required for mass production of magazines had become a reality, the per issue cost of most publications had fallen to a reasonable level, the government had lowered postal rates, and readers had recognized the medium as uniquely suited to the discussion of intellectual matters. Magazine subscribers treasured each issue and kept them for extended periods. They were read and re-read, possibly even stored as reference material. Not all magazines were considered equal. One particular set of publications, referred to by Theodore Peterson as quality magazines, prided themselves on maintaining the highest level of intellectual scholarship and a heightened sensitivity for issues that were important to their select middle-and upper-class readership. The inflated price of these magazines hovered closer to 35 cents than the 10 cent cost of the more plebian magazines, such as McClure\u27s, and resulted in a slightly wealthier, and hence more educated, readership. Four magazines made up the heart of the quality magazine collection and these were Harper\u27s Weekly, Century Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, and Scribner\u27s Magazine

Understanding uncertainty in temperature effects on vector-borne disease: A Bayesian approach

Extrinsic environmental factors influence the distribution and population dynamics of many organisms, including insects that are of concern for human health and agriculture. This is particularly true for vector-borne infectious diseases, like malaria, which is a major source of morbidity and mortality in humans. Understanding the mechanistic links between environment and population processes for these diseases is key to predicting the consequences of climate change on transmission and for developing effective interventions. An important measure of the intensity of disease transmission is the reproductive number $R_0$. However, understanding the mechanisms linking $R_0$ and temperature, an environmental factor driving disease risk, can be challenging because the data available for parameterization are often poor. To address this we show how a Bayesian approach can help identify critical uncertainties in components of $R_0$ and how this uncertainty is propagated into the estimate of $R_0$. Most notably, we find that different parameters dominate the uncertainty at different temperature regimes: bite rate from 15-25$^\circ$ C; fecundity across all temperatures, but especially $\sim$25-32$^\circ$ C; mortality from 20-30$^\circ$ C; parasite development rate at $\sim$15-16$^\circ$C and again at $\sim$33-35$^\circ$C. Focusing empirical studies on these parameters and corresponding temperature ranges would be the most efficient way to improve estimates of $R_0$. While we focus on malaria, our methods apply to improving process-based models more generally, including epidemiological, physiological niche, and species distribution models.Comment: 27 pages, including 1 table and 3 figure