Commensal observing with the Allen Telescope array: software command and control

The Allen Telescope Array (ATA) is a Large-Number-Small-Diameter radio telescope array currently with 42 individual antennas and 5 independent back-end science systems (2 imaging FX correlators and 3 time domain beam formers) located at the Hat Creek Radio Observatory (HCRO). The goal of the ATA is to run multiple back-ends simultaneously, supporting multiple science projects commensally. The primary software control systems are based on a combination of Java, JRuby and Ruby on Rails. The primary control API is simplified to provide easy integration with new back-end systems while the lower layers of the software stack are handled by a master observing system. Scheduling observations for the ATA is based on finding a union between the science needs of multiple projects and automatically determining an efficient path to operating the various sub-components to meet those needs. When completed, the ATA is expected to be a world-class radio telescope, combining dedicated SETI projects with numerous radio astronomy science projects.Comment: SPIE Conference Proceedings, Software and Cyberinfrastructure for Astronomy, Nicole M. Radziwill; Alan Bridger, Editors, 77400Z, Vol 774

Medium-Term Review: 2005-2012, No. 10 December 2005

After a decade of generally high growth and low unemployment there is a growing aura of invincibility about the Irish economy. Even the short slowdown of 2001-03 did not lead to an appreciable rise in unemployment. Today investment in housing is running at an unprecedented rate fuelling growth elsewhere in the economy. The unemployment rate is close to the full-employment level, the lowest in the EU, and Ireland is seen to be the most attractive labour market in Europe for many of its young mobile population. Introductio

Homelessness, Alcohol, and Other Drug Abuse: Research Traditions and Policy Responses

Although homeless alcoholics and other drug abusers more often elicit public scorn than sympathy, ironically they enjoy a celebrity status as research subjects. This article provides an overview of research literature on the homeless and their alcohol and drug problems. The evolution of public policies concerning control, rehabilitation, and treatment of homeless substance abusers is also traced with special attention to the interaction between scientific literature and policy responses over the past century. Although homeless populations today are more diverse than their counterparts in earlier decades, the analysis suggests that the policies and programs developed in response to the crisis of homelessness and substance abuse in the 1980s and 1990s reflect themes that are also evident in early literature

Oral tolerance to cancer can be abrogated by T regulatory cell inhibition

Oral administration of tumour cells induces an immune hypo-responsiveness known as oral tolerance. We have previously shown that oral tolerance to a cancer is tumour antigen specific, non-cross-reactive and confers a tumour growth advantage. We investigated the utilisation of regulatory T cell (Treg) depletion on oral tolerance to a cancer and its ability to control tumour growth. Balb/C mice were gavage fed homogenised tumour tissue – JBS fibrosarcoma (to induce oral tolerance to a cancer), or PBS as control. Growth of subcutaneous JBS tumours were measured; splenic tissue excised and flow cytometry used to quantify and compare systemic Tregs and T effector (Teff) cell populations. Prior to and/or following tumour feeding, mice were intraperitoneally administered anti-CD25, to inactivate systemic Tregs, or given isotype antibody as a control. Mice which were orally tolerised prior to subcutaneous tumour induction, displayed significantly higher systemic Treg levels (14% vs 6%) and faster tumour growth rates than controls (p<0.05). Complete regression of tumours were only seen after Treg inactivation and occurred in all groups - this was not inhibited by tumour feeding. The cure rates for Treg inactivation were 60% during tolerisation, 75% during tumour growth and 100% during inactivation for both tolerisation and tumour growth. Depletion of Tregs gave rise to an increased number of Teff cells. Treg depletion post-tolerisation and post-tumour induction led to the complete regression of all tumours on tumour bearing mice. Oral administration of tumour tissue, confers a tumour growth advantage and is accompanied by an increase in systemic Treg levels. The administration of anti-CD25 Ab decreased Treg numbers and caused an increase in Teffs. Most notably Treg cell inhibition overcame established oral tolerance with consequent tumor regression, especially relevant to foregut cancers where oral tolerance is likely to be induced by the shedding of tumour tissue into the gut

Potential Struggle Between the Legislative and Judicial Branches of Canada: A Contestational Approach to Interpreting the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Through Bedford & PHS Community Services

This project examines how two recent controversial Canadian Supreme Court decisions, Bedford and PHS Community Services, combined with their legislative responses, demonstrate competing interpretations of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms between the legislative and judicial branches of the state. Using Bonnie Honig’s account of agonism, this paper creates a contestation-centred approach that emphasizes disagreement between these branches to illustrate how, despite what the judicial dialogue literature insists, a final interpretation of the Charter is not possible. The remainder of this project demonstrates how the legislature’s responses to these cases could have been more democratic by emphasizing the contestation taking place between it and the judiciary over the interpretation of the Charter. Specifically, it argues that the contestation in these instances could have been made more accessible by the legislature justifying its decision to resist the judiciary’s interpretations of the Charter, or, in exceptional circumstances, invoking the notwithstanding clause

International Coercion, Emulation and Policy Diffusion: Market-Oriented Infrastructure Reforms, 1977-1999

Why do some countries adopt market-oriented reforms such as deregulation, privatization and liberalization of competition in their infrastructure industries while others do not? Why did the pace of adoption accelerate in the 1990s? Building on neo-institutional theory in sociology, we argue that the domestic adoption of market-oriented reforms is strongly influenced by international pressures of coercion and emulation. We find robust support for these arguments with an event-history analysis of the determinants of reform in the telecommunications and electricity sectors of as many as 205 countries and territories between 1977 and 1999. Our results also suggest that the coercive effect of multilateral lending from the IMF, the World Bank or Regional Development Banks is increasing over time, a finding that is consistent with anecdotal evidence that multilateral organizations have broadened the scope of the “conditionality” terms specifying market-oriented reforms imposed on borrowing countries. We discuss the possibility that, by pressuring countries into policy reform, cross-national coercion and emulation may not produce ideal outcomes.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40099/3/wp713.pd

Influence of Sport Specialization on Athletic Performance and Injury Risk in Collegiate Swimmers

To assess the effect of swimming specialization on performance and injury risk in collegiate swimmers, thirty collegiate swimmers (20.1 ± 0.9 years [18.5 – 22.3 years]) were asked to complete an anonymous survey to provide information regarding their sports participation history, success in swimming, and the occurrence and quantity of swimming-related injuries. Specialization status was determined by the swimmer claiming they had specialized and by the number of months (≥ 8 months) they participated in swimming each year. Correlation analysis revealed several significant (p \u3c 0.05) relationships between all determinants of specialization, swimming success, and swimming injuries. Stepwise regression analysis revealed that the age which an athlete specialized was the best predictor of the occurrence of a swimming- related injury (R2 = 0.34, p = 0.004) and the number of injuries sustained (R2 = 0.25, p = 0.019). Years of competitive swimming experience was the best predictor (p \u3c 0.008) of performance in the freestyle stroke at 50-yards (R2 = 0.47), 100-yards (R2 = 0.53), and 500-yards (R2 = 0.43), the back stroke at 200-yards (R2 = 0.41), and the 100-yard butterfly (R2 = 0.55). The age in which the athlete specialized in swimming was the best predictor of the 200-yard individual medley (R2 = 0.30, p = 0.037). Our data suggests that swimming specialization may be beneficial for success in select swimming events but is not as important as years of competitive experience and may also lead to a greater number of swimming-related injuries

Orthostatic Tremor is Responsive to Bilateral Thalamic Deep Brain Stimulation: Report of Two Cases Performed Asleep

Background: Orthostatic tremor (OT) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder characterized by rapid tremor in the lower extremities or trunk upon standing. Case Report: We report two patients presenting with OT, whose symptoms improved markedly following asleep bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. Discussion: Medically refractory OT can respond favorably to asleep bilateral DBS surgery similar to awake surgery, and may have the advantages of less psychological trauma to the patient, shorter procedure times, and less exposure to anesthesia