ICT, open government and civil society

Abstract This paper explores the rise of ICTs as instruments of government reform and the implication of their use from the vantage point of the relations between democratic governance, the aims of Buen Vivir, and the role of civil society. We discuss some of the contradictions inherent in the nature and organisation of ICTs, particularly in connection to such e-government projects as “smart cities” and participatory budgeting, and focus on the centrality of social relationships, political agency and the operations of social capital as elements that determine the success of these initiatives in the promotion of democratic practice. We also examine the relevance of social capital and user control to organisational structure and the ways in which structure relates to social innovation and the access, transfer and diffusion of knowledge as a common good. The paper concludes with a discussion of the significance of ICTs as instruments of civil empowerment and introduces the notion of “generative democracy” as a means of re-imagining and realigning the role and powers of the state and civil society for the social production of goods and services

Re-Placing Research in the Literature Classroom

Putting research at the conceptual center of the literature classroom renews literature students’ place in the university. Students develop independent projects that make original contributions to scholarship, reinvigorate literary study, and make them competitive candidates for research fellowships. The leaders of this workshop will share their experience working on an experimental course that both redrew the relationship between the classroom and the library and offered students a new approach to research and literary study. They will discuss how the collaboration led to innovations in literary pedagogy and facilitated undergraduates’ use of contemporary digital research methods. Drawing on this experience, they will invite participants to imagine other models and offer approaches that are adaptable to various institutional and pedagogical circumstances

All-optical conditional logic with a nonlinear photonic crystal nanocavity

We demonstrate tunable frequency-converted light mediated by a chi-(2) nonlinear photonic crystal nanocavity. The wavelength-scale InP-based cavity supports two closely-spaced localized modes near 1550 nm which are resonantly excited by a 130 fs laser pulse. The cavity is simultaneously irradiated with a non-resonant probe beam, giving rise to rich second-order scattering spectra reflecting nonlinear mixing of the different resonant and non-resonant components. In particular, we highlight the radiation at the sum frequencies of the probe beam and the respective cavity modes. This would be a useful, minimally-invasive monitor of the joint occupancy state of multiple cavities in an integrated optical circuit.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure

Second-Order Nonlinear Mixing of Two Modes in a Planar Photonic Crystal Microcavity

Polarization-resolved second-harmonic spectra are obtained from the resonant modes of a two-dimensional planar photonic crystal microcavity patterned in a free-standing InP slab. The photonic crystal microcavity is comprised of a single missing-hole defect in a hexagonal photonic crystal host formed with elliptically-shaped holes. The cavity supports two orthogonally-polarized resonant modes split by 60 wavenumbers. Sum-frequency data are reported from the nonlinear interaction of the two coherently excited modes, and the polarization dependence is explained in terms of the nonlinear susceptibility tensor of the host InP.Comment: 7 pages, 8 Postscript figures, to be presented at Photonics West Jan. 2

Presenting dynamic information on mobile computers

A problem with mobile computing devices is the output of dynamic information owing to their small screens. This paper describes an experiment to investigate the use of non-speech sounds to present dynamic information without using visual display space. Results showed that non-speech sound could be used in a simple share-dealing scenario to present a “sound graph” of share prices. This allowed participants to reduce the workload they had to invest in share-price monitoring as they could listen to the graph whilst they worked in a share accumulation window

A Systematic Review of Cognitive Function in First-Episode Psychosis, Including a Discussion on Childhood Trauma, Stress, and Inflammation

Objective: To carry out a systematic review of the literature addressing cognitive functions in first-episode psychosis (FEP), divided into domains. Although this is not a full "cognitive-genetics-in-schizophrenia review," we will also include putative ideas of mechanism(s) behind these impairments, focusing on how early stress, and genetic vulnerability may moderate cognitive function in psychosis. Method: Relevant studies were identified via computer literature searches for research published up to and including January 2013, only case-control studies were included for the neurocognitive meta-analysis. Results: Patients with FEP present global cognitive impairment compared to healthy controls. The largest effect size was observed for verbal memory (Cohen's d effect size = 2.10), followed by executive function (effect size = 1.86), and general IQ (effect size = 1.71). However, effect sizes varied between studies. Conclusion: Cognitive impairment across domains, up to severe level based on Cohen's effect size, is present already in FEP studies. However, differences in levels of impairment are observed between studies, as well as within domains, indicating that further consolidation of cognitive impairment over the course of illness may be present. Cognitive abnormalities may be linked to a neurodevelopmental model including increased sensitivity to the negative effect of stress, as well as genetic vulnerability. More research on this field is needed

Biallelic somatic SMARCA4 mutations in small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT).

Small cell carcinoma of the ovary, hypercalcemic type (SCCOHT) is a rare, aggressive tumor that primarily affects young women. SCCOHT has recently been identified as a monogenic disorder caused by germline and/or somatic SMARCA4 mutations. We describe a 15-year-old Caucasian female with a SCCOHT harboring a previously unreported somatic mutation in the SMARCA4 gene (c.1757delA; p.K586.fs) with loss of heterozygosity. No germline mutation was identified. Subsequent immunohistochemical staining confirmed loss of SMARCA4 protein. These molecular findings will aid with SCCOHT diagnosis through immunohistochemical staining for SMARCA4 and in the future may have implications for the management of this disease.This is the accepted manuscript. The final version is available at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pbc.25279/abstract

Antibody mimetics for the detection of small organic compounds using a quartz crystal microbalance

Conventional immunoassays rely on antibodies that provide high affinity, specificity and selectivity against a target analyte. However, the use of antibodies for the detection of small-sized, non-immunogenic targets, such as pharmaceuticals and environmental contaminants presents a number of challenges. Recent advances in protein engineering have led to the emergence of antibody mimetics that offer the high affinity and specificity associated with antibodies but with reduced batch-to- batch variability, high stability and in vitro selection to ensure rapid discovery of binders against a wide range of targets. In this work we explore the potential of Affimers, a recent example of antibody mimetics, as suitable bio-receptors for the detection of small organic target compounds, here methylene blue. Target immobilisation for Affimer characterisation was achieved using long-chained alkanethiol linkers coupled with oligoethyleneglycol (LCAT-OEG). Using quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), we determine the affinity constant, KD , of the methylene blue Affimer to be comparable to that of antibodies. Further, we demonstrate the high selectivity of Affimers for its target in complex matrices, here a limnetic sample. Finally, we demonstrate an Affimer-based competition assay, illustrating the potential of Affimers as bioreceptors in immunoassays for the detection of small-sized, non-immunogenic compounds