6,622 research outputs found
Definition of the 2005 flight deck environment
A detailed description of the functional requirements necessary to complete any normal commercial flight or to handle any plausible abnormal situation is provided. This analysis is enhanced with an examination of possible future developments and constraints in the areas of air traffic organization and flight deck technologies (including new devices and procedures) which may influence the design of 2005 flight decks. This study includes a discussion on the importance of a systematic approach to identifying and solving flight deck information management issues, and a description of how the present work can be utilized as part of this approach. While the intent of this study was to investigate issues surrounding information management in 2005-era supersonic commercial transports, this document may be applicable to any research endeavor related to future flight deck system design in either supersonic or subsonic airplane development
Islands of Effective International Adjudication: Constructing an Intellectual Property Rule of Law in the Andean Community
The Andean Community - a forty-year-old regional integration pact of small developing countries in South America - is widely viewed as a failure. In this Article, we show that the Andean Community has in fact achieved remarkable success within one part of its legal system. The Andean Tribunal of Justice (ATJ) is the world\u27s third most active international court, with over 1400 rulings issued to date. Over 90% of those rulings concern intellectual property (IP). The ATJ has helped to establish IP as a rule of law island in the Andean Community where national judges, administrative officials, and private parties actively participate in regional litigation and conform their behavior to Andean IP rules. In the vast seas surrounding this island, by contrast, Andean rules remain riddled with exceptions, under-enforced, and often circumvented by domestic actors. We explain how the ATJ helped to construct the IP rule of law island and why litigation has not spilled over to other issue areas regulated by the Andean Community. Our analysis makes four broad contributions to international law and international relations scholarship. First, we adopt and apply a broad definition of an effective rule of law, using qualitative and quantitative analysis to explain how the Andean legal system contributes to changing national decision-making in favor of compliance with Andean rules. Our definition and our explanation of the ATJ\u27s contributions to constructing an effective rule of law provide a model that can be replicated elsewhere. Second, we explain how the Andean legal system has helped domestic IP administrative agencies in the region resist pressures for stronger IP protection from national executives, the United States, and American corporations. We emphasize the importance of these agencies rather than domestic judges as key constituencies that have facilitated the emergence of an effective rule of law for IP. As a result of the agencies\u27 actions, Andean IP rules remain more closely tailored to the economic and social needs of developing counties than do the IP rules of the Community\u27s regional neighbors. Third, the reality that the ATJ is effective, but only within a single issue area, makes the Andean experience of broader theoretical interest. We offer an explanation for why Andean legal integration has not extended beyond IP. But our answer suggests avenues for additional research. We note that Andean IP rules are more specific than other areas of Andean law and that most administrative agencies in the region lack the autonomy needed to serve as compliance partners for ATJ rulings. We also find that, outside of IP, the ATJ is unwilling to issue the sort of purposive interpretations that encourages private parties to invoke Andean rules in litigation. The result is both a lack of demand for and supply of ATJ rulings. Fourth, our study of the Andean legal system provides new evidence to assess three competing theories of effective international adjudication - theories that ascribe effectiveness to the design of international legal systems, to the ability of member states to sanction international judges, and to domestic legal and political factors. We also explore the possibility that rule of law islands may be emerging in other treaty-based systems subject to the jurisdiction of international tribunals
Complications Associated with Volar Locking Plate Fixation of Distal Radial Fractures.
Volar locked plating is the most frequently utilized method for internal fixation of distal radial fractures. The overall complication rate for volar plating of distal radial fractures appears to be relatively low compared with other operative fixation methods. Carpal tunnel syndrome is the most commonly reported complication. However, this may occur after a distal radial fracture regardless of treatment method, with reported rates ranging from 0% to 20% with conservative management and 0% to 14% with volar plating. Extensor tendon rupture has been reported at rates of 0% to 4% and is the most frequent complication requiring plate removal. Variable-angle volar locking plates may be associated with fewer implant-related complications as a result of their greater degree of screw placement customization compared with fixed-angle volar locking plates
Altered distribution of mucosal NK cells during HIV infection.
The human gut mucosa is a major site of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and infection-associated pathogenesis. Increasing evidence shows that natural killer (NK) cells have an important role in control of HIV infection, but the mechanism(s) by which they mediate antiviral activity in the gut is unclear. Here, we show that two distinct subsets of NK cells exist in the gut, one localized to intraepithelial spaces (intraepithelial lymphocytes, IELs) and the other to the lamina propria (LP). The frequency of both subsets of NK cells was reduced in chronic infection, whereas IEL NK cells remained stable in spontaneous controllers with protective killer immunoglobulin-like receptor/human leukocyte antigen genotypes. Both IEL and LP NK cells were significantly expanded in immunological non-responsive patients, who incompletely recovered CD4+ T cells on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). These data suggest that both IEL and LP NK cells may expand in the gut in an effort to compensate for compromised CD4+ T-cell recovery, but that only IEL NK cells may be involved in providing durable control of HIV in the gut
PANIC: the new panoramic NIR camera for Calar Alto
PANIC is a wide-field NIR camera, which is currently under development for
the Calar Alto observatory (CAHA) in Spain. It uses a mosaic of four Hawaii-2RG
detectors and covers the spectral range from 0.8-2.5 micron(z to K-band). The
field-of-view is 30x30 arcmin. This instrument can be used at the 2.2m
telescope (0.45arcsec/pixel, 0.5x0.5 degree FOV) and at the 3.5m telescope
(0.23arcsec/pixel, 0.25x0.25 degree FOV). The operating temperature is about
77K, achieved by liquid Nitrogen cooling. The cryogenic optics has three flat
folding mirrors with diameters up to 282 mm and nine lenses with diameters
between 130 mm and 255 mm. A compact filter unit can carry up to 19 filters
distributed over four filter wheels. Narrow band (1%) filters can be used. The
instrument has a diameter of 1.1 m and it is about 1 m long. The weight limit
of 400 kg at the 2.2m telescope requires a light-weight cryostat design. The
aluminium vacuum vessel and radiation shield have wall thicknesses of only 6 mm
and 3 mm respectively.Comment: This paper has been presented in the SPIE of Astronomical Telescopes
and Instrumentation 2008 in Marseille (France
Lessons from a Meta-Analysis of Murine Infection Studies
Background: Only limited information is available about the immunopathogenic
properties of Arcobacter infection in vivo. Therefore, we performed a meta-
analysis of published data in murine infection models to compare the
pathogenic potential of Arcobacter butzleri with Campylobacter jejuni and
commensal Escherichia coli as pathogenic and harmless reference bacteria,
respectively. Methodology / Principal Findings: Gnotobiotic IL-10-/- mice
generated by broad-spectrum antibiotic compounds were perorally infected with
A. butzleri (strains CCUG 30485 or C1), C. jejuni (strain 81-176) or a
commensal intestinal E. coli strain. Either strain stably colonized the murine
intestines upon infection. At day 6 postinfection (p.i.), C. jejuni infected
mice only displayed severe clinical sequelae such as wasting bloody diarrhea.
Gross disease was accompanied by increased numbers of colonic apoptotic cells
and distinct immune cell populations including macrophages and monocytes, T
and B cells as well as regulatory T cells upon pathogenic infection. Whereas
A. butzleri and E. coli infected mice were clinically unaffected, respective
colonic immune cell numbers increased in the former, but not in the latter,
and more distinctly upon A. butzleri strain CCUG 30485 as compared to C1
strain infection. Both, A. butzleri and C. jejuni induced increased secretion
of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ, TNF, IL-6 and MCP-1 in large, but
also small intestines. Remarkably, even though viable bacteria did not
translocate from the intestines to extra-intestinal compartments, systemic
immune responses were induced in C. jejuni, but also A. butzleri infected mice
as indicated by increased respective pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations
in serum samples at day 6 p.i. Conclusion / Significance: A. butzleri induce
less distinct pro-inflammatory sequelae as compared to C. jejuni, but more
pronounced local and systemic immune responses than commensal E. coli in a
strain-dependent manner. Hence, data point towards that A. butzleri is more
than a commensal in vertebrate hosts
Sequential effects of propofol on functional brain activation induced by auditory language processing: an event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging study
Background. We have investigated the effect of propofol on language processing using event‐related functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Methods. Twelve healthy male volunteers underwent MRI scanning at a magnetic field strength of 3 Tesla while performing an auditory language processing task. Functional images were acquired from the perisylvian cortical regions that are associated with auditory and language processing. The experiment consisted of three blocks: awake state (block 1), induction of anaesthesia with 3 mg kg-1 propofol (block 2), and maintenance of anaesthesia with 3 mg kg-1 h-1 propofol (block 3). During each block normal sentences and pseudo‐word sentences were presented in random order. The subjects were instructed to press a button to indicate whether a sentence was made up of pseudo‐words or not. All subjects stopped responding during block two. The data collected before and after the subjects stopped responding during this block were analyzed separately. In addition, propofol plasma concentrations were measured and the effect‐site concentrations of propofol were calculated. Results. During wakefulness, language processing induced brain activation in a widely distributed temporofrontal network. Immediately after unresponsiveness, activation disappeared in frontal areas but persisted in both temporal lobes (block 2 second half, propofol effect‐site concentration: 1.51 µg ml-1). No activation differences related to the task were observed during block 3 (propofol effect‐site concentration: 4.35 µg ml-1). Conclusion. Our findings suggest sequential effects of propofol on auditory language processing networks. Brain activation firstly declines in the frontal lobe before it disappears in the temporal lobe. Br J Anaesth 2004; 92: 641-5
Bostonia: The Boston University Alumni Magazine. Volume 20
Founded in 1900, Bostonia magazine is Boston University's main alumni publication, which covers alumni and student life, as well as university activities, events, and programs
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