An Activity-Based Nanosensor for Traumatic Brain Injury.

Currently, traumatic brain injury (TBI) is detected by medical imaging; however, medical imaging requires expensive capital equipment, is time- and resource-intensive, and is poor at predicting patient prognosis. To date, direct measurement of elevated protease activity has yet to be utilized to detect TBI. In this work, we engineered an activity-based nanosensor for TBI (TBI-ABN) that responds to increased protease activity initiated after brain injury. We establish that a calcium-sensitive protease, calpain-1, is active in the injured brain hours within injury. We then optimize the molecular weight of a nanoscale polymeric carrier to infiltrate into the injured brain tissue with minimal renal filtration. A calpain-1 substrate that generates a fluorescent signal upon cleavage was attached to this nanoscale polymeric carrier to generate an engineered TBI-ABN. When applied intravenously to a mouse model of TBI, our engineered sensor is observed to locally activate in the injured brain tissue. This TBI-ABN is the first demonstration of a sensor that responds to protease activity to detect TBI

Exhibition Review: Disobedient Objects, Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 26 July 2014 – 1 February 2015

- ELECTRONIC SUPERHIGHWAY 2016–1966, THE WHITECHAPEL GALLERY, LONDON, 29 JANUARY–15 MAY 2016 - KERRY GUINAN, LIBERATE ART POLITICAL PROGRAMME AND PRESS RELEASE EVENT, TEMPLE BAR GALLERY AND STUDIOS, DUBLIN, 15 FEBRUARY 2016 - TOMORROW WAS A MONTAGE, COOPER GALLERY, DUNCAN OF JORDANSTONE COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN, 30 OCTOBER– 18 DECEMBER 2015 - DISOBEDIENT OBJECTS, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON, 26 JULY 2014–1 FEBRUARY 201

The Adaptation Challenges and Strategies of Adolescent Aboriginal Athletes Competing Off Reserve

Within the motivation literature, it has been indicated that athletes respond more effectively to sport’s contextual challenges through effective adaptation skills. Fiske identified five core motives as facilitators of the adaptation process across cultures: belonging, understanding, controlling, self-enhancement, and trusting. Through a cultural sport psychology approach, the adaptation challenges and strategies of Canadian Aboriginal adolescent athletes from one community (Wikwemikong) are described as they traveled off reserve to compete in mainstream sporting events. Concurrently, Fiske’s core motives are considered in relation to youth sport participants from the aforementioned Aboriginal community. Culture sensitive research methods among the Wikwemikong, including community meetings, talking circles (TCs), indigenous coding, and coauthoring, were employed in this article. Data are reflected in three themes: (a) challenges pursuing sport outside of the Aboriginal community in advance of bicultural encounters, (b) challenging bicultural encounters in Canadian mainstream sport contexts, and (c) specific responses to racism and discrimination

Resonance fluorescence in a band gap material: Direct numerical simulation of non-Markovian evolution

A numerical method of calculating the non-Markovian evolution of a driven atom radiating into a structured continuum is developed. The formal solution for the atomic reduced density matrix is written as a Markovian algorithm by introducing a set of additional, virtual density matrices which follow, to the level of approximation of the algorithm, all the possible trajectories of the photons in the electromagnetic field. The technique is perturbative in the sense that more virtual density matrices are required as the product of the effective memory time and the effective coupling strength become larger. The number of density matrices required is given by $3^{M}$ where $M$ is the number of timesteps per memory time. The technique is applied to the problem of a driven two-level atom radiating close to a photonic band gap and the steady-state correlation function of the atom is calculated.Comment: 14 pages, 9 figure

Council of Legal Education Standards for Law Report Collection in Nigerian Universities

The study investigated the development of law reports collections in the South East Universities in relation to the Council of Legal Education standards.  The scope consisted of 49 titles of local and foreign law reports listed by Council of Legal Education as accreditation bench mark and involves seven law faculty libraries in the universities South East Geopolitical zone of Nigeria that offer law programme.  The instrument for data collection was the standard check list released by Council of Legal Education.  This check list was found appropriate and was adopted for this study.  Two research questions were formulated for the study.  The findings showed that two law libraries, NAU and UNEC met the Council of Legal Education standards in foreign law reports, while three law libraries, ABSU, EBSU and NAU met the standards in local law reports.  Recommendations were made which include among others, the need for adequate funding of law libraries to enable them purchase the required law materials. Keywords: Law reports, Legal Education, Law Library, Council of Legal Education, accreditation

Commercial and Property Law Textbooks Collections: Accreditation Issues and Imperatives for Law Libraries

Investigations into the development of commercial and property law textbooks (local and foreign) collections, an accreditation requirement in the South East Universities in relation to the Council of Legal Education standards were carried out.  The scope consists of 98 titles of local and foreign commercial and property law textbooks listed by Council of Legal Education as accreditation bench mark and involves seven law faculty libraries in the universities South East Geopolitical zone of Nigeria that offer law programme. The areas covered include Company Law and Practices, Law of Insurance, Business Law and Banking, Taxation Law, Copyrights Law and Land/Property Law. The instrument for data collection was the standard check list released by Council of Legal Education.  This check list was found appropriate and adopted for this study.  Two research questions were formulated for the study.  The findings revealed that only NnamdiAzikiwe University law library in the zone met the Council of Legal Education accreditation standards in Law of Insurance in commercial law textbooks collections.  Recommendations were made which include among others the need for periodic assessment of collections, constant review and revision of the list. Keywords: Law Library, library collections, accreditation, commercial law, property Law standards

Formation of a molecular Bose-Einstein condensate and an entangled atomic gas by Feshbach resonance

Processes of association in an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate, and dissociation of the resulting molecular condensate, due to Feshbach resonance in a time-dependent magnetic field, are analyzed incorporating non-mean-field quantum corrections and inelastic collisions. Calculations for the Na atomic condensate demonstrate that there exist optimal conditions under which about 80% of the atomic population can be converted to a relatively long-lived molecular condensate (with lifetimes of 10 ms and more). Entangled atoms in two-mode squeezed states (with noise reduction of about 30 dB) may also be formed by molecular dissociation. A gas of atoms in squeezed or entangled states can have applications in quantum computing, communications, and measurements.Comment: LaTeX, 5 pages with 4 figures, uses REVTeX

Improving the Graphical User Interface (GUI) for the Dynamic Feedback Signal Set (DyFSS): Increasing Accessibility for the Neurodiverse

Peripheral biofeedback is an explicit learning tool that allows for real-time evaluation and control of physiological proxies by means of computerized signals. Its integration into health practice allows users to calibrate self-awareness and self regulation then apply these skills to everyday life. People with neurodevelopmental differences encounter limitations when using commercially available clinical biofeedback due to variation in their autonomic response. Principles of Universal Design dictate that biofeedback inputs and displays allow effective access and benefit for as many individuals as possible. Our Dynamic Feedback Signal Set (DyFSS, nonprovisional patent-in-process) algorithm adjusts signal processing by dynamically weighting feedback signals to the best abilities of the user, increasing the efficacy of biofeedback for the neurodiverse. The software includes an interactive graphical tutorial and quiz, a variety of graphical user interfaces to honor individual preferences and abilities, and a game that can be played by blind and hard of hearing individuals alike

HIV Epidemics in the European Region: Vulnerability and Response

This report provides a systematic review of the evidence on HIV vulnerability and response in all 53 countries of the WHO European Region, stretching from Iceland to the borders of China. It focuses on key populations most at risk of HIV infection: people who inject drugs, sex workers and men who have sex with men. It confirms that these populations are disproportionately affected by the growing HIV epidemic in Europe. Twenty-five percent of HIV diagnoses in Europe are associated with injecting drug use, with much higher proportions in Eastern Europe (33%) than in Western Europe (5%) and Central Europe (7%). Sex between men accounted for 10% of all HIV diagnoses, with higher rates reported in Western Europe (36%), followed by Central Europe (22%) and Eastern Europe (0.5%). HIV remains relatively low among female sex workers who do not inject drugs, (less than 1%), but higher among those who inject drugs (over 10%) as well as among male and transgender sex workers. The analysis highlights the pivotal role of social and structural factors in shaping HIV epidemics and HIV prevention responses. Poverty, marginalization and stigma contribute to the HIV epidemic in Europe and Central Asia. Economic volatility and recession risks are increasing vulnerability to HIV and infections. Barriers to successful HIV responses include the criminalization of sex work, of sex between men, and of drug use combined with social stigmatization, violence and rights violations. HIV prevention requires social and environmental change. The report calls for policymakers and HIV program implementers to target the right policies and programs to maximize the health and social impacts of Europe’s HIV responses and get higher returns on HIV-related investments. The report is a product of a collaboration between the World Bank, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the WHO Regional Office for Europe and UNAIDS