The ACTwatch project: methods to describe anti-malarial markets in seven countries.

BACKGROUND: Policy makers, governments and donors are faced with an information gap when considering ways to improve access to artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) and malaria diagnostics including rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). To help address some of these gaps, a five-year multi-country research project called ACTwatch was launched. The project is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the anti-malarial market to inform national and international anti-malarial drug policy decision-making. METHODS: The project is being conducted in seven malaria-endemic countries: Benin, Cambodia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Madagascar, Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia from 2008 to 2012.ACTwatch measures which anti-malarials are available, where they are available and at what price and who they are used by. These indicators are measured over time and across countries through three study components: outlet surveys, supply chain studies and household surveys. Nationally representative outlet surveys examine the market share of different anti-malarials passing through public facilities and private retail outlets. Supply chain research provides a picture of the supply chain serving drug outlets, and measures mark-ups at each supply chain level. On the demand side, nationally representative household surveys capture treatment seeking patterns and use of anti-malarial drugs, as well as respondent knowledge of anti-malarials. DISCUSSION: The research project provides findings on both the demand and supply side determinants of anti-malarial access. There are four key features of ACTwatch. First is the overlap of the three study components where nationally representative data are collected over similar periods, using a common sampling approach. A second feature is the number and diversity of countries that are studied which allows for cross-country comparisons. Another distinguishing feature is its ability to measure trends over time. Finally, the project aims to disseminate findings widely for decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: ACTwatch is a unique multi-country research project that threads together anti-malarial supply and consumer behaviour to provide an evidence base to policy makers that can help determine where interventions may positively impact access to and use of quality-assured ACT and RDTs. Because of its ability to detect change over time, it is well suited to monitor the effects of policy or intervention developments in a country

Pervasive limitations : innovating with ambient intelligence (AmI) technologies and restricted absorptive capacity in Australian SME manufacturers

The last 25 years have seen rapid increases in the number and sophistication of technological and process innovations in large manufacturers, producing dramatic improvements in productivity and efficiency. However, smaller manufacturers&rsquo; adoption of such innovations has been uneven. Ambient Intelligence (AmI) technologies are being positioned as the next performance and productivity enhancing purchase for manufacturers. This paper defines and gives examples of AmI technologies in current use, summarises AmI technologies of potential interest to small and medium enterprise (SME) manufacturers, and identifies potential impacts of restricted absorptive capacity in SMEs on the adoption of AmI technologies. Comparing two SME manufacturers, one from Germany and one from Australia illustrates a potential application of generic AmI technology based business solutions to a range of SME manufacturers.<br /

Protecting Teachers or Protecting Children? Media Representations of Vergara v. California

Over the past five years, the laws governing teachers’ employment have been at the center of legal and political conflicts in state courts and elections across the United States.  Vergara v. California challenged five California state statutes that provide employment protections for teachers.  Drawing on the theory of political spectacle, we conducted a media content analysis of 42 print news media articles published prior to the court’s decision in June 2014.  Two aspects of political spectacle, the use of metaphor and the illusion of rationality were the most salient and deployed in ways that were more closely aligned with the student plaintiffs’ claims than the statutes’ defenders.  We conclude by highlighting how the framing of these and other similar stories may shape subsequent debates about public education in the United States.En la última década las leyes que rigen el empleo de docentes han estado en el centro de los conflictos jurídicos y políticos en los tribunales estatales y las elecciones en los Estados Unidos. El caso Vergara v. California desafió cinco leyes del estado de California que proporcionan protección laboral a los docentes. Basándonos en la teoría del espectáculo político, analizamos el contenido de 42 artículos publicadas en la prensa antes de la decisión de la corte en junio de 2014. Dos aspectos de la teoría de espectáculo político, el uso de metáforas y la ilusión de la racionalidad fueron los más destacados y usados de manera estrechamente alineadas con las demandas sobre los estatutos de los estudiantes en detrimento de las demandas de la defensa. Concluimos, poniendo de relieve la forma en que este tipo de encuadramiento sobre esta y otras historias similares puede afectar futuros debates sobre la educación pública en los Estados Unidos

Materials of Lightweight Concrete Research

The objectives for this research project are to explore options for innovative and sustainable materials in lightweight concrete. Various materials including granite powder, hydrated lime, latex, and recycled glass beads will be used in the concrete testing for this project. The question the team wants to answer is how these additives affect the concrete’s mechanical properties. Weekly mix designs will be performed, and control cylinders will be compared to experimental cylinders. Compression and tensile testing will also be performed to further aid the research. The motivation for performing this research is to aid mix development for the University of Akron Concrete Canoe Team. From this study, the Concrete Canoe Team will have invaluable research that will allow them to make the best decisions regarding lightweight concrete materials

The melanocortin 4 receptor: Oligomer formation, interaction sites and functional significance

This study involves the structural and functional properties of the recombinant melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) expressed in the HEK-293 cell line. Using co-immuno-purification approaches, the receptor appears to be an oligomer, which can be crosslinked through disulphide bonds involving a native cysteine residue (84) to give a dimeric species. This position is located near the cytosolic region of transmembrane segment 2 and it is suggested that this is an interacting interface between MC4R monomers. Using co-expression of the native protein and a C84A mutant, it appears that the receptor also forms higher order oligomers via alternative interfaces. Interestingly, disulphide crosslink formation does not occur if the receptor is uncoupled from its G-protein, even though the oligomeric state is preserved. This suggests that the conformational changes, which occur on activation, affect the TM2 interface. The pharmacology of the agonist, NDP-MSH, indicates that the MC4R retains high affinity for the ligand in the absence of the G-protein but occupancy for the ligand is increased. The data can be interpreted to suggest that the G-protein exerts a negative allosteric effect on the receptor. Co-expression of one receptor lacking the ability to signal with another, which cannot bind the agonist, restored ligand-dependent activation of the G-protein to situations in which neither receptor on its own could activate the G-protein. Such transactivation suggests meaningful cross talk between the receptor subunits in the oligomeric complex. These studies demonstrate further unique features of the MC4R

Education through \u3cem\u3eTIME\u3c/em\u3e: Representations of U.S. Education on \u3cem\u3eTIME Magazine\u3c/em\u3e Covers

This study examined how TIME Magazine has visually represented and communicated ideas about education from TIME Magazine’s inception in 1923 through 2019. Drawing on theories of visual culture and social semiotic approaches to multimodality, the researchers conducted a qualitative multimodal content analysis of 115 covers that featured content related to education and schooling. The findings included (a) names and places are used to suggest authority, power, or relevance in education circles; (b) learning and schooling are presented as having not changed over time; (c) overgeneralized and metonymic representations can stand for broad categories of education stakeholders; (d) schools are presented as in need of fixing; and (e) schools are perceived as sites for larger, sociopolitical debates

The SFpark Pilot: Using Data to Make Cities Better

SFpark was a federally-funded pilot program of a new approach to managing parking in San Francisco. It utilized real time data to identify parking availability, and demand-responsive parking pricing to help make parking easier to find. Parking management is an invaluable transportation demand management tool and the SFpark pilot demonstrated how data can help cities make smarter decisions. Come hear about the pilot evaluation results from a former SFpark staffer and PSU alum.https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/trec_seminar/1067/thumbnail.jp

Decarbonising UK transport : Implications for electricity generation, land use and policy.

This research was undertaken as part of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) research programme under the ADdressing Valuation of Energy and Nature Together (ADVENT) project, funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NE/M019691/1) United Kingdom. Funding was also received from the School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom. The authors would also like to thank Dr Christian Brand, University of Oxford, for giving them access to the Transport Energy and Air Pollution Model UK (TEAM – UK).Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Perseverance with home-based upper limb practice after stroke: perspectives of stroke survivors and their significant others

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore factors that influence stroke survivors’ ability to persevere with home-based upper limb practice. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study embedded within a theoretical framework was conducted. Data were collected through semi-structured focus group, dyadic, and individual interviews. The Theoretical Domains Framework and Capability, Opportunity, Motivation – Behaviour (COM-B) model guided data collection and directed content analysis. Findings: Participants were 31 adult stroke survivors with upper limb impairment, with 13 significant other/s, who were living at home in Queensland, Australia. Three central tenants aligned with the COM-B and six themes were identified. Stroke survivors’ capability to persevere was influenced by being physically able to practice and being able to understand, monitor and modify practice, their opportunity to persevere was influenced by accessing therapy and equipment required for practice and fitting practice into everyday life, and their motivation to persevere was influenced by having goals and experiencing meaningful outcomes and having support and being accountable. Conclusion: Persevering with practice is multifaceted for stroke survivors. All facets need to be addressed in the design of strategies to enhance stroke survivors’ ability to persevere and in turn, enhance their potential for continued upper limb recovery

Modulation of HIV-1 macrophage-tropism among R5 envelopes occurs before detection of neutralizing antibodies

HIV-1 R5 viruses vary widely in their capacity to infect primary macrophages. R5 macrophage-tropism is associated with an increased envelope:CD4 affinity that partly results from an increased exposure of CD4 contact residues on gp120 and allows the use of low levels of CD4 for infection. The selective pressures in vivo that modulate R5 macrophage-tropism are not understood. It is possible that different R5 variants adapt for replication in either T-cells (high CD4) or in macrophages (low CD4). However, other selective pressures in vivo (e.g. neutralizing antibodies) may also impact R5 tropism. Here, we measured macrophage infectivity conferred by gp120 sequences amplified sequentially from subjects in London followed from the acute stage of infection. We report wide variation in the capacity of these envelopes to confer macrophage infection in the complete absence of both autologous and heterologous neutralizing antibodies. Our data show that the variation in macrophage tropism observed at early times cannot have been influenced by neutralizing antibodies