6,929 research outputs found
Internet e-ethics in confrontation with an activists' agenda: Yahoo! on trial
A prolonged confrontation between Yahoo! Inc. and French anti-racism activists who ask for the removal of Nazi items from auction sites as well as restricted access to neo-Nazis sites is analyzed. We present the case and its development up to the decision of Yahoo! Inc. to remove the items from yahoo.com following a French court’s verdict against the firm. Using a business ethics approach, we distinguish the legal, technical, philosophical and managerial issues involved in the case and their management by Yahoo! We conclude on the difficulty of governing relations with society from corporate and legal affairs departments at the headquarters level, and on the clash of two visions over the regulation of social freedom.E-business, e-ethics, auctions, legal compliance, internet regulation, freedom of expression, media crisis
Patient-reported outcomes measures and patient preferences for minimally invasive glaucoma surgical devices.
BackgroundMany therapeutic options are available to glaucoma patients. One recent therapeutic option is minimally invasive glaucoma surgical (MIGS) devices. It is unclear how patients view different treatments and which patient-reported outcomes would be most relevant in patients with mild to moderate glaucoma. We developed a questionnaire for patients eligible for MIGS devices and a patient preference study to examine the value patients place on certain outcomes associated with glaucoma and its therapies.ObjectivesTo summarize the progress to date.MethodsQuestionnaire development: We drafted the questionnaire items based on input from one physician and four patient focus groups, and a review of the literature. We tested item clarity with six cognitive interviews. These items were further refined. Patient preference study: We identified important benefit and risk outcomes qualitatively using semi-structured, one-on-one interviews with patients who were eligible for MIGS devices. We then prioritized these outcomes quantitatively using best-worst scaling methods.ResultsQuestionnaire testing: Three concepts were deemed relevant for the questionnaire: functional limitations, symptoms, and psychosocial factors. We will evaluate the reliability and validity of the 52-item draft questionnaire in an upcoming field test. Patient preference study: We identified 13 outcomes that participants perceived as important. Outcomes with the largest relative importance weights were "adequate IOP control" and "drive a car during the day."ConclusionsPatients have the potential to steer clinical research towards outcomes that are important to them. Incorporating patients' perspectives into the MIGS device development and evaluation process may expedite innovation and availability of these devices
Intrauterine Pressure Catheter in Labor: Associated Microbiology
Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine if bacterial growth occurred in the amniotic
fluid of laboring women. Twenty patients who required an intrauterine pressure catheter (IUPC)
during labor were studied. Amniotic fluid samples were aspirated during labor and at the time of
delivery
Prion protein in the cerebrospinal fluid of healthy and naturally scrapie-affected sheep
The aim of this study was to characterize the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) prion protein (PrP) of healthy and naturally scrapie-affected sheep. The soluble form of CSF PrPC immunoblotted with an anti-octarepeat and an anti-C terminus mAb showed two isoforms of approximately 33 and 26 kDa, corresponding to the biglycosylated and unglycosylated isoforms of brain PrPC. Neither the mean concentration nor the electrophoretic profile of CSF PrP differed between healthy and scrapieaffected sheep, whereas a slightly increased resistance of CSF PrP to mild proteolysis by proteinase K was evident in the CSF of scrapie-affected sheep. No difference in susceptibility to proteolysis was observed between the two ARR and VRQ genetic variants of the purified prokaryote recombinant PrP. It was concluded that the physicochemical properties of PrPC in the CSF could be altered during scrapie and that these changes might reflect the physiopathological process of prion disease
Probing Interstellar Dust with Infrared Echoes from the Cas A Supernova
We present the analysis of an IRS 5-38 {\mu}m spectrum and MIPS photometric
measurements of an infrared echo near the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant
observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. We have modeled the recorded echo
accounting for PAHs, quantum-heated carbon and silicate grains, as well as
thermal carbon and silicate particles. Using the fact that optical light echo
spectroscopy has established that Cas A originated from a type IIb supernova
explosion showing an optical spectrum remarkably similar to the prototypical
type IIb SN 1993J, we use the latter to construct template data input for our
simulations. We are then able to reproduce the recorded infrared echo spectrum
by combining the emission of dust heated by the UV burst produced at the shock
breakout after the core-collapse and dust heated by optical light emitted near
the visual maximum of the supernova light curve, where the UV burst and optical
light curve characteristics are based on SN 1993J. We find a mean density of
\sim680 H cm^{-3} for the echo region, with a size of a few light years across.
We also find evidence of dust processing in the form of a lack of small PAHs
with less than \sim300 carbon atoms, consistent with a scenario of PAHs
destruction by the UV burst via photodissociation at the estimated distance of
the echo region from Cas A. Furthermore, our simulations suggest that the weak
11 {\mu}m features of our recorded infrared echo spectrum are consistent with a
strong dehydrogenated state of the PAHs. This exploratory study highlights the
potential of investigating dust processing in the interstellar medium through
infrared echoes.Comment: 16 pages, 14 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical
Journa
Low-Temperature Series for the Correlation Length in Ising Model
We extend low-temperature series for the second moment of the correlation
function in simple-cubic Ising model from to using
finite-lattice method, and combining with the series for the susceptibility we
obtain the low-temperature series for the second-moment correlation length to
. An analysis of the obtained series by inhomogeneous differential
approximants gives critical exponents and .Comment: 13 pages + 5 uuencoded epsf figures in Latex, OPCT-94-
Retrospective analysis of anthropometric and fitness characteristics associated with long-term career progression in Rugby League.
The current study retrospectively investigated the differences in anthropometric and fitness characteristics of junior rugby league players selected onto a talent identification and development (TID) programme between long-term career progression levels (i.e., amateur, academy, professional)
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