Binding interactions of Peptide Aptamers

Peptide aptamers are short amino acid chains that are capable of binding specifically to ligands in the same way as their much larger counterparts, antibodies. Ligands of therapeutic interest that can be targeted are other peptide chains or loops located on the surface of protein receptors (e.g., GCPR), which take part in cell-to-cell communications either directly or via the intermediary of hormones or signalling molecules. To confer on aptamers the same sort of conformational rigidity that characterises an antibody binding site, aptamers are often constructed in the form of cyclic peptides, on the assumption that this will encourage stronger binding interactions than would occur if the aptamers were simply linear chains. However, no formal studies have been conducted to confirm the hypothesis that linear peptides will engage in stronger binding interactions with cyclic peptides than with other linear peptides. In this study, the interaction of a model cyclic decamer with a series of linear peptide constructs was compared with that of a linear peptide with the same sequence, showing that the cyclic configuration does confer benefits by increasing the strength of binding

Structure-specified H∞ loop shaping control for balancing of bicycle robots: A particle swarm optimization approach

In this paper, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm was used to design the structure-specified H∞ loop shaping controllers for balancing of bicycle robots. The structure-specified H∞ loop shaping controller design normally leads to a complex optimization problem. PSO is an efficient meta-heuristic search which is used to solve multi-objectives and non-convex optimizations. A model-based systematic procedure for designing the particle swarm optimization-based structure-specified H∞ loop shaping controllers was proposed in this research. The structure of the obtained controllers are therefore simpler. The simulation and experimental results showed that the robustness and efficiency of the proposed controllers was gained when compared with the proportional plus derivative (PD) as well as conventional H∞ loop shaping controller. The simulation results also showed a better efficiency of the developed control algorithm compared to the Genetic Algorithm based one

Gains from Trade in the Optimal Control of Environmental Externalities: Evidence from Acid Rain Abatement in the Eastern United States and Canada

In this paper I investigate the properties of a system of internationally traded "licenses to pollute" for the control of acid rain in the Eastern United States and Canada. I report estimates of the costs to the United States and Canada of achieving a 15 percent reduction in acid rain concentrations under a joint tradeable permit system for sulfur dioxide emissions. I use point-source data for the 200 largest sulfur dioxide emitters in each of Canada and the United States, transfer coefficients that relate emissions in different regions to acid rain concentrations in specified "sensitive receptor" regions, and fitted cost functions for each point source, to estimate the costs facing each country under different acid rain abatement programs. The estimates show (1) that an autarkic program of abatement in either country induces significant spillover benefits in the other that lead to the potential for "freeriding," and (2) that, contrary to widespread beliefs, a joint program of abatement would lead to substantial cost savings for both the United States and Canada. The results also document, however, large differentials in the gains that would accrue to each country, suggesting that there may be serious obstacles, in the form of difficulties in arriving at a division of the gains from trade, to achieving agreement on a joint program of abatement.Center for Research on Economic and Social Theory, Department of Economics, University of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/100658/1/ECON132.pd

Cross-Cultural Differences in Interpersonal and Intrapersonal Understandings of Forgiveness

Most theorizing about forgiveness conceptualize forgiveness as an intrapersonal process in which negative feelings are transformed into positive ones, with the goal of inner peace for the forgiver. Forgiveness viewed as an interpersonal process, in contrast, focuses on behaviors, such as reconciliation, that lead to the restoration of social harmony. Several studies have demonstrated that the understanding and practice of forgiveness differs across cultures. We examined the hypothesis that North Americans understand forgiveness as more of an intrapersonal phenomenon and less of an interpersonal phenomenon relative to Asians. A sample of 153 participants recruited through Facebook completed an online survey. Findings generally support the hypothesis: North Americans endorsed intrapersonal over interpersonal understandings of forgiveness, Southeast Asians endorsed interpersonal over intrapersonal understandings, and South Asians were closely split between the two definitions. The current findings suggest that collectivistic forgiveness is not a unitary construct, and that the application of theory and therapy models based on Western conceptions of forgiveness to Asian populations may be inaccurate and even harmful. Future research should examine forgiveness across collectivistic cultures. Additionally, cross-cultural research on forgiveness should use specific affective, cognitive, and behavioral terms when assessing a participant’s level of forgiveness; broad questions assessing a participant’s general forgiveness may be difficult to interpret and compare cross-culturally

Accounting conservatism and banking expertise on board of directors

Previous studies show mixed evidence of the role of banking expertise on the board of directors on accounting conservatism. In this paper, we add to this growing literature by providing an innovative way to measure banking expertise based on life-time working history in banks of all individual directors on the board. We find that accounting conservatism is negatively affected by banking expertise on the board. Also, the results indicate that banking expertise on the board has a more pronounced impact on accounting conservatism when firms have high bankruptcy risk and when firms have high financial leverage. The evidence has some implications for boards of directors

Creating a Meaningful Experience: On Service Learning and Teacher Preparedness

The focus of this Capstone project is on the effectiveness of service learning and its role in teacher preparedness. This is an important issue for Liberal Studies students, professors, and the community because in the Integrated Teacher Education Program, service learning is treated as preparation for teaching, and it can be seen that way for Traditional Pathway students as well. It is argued that while service learning works towards an admirable goal, there are obstacles and design decisions that keep it from being fully effective in preparing Liberal Studies students in becoming teachers. The three primary stakeholder perspectives chosen were service learners, professors, and service learning faculty because of their involvement and engagement. Three major action options emerged from an analysis of the data and were explored as ways to address the issue presented. In order for service learners and students in the community to both receive meaningful experiences, professors need to work closely within the community and its schools and teachers, while receiving active support from the University’s Dean and Chair. This is argued to be the most effective way to achieve the goals of improving the service learning experience for Liberal Studies students at CSUMB

Optical energy-constrained slot-amplitude modulation for dimmable VLC. Suboptimal detection and performance evaluation

Energy-constrained slot-amplitude modulation (ECSAM) enables light dimming, eliminates light flicker and constrains the peak optical power while providing robust communication links. However, the complexity of the maximum-likelihood (ML) based ECSAM receiver increases exponentially with required spectral efficiency. This paper provides a comprehensive performance evaluation of ECSAM for the indoor visible light communication (VLC) channel with multipath propagation under realistic illumination constraints and imperfect channel estimation. A sub-optimal receiver that employs a slot-by-slot detection algorithm followed by a slot-correction mechanism for reducing the receiver complexity is proposed. Additionally, the method for optimal selection of parameters when designing the signal waveform is presented. The analytical upper bound on the symbol error rate of ECSAM is derived using the union-bound technique. The results show that the error performance of the sub-optimal receiver are comparable to that of the optimal ML receiver. Compared with conventional power or bandwidth efficient VLC modulation techniques such as multiple pulse position modulation (MPPM) and pulse amplitude modulation (PAM), ECSAM provides complete flexibility in modifying the signal constellation for a desired dimming level to maximise the spectral efficiency and provide a robust bit error rate performance especially in the multipath propagation channel induced intersymbol interference

The Proteus Navier-Stokes code

An effort is currently underway at NASA Lewis to develop two- and three-dimensional Navier-Stokes codes, called Proteus, for aerospace propulsion applications. The emphasis in the development of Proteus is not algorithm development or research on numerical methods, but rather the development of the code itself. The objective is to develop codes that are user-oriented, easily-modified, and well-documented. Well-proven, state-of-the-art solution algorithms are being used. Code readability, documentation (both internal and external), and validation are being emphasized. This paper is a status report on the Proteus development effort. The analysis and solution procedure are described briefly, and the various features in the code are summarized. The results from some of the validation cases that have been run are presented for both the two- and three-dimensional codes