Proceedings of the 18th Irish Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science

These proceedings contain the papers that were accepted for publication at AICS-2007, the 18th Annual Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Science, which was held in the Technological University Dublin; Dublin, Ireland; on the 29th to the 31st August 2007. AICS is the annual conference of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Ireland (AIAI)

Why did the pheasant cross the road? Long-term road mortality patterns in relation to management changes

Pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) are commonly killed on UK roads, presenting a threat to motorists and a loss to the game shooting industry. Pheasants may be inherently susceptible, or the recent increase in their artificial rearing and release may have exacerbated the situation, either through population increases or because artificial rearing has altered movement behaviour. We compared intra-annual patterns of roadkill reported in the UK from the 1960s (prior to the onset of mass release programmes) with that from the 2010s (when pheasant release was well established and widespread), considering roadkill sex and locations and accounting for changes in traffic levels. Pheasants in the UK are disproportionately likely to be reported killed on roads. However, this likelihood has not changed notably over the past 50 years. Instead, the timing of roadkill has changed. Pheasants in the 2010s are no longer susceptible during their breeding season, unlike in the 1960s, perhaps because relatively few breed successfully. Instead, roadkill first peaks in September–November as pheasants disperse from release pens, females first. Roadkill declines over winter, but when supplementary feeding ceases in February, we see a second peak in roadkill. Roadkill rates are higher in regions of the UK where there is little arable farming and hence natural food supplies are scarce.</jats:p

Philadelphia's innovative stormwater infrastructure plan

Thesis (M.C.P.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Urban Studies and Planning, 2010.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 44-49).All modem cities-characterized by paved roads, rooftops, parking lots, and impacted soils-have serious problems with stormwater, and those problems are only growing as urbanization proceeds and climate change causes more severe weather events. Historically, cities have used gray infrastructure to manage stormwater; this is not only costly but causes an array of environmental problems. Proponents have long advocated using a green infrastructure approach, which has numerous advantages over traditional gray infrastructure systems. Nevertheless, very few U.S. cities have invested in green infrastructure on a significant scale. The question, then, is why have cities resisted adopting green infrastructure, and what would it take for them to choose a landscape-based approach to stormwater management over a conventional engineering solution? To answer this question, I studied a city that recently decided to embrace green infrastructure in a big way: Philadelphia. I argue that (i) new stormwater regulations and the 1990 withdrawal of federal funding changed the constraints and incentives for the city to make green infrastructure viable, particularly for a cash-strapped city; (2) a policy entrepreneur in the Philadelphia Water Department did two key things in preparation for a future policy window: he created an office organized around watersheds, and began redefining the problem; and (3) the policy entrepreneur capitalized on a regulatory policy window, the Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term Control Plan Update, that garnered momentum from the city's decision to "re-brand" itself as a green city and galvanized support for the $1.6 billion plan for green infrastructure across the city. These conclusions are supported by evidence from Philadelphia's decision to adopt a green infrastructure approach to manage runoff. Finally, I discuss the implications of these findings and make recommendations for the implementation of the plan.by Sarah Madden.M.C.P

Inhibiting Protein-Protein Interactions using Rationally-designed Repeat Proteins

The inhibition of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) presents a major challenge to drug discovery. The properties of consensus-designed tetratricopeptide repeat proteins (CTPRs) make them very amenable to be rationally-designed into potential new PPI inhibitors. This study sets out to investigate whether this could be achieved through the grafting of binding peptides into the inter-repeat loops. The work focused on two PPIs: the interaction between Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1) and Nuclear factor erythroid-2-related factor (Nrf2) as well as the interaction between c-Myc and Myc-associated factor X (Max). In Chapter 3, computationally-designed peptides were grafted into the inter-repeat loops of CTPRs as well as into another consensus-designed repeat protein, namely Designed Anrkyrin Repeat Proteins but no binding of these proteins to their target was observed. In Chapter 4, a number of Keap1-binding peptides were successfully grafted into the inter-repeat loop of a two-repeat CTPR2 protein, with the tightest binding functionalised CTPR having low nanomolar affinity for Keap1. In Chapter 5, new strategies were explored in order to further the understanding of how best to graft functional peptides into the inter-repeat loop of CTPRs, with the introduction of polyglycine residues either side of the grafted peptide being shown to lead to a greater than two-fold improvement in the binding affinity. In Chapter 6, it was shown that the functionalised CTPRs could be successfully delivered into HCT 116 by encapsulation within fusogenic liposomes. In Chapter 7, a peptide segment of a c-Myc inhibitor was grafted into a CTPR scaffold, and also engineered as a chemically stapled peptide. Preliminary pull-down experiments suggested that the stapled peptide bound to c-Myc in HeLa cell lysate. This thesis demonstrates the amenability of the CTPRs to rational design with binding affinities in the low nanomolar range being obtained through peptide grafting into the inter-repeat loop. This highlights the potential application of this technology for the creation of future biotherapeutics.BBSRC Doctoral Training Scholarship (BB/J014540/1) and a Society of Chemical Industry (SCI) Messel Scholarship

Role of biorelevant dissolution media in the selection of optimal Salt forms of oral drugs: maximizing the gastrointestinal solubility and in vitro activity of the antimicrobial molecule, clofazimine

peer-reviewedClofazimine is an antimycobacterial agent that is routinely used for the treatment of leprosy. Clofazimine has also been shown to have high clinical potential for the treatment of many Gram-positive pathogens, including those that exhibit high levels of antibiotic resistance in the medical community. The use of clofazimine against these pathogens has largely been limited by the inherently poor water solubility of the drug substance. In this work, the possibility of repurposing and reformulating clofazimine to maximize its clinical potential is investigated. To achieve this, the potential of novel salt forms of clofazimine as supersaturating drug delivery vehicles to enhance the aqueous solubility and gastrointestinal solubility of the drug substance was explored. The solution properties of seven novel salt forms, identified during an initial screening process, were examined in water and in a gastrointestinal-like media and were compared and contrasted with those of the free base, clofazimine, and the commercial formulation of the drug, Lamprene. The stability of the most promising solid forms was tested, and their bioactivity against Staphylococcus aureus was also compared with that of the clofazimine free base and Lamprene. Salts forms which showed superior stability as well as solubility and activity to the commercial drug formulation were fully characterized using a combination of spectroscopic techniques, including X-ray diffraction, solid-state NMR, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Health Literacy in Community Pharmacy

48% of English-speaking patients are unable to obtain, process, understand, and utilize health information, and 30-50% of patients do not correctly adhere to their medications. The combination of chronic disease, poor heath literacy, and poor medication adherence lead to increased health costs and hospitalizatio

Prospectus, March 10, 2010

THE C-U ROLLERS TAKE CHAMPAIGN BY STORM; Recession pushes parents to enroll at community colleges along with kids; Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird; The superheroes of music; Online community covers unrest in Iran, post by post; Prospectus Pick: Pizza; Oh, Canada: Opinions on the closing ceremonies of the winter Olympics; The Earth has its own set of rules; Rest assured: Sleep is vital to your health; Student Government; What’s the future for ESPN 3D television?https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_2010/1007/thumbnail.jp

Health Literacy, Medication Adherence, and Patient Satisfaction in Community Pharmacy

Background: Health literacy is defined as the ability to read, understand, and act on health information; almost half of adults have inadequate health literacy. Since inadequate health literacy is often followed by many negative outcomes, such as poor medication adherence, it is important to address health literacy, in order to rectify the low levels and improve outcomes. Patients see pharmacists regularly, and therefore, the pharmacist is crucial In improving medication adherence. If health literacy is a barrier to medication adherence, the community pharmacist should be able to provide health literacy-appropriate counseling to improve medication adherence. Objectives: To determine if pharmacists\u27 perception of patient health literacy and actual patient health literacy align, to assess the relationship between health literacy and medication adherence In patients who visit independent community pharmacies, to evaluate patients\u27 satisfaction with their pharmacists\u27 patient counseling, and to determine the pharmacists\u27 willingness to improve their communication technique with their patients according to their health literacy. Methods: Independent pharmacies were selected from the Cedarvlle network. Patients will complete Instruments to assess health literacy (Newest Vital Signs®), medication adherence (8-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale©), and patient satisfaction with counseling (Likert-type questions derived from the literature). The patient satisfaction items will be peer-reviewed before finalizing the version given to the patients. Patients will consist of those at least 18 years of age, who speak English, and are obtaining a refill for a chronic condition. Results In Progress: Thus far, the selection process of pharmacies is being conducted, as well as securing the health literacy test, the medication adherence test, and formulating questions for patient satisfaction. Completion is anticipated by the end of spring 2014

Fabrication of low-cost, large-area prototype Si(Li) detectors for the GAPS experiment

A Si(Li) detector fabrication procedure has been developed with the aim of satisfying the unique requirements of the GAPS (General Antiparticle Spectrometer) experiment. Si(Li) detectors are particularly well-suited to the GAPS detection scheme, in which several planes of detectors act as the target to slow and capture an incoming antiparticle into an exotic atom, as well as the spectrometer and tracker to measure the resulting decay X-rays and annihilation products. These detectors must provide the absorption depth, energy resolution, tracking efficiency, and active area necessary for this technique, all within the significant temperature, power, and cost constraints of an Antarctic long-duration balloon flight. We report here on the fabrication and performance of prototype 2"-diameter, 1-1.25 mm-thick, single-strip Si(Li) detectors that provide the necessary X-ray energy resolution of $\sim$4 keV for a cost per unit area that is far below that of previously-acquired commercial detectors. This fabrication procedure is currently being optimized for the 4"-diameter, 2.5 mm-thick, multi-strip geometry that will be used for the GAPS flight detectors.Comment: Accepted for publication at Nuclear Instrumentation and Methods A, 12 pages, 11 figure