Evaluating a communication technology assessment tool (CTAT): A case of a cloud based communication tool

A primary concern of distributed adaptive development environment (DADE) is that of human communication and knowledge sharing among geographically dispersed developers. Emerging cloudbased communication technologies claim to provide a support for communication and knowledge sharing among developers in a DADE. However, the challenge is how to enable developers to self assess and select appropriate cloud-based communication technologies for their DADE. Based on our recent empirical study, we have developed the construct of a practical communication technologies assessment tool (CTAT). We argue that, CTAT construct, as a part of our large conceptual framework of context aware cloud adaptation (CACA), can be useful to assist developers in the self assessment of appropriate cloud-based communication technologies for their DADE. This paper presents the evaluation of the CTAT by using it for the assessment of the Force.com cloud-based Chatter communication tool. The main objective of this evaluation is to determine to what extent CTAT construct is relevant, valuable and sufficient to achieve its purpose. The results of this evaluation indicate that CTAT seems useful when performing vendor independent assessment of communication technologies in order to make an informed decision about the selection of a communication tool for the DADE

Comparison of causes and manifestations of pain in Parkinson’s disease patients to healthy controls

Objective To assess the manifestations of pain in PD (Parkinson’s disease ) patients versus healthy controls.Methods Data on pain was collected from 127 patients and an equivalent number of controls using two self-report questionnaires: the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) and a custom-made questionnaire focusing on specific details not covered by the former. Additional analysis was conducted within the patient group only to analyze the potential effects of factors relating to PD on the various measure of interest relating to pain.Results Parkinson disease patients had lower odds of experiencing pain in both arms (ExpB=0.061, p<0.001), greater probability of demonstrating pain in both legs (ExpB=2.409, p=0.024), and an increase difficulty in localizing pain (ExpB=2.958, p=0.030). There was no relationship between duration of pain (F=12.414, p=0.001) or arthritis (ExpB=0.724, p=0.309) and pain in PD. The likelihood of experiencing nagging pain (ExpB=3.533, p=0.028), but not other forms, was much more strongly associated with PD patients than normal controls. When all other types of pain were controlled for, pain in PD is more likely associated with akathesic pain (ExpB=9.046, p<0.001).Conclusion There are major differences between pain in PD patients and pain in normal controls, which could have implications on the pathophysiology and adequate management of pain in different populations.Key words: Healthy controls, movement disorders, pain, Parkinson’s diseas

A random cell motility gradient downstream of FGF controls elongation of amniote embryos

Vertebrate embryos are characterized by an elongated antero-posterior (AP) body axis, which forms by progressive cell deposition from a posterior growth zone in the embryo. Here, we used tissue ablation in the chicken embryo to demonstrate that the caudal presomitic mesoderm (PSM) has a key role in axis elongation. Using time-lapse microscopy, we analysed the movements of fluorescently labelled cells in the PSM during embryo elongation, which revealed a clear posterior-to-anterior gradient of cell motility and directionality in the PSM. We tracked the movement of the PSM extracellular matrix in parallel with the labelled cells and subtracted the extracellular matrix movement from the global motion of cells. After subtraction, cell motility remained graded but lacked directionality, indicating that the posterior cell movements associated with axis elongation in the PSM are not intrinsic but reflect tissue deformation. The gradient of cell motion along the PSM parallels the fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) gradient1, which has been implicated in the control of cell motility in this tissue2. Both FGF signalling gain- and loss-of-function experiments lead to disruption of the motility gradient and a slowing down of axis elongation. Furthermore, embryos treated with cell movement inhibitors (blebbistatin or RhoK inhibitor), but not cell cycle inhibitors, show a slower axis elongation rate. We propose that the gradient of random cell motility downstream of FGF signalling in the PSM controls posterior elongation in the amniote embryo. Our data indicate that tissue elongation is an emergent property that arises from the collective regulation of graded, random cell motion rather than by the regulation of directionality of individual cellular movements

Preferential Paths of Air-water Two-phase Flow in Porous Structures with Special Consideration of Channel Thickness Effects.

Accurate understanding and predicting the flow paths of immiscible two-phase flow in rocky porous structures are of critical importance for the evaluation of oil or gas recovery and prediction of rock slides caused by gas-liquid flow. A 2D phase field model was established for compressible air-water two-phase flow in heterogenous porous structures. The dynamic characteristics of air-water two-phase interface and preferential paths in porous structures were simulated. The factors affecting the path selection of two-phase flow in porous structures were analyzed. Transparent physical models of complex porous structures were prepared using 3D printing technology. Tracer dye was used to visually observe the flow characteristics and path selection in air-water two-phase displacement experiments. The experimental observations agree with the numerical results used to validate the accuracy of phase field model. The effects of channel thickness on the air-water two-phase flow behavior and paths in porous structures were also analyzed. The results indicate that thick channels can induce secondary air flow paths due to the increase in flow resistance; consequently, the flow distribution is different from that in narrow channels. This study provides a new reference for quantitatively analyzing multi-phase flow and predicting the preferential paths of immiscible fluids in porous structures

Money in Islamic banking system

The idea of revisiting currency and the gold dinar from an Islamic standpoint is an interesting topic of discussion in the context of the current monetary system. This chapter examines the historical aspects and supremacy of a gold currency and the weakness of fiat money using a maslahah-mafsadah approach. It considers some possible alternative forms of gold as money and then discusses some obstacles and barriers in the hope of finding a model of gold as money to implement in the current economic system. A deductive method is used to explore the implementation of a gold currency based on historical study and library research. The findings reveal that money is not limited to gold and silver. However, by deriving new law from original law process, the law (hukm) of gold or silver as money is permissible

Diabetic Neuropathy and Axon Reflex-Mediated Neurogenic Vasodilatation in Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: Axon reflex-mediated neurogenic vasodilatation in response to cutaneous heating may reflect early, pre-clinical small fibre dysfunction. We aimed to evaluate the distribution of the vascular flare area measured by laser doppler imaging (‘‘LDI FLARE area’’) in type 1 diabetes and in healthy volunteers. Research and Methods: Concurrent with clinical and electrophysiological examination to classify diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSP), LDIFLARE area (cm 2) was determined in 89 type 1 diabetes subjects matched to 64 healthy volunteers. We examined the association and diagnostic performance of LDI with clinical and subclinical measures of DSP and its severity. Results: Compared to the 64 healthy volunteers, the 56 diabetes controls without DSP had significantly lower LDIFLARE area (p = 0.006). The 33 diabetes cases with DSP had substantially lower LDIFLARE area as compared to controls without DSP (p = 0.002). There was considerable overlap in LDIFLARE area between all groups such that the ROC curve had an AUC of 0.72 and optimal sensitivity of 70 % for the detection of clinical DSP. Use of a subclinical definition for DSP, according to subclinical sural nerve impairment, was associated with improved AUC of 0.75 and sensitivity of 79%. In multivariate analysis higher HbA1c and body mass index had independent associations with smaller LDIFLARE area. Conclusions: Axon reflex-mediated neurogenic vasodilatation in response to cutaneous heating is a biomarker of earl