An approach to executive training

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston Universit

Scepticism and presuppositionlessness: Hegel and the problem of beginning

This thesis is concerned with what I call “the problem of beginning.” This problem expresses the difficulty involved in getting the type of critical, rational thinking proper to philosophical work underway in a manner that is not problematically arbitrary. This amounts to a dilemma between beginning dogmatically by depending upon unexamined presuppositions, and beginning dogmatically with some fundamentally arbitrary assertion. After motivating the problem and explicating it in some detail in the introduction, I identify a number of possible, but unappealing ways to respond. In Chapter 1 I argue that, motivated by his relationship with Pyrrhonism, Hegel is engaging with this same problem at the start of his Science of Logic. I identify a distinctive form of a solution to the problem in Hegel’s work which amounts to isolating a beginning which is both presuppositionless and non-arbitrary, or, in his terminology, both immediate and mediated. In Hegel’s work I identify two different possible ways in which the form of this solution can be fleshed out. They differ in terms of what they designate as the element of mediation in the beginning. In the first case, this element is stated to be the project of phenomenology, as carried out in Hegel’s Phenomenology of Spirit. In the second case, this element is characterised as a project of “consummate scepticism,” but left problematically underdeveloped. In Chapter 2 I present reasons for rejecting the suitability of the former, and in Chapter 3 I attempt to sketch a project of “consummate scepticism” which would be capable of functioning as the element of mediation in a manner capable of producing a working, “Hegelian” solution to the problem of beginning. I draw the thesis to a close by considering both the costs and opportunities which follow from this reconstructed solution, especially concerning the establishment of idealism

Anomalously high photocurrents in nanostructured electrodes : a new local microchip power source.

An increase in photocurrent has been observed at silicon electrodes coated with nanostructured porous silica films as compared to bare, unmodified silicon. Ultimately, to utilize this effect in devices such as sensors or microchip power supplies, the physical phenomena behind this observation need to be well characterized. To this end, Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) was used to characterize the effect of surfactant-templated mesoporous silica films deposited onto silicon electrodes on the electrical properties of the electrode space-charge region in an aqueous electrolyte solution, as the electrical properties of this space-charge region are responsible for the photobehavior of semiconductor devices. A significant shift in apparent flat-band potential was observed for electrodes modified with the silica film when compared to bare electrodes; the reliability of this data is suspect, however, due to contributions from surface states to the overall capacitance of the system. To assist in the interpretation of this EIS data, a series of measurements at Pt electrodes was performed with the hope of decoupling electrode and film contributions from the EIS spectra. Surprisingly, the frequency-dependent impedance data for Pt electrodes coated with a surfactant-templated film was nearly identical to that observed for bare Pt electrodes, indicating that the mesoporous film had little effect on the transport of small electrolyte ions to the electrode surface. Pore-blocking agents (tetraalkylammonium salts) were not observed to inhibit this transport process. However, untemplated (non-porous) silica films dramatically increased film resistance, indicating that our EIS data for the Pt electrodes is reliable. Overall, our preliminary conclusion is that a shift in electrical properties in the space-charge region induced by the presence of a porous silica film is responsible for the increase in observed photocurrent

CKS Proteins Promote Checkpoint Recovery by Stimulating Phosphorylation of Treslin

CKS proteins are small (9-kDa) polypeptides that bind to a subset of the cyclin-dependent kinases. The two paralogs expressed in mammals, Cks1 and Cks2, share an overlapping function that is essential for early development. However, both proteins are frequently overexpressed in human malignancy. It has been shown that CKS protein overexpression overrides the replication stress checkpoint, promoting continued origin firing. This finding has led to the proposal that CKS protein-dependent checkpoint override allows premalignant cells to evade oncogene stress barriers, providing a causal link to oncogenesis. Here, we provide mechanistic insight into how overexpression of CKS proteins promotes override of the replication stress checkpoint. We show that CKS proteins greatly enhance the ability of Cdk2 to phosphorylate the key replication initiation protein treslin in vitro. Furthermore, stimulation of treslin phosphorylation does not occur by the canonical adapter mechanism demonstrated for other substrates, as cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) binding-defective mutants are capable of stimulating treslin phosphorylation. This effect is recapitulated in vivo, where silencing of Cks1 and Cks2 decreases treslin phosphorylation, and overexpression of wild-type or CDK binding-defective Cks2 prevents checkpoint-dependent dephosphorylation of treslin. Finally, we provide evidence that the role of CKS protein-dependent checkpoint override involves recovery from checkpoint-mediated arrest of DNA replication

Nanostructured polyoxometalate arrays with unprecedented properties and functions.

Polyoxometalates (POMs) are ionic (usually anionic) metal -oxo clusters that are both functional entities for a variety of applications, as well as structural units that can be used as building blocks if reacted under appropriate conditions. This is a powerful combination in that functionality can be built into materials, or doped into matrices. Additionally, by assembling functional POMs in ordered materials, new collective behaviors may be realized. Further, the vast variety of POM geometries, compositions and charges that are achievable gives this system a high degree of tunability. Processing conditions to link together POMs to build materials offer another vector of control, thus providing infinite possibilities of materials that can he nano-engineered through POM building blocks. POM applications that can be built into POM-based materials include catalysis, electro-optic and electro-chromic, anti-viral, metal binding, and protein binding. We have begun to explore three approaches in developing this field of functional, nano-engineered POM-based materials; and this report summarizes the work carried out for these approaches to date. The three strategies are: (1) doping POMs into silica matrices using sol-gel science, (2) forming POM-surfactant arrays and metal-POM-surfactant arrays, (3) using aerosol-spray pyrolysis of the POM-surfactant arrays to superimpose hierarchical architecture by self-assembly during aerosol-processing. Doping POMs into silica matrices was successful, but the POMs were partially degraded upon attempts to remove the structure-directing templates. The POM-surfactant and metal-POM-surfactant arrays approach was highly successful and holds much promise as a novel approach to nano-engineering new materials from structural and functional POM building blocks, as well as forming metastable or unusual POM geometries that may not be obtained by other synthetic methods. The aerosol-assisted self assembly approach is in very preliminary state of investigation, but also shows promise in that structured materials were formed; where the structure was altered by aerosol processing. We will be seeking alternative funding to continue investigating the second synthetic strategy that we have begun to develop during this 1-year project

A novel assay of antimycobacterial activity and phagocytosis by human neutrophils

SummaryDespite abundant evidence that neutrophils arrive early at sites of mycobacterial disease and phagocytose organisms, techniques to assay phagocytosis or killing of mycobacteria by these cells are lacking. Existing assays for measuring the antimycobacterial activity of human leukocytes require cell lysis which introduces new bioactive substances and may be incomplete. They are also time-consuming and carry multiple risks of inaccuracy due to serial dilution and organism clumping. Flow cytometric techniques for measuring phagocytosis of mycobacteria by human cells have failed to adequately address the effects of organism clumping, quenching agents and culture conditions on readouts.Here we present a novel in-tube bioluminescence-based assay of antimycobacterial activity by human neutrophils. The assay yields intuitive results, with improving restriction of mycobacterial bioluminescence as the ratio of cells to organisms increases. We show that lysis of human cells is not required to measure luminescence accurately.We also present a phagocytosis assay in which we have minimised the impact of mycobacterial clumping, investigated the effect of various opsonisation techniques and established the correct usage of trypan blue to identify surface-bound organisms without counting dead cells. The same multiplicity of infection and serum conditions are optimal to demonstrate both internalisation and restriction of mycobacterial growth

An Overview of Deep Geothermal Energy and Its Potential on the Island of Ireland

This paper provides a short overview of geothermal energy, including a discussion on the key geological controls on heat distribution in the subsurface, and on the different types of geothermal resource and their potential uses. We then discuss the island of Ireland as an example of the role that geothermal energy can play in decarbonising the heat sector in a region characterised by relatively low-enthalpy (temperature) resources. Significant shallow geothermal potential exists across the island via the deployment of ground source heat pumps. The geology of onshore Ireland provides relatively limited potential for deep hydrothermal aquifers with primary porosity and permeability. Therefore, deep geothermal exploration on the island is likely to be focused on fractured carbonate reservoirs of Carboniferous age, with recorded groundwater temperatures reaching 38°C at 1 km depth, or on lower permeability petrothermal reservoirs developed as Enhanced or Advanced Geothermal Systems. The exception to this occurs within Mesozoic basins in Northern Ireland where porous and permeable Permo-Triassic sandstones are preserved beneath Paleogene basalts. Geothermal potential also exists in equivalent basins immediately offshore Ireland. For example, Triassic sandstones within the Kish Bank Basin, a few kilometres off the coast of Dublin, have estimated reservoir temperatures of 20–120°C across the basin.Science Foundation IrelandEuropean Commission - European Regional Development Fun

Doubleâ blind, randomized phase 3 trial of lowâ dose 13â cis retinoic acid in the prevention of second primaries in head and neck cancer: Longâ term followâ up of a trial of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Groupâ ACRIN Cancer Research Group (C0590)

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139904/1/cncr30920.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/139904/2/cncr30920_am.pd

Development of an efficient large-aperture high damage-threshold sol-gel diffraction grating.

In order to develop the next generation of high peak intensity lasers, new grating technology providing higher damage thresholds and large apertures is required. The current assumption is that this technical innovation will be multilayer dielectric gratings, wherein the uppermost layer of a thin film mirror is etched to create the desired binary phase grating. A variant of this is explored with the upper grating layer being a lower density gelatin-based volume phase grating in either sol-gel or dichromated gelatin. One key benefit is the elimination of the etching step

Towards a Learning System for University Campuses as Living Labs for Sustainability

Universities, due to their sizeable estates and populations of staff and students, as well as their connections with, and impact within, their local and wider communities, have significant environmental, social and economic impacts. There is a strong movement for universities to become leaders in driving society towards a more sustainable future, through improving the sustainability of the built environment and the universities’ practices and operations, and through their educational, research and wider community engagement missions. Around the globe the concept of ‘Living Labs’ has emerged as an instrument to integrate these different aspects to deliver sustainability improvements, through engaging multiple stakeholders in all of these areas, and through the co-creation of projects to improve the sustainability of the campus environment and operations, and to link these to the education, research, and wider community missions of the institution. This chapter describes a living, shared framework and methodology, the ‘Campus as Living Lab’ learning system, created through global participatory workshops and Living Lab literature, aimed at supporting universities and their Sustainability (Coordinating) Offices in the development and monitoring of Living Lab projects. The framework includes seven categories of supportive data collection and three levels of details to meet different requirements of potential users. The Living Lab framework presented in this chapter, aims to create value and help universities maximise the benefit of Living Lab projects within an institution, support monitoring, reflection and learning from projects, and facilitate communication with stakeholders, and the sharing of practices and learning between peers across the globe. As a living shared, framework and learning system, the framework will adapt and develop over time and within different contexts. To provide feedback and fast (practical) learning from users, the system will be further developed to facilitate transparent peer reviewing