1,231 research outputs found
Embryonic Stem Cell Research Controversy: Focus on the Private Sector and International Sphere
Despite its tremendous potential for curing various maladies, embryonic stem cell research has not received full funding support from the federal government due-to intense ethical debate surrounding the status of embryos. While the United States has been busy grappling with ethical issues, the private sector and the rest of the world have been making significant progress without stringent government oversight. This Note demonstrates the likely consequences of current federal and state regulations in the U.S. regarding stem cell research and the need for adequate safeguards. Because withholding government funds from stem cell research does not eliminate moral and ethical objections, the U.S. should use federal funding to regulate the private sector and achieve faster and more efficient progress. Federal funding provides a solution for potential abuse in the unregulated privately funded research and a way to keep up with the rest of the world while ethically regulating stem cell research
Satisfaction Among International Student-Athletes Who Participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association
The number of international student-athletes participating in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has nearly doubled from 8,945 in 2001–02 to 16,440 in 2007–08 (DeHass, 2009). As a result of such dramatic growth in the number of student-athletes participating in NCAA athletics, it is important to understand the level of satisfaction among this group. Determining whether athletes are satisfied with their experience may aid in recruiting future international athletes as well as potentially leading to higher retention and graduation rates. Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore the level of satisfaction (academic and athletic) among international student-athletes who participate in NCAA Division I-Football Bowl Subdivision athletics. Data analysis revealed that international student-athletes are satisfied with the dimensions measuring satisfaction, including academic support services, personal treatment, team social contribution and medical support. In addition, male athletes are more satisfied with external agents (i.e., media, the local and university community) than female athletes. These findings will not only help coaches and administrators better understand international student-athletes’ academic and athletic experience in the United States, but will also contribute to their understanding of the factors leading to an increased level of satisfaction. Providing the best possible environment to achieve high level of satisfaction ultimately will lead to a better performance on and off the field (Zhang, DeMichele & Connaughton, 2004)
Self-healing of concrete cracks by the release of embedded water repellent agents and corrosion inhibitors to reduce the risk for reinforcement corrosion
From the worldwide steel production, approximately 50 per cent is required to replace
corroded steel [1]. In the case of reinforced concrete structures, corrosion of the reinforcement steel
causes crack formation and spalling which leads to serviceability problems. Especially when small
cracks are already present in the cementitious matrix in combination with aggressive ions present
within the environment, a high risk for corrosion exists. Therefore, regular inspection, maintenance
and crack repair are insurmountable for concrete structures. However, costs related to repair works
mount up as not only the direct costs of the repair but also the indirect costs resulting from traffic
jams and possible loss in productivity need to be taken into account. Self-repair of concrete cracks
will have a high economic benefit as the indirect costs as well as a part of the direct costs can be
avoided. In addition, it is assumed that self-repair will lead to more durable concrete structures as
the risk for reinforcement corrosion may be decreased.
The possibility to implement self-healing properties in concrete has been investigated for several
years now. One of the studied self-healing approaches relies on the use of encapsulated healing
agents which are embedded in the matrix. When cracks appear, the capsules break and the healing
agent is released in the crack, causing crack repair. In previous research [2, 3] it was shown that by
using this approach, part of the mechanical properties and the water tightness of cracks was
restored. In this study we investigate whether by encapsulation and embedment of a water repellent
agent (WRA) and/or a corrosion inhibitor (CI), we can reduce the risk for reinforcement corrosion.
A selection of WRA and/or CI were encapsulated and embedded inside reinforced concrete beams
which were cracked to trigger the self-healing mechanism. By electrochemical measurements it was
shown that the risk for reinforcement corrosion was reduced in comparison to untreated cracks
when the cracked beams, containing encapsulated WRA and/or CI, were exposed to a chloride
solution
2001-2002 Master Class - Yfrah Neaman (Violin)
https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_masterclasses/1170/thumbnail.jp
2003-2004 Master Class - Elmar Oliveira (Violin)
https://spiral.lynn.edu/conservatory_masterclasses/1149/thumbnail.jp
Analysis of chromosomal radiosensitivity of healthy BRCA2 mutation carriers and non-carriers in BRCA families with the G2 micronucleus assay
Breast cancer risk drastically increases in individuals with a heterozygous germline BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, while it is estimated to equal the population risk for relatives without the familial mutation (non-carriers). The aim of the present study was to use a G2 phase-specific micronucleus assay to investigate whether lymphocytes of healthy BRCA2 mutation carriers are characterized by increased radiosensitivity compared to controls without a family history of breast/ovarian cancer and how this relates to healthy non-carrier relatives. BRCA2 is active in homologous recombination, a DNA damage repair pathway, specifically active in the late S/G2 phase of the cell cycle. We found a significantly increased radiosensitivity in a cohort of healthy BRCA2 mutation carriers compared to individuals without a familial history of breast cancer (P=0.046; Mann-Whitney U test). At the individual level, 50% of healthy BRCA2 mutation carriers showed a radiosensitive phenotype (radiosensitivity score of 1 or 2), whereas 83% of the controls showed no radiosensitivity (P=0.038; one-tailed Fisher's exact test). An odds ratio of 5 (95% CI, 1.07-23.47) indicated an association between the BRCA2 mutation and radiosensitivity in healthy mutation carriers. These results indicate the need for the gentle use of ionizing radiation for either diagnostic or therapeutic use in BRCA2 mutation carriers. We detected no increased radiosensitivity in the non-carrier relatives
Koopman-Hopf Hamilton-Jacobi Reachability and Control
The Hopf formula for Hamilton-Jacobi Reachability analysis has been proposed
for solving viscosity solutions of high-dimensional differential games as a
space-parallelizeable method. In exchange, however, a complex, potentially
non-convex optimization problem must be solved, limiting its application to
linear time-varying systems. With the intent of solving Hamilton-Jacobi
backwards reachable sets (BRS) and their corresponding online controllers, we
pair the Hopf solution with Koopman theory, which can linearize
high-dimensional nonlinear systems. We find that this is a viable method for
approximating the BRS and performs better than local linearizations.
Furthermore, we construct a Koopman-Hopf controller for robustly driving a
10-dimensional, nonlinear, stochastic, glycolysis model and find that it
significantly out-competes both stochastic and game-theoretic Koopman-based
model predictive controllers against stochastic disturbance
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