An investigation of the effectiveness of interdiction regimes against terrorist attacks in an urban transport hub

This paper examines the effect of varying attack and interdiction strategies, both alone and in combination, in an urban transport hub. Particular attention is paid to the potential disruption to normal commuter services resulting from an intrusive stop and search regime. The work presented here represents a qualitative investigation in that many parameters relating to the details of the interdiction mechanisms are first-order approximations. However, the background against which the investigation is conducted has been constructed to be as realistic as possible. The simulation is performed using our generalised microsimulation framework Simulacron , along with a reper- toire of simulation modules. Changes and additions to these modules required for the present study are de- scribed. The station is modelled using 454 distinct locations, most of which are interconnected to form a directed graph to permit commuter movement. An average of some 8,300 commuters move through the station, outbound and inbound. Figure 1 is a frame from the baseline simulation of the station, generated by a custom post-processing tool and rendered by LightWave, showing commuters and trains. The train schedule is constructed from the real schedule for the 3 rd of June, 2013. It is from this that the commuter population is derived. Five attack strategies (including no attack) are matrixed against four interdiction strategies (including no pro- tection) to produce 20 scenarios. Some key results are presented, along with brief remarks on the remainder. An additional 30 variant scenarios were used to examine a stop and search interdiction strategy. For these scenarios, impact on commuters was inferred from the number of outbound commuters missing their intended train, how long commuters spent waiting in checkpoint queues, and the size of these queues, on average and at peak. Congestion at the search point was also used as an indication of the increased vulnerability resulting from stop and search. Our conclusions from this work are that overt, intrusive protection schemes appear to be more efficacious than passive or covert means. However, the former present their own problems in both disruption to commuter activities and the creation of new potential targets. In the case of stop and search, this takes the form of unacceptable commuter delays and congestion at the checkpoints. As a result of this, the overall interdiction regime must be adjusted to protect the new target. Doing so without introducing additional targets may prove challenging. It seems that the best likely outcome is to redirect the terrorist attack to a softer target

Storytelling and mobile media: narratives for the mobile phone

The mobile phone epitomises the ability of media convergence to promote a synthesis of multiple digital technologies within the body of one portable device. In order to develop a methodology for the design and production of mobile narratives, it is necessary to examine and identify factors that may influence the creative possibilities for artists working in mobile media. The mobile phone is a ubiquitous portable device capable of generating and displaying narrative content in the form of voice communications, text, images and video. It could be said that hybrid devices such as the mobile phone can create hybrid narratives. It is the aim of this exegesis to outline the theories, concepts and artistic practices that inform the design, production and display of narrative content that utilizes the potential of the mobile phone as a tool for storytelling. Over the course of this exegesis I will examine examples of media projects that exploit the creative potential of portable networked media devices. I will also look to contemporary narrative theory, in particular Mieke Bal’s theories on reframing and narrative gaps as a reference point for the design of my mobile phone narratives. A critical reflection on each of my narrative experiments that accompany this exegesis will outline the key concepts and creative strategies employed in the planning and production of my narrative experiments. This research is a contribution towards the existing body of research in the area of developing narratives for mobile media devices and will potentially act as a guide for future research

What is eHealth (6)? Development of a Conceptual Model for eHealth: Qualitative Study with Key Informants

©Tim Shaw, Deborah McGregor, Melissa Brunner, Melanie Keep, Anna Janssen, Stewart Barnet. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 24.10.2017. BACKGROUND: Despite rapid growth in eHealth research, there remains a lack of consistency in defining and using terms related to eHealth. More widely cited definitions provide broad understanding of eHealth but lack sufficient conceptual clarity to operationalize eHealth and enable its implementation in health care practice, research, education, and policy. Definitions that are more detailed are often context or discipline specific, limiting ease of translation of these definitions across the breadth of eHealth perspectives and situations. A conceptual model of eHealth that adequately captures its complexity and potential overlaps is required. This model must also be sufficiently detailed to enable eHealth operationalization and hypothesis testing.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to develop a conceptual practice-based model of eHealth to support health professionals in applying eHealth to their particular professional or discipline contexts.METHODS: We conducted semistructured interviews with key informants (N=25) from organizations involved in health care delivery, research, education, practice, governance, and policy to explore their perspectives on and experiences with eHealth. We used purposeful sampling for maximum diversity. Interviews were coded and thematically analyzed for emergent domains.RESULTS: Thematic analyses revealed 3 prominent but overlapping domains of eHealth: (1) health in our hands (using eHealth technologies to monitor, track, and inform health), (2) interacting for health (using digital technologies to enable health communication among practitioners and between health professionals and clients or patients), and (3) data enabling health (collecting, managing, and using health data). These domains formed a model of eHealth that addresses the need for clear definitions and a taxonomy of eHealth while acknowledging the fluidity of this area and the strengths of initiatives that span multiple eHealth domains.CONCLUSIONS: This model extends current understanding of eHealth by providing clearly defined domains of eHealth while highlighting the benefits of using digital technologies in ways that cross several domains. It provides the depth of perspectives and examples of eHealth use that are lacking in previous research. On the basis of this model, we suggest that eHealth initiatives that are most impactful would include elements from all 3 domains

Characterisation of ATP-dependent Mur ligases involved in the biogenesis of cell wall peptidoglycan in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

ATP-dependent Mur ligases (Mur synthetases) play essential roles in the biosynthesis of cell wall peptidoglycan (PG) as they catalyze the ligation of key amino acid residues to the stem peptide at the expense of ATP hydrolysis, thus representing potential targets for antibacterial drug discovery. In this study we characterized the division/cell wall (dcw) operon and identified a promoter driving the co-transcription of mur synthetases along with key cell division genes such as ftsQ and ftsW. Furthermore, we have extended our previous investigations of MurE to MurC, MurD and MurF synthetases from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Functional analyses of the pure recombinant enzymes revealed that the presence of divalent cations is an absolute requirement for their activities. We also observed that higher concentrations of ATP and UDP-sugar substrates were inhibitory for the activities of all Mur synthetases suggesting stringent control of the cytoplasmic steps of the peptidoglycan biosynthetic pathway. In line with the previous findings on the regulation of mycobacterial MurD and corynebacterial MurC synthetases via phosphorylation, we found that all of the Mur synthetases interacted with the Ser/Thr protein kinases, PknA and PknB. In addition, we critically analyzed the interaction network of all of the Mur synthetases with proteins involved in cell division and cell wall PG biosynthesis to re-evaluate the importance of these key enzymes as novel therapeutic targets in anti-tubercular drug discovery

Sustainable Features of McKinney ISD Elementary School

Students planning to attend McKinney Independent School District's newest 70,000 square foot elementary school when it opens in the fall of 2000 are in for a special treat. In addition to standard elementary school curriculum, students will have the unique opportunity to study wind and solar energy, feed their frogs and take care of the school's water habitat, learn in classrooms illuminated by the sun rather than electric light, water their bean plants (which they keep in the school's greenhouse) with harvested rainwater, and check the weather at the campus weather station. This project was named by the American Institute of Architects to the Earth Day Top 10 List for Environmentally Responsible Design Projects in the nation Sustainable design is environmentally sensitive architecture and engineering - the ability to meet today's needs without compromising the resources available to future generations. Environmental conservation is only one of the reasons to consider sustainable design. Studies are showing that the various environmental benefits of sustainable design also benefit our children in the classroom. Another major element of sustainable design is called "Eco Education", a concept that incorporates the sustainable school into the curriculum so that students can understand its design and how it impacts the environment. It's a tremendous teaching tool for students to learn about environmental conservation. Harvesting rainwater is a perfect example. By collecting rainwater from the roof of the building and channeling it to one of six on-campus storage tanks, . enough water can be collected to flush toilets and water the grounds. Other elements of sustainable design include site planning and landscape management; the use of recycled building materials; solar systems; wind energy; geothermal energy (using the Earth's natural energy to heat and cool the building), energy recovery, and high energy efficiency. The primary goal of sustainable design is to protect a site's existing environment. As much as possible, we need to understand and maximize the natural conditions of a new project's site and incorporate its features into the overall design. That's what sustainability is all about. The purpose of this paper is to present the specific sustainable features of the McKinney ISD Elementary School and the process of integrating sustainability criteria in all phases of the school's life cycl

Peptide transporter 2 (PEPT2) expression in brain protects against 5-aminolevulinic acid neurotoxicity

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/65903/1/j.1471-4159.2007.04905.x.pd

An eHealth capabilities framework for graduates and health professionals: Mixed-methods study

© Melissa Brunner, Deborah McGregor, Melanie Keep, Anna Janssen, Heiko Spallek, Deleana Quinn, Aaron Jones, Emma Tseris, Wilson Yeung, Leanne Togher, Annette Solman, Tim Shaw. Background: The demand for an eHealth-ready and adaptable workforce is placing increasing pressure on universities to deliver eHealth education. At present, eHealth education is largely focused on components of eHealth rather than considering a curriculum-wide approach. Objective: This study aimed to develop a framework that could be used to guide health curriculum design based on current evidence, and stakeholder perceptions of eHealth capabilities expected of tertiary health graduates. Methods: A 3-phase, mixed-methods approach incorporated the results of a literature review, focus groups, and a Delphi process to develop a framework of eHealth capability statements. Results: Participants (N=39) with expertise or experience in eHealth education, practice, or policy provided feedback on the proposed framework, and following the fourth iteration of this process, consensus was achieved. The final framework consisted of 4 higher-level capability statements that describe the learning outcomes expected of university graduates across the domains of (1) digital health technologies, systems, and policies; (2) clinical practice; (3) data analysis and knowledge creation; and (4) technology implementation and codesign. Across the capability statements are 40 performance cues that provide examples of how these capabilities might be demonstrated. Conclusions: The results of this study inform a cross-faculty eHealth curriculum that aligns with workforce expectations. There is a need for educational curriculum to reinforce existing eHealth capabilities, adapt existing capabilities to make them transferable to novel eHealth contexts, and introduce new learning opportunities for interactions with technologies within education and practice encounters. As such, the capability framework developed may assist in the application of eHealth by emerging and existing health care professionals. Future research needs to explore the potential for integration of findings into workforce development programs

A Conceptual Measurement Model for eHealth Readiness: a Team Based Perspective.

Despite the shift towards collaborative healthcare and the increase in the use of eHealth technologies, there does not currently exist a model for the measurement of eHealth readiness in interdisciplinary healthcare teams. This research aims to address this gap in the literature through the development of a three phase methodology incorporating qualitative and quantitative methods. We propose a conceptual measurement model consisting of operationalized themes affecting readiness across four factors: (i) Organizational Capabilities, (ii) Team Capabilities, (iii) Patient Capabilities, and (iv) Technology Capabilities. The creation of this model will allow for the measurement of the readiness of interdisciplinary healthcare teams to use eHealth technologies to improve patient outcomes

Single step syntheses of (1S)-aryl-tetrahydroisoquinolines by norcoclaurine synthases

The 1-aryl-tetrahydroisoquinoline (1-aryl-THIQ) moiety is found in many biologically active molecules. Single enantiomer chemical syntheses are challenging and although some biocatalytic routes have been reported, the substrate scope is limited to certain structural motifs. The enzyme norcoclaurine synthase (NCS), involved in plant alkaloid biosynthesis, has been shown to perform stereoselective Pictet–Spengler reactions between dopamine and several carbonyl substrates. Here, benzaldehydes are explored as substrates and found to be accepted by both wild-type and mutant constructs of NCS. In particular, the variant M97V gives a range of (1 S)-aryl-THIQs in high yields (48–99%) and e.e.s (79–95%). A co-crystallised structure of the M97V variant with an active site reaction intermediate analogue is also obtained with the ligand in a pre-cyclisation conformation, consistent with (1 S)-THIQs formation. Selected THIQs are then used with catechol O-methyltransferases with exceptional regioselectivity. This work demonstrates valuable biocatalytic approaches to a range of (1 S)-THIQs

The Changing Face of Youth Employment in Europe

This article examines trends in youth employment across the EU-15 countries during 2002-6 and 2007-11. Drawing upon microdata from the EU-Labour Force Survey it examines changes in contract-type, hours worked and occupation by level of education. Although the financial crisis creates a discontinuity in numbers employed, and despite certain country specificities, we observe common structural changes across the two periods. We find an increasing shift from permanent full-time to temporary part-time contracts, the ‘hollowing out’ of traditional mid-skill level occupations and evidence of ‘occupational filtering down’ whereby the higher-educated are substituted for the lower-educated in low-skilled occupations. We observe some growth in ‘professionals’ following the crisis, but little evidence of the rise of a new knowledge economy. This raises questions concerning the most appropriate policy approaches to education and training and labour market regulation if European nations are to provide high-quality employment opportunities for their young people