Development of a biomechanically validated turf testing rig

The aim of this study was to develop an artificial turf testing rig that applied biomechanically validated vertical, shear and torque loads to the surface. Results of initial testing on 3rd generation artificial turf and natural grass soccer pitches are presented

A horizon scanning system for identifying new telehealth innovations

The paper presents the development of a new horizon scanning tool to identify recent innovations in telehealth technologies; specifically, those that are relevant to the care and management of long-term conditions (LTCs). It also discusses the issues regarding matching appropriate technologies with relevant applications

Content Based Retrieval and Navigation of Music

Contents 1 Introduction ................................................... 3 2 Literature Review .............................................. 4 2.1 Navigation ............................................... 4 2.2 Navigation of audio ........................................ 4 2.3 Contentrepresentations ..................................... 5 2.3.1 The musical score ................................... 6 2.3.2 Performance data .................................... 6 2.3.3 Musical pitch contours ................................ 6 2.3.4 Alternative representations ............................ 7 2.3.5 The Fourier transform ................................ 7 2.4 Content based retrieval ..................................... 8 2.4.1 Retrieval of digital audio samples ....................... 8 2.4.2 Query by humming .................................. 8 2.4.3 Lemstrm and Laine ................................. 9 2.4.4 Image matching techni

The use of eye-gaze data in the evaluation of assistive technology software for older people.

This paper reports on recent work undertaking usability study of a software-based assistive technology. The software was developed to support increased opportunities and interactions for people in residential nursing homes and extra-care housing. The objective of the project was to allow older people and those with early onset of dementia to have access to some of the functionality of modern computers. The software could also have applications in other markets, such as schools and for older people living at home. The intention is to provide opportunities for active participation and facilitate more access to hobbies, interests, past-times and to develop and maintain social networks. The complex interface of modern computers otherwise often excludes people from access to digital media including video and internet telephony, games and activities, information and resources on the internet and other facilities that may be useful to them if presented in a different way.The study presented is being carried out in 3 residential homes with 20 participants. Eye-gaze recording was a key element of the usability testing. The study methodology was designed to provide feedback towards the design of the software and to better understand the use of computers by this target group. This paper presents the results of the first stage of the usability study, in particular the paper concentrates on the use of the eye-gaze data. The design of the sessions allowed participants to explore the system independently and then to complete some pre-defined tasks. The users' interaction with the computer was recorded through video, audio, screen and eye-gaze recording as well as a data-log of the physical and eye interaction. The process of acquiring eye-gaze data with this fairly non-typical cohort is examined and the value of this data in contributing to the design of this software is explored

Impartial comparative analysis of measurement of leukocyte telomere length/DNA content by Southern blots and qPCR.

Telomere length/DNA content has been measured in epidemiological/clinical settings with the goal of testing a host of hypotheses related to the biology of human aging, but often the conclusions of these studies have been inconsistent. These inconsistencies may stem from various reasons, including the use of different telomere length measurement techniques. Here, we report the first impartial evaluation of measurements of leukocyte telomere length by Southern blot of the terminal restriction fragments and quantitative PCR (qPCR) of telomere DNA content, expressed as the ratio of telomeric product (T)/single copy gene (S) product. Blind measurements on the same samples from 50 donors were performed in two independent laboratories on two different occasions. Both the qPCR and Southern blots displayed highly reproducible results as shown by r values > 0.9 for the correlations between results obtained by either method on two occasions. The inter-assay CV measurement for the qPCR was 6.45%, while that of the Southern blots was 1.74%. The relation between the results generated by Southern blots versus those generated by qPCR deviated from linearity. We discuss the ramifications of these findings with regard to measurements of telomere length/DNA content in epidemiological/clinical circumstances

Learning Communities in Fraternity/Sorority Housing

The purpose of this study was to examine the degree to which members living in fraternity/sorority housing experienced learning outcomes associated with living in a residential learning community. Additionally, the study explored differences in the degree to which selected learning outcomes were achieved by members of fraternities compared to members of sororities. Data were collected by administering the Learning Communities Assessment (Turrentine, 2001) to members living in fraternity and sorority houses at a major research institution in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. Respondents characterized their fraternity/sorority living experience as an important living community, but not as a learning community

Sequential Transphosphorylation of the BRI1/BAK1 Receptor Kinase Complex Impacts Early Events in Brassinosteroid Signaling

SummaryBrassinosteroids (BRs) regulate plant development through a signal transduction pathway involving the BRI1 and BAK1 transmembrane receptor kinases. The detailed molecular mechanisms of phosphorylation, kinase activation, and oligomerization of the BRI1/BAK1 complex in response to BRs are uncertain. We demonstrate that BR-dependent activation of BRI1 precedes association with BAK1 in planta, and that BRI1 positively regulates BAK1 phosphorylation levels in vivo. BRI1 transphosphorylates BAK1 in vitro on specific kinase-domain residues critical for BAK1 function. BAK1 also transphosphorylates BRI1, thereby quantitatively increasing BRI1 kinase activity toward a specific substrate. We propose a sequential transphosphorylation model in which BRI1 controls signaling specificity by direct BR binding followed by substrate phosphorylation. The coreceptor BAK1 is then activated by BRI1-dependent transphosphorylation and subsequently enhances signaling output through reciprocal BRI1 transphosphorylation. This model suggests both conservation and distinct differences between the molecular mechanisms regulating phosphorylation-dependent kinase activation in plant and animal receptor kinases