Fabricating Economic Development

Much of the literature, regardless of academic discipline, presents the publication of Economic Development in 1958 as analogous to a “big bang” event in the creation of modern Ireland. However, such a “big bang” perspective misrepresents the sophistication of economic debates prior to Whitaker’s report as well as distorting the interpretation of subsequent developments. This paper reappraises Irish economic thinking before and after the publication of Economic Development. It is argued that an economically “liberal” approach to Keynesianism, such as that favoured by T. K. Whitaker and George O’Brien, lost out in the 1960s to a more interventionist approach: only later did a more liberal approach to macroeconomic policy triumph. The rival approaches to academic economics were in turn linked to wider debates on the influence of religious authorities on Irish higher education. Academic economists were particularly concerned with preserving their intellectual independence and how a shift to planning would keep decisions on resource allocation out of the reach of conservative political and religious leaders.

Intersection schemas as a dataspace integration technique

This paper introduces the concept of Intersection Schemas in the field of heterogeneous data integration and dataspaces. We introduce a technique for incrementally integrating heterogeneous data sources by specifying semantic overlaps between sets of extensional schemas using bidirectional schema transformations, and automatically combining them into a global schema at each iteration of the integration process. We propose an incremental data integration methodology that uses this technique and that aims to reduce the amount of up-front effort required. Such approaches to data integration are often described as pay-as-you-go. A demonstrator of our technique is described, which utilizes a new graphical user tool implemented using the AutoMed heterogeneous data integration system. A case study is also described, and our technique and integration methodology are compared with a classical data integration strategy

Transitioning to adulthood: autism and biological citizenship

The concept of 'Biological Citizens' is one that has increased in popularity in recent literature. Several considerations have been made of it in relation to enhancing our understandings of disability and impairment (Hughes, 2009), specific labels such as bi-polar affective disorder (Rose and Novas, 2005) and autism (Orsini, 2009). In this paper we further explore the concept of 'Biological Citizens' and extend considerations of it to our understandings of autism. We draw on online discussion list exchanges by people with autism, parents of people with autism and professionals working with people with autism in exploring the crafting of communities based on biological and neurological differences. The concept of neurological difference has been a long standing issue for autistic advocates, who frequently draw on neurology as a way of warranting difference between people with autism and ‘neurological typicals’. In doing so clear arguments are presented which serve to position autism as a difference rather than a deficit. In this paper we seek to further explore the concept of biological citizenship for these online groups and what identification with this may mean for young people with autism transitioning to adulthood

Representations of autism: Implications for community healthcare practice

The work presented in this paper is part of a larger project in which online asynchronous discussion groups were employed to examine how a range of contributors - including people with autism, parents of people with autism, and professionals working within the field of autism - view and understand autism. In this paper, we focus on the voices of people with autism. The terminology used in the paper takes its lead from the writings of people with autism, who frequently use the term 'AS' to refer to autistic spectrum and Asperger syndrome and 'NT', which refers to neurologically typical people without autism. We examine a key theme identified in the online discussion groups - the representation of individuals with autism as occupying a separate world of autism. In doing so, we question an apparent goal of therapeutic interventions - to bring people with autism out of their 'separate world' and integrate them into a more typically 'social world'. We present an alternative understanding of autism that argues for valuing diversity and viewing autism as a difference rather than a deficit. We will discuss some of the implications that this may have for working with people with autism in health and social care practice

Kinase Inhibitors of the FMS Receptor for Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor

FMS is the receptor for macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF or CSF-1) and is essential for the differentiation and survival of most macrophages, microglia and osteoclasts Infiltration of macrophages and high levels of M-CSF in serum are associated with poor prognosis in human breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers. Consequently, inhibitors of FMS have considerable therapeutic potential for the treatment of cancer, as well as macrophage-mediated inflammatory disease and bone disorders caused by excessive osteoclastogenesis . Here I report the identification of four clinically advanced small molecule kinase inhibitors which can also target FMS, as shown by various biochemical and cell-based assays. The inhibitors I identified are imatinib, nilotinib, tandutinib and dasatinib (IC50s = 600, 250, 400 and 0.5 nM, respectively), where the IC50 values refer to inhibition of FMS-dependent cell growth. All of these inhibitors effectively inhibited osteoclastogenesis at concentrations expected to be achieved in patients and nilotinib was a particularly potent inhibitor (IC50 = 50 nM) indicating that nilotinib is a strong candidate for treatment of diseases where osteoclasts are over activated such as osteoporosis and osteolytic bone disease. Dasatinib was found to be a potent inhibitor of tumour associated macrophages derived from ovarian tumour ascites (IC50 = 0.5 nM) which is similar to the concentration required to inhibit FMS and within concentrations considered to be achieved in vivo. Using these FMS inhibitors I have also confirmed that the downregulation of the FMS receptor in response to ligand binding is independent of kinase activity and instead requires a structural change in the receptor. Intriguingly, at least two tyrosine autophosphorylation sites of FMS are still phosphorylated in the presence of some of these inhibitors and therefore in the absence of FMS kinase activity. This implies that other kinases may be involved in FMS activation

Mathematical analysis study for radar data processing and enchancement. Part 2: Modeling of propagation path errors

A study is performed under NASA contract to evaluate data from an AN/FPS-16 radar installed for support of flight programs at Dryden Flight Research Facility of NASA Ames Research Center. The purpose of this study is to provide information necessary for improving post-flight data reduction and knowledge of accuracy of derived radar quantities. Tracking data from six flights are analyzed. Noise and bias errors in raw tracking data are determined for each of the flights. A discussion of an altitude bias error during all of the tracking missions is included. This bias error is defined by utilizing pressure altitude measurements made during survey flights. Four separate filtering methods, representative of the most widely used optimal estimation techniques for enhancement of radar tracking data, are analyzed for suitability in processing both real-time and post-mission data. Additional information regarding the radar and its measurements, including typical noise and bias errors in the range and angle measurements, is also presented. This report is in two parts. This is part 2, a discussion of the modeling of propagation path errors

Beta distributions: A computer program for probabilities and fractile points

A beta distribution is specified by range parameters a b, and two shape parameters alpha and beta 0. The computer program presented calculates any desired probability and/or fractile point for specified values of a, b, alpha, and beta. This program additionally computes gamma function values for integer and noninteger arguments

Extreme Mean and Its Applications

Extreme value statistics obtained from normally distributed data are considered. An extreme mean is defined as the mean of p-th probability truncated normal distribution. An unbiased estimate of this extreme mean and its large sample distribution are derived. The distribution of this estimate even for very large samples is found to be nonnormal. Further, as the sample size increases, the variance of the unbiased estimate converges to the Cramer-Rao lower bound. The computer program used to obtain the density and distribution functions of the standardized unbiased estimate, and the confidence intervals of the extreme mean for any data are included for ready application. An example is included to demonstrate the usefulness of extreme mean application

The nature and implications of the part-time employment of secondary school pupils

This paper reports on the results of a review of existing measures of enterprising skills and attitudes. The review was undertaken firstly to identify definitions of enterprising skills and attitudes and secondly to inform the design of the questionnaire of school pupils and of the focused studies. It has been written by Linda Brownlow and Sheila Semple, both members of the research team. This paper is being circulated to advisory group members only at this stage [2004]