EPISTATIC REGULATORY MECHANISMS OF CORONARY HEART DISEASE RISK

PROJECT NARRATIVE The proposed research is relevant to public health, by identifying the common gene-gene regulatory mechanisms underlying coronary heart disease risk. These findings are expected to enhance our understanding of the key drivers of coronary atherosclerosis in human populations and ultimately lead to better prediction and therapeutic strategies. Thus, the proposed work is relevant to the part of NIH's mission that pertains to developing fundamental knowledge to reduce the burdens of complex human disease.


A unified approach to real-time specification, verification, and analysis: finite models and beyond

Software verification is more or less an empirical process in today's industrial practice: Tests are applied to software in the hope that these tests cover most of the functionality and thus discover most (but certainly not all) of the bugs. Another approach is conformance testing (our interest): A piece of software is checked against a formal model (the specification) in a fully automated (and efficient) manner. In a first variant (model checking), the specification consists in a logical formula, which is checked against the implementation; in a second variant (model-based testing) the specification takes an algebraic form and is then compared with the implementation either directly or via systematic test suites.

   We note that the way we express the specification takes either a logical, or an algebraic, but never a mixed form. However, a mixed approach is often the best way to go in practice. We plan to continue recent work to unify the two variants, and so to induce practical applications of mixed specifications in the area of real-time systems (systems in which correctness implies not only correct output but also correct timing of the output).

   We also note that current conformance testing methods are based on finite state techniques. This is adequate for verification of hardware and communication protocols, but less so for complex application software. A second direction of our research is thus the investigation of conformance testing with context-free techniques.

   Real-time systems are ubiquitous nowadays, from traffic light controllers to the fly-by-wire systems found in all the commercial airliners. Often their misbehavior leads to loss of property and/or life. Our investigation into finite-state real-time conformance testing will ease the adoption of such techniques in industry; this will eventually lead to more and more robust implementations of often critical computing systems.  Our investigation of context-free conformance testing will extend the above benefits to a wider range of software systems; our research has the potential of eventually eliminating the dreaded Blue Screen of Death from our desktop machines and - most importantly - from critical computing systems.

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


TRHの呼吸刺激作用機序の解明と呼吸不全治療薬としての可能性の検討

Principal Investigator：田中 宏, Project Period (FY)：1989, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：麻酔学

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


A proving study on the betterment of evaluation of university classes

The economy of our country was growing every year for 50 years after the war, and consequently the Japanese society has grown rich and has many values. Recently, 50 percent of eighteen-year-old men and women go on to college. But many of them has lost their interest in higher education. The class of college have to change better in order to carry out it's role.There are many opinions about the improvement of classes in college. We decided to use the methods which students join a class actively. The following classes were put into practice in our study.1)The class which is changed from simultaneous lesson to group lessons.2)The class in which students carry out teacher' s role3)The class which make use of student' s evaluations for improvementThese classes were supported by many students. But we think this study is the first step for improving classes in college

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)


The Role of Executive Functions on Musical Ability in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

In this study, we investigate whether the relationship between executive functions and musical ability observed in typically developing children is found in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Impairments in executive functions is a common characteristic of ASD. It can translate into difficulty with planning and organizing behaviours as well as poor mental flexibility.Musical training has been associated with increased executive functions in typically developing children. However, the relationship between musical ability and executive functions in ASD has not yet been investigated. The first step to answer this question is to assess whether the relationship between executive functions and musical ability differs between children with typical development and children with ASD. Individuals with ASD tend to possess a strong interest for music, and as such music could be a good intervention tool for children with ASD. The study includes a group of 35 high-functioning participants with ASD and a comparison group of 35 typically developing children ranging from 6 to 12 years old. Participants will complete a musical ability task and tests of executive functions. Analysis will examine the relationship between the two groups' performance. There is an imminent need to provide better services to improve the mental health of children living with ASD. Findings hold the potential of revealing that a strength-based intervention with music could alter the course of executive function deficits in ASD.

Master's Award: Canada Graduate Scholarships


The Role of Exosome Heparanase and miRNAs as Biomarkers for Myeloma

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The purpose of this study is to identify what effect heparanase, a potent tumor regulator, has on microRNAs in the blood. These relationships are important and can be used independently and in combination as biomarkers to  predict, classify, manage and treat myeloma. The knowledge gained from this study may help us to lower the risk  of morbidity and mortality in high-risk populations.


GENES FOR CARDIAC ION CHANNELS: STRUCTURE AND EXPRESSION


インドITセクターの人類学的研究:コンピュータテクノロジーに伴う文化的動態の解明

本研究は、先端テクノロジーとりわけ情報処理機械(コンピュータ)を中核とする科学技術の発展とその社会的受容のプロセスを、文化人類学と科学技術社会論の方法論を接合することによって解明することを目的とする。本年度前半は調査・分析の方法論的の精緻化を目標として文献精読を中心に理論的研究を行いながら、その成果を国際シンポジウム発表や雑誌論文にまとめた。まず、情報技術の進展を踏まえた人文・社会科学的方法論の刷新を目指すというテーマで開かれた国際シンポジウム「Robot Anthropology : Emergent technologies and questions of human sciences」(2012年8月3日、ドイツ・ビューレフェルド大学)において、情報処理機械が生活空間において作動する際に現れる様々な問題について人間科学と計算機科学の軌跡を重ね合わせながら分析した論考を発表しだ。次に、昨年度までのインドIT産業に関する現地調査および関連文献の精読をもとにして、インド南部バンガロールのIT企業で働く人々(ITワーカー)の生活空間の多層化をめぐる諸現象を検討した論考「文化をのりこなす-インド南部バンガロールにおけるITワーカーの人類学的分析をめぐる試論」をまとめ、学会誌『文化人類学』に投稿し掲載された。本年度後半には、昨年度に引き続きインドに渡航し、バンガロールと首都デリーにおいて調査を行った。IT企業で働く人々を対象にインタビュー調査を行うとともに、IT企業で働く若者たちの日常生活についての参与観察を行った。また、IT技術を通じて農村部における教育環境の改善をめざすNGOのコンサルタントとして働く元IT企業CEOや、ビハール州農村部(バトナ近郊)の建設業に転身した元ITワーカーなどを訪問して聞き取りを行った。こうした調査を通して、現代インド社会の重要な特徴となりつつある都市部と農村部の相互作用の活性化(および両者の変容)を促進する媒体の一つとしてIT技術の浸透を捉えるという新たな分析視角を得た。


Conference Program for Young Minority Scientists


Kombiniertes TieftemperaturRastertunnel und Rasterkraftmikroskop

Keine Zusammenfassung vorhanden


Zur Lebenswelt islamistischer Journalistinnen in der Türkei


Oxidative Coupling in Natural Product Synthesis


Dynamical Evolution of Globular Clusters and Galactic Nuclei

Understanding the dynamical evolution of dense stellar systems,                 such as globular clusters and galactic nuclei, is one of the most               fundamental problems of gravitational astrophysics.  Substantial                progress towards this goal has been made in recent years as a                   result of both theoretical and observational advances.  Frequent                star-star gravitational interactions cause a profound evolution                 of the overall structure of these systems on astrophysically                    interesting time scales.  Powerful computer simulation methods                  have firmly established the inevitable evolution of globular                    clusters of stars toward the collapse of the core of the cluster.               The advent of new observing instrumentation and the ability to                  achieve high angular resolution from ground based observatories                 have both led to significant advances in the observational study                of globular clusters and galactic nuclei.                                                                                Drs. Cohn, Lugger, and Durisen, at the University of Indiana,                   have undertaken a major research effort to extend our                           understanding of stellar cluster evolution.  Supercomputers have                become an essential tool in this investigation.  Globular                       clusters provide an excellent laboratory for observational tests                of the stellar dynamical theory that underlies this group's                     models of normal and active galactic nuclei.  The wealth of                     observational data on the structure of globular clusters and                    galactic nuclei that is being acquired by this group and others                 provides a firm basis for the theoretical modeling.


Empirical study on Authentic inclusive physical education

In this research, we explored the way of physical education in diversity inclusion. Based on differences such as disability, gender difference, physical ability difference, skill gap, age gap, etc., we reconstructed the way of physical education that learns sports and health cooperatively. Practical research has revealed the following. (1) The foundation is to foster a learning atmosphere in which all learners mutually accept “differences”. (2) A learning design that allows all learners to be absorbed in the essence of sports is required. The "adaptation game" was effective in making all learners addicted to sports. The "adaptation game" is a game in which all students work together to generate handy rules that can exert their full potential.

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)


No summary - Aucun sommaire

Industrial Undergraduate Student Research Awards


Race-related alternative splicing: novel targets in prostate cancer

African American men are two times more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer than white men and are three times more likely to die from prostate cancer than white men. Our proposed work focuses on understanding the biological differences between African American and white prostate cancer and how to modulate these differences to treat aggressive prostate cancer. Ultimately, this will reduce the disproportionate burden from prostate cancer among African Americans and improve clinical outcomes for men of all races with aggressive prostate cancer.


Doctoral Dissertation Research: On the Formation and Transformation of Collective Memory in Family Conversations

ABSTRACT
William Hirts/Alexandru Cuc - 0236764
Why do families, colleagues, and even nations come to remember the past in the same way?  How do initially discrepant memories come to converge on a single rendering of the past?  Will everyday conversations change people's memories so that a collective memory emerges?  And why do some memories spread across a group, while others remain localized or disappear?  With NSF support, under the supervision of Dr. William Hirst, Alex Cuc addresses these critical issues for the study of collective memory, focusing on the formation of collective memories in families.
To a large extent, researchers have failed to examine the effect of social structure on memory, concentrating on universal mental mechanisms that serve as the foundation for mnemonic processing.  Mr. Cuc innovatively explores the interaction between these well-understood mental mechanisms and the less understood dynamics of conversation as he articulates the conditions under which collective memories are formed through conversation.  The intellectual merits of the project stem primarily from the fresh insights Mr. Cuc offers about this interaction and the rigorous methodology he develops to chart this interaction.
Broader impacts of the project include a better understanding of the formation of collective memories, not just of families, but of any group, including nations.  This understanding serves as a foundation for exploring in the future the way collective memories support group identity, be it family identity or national identity.


THE PROGRAM SERVES WOMEN IN THE NORTH SLOPE ALASKA REGION WITHIN THE ARTIC CIRCLE


BildaktForschung. Geschichte, Technik und Theorie des Bildaktes

Am Anfang war das Bild. Zahlreiche Religionen und Philosophien haben diesen Umstand, der für alle sprachbetonte Erkenntnis ein Skandalon darstellt, negiert, verdrängt oder in der These neutralisiert, dass Bilder lediglich Abbilder, Zeichen oder Spiegel sind. Sie haben demzufolge nur einen abgeleiteten Status, sie sind Stellvertreter ohne Eigenaktivität. Die Kolleg- Forschergruppe hat dagegen eine fundamentale Revision des Bildbegriffes zum Ziel, da sie zeigen will, dass Bilder als Objekte immer auch miterzeugen, was sie darstellen. Dies bedeutet, dass Bilder nicht passiv wiedergeben, sondern kognitiv und emotional aktivieren. Aus diesem Grund ist der Begriff der "Illustration" radikal in Frage zu stellen. Was für die sprachdominierte Theorie bisher undenkbar war, wird durch die aktuelle Bildpraxis selbst mit Macht vorangetrieben: Bildgebende Verfahren in den Wissenschaften, wie beispielsweise Gehirnscans, sind keine "Illustrationen", sondern Untersuchungsinstrumente, welche die Phänomene mitproduzieren, die sie darstellen.Philosophie und Kunstgeschichte befassen sich seit ihrer Gründung mit Bildtheorien. Neue Forschungen auf dem Gebiet der Kognitionswissenschaften, die die Wichtigkeit von Verkörperung für kognitive Prozesse thematisieren, können heute alte Annahmen über Bilder empirisch belegen oder widerlegen. Die Bildakttheorie bleibt ohne Theorie der Verkörperung ohne Physis, denn sie setzt analog zu Sprechakten einen Bildproduzenten und Empfänger voraus sowie die dynamische Realität eines Bildobjektes. Die übergeordneten Bereiche des Kollegs für Bildakt-Forschung sind daher transmedial gewählt und durchdenken zentrale Sphären sowohl der Kunstgeschichte wie auch der philosophischen Erkenntnis grundsätzlich neu.


Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada


OBESITY AND POSTMENOPAUSAL BREAST CANCER RISK:  DETERMINING THE ROLE OF GROWTH FACTOR-INDUCED AROMATASE EXPRESSION

MILITARY MEDICAL RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT


BIOPHYSICAL CHANNEL MODELS OF ASSOCIATIVE LEARNING


New generation steels for aluminium die casting

Purpose and goal:
The new knowledge of soldering resistance of selected grade(s) of new powder metallurgy and conventional tool steel grades made by Uddeholms AB and gain knowledge on influence of alloying elements on the anti-soldering properties was obtained. Based on the project findings, an approach to alloying of new tool steel grade(a) with enhanced anti-soldering characteristics satisfying increased demands of die-casting industries was successfully developed.

Expected results and effects:
The project resulted in gaining new knowledge on how microstructure would affect tendency to soldering of modern advanced tool steels. The understanding of thermochemical interaction of tool steel with molten aluminum is important to predict soldering phenomenon. Based on the project findings, new tool steel grade(a) was developed. The new grade will be further tested (application as a Materialbasetad konkurrenskraft 2014-verification project) to show advantages for aluminum die casting industry.

Approach and implementation:
The project was done in collaboration between Karlstad University and R&D department of Uddeholms AB accordingly to planned schedule. The soldering tests were done at KAU and then electron microscopy was done at KAU and Uddeholms AB. The tests and examinations were dedicated to evaluate thickness of intermetallic layer, number and phase constitution of intermetallic layers, total corrosive wear. Obtained results were discussed in several current meetings and planned to be published as a journal or conference article.


Oral sex and oral cancer: does pleasure need caution? - taking place on October 30,and November 20, 2008 at UBC Robson Square

Policy on Provision of Financial Support for Workshops, Conferences, Symposia and Colloquia


ポリペプチド高次構造の人工組織化によるポルフィリン-ペプチド系超構造の構築

天然タンパク質は、ポリペプチド鎖により形成された3次元構造中、ヘムやクロロフィルなどの機能性原子団を配向固定化し、光合成、電子輸送やプロトン輸送など人工系では類をみないほど高効率に機能を発現している。この生体系における高機能を模倣し、人工新機能に応用するにはポリペプチド素構造とヘム(ポルフィリン)などとの人工組織化により達成されるポリペプチド3次元超構造を構築する必要がある。本研究では、α-ヘリックス超2次構造アセンブリによるポルフィリン機能の生体系に迫るあるいは生体系を超える高次元化を行うことを目標とする。ポルフィリン-ペプチド超構造体形成を目的とし、両親媒性α-ヘリックス上に2つのMn-ポルフィリンを化学結合により固定化した分子を設計・合成した。本ペプチドは、水溶液中において分子内部の疎水性相互作用により高度にポルフィリンを配向固定化した立体構造を形成した。さらにこのペプチド-ポルフィリン複合体はヘリックス鎖20本からなる超構造体を形成していた。光集光タンパク質のヘリックス-クロロフィル超構造とも関連し、ペプチド-ポルフィリンアセンブリ体として光機能材料応用など興味深い。また本ペプチド-ポルフィリン複合体を分子内スルフィド基を利用し、金電極表面への固定化を行った。Mn-ポルフィリンの可逆的電気化学応答を観測できた。さらに、ポルフィリンの代わりにフラビン機能団を結合したペプチド構造体も設計合成し、フラビン分子に依存した電気化学特性の発現にも成功した。これら機能性ペプチド修飾電極はフェリシアンイオンやシトクロームcなど溶液分子へのベクトル電子移動能を有しており、ポリペプチド系電気化学センサへの応用も期待される。

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas


Power Optimised Ship for Environment with Electric Innovative Designs ON board

The electric ship concept offers many benefits; among other aspects if offers flexibility of control and effectiveness of power transmission. But predominantly it enables higher energy conversion efficiency by ensuring that prime movers are effectively loaded at all times and across all operating conditions. This dominating advantage cannot be matched by mechanical transmission systems because gearboxes offer little chance of integrating a high number of prime movers in the restricted space of a ship whereas this integration is straight forward when managed electrically. Thus the electric ship concept offers reduced emissions through improved efficiency of engine operation but critically it offers significant reduced emissions during the critical phase of entry to littoral water when with speed generally reduced engines in a mechanical systems become very lightly loaded.

It is proposed to enhance the electric ship concept so it suits a wider range of vessels than currently. The principal barrier to adoption of the electric ship concept in merchant ships is the size of the equipment. However if size reductions can be achieved then adopting the electric ship concept in a wider range of merchant ships will, as described above, reduce emissions and improve the impact on global warming. Overall this impact will be significant given the current and anticipated levels of global trade and the proportion to be moved by sea transport.

This challenging ambition, to enable the adoption of the electric ship concept in a wider range of merchant ships, will demand the development of new technologies across all of marine electrical engineering:

1.  High Temperature Superconductivity (HTS): This is a technology that allows smaller principal electrical components and an increase in efficiency.

2.  Wireless monitoring:  This provides simpler internal control communication and enables the adoption of more advanced control regimes (as offered by the electrification of propulsion).

3.  Harbour Shore Electrical Supplies: Running lightly loaded generators in harbour - as is commonly the practice among merchant ship operators - threatens the environment in a sensitive zone. The lack of any propulsion load prevents loading the generators more effectively. The answer is to supply the ship with electricity from shore connections. This does not need technological innovation but the widespread adoption of shore supplies demands standardisation among connectors and mode of electrical supply that has yet to be investigated.

4.  Electrical actuation: This is a technology which aims to replace mechanically actuated auxiliaries by using direct electrical actuators and reduces size, cost, maintenance and improves efficiency

The benefits of these proposed innovations will be tested by developing designs for specific ship types: multi-purpose, cruise and container. The integration process will be composed of 6 steps:

1  Ship mission

2  Energy consumers

3  Draft design

4  Performance simulations

5  Final design

6  Environmental impact.

To reduce costs only the design for the multi-purpose ship will be taken through all the six steps. The remaining 2 ship types will only be taken through steps 1 to 3.

Finally, the innovative HTSC technology will be demonstrated in a land demonstrator, scaled as much as possible to reduce costs, while retaining relevance of the demonstration to full scale implementation. This demonstrator will include: the propulsion system, including an HTSC propulsion motor and its power converter, a DC distribution system with innovative protection and an HTSC segment, and various auxiliary loads.


Analysis of the gastric mucus as a host factor for the Helicobacter pylori infection.

In order to examine the role of the gastric mucus on Helicobacter pylori (Hp) infection, the following studies have been performed.1. Binding of human gastric mucins with Hp was assayed with the surface plasmon biosensors. The results indicated that Hp bound strongly to the gastric mucins obtained from the corpus compared to those from the antrum.2. A novel anti-mucin monoclonal antibody (mAb), designated RGM23, was developed and characterized. The histochemical and biochemical studies showed that RGM23 recognized the peptide moiety of MUC5AC mucin present in the surface mucosa of the stomach. Combined use of RGM23 and HIK1083, which recognize the mucin present in the glandular mucosa, may permit to get the surface and glandular mucins separately. This may enable to reveal a role of each mucin for Hp infection.3. To determine the mucin oligosaccharides recognized by Hp, binding assay methods were developed. Intact oligosaccharides were obtained from the mucins by gas-phase hydrazynolysis and then converted to neoglycolipid. After the neoglycolipids were separated by thin-layer chromatography, their mass were determined by MALDI-TOF-MS. Hp bind to oligosaccharides on TLC plates, thus enabling to determine structure of the oligosaccharides recognized by Hp.


MOdular Spacecraft Assembly and Reconfiguration

Since commercial exploitation of satellites was endeavored more than 50 years ago (Telstar 1 in 1962), commercial use of space became a huge and very much strategic market, reaching ~50 billion of USD in 2004, and in the range of 256 billion of USD in 2013 (OECD global estimates, 2014).
Fierce competition is to be expected in the worldwide space industry to obtain major shares of the key commercial space segments.

Offering cost effective, performant, reliable, scalable and flexible solutions will be essential to make the European space industry spearheading strategic segments of the commercial space. The development of novel, European technologies that would allow standardizing satellites components, facilitating their assembly, reducing time between customer’s orders and commissioning in space, repairing and upgrading components directly in orbit instead of replacing entirely a deprecated or damaged satellite, would provide extremely valuable competitive assets to establish European leadership in a number of key commercial space segments.

Leveraging the outcomes of the Space Robotics Technologies SRC building blocks (from Call 1 / OG1,2,3,4,5), this proposal (MOSAR) aims to develop, integrate and demonstrate such technologies required to enable a fundamental shift of paradigm with satellites (and more widely spacecrafts) manufacturing and commercial space exploitation.

As a key driver, MOSAR intends to leverage know-how and standards already available in the European space industry for satellites  (small / nano sats in particular), to facilitate the uptake of project results by future customers. Key representatives of that industry are part of the consortium.


MECHANISMS OF SITE-SPECIFIC RECOMBINATION


Summer Institute in Modern Physics for College  Teachers


FAMILY STUDY OF NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL RISK FOR ALCOHOLISM


Spectroscopic Studies of C-H and C-C Bond Activation by Transition Metal and Metal Oxide Cations

The Experimental Physical Chemistry Program supports the research of Professor Ricardo Metz and his students at the University of Massachusetts. Metz will study the spectroscopy and dynamics of the intermediates, reactants and products of reactions in which C-C and C-H bonds are activated by transition metal and metal oxide cations. Electronic spectroscopy will characterize excited electronic states, while infrared (IR) spectroscopy will probe bonding and vibrations in the ground electronic states of the ions. IR spectra are obtained by using a laser to excite a vibration in the molecule; a second laser then selectively photodissociates the vibrationally excited molecules.  Alternatively, molecules tagged with a weakly bound spectator molecule photodissociate after absorbing an infrared photon. As a reaction proceeds from reactants to products, it forms several intermediates (e.g., entrance channel complexes, insertion intermediates, and exit channel complexes).  By studying the structure and bonding of these intermediates, Metz and his students will be able to characterize the detailed mechanism for the reaction. Specific reactions to be studied include the conversion of methane to methanol by metal oxides, the conversion of methane to larger hydrocarbons, and the activation of larger hydrocarbons by metal atoms and clusters.  Photoelectron spectra of neutral metal oxides, obtained at the Advanced Light Source, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, will characterize intermediates inaccessible by optical methods. Detailed electronic structure calculations will complement the experiments.

Improved catalysts are needed to make optimal use of limited energy resources, and fundamental studies of C-H and C-C bond activation aid in this effort by expanding our understanding of the mechanisms of metal-based catalysis.  The project also provides graduate students and postdoctoral researchers with extensive training in experimental and computational physical chemistry.


DYSREGULATION OF GSH SYNTHESIS DURING LIVER INJURY AND FIBROSIS

Glutathione (GSH) is a key intracellular antioxidant that also modulates diverse critical cellular processes such as inflammatory and fibrogenic responses. Patients with chronic liver diseases have low hepatic GSH levels that up to now have mostly been attributed to nutritional deficiency and oxidative stress. Our data suggest that a key reason for the low GSH level is lower expression of the genes involved in GSH synthesis. This can further contribute to liver injury by lowering the anti-oxidant defense, allowing inflammatory cytokines to be released and fibrosis to progress. The goal of this project is to understand why the expression of these genes fall during these injuries and to examine how two hepatoprotective agents, ursodeoxycholic acid and S- adenosylmethionine, prevent this fall. The hope is that we will gain novel insights to help develop strategies to treat many of these liver diseases where effective treatment is still largely unavailable.


PHYSIOLOGIC LOADING FOR CARTILAGE TISSUE ENGINEERING


Measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters using Bayesian Markov Chain Monte Carlo at T2K

Neutrinos are the most abundant matter particle in the Universe, but very little is known about them as they only interact weakly. For a long time it had been assumed that neutrinos would be massless, but since roughly 20 years, there has been mounting evidence that the different kind of neutrinos can transform themselves from one flavour to another. The discovery of this is process called neutrino oscillations as they go forth and back between the different flavours was awarded with the Nobel Prize in Physics in 2015, which was awarded to Takaaki Kajita and Arthur B. McDonald using the SuperKamiokande and SNO experiments respectively.

While these experiments were using natural not very well understood neutrino sources, T2K experiment has gone a step further. I beam of muon neutrinos is produced in a controlled environment at the J-PARC accelerator centre on the east coast of Japan and is directed to the SuperKamiokande detector. The beam is measured twice, once in a near detector 280m away from the neutrino production target before the neutrinos could change and once with the SuperKamiokande detector 300 km downstream. Comparing the measurements of both detectors allows a precision determination of the oscillation parameters. Furthermore, T2K has made these measurements with both neutrinos and anti-neutrinos and this lead to some first indications that the oscillations are not the same and thus violate the CP-Symmetry. This means that matter and anti-matter do not behave the same and may eventually help to explain the matter anti-matter asymmetry of the universe, which is entirely matter dominated.

The thesis will be performed as part of the international T2K collaboration, which has around 500 members from around the globe. The aim of the thesis is to improve the measurement of the parameters governing neutrino oscillations by taking additional data to reduce the statistical uncertainty and, equally important, to reduce the systematic uncertainties of the measurement.

The student will use one of the T2K Oscillation analysis teams and develop new methods that better treat the systematic errors or reduces them and apply these to existing and new data sets. The methods will need to be carefully verified and the results compared to those of alternative analysis teams. It is likely that a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach will be used to find optima in a highly dimensional parameter space. This has not yet been done using the near detector data and would allow for a more consistent treatment of correlated and uncorrelated uncertainties and a simultaneous fit to the near and far detector data leading to an improved sensitivity to CP-violating effects.

Science and Technology Facilities Council


The longitudinal changes regarding the level of depression among family caregivers who looked after community dwelling older people with disabilities

The present study aimed to i) elucidate longitudinal changes regarding the level of depression among family caregivers who looked after community dwelling older people with disabilities; and ii) investigate factors which may cause the above-described depression and/or factors which may alleviate depression. It has been revealed that the level of depression did not change, i.e., the trait model; and that the family caregiver’s self-rated health and kinship may be factors which cause and alleviate the caregiver’s depression respectively.

National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology


Complex versus Essential Autism: A Developmental Study of Risk

PROJECT NARRATIVE This prospective, longitudinal study tracks very low birthweight (VLBW, n=100) infants, high-risk infant siblings of children with ASD (HR-Sibs, n=100), and low-risk typically developing children (LR, n=100), from 6- to 36- months of age in order to understand how different risk factors for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) unfold over early development. We extend promising eye tracking and EEG tasks that have been shown to differentiate HR-Sibs who go on to develop ASD from those who do not in order to generate new insights into their specificity, active ingredients, and potential to act as biomarkers for ASD. This work will thereby advance our understanding of developmental trajectories of risk associated with ASD, elucidate mechanisms underlying later emergence of core autism features, and help to test and refine the sensitivity and specificity of putative early neurobehavioral and neurocognitive biomarkers for ASD.


回転翼列を用いた翼列の高周波域非定常特性の研究

Principal Investigator：田中 周治, Project Period (FY)：1976, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：Fluid engineering


The role of PAS kinase in beta-cell function


MENTAL RETARDATION--DESCRIPTION AND TREATMENT OF ADHD


13th International Symposium on solid oxide fuel cells

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN)


Mechanisms of activation/deactivation of the Raf-1 kinase. Identification of a mitogen-activated kinase which phosphorylates Raf on a negative regulatory residue

RAF INACTIVATION; PROLIFERATION; RAF-INACTIVATING KINASE; TRANSFORMATION; ONCOGENES; SERINE/THEONINE KINASES


Teaching Lab - to pilot a model for how to reimagine education employing AI in innovative settings, including summer school and after-school programs.


Tracking Atmospheric and Vegetation Change Across Cenomanian-Turonian Oceanic Anoxic Event II

This award supports a multidisciplinary paleobotanical and biogeochemical study that will link marine and terrestrial records of a Mesozoic ocean anoxic event (OAE).  These geologically brief (600-800 kyr) episodes of enhanced organic carbon burial took place mainly during a time of peak greenhouse warming in the Cretaceous.  It has been suggested that some of them caused perturbations in the carbon cycle large enough to impact atmospheric CO2 at levels comparable to, or greater than glacial scale oscillations.  Yet the history of atmospheric CO2 before, during, and after an OAE has never been directly evaluated using a terrestrial pCO2 proxy.  This project will investigate the links between changes in the biogeochemical cycling of carbon, regional climatic change, and regional scale changes in plant biodiversity and ecology associated with the Cenomanian-Turonian (C-T, +-94 Ma) OAE II in the Western Interior basin of North America.  Three main interrelated hypotheses will be tested: (1) was enhanced marine organic carbon production, burial, and preservation during OAE II initiated as a feedback of the marine system to increased concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide for a period of time before onset of the event? (2) Did enhanced marine carbon burial and preservation, as indicated by a significant positive isotopic excursion in marine carbonate and organic carbon, result in a draw down of atmospheric carbon dioxide? and (3) Did fluctuations in atmospheric CO2 before and during OAE II cause global climatic shifts which, in turn, resulted in landscape scale shifts in the dominance/diversity structure of terrestrial plant communities?  Did these changes play any role in the rise of the angiosperms?

These hypotheses will be tested by examining the rate and magnitude of change in atmospheric paleo-pCO2 (using the stomatal index-pCO2 proxy) and regional mean annual temperature (using leaf margin analysis) on dispersed plant cuticle and macrofloras respectively, collected mainly from marginal marine sections of the Dakota and Straight Cliffs Formations of southwestern Utah.  Timing the changes in pCO2 and temperature relative to marine carbon burial will be possible due to detailed correlation of the terrestrial sections to the C-T stratotype in offshore marine facies of Colorado, where a high resolution temporal framework has been established.  An online archive of modern cuticle morphotypes developed as part of this project will be used to distinguish dispersed fossil cuticles throughout the C-T interval.  Paleoecological analyses of the dispersed cuticle record will be used to track regional vegetation dynamics in response to CO2 and climatic fluctuations throughout the C-T interval.  The broader impacts of the project include scientific contributions to basic research on a subject of great societal relevance (understanding relationships between carbon cycle events and climate change), training of future geoscientists, and dissemination of results through innovative teaching initiatives.  Two key innovations that distinguish the project are a contribution to geoinformatics via development of an online digital database for cuticle and macrofloral material, and a substantive effort to engage under-represented groups in geoscience through weekend enrichment classes (called Project Excite).


Checking Assumptions aND promoting responsibility In smart Development projects

This project will study aspects of the 'smart' agenda in which practitioners from the Social and Human Sciences (SSH) offer unique and valuable insights of relevance to innovators and researchers in the ICT - LEIT[1] areas. Centred on topics concerning of users, design, digital rights and critical infrastructures, CANDID will engage SSH and ICT - LEIT researchers in ‘extended peer communications’ aiming at Responsible Innovation.

H2020 LEIT Information and Communication Technologies


Do grassroots community groupings play any role in reducing HIV/AIDS stigma? An investigation of the impact of social capital in stigma in eastern Zimbabwe.

HIV/AIDS stigma is a key driver of HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, impeding prevention, care and treatment. Reference is increasingly made to the need to encourage 'community participation' in stigma-reduction interventions. However understandings of what forms such participation should take are still in their infancy, as are debates about what constitutes an 'AIDS-competent community context' (i.e a social environment that supports people in making optimal use of AIDS programmes). Preliminary research in South Africa and Zimbabwe suggests that certain forms of participation in local community groups (e.g. women's groups, sports clubs) are associated with reduced levels of HIV/AIDS amongst group members. However much remains to be learned about the pathways between group participation and HIV-avoidance. The proposed research explores one potential pathway: the possibility that community groups provide safe 'social spaces' for group members to engage in dialogue and debate about the taboo topic of HIV/AIDS. Such discussions provide people with opportunities to 'translate' alien medical information into concrete action plans which they are able to implement in their own lives (e.g. safer sex; accessing appropriate AIDS-support services). The associated reduction of ignorance and fear mean that group participants are less likely to stigmatise people with HIV/AIDS, and HIV-positive group members are less likely to be vulnerable to the negative effects of stigma. The associated reduction of stigma means that people are more likely to access prevention, care and treatment services - reducing the likelihood of infection of HIV-free group members, and prolonging the lives of HIV-positive ones.

HCPC Masters Research Training Fellowship

London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)


Varieties of Continental Thought and Religion

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

Aid to Research Workshops and Conferences in Canada


Research Participation for College Teachers-Summer Phase


Disordering by Diffusion of Impurities in InGaAs/AlGa/GaAs Multiple Layrs and Its Application to Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Micro Lasers

Conventional surface emitting laser is usually fabricated by mesa etching to reduce threshold current, and the electrode is formed on the part of the light emitting surface. These difficulties to integrate electrical elemental devices such as FETs and also reduce the area of the laser, which is not desirable for high density integration OEIC and 2 dimensional laser array monolithic chips.In the study, a novel structure based on TJS planar laser formed on semi-insulating substrate are proposed for the planar micro surface emitting laser fabricated by impurity disordering in superlattices. The main results obtained are as follows.(1) A novel structure for a planar micro surface emitting laser : The laser structure has lateral conducting n and p layrs, which is inserted between GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs strained quantum well layrs and AlAs/GaAs DBR multiple reflector layrs in the TJS laser structure. Carrier injection is uniform in the quantum wells which overcomes the Joule heating due to high se…Moreries resistance through hetero barriers of AlGaAs/GaAs multiple reflectors as found in conventional structures.(2) Fabrication of the layr structure of the laser by MBE with water cooling method : The layr structure of the laser is strained single quantum well GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs sandwiched with 24 AlAs/GaAs quarter wavelength DBRs, which are formed by computer controlled MBE system with water cooling (not using liquid nitrogen cooling as in conventional one). A high efficient 0.98 mum photoluminescence for 8nm thick In_<0.2>Ga_<0.8>As is observed at room temperatire comparable with those of MOCVD growth.(3) Diffusion of Si and Zn under As pressure : Zn and Si are chosen as the impurities for disordering of the superlattices. The films for diffusion are deposited on wafers by electron beam from SiO_2 contained Zn or pure Si. After deposition, the wafers are annealed at 600 C for Zn and 850 C for Si diffusion. It is found that Si diffusion is enhanced under As pressure in an evacuated quartz tube, and the diffusion depth is 4mum for 20 hr at 850C.(4) Doping of conducting p and n GaAs layrs : n type conducting layrs by Si dopant and p type consuction layrs by Be doping are grown by the MBE,and the electron mobility exceed 2000 cm^2/V・s for typical donor conncenntration of 7x10^<17> cm^<-3> with the background other impurities less than 1x10^<17> cm^<-3>. Hole mobilities of Be-doping wafers are almost coincident with those of p-doping level between 10^<18> and 5x10^<18> cm^<-3>. These results show that the wafers will be used for lasers with carrier injection level of 10^<18> cm^<-3> or more.(5) Disordering of superlattices : Wafers with (24 AlAs/GaAs DBR) / (p-GaAs conducting layr) / (GaAs/InGaAs/GaAs strained double quantum wells) / (n conducting GaAs layr) / (5-10 AlAs/GaAs DBR), for micro laser structure are grown by the MBE with a computer controlled system successfully. Si bas been diffused under As pressure at 850C for 20 hr in an evaquated quartz tube, which followed by Zn diffusion at 600C for 4 hr using SiN films for diffusion masks. Both Si and Zn disordering have been observed by SEM,which are conirmed to be applied for fabrication of planar micro surface emitting laser with low threshold.Less

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


Houston-Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation:Senior Alliance

The Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program, within the Division of Human Resource Development (HRD), was established by Congressional mandate in 1991 to significantly increase the quality and quantity of students historically underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) who successfully complete baccalaureate degrees in STEM and who continue to graduate studies in these fields. The Houston alliance is a comprehensive partnership that includes the country's largest school districts, two community college systems, one doctoral-granting Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and two Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs).

As a senior-level alliance, H-LSAMP will support new efforts in student transition, student support mechanisms for non-traditional students, the inclusion of social support mechanisms to facilitate STEM retention, and the institutionalization of high-impact practices developed during earlier LSAMP funding.  Over the five-year project, Houston LSAMP Senior Alliance will: (1) Graduate 4,000 minority students in STEM disciplines, 2) Provide all directly supported students with the opportunity to participate in research activities, 3) Have at least sixty percent of directly supported students attend professional or graduate school, 4) Retain at least eighty percent of minority STEM undergraduates, including transfer students, in STEM majors. Upon completion of the award period, the H-LSAMP project will have provided the opportunity for all supported students to meaningfully participate in research activities, including international research.

Evaluation activities will have three major components. 1) Interviews of participants, staff, and faculty to identify in real time which intervention activities need adjustment, i.e., formative feedback, as well as assess both the measured and perceived impact of project-based activities; 2) Gathering, analyzing, and reporting specific measures that operationalize each project goal or objective; and 3) The use of multivariate models isolating and measuring how the specific intervention strategies and support mechanisms relate to success. Construction of these models will be guided by the literature on academic and social integration, engagement, and achievement, and will draw upon appropriate statistical techniques, e.g., factor analysis and structural equation modeling. The results of these analyses will contribute to the literature on broadening participation and achievement in STEM and serve as a guide for other universities and alliances who share these goals.


Coeficientes de digestibilidade e valoers energeticos de alguns alimentos para suinos.

Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios (APTA). Instituto de Zootecnia


FATE OF AS, SE AND HG IN A PASSIVE INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR TREATMENT OF FOSSIL PLANT WASTEWATER


SIV NEF GENE AND CELLULAR ACTIVATION AND INFECTION


Das Proteom der Chinolindegradation bei Pseudomonas putida 86.

Pseudomonas putida 86 verwertet Chinolin als einzige C- und Energiequelle. Die Chinolin-2-Oxidoreduktase (Qor), ein Enzym der Xanthinoxidase-Familie mit Molybdän-Pyranopterin-Cytosin-Dinucleotid-Cofaktor (Mo-MCD) und weiteren Redoxzentren, leitet den Abbau ein. Der Stamm enthält auch eine Xanthin-Dehydrogenase (XDH) mit Molybdän-Pyranopterin-Cofaktor (Mo-MPT). Die Sequenz der qor-Gene und flankierender Bereiche ist bekannt (17 kb). Es soll untersucht werden, welche der postulierten Gene dieser Bereiche der Induktion der Transkription durch Chinolin unterliegen. Durch Insertionsmutagenese von Genen des Genclusters soll geprüft werden, welche Genprodukte am Abbauweg und am "assembly" funktioneller Qor und/oder XDH beteiligt sind. Ein hypothetisches Gen "mocA" codiert möglicherweise die (bisher nicht nachgewiesene) Mo-MCD-Synthase, die die Umsetzung von Mo-MPT zu Mo-MCD katalysiert. Es soll geprüft werden, ob die heterologe Co-Expression von "mocA" und Strukturgenen einer Mo-haltigen Hydroxylase die Synthese funktionellen Mo-MCD-haltigen Enzyms erlaubt. Das Proteom Chinolin-induzierter Zellen von P. putida 86 soll mittels 2D-Elektrophorese analysiert werden; die NH2-Termini ausgewählter Proteine werden bestimmt, um daraus Oligonucleotid-Sonden abzuleiten. Die Gene dieser Proteine sollen kloniert und sequenziert werden. Ziel ist die Erfassung von Genen/Enzymen der Chinolindegradation, um ein Verständnis des Abbauweges zu erarbeiten.


Resource for Quantitative Functional MRI


Wen Kui Wang | Institute of Physics/Chinese Academy of Sciences - China

As atividades a serem desenvolvidas pelo Professor visitante serão dentro do projeto curso temático FAPESP ""Transformações de Fases em Nano-estruturas e Desenvolvimento de Nano-compósitos Cerâmicos e Metálicos"". Especificamente o Prof. Wang ministrará um de curta duração dentro de nosso Programa de Pós-graduação, de 15 horas, sobre o tema ""Metastable Materials"", discutirá com os pesquisadores principais e alunos de mestrado e doutorado os trabalhos em desenvolvimento dentro da temática ""Materiais Nanocristalinos"" e proferirá uma palestra em uma outra universidade, sobre tema de sua especialidade. (AU)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Auxílio à Pesquisa - Pesquisador Visitante - Internacional

Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Centro de Ciências Exatas e de Tecnologia (CCET)


Evidence-based practices (EBPs) for outpatient adolescent drug treatment are available, but are not widely used due to various implementation challenges. In addition, drug treatment providers educate clients about HIV and make referrals for HIV testing, but evidence-based HIV prevention intervention is not integrated with drug treatment services. Several strategies for implementing evidence-based drug treatment and HIV prevention in juvenile drug court programs in Mississippi will be tested, the results of which will have implications for EBP implementation in other resource poor settings.


Functional impact of IL33 polymorphisms on asthma & other Th2-mediated diseases

We will investigate the biological function of interleukin-33 (IL33), one of the most replicated candidate genes for asthma emanating from three genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Our multidisciplinary approach integrates proteomics, genetics, lung biology, and the development of an IL33 humanized mouse model. We will explore the dual function of IL33 in the pathogenesis of both asthma and resistance to schistosomiasis.


Electronic Structure of Transition Metal Ions


Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center


The effect of bone marrow transplantation on the sickle cell kidney disease

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF DIABETES AND DIGESTIVE AND KIDNEY DISEASES


GRANTS TO STATES - MH DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS - UT


Contribution of neurogliaform cells to signal flow in the barrel cortex during whisking behaviour

The barrel cortex is the part of rodent primary somatosensory cortex which is responsible for the tactile representation of whiskers. It is recognized as a key model system for understanding fundamental aspects of active sensory processing and more generally investigations into this cortical area have already provided a large amount of information about the basic architecture of cortical microcircuits.
A considerable amount of information has been gathered about barrel cortex microcircuits from in vitro brain slice experiments, which forms a basis for understanding the differential roles of the various classes of excitatory and inhibitory neurons. However, we know much less about how these cells function in awake behaving animals. Recent improvements of the whole-cell patch-clamp recording technique make it possible to record from neurons in the cerebral cortex of anaesthetized and awake animals
Neurogliaform cells appear to play a unique role in cortical microcircuits. A single firing of a neurogliaform cell can activate both postsynaptic and presynaptic GABA-B and extrasynaptic GABA-A receptors residing outside the synaptic clefts. This gives to these cells the capacitiy of evoking long lasting inhibition of dendritic origin in the overwhelming majority of neighbouring neurons, besides the capacity of suppressing overall synaptic transmission in vicinity of them.
My first research objective is to carry out dual in vivo whole-cell patch-clamp recordings from identified neurogliaform cells and from other neighbouring cells in layer 2/3 of barrel cortex of awake behaving animals and subsequently in order to investigate the consequences of synchronized activity of neighbouring neurogliaform cells on the operation of barrel cortex microcircuits, My second research objective is to manipulate them by optogenetical techinques through viral expression of channelrhodopsin 2 and halorhodopsin.

ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNE


Interdisciplinary Studies for Mechanisms Underlying Social Isolation-Induced Health Critical Behavior Changes

Project Narrative Chronic social isolation induces detrimental health effects by altering health-critical behaviors. In this proposed study, we plan to elucidate the genetic, molecular, and cellular pathways underlying the timekeeping mechanisms during chronic social isolation and investigate how chronic social isolation alters metabolism. The study will provide novel insights into social isolation, chronic stress, timekeeping mechanisms, fundamental behaviors, and metabolism at the intersection of genetics, biological timing, and molecular biology.


Schmieden von gratlosen Hohlbauteilen aus Aluminium mit großen Hinterschneidungen

Die Forderung nach leichten Bauteilen bei günstigen Herstellkosten führt zur Leichtbauweise. Die Verwendung von Hohlstrukturen bietet dabei aufgrund hoher Steifigkeit bei minimalem Gewicht besondere Potenziale. Da das Innenhochdruckformen lediglich geringe Aufweitverhältnisse bei dünnen Wandstärken erlaubt und die Verfahren Gießen und Thixoformen zu Einschränkungen hinsichtlich der Festigkeitskennwerte führen, bieten sich geschmiedete Konstruktionsbauteile aufgrund hervorragender mechanischer Festigkeitseigenschaften und des günstigen FestigkeitsMasse Verhältnisses für den Leichtbau an. Ziel des Vorhabens ist es, die Grundlagen für das Schmieden von gratlosen und hohlen Leichtbauteilen aus Aluminium mit großen Hinterschneidungen zu erarbeiten, um das Produktspektrum umformtechnisch herstellbarer Leichtbauteile um dickwandige Hohlbauteile zu erweitern. Das Verfahren basiert auf dem Präzisionsschmiedeprinzip. Anstelle von Massivmaterial werden Hohlstrukturen eingesetzt. Der durch den Hohlraum fehlende Kernwerkstoff wird durch ein Wirkmedium ersetzt. Dieses wird nach der Formgebung entfernt und gibt somit den Hohlraum frei. Durch das Eindringen von Umformstempeln sind maximale Aufweitungen herstellbar. Aufbauend auf FEM-Untersuchungen soll durch experimentelle Untersuchungen die technische Machbarkeit des Verfahrens nachgewiesen und die Prozessgrenzen wie maximale Aufarbeitung und maximal aufweitbare Bauteilwandstärken ermittelt werden.


BASIC RESEARCH FOR AOARD 104033 'BIOLOGICAL AND NANO-TECHNOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS OF ARTIFICIAL DNAS MADE EXCLUSIVELY OF NONNATURAL C-NUCLEOSIDES WITH

AIR FORCE DEFENSE RESEARCH SCIENCES PROGRAM


Seattle Quant: A Resource for the Skyline Software Ecosystem


Mechanisms of HIV-1 Resistance to Entry Inhibitors


A year-long mentoring intervention supporting coaches' intentional teaching of life skills

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada


Mechanism of photoreceptor cell degeneration in animal models of retinal diseases

Project Narrative: This proposal is designed to further our understanding of the role of Rds in outer segment morphogenesis and maintenance. Mutations in the Rds gene lead to a variety of debilitating retinal disorders. Our studies will extend our fundamental knowledge of Rds and other molecules involved in normal disc membrane morphogenesis and turnover processes, both steps are essential for normal vision but poorly understood. Also, our work will provide a basis for understanding how different mutations in the Rds gene can result in diverse retinal diseases. We will employ different genetically modified mouse models to test our main hypothesis that in rods, Rds plays an important role in rod rim outer segment morphogenesis and closure of the disc rim while in cones, Rds is only necessary for the evagination step of the lamellae formation. We also hypothesize that the differential behavior of Rds in rods vs. cones is a function of differences in Rds-associated protein partners and in this application we propose to identify these partners and test their functional role in normal and diseased retinas.

UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR


RNA Processing Pathways in Eukaryotic Cells

Requirements for accurate and efficient processing are common                   to the transcripts of all classes of eukaryotic genes.  The                     organization and control of eukaryotic RNA processing pathways                  are the subjects of this research.  The contributions of                        selectivity, kinetics and compartmentation to TRNA processing are               being examined in this proposal.  Splicing and nuclear transport                are being studied as examples of key steps in a well-defined                    processing pathway. Our prior analyses of the properties of the                 yeast splicing complex assembly suggested both selectivity and                  compartmentation may contribute to ordering.  Using nuclear                     microinjection of Xenopus oocytes it has been previously noted                  that tRNA nuclear transport is selective, requires prior splicing               and transport, define kinetic parameters for export, and analyze                compartmentation via multifunctional enzymes and the formation of               stable complexes.  Experimental approaches include: (1)                         Expression of yeast ligase-dihydrofolate reductase fusion                       proteins in E. coli to examine structure/function relationships                 in this multifunctional protein; (2) Microinjection of pre-tRNA                 and other labeled macromolecules in Xenopus oocytes to examine                  the requirements for nuclear transport; and (3) Analysis of                     Xenopus tRNA splicing and processing both in vivo and in vitro.


Statistical Applied Mathematics student withdrew before research stage of PhD - project TBC 24/25

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council


Mitochondria-ER interplay: a key step in the cause of Alzheimer´s disease?

The metabolism of glucose, calcium, lipids and cholesterol is impaired in Alzheimer´s disease (AD). These processes are all controlled in mitochondria associated membranes (MAM). MAM is a specialized region of ER-membranes connected to mitochondria and crucial for their function. Our hypothesis is that dysfunction in the MAM-mitochondria region initiates impairment of mitochondrial function followed by synapse loss and neuronal degeneration typical of AD. Our proposal includes studies of protein expression and mRNA levels of known MAM genes as well as subcellular localization of MAM proteins in AD models. Protein complexes linking MAM and mitochondria is identified by mass spectrometry. MAM-mitochondria contacts is disrupted by siRNA knock-down and the effects on spine density, mitochondrial function and apoptosis studied. A special focus will be on caspase activation and amyloid-β peptide production. In order to develop efficient drugs for treatment of AD it is of great importance to understand the underlying mechanisms causing neuronal dysfunction. This proposal aims to increase our knowledge about MAM-mitochondria interactions in brain. Disruption of MAM-mitochondria contacts may be a key step in the cascade of events leading to cell death. Therefore the proposed studies will largely contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms whereby neurons die in AD. Our experimental design allows identification of new targets for treatment of this devastating disorder.


The formation of solar prominences: flows and twists in magnetic flux tubes

This project develops a new analytical and numerical modelling framework for studying the role of plasma flows in forming twists in magnetic flux tubes. Twisted magnetic flux tubes are common structural features in the solar atmosphere, the largest of which are prominences. The formation mechanism of these structures is still an open question, and this project will explore the role of plasma flows in inducing twisted magnetic structures. Furthermore, the degree of twisting can lead to instability and subsequent eruption. Understanding these prominence eruptions is key to understanding the birth of space weather events near the Sun.

Science and Technology Facilities Council


Targeting Family Behaviors to Improve Diabetes Management among Adults with Type 2 Diabetes

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Mobile health technology holds promise for delivering intervention content to adults with diabetes and low socioeconomic status and their family members. This K01 award will allow the candidate to gain expertise in leveraging technology to deliver family-focused intervention content to improve the social context in which adults perform diabetes self-care and in evaluating intervention effects on patients' diabetes outcomes.


Research Experiences for Undergraduates in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

9322232  Winter  This award provides funds to Thomas Jefferson University to establish an REU Site that  will enable talented undergraduate students between their junior and senior years to  participate in biochemical/molecular biology research and in a series of classroom  experiences.  The overall goal is to foster an understanding and appreciation of what  biochemists and molecular biologists do.  The result will be an increase in the pool of  talented and motivated students who intend to pursue careers in biological  research.  ***


Understanding Northern Sustainability Debates:  The Politicization of Science in Natural Resource Policymaking in the Canadian and American Circumpolar North

The proposed political science research is to examine the intersection between science and public policy in the Arctic.  The proposed research will gather data on two issues: oil/gas development and salmon fisheries in order to analyze the role of science in policy advocacy in regional and transboundary policy systems.  Working in Alaska and Canada and basing their work on an advocacy coalition model, the research will deepen the understanding of the influence of science advocacy on public policy in the arena of natural resource development.


Improving Post-Diagnosis Dementia Care in Primary Care

PROJECT NARRATIVE Timely management of dementia remains a challenge for primary care providers despite their central role in the care of patients with dementia. The goal of this proposal is to adapt and implement a practical intervention to facilitate high quality, comprehensive post-diagnosis care for dementia in traditional primary care settings. The proposal will support the career development of Dr. Halima Amjad who aims to develop practical patient- and clinician-centered strategies to improve the care of older adults with dementia.


No summary - Aucun sommaire

Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada


A molecular informed therapy for Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG)

Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Gliomas (DIPG) are incurable pediatric high grade brain tumors. This disease is characterized by highly recurrent lysine-to-methionine mutation on the histone H3 genes (H3K27M) that causes alteration in chromatin regulation. The goal of this project is to understand the H3K27M induced chromatin alteration that lead to DIPG in order to formulate a molecular informed therapeutic strategy.


Kinematic Evolution of the Scotia Ridge, Antarctica and     Southernmost South America:  A Study of Orogenic Processes  at Convergent Plate Margins


Local Division of Labor and Factor Productivity

This proposal consists of two projects that extend theoretically and empirically the PI's previous work on increasing returns and local factor productivity. The research uses variants of the familiar division-of-labor models, which are now standard in trade, development, and growth to estimate the importance of external economies through increased local specialization.  The first project tests the effect of factor supplies on relative wages directly using panel data from the PSID.  The local division-of-labor model suggests a relationship between factor supplies and factor returns that is observationally distinct from alternative model specifications. New theoretical work shows that this relationship is observationally distinct from the Heckscher-Ohlin model and a model in which scale economies in education do not have a sectoral bias, as in Miyagiwa, 1991. Thus we test the local division-of-labor model against theoretical alternatives.  The second project is an estimation and analysis of state-level total factor productivity.  The theoretical model suggests that states with greater variety in intermediate inputs should have higher TFP. The basic model suggests a particular relationship between TFP and this characteristic of the local economic base. The first task of this project is to calculate TFP indices across industries and states. In doing so we follow procedures similar to those used by Harrigan (1996) to calculate TFP indices across countries. The second task of the project is to estimate the relationship of these indices to characteristics of the local base. Among the characteristics we consider are descriptors of the manufacturing base, the local service sector, and local relative supplies of human capital. An important aspect of this project is the development of additional measures of `local diversity,` estimating the correlation of these measures to TFP.


Le concept d'être entre-les-mondes de Mariana Ortega comme outil pour enrichir la description phénoménologique du racisme dans l'oeuvre de Frantz Fanon


Purchase of an Infrared Spectrophotometer and Circular  Dichroism Attachment for a Spectropolarimeter


Travel Support for Minority Students Attending Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) Annual Meetings for Years 2015, 2016, and 2017

This grant provides funding for underrepresented minority graduate students to attend the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) annual meetings for years 2015, 2016, and 2017. The students supported by this grant will either be engaged in the doctoral colloquium of the education forum of INFORMS or presenting a technical talk at the conference. Hence, the students will acquire necessary professional development skills to become an integral part of the operations research and management science profession. In addition, the experience gained through the professional development, the presentation of research, and the interaction with senior professionals in the field will positively affect the students' persistence to obtain a doctoral degree and practice in the field.

If successful, the efforts supported by this grant will increase the number and diversity of operations research professionals. Also, the interaction of the students with known professionals in the field along with other students will assist in developing a network of colleagues to provide guidance to further their careers. The primary goal of this work is to increase the exposure of underrepresented minority graduate students to researchers in operations research and vice versa, broadening the perception of both. The secondary goal is to foster these individuals into positions within the professoriate.


RADIATION RESEARCH QUANTITATIVE METHODS AND MODELS


超単分散金ナノ粒子低次元超格子の創製と単電子トンネル素子への応用

昨年度報告した微細金ナノ粒子の固相熱処理による粒径制御に関して、有機配位子をドデカンチオールからオクタデカンチオールに変えることで、粒径制御範囲を3.4〜9.7nmまで広げることができた。熱処理による粒子の成長は、金の融点効果理論で整理することができ、粒子の合体・成長に必要な粒子表面の融解温度は、粒子自身のそれの半分以下であると結論付けられた。次に、ドデカンチオール保護金ナノ粒子(粒径5.4nm)をLB法にて単層薄膜化し、GaAs上に作製した500nmギャップ金電極間に転写することにより、単層膜内の電子輸送特性を検討した。4.2Kにおいては電子のふるまいはクーロンブロッケードに支配されるが、室温ではオーミックなI-V応答となり、室温でクーロンブロッケード現象を発現するには、粒径2nm以下の微細なナノ粒子が必要であることが分かった。現在、1.5nm金ナノ粒子二次元超格子の大表面積化に成功しており、その電子輸送特性の粒径、粒子間距離依存性を検討中である。ナノ粒子二次元超格子の電子輸送特性は、超格子の対称性にも大きく依存すると考えられるため、次に、金ナノ粒子低対称性二次元超格子の創製について検討した。二回対称である平面一次元鎖列については、昨年度までに、ナノスケール山谷構造炭素基板に3.4nm金ナノ粒子溶液を滴下することなどにより達成された。さらに、基板へのナノ粒子溶液の滴下およぴ真空下(〜10^<-3>torr)での熱処理(300-℃)を繰り返すことにより、ナノ粒子は谷方向に選択的に合体・成長し、アスペクト比2程度の金ナノロッド列の作製に成功した。一方、塩基性配位子であるbis-4,4'-(4,4'-dithiobutylbenzyl)-N,N,N',N'-tetraetyl amineを合成し、金ナノ粒子の保護配位子として用いたところ、2.4nmの超単分散金ナノ粒子が得られた。これに1,3,5-ベンゼントリカルボン酸あるいは酢酸を添加し中和後、親水性基板に水溶液として展開することにより、三回対称疑似ハニカムあるいは四回対称正方晶二次元超格子を形成させることに成功した。

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science

Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology


実施体制が多様化した地域おこし協力隊におけるミスマッチの要因と対策

2010年代後半以降、地域おこし協力隊の実施体制は多様化している一方で、依然として協力隊員と自治体との間でミスマッチの発生が課題となっている。こうした状況下では、実施体制ごとにミスマッチの要因の解明とその対策を検討することが、ミスマッチ解消・軽減に向けて必要不可欠である。そこで、本研究では地域おこし協力隊における実施体制を類型化したうえで、類型化した実施体制ごとの事例調査を通じてミスマッチの要因の解明および中間支援組織の役割の解明を行うことを目的とする。これらの成果を通じ、地域おこし協力隊における実施体制ごとのミスマッチの解消・軽減に向けた運用方法の提示を目指す。

Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists


Evolution and the triumph of homology or why history matters

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada


外科的侵襲および麻酔薬の血液凝固線溶系に及ぼす影響(アンチトロビンIIIを中心に)

Principal Investigator：矢田 和彦, Project Period (FY)：1981, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：麻酔学


Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) focusing on the immunosuppressive effect of amniocytes

1. Amniocyte therapy. Placenta was used for hundred years to heal burn injuries. Amniocytes from placenta can be expanded to large numbers. Amniocytes have a stronger and more reproducible immunosuppressive effect compared to mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and other stromal stem cells. I pioneered MSC for graft-versus host disease (GVHD) and tissue toxicity. We evaluate the immunosuppressive properties of amniocytes in vitro regarding alloreactivity, virus responses, activation markers, cytokines, etc. Mechanism and synergy with drugs and IFNgamma is investigated. Patients treated will be studied with immune markers.

2. The optimal route of infusion of stem cells, intraarterial (i.a.) vs. i.v., for stem cell transplantation (SCT) and tissue repair will be studied in mouse, rat, rabbits and patients. Safety, engraftment and outcome parameters are compared. The effective cell dose will be increased by i.a. infusion.

3. MSCs are evaluated clinically and immunologically in phase II and III studies.

4. Clinical SCT studies: Unique home care is evaluated regarding cytokines and stress hormones. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-induced GVHD is studied. We evaluate the graft-versus-myeloma effect. Reduced conditioning is evaluated a) in acute myeloid leukemia (n=5179), b) risk-factors for GVHD (n=4089), c) the graft-versus-leukemia effect (n=2977), d) secondary malignancies, and e) randomized vs. myeloablation.

The results are immediately employed in the clinic.


Administrative Core: Carolina Center on Alzheimer's Disease and Minority Research (CCADMR)

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA


Study of cosmic-ray acceleration in supernova remnants using observation of GeV gamma rays

We observed the supernova remnant W28 with the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and found GeV gamma-ray emission from the molecular clouds around W28. The gamma-ray data are well modeled with emission due to interactions between cosmic rays accelerated in the SNR and dense molecular gas, which provides new constraints on understanding particle acceleration and release in the dense medium.


Neurobiological Mechanisms of Treatment Response in Geriatric Depression

PROJECT NARRATIVE  This is a grant application for a K-24 Mid-career Development Award to assist the candidate's transition to becoming a primary research mentor for junior colleagues in the area of developing optimal treatments for geriatric depression focused on the  investigation of the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of treatment response. The proposal is based on two funded project and an additional pilot project proposing to investigate dopamine neurotransmitter function in treatment outcomes of geriatric  depression.


精子のカルシウム濃度調節と卵接着に関わる新規マイクロドメイン　局在糖タンパク質

本研究ではブタ精子マイクロドメインから見出された糖タンパク質WGA-gpの構造と機能解析を行なっている。本年度は、cDNAクローニングによるWGA-gpのタンパク質構造解析を行なった。WGA-gpの発現組織解析を行なった結果、精巣上体尾部の上皮細胞で生合成されることを明らかにした。そこで、精巣上体からcDNAライブラリーを作製し、PCR法によってcDNAクローニングを行なった結果、得られた配列はブタCD52のcDNA配列と一致した。これは63アミノ酸残基からなり、N末端にシグナルペプチドを、C末端にGPIアンカーシグナルを有していることが示された。WGA-gpはGPIアンカーを切断する酵素PI-PLCに、感受性を示した。これまでの結果から、WGA-gpはブタCD52の成熟タンパク質で、10アミノ酸残基からなるGPIアンカータンパク質であり、3つの糖鎖付加部位を持つことを明らかにした。さらに、この糖鎖構造をレクチンや質量分析によって解析した結果、N型糖鎖に末端α-GalとコアFuc残基が存在し、O型糖鎖には硫酸基が存在することを示唆した。本研究によって、初めてブタの精子からCD52を見出し、そのタンパク質と糖鎖構造を実験的に明らかにした。またWGA-gpは、その糖鎖に特異的な抗体mAb.4D1を添加することで、細胞内カルシウム濃度が変動することから、カルシウム制御機構を調節していると考えられる。mAb.4D1とカルシウムポンプやチャンネルに対する阻害剤を同時に用いて、細胞内カルシウム濃度を測定した結果、L-typeのカルシウムチャンネルとPMCAポンプに対する阻害剤で、抗体の影響が抑制された。この結果から、WGA-gpは糖鎖を介して、これらの分子を調節している可能性が示された。この細胞内カルシウム調節の機能は、CD52の機能として、初めて提唱された機能である。


SUBJECTIVE UNFAIRNESS AND ENVIOUS HOSTILITY


若年・中高年における骨格筋量の経年変化と関連するバイオマーカーの解明

将来のサルコペニア予防のためには、若年・中年期からの低骨格筋量状態（プレサルコペニア）やプレサルコペニア肥満の予防が急務である。また、筋肉の評価には、「量」だけでなく「質」の評価も重要であり、筋肉から分泌されるマイオカインやバイオマーカーが注目されるも、若年・中年期における長期的影響は不明な点が多い。そこで本研究では、サルコペニアとの関連が報告される血中のマイオカイン及びバイオマーカーと骨格筋量の変化を横断的・縦断的に評価することで、将来のプレサルコペニア及びプレサルコペニア肥満への進展や骨格筋量低下速度が速い者を見出す予測指標としての有用性を評価する。

Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University


Investigation of Withinduced Vibration Control and Deterioration Counterrneasum for Stay-cables based on the Mechanisms of Aerodynamic Vthrations

The objectives of this study are to discuss mechanisms of aerodynamic instabilities of stay-cables based on intensities of Karman vortex and to investigate the control methods and additional damping for mitigating the aerodynamic vibration. The obtained information in this study must be useful to consider the countenneasuresibr stay-cable deterioration.In this study, all the factors for the aerodynamic instabilities of stay-cables, which are axial flow in the wake of inclined cable, water rivulet formed on the upper surface of the cable, critical Reynolds number effects and so on, are discussed as the effects of reduction of Karman vortex. For example, when the axial flow is weak in the wake of inclined cable, the intensity of Karman vortex increases and also, if the axial flow is intensive, the Karman vortex intensity becomes small. Then, it becomes clear that if the axial flow is unsteady, which means the Karman vortex intensity is also unsteady, unsteady galloping may occur. Also, the position of water rivulet controls the intensity of Karman vortex, and then, the aerodynamic instability occurs at the certain rivulet position. Therefore, the both rain-wind induced vibration and dry-state galloping must be generated by the combination of the above mentioned factors, and these mechanisms are explained by the reduction of Karman vortex.The effects of Scruton number, which is a mass-damping parameter, on the galloping instability are sensitive to the galloping due to the critical Reynolds number, but less sensitive to the galloping generated by the axial flow. Furthermore, more field observation data of the dry-state galloping of the real stay-cables must be needed.


FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR DISADVANTAGED HEALTH PROFESSION


Characterisation and harnessing the CD8+ Tissue Resident Memory T cell response in HPV-driven anal neoplasia.

PROJECT NARRATIVE Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exists for the duration of natural life within infected people and can affect how we are able to fight other viral infections. This study will accurately tell us how well equipped our immune system is to prevent cancer caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), when infected with HIV at the same time. We will learn how a particular set of immune cells, tissue-resident memory T-cells, work at the place where HPV infects the body to inform the design of future therapies.


The project was concerned on the novel trehalase inhibitor, Trehalostatin, produced by Amycolatopsis trehalostatica HG-25, which was isolated by the investigators.The molecular formula was determined to be C_<13>H_<22>O_<10>N_2 by SIMS spectrum (m/z 367, [M+H]^+) and elemental analysis. From various spectroscopic data (13C-, 1H-, H, H-COSY, C, H-COSY, NOESY spectra), the structure was elucidated to be an pseudo-disacchaide, composed of alpha-D-glucopyranoside and 5-membered cyclitol moieties. The linkage of the two moieties was proved to be isoureido bond. This structure was a novel one, not yet reported.Trehalostatin specifically inhibits various trehalase (microbial, blowfly, mammal), not inhibits glucoside hydrolases (alpha-, beta-glucosidase or glucoamylase).

Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)


Obstetrical Complications and Long-Term Outcomes of Children Born to Women with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE)

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disorder, which has the potential to affect almost any organ system, causing inflammation, and often, damage. Although a relatively rare condition (with prevalence estimates of about 1 in 2000), SLE is an important cause of morbidity and mortality. SLE often affects women during their reproductive years, and unfortunately, can result in complications or adverse outcomes during pregnancy. Even if the pregnancy is successful, women affected by SLE often ask if there are other complications that might affect their children. Doctors providing care to these patients find it very difficult to provide evidence-based advice. The global aims of our study are to perform a retrospective review of the obstetrical and perinatal outcomes for mothers with SLE, to assess the evolution of their children through childhood, adolescence, and beyond, and to compare their outcomes with a control population. Our study will be based on provincial administrative health databases. This project will facilitate future research assessing maternal and child health in other chronic diseases. The net result will be the provision of much-needed data for mothers, for offspring, and for their health care providers.

Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre


Neurodevelopmental Phenotypes in MLL mutant mice

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Epigenetics is the study of gene regulation and organization that occurs independent of changes in a gene's "code," or DNA sequence. Normal brain development and function depend on the right genetic "switches" being flipped on or off at the right time. This research project's focus is on histone methylation, an epigenetic switch that could play a role in autism and other neurodevelopmental disease.


Research Training in Diabetes and Endocrinology

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE    This Training Grant contributes to the replenishment of academic specialists, both MD and PhD, in a number of topical areas of national health priorities. These include, but are not restricted t, Diabetes, Obesity, women's health, and behavioral medicine. It supports a high quality program, and the quality is continuing to improve. It has been very successful in training excellent fellows to independence


Targeting IGF-1 receptor in liver cancer with focus on its mechanistic role in transcription and its interaction with the cell cycle machinery

"The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is a cell surface receptor kinase being vastly expressed in malignant tissues and plays crucial roles in growth and survival of cancer cells. Targeting IGF-1R is pharmaceutically today a very attractive concept. Larsson’s group at KI has contributed extensively to the current knowledge about IGF-1R and demonstrated that the cyclolignan PPP inhibits IGF-1R signaling. An oral IGF-1R inhibitor of cyclolignan chemistry is presently studied in patients with advanced cancer. Recently, they found that IGF-1R is SUMOylated, translocated to the nucleus, where it affects transcription. This is a novel and original function for IGF-1R and one of the goals of this proposal is to further study whether it is limited to tumor cells. In such case, these findings will be a breakthrough and the foundation for further development of specific therapeutic targeting of cancer. Here we aim to study two mechanistic aspects of IGF-1R: (1) its role as a transcription factor in tumor cells, (2) its interaction with the cell cycle machinery, as ultimate regulators of cell division. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was chosen as it has a very poor prognosis and a high mortality due to absence of efficient treatments. It is one of Egypt’s national health priorities and its incidence is increasing in Europe. Three experimental models will be used : HCC cell lines in which SUMOylation, nuclear translocation of IGF-1R and, which genes it transcriptionally activates will be studied, We will induce HCC in knockout mice lacking Cdk2 and p27, generated by Aleem to study how IGF-1R interacts with loss of these cell cycle proteins, and how its inhibition by PPP affects development and progression of HCC. Mouse Embryo Fibroblasts isolated from these mice will also be used for cell cycle analysis. We anticipate that IGF-1R modulates transcription of genes relevant to tumor growth leading to development of more specific therapeutic tools against liver cancer"


1004 ARNG ELECTRONIC SYSTEM APPENDIX

NATIONAL GUARD MILITARY OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE (O&M) PROJECTS


火成作用, 変成・変質作用における造岩鉱物微細組織の変化と成因に関する研究

Principal Investigator：島津 光夫, Project Period (FY)：1983 – 1984, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (A), Research Field：鉱物学(含岩石・鉱床学)


Doctoral Dissertation Research:  Political Enfranchisement and Social Capital

This award funds research that will experimentally test hypotheses from development and political economics related to social capital, political enfranchisement, and trust in government using the unique circumstances of a new democracy in Libya.  The causal relationship between democracy and economic growth is hotly debated.  While some argue there is a causal relationship between the two, others claim an underlying characteristic of a given society jointly determines both governance and economic growth.  One candidate for such a characteristic is social capital.  This project sheds light on this question by examining whether, once a democratic election takes place, the stock of social capital in a society can be affected by who wins in that election.  The project uses innovative laboratory-style methods from experimental economics conducted in the field in a country that is engaged in free elections for the first time in many years.

This research will help us to understand mechanisms that support free elections and political enfranchisement in a fragile democracy, and deepen our understanding of the relationship between governance and economic growth.


FREQUENCY ANALYSIS IN NORMAL AND IMPAIRED LISTENERS


New Techniques for Finding and Analysing Information Leaks

We all rely on the security of computer systems in our daily lives; from using a credit card or ATM, to checking our e-mail, we need the computer systems around us to keep our secrets and to preserve our privacy. It would be misleading to think of these systems as either perfectly secure, or entirely broken and open to abuse. For example, some systems can be broken by brute force but still provide some protection against a casual attacker, whereas other systems might leak a small amount of information that could be exploited by an attacker over time. Understanding and measuring the different levels of security that a system might offer is vital if we are going to develop a safe, efficient digital world.

This project will develop new, effective techniques to find and measure security flaws in computer systems. We will use information theory to measure how much information an attacker can learn about the secret information inside a system by observing its public outputs. The key novelty of our approach is to use a combination of statistics and information theory to measure how secure a system is from trial runs of that system.

We will use concepts, such as network information theory and differential entropy, to develop general definitions of quantitative security. These concepts have never before been applied in the field of computer security, and they will lead to better, more expressive definitions that can be applied in a wide range of situations.

Using our theoretical work, we will develop automatic analysis tools, and we will use these to assess the security of a range of systems, including the Freenet anonymity system and RFID tags. We hope that this will serve as an example to other developers and researchers, showing that our tools make information theory-based analysis methods practical and easy to use. This may potentially lead to improved security of many commercial computer systems and faster, easier ways to find information leaks.

Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council


Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.


Principal Investigator：吉田 寿穂, Project Period (FY)：1980, Research Category：Grant-in-Aid for Encouragement of Young Scientists (A), Research Field：Morphological basic dentistry

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science


Mechanism of Regulation of the Threonine Operon


Purpose and goal:
The project aimed to plan for a digital arena that can promote the use of ICT and its potential for innovation in learning and teaching. The objective of the planning project has been fulfilled; to provide a project application/description, a decision making document and an activity plan proposal for the continuing development. Existing solutions have been studied and the conceptualization and assessment of new ways of systematic competency development were conducted in cooperation with different actors.

Expected results and effects:
The project results and effects comprise
Documents for decision-making and project application.
A model to identify needs, content and functions for competency development according to Quadruple Helix, in collaboration with the organization´s actors.
National and international collaboration.
Participation in reference group and program board of SKL´s Nationella forum.
Promoting Västerås´ work.
Ideas for new projects.
Increased competences in organizing support for innovative projects.

Approach and implementation:
Resource needs and requirements were collected in accordance with the Quadruple Helix Model. Examples of partcipants Bombardier, SKL, UCL Academy, Örebro kommun, Nya Perspektiv.
External monitoring and conceptualization were conducted to assess how a digital arena can fulfil the needs of different roles and how competency development should be built to follow external and internal development. Broad participation resulted in unexpectedly high numbers of expectations but the original set-up remained. Due to change of project manager the project schedule was extended by a month.


RAGE/mDia1, Macrophage Trafficking and Inflammation in Regression of Diabetic Atherosclerosis

Project narrative Cardiovascular disease (CVD) represents the major cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetic subjects and includes cardiac, macrovascular and microvascular diseases. Despite aggressive management of lipids and glucose, clinical studies have shown that both type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients exhibit earlier onset and more extensive atherosclerotic lesions than age-matched, nondiabetic populations, in parallel with impaired regression of diabetic atherosclerosis. There is a need to better understand the hyperglycemia specific mechanisms by which macrophages accumulate and impair plaque regression in diabetic atherosclerosis.


Study of the Dynamic Binding, Structure-Function of CIII


ITR: Parallel and Grid Computing for Ecological Multimodeling

Environmental problems that span regional geographic extent require multiple approaches to the modelling of natural system responses at various spatial, temporal and organismal scales. Analyzing responses of natural systems to alternative human actions requires mathematical and computer models for  several physical and trophic scales. Computer modeling efforts  require large spatio-temporal data sets, often derived from remote sensing, linked to complex models for abiotic factors such as rainfall  and hydrology. Due to the large spatial data sets and heavy computational demands associated with such models, serial computing methods on workstation platforms are barely appropriate for analysis.  The investigators will develop algorithms and software for linked ecological and physical models appropriate for both multiple-processor computers and clusters of machines across a computational grid. Included  will be a comparison of the performance of alternative methods and algorithms for parallelization of ecological multimodels on a variety of platforms.

The proposed research has potentially very broad impacts on the ability   of managers of natural systems to effectively utilize the extensive remote sensing data currently being collected and archived, link these data with realistic ecological and physical models of natural systems, and provide assessments of the effectiveness of management scenarios.   Given the costs and potential long-term impacts of alternative harvesting, water scheduling, and land-use designs, it is important to optimize decision making and monitor the effectiveness of the actions taken. Achieving effective use, however, also requires the development of a cadre of managers able to make use of new technologies. The investigators   will initiate the development of educational materials through which environmental scientists can learn about the use of multimodels to address regional environmental problems. An objective is to formulate an explicit educational program that will lead to computational grid methods being accepted as part of the toolkit applied in regional planning for management of natural systems.


CRB:  An Experimental Test of Minimum Viable Population     Concepts

9322576  Belovsky   In this Conservation and Restoration Biology research, the PI will examine Minimum Viable Population (MVP) concepts experimentally to evaluate quantitatively their validity and the precision of predictions from particular theoretical formulations. experimental studies will use laboratory populations of the Great Basin brine shrimp (Artemia franciscana) to examine MVP processes in a hierarchical design. First, the persistence of isolated populations will be examined with only demographic stochasticity operating and then with environmental stochasticity added. Second, metapopulation dynamics will be examined: 1) using a large number of constituent populations, whose dynamics are uncorrelated, providing migrants (deterministic dynamics), (2) then using a limited number of constituent populations, whose dynamics are uncorrelated, providing migrants (stochastic dynamics), and 3) finally using autocorrelation operating between the dynamics of the constituent populations. This simple experimental system permits comparison of the observed mean persistence times and their probability distributions with predictions from MVP models in the literature. Furthermore, Artemia occurs naturally in small hypersaline springs in the Great Basin. These simple ecosystems without competitors and predators for Artemia permit extrapolation of laboratory results to a natural system. If the laboratory observations agree with the MVP model predictions and the presence/absence of Artemia in these small habitats is in agreement with laboratory predictions, the validity of existing MVP formulations would be indicated, strengthening their value for conservation management.  %%%  The idea that there must be a minimum number of individuals in a population to ensure its persistence for a given time period with a given probability (Minimum Viable Population, MVP) is one of the cornerstone concepts of conservation biology and a major reason for Population Viability Analysis in conservation management and policy.  Existing examinations of MVP concepts have either relied on theoretical considerations or biogeographical correlations with few experimental tests. Furthermore, most of the concepts to validate MVP have been qualitative rather than quantitative. Validating MVP concepts in a quantitative fashion is critical if their use is to be justified in the contentious area of conservation management and policy, as well as in answering more basic scientific issues regarding the forces controlling biodiversity in nature.  ***


12th European Dependable Computing Conference - EDCC 2016

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo

Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Tecnologia (FT)


EPITHELIAL DIFFERENTIATION COMPARISON OF SKIN &THYMUS


Advancing Capacity and analytical Tools for supporting Common Agricultural Policies post 2027

The Common Agricultural Policy is the European Union's flagship policy for supporting the agricultural sector, ensuring food security, and safeguarding rural development while it is also a key tool for reaching the objectives of the European Green Deal, including the Farm to Fork and the Biodiversity Strategy. With these policy strategies, the EU aims for more sustainable food systems. Effectively supporting the policy impact assessment in this new context is a great challenge for the existing quantitative modelling tools as it requires them to substantially enhance the thematic coverage to comprehensively address all the components of the European Green Deal and ensure consistency with the monitoring systems in place. ACT4CAP27 responses to this challenge by enhancing the analytical capacity of the key policy tools (CAPRI,GLOBIOM,MAGNET,AGMEMOD) used by the European Commission to assess short-term and long-term policy impacts on EU’s agri-food systems and providing evidence-based knowledge supporting analysis for the design of agri-food policies post 2027. ACT4CAP27 develops a consistent, interdisciplinary methodological framework to operationalise and quantify relevant aspects of the EU agri-food system and related policies post 2027 and their economic, social (including health), environmental and climate sustainability impacts. Act4CAP27 addresses the main shortcomings of current modelling tools with its Act4CAP27 Modular Toolbox for EU Food System Modelling which provides a basis for innovation by creating a collaborative space and a modular model infrastructure for the whole EU agri-food research community and beyond. The Act4CAP27 Dissemination and Stakeholder Platform establishes an appropriate and inclusive engagement with stakeholders to co-create, communicate, and disseminate Act4CAP27 research results. ACT4CAP27 launches an Interactive Roadmap for guiding EU, national and regional policy makers weigh up policy objectives towards more sustainable outcomes.

HORIZON EUROPE Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment


The molecular basis of association mechanism between Alzheimer's disease and tooth loss

To elucidate the association between tooth loss and Alzheimer ’ s disease, we compared tooth extracted group with tooth intact group using Alzheimer ’ s model mice. As a result, we found that tooth loss did not influence the accumulation of Aβ. However, the number of pyramidal cell of tooth extracted group is decreased compared with tooth intact group. And, the results of behavioral test revealed that tooth loss deteriorates the learning and memory ability. We could suggest that tooth loss affect the AD pathogenesis or AD onset through another pathway of well-known amyloid cascade.

Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research


Structure and Inhibition of the Conjugative DNA Relaxase-Helicase


HOMELESS MENTALLY ILL: A MULTI-COUNTY APPROACH YEAR 3 AP


Correlation Problem in Quantum    Chemistry


University of Bristol and Synoptix Limited KTP 22_23 R4

To develop Airtificial Intelligence technology to provide an automated cybersecurity response to help protect UK critical infrastructure and defence sector systems.


Peptidoglycan metabolism and fragment release

As bacteria grow, they release small fragments of the bacterial cell wall. The organism that causes gonorrhea and pelvic inflammatory disease releases more of these cell wall fragments than most other bacteria and elicits an immune response that is damaging to human tissue. These studies will determine the mechanisms involved in producing the damaging cell wall fragments and characterize the human cell responses that result in inflammation and tissue destruction.


Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults with Chronic Illness

Project Narrative. Our goal is to apply methodological advances in emotion measurement to improve health-related quality of life measures. Specifically, we propose to examine two newer approaches to measurement that have been designed by psychologists for the purpose of overcoming recall biases: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), which are "real time" measures and therefore not subject to recall biases, and a new diary-based approach to measuring quality of life, the Day Reconstruction Method (DRM). We intend to begin to test the usefulness and validity of these measures among lower extremity osteoarthritis patients (LE-OA) and in a comparison group of healthy older adults.