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An activity-based vocabulary for Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCAs) was designed and evaluated through a user-centred, iterative design process, using expressions from the Gothenburg Spoken Language Corpus as well as other recorded, natural conversations. The growth and development of the vocabulary, called Phrases, was closely linked to its evaluation. The iterative design process included p
Service discovery is central in pervasive middleware systems, built on top of the communication substrate using the more fundamental mechanisms for device discovery. In mobile pervasive systems devices come and go, and switch network frequently, demanding support for device discovery across heterogeneous networks. We present the design of a device discovery mechanism for the PalCom middleware that
The results of a search for an excited bottom-quark b* in pp collisions at root s = 7 TeV, using 4.7 fb(-1) of data collected by the ATLAS detector at the LHC are presented. In the model studied, a single b*-quark is produced through a chromomagnetic interaction and subsequently decays to a W boson and a top quark. The search is performed in the dilepton and lepton + jets final states, which are c
Hypoxic preconditioning is thought to rely on gene products regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1. Here, we show that the HIF-1 target gene cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1, p21(WAF1/CIP1), is essential for neuroprotection by hypoxic/aglycemic or erythropoietin preconditioning using wild-type and p21(WAF1/CIP1)-deficient neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of wild-type p21(WAF1/CIP1) o
We report the development of a high-level bacterial expression system for the Alzheimer's disease-associated amyloid beta-peptide (A beta), together with a scaleable and inexpensive purification procedure. A beta(1-40) and A beta(1-42) coding sequences together with added ATG codons were cloned directly into a Pet vector to facilitate production of Met-A beta(1-40) and Met-A beta(1-42), referred t
Rating scales are increasingly the primary outcome measures in clinical trials. However, clinically meaningful interpretation of such outcomes requires that the scales used satisfy basic requirements (scaling assumptions) within the data. These are rarely tested. The SF-36 is the most widely used patient-reported rating scale. Its scaling assumptions have been challenged in neurological disorders
Following the fragmentation of a 550 MeV u(-1)primary beam of Ni-58, time-and energy-correlated gamma decays from isomeric states in neutron-deficient nuclei in the 1f(7/2) shell have been identified using the GSI fragment separator in combination with the RISING Ge-detector array. The results on isomers in the mirror pairs Ti-43(22)21-Sc-43(21)22 (I-pi = 3/2(+) and 19/2(-)), Cr-45(24)21-Sc-45(21)
This doctoral thesis explores the implications of establishing tradable certificate schemes for improving energy efficiency (so-called ‘Tradable White Certificate’ [TWC] schemes). Carrying out different case studies, a set of complementary evaluation methods is applied in conducting ex-ante and ex-post evaluation studies. To analyse the attributes and complexities of TWC schemes, the thesis focuse
We have compared the predictions of ligand-binding affinities from several methods based on end-point molecular dynamics simulations and continuum solvation, i.e. methods related to MM/PBSA (molecular mechanics combined with Poisson-Boltzmann and surface area solvation). Two continuum-solvation models were considered, viz. the Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) and generalised Born (GB) approaches. The non-el
This dissertation explores the nexus between sustainable tourism development and corporate social responsibility (CSR). It addresses the scope for CSR to promote sustainable tourism in an international development context. This objective was pursued by exploring three sub-questions: what tools have been used to stimulate social responsibility in tourism; how has ecotourism influenced social respon
Therapy-induced resistance remains a significant hurdle to achieve long-lasting responses and cures in cancer patients. We investigated the long-term consequences of genetically impaired angiogenesis by engineering multiple tumor models deprived of endoglin, a co-receptor for TGF-beta in endothelial cells actively engaged in angiogenesis. Tumors from endoglin-deficient mice adapted to the weakened
This document describes the technical layout and the expected performance of the Straw Tube Tracker (STT), the main tracking detector of the PANDA target spectrometer. The STT encloses a Micro-Vertex-Detector (MVD) for the inner tracking and is followed in beam direction by a set of GEM stations. The tasks of the STT are the measurement of the particle momentum from the reconstructed trajectory an
Learning from incidents is considered a very important source for learning and improving safety in the process industries. However, the effectiveness of learning from reported incidents can often be ques-tioned. Therefore, there is a need to be able to evaluate the effectiveness of learning from incidents, and for that purpose we need methods and tools. In this paper, a method is described for eva
Radial velocities measured from near-infrared (NIR) spectra are a potentially powerful tool to search for planets around cool stars and sub-stellar objects. However, no technique currently exists that yields NIR radial velocity precision comparable to that routinely obtained in the visible. We are carrying out an NIR radial velocity planet search program targeting a sample of the lowest-mass M dwa
Several strains belonging to genera Pseudomonas and Achromobacter and characterized by the ability to degrade anionic surfactants were tested as potential bases of microbial biosensors for surfactant detection. For each strain the substrate specificity and stability of sensor signals were studied. The total amount of the substrates tested (including carbohydrates, alcohols, aromatics, organic acid
Analytic expressions for the exact bit error probabilities of rate R = 1/2, memory m = 2 convolutional encoders are derived for a maximum-likelihood (ML) decoder and transmission over the binary-symmetric channel (BSC). The resulting expressions are rational functions of the crossover probability of the BSC. In addition to classical nonsystematic encoders without feedback, we consider also recursi
