The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain-computer interface... more The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in conjunction with aerial drones. The study investigates how effective the EPOC+ is by challenging users of diverse genders and ages to complete tasks using mental commands and facial expressions to control a Parrot AR-Drone 2.0. After a calibration phase, the designed experiments were conducted using randomly selected participants (n=20). Preliminary analysis of the collected data indicated that there was no significant difference between the rating of difficulty before and after, between the mental and facial commands. Furthermore, this study showed that from group of participants more individuals had greater difficulty controlling the mental and facial commands than they originally expected.
The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain control interface ... more The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain control interface in conjunction with aerial drones. The study investigates how effective the EPOC+ is by challenging users of diverse genders and ages to complete tasks using mental commands or facial expressions to control a Parrot AR-Drone 2.0. After a mental and facial commands calibration phase, the designed experiments were conducted using randomly selected participants (n=20). Preliminary analysis of the collected data indicated that there was no significant difference between the rating of difficulty before and after, between the mental and facial commands. Furthermore, this study showed that from group of participants more individuals had greater difficulty controlling the mental and facial commands than they originally expected.
Drawing on transcribed excerpts, this reflection describes an online advising session conducted b... more Drawing on transcribed excerpts, this reflection describes an online advising session conducted by the author, a full-time EFL lecturer and developing language learning advisor, with a language learner attending a private Japanese university. This follows from a previous advising session conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the impact of the pandemic on the learner’s reported motivation. The advisor engages with the advisee to identify obstacles to motivation and other essential elements of overall well-being and is required to adapt after recognizing that a prepared advising tool is poorly suited to the advisee’s needs. Together, the pair identifies an opportunity to create positive associations between language learning and the advisee’s gaming hobby. The author experiences a greater sense of authenticity in the advisor role after considering the needs of his advisee via his existing research interest in positive psychology.
This article uses the Chilean water resources experience — with a particular focus on dams and wa... more This article uses the Chilean water resources experience — with a particular focus on dams and water infrastructure development in the Biobio River Basin — as a context for considering how climate change might affect water resources and water resource management in the Columbia River Basin. The Chilean experience suggests that the legal regimes and water resource policies that have worked in the American West might not work in a different context. The article uses both the American and Chilean experiences to argue that climate change will ultimately render a new Columbia River Basin that is different ecologically, hydrologically, culturally, and perhaps legally from what we know today, and that water basins in the American West might transition to different contexts in which our current institutions might not work.
This article provides a brief introduction to the relatively new field of positive psychology and... more This article provides a brief introduction to the relatively new field of positive psychology and discusses its potential compatibility with a number of content topics common to language courses. The relevance of Seligman's (2010) PERMA framework to content topics commonly found in EFL classrooms illustrates that a positive psychology-informed approach need not disrupt existing curricula and can be achieved non-controversially. Lyubomirsky's (2005) "happiness inventory," abridged by Helgesen (2016), provides classes of all levels a shared vocabulary to discuss behaviors shown to support well-being. The article also presents the results of successful studies examining the association between learner well-being and factors essential to academic success. Teachers are invited to experiment with the concepts of positive psychology in their classes by considering familiar content topics from the perspective of happiness research.
The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning (JASAL) held its 15th annual conference event on t... more The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning (JASAL) held its 15th annual conference event on the 5th of December, 2020. Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the event was conducted online via the Zoom teleconferencing application, marking JASAL’s first “virtual conference” and requiring an impressive feat of innovation from organizers. The conference, attended by more than 50 participants in total, featured 20 presentations on a variety of topics relevant to self-access learning and supporting language learner autonomy. Highlights of the day included a plenary talk by Satoko Kato and Hisako Yamashita and a virtual tour of Tokyo International University’s English Plaza. In this conference report, 17 English-language presentations are summarized and arranged according to three themes: autonomy-supportive learning projects; SALC development via research and reflection; and reflections on the transition to emergency remote self-access in 2020.
Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a quadruple hamstring (QH) autog... more Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a quadruple hamstring (QH) autograft is a widely utilized procedure with good outcomes. A graft diameter less than 8 mm, however, has been associated with higher revision rates. Accurately determining the diameter of the hamstring tendon preoperatively can help surgeons plan accordingly. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of our study was to determine whether QH graft size can be reliably predicted from preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements. We hypothesized that we can achieve a high predicted QH graft size correlation with regard to preoperative and intraoperative measurements. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: We evaluated patients undergoing ACL reconstruction using QH autografts. At the time of surgery, the semitendinosus tendon (ST) and gracilis tendon (GT) were harvested and sized and then sized as a QH graft. Preoperative individual ST and GT sizes were determined from T2-weighted fat-saturated MRI at 3 cm above the joint line using correlating axial and coronal images. We then used a predictive chart to predict what the size of the QH graft would be and compared this with the actual measurements. Pearson correlation coefficients between predicted and actual graft sizes were calculated. Results: The predicted GT graft size was within 0.5 mm of the actual size in 45 of 60 (75%) patients and within 1 mm of the actual graft size in 59 of 60 (98%) patients. The predicted GT graft size from MRI measurements correlated with the actual GT graft size (r ¼ 0.62, P < .00001). The predicted ST graft size was within 0.5 mm of the actual size in 45 of 60 (75%) patients and within 1 mm of the actual graft size in 56 of 60 (93%) patients. The predicted ST graft size from MRI measurements correlated with the actual ST graft size (r ¼ 0.71, P < .00001). The predicted QH graft size was within 0.5 mm of the actual size in 52 of 60 (87%) patients and within 1 mm of the actual graft size in 60 of 60 (100%) patients. The predicted QH graft size from MRI measurements correlated with the actual QH graft size (r ¼ 0.81, P < .00001). Conclusion: The current technique can reliably predict the size of a QH graft within 1 mm of the final graft size.
Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has emerged over the last two decades as a powe... more Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has emerged over the last two decades as a powerful tool for targeted degradation of endogenous proteins. Herein we describe the development of PROTACs for receptor tyrosine kinases, a protein family yet to be targeted for induced protein degradation. The use of VHL-recruiting PROTACs against this protein family reveals several advantages of degradation over inhibition alone: direct comparisons of fully functional, target-degrading PROTACs with target-inhibiting variants that contain an inactivated E3 ligase-recruiting ligand show that degradation leads to more potent inhibition of cell proliferation and a more durable and sustained downstream signaling response, and thus addresses the kinome rewiring challenge seen with many receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Combined, these findings demonstrate the ability to target receptor tyrosine kinases for degradation using the PROTAC technology and outline the advantages of this degradatio...
I gratefully acknowledge the studentship funding I received from Cardiff School of Mathematics. F... more I gratefully acknowledge the studentship funding I received from Cardiff School of Mathematics. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends and Jen for the constant moral support, I couldn't have done it without you.
The expression of lymphotoxin (LT) mRNA and cytokine in human tonsillar B cells and B cell lines ... more The expression of lymphotoxin (LT) mRNA and cytokine in human tonsillar B cells and B cell lines was examined by Northern blots and cytotoxicity assays, respectively. In tonsillar B cells, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) alone induced low levels of LT mRNA accumulation. However, SAC and anti-M were strongly synergistic with PMA in this induction. Peak LT mRNA expression in tonsillar B cells stimulated by PMA plus SAC occurred between 48 and 72 h and was approximately half as much as that in PMA plus anti-CD3-stimulated T cells. Cyclosporine A was not effective in inhibiting LT mRNA accumulation by stimulated tonsillar B cells. A number of B cell lines could also be stimulated by PMA to express LT mRNA. Peak accumulation of LT mRNA in the cell line RPMI 1788 stimulated with PMA peaked about 8 h. A23187 in combination with PMA caused this accumulation to increase slightly and to peak earlier. The cytotoxic effects in the supernatants of stimulated B cells were contributed mostly by LT. The results indicate that tonsillar B cells are important in LT production and that there are important differences in the stimulation requirements for LT production and in LT mRNA expression kinetics between tonsillar B cells and B cell lines.
Context: Psychological skills are alleged to augment sport-injury rehabilitation; however, implem... more Context: Psychological skills are alleged to augment sport-injury rehabilitation; however, implementation of mental imagery within rehabilitation programs is limited. Objective: To examine attitudes of athletic trainers (ATs) and physical therapists (PTs) on the effectiveness of mental imagery, goal setting, and positive self-talk to improve rehabilitation adherence and recovery speed of injured athletes. Design: The ATs and PTs were contacted via electronic or physical mailings to complete a single administration survey that measured their beliefs about the effectiveness of psychological skills for increasing adherence and recovery speed of injured athletes undergoing rehabilitation. Setting: Professional member databases of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. Patients or Other Participants: Of the 1000 ATs and 1000 PTs who were selected randomly, 309 ATs (age = 34.18 ± 8.32 years, years in profession = 10.67 ± 7.34) an...
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 1995
The indications tot the coverag e of seminal vesicles (SV) in patients with clinically localized ... more The indications tot the coverag e of seminal vesicles (SV) in patients with clinically localized carchtonta of the prostate have been controversial. Onr goal was to define subgroups of patients in whom coverage could be avoided, using prelreatment PSA and Gleason score. This is of particular interest in high-dose conformal radiotherapy, where irradiated volumes need to be significantly ieduced, and iu brachytherapy, where high risk patients would not be candidates for htachytherapy alone. Since the rectum is the major dose-limiting structure, we attempted to measure the extent of rectal sparing achieved by excluding the SV from external beam treatment fields. ~ ~-T-Ps^ 4-10 i-ps^ i0-20 r,s^ >20 Gibson 13/55 [24%) 8/25 (32%) 2-6 LGleason 7-10-I-'~:1'2~ 9/43 (21%) I 5/14 (36%} 1_9/24 (79%) 1 Diaz A, Roach M, Marquez (;, el al. InalcallOns Ior and the significance of seminal vesicle Irradiation during 3D ¢onfromal ladlOlhe[apy Ior 10¢allzeO prostale cancer. Inl J gad Oncta Biol Phy$ .~0; 3Z3-321). 199.1.
Background: We describe an extensile posterior approach to the ankle with detachment of the Achil... more Background: We describe an extensile posterior approach to the ankle with detachment of the Achilles tendon for resection of extensive tumors involving the posterior ankle. To the best of our knowledge, this approach and its results have not been reported for oncologic indications. Methods: The surgical technique involved detachment of the Achilles tendon, tumor resection and reconstruction of the Achilles tendon with anchor sutures, and was used in six patients. The diagnosis was pigmented villonodular synovitis (5) and chondroblastoma (1). Results: At a mean of 6 (range, 2 to 10) years followup, all patients were free from tumor. All patients could walk an unlimited amount without any support. There were no problems with Achilles incompetence. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 97 ± 4.2% (range, 90 to 100) and the mean Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score was 95 ± 5.7 (range, 87 to 100). One patient with screwed suture anchors had backing out of two anchors along with...
The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain-computer interface... more The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) in conjunction with aerial drones. The study investigates how effective the EPOC+ is by challenging users of diverse genders and ages to complete tasks using mental commands and facial expressions to control a Parrot AR-Drone 2.0. After a calibration phase, the designed experiments were conducted using randomly selected participants (n=20). Preliminary analysis of the collected data indicated that there was no significant difference between the rating of difficulty before and after, between the mental and facial commands. Furthermore, this study showed that from group of participants more individuals had greater difficulty controlling the mental and facial commands than they originally expected.
The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain control interface ... more The main objective of this study is to find efficient methods to utilize brain control interface in conjunction with aerial drones. The study investigates how effective the EPOC+ is by challenging users of diverse genders and ages to complete tasks using mental commands or facial expressions to control a Parrot AR-Drone 2.0. After a mental and facial commands calibration phase, the designed experiments were conducted using randomly selected participants (n=20). Preliminary analysis of the collected data indicated that there was no significant difference between the rating of difficulty before and after, between the mental and facial commands. Furthermore, this study showed that from group of participants more individuals had greater difficulty controlling the mental and facial commands than they originally expected.
Drawing on transcribed excerpts, this reflection describes an online advising session conducted b... more Drawing on transcribed excerpts, this reflection describes an online advising session conducted by the author, a full-time EFL lecturer and developing language learning advisor, with a language learner attending a private Japanese university. This follows from a previous advising session conducted prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and explores the impact of the pandemic on the learner’s reported motivation. The advisor engages with the advisee to identify obstacles to motivation and other essential elements of overall well-being and is required to adapt after recognizing that a prepared advising tool is poorly suited to the advisee’s needs. Together, the pair identifies an opportunity to create positive associations between language learning and the advisee’s gaming hobby. The author experiences a greater sense of authenticity in the advisor role after considering the needs of his advisee via his existing research interest in positive psychology.
This article uses the Chilean water resources experience — with a particular focus on dams and wa... more This article uses the Chilean water resources experience — with a particular focus on dams and water infrastructure development in the Biobio River Basin — as a context for considering how climate change might affect water resources and water resource management in the Columbia River Basin. The Chilean experience suggests that the legal regimes and water resource policies that have worked in the American West might not work in a different context. The article uses both the American and Chilean experiences to argue that climate change will ultimately render a new Columbia River Basin that is different ecologically, hydrologically, culturally, and perhaps legally from what we know today, and that water basins in the American West might transition to different contexts in which our current institutions might not work.
This article provides a brief introduction to the relatively new field of positive psychology and... more This article provides a brief introduction to the relatively new field of positive psychology and discusses its potential compatibility with a number of content topics common to language courses. The relevance of Seligman's (2010) PERMA framework to content topics commonly found in EFL classrooms illustrates that a positive psychology-informed approach need not disrupt existing curricula and can be achieved non-controversially. Lyubomirsky's (2005) "happiness inventory," abridged by Helgesen (2016), provides classes of all levels a shared vocabulary to discuss behaviors shown to support well-being. The article also presents the results of successful studies examining the association between learner well-being and factors essential to academic success. Teachers are invited to experiment with the concepts of positive psychology in their classes by considering familiar content topics from the perspective of happiness research.
The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning (JASAL) held its 15th annual conference event on t... more The Japan Association for Self-Access Learning (JASAL) held its 15th annual conference event on the 5th of December, 2020. Due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the event was conducted online via the Zoom teleconferencing application, marking JASAL’s first “virtual conference” and requiring an impressive feat of innovation from organizers. The conference, attended by more than 50 participants in total, featured 20 presentations on a variety of topics relevant to self-access learning and supporting language learner autonomy. Highlights of the day included a plenary talk by Satoko Kato and Hisako Yamashita and a virtual tour of Tokyo International University’s English Plaza. In this conference report, 17 English-language presentations are summarized and arranged according to three themes: autonomy-supportive learning projects; SALC development via research and reflection; and reflections on the transition to emergency remote self-access in 2020.
Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a quadruple hamstring (QH) autog... more Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a quadruple hamstring (QH) autograft is a widely utilized procedure with good outcomes. A graft diameter less than 8 mm, however, has been associated with higher revision rates. Accurately determining the diameter of the hamstring tendon preoperatively can help surgeons plan accordingly. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of our study was to determine whether QH graft size can be reliably predicted from preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measurements. We hypothesized that we can achieve a high predicted QH graft size correlation with regard to preoperative and intraoperative measurements. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: We evaluated patients undergoing ACL reconstruction using QH autografts. At the time of surgery, the semitendinosus tendon (ST) and gracilis tendon (GT) were harvested and sized and then sized as a QH graft. Preoperative individual ST and GT sizes were determined from T2-weighted fat-saturated MRI at 3 cm above the joint line using correlating axial and coronal images. We then used a predictive chart to predict what the size of the QH graft would be and compared this with the actual measurements. Pearson correlation coefficients between predicted and actual graft sizes were calculated. Results: The predicted GT graft size was within 0.5 mm of the actual size in 45 of 60 (75%) patients and within 1 mm of the actual graft size in 59 of 60 (98%) patients. The predicted GT graft size from MRI measurements correlated with the actual GT graft size (r ¼ 0.62, P < .00001). The predicted ST graft size was within 0.5 mm of the actual size in 45 of 60 (75%) patients and within 1 mm of the actual graft size in 56 of 60 (93%) patients. The predicted ST graft size from MRI measurements correlated with the actual ST graft size (r ¼ 0.71, P < .00001). The predicted QH graft size was within 0.5 mm of the actual size in 52 of 60 (87%) patients and within 1 mm of the actual graft size in 60 of 60 (100%) patients. The predicted QH graft size from MRI measurements correlated with the actual QH graft size (r ¼ 0.81, P < .00001). Conclusion: The current technique can reliably predict the size of a QH graft within 1 mm of the final graft size.
Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has emerged over the last two decades as a powe... more Proteolysis targeting chimera (PROTAC) technology has emerged over the last two decades as a powerful tool for targeted degradation of endogenous proteins. Herein we describe the development of PROTACs for receptor tyrosine kinases, a protein family yet to be targeted for induced protein degradation. The use of VHL-recruiting PROTACs against this protein family reveals several advantages of degradation over inhibition alone: direct comparisons of fully functional, target-degrading PROTACs with target-inhibiting variants that contain an inactivated E3 ligase-recruiting ligand show that degradation leads to more potent inhibition of cell proliferation and a more durable and sustained downstream signaling response, and thus addresses the kinome rewiring challenge seen with many receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Combined, these findings demonstrate the ability to target receptor tyrosine kinases for degradation using the PROTAC technology and outline the advantages of this degradatio...
I gratefully acknowledge the studentship funding I received from Cardiff School of Mathematics. F... more I gratefully acknowledge the studentship funding I received from Cardiff School of Mathematics. Finally, I would like to thank my family, friends and Jen for the constant moral support, I couldn't have done it without you.
The expression of lymphotoxin (LT) mRNA and cytokine in human tonsillar B cells and B cell lines ... more The expression of lymphotoxin (LT) mRNA and cytokine in human tonsillar B cells and B cell lines was examined by Northern blots and cytotoxicity assays, respectively. In tonsillar B cells, phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) or Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I (SAC) alone induced low levels of LT mRNA accumulation. However, SAC and anti-M were strongly synergistic with PMA in this induction. Peak LT mRNA expression in tonsillar B cells stimulated by PMA plus SAC occurred between 48 and 72 h and was approximately half as much as that in PMA plus anti-CD3-stimulated T cells. Cyclosporine A was not effective in inhibiting LT mRNA accumulation by stimulated tonsillar B cells. A number of B cell lines could also be stimulated by PMA to express LT mRNA. Peak accumulation of LT mRNA in the cell line RPMI 1788 stimulated with PMA peaked about 8 h. A23187 in combination with PMA caused this accumulation to increase slightly and to peak earlier. The cytotoxic effects in the supernatants of stimulated B cells were contributed mostly by LT. The results indicate that tonsillar B cells are important in LT production and that there are important differences in the stimulation requirements for LT production and in LT mRNA expression kinetics between tonsillar B cells and B cell lines.
Context: Psychological skills are alleged to augment sport-injury rehabilitation; however, implem... more Context: Psychological skills are alleged to augment sport-injury rehabilitation; however, implementation of mental imagery within rehabilitation programs is limited. Objective: To examine attitudes of athletic trainers (ATs) and physical therapists (PTs) on the effectiveness of mental imagery, goal setting, and positive self-talk to improve rehabilitation adherence and recovery speed of injured athletes. Design: The ATs and PTs were contacted via electronic or physical mailings to complete a single administration survey that measured their beliefs about the effectiveness of psychological skills for increasing adherence and recovery speed of injured athletes undergoing rehabilitation. Setting: Professional member databases of the National Athletic Trainers' Association and the American Physical Therapy Association. Patients or Other Participants: Of the 1000 ATs and 1000 PTs who were selected randomly, 309 ATs (age = 34.18 ± 8.32 years, years in profession = 10.67 ± 7.34) an...
International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 1995
The indications tot the coverag e of seminal vesicles (SV) in patients with clinically localized ... more The indications tot the coverag e of seminal vesicles (SV) in patients with clinically localized carchtonta of the prostate have been controversial. Onr goal was to define subgroups of patients in whom coverage could be avoided, using prelreatment PSA and Gleason score. This is of particular interest in high-dose conformal radiotherapy, where irradiated volumes need to be significantly ieduced, and iu brachytherapy, where high risk patients would not be candidates for htachytherapy alone. Since the rectum is the major dose-limiting structure, we attempted to measure the extent of rectal sparing achieved by excluding the SV from external beam treatment fields. ~ ~-T-Ps^ 4-10 i-ps^ i0-20 r,s^ >20 Gibson 13/55 [24%) 8/25 (32%) 2-6 LGleason 7-10-I-'~:1'2~ 9/43 (21%) I 5/14 (36%} 1_9/24 (79%) 1 Diaz A, Roach M, Marquez (;, el al. InalcallOns Ior and the significance of seminal vesicle Irradiation during 3D ¢onfromal ladlOlhe[apy Ior 10¢allzeO prostale cancer. Inl J gad Oncta Biol Phy$ .~0; 3Z3-321). 199.1.
Background: We describe an extensile posterior approach to the ankle with detachment of the Achil... more Background: We describe an extensile posterior approach to the ankle with detachment of the Achilles tendon for resection of extensive tumors involving the posterior ankle. To the best of our knowledge, this approach and its results have not been reported for oncologic indications. Methods: The surgical technique involved detachment of the Achilles tendon, tumor resection and reconstruction of the Achilles tendon with anchor sutures, and was used in six patients. The diagnosis was pigmented villonodular synovitis (5) and chondroblastoma (1). Results: At a mean of 6 (range, 2 to 10) years followup, all patients were free from tumor. All patients could walk an unlimited amount without any support. There were no problems with Achilles incompetence. The mean Musculoskeletal Tumor Society score was 97 ± 4.2% (range, 90 to 100) and the mean Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score was 95 ± 5.7 (range, 87 to 100). One patient with screwed suture anchors had backing out of two anchors along with...
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