The purpose of this quantitative, non-experimental, retrospective research study was to examine the charges of disability-related, private-sector workplace discrimination made by individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). To date, there has been a lack of research regarding the nature, scope and dynamics of employment discrimination affecting individuals with ASDs.A portion of the EEOC's Integrated Mission Systems (IMS) database was analyzed, drawing upon the following five major categories: (1) charging-party demographics, (2) responding-party characteristics, (3), U.S. region, (4) ADA Title I discrimination charge categories, and (e) case resolutions. All charges that were received, investigated, and fully resolved by the EEOC from July 26, 1992 (the first date the ADA went in effect through September 30, 2003 (last day of fiscal year 2003), were available for analyses.First, an exploratory descriptive design was employed, in order to capture the characteristics (or profile) of the ADA Title I charges of discrimination made to the EEOC by individuals with ASDs.The second phase of the study, comparative in nature, contrasted the ASD profile against three groups of individuals with other types of disabilities: (1) other physical, sensory, and neurological disabilities, (2) emotional or psychological disabilities, and (3) mental retardation. Overall, the use of Fisher's exact tests and t-Tests for independent groups revealed that the profile of ASD charges has relatively more in common with the charge profile for mental retardation than the other two comparative groups.The third phase of this study, predictive in nature, explored whether or not the final EEOC case resolutions of ASD charges (considered simply as merit vs. non-merit resolutions) could be predicted as a function of some of the contextual variables available within the database. Logistic regression analysis revealed that ASD case resolutions can be partially predicated as a function of: (1) the employer's industry (i.e., Service industries vs. all other industries), and (2) the size of the employer.

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment Of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 1993 / Renewal is the extraction of the intellectual content (algorithms, data structures) from an existing program, and then puilding a new more maiatainable program using more modem progra1Tlming methods and languages. A survey of software structure on maintenance. highlighted the different hierarchies produced by functional and object-oriented design methods. Elecsim, a linear circuit sL~ulator written in Pascal, was chosen as the existing program to be renewed, The new version follows the approach of decoupling the user interface and introducing an explicit scheduler. The object-oriented design technique is used extensively. Other issues addressed include online-help and. documentation for the program. Conclusions are drawn which are generally applicable from the specificlessons learnt from the Elecsim/Elector case study. / MT2017

Submitted by Caroline Xavier (caroline.xavier@pucrs.br) on 2017-06-30T17:57:27Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TES_ODI_ALEXANDER_ROCHA_DA_SILVA_COMPLETO.pdf: 9409951 bytes, checksum: 7c765ba030fac89b12a17ed9e49a6948 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-30T17:57:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TES_ODI_ALEXANDER_ROCHA_DA_SILVA_COMPLETO.pdf: 9409951 bytes, checksum: 7c765ba030fac89b12a17ed9e49a6948 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-03-29 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior - CAPES / This work is dedicated to the study of handwritten notes for classes by Donaldo Sch?ler. The content of these notes focuses on issues related to the plot of the Iliad, especially those related to Song IX of that work. The interest of this study is to reveal the role that these notes for classes had in the making of the published work of Sch?ler Aspectos Estruturais na Il?ada. These notes are part of one of the binders, entitled Iliad II, which features handwritten notes for classes on Homer and his works. These notes were made by Sch?ler when he was a professor at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul. From this binder, we chose three pieces as a clipping for analysis. These three pieces belong to the set of discussions corresponding to Song IX of the Iliad. To make easy the reference, the pieces are numbered and classified as follows: Piece 1, which discusses the psychology of the ancient man, Piece 2, which presents a summary of Song IX for didactic purposes and Piece 3, which outlines some reflections on the Phoenix character. The contents of these pieces demonstrate just from their outline the presence of an essayistic thought, marked by questioning, restlessness and reflection. Such thinking, unfolding in more complex reflections such as a thesis and a published essay, reveals through material evidence that, parallel to the classroom, the teacher develops his own essayistic thought, characterized by critical reflections on what he researches and teaches, which is reflected in his scientific production. / Este trabalho dedica-se ao estudo de notas manuscritas para aulas de Donaldo Sch?ler. O conte?do destas notas enfoca quest?es ligadas ao enredo da Il?ada, em especial as relacionadas ao Canto IX da referida obra. O interesse dessa tese consiste em revelar o papel que essas notas para aulas tiveram na feitura da obra Aspectos Estruturais na Il?ada. Essas notas fazem parte de um dos fich?rios, intitulado Il?ada II, que apresenta notas manuscritas para aulas sobre Homero e suas obras. Essas notas foram feitas por Sch?ler quando era docente na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. Deste fich?rio, escolhemos tr?s fichas como recorte para an?lise. Tais fichas pertencem ao conjunto de discuss?es correspondentes ao Canto IX da Il?ada?. Para facilitar a refer?ncia, as fichas se apresentam numeradas e classificadas da seguinte maneira: ficha 1, que discute a psicologia do homem antigo, ficha 2, que apresenta um resumo do Canto IX para fins did?ticos e ficha 3, que esbo?a algumas reflex?es sobre o personagem F?nix. O conte?do destas fichas demonstra j? a partir de seu esbo?o a presen?a de um pensamento ensa?stico, marcado por interroga??o, inquieta??o e reflex?o. Tal pensamento, desdobrando- se em reflex?es mais complexas como uma tese e um ensaio publicado, revelam por meio de evid?ncias materiais que, em paralelo ? sala de aula o professor desenvolve um pensamento ensa?stico pr?prio, caracterizado por reflex?es cr?ticas a respeito do que pesquisa e ensina e que se reflete em sua produ??o cient?fica.

Les intergiciels rendent les applications réparties indépendantes d'un environnement particulier, mais introduisent paradoxalement une nouvelle dépendance vis-à-vis d'un modèle de répartition.<br /><br />L'interopérabilité entre applications doit être intégrée à l'architecture de l'intergiciel, car l'utilisation de passerelles statiques présente un coût et une explosion combinatoire prohibitifs.<br /><br />Les architectures d'intergiciels génériques permettent le partage de code par plusieurs personnalités réalisant des modèles de répartition différents. Nous les étendons en proposant l'architecture schizophrène, qui découple les aspects exposes d'une part aux objets applicatifs, d'autre part aux autres intergiciels, au moyen d'une couche neutre réalisant les fonctions récurrentes des intergiciels indépendamment des personnalités. Cette architecture générique et configurable contribue à l'interopérabilité en permettant la cohabitation efficace de plusieurs personnalités.<br /><br />Nous présentons PolyORB, notre prototype d'intergiciel schizophrène. Nous montrons ainsi que l'architecture proposée est opérationnelle et efficace.

<p><!-- @page { margin: 2cm } P { margin-bottom: 0.21cm; background: transparent; page-break-before: auto } P.western { font-size: 14pt } --></p><p>Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, where joints are attacked by the own immune system, leading to chronic inflammation and destruction of bone and cartilage. Inflammation is a complex process, controlled by many different substances. One of them is adenosine, which has anti-inflammatory properties. In this project, three polymorphisms in different genes, involved in synthesis and signaling of adenosine, were genotyped for 188 patients with RA and 362 controls without RA. The results shows that for the polymorphism in A2a, a gene coding for an adenosine receptor, there was no significant difference in genotype distribution between the groups. There were, however, some differences in the general sensation of pain and well-being reported by the patients. For the polymorphism in NT5E, a gene coding for a nucleotidase for extracellular adenosine synthesis, there were differences both regarding genotype distribution between the groups, and in the progression of the disease. The NT5E-AA genotype seems to increase inflammation, but decrease the number of tender joints. In the case of the polymorphism in ADA, which codes for adenosine deaminase, the minor allele frequency was too low for any conclusions to be made. An attempt was made to analyze the gene polymorphisms in relation to drinking habits, but the population was too small to generate any reliable conclusions. The project shows that the polymorphism in NT5E, whose functional consequences are yet unknown, might have an effect on the extracellular adenosin synthesis and RA pathogenesis. Further studies are required to shed more light on this matter.</p><p> </p> / <p>Reumatoid artrit är en autoimmun sjukdom där leder angrips av det egna immunförsvaret, vilket leder till kronisk inflammation och nedbrytning av brosk och ben. Inflammation är en komplex mekanism som regleras av många olika substanser, varav en är adenosin, som i förhöjda koncentrationer fungerar som en broms av inflammationen. I detta arbetet har tre olika polymorfier i gener inblandade i syntes och signalering av adenosin genotypats för 188 patienter med nydiagnostiserad RA, samt hos en kontrollgrupp på 362 frivilliga utan reumatisk sjukdom. Avseende en polymorfi i A2a, som kodar för en adenosinreceptor, fanns inga signifikanta skillnader i fördelning mellan fall och kontroller. Beträffande sjukdomsförloppet sågs dock vissa skillnader i patienternas bedömning av smärta och välbefinnande. För polymorfin i NT5E, som kodar för ett nukleotidas för extracellulär adenosinsyntes, hittades skillnader både i fördelningen mellan RA-gruppen och kontrollgruppen, samt i sjukdomsförloppet, där NT5E-AA genotypen var relaterad till högre inflammation, men samtidigt till lägre smärtupplevelse. För den tredje polymorfin (ADA) var antalet individer med mutant allel för litet för att tillåta några slutsatser. Tester gjordes även för att se om de olika adenosinpolymorfierna korrelerade till alkoholkonsumtion, men underlaget var för litet för att några slutsatser skulle kunna dras. Arbetet visar att polymorfin i NT5E, vars funktionella effekt är okänd, kan ha en effekt på nukleotidasets förmåga att producera extracellulärt adenosin. Kompletterande studier på större material behövs för att bringa klarhet i dessa frågor.</p>

July 26, 2010 marked the twentieth anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act; the greater implications of comprehensive disability policy are yet to be seen. Nearly twenty percent of Americans have a disability. With such a significant portion of Americans affected, is equal access to employment opportunities, transportation, and communication available? The history of disability in America tells a story of isolation and institutionalization. The civil rights movement of the 1950’s and 60’s opened up an opportunity for America’s most versatile minority group. A survey conducted by the International Center for the Disabled in 1986 showed sixty-six percent of non-institutionalized disabled individuals wished to be employed but did not have access to a job. The ADA attempts to knock down the societal barriers facing these individuals. Two decades later, the efficacy of the ADA is under fire. A series of legal battles during the 1990’s narrowed the scope of ADA regulations. The ADA Amendments Act of 2008 attempts to “restore the intent and protections” of the original bill but does it succeed? Disability rights experts and disabled citizens agree: there is much work to be done.

In this study, I rewrite a relational database, originally written in Pascal, using the Ada language. I tried to exploit certain features of Ada that make it a powerful language, such as packages, in an attempt to have as general a program as possible. So the purpose here was to see how, by using the Ada language, a relational database program could be inproved by eliminating certain restrictions of the Pascal language.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 57406

In this dissertation we studied the pharmacological and functional consequences of adenosine A2A receptor interaction with other proteins, as other neurotransmitter receptores localized in the human brain and an important enzyme regulating the extracellular concentration of adenosine, the ecto-ADA (adenosine desaminase). The first aim of this thesis was to study the molecular and functional interaction of A(2A)Rwith ADA. We found out that A(2A)Racted as a membrane anchoring protein of ADA, more exactly, that ADA bound to A2A receptor homomers and induced a strong modification of their quaternary structure in the way it behaved as a positive allosteric ligand. In addition at the functional level, ADA markedly enhanced A2A receptor signalling, increasing the A2A receptor agonist-induced ERK 1/2 phosphorylation. This powerful regulation of A2A function exerted by ADA might have important implications in the physiology and pharmacology of neuronal A2A receptors that are implicated in the striatal motor regulation. The second aim of this thesis was to search for a compound possibly useful in the treatment Huntington´s disease (among other neurological diseases), concretely a more selective antagonist of A2A receptor for presynaptic A1-A2A receptor heteromers versus postsynaptic A2A-D2 receptor heteromers. Applying in vitro and in vivo approaches, we discovered that the A2A receptor antagonists SCH-442416 showed a presynaptically preferential profile and, on the other hand, the KW-6002 behaved as a postsynaptically preferential A(2A)Rantagonist. Other analysed compounds ZM-241385, MSX-2, SCH-420814, and SCH-58261 showed no clear presynaptic or postsynaptic preference, i.e. presented a mixed profiles. The presynaptic preference of SCH-442416 was due to a strong negative cooperativity induced by the physical presence of dopamine D2 receptor in the A2A-D2 receptor heteromer that was detected by the compound SCH-442416. This cooperativity also indicates that A2A-A2A receptor homodimers are present in the A2A-D2 receptor heteromers. In summary, on the basis of their preferential pre- versus postsynaptic actions, SCH-442416 can be used as a lead compound in the development of antidyskinetic drugs in Huntington’s disease, meanwhile KW-6002 confirms to be possibly beneficial in Parkinson’s disease. The third aim of this thesis consisted in investigation of pharmacological and functional properties of A2A receptors in the A2A-CB1 receptor heteromers and determination whether selective A2A receptor antagonists show different selectivity for A2A receptors or A2A-CB1 receptor heteromers. We observed that adenosine A2A receptor changed its G-protein coupling from stimulatory Gs to inhibitory Gi protein when it formed heteromer with CB1 receptor and a synergistic cross-talk in G-protein activation was observed when both receptors were co-activated. At the same time, we saw that CB1 receptor mainly controled the ERK 1/2 signalling under the A2A-CB1 receptor heteromer. The A2A-CB1 receptor heteromers did not show allosteric effects at the ligand binding level. The two specific A2A receptor antagonist, KW-6002 and VER-7835 lost affinity for A2A receptors when expressed in A2A-CB1 receptor heteromers. This all means that A2A-CB1 receptor heteromers constitute a singular unit for adenosine and cannabinoids signalling, introducing diversity in A2A receptor signalling that can be therapeutically relevant in neurological diseases involving striatal neurons. In summary, the results presented in this Thesis show the importance of GPCR heteromers in the brain striatum and their physiological importance for the treatment of neurological diseases. / En esta Tesis hemos estudiado las consecuencias farmacológicas y funcionales de la interacción del receptor A2A de adenosina con otras proteínas, concretamente con otros receptores de neurotransmisores localizados en el cerebro humano y la enzima ecto-adenosina desaminasa. Hemos demostrado que el A2AR actúa como una proteína de anclaje de ADA que se une a los homodímeros de este receptor y a su vez induce una fuerte modificación en su estructura cuarternaria. Esta propiedad hace de ADA un ligando alostérico de los A2AR que modula positivamente la unión de agonistas y antagonistas al sitio ortostérico de este receptor. En segundo lugar, buscamos un antagonista de A2AR potencialmente útil para el tratamiento de la enfermedad de Huntigton, concretamente un antagonista preferencialmente más selectivo para el heterodímero "presináptico" A1R-A2AR versus el heterodímero "postsináptico" A2AR-D2R. Encontramos un compuesto, SCH-442416, que mostró este perfil presináptico, cual fue debido a una fuerte cooperatividad negativa inducida por presencia física del receptor de dopamina D2 en el heterómero A2AR-D2R. Al revés, otro compuesto, KW-6002, mostró un perfil preferencial postsináptico. Por ello, SCH-442416 puede ser utilizado como un compuesto de partida para el desarrollo de fármacos antidiscinéticos para la enfermedad de Huntington, y por su parte KW-6002 comprobó ser posiblemente beneficioso en la enfermedad de Parkinson. En tercer lugar demostramos que el receptor CB1 influye al A2AR cual cambia su acoplamiento de una proteína Gs estimuladora a una Gi inhibidora en el heterodímero A2AR-CB1R y también controla la señalización de ERK 1/2 y que el KW-6002 pierde afinidad por los receptores A2A en este heterómero. En resumen esta Tesis muestra la importancia de heterómeros de receptores acoplados a proteína G en el cerebro y su relevancia fisiológica a la hora de búsqueda de tratamiento para las enfermedades neurológicas.

The purpose of this investigation was to create and optimise a capture assay for the detectionof anti-drug antibodies (ADA) in human plasma, using Biacore. We also dealt with the nonspecificplasma binding to mouse-derived anti-biotin which may occur in the capture assay.By paying attention to these things we aimed at reaching as high sensitivity as possible for theADA detection. The capture assay also benefited and gained flexibility from using the same regenerationsolution irrespective of drug and from having a composition that minimises the risk ofdamaging drug epitopes.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease, where joints are attacked by the own immune system, leading to chronic inflammation and destruction of bone and cartilage. Inflammation is a complex process, controlled by many different substances. One of them is adenosine, which has anti-inflammatory properties. In this project, three polymorphisms in different genes, involved in synthesis and signaling of adenosine, were genotyped for 188 patients with RA and 362 controls without RA. The results shows that for the polymorphism in A2a, a gene coding for an adenosine receptor, there was no significant difference in genotype distribution between the groups. There were, however, some differences in the general sensation of pain and well-being reported by the patients. For the polymorphism in NT5E, a gene coding for a nucleotidase for extracellular adenosine synthesis, there were differences both regarding genotype distribution between the groups, and in the progression of the disease. The NT5E-AA genotype seems to increase inflammation, but decrease the number of tender joints. In the case of the polymorphism in ADA, which codes for adenosine deaminase, the minor allele frequency was too low for any conclusions to be made. An attempt was made to analyze the gene polymorphisms in relation to drinking habits, but the population was too small to generate any reliable conclusions. The project shows that the polymorphism in NT5E, whose functional consequences are yet unknown, might have an effect on the extracellular adenosin synthesis and RA pathogenesis. Further studies are required to shed more light on this matter. / Reumatoid artrit är en autoimmun sjukdom där leder angrips av det egna immunförsvaret, vilket leder till kronisk inflammation och nedbrytning av brosk och ben. Inflammation är en komplex mekanism som regleras av många olika substanser, varav en är adenosin, som i förhöjda koncentrationer fungerar som en broms av inflammationen. I detta arbetet har tre olika polymorfier i gener inblandade i syntes och signalering av adenosin genotypats för 188 patienter med nydiagnostiserad RA, samt hos en kontrollgrupp på 362 frivilliga utan reumatisk sjukdom. Avseende en polymorfi i A2a, som kodar för en adenosinreceptor, fanns inga signifikanta skillnader i fördelning mellan fall och kontroller. Beträffande sjukdomsförloppet sågs dock vissa skillnader i patienternas bedömning av smärta och välbefinnande. För polymorfin i NT5E, som kodar för ett nukleotidas för extracellulär adenosinsyntes, hittades skillnader både i fördelningen mellan RA-gruppen och kontrollgruppen, samt i sjukdomsförloppet, där NT5E-AA genotypen var relaterad till högre inflammation, men samtidigt till lägre smärtupplevelse. För den tredje polymorfin (ADA) var antalet individer med mutant allel för litet för att tillåta några slutsatser. Tester gjordes även för att se om de olika adenosinpolymorfierna korrelerade till alkoholkonsumtion, men underlaget var för litet för att några slutsatser skulle kunna dras. Arbetet visar att polymorfin i NT5E, vars funktionella effekt är okänd, kan ha en effekt på nukleotidasets förmåga att producera extracellulärt adenosin. Kompletterande studier på större material behövs för att bringa klarhet i dessa frågor.