This paper deals with the conditions under which singular definites, on the one hand, and universally quantified DPs, on the other hand, receive interpretations according to which the sets denoted by the NP-complements of the respective determiner vary with the situations quantified over by a Q-adverb. I show that in both cases such interpretations depend on the availability of situation predicates that are compatible with the presuppositions associated with the respective determiner, as co-variation in both cases comes about via the binding of a covert situation variable that is contained within the NP-complement of the respective determiner. Secondly, I offer an account for the observation that the availability of a co-varying interpretation is more constrained in the case of universally quantified DPs than in the case of singular definites, as far as word order is concerned. This is shown to follow from the fact that co-varying definites in contrast to universally quantified DPs are inherently focus-marked.

Statement of the problem: Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen of increasing concern and is associated with higher hospital readmission rates, poorer prognosis, and increased mortality resulting in increasing costs to the Canadian healthcare system.1-13 Institutions have been challenged with developing effective infection control programs to prevent the spread of MRSA. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a universal MRSA screening intervention within a large tertiary care facility. Methods of investigation: The retrospective population-based observational study consisted of two periods. In the first period (24 months), patients admitted to the Ottawa Hospital underwent risk factor-based screening. In the second period (20 months), universal MRSA screening was implemented in which all patients were screened for MRSA upon admission. Results: The regression analysis demonstrated that the universal MRSA screening intervention was not effective in reducing the number of nosocomial MRSA cases. The economic analysis estimated that the universal MRSA screening intervention incurred an additional cost of $1.16 million/year with an estimated additional cost per patient screened of $17.76. Conclusions: The universal MRSA screening intervention was not clinically or economically effective. Further research is required to verify/dispute these findings in other settings.

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First the researcher set out to determine if phonemic awareness skills improved for first grade students of teachers who used the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS; Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998). Second, an attempt was made to determine if there was a relationship between reading improvement in decoding and teacher level variables (i.e., perception of their knowledge of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998), and relevant demographic variables).<p>Students scores based on the Learning Disabilities Working Committee Kindergarten screening tool (LDWC, 2005) were compared to their respective scores on the Learning Disabilities Working Committee Grade One screening tool (LDWC, 2002). Comparison of progress for all students were evaluated as well as assessment of progress for students deemed at risk (below the 25th percentile) of reading failure compared to those not at risk (above the 25th percentile). Teachers perceptions of the critical elements of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) and demographic information were collected. The teacher level variables gathered from this survey (i.e., teaching experience, formal training, knowledge, or skill level in program delivery) were correlated to students scores on the screening tools.<p>Results revealed that teacher demographics, such as teaching experience, specialized training, and intensity of instructional approach are related to student reading achievement in decoding; however, no clearly defined relationship was found between teachers perceptions of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) and student achievement. Paired-sample t-tests were also used to determine if statistically significant differences existed between the means of phonemic identity, phonemic blending, and letter/sound identification between Kindergarten and Grade One. Even though statistically significant results were noted, consideration of the actual change in mean scores and effect size suggested if a practical significance existed. Results indicated that gains were made by students in phonemic awareness and letter/sound correspondence; however, greater gains were noted for students deemed at-risk whose teachers used the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998).

The primary aim of this project is getting a complete understanding of photography’s development process and looking into future, user-centered innovations. Digital evolution changed the rules of product design. Products became a part of a complex system, consisting of a variety of different touch-points which also constantly extend. Photography and cameras are changing. Mobile phones, wireless connections and sharing platforms have a big impact on photography. Everything is getting connected to each other, both people and devices. How will digital photography adapt to this new world? How will people change their perception of images? Is it possible to design a camera considering all other systems around it? While designing a highly technological device, how can user-perspective be included in the design process?

Although avian influenza virus (AIV) infections in domestic poultry are uncommon, transmission of avian influenza from wild waterfowl reservoirs does occur. Depopulation of the infected flock is the typical response to AIV outbreaks in domestic chicken production, causing a loss in profits and accumulation of unexpected expenses. Because it is impossible to know which of many virus subtypes will cause an outbreak, it is not feasible for the U.S. to stockpile vaccines against all possible avian influenza threats. Currently, the U.S. does not routinely vaccinate chickens against influenza due to the inability to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals (DIVA), which would place limitations on its trade markets. A Sindbis virus vector expressing the PR8 influenza strain's M2e peptide was developed as a potential universal DIVA vaccine. M2e is a conserved peptide amongst influenza A viruses; M2e-specific antibodies induce antibody-dependent cytotoxicity or phagocytosis of infected cells, reducing production and shedding of AIV during infection. In this study, chickens were vaccinated at one-month-of-age with parental (E2S1) or recombinant Sindbis viruses expressing the PR8 M2e peptide (E2S1-M2e) by subcutaneous or intranasal routes at high (106 pfu) or low (103 pfu) dosages. Chickens were boosted at 2-weeks post-initial vaccination using the same virus, route, and dosage, then challenged with low pathogenic H5N3 AIV at 0.2 mL of 106/mL EID50 2-weeks post-boost. Serum samples were collected at 1-week and 2-weeks post-vaccination, 2-weeks post-boost, and 2-weeks post-challenge and screened for PR8 M2e-specific IgY antibody production by ELISA. Both high and low dose subcutaneously, as well as high dose intranasally vaccinated E2S1-M2e groups produced significantly higher levels of PR8 M2e-specific IgY antibodies as early as 1-week post-vaccination, while the uninoculated control and E2S1 groups remained negative for all pre-challenge time points. M2e-specific IgY antibodies capable of binding the challenge H5N3 M2e peptide were detected in groups with existing vaccine-induced M2e-specific antibodies pre-challenge, suggesting antibody M2e cross-reactivity. After challenge, all groups developed M2e-specific IgY antibodies and high HI titers, verifying successful AIV infection during challenge and production of hemagglutinin-specific antibodies. Viral shedding titers 4-days post-challenge were used to measure vaccine efficacy and were similar amongst all groups. Microneutralization assay results confirmed that post-boost serum samples, containing only M2e-specific antibodies, were unable to neutralize AIV in vitro. Although the E2S1-M2e vaccine was capable of producing high levels of M2e-specific IgY antibodies when inoculated subcutaneously, these antibodies were not able to reduce viral shedding and therefore did not protect chickens from AIV.

Statement of the problem: Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus (MRSA) is a pathogen of increasing concern and is associated with higher hospital readmission rates, poorer prognosis, and increased mortality resulting in increasing costs to the Canadian healthcare system.1-13 Institutions have been challenged with developing effective infection control programs to prevent the spread of MRSA. The purpose of this thesis was to examine the clinical and cost-effectiveness of a universal MRSA screening intervention within a large tertiary care facility. Methods of investigation: The retrospective population-based observational study consisted of two periods. In the first period (24 months), patients admitted to the Ottawa Hospital underwent risk factor-based screening. In the second period (20 months), universal MRSA screening was implemented in which all patients were screened for MRSA upon admission. Results: The regression analysis demonstrated that the universal MRSA screening intervention was not effective in reducing the number of nosocomial MRSA cases. The economic analysis estimated that the universal MRSA screening intervention incurred an additional cost of $1.16 million/year with an estimated additional cost per patient screened of $17.76. Conclusions: The universal MRSA screening intervention was not clinically or economically effective. Further research is required to verify/dispute these findings in other settings.

No description available.

La creciente demanda de metodologías analíticas simples, selectivas y de bajo coste para el análisis cuantitativo o semicuantitativo de analitos de variada naturaleza en muestras complejas ha favorecido el desarrollo de alternativas analíticas a los métodos clásicos de análisis. En este contexto, en la presente tesis se ha planteado como objetivo la construcción de biosensores robustos y económicos y cuya utilización no requiera supervisión profesional, para la detección descentralizada y fiable de compuestos de interés en la seguridad alimentaria y en el control medioambiental. Debido a la experiencia de nuestro grupo de trabajo y a las demostradas ventajas del material grafito-epoxi (GEC) como transductor electroquímico, se dirigieron los esfuerzos hacia la construcción de nuevos transductores basados en compósitos rígidos grafito-epoxi. Así, se abordaron dos líneas distintas de investigación: la primera, dirigida hacia la construcción de transductores biocompósitos grafito-epoxi (GEB) modificados en volumen con biomoléculas de afinidad universal, para la inmovilización de enzimas, anticuerpos, u oligonucleótidos y, la segunda, en el desarrollo de nuevos protocolos para la detección electroquímica de biomoléculas inmovilizadas en partículas magnéticas, mediante el diseño de un sensor con propiedades magnéticas, m-GEC. Abordando el primer eje de esta tesis, se estudiaron diferentes moléculas de afinidad universal para la preparación de biocompósitos, tales como la proteína A y la proteína G (para la inmovilización de anticuerpos de diferentes especificidades a través del Fc) y la estrept(avidina), para la inmovilización de prácticamente cualquier analito biotinilado, sea este enzimas, oligonucleótidos o anticuerpos. Así, se construyeron exitosamente biocompósitos de avidina (Av-GEB) capaces de inmovilizar con una excelente orientación, oligonucleótidos, enzimas y anticuerpos. Del mismo modo se diseñaron y construyeron plataformas universales para la inmovilización de anticuerpos basados en biocompósitos grafito-epoxi de proteína A (ProtA-GEB). Usando esta plataforma se consiguieron inmovilizar anticuerpos de las más variada naturaleza a través de su fracción constante para la detección de diferentes analitos como, por ejemplo, atrazina en zumo de naranja o en aguas embotelladas, alcanzando límites de detección por debajo del límite de 0.1 ?g L-1 fijado por la legislación europea. Además de estas plataformas electroquímicas de afinidad universal, se construyeron con éxito inmunocompósitos grafito-epoxi de afinidad específica (Ab-GEB), en concreto inmunocompósitos anti-atrazina para la determinación de este analito en muestras reales con una alta sensibilidad. Resultados muy prometedores se han obtenido también con el segundo eje de la presente tesis, mediante ensayos llevados a cabo con un nuevo sensor magnético basado en compósito grafito-epoxi (m-GEC) y esferas magnéticas modificadas con bioespecies. Las partículas magnéticas representan una nueva estrategia para bioanálisis que aportan numerosas ventajas adicionales. Después de un estudio exhaustivo de la inmovilización de biomoléculas sobre diferentes tipologías de esferas magnéticas funcionalizadas por diferentes grupos químicos (tosil y carboxilo) o moléculas biológicas (proteína A), se consiguió inmovilizar con éxito anticuerpos para la determinación de una familla de antibióticos (sulfonamidas) en muestras alimentarias y de anticuerpos para la determinación de atrazina en muestras alimentarias y medioambientales. Con esta estrategia se consiguió detectar atrazina en muestras tales como agua de consumo y zumo de naranja, y sulfonamidas en leche fresca o UHT entera, desnatada y semidesnatada. En este último caso, se ha conseguido rebajar en un factor de 100 los límites de detección fijados por la legislación europea. Por último, y para concluir, con el objetivo final de desarrollar en un futuro un sistema de detección de DNA de E. coli patógenas basado m-GEC y detección electroquímica, para la aplicación en seguridad alimentaria en cuanto a bacterias patógenas, se ha desarrollado un sistema de primers específicos basados en experimentos de RT-PCR. / The increasing interest in simple, selective and cost-effective analytical methodologies for quantitative analysis in different complex samples is related with the development of analytical alternatives beside instrumental methods of analysis. This thesis is focused on the development of robust, low-cost, user-friendly biosensors, for the accurate detection of compound related with food safety and environmental monitoring. One of the main expertise area in our group is the construction of conducting and rigid graphite-epoxy composites. Due to our experience as well as the improved properties of this transducer material, the research was focused on the construction of novel transducers based on rigid graphite-epoxy composite (GEC). On one hand, this thesis was focused on the construction of graphite-epoxy biocomposite (GEB) transducer bulk-modified with universal affinity biomolecules for the improved immobilization of enzymes, antibodies and oligonucleotides. On the other hand, the development of novel strategies for the electrochemical detection of biomolecules previously immobilized on magnetic beads was also performed, by the construction of a novel magneto sensor based on graphite-epoxy composite (m-GEC). In order to design graphite-epoxy biocomposite based-transducers, different universal affinity molecules such as protein A and G -for the immobilization of antibodies through the Fc region-, and strept(avidin) -for the immobilization of almost any biotinylated biomolecules such as enzymes, DNA or antibodies- were studied. Avidin graphite-epoxy biocomposite transducers -Av-GEB- with improved immobilizing properties for biotinylated DNA, antibodies and enzymes were constructed and electrochemically evaluated. In a similar way, protein A graphite-epoxy biocomposite (ProtA-GEB) transducers for the improved immobilization of antibodies with different specificities were also constructed. Atrazine in bottled water samples as well as orange juices were determined by immunosensing with this strategy, reaching the maximum residues limits established by the European Commission (0.1 ?g L-1). Beside these universal affinity platforms, graphite-epoxy immunocomposite transducers (Ab-GEB) with specific affinity were constructed for the specific detection of atrazine in real samples with high sensitivity. On the other hand, very promising results were also achieved with a novel magneto sensor based on graphite-epoxy composite (m-GEC) and magnetic beads modified with biomolecules. Magnetic beads provide further improvement to a bioassay, such as better and easier separation of the biomolecule from the complex sample. After a carefully study of the different modified magnetic beads (such as tosyl, carboxilate and Protein A modified magnetic beads), a class specific antibodies for the determination of sulfonamides as well as the specific anti-atrazine antibody were immobilized on tosyl modified magnetic beads. The detection of atrazine in water samples and orange juices, as well as sulfonamides in skimmed, semi-skimmed and full cream UHT and raw full cream milk samples was achieved following this strategy with remarkable sensitivity and reaching by far the maximum residues limits established by the European Commission. Finally, the design of a set of specific primers for the detection of pathogenic E. Coli by RT-PCR has been described. This system will be used in the electrochemical genosensing based on m-GEC of pathogenic bacteria in a near future.

Different universal methods (also called automatic or black-box methods) have been suggested to sample from univariate log-concave distributions. The description of a suitable universal generator for multivariate distributions in arbitrary dimensions has not been published up to now. The new algorithm is based on the method of transformed density rejection. To construct a hat function for the rejection algorithm the multivariate density is tranformed by a proper transformation T into a concave function (in the case of log-concave density T(x) = log(x).) Then it is possible to construct a dominating function by taking the minimum of several tangent hyperplanes which are transformed back by $T^(-1)$ into the original scale. The domains of different pieces of the hat function are polyhedra in the multivariate case. Although this method can be shown to work, it is too slow and complicated in higher dimensions. In this paper we split the $R^n$ into simple cones. The hat function is constructed piecewise on each of the cones by tangent hyperplanes. The resulting function is not continuous any more and the rejection constant is bounded from below but the setup and the generation remains quite fast in higher dimensions, e.g. n=8. The paper describes the details how this main idea can be used to construct algorithm TDRMV that generates random tuples from multivariate log-concave distribution with a computable density. Although the developed algorithm is not a real black box method it is adjustable for a large class of log-concave densities. (author's abstract) / Series: Preprint Series / Department of Applied Statistics and Data Processing

The purpose of this study was two-fold. First the researcher set out to determine if phonemic awareness skills improved for first grade students of teachers who used the Lindamood Phoneme Sequencing Program (LiPS; Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998). Second, an attempt was made to determine if there was a relationship between reading improvement in decoding and teacher level variables (i.e., perception of their knowledge of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998), and relevant demographic variables).<p>Students scores based on the Learning Disabilities Working Committee Kindergarten screening tool (LDWC, 2005) were compared to their respective scores on the Learning Disabilities Working Committee Grade One screening tool (LDWC, 2002). Comparison of progress for all students were evaluated as well as assessment of progress for students deemed at risk (below the 25th percentile) of reading failure compared to those not at risk (above the 25th percentile). Teachers perceptions of the critical elements of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) and demographic information were collected. The teacher level variables gathered from this survey (i.e., teaching experience, formal training, knowledge, or skill level in program delivery) were correlated to students scores on the screening tools.<p>Results revealed that teacher demographics, such as teaching experience, specialized training, and intensity of instructional approach are related to student reading achievement in decoding; however, no clearly defined relationship was found between teachers perceptions of the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998) and student achievement. Paired-sample t-tests were also used to determine if statistically significant differences existed between the means of phonemic identity, phonemic blending, and letter/sound identification between Kindergarten and Grade One. Even though statistically significant results were noted, consideration of the actual change in mean scores and effect size suggested if a practical significance existed. Results indicated that gains were made by students in phonemic awareness and letter/sound correspondence; however, greater gains were noted for students deemed at-risk whose teachers used the LiPS program (Lindamood & Lindamood, 1998).