11 research outputs found
Barbara Dicker Oration 2023 - A New Era for Dementia Diagnosis and Treatment
No full textThe annual Barbara Dicker Oration is an initiative of the Barbara Dicker Brain Sciences Foundation (BDBSF) that facilitates meaningful conversations about mental health and brains sciences, as well as research advancements in these fields.
This year we welcome special guest speaker Professor Scott Ayton, Head of the Dementia Mission and Translational Neurodegeneration Laboratory at the Florey Institute and Director of the Centre of Research Excellence in Enhanced Dementia Diagnosis, to speak on the topic of "A New Era for Dementia Diagnosis and Treatment".
Alzheimer’s disease is the leading cause of dementia, a disease that robs people of their memory and capacity to function independently. It is the second leading cause of death in Australia and around 400,000 people are currently living with dementia in Australia. With this figure set to increase due to our ageing population, further challenging our health and aged care systems, treatment is urgently needed.
Professor Ayton will present on the rapidly changing landscape of dementia care and treatment, as well as profiling potential new opportunities to improve the lives of people living with dementia.
Modelo de previsão da demanda para as indústrias atuantes no setor de infra-estrutura brasileiro dos segmentos de energia elétrica e telecomunicações
Get PDFDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro Tecnológico. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Engenhara de Produção.Proposição de um modelo de processo de previsão da demanda - combinando métodos quantitativos e qualitativos - para as indústrias atuantes no setor de infra-estrutura brasileiro dos segmentos de Energia Elétrica e Telecomunicações, baseando-se em recentes pesquisas e bibliografia sobre o tema e no estudo de caso do processo de previsão em empresas destes segmentos. O modelo consiste em um processo que combina métodos quantitativos e qualitativos de julgamento, ressaltando a necessidade de se utilizar os primeiros sempre que as séries temporais permitirem - preferencialmente os mais simples - e sistematizando o emprego das técnicas qualitativas de modo a minimizar a introdução de viés por julgamento
Что мне читать
No full text"Translation: What is there for me to read; Recommended by the Bibliographic Commission of the Leningrad Oblono (Regional Department of Education) Science and technology: • E. Danko – The Chinese Secret. Drawings by N. Lapshin. (To be published in the coming days.) • B. Zhitkov—Locomotives. Drawings by V. Vladimirov. Published in Moscow-Leningrad, 1928. 111 pages. 70 kopeks. • River in a Harness(?). Edited by B. Zhitkov, drawings by S. Pavlov. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 79 pages, 80 kopeks. • M. Ilyin—100,000 Whys (google!). Drawings by N. Lapshin. Published in the coming days. • M. Il’in—Factory in a Saucepan. Drawings and Cover by M. Tsekhanovskii. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 43 pages, 20 kopeks. • M. Il’in—Pocket Comrade. Drawings by M. Tsekhanovskii. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 39 pages, 18 kopeks. • V. Sharonov—A Stroll About the Sky. Drawings by N. Lapshin. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 134 pages; map 75 kopeks, with book jacket 1 ruble. Books about animals: • V. Bianki—Annual Forest Newspaper. Drawings by N. Brunia, P. Sokolov, N. Tyrsa, T. Shishmarevaia, E. Evenbakh. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 155 pages, 1 ruble fifty kopeks, with book jacket 2 rubles 50 kopeks. • V. Bianki—Murzuk. A Story. Drawings by E. Charushin. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 104 pages, 50 kopeks. • V. Bianki—The Lone One. Drawings by E. Morozova. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 127 pages, 70 kopeks. • Will James—Smoky the Cowhorse. Translated by M. Gershenzon. Illustrations by the author. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 237 pages, 1 ruble 20 kopeks. • L. Zavodovsky—In the Taiga. Story. Drawings by A. Kravchenko. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 84 pages, 30 kopeks. • Cherry Kearton—My Friend Toto. Translated from English by L. Lanska. Edited by E. Lann. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 86 pages, 50 kopeks. • Lesnik—All Dogs. Illustrations by M. Razulevich and I. Kobolev. Moscow-Leningrad 1929, 68 pages, 45 kopeks. • Charles Mayer—How I Trapped Wild Animals. Translated from English. With illustrations in text. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 257 pages, 1 ruble 50 kopeks. • Ernest Thompson Seton—Rolf In the Woods. Stories. (To be published in the coming days.) • A. Formozov—Six Days In the Woods. The adventures of young naturalists. With 84 drawings by the author. Editing and foreword by Professor A. Kots. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 112 pages, 70 kopeks. Travels: • Beiul—Letters from Africa. Completed by N. Zabolitskii. Illustrations by N. Lapshin. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 76 pages, 35 kopeks. • D. Kerr—On the Ships of Vasco de Gama. A Story. Translated from English and completed by A. Krivtsova. Edited by E. Lann. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 214 pages, 90 kopeks, with book jacket 1 ruble 20 kopeks. • P. Nizovoi—Among Eternal Ice. A Story. With many illustrations. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 100 pages, with book jacket 50 kopeks. • E. Pimenova—Breaker of Rocks. The life and travels of Henry Stanley according to his recollections. Wood engravings by N. Brimer. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 184 pages, 1 ruble, in translation 1 ruble 60 kopeks. Second edition published in the coming days. • Chatskina—First at the Pole. The story of the discovery of the South Pole by Amundsen and Scott. With photographs. To be published in the coming days. • N. Chukovskii—To Meet Death. The travels of (Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte) de Lapérouse. Illustrations by Razulevich. To be published in the coming days. Children’s Adventures: • G. Belykh and L. Panteleev—The Republic of SHKID. Story. Illustrations by N. Tyrsa. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 320 pages, 2 rubles, with book jacket 2 rubles 75 kopeks. • N. Garin—Tyoma’s Childhood. From a family chronicle. Illustrations by A. Kodak. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 220 pages, 1 ruble, with book jacket 1 ruble 50 kopeks. • N. Garin—Schoolchildren. Illustrations by V. Grinberg. vii, 456 pages, 1 ruble 60 kopeks, with book cover 1 ruble 85 kopeks. • E. Grinvud—The Little Ragamuffin. To be published in the coming days. • B. Zhitkov—Sea Tales. Illustrations by N. Tyrsa, 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 56 pages, 55 kopeks. • A. Neverov—The Teddy Bear Dodonov. A Story. Illustrations by A. Baranskii. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 141 pages, 50 kopeks. • A. Samokhvalov—Hujr’s Revenge. To be published in the coming days. • S. Marshak. The Vanguiard. Illustrations and completed by N. Tyrsa. Mosclw-Leningrad 1928, 9 pages, 10 kopeks. • Mark Twain—The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Translated from English and edited by K. Chukovskii. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 328 pages, 1 ruble 30 kopeks, with book jacket 2 rubles. 2nd edition to be published in the coming days. • M. Twain—Top Sawyer, Detective. Illustrations by A. Pahomov. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 109 pages, 50 kopeks, (???) 70 kopeks. • L. Panteleev—A Portrait. Illustrated by N. Tyrsa, Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 24 pages, 15 kopeks. • J. Ayton—School of Gentlemen. Translation and reworking by N. Kamionskaia. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 113 pages, 50 kopeks. The fight for freedom: • S. Bogdanovich—Prince Rebel. A Historical tale. Wood engravings by S. Mochalov. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 157 pages, 90 kopeks. • S. Grigor’ev—The Red Beacon. A Tale. Drawings by A. Baranskii. 4th edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1927. 56 pages, 25 kopeks. • S. Grigor’ev—Striped Amba. A Story. Drawings by S. Gerasimov. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 181 pages, 1 ruble 10 kopeks. • V. Kaverin—The Siege of the Palace. Drawings by N. Tyrsa. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 55 pages, 40 kopeks. • M. Novorusskii—The Prison Robinsons. With a sketch by by V. Figner and notes by N. Morozov. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 212 pages, 1 ruble 10 kopeks. • A. Samokhvalov—Our City. Drawings by the author. Moscow-Leningrad 1927. 77 pages, 50 kopeks. • N. Tikhonov—From Sea to Sea. Drawings by A. Pakhomov. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 102 pages, 80 kopeks, with book jacket 98 kopeks. • Yan Strauian—The Forest Brothers. A Story. Drawings by M. Chigarev. 2nd edition. Moscow-Leningrad 1927, 84 pages, 40 kopeks. Poems and fairy tales: • Longfellow—The Song of Hiawatha. Translated by I. Bunin. With 327 drawings in the text by the American artist Remington. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 272 pages, 2 rubles 75 kopeks, with book jacket 3 rubles 50 kopeks. • P. Ershov—The Hobbyhorse Humpback. A Russian fairy tale. Drawings by P. Glebova. Moscow-Leningrad 1928, 102 pages, 60 kopeks. • A. Pushkin—Fairy Tales. To be published in the coming days ; Print Run: 10,000 ;
Adaptive vs. visionary-advocacy approaches in scenario planning : implications of contrasting purposes and constraint conditions
No full textIncludes bibliographical references.Scenario planning has steadily grown to become a significant part of business and organisational foresight processes, particularly where planning situations demand approaches beyond traditional forecasting, due to extent of uncertainty variables or length of future time under consideration. However, despite general consensus as to the importance of the scenario approach in general, and rapid growth in both theory and practice in the field, fundamental questions remain over which situations are most tractable to scenario planning and why; and, in the face of uneven success in application, which among an apparent myriad scenario planning approaches best serves different planning situations, or organisations holding different goals. This dissertation makes an intervention into this problem, investigating to what extent scenario planning projects can be separated by underlying project purpose, and, based on original primary case studies and case-based structured interviews, finds that two meta-categories of purpose exist, which are here referred to as 'adaptive' and 'visionary-advocacy' purposes. It is argued that a purpose-based distinction of scenario modes provides part-explanation of the effective basis, or absence thereof, of scenario work for different situations - a basis which is achieved via congruence of scenario project purpose with (a) underlying organisational planning purpose, and (b) the extent of organisational influence over external conditions, including macro-variables of change, that constrain it. These findings suggest additions to scenario method as currently understood, particularly pre-project analysis (audits) of both an organisation's planning purpose and its external constraint conditions, to ascertain the presence of absence of necessary congruencies, so as to inform adoption of the purpose platform (and allied methodology) more likely to produce successful outcomes in application
The manuscript miscellany in early Stuart England : a study of British Library Manuscript Additional 22601 and related texts
No full textPhDThis thesis is an intensive study of a manuscript miscellany dating from the early years
of the reign of James VI and 1: British Library Manuscript Additional 22601. Compiled
by someone who had close links to the court, but who was also likely to have been
associated with the Inns of Court and possibly with the south-west of England, the
miscellany contains verse (including that of King James) and prose in a wide range of
genres, with a particular interest in the political culture of the period. My thesis
provides a description of the manuscript's contents as a whole and then goes on to focus
on texts from three specific genres: the letter, political prose, and poetry. Studying
these individually and in their immediate context, it goes on to trace their appearance in
a number of other contemporary miscellanies held in British and North American
archives.
The two primary contentions of the thesis are (1) that manuscript miscellanies need to
be treated as coherent wholes, whose arrangement to some extent determines the
meaning of the texts they contain and (2) that in the process of transmission from one
manuscript to another texts and their meanings are significantly modified. The act of
transcription is thus also an act of interpretation. Building on work by Peter Beal, Mary
Hobbs, Harold Love, Henry Woudhuysen and others, the thesis aims to expand our
understanding both of the culture of scribal publication and of the ways in which that
culture engaged with the political, religious and literary life of the nation
Why do clinicians place indwelling urinary catheters with patients in acute medical care?
No full textBackground: Indwelling urinary catheters (IUCs) placed for short-term use in hospital frequently become long-term catheters, increasing the potential for infections, trauma and other complications. Current research has focused on the prompt removal of IUCs in place, with no published review of interventions to reduce the initial placement. Furthermore, little is known about why clinicians place IUCs in acute medical care. Without this knowledge, the effectiveness of strategies aimed at reducing IUC use is likely to be sub-optimal.Aim: To understand why clinicians decide to place IUCs in acute medical care. Methods: (1) A systematic review of interventions to minimise the initial placement of urinary catheters in acute care. (2) A qualitative study in the A&E department and acute medical wards of a 1200+ bed hospital. Clinicians who made the decision to place an IUC were asked to participate in a retrospective think aloud interview describing how they came to the decision, later participating in a semi-structured interview to discuss their wider experiences of making the decision to place an IUC. A purposive sample and thematic analysis were used. Results: (1) Eight (six uncontrolled) studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, using a variety of interventions including clinician education and introduction of guidelines to reduce IUC use. Although seven demonstrated a reduction in the initial use of IUCs post-intervention (relative risk 0.19 – 0.86), the impact of individual interventions was unclear. Notably, each study provided a list of reasons considered to provide justifications for IUC use, with substantial variation between the lists. (2) 30 retrospective think aloud interviews and 20 semi-structured interviews were undertaken. Clinicians were influenced by cues taken from three groups; individual beliefs (e.g. on the clinical indication or IUC-associated risks), patient factors (e.g. age or gender) and organisational factors (e.g. resources or policy). Many spectrums of belief were found (e.g. varying opinions on using IUCs to protect skin from urinary incontinence). Conclusions: This work establishes that understanding of interventions to reduce the initial placement of IUCs is poor and there is a lack of agreement on when the benefits of IUC use outweigh the risks. Clinical reasoning in this area is frequently inconsistent and IUC placement decisions vary widely, indicating that there is considerable scope for a reduction in use
Resolving Drivers of Microbial Community Structure in The Dry Valleys of Antarctica
No full textUnderstanding the processes that underlie patterns of microbial distribution is fundamental to the field of microbial ecology, but extremely challenging given the complexity of natural systems. Antarctica’s ice-free regions possess unique ecosystems of simple trophic structure, shaped by the harsh environmental conditions that typify the continent. The Dry Valleys comprise the largest of these regions and have one of the simplest food webs on the planet, making them a tractable system to comprehensively define relationships that influence microbial distributions at the landscape scale. The New Zealand Terrestrial Antarctic Biocomplexity Survey (nzTABS) was aimed at identifying factors that control, and can predict, biological distributions in the Dry Valleys. As part of nzTABS, the goal of the research presented in this thesis was to elucidate the factors that influence bacterial community structure in Dry Valley soils.
This study explored how topographic, physicochemical, and spatial variation influence bacterial diversity and community structure across a Dry Valley landscape. Bacterial communities were characterized in 471 soil samples using automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis (ARISA). Diversity and community composition were most strongly related to variation in physicochemical soil properties, though significant relationships with topographic and spatial variables were also observed. This identified, for the first time, the influence of environmental variables on bacterial diversity and community composition across the landscape, and presents a structural equation model identifying those relationships.
The phylogenetic diversity of bacterial communities in Dry Valley soils was also examined. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons was used to analyze bacterial communities in 177 soil samples. This work identified significant relationships between the relative abundances of bacterial taxa and both abiotic and biotic variables, though these relationships explained only a small amount of community variation collectively. The relative abundances of several bacterial taxa were, however, significantly coupled to one another, suggesting that interactions between bacterial taxa may influence community compositions.
Lastly, the bacterial composition of aerosols above the Dry Valleys was examined. High-throughput sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons was used to analyze two aerosol samples collected in the Miers Valley, and their compositions were compared to those of previously characterized aerosols and soils from across the continent. Bacteria present in the aerosols were found to be distinct from those of local soils; instead, aerosol compositions were more similar to those of air samples reported from elsewhere on the planet. Importantly, these findings suggest that local redistribution of Dry Valley soil bacteria through atmospheric processes may be largely restricted to periods when high winds mobilize soil particles and associated biota.
This study provides novel insights into the microbial ecology of the Dry Valleys. Despite the relative simplicity of the ecosystem, the factors that influence bacterial distributions within the Dry Valleys appear to be highly complex, and include a combination of abiotic and biotic drivers. Continued research will help to disentangle relationships that influence microbial community compositions in Antarctica’s ice-free ecosystems, and will improve understanding of processes that influence microbial community assembly globally
Role of histone methylation in paternal transmission of epigenetic information
Get PDFDuring the development of multi-cellular organisms, one genome gives rise to multiple differentiated cell types. This is achieved by sequence specific transcription factors and different epigenetic mechanisms, which collaborate in reading the genetic information. These epigenetic mechanisms coordinate the establishment and maintenance of transcriptional programs in a lineage specific manner during development. However, very little is known whether such epigenetic information can be also passed to the next generation.
Mammalian gametes may differ in their potential to transmit chromatin encoded epigenetic information. The oocyte genome is organized in a nucleosomal configuration with DNA wrapped around histones that carry various post translational modifications. By contrast, the paternal genome undergoes a major reorganization during the last stages of spermatogenesis. Most of histones are replaced by protamines, which after fertilization, are exchanged by maternally provided histones. Nevertheless, approximately 10% of histones are retained in human spermatozoa, raising a possibility for a paternal, epigenetic contribution to the next generation.
In this thesis, I aimed to determine the genomic localisation of histones retained in sperm and to analyze their potential to influence transcription after fertilization. We show that histones isolated from mouse and human spermatozoa are carrying multiple post translational modifications, many of which have functions in gene regulation. In our genome wide analysis of human promoters, we demonstrate that two of these marks, Trithorax/Set1 mediated dimethylation of lysine 4 of histone H3 (H3K4me2) and Polycomb mediated trimethylation of lysine 27 of histone H3 (H3K27me3), occupy functionally defined groups of genes. H3K4me2-marked promoters control genes with functions in spermatogenesis and cellular homeostasis, suggesting that this mark reflects germline transcription. By contrast, multiple developmental regulators, which are Polycomb targets in pluripotent somatic cells, are marked by H3K27me3 in human sperm. Similarly to somatic cells, the presence of this mark correlates with gene repression during spermatogenesis and in the early embryo. We propose a model in which H3K27me3, transmitted by sperm, assures repression of developmental regulators at the totipotent stage of the preimplantation development. Finally, we demonstrate that a number of these developmental regulators are also marked by H3K27me3 in mouse spermatozoa, implicating an evolutionary conserved role for histone methylation in the paternal transmission of epigenetic information
Intentional inhibition of actions in humans
No full textA crucial component of human behavioural flexibility is the capacity to inhibit actions at the last moment before action execution. This behavioural inhibition is often not an immediate reaction to external stimuli, but rather an endogenous ‘free’ decision. Knowledge about such ‘intentional inhibition’ is currently limited, with most research focused on stimulus-driven inhibition. This thesis will examine intentional inhibition, using several different experimental approaches. The behavioural experiments reported in the initial chapters found that intentional inhibition directly alters sensory processing during decision-making. In addition, there were unique effects of prior event sequences on subsequent decisions to either act or inhibit. Brain imaging methods using EEG and fMRI showed distinct neural mechanisms associated with intentional inhibition, which did not apply to rule-based inhibition. Work with Tourette syndrome patients indicated that the intentional inhibition of involuntary motor tics affects brain activity associated with voluntary actions. Furthermore, attentional manipulation strategies were shown to be highly effective in reducing tics, which may open up alternative behavioural treatment approaches for tic disorders. This thesis concludes by demonstrating that intentional inhibition is a bona fide cognitive function worth studying. It also develops a cognitive model in which behavioural inhibition varies along a continuum from ‘instructed inhibition’ to ‘intentional inhibition’. This model may be useful as a guide for future work
Modelling international entry mode choice and speed: locational and cognitive insights in Pakistani small businesses
No full textThis thesis intends to explore the process of foreign investment and entry mode choices of small firms from Pakistan. Pakistan being an epicure of global terrorism and ethnictension is an economy that is driven by small sector. The small sector is facing extreme difficulties to expand their international operations. This needs a comprehensive research to see beyond basic infrastructural impediments to small firms in Pakistan. What are the major behavioural and analytical impedimentsto their international expansion? Cognitive biases are the behavioural impediments and so far there is no research in Pakistan in general and in advanced countries in particular, to see how cognitive heuristics and biases affectthe foreign investment decision process?
Entry mode is said to be the building block of internationalisation, and due to their small size, resource limitations and lack of international knowledge, small firms often try to obtain first-mover advantages through strategic alliances or joint venture operations abroad. Post entry speed is the international development of small firm, once the process of entry mode choice is completed. Entrepreneurial managers perceive cooperative modes and other equity investments as high-risk oriented strategies due to the legal and moral hazards associated with co-operative modes of entry. This creates a dilemma as to how to maintain a sustainable post-entry international speed?
The absence of a unique set of enduring dispositional preferences is striking. There is no research that explores the role of entrepreneurial cognition/biases in small firm entry mode choices process. This applies particularly when small firms expand their international operations from emerging to developed economies. Based on the integration of cognitive capabilities and the Dunning eclectic framework, this study develops a rigorous model by introducing the new resource value generation taxonomies, and explores the impact of cognitive biasness in small firm entry mode choice process and cognitive dynamism in post-entry speed. A sub-modal for the enquiry of cognitive biases in foreign investment decision process is also introduced. This sub model by qualitative enquiry found the significant role or heuristics and biases in foreign investment decision process.
The data was collected from a stratified sample of three major provinces of Pakistan through postal and drop-off survey/personal visits. Ten in-depth personal and telephonic interviewswere conducted to triangulate the entry mode choice process with speed model. Triangulation of positivist and interpretivist approach confirms the validity and reliability of the research findings. The dependent variable is dichotomous for post-entry speed.
Logistic regression for post-entry speed is used to analyse the quantitative data set.
Foreign investment and/or entry mode choice process are the simultaneous terms used in the entire thesis. The findings support the central role of biases in foreign investment decision process and ownership, location and cognitive advantages in the post-entry speed. The new value generation entry mode choice taxonomies (high and low value generation modes) and cognitive biases during the three stages of foreign investment decision process introduced in this research, contributes significantly to present literature. Complexities associates with IB research highlight the need for further empirical, cross-cultural and longitudinal studies.
One of the most important challenges that the managers in small firm in developing economies face is to find new ways to enhance the probability of their exports‘ success through a suitable entry mode choice process (foreign investment decision process). This research through careful deliberation presents useful implications that will enhance the international activity of small firms from developing economies in general and advanced economies in particular. The findings are generalizable because the cognitive biases emerge as behavioural and analytical impediments in any event, process and/or in any system of relationships. The dispositional tendencies of managers identified in this thesis are the source of mitigating the negative effects of the biases. Thus this study is unique in its nature that contributes to both economic and behavioural theories
