Portals and platforms: Does the technology matter when developing an online community?

Many education providers grapple with “where” to host their online education community. While many have invested significant funding and time into developing a user specific solution, others are using alternative open source software solutions that provide a just in time response. This research paper reports on the importance of the engagement of an online community within an open source learning management system, presents the key aspects of communication occurring and romanticizes the notion that a user specific solution is not a necessary consideration.

Regional resilience: Pre-service teacher preparation to teach in the bush

This paper reports on the outcomes of a two year ALTC Competitive Research and Development Project that aimed to "Develop Strategies at the Pre-Service Level to Address Critical Teacher Attraction and Retention Issues in Australian Rural, Regional and Remote Schools". As well as developing a ‘training framework’ and teaching guides to increase the capacity and credibility of four universities to prepare educators who might venture out of the metropolitan area to teach, data were gathered from pre-service and graduate teachers to analyse regional resilience. It was found that there was a strong likelihood to participate in a regional practicum and stay in a non-metropolitan community once they graduated from university if they had a positive attitude to regional Western Australia either through a family connection or previous experience. Recommendations from this study emphasise the importance of having pre-service students participate in positive regional experiences early in their university study.

Making decisions about antibiotic use in the Australian primary healthcare sector

Background Australia has one of the highest rates of antibiotic use amongst OECD countries. Data from the Australian primary healthcare sector suggests unnecessary antibiotics were prescribed for self-resolving conditions. We need to better understand what drives general practitioners (GPs) to prescribe antibiotics, consumers to seek antibiotics, and pharmacists to fill repeat antibiotic prescriptions. It is also not clear how these individuals trade-off between the possible benefits that antibiotics may provide in the immediate/short term, against the longer term societal risk of antimicrobial resistance. This project investigates what factors drive decisions to use antibiotics for GPs, pharmacists and consumers, and how these individuals discount the future. Methods Factors will be gleaned from published literature and from semi-structured interviews, to inform the development of Discrete Choice Experiments (DCEs). Three DCEs will be constructed – one for each group of interest – to allow investigation of which factors are more important in influencing (a) GPs to prescribe antibiotics, (b) consumers to seek antibiotics, and (c) pharmacists to fill legally valid but old or repeat prescriptions of antibiotics. Regression analysis will be conducted to understand the relative importance of these factors. A Time Trade Off exercise will be developed to investigate how these individuals discount the future. Results Findings from the DCEs will provide an insight into which factors are more important in driving decision making in antibiotic use for GPs, pharmacists and consumers. Findings from the Time Trade Off exercise will show what individuals are willing to trade for preserving the miracle of antibiotics. Conclusion Research findings will contribute to existing national programs to bring about a reduction in inappropriate use of antibiotic in Australia. Specifically, influencing how key messages and public health campaigns are crafted, and clinical education and empowerment of GPs and pharmacists to play a more responsive role as stewards of antibiotic use in the community.

What consumers think, do and say about antibiotic use

Objective The objectives of this study were to investigate (1) the attitudes and behaviours of Australian consumers in antibiotic use, and (2) their understanding of antibiotic resistance. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with consumers in May/June 2015. Convenience sampling was used to recruit consumers between 18–54 years old. Thirty-two consumers were interviewed. Transcripts were analysed to identify themes. Lessons Learned Dominant themes for attitudes and behaviours regarding antibiotics were (a) avoidance of antibiotic use unless clinically warranted; (b) antibiotics were useful but “weakened the body”; and (c) use of complementary medicines as adjuncts to antibiotics or to strengthen the immune system. Key information needs were (a) unambiguous instructions from GPs when prescribed antibiotics, to avoid inappropriate medicine-taking behaviour; (b) rationale for antibiotic selection; and (c) treatment duration. Antibiotic resistance was conceptualised in three ways: as a property of the body (body becomes resistant to antibiotics); the medication (antibiotic no longer effective); and the bacteria (bacteria is resistant). Antibiotic resistance was perceived as an issue that would only affect the wider community in the future, although most recognised that it is a current challenge for hospitals. Personal good health and/or avoidance of antibiotics were perceived as insurance against being adversely affected by antibiotic resistance. Implications A structured survey (discrete choice experiment) will be developed from these findings to investigate how consumers trade-off on factors influencing antibiotic use. Public health campaigns promoting conservation of antibiotics can benefit from these findings.

Questionable antibiotic practices: Obtaining reliable estimates of consumer behaviours

Background: Significant recent attention has focussed on the role of antibiotic prescribing and usage with the aim of combating antibiotic resistance, a growing worldwide health concern. A significant gap in this literature concerns the consumption patterns and beliefs of consumers about antibiotics and their effects. We seek to remedy this gap by exploring a range of questionable antibiotic practices and obtaining reliable estimates of their prevalence as well as their normative status. Methods: We conducted an online survey of over 100 consumers. We used a new incentive compatible technique, the Bayesian Truth Serum (BTS), to elicit more truthful responding than standard self-report measures. We asked participants to indicate whether they engaged in a number of practices including whether they had: taken antibiotics when they are out of date and stored antibiotics at home for later use. We then sought estimates of the percentage of other patients (like them) who had engaged in each behaviour, as well as asking them among those patients who had, the percentage that would admit to having done so. We also asked about social acceptability and responsibility of the practices. Results: These results will show for each type of questionable practice how prevalent it is and whether consumers view it as both socially acceptable and socially responsible. We will gain the relative prevalence of each of these practices. Conclusion: These findings are of paramount importance in gaining a better understanding of consumers’ antibiotic consumption patterns. These will be vital for better targeting educational campaigns to lower inappropriate antibiotic consumption.

Non-bonded interactions in cyclobutane-thiones

Using UVPES and electronic spectral data the presence of an interaction between thd 1,3-thiocarbonyl groups in Image has been identified. EHT calculations also predict such an interaction. Presence of weak interaction between 1,3-carbonyl and thiocarbonyl groups in Image has been inferred from electronic absorption and emission spectra.

The influence of lifetime sun exposure on breast cancer stage

This thesis was a retrospective cohort study that investigated the relationship between lifetime sun exposure and breast cancer stage, as a measure of prognosis, in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. This project was the first of its kind and aimed to enhance the understanding of the effects of sun exposure, possibly mediated by vitamin D, on breast cancer stage and provide insight into ways in which the prognosis of breast cancer can be improved. The study found no significant relationship between lifetime sun exposure and breast cancer stage.

Tumour islet Foxp3+ T-cell infiltration predicts poor outcome in nonsmall cell lung cancer

The impact of host immunity on outcome in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is controversial. We examined the relationship between lymphoid infiltration patterns in NSCLC and prognosis. Tumour- and stroma-infiltrating CD3+, CD8+ and forkhead box P3 (Foxp3)+ T-lymphocytes were identified using immunohistochemistry and a novel image analysis algorithm to assess total, cytotoxic and regulatory T-lymphocyte counts, respectively, in 196 NSCLC cases. The median cell count was selected as a cut-point to define patient subgroups and the ratio of the corresponding tumour islet:stroma (TI/S) counts was determined. There was a positive association between overall survival and increased CD8+ TI/S ratio (hazard ratio (HR) for death 0.44, p<0.001) but an inverse relationship between Foxp3+ TI/S ratio and overall survival (HR 4.86, p<0.001). Patients with high CD8+ islet (HR 0.48, p<0.001) and Foxp3+ stromal (HR 0.23, p<0.001) counts had better survival, whereas high CD3+ and CD8+ stromal counts and high Foxp3+ islet infiltration conferred a worse survival (HR 1.55, 2.19 and 3.14, respectively). By multivariate analysis, a high CD8+ TI/S ratio conferred an improved survival (HR 0.48, p=0.002) but a high Foxp3+ TI/S ratio was associated with worse survival (HR 3.91, p<0.001). Microlocalisation of infiltrating T-lymphocytes is a powerful predictor of outcome in resected NSCLC.

Kaupunkimaineen rakentuminen. Lahden muotoilumaine epälineaarisena prosessina.

Tämän pro gradu -tutkimuksen aiheena on kaupunkimaineen tarkastelu epälineaarisena ja dynaamisena prosessina. Opinnäytteessä kaupunkimainetta tutkitaan dynaamisen onganisaatioviestinnän teorian näkökulmasta ja sen tarkoitus on hahmotella epälineaarisempaa näkemystä kaupunkimaineen rakentumisesta. Lisäksi työ siirtää kaupunkimainetutkimuksen fokusta maineen mittaamisesta sen leviämisen tutkimiseen. Tarkoituksena on siis hahmottaa sitä, miten kaupungin sisällä syntyvä maine yleisöissään leviää. Tutkimuksen tärkeimmiksi lähteiksi on valikoitu Pekka Aulan dynaamisen organisaatioviestinnän teoria sekä Aulan, Jouni Heinosen, Saku Mantereen sekä Erkki Karvosen mainenäkemykset. Lisäksi tutkimuksessa on hyödynnetty useiden kansainvälisten kaupunkitutkijoiden ajatuksia, joista tärkeimpinä lähteinä tutkimuksen kehittymisen kannalta ovat olleet Elaine Romanellin, Olga M. Khessinan sekä Patsy Healyn työt. Kaupunkia ja sen mainetta käsittelevissä osioissa tärkeään rooliin nousi myös Teppo Sintosen käsitys postmodernista organisaatiosta, jollaisena kaupunki tässä tutkimuksessa nähdään, itse tutkimuksen todellisuuskäsitys on konstruktivistinen - siinä todellisuus eli näin ollen myös kaupunki on yhteisesti rakennettua ja uusiutuu kirjoituksissa sekä puheissa. Lähteiden pohjalta on tutkimuksessa hahmoteltu ajatuksia dynaamisesta kaupunkimaineesta, joka vastaa niin maineteorioiden ajatuksiin, dynaamisen organisaatioviestinnän teorian prepositioihin kuin kriittiseen kaupunkimarkkinoinnin tutkimukseen. Työ onkin vahvasti poikkitieteellinen tutkimus, jonka takia sen teoreettinen osuus onkin erittäin laaja. Teoreettisen osuuden laajuus selittyy myös sillä, että tutkimuksessa lähestyttiin kaupunkimainetta uudesta, epälineaarisemmasta näkökulmasta. Työ on laadullinen tapaustutkimus, jossa maineen epälineaarista rakentumista on tutkittu tapauskaupunki Lahden ja tämän muotoilumaineen näkökulmasta. Tutkimus toteutettiin haastattelututkimuksena ja aineisto analysoitiin narratiiviparadigman teorian alle sijoittuvalla juonellistamisen menetelmällä. Asiantuntijahaastatteluista eritellystä aineistosta johdetut johtopäätökset osoittavat maineen rakentumiseen liittyviä epälineaarisia elementtejä sekä antavat tukea ajatukselle, jonka mukaan kaupunkimaineen tutkimuksessa saattaa olla vaatimuksia epälineaarisemmalle kaupunkimainekäsitykselle. Tutkimuksen johtopäätösten mukaan mainetta voidaan siis tarkastella epälineaarisena prosessina, joka muotoutuu vuorovaikutuksessa ympäristön ja kaupungin välillä, ja joka kehittyy ennustamattomien, luovien ja itseohjautuvien prosessien kautta.

The biological and structural characterization of Mycobacterium tuberculosis UvrA provides novel insights into its mechanism of action

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is an extremely well adapted intracellular human pathogen that is exposed to multiple DNA damaging chemical assaults originating from the host defence mechanisms. As a consequence, this bacterium is thought to possess highly efficient DNA repair machineries, the nucleotide excision repair (NER) system amongst these. Although NER is of central importance to DNA repair in M. tuberculosis, our understanding of the processes in this species is limited. The conserved UvrABC endonuclease represents the multi-enzymatic core in bacterial NER, where the UvrA ATPase provides the DNA lesion-sensing function. The herein reported genetic analysis demonstrates that M. tuberculosis UvrA is important for the repair of nitrosative and oxidative DNA damage. Moreover, our biochemical and structural characterization of recombinant M. tuberculosis UvrA contributes new insights into its mechanism of action. In particular, the structural investigation reveals an unprecedented conformation of the UvrB-binding domain that we propose to be of functional relevance. Taken together, our data suggest UvrA as a potential target for the development of novel anti-tubercular agents and provide a biochemical framework for the identification of small-molecule inhibitors interfering with the NER activity in M. tuberculosis.

Correlation of Calcification on Excised Aortic Valves by Micro-Computed Tomography with Severity of Aortic Stenosis

Background and aim of the study: The quantification of incidentally found aortic valve calcification on computed tomography (CT) is not performed routinely, as data relating to the accuracy of aortic valve calcium for estimating the severity of aortic stenosis (AS) is neither consistent nor validated. As aortic valve calcium quantification by CT is confounded by wall and coronary ostial calcification, as well as motion artifact, the ex-vivo micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of stenotic aortic valves allows a precise measurement of the amounts of calcium present. The study aim, using excised aortic valves from patients with confirmed AS, was to determine if the amount of calcium on micro-CT correlated with the severity of AS. Methods: Each of 35 aortic valves that had been excised from patients during surgical valve replacement were examined using micro-CT imaging. The amount of calcium present was determined by absolute and proportional values of calcium volume in the specimen. Subsequently, the correlation between calcium volume and preoperative mean aortic valve gradient (MAVG), peak transaortic velocity (V-max), and aortic valve area (AVA) on echocardiography, was evaluated. Results: The mean calcium volume across all valves was 603.2 +/- 398.5 mm(3), and the mean ratio of calcium volume to total valve volume was 0.36 +/- 0.16. The mean aortic valve gradient correlated positively with both calcium volume and ratio (r = 0.72, p <0.001). V-max also correlated positively with the calcium volume and ratio (r = 0.69 and 0.76 respectively; p <0.001). A logarithmic curvilinear model proved to be the best fit to the correlation. A calcium volume of 480 mm(3) showed sensitivity and specificity of 0.76 and 0.83, respectively, for a diagnosis of severe AS, while a calcium ratio of 0.37 yielded sensitivity and specificity of 0.82 and 0.94, respectively. Conclusion: A radiological estimation of calcium amount by volume, and its proportion to the total valve volume, were shown to serve as good predictive parameters for severe AS. An estimation of the calcium volume may serve as a complementary measure for determining the severity of AS when aortic valve calcification is identified on CT imaging. The Journal of Heart Valve Disease 2012;21:320-327

Maioridade penal no Brasil e na Espanha : um estudo comparativo

Traça um panorama geral da legislação referente à maioridade penal no Brasil e na Espanha. O tema é apresentado sob uma perspectiva histórica e mostra a evolução no tratamento da infância e da adolescência nos dois países. Compara a legislação de menores e as medidas socioeducativas adotadas em ambos os países com o intuito de trazer subsídios para a busca de soluções da problemática do aumento da criminalidade infanto-juvenil em nosso país.

Planejamento estratégico do Detaq : um histórico e seus primeiros resultados

Aborda o processo de planejamento estratégico do Departamento de Taquigrafia (Detaq), destacando as iniciativas e os eventos relacionados à renovação de práticas administrativas.

Os efeitos da Emenda Constitucional nº 45, de 2004, nos tratados e convenções internacionais sobre direitos humanos

Discute e reflete sobre os Tratados Internacionais de Direitos Humanos, sua história, a incorporação deles ao sistema jurídico e as consequências da Emenda Constitucional nº 45, de 2004, no processo de constitucionalização. Analisa, por outro lado, como as Constituições da Argentina, Peru e do Brasil foram alteradas procurando ou não trazer para os textos constitucionais, documentos internacionais ratificados pelos Estados Nacionais. Entre os objetivos propostos, o estudo buscou desenvolver a evolução histórica dos direitos humanos, dos tratados que versam sobre o mesmo tema, bem como nos mecanismos de proteção dos direitos humanos no âmbito internacional. Relata as nuances - a construção, os avanços e limites - dos tratados sobre direitos humanos nos processos constitucionais, especialmente no "Caso Brasileiro".

Direito humano à alimentação adequada e o parlamento brasileiro

Discute e faz reflexões sobre o tratamento e a tramitação de propostas sobre a segurança alimentar e nutricional, tanto pelo parlamento como por parte da mídia, em especial a Proposta de Emenda à Constituição (PEC nº 47 de 2003), que inclui no rol dos Direitos Sociais a alimentação. Entre os objetivos propostos, o estudo buscou também aprofundar a reflexão sobre a evolução histórica dos direitos humanos à alimentação no mundo e, especificamente, no âmbito brasileiro.