The method of mothers for non-overlapping non-matching DDM

In this paper we introduce a variant of the three-field formulation where we use only two sets of variables. Considering, to fix the ideas, the homogeneous Dirichlet problem for the Laplace operator in a bounded domain, our variables are: 1) an approximation of the solution on the skeleton (the union of the interfaces of the sub-domains) on an independent grid (that could often be uniform), and 2) the approximations of the solution in each sub-domain, each on its own grid. The novelty is in the way to derive, from the approximation on the skeleton, the values of each trace of the approximations in the subdomains. We do it by solving an auxiliary problem, that resembles the mortar method but is more flexible. Under suitable assumptions, quasi-optimal error estimates are proved, uniformly with respect to the number and size of the subdomains

Statistical Methods for Epigenetic Data

DNA methylation plays a crucial role in human health, especially cancer. Traditional DNA methylation analysis aims to identify CpGs/genes with differential methylation (DM) between experimental groups. Differential variability (DV) was recently observed that contributes to cancer heterogeneity and was also shown to be essential in detecting early DNA methylation alterations, notably epigenetic field defects. Moreover, studies have demonstrated that environmental factors may modify the effect of DNA methylation on health outcomes, or vice versa. Therefore, this dissertation seeks to develop new statistical methods for epigenetic data focusing on DV and interactions when efficient analytical tools are lacking. First, as neighboring CpG sites are usually highly correlated, we introduced a new method to detect differentially methylated regions (DMRs) that uses combined DM and DV signals between diseased and non-diseased groups. Next, using both DM and DV signals, we considered the problem of identifying epigenetic field defects, when CpG-site-level DM and DV signals are minimal and hard to be detected by existing methods. We proposed a weighted epigenetic distance-based method that accumulates CpG-site-level DM and DV signals in a gene. Here DV signals were captured by a pseudo-data matrix constructed using centered quadratic methylation measures. CpG-site-level association signal annotations were introduced as weights in distance calculations to up-weight signal CpGs and down-weight noise CpGs to further boost the study power. Lastly, we extended the weighted epigenetic distance-based method to incorporate DNA methylation by environment interactions in the detection of overall association between DNA methylation and health outcomes. A pseudo-data matrix was constructed with cross-product terms between DNA methylation and environmental factors that is able to capture their interactions. The superior performance of the proposed methods were shown through intensive simulation studies and real data applications to multiple DNA methylation data

Axon guidance in the development of mammalian retinofugal pathways.

Kong Fung Wong.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 59-70).Chapter CHATPER 1 --- GENERAL INTRODUCTION --- p.1-12Chapter CHATPER 2 --- EXAMINATION OF THE BEHAVIOR OF GROWTH CONE IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE OPTIC CHIASMIntroduction --- p.13-14Materials and Methods --- p.15-18Results --- p.19-23Discussion --- p.24-27Chapter CHATPER 3 --- STUDY OF BINOCULAR INTERACTION AFTER UNILATERAL INTRA-UTERO ENUCLEATIONIntroduction --- p.28-29Materials and Methods --- p.30-31Results --- p.32-35Discussion --- p.36-39Chapter CHATPER 4 --- ISOLATION OF DIFFERENTIALLY EXPRESSED mRNA IN DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE RETINAIntroduction --- p.40-43Materials and Methods --- p.44-48Results --- p.48-50Discussion --- p.51-54Chapter CHATPER 5 --- GENERAL DISCUSSION --- p.56-58REFERENCE --- p.59-70FIGURESTABLE

How do partners of people with dementia decide whether to tell family and friends about the diagnosis?: a thematic analysis

Background: Family caregiver(s) (FCG) disclosure of a person(s) with dementia’s (PwD) diagnosis to their wider family and social network has risks and potential benefits. Aims: To explore the factors that influence a FCG’s decision-making process on whether to disclose or conceal their partner’s dementia diagnosis. Method: Individual semi-structured interviews were carried out with 12 current or former spousal FCGs of a PwD, using a topic guide. Recruitment took place via social media and word of mouth. Audio-recordings were transcribed and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, following the stages outlined by Braun and Clarke (2021). A constant comparison approach was used to evolve codes and emerging themes. Results: Analysis identified three overarching themes: ‘Decisional absence’, ‘Decisional influences’, and ‘Decisional dilemmas’. Conclusions: This research has increased our knowledge of how spousal FCGs make decisions in telling others about their partner’s diagnosis, looking at how they may avoid decision-making, key decisional influences, and the ongoing dilemmas they face. The implications for these findings are discussed alongside areas for future research

The transcriptomic and genomic architecture of acrididae grasshoppers

Genetic polymorphism is described as the variation in DNA sequence between distinct individuals of a given species or population. This polymorphism is reflected from individuals to entire populations, and from single nucleotides to the entire genome spanning billions of base pairs. A fundamental aim of functional genomics is to establish links between genetic polymorphism and phenotypic variation, to explain this observed variation. Recent developments in high throughput sequencing have made it possible to adequately explore this link. My dissertation explores genetic and genomic polymorphism in Gomphocerine grasshoppers, an insect group with unusually large and complex genomes using novel and contemporary transcriptomic and genomic methods.Genetische Polymorphismen beschreiben die Variation in DNS-Sequenzen zwischen Individuen einer Art oder zwischen Populationen. Die genetischen Polymorphismen zwischen Individuen bis zu ganzen Population und von Punktmutationen zu ganzen Genomen umfassen Milliarden von Basenpaaren. Ein fundamentales Ziel funktioneller Genomik ist es, den Zusammenhang von genetischen Polymorphismen und phänotypischer Variation zu verstehen. Neuste Entwicklungen in der Hochdurchsatzsequenzierung haben es möglich gemacht, diesen Zusammenhang umfassend zu explorieren. Meine Dissertation ergründet genetische und genomische Polymorphismen in Heuschrecken der Unterfamilie Gomphocerinae, einer Insektengruppe mit ungewöhnlich großen und komplexen Genomen, mittels moderner transkriptomischer und genomischer Methoden

M-government Implementation: A Comparative Study between a Developed and a Developing Country

From the beginning of the 21st century, the development and proliferation of mobile technologies has seen the fastest uptake of a technological innovation in history, with more than 7 billion mobile subscriptions worldwide (ITU, 2015). It has multi-faceted advantages; such as low price, convenience, lower infrastructure requirements and near ubiquity; which make it suitable for all forms of business communication and services, as well as government services. However, m-government development worldwide has so far been uneven. While governments in the developed world are adopting m-services as an extension of their existing e-government and web based online services, some developing countries are experimenting with m-services by leapfrogging entire generations of technologies, such as those that are web based. As such, their adoption and implementation processes often follow quite different trajectories, and lessons from both developed and developing countries are not widely shared and understood. Consequently, many of these initiatives, particularly in developing countries, are failing to yield the expected positive outcomes or falling to ‘scale up’ (Kervenoael, Palmer, & Cakici, 2011; Ogunleye & Van Belle, 2014). Also, m-government being a relatively recent innovation with some unique characteristics, practical guidance emerging from sound theoretical underpinnings to guide the successful implementation of these services by governments are not documented in the literature. An extensive review of contemporary literature in the area presents some valuable insights about its trends, limitations, and opportunities, but provides little information about implementation processes. Also, the extant literature on IT-enabled innovation processes is predominantly based on empirical evidence gathered from developed countries, and as such does not address the contextual and other differences arising from the unique circumstances of developing nations. Against this backdrop, this thesis addresses two research questions: First, how an m-service is implemented in the public sector? Is there a difference between developed and developing countries? Second, what knowledge can be learned or exchanged between developed and developing countries in m-service implementation by governments? The conceptual framework for this study is drawn from Rogers’ (2003; p.138) innovation-development process framework and Van de Ven et al.’s, (1999; p.25) innovation process framework. Rogers’ (2003) framework is a simple step-wise model consisting of all decisions, activities and impacts arising from recognising a problem. This includes the production of ideas and concepts through research and development, production and marketing to diffuse the innovation, and studying adoption to see if the innovation has been taken up and has had an impact. Again, Van de Ven et al.’s framework (1999), a non-linear model developed by examining fourteen different technical and administrative innovations created in large to small organisations (Schroeder et al., 1986, 1989; Angle & Van de Ven, 1989), is found to be more reliable than a stage-based model (King, 1992). Five in-depth case studies of mobile-based innovation processes (m-government services) were examined from both a developed (Australia) and a developing country (Bangladesh) using a case study method (Yin, 2009). Primary data sources include the responses from 86 interviewees, field notes, and on-site observations, while secondary data consists of relevant organisational documents and gazettes. The findings show that the mobile based innovation process model based on Rogers’ (2003) and Van de van et al.’s (1999) work needs to be extended to accommodate two significant key elements: ‘anxiety’ and ‘IT governance’, the former of which is strongly evident in developing countries and the latter in developed countries. Across the innovation path of both the developed and the developing nations, the innovators were found to be ‘anxious’ due to unforeseen and uncontrolled activities and events. The issues within ‘IT governance,’ were evident in the developed country (Australia) cases throughout the innovation process due to a customer-centric focus that emphasises citizens’ interests, whereas this was not evident in the developing country’s (Bangladesh) case studies. Other observations on the need for a ‘business case’, ‘research’ and the ‘fluid’ nature of personnel flows focused attention on the innovators when implementing m-services. No formal ‘research’ was evident in four of the five examples studied. In Bangladesh, the employment nature of IT personnel was ‘stable’ during the innovation process, whereas the theory suggested the labour force would be more ‘fluid’ in nature, with people entering and leaving employment. The thesis offers an extended model of m-service innovation in the public sector, which is applicable to both developed and developing countries, based on empirical evidence derived from research in two different countries. Addressing the gap in existing knowledge, this research develops a comprehensive framework that identifies and analyses key issues within the innovation process. The theory is augmented by the inclusion of two significant issues, ‘anxiety’ and ‘IT governance’. The thesis provides some practical recommendations and guidelines for innovators and policy makers for m-service implementation, which may increase the likelihood of success