'We must learn to': the institutional essence of learning as an anthropocentric praxis following Heidegger

This thesis begins from the belief that it is currently essential for us to relearn the essence of learning. To commence this task, this thesis works with the assumption that the essence of learning lies in the way learning can be ontological, changing the essence of what is, and instituting a new ‘what is’. This thesis is thus an attempt to take account of the radical constructivism that is the unavoidable anthropocentrism of such essential learning. The philosophical teachings of Martin Heidegger are brought to bear on this question concerning learning. This thesis suggests that on the one hand, the way in which Heidegger teaches, teaches us that learning is a process of instituting, a formative projection of necessities that metaleptically installs what is essential; on the other hand, what is thereby learned with and from Heidegger clarifies that this process of learning is a reflexively finitudinal praxis, a thingly effort that must be performed anew every time and can never be taken-as-finished. This means that the ‘freedom’ to change the essence of ‘what is’ by learning is never merely available to us because essential learning involves making-necessary in a sustained manner over-and-against what currently has been learnt-as-necessary, that is, ‘what presently is’. This thesis therefore learns that learning is an avowed act of willing, but one which cannot and must not be represented as a technical economy under the control of a humanist subject. The latter misrepresentations can in fact be understood as manifestations of the current withdrawal of essential learning. In the end, to try to capture what is being learned in this thesis, the process of essential learning is called ‘design’ as understood in relation to the current concern for sustainabilit

Cumulative luminosity functions of the X-ray point source population in M31

We present preliminary results from a detailed analysis of the X-ray point sources in the XMM-Newton survey of M31. These sources are expected to be mostly X-ray binaries. We have so far studied 225 of the 535 sources found by automated source detection. Only sources which were present in all three EPIC images were considered. X-ray binaries are identified by their energy spectrum and power density spectrum. Unlike in other surveys we have obtained source luminosities from freely fit emission models. We present uncorrected luminosity functions of the sources analysed so far.Comment: 2 pages, 1 figure. To appear in proceedings of IAUS23

Which lipid measurement should we monitor? An analysis of the LIPID study

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the optimal lipid to measure in monitoring patients, we assessed three factors that influence the choice of monitoring tests: (1) clinical validity; (2) responsiveness to therapy changes and (3) the size of the long-term ‘signal-to-noise’ ratio. DESIGN: Longitudinal analyses of repeated lipid measurement over 5 years. SETTING: Subsidiary analysis of a Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) study—a clinical trial in Australia, New Zealand and Finland. PARTICIPANTS: 9014 patients aged 31–75 years with previous acute coronary syndromes. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly assigned to 40 mg daily pravastatin or placebo. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: We used data on serial lipid measurements—at randomisation, 6 months and 12 months, and then annually to 5 years—of total cholesterol; low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and their ratios; triglycerides; and apolipoproteins A and B and their ratio and their ability to predict coronary events. RESULTS: All the lipid measures were statistically significantly associated with future coronary events, but the associations between each of the three ratio measures (total or LDL cholesterol to HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B to apolipoprotein A1) and the time to a coronary event were better than those for any of the single lipid measures. The two cholesterol ratios also ranked highly for the long-term signal-to-noise ratios. However, LDL cholesterol and non-HDL cholesterol showed the most responsiveness to treatment change. CONCLUSIONS: Lipid monitoring is increasingly common, but current guidelines vary. No single measure was best on all three criteria. Total cholesterol did not rank highly on any single criterion. However, measurements based on cholesterol subfractions—non-HDL cholesterol (total cholesterol minus HDL cholesterol) and the two ratios—appeared superior to total cholesterol or any of the apolipoprotein options. Guidelines should consider using non-HDL cholesterol or a ratio measure for initial treatment decisions and subsequent monitoring

In vitro propagation of Eucalyptus species

Introduction The importance of eucalypts and reasons for tissue culture Eucalypts are Australia's most distinctive plant group. They are contained within the genus Eucalyptus which consists of over 500 named species, with more as yet unnamed (Brooker & Kleinig 1983; 1990 Chippendale 1988). The natural distribution of the genus is almost completely confined to the Australian continent and Tasmania with only two species, E. deglupta and E. urophylla, occurring naturally in other countries. Since European settlement of Australia, seeds of eucalypts have been sent to countries throughout the world and they are now commonly grown in tropical and temperate areas for timber, pulp wood, eucalyptus oil, fuelwood, charcoal and as ornamentals. Exploitation of eucalypts outside Australia was initiated by the French. During the nineteenth century, eucalypts were planted in Europe and North America, and European imperial governments introduced them to colonies in South America, Africa and Asia. The presence of eucalypts in some of these countries is now so familiar to the native peoples that many consider them to be indigenous (Zacharin 1978). Although eucalypts in early plantations often grew very quickly the wood was sometimes of poor quality due to wood splitting and distortion (Clarke 1957; Penfold & Willis 1961; Pryor 1976). In many cases this was because the species chosen were inappropriate for local climatic and edaphic conditions (Evans 1980; Durand-Cresswell et al. 1982), the trees had been planted for the wrong purposes (Penfold & Willis 1961; Pryor 1976), or given incorrect fertilisers (Savory 1962; Stone 1968). The poor quality of the wood led to a slump in enthusiasm for growing eucalypts until about 1945 when world demand for pulpwood started to increase (Pryor 1976). Today the major uses of eucalypt wood are for fuelwood and pulpwood. There has been a 150 fold increase in pulpwood production from eucalypts since the early 1960s (Molleda 1984). They are now the most widely planted hardwood group in the world (Boland et al. 1984; Eldridge et al. 1993)

XMM-Newton reveals ~100 new LMXBs in M31 from variability studies

We have conducted a survey of X-ray sources in XMM-Newton observations of M31, examining their power density spectra (PDS) and spectral energy distributions (SEDs). Our automated source detection yielded 535 good X-ray sources; to date, we have studied 225 of them. In particular, we examined the PDS because low mass X-ray binaries (LMXBs) exhibit two distinctive types of PDS. At low accretion rates, the PDS is characterised by a broken power law, with the spectral index changing from ~0 to ~1 at some frequency in the range \~0.01--1 Hz; we refer to such PDS as Type A. At higher accretion rates, the PDS is described by a simple power law; we call these PDS Type B. Of the 225 sources studied to date, 75 exhibit Type A variability, and are almost certainly LMXBs, while 6 show Type B but not Type A, and are likely LMXBs. Of these 81 candidate LMXBs, 71 are newly identified in this survey; furthermore, they are mostly found near the centre of M31. Furthermore, most of the X-ray population in the disc are associated with the spiral arms, making them likely high mass X-ray binaries (HMXBs). In general these HMXBs do not exhibit Type A variability, while many central X-ray sources (LMXBs) in the same luminosity range do. Hence the PDS may distinguish between LMXBs and HMXBs in this luminosity range.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figures. To appear in proceedings of IAUS230: "Populations of High Energy Sources in Galaxies", 14-19 August 2005, Dublin, Eds E.J.A. Meurs and G. Fabbian

The evolution, metabolism and functions of the apicoplast

The malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, harbours a relict plastid known as the ‘apicoplast’. The discovery of the apicoplast ushered in an exciting new prospect for drug development against the parasite. The eubacterial ancestry of the organelle offers a wealth of opportunities for the development of therapeutic interventions. Morphological, biochemical and bioinformatic studies of the apicoplast have further reinforced its ‘plant-like’ characteristics and potential as a drug target. However, we are still not sure why the apicoplast is essential for the parasite's survival. This review explores the origins and metabolic functions of the apicoplast. In an attempt to decipher the role of the organelle within the parasite we also take a closer look at the transporters decorating the plastid to better understand the metabolic exchanges between the apicoplast and the rest of the parasite cell

Investigating the mechanism of impact of the quality premium initiative on antibiotic prescribing in primary care practices in England: a study protocol

Introduction The persistent development and spread of resistance to antibiotics remains an important public health concern in the UK and globally. About 74% of antibiotics prescribed in England in 2016 was in primary care. The Quality Premium (QP) initiative that rewards Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) financially based on the quality of specific health services commissioned is one of the National Health Service (NHS) England interventions to reduce antimicrobial resistance through reduced prescribing. Emerging evidence suggests a reduction in antibiotic prescribing in primary care practices in the UK following QP initiative. This study aims to investigate the mechanism of impact of this high-cost health-system level intervention on antibiotic prescribing in primary care practices in England. Methods and analysis The study will constitute secondary analyses of antibiotic prescribing data for almost all primary care practices in England from the NHS England Antibiotic Quality Premium Monitoring Dashboard and OpenPrescribing covering the period 2013 to 2018. The primary outcome is the number of antibiotic items per Specific Therapeutic group Age-sex Related Prescribing Unit (STAR-PU) prescribed monthly in each practice or CCG. We will first conduct an interrupted time series using Ordinary Least Square regression method to examine whether antibiotic prescribing rate in England has changed over time, and how such changes, if any, are associated with QP implementation. Single and sequential multiple-mediator models using a unified approach for the natural direct and indirect effects will be conducted to investigate the relationship between QP initiative, the potential mediators and antibiotic prescribing rate with adjustment for practice and CCG characteristics. Ethics and dissemination This study will use secondary data that are anonymised and obtained from studies that have either undergone ethical review or generated data from routine collection systems. Multiple channels will be used in disseminating the findings from this study to academic and non-academic audiences. Strengths and Limitations of this study • This study will be the first to evaluate the mechanism of the impact of a financial incentive initiative involving Clinical Commissioning Groups to improve antibiotic prescribing in primary care practices in England. • The investigation of multiple mediators in this study will help to identify the contributions of multiple strategies in translating the effects of QP while unpacking the extent of the effect of specific mediators. • Due to the limited data on practice-level interventions or strategies that might potentially mediate the effect of the QP on antibiotic prescribing, we will not be able to extensively investigate the mechanism of QP impact at the practice level. • Nevertheless, extensive investigations will be conducted at CCG level where the Quality Premium initiative is implemented, and rewards paid out

Rapid Electrophoretic Verification of Varietal Identity: Application to 30 Current Australian Wheats

Established and supported under the Australian Government’s Cooperative Research Centre Progra

Mechanisms of airway epithelial injury and abnormal repair in asthma and COPD

The airway epithelium comprises of different cell types and acts as a physical barrier preventing pathogens, including inhaled particles and microbes, from entering the lungs. Goblet cells and submucosal glands produce mucus that traps pathogens, which are expelled from the respiratory tract by ciliated cells. Basal cells act as progenitor cells, differentiating into different epithelial cell types, to maintain homeostasis following injury. Adherens and tight junctions between cells maintain the epithelial barrier function and regulate the movement of molecules across it. In this review we discuss how abnormal epithelial structure and function, caused by chronic injury and abnormal repair, drives airway disease and specifically asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In both diseases, inhaled allergens, pollutants and microbes disrupt junctional complexes and promote cell death, impairing the barrier function and leading to increased penetration of pathogens and a constant airway immune response. In asthma, the inflammatory response precipitates the epithelial injury and drives abnormal basal cell differentiation. This leads to reduced ciliated cells, goblet cell hyperplasia and increased epithelial mesenchymal transition, which contribute to impaired mucociliary clearance and airway remodelling. In COPD, chronic oxidative stress and inflammation trigger premature epithelial cell senescence, which contributes to loss of epithelial integrity and airway inflammation and remodelling. Increased numbers of basal cells showing deregulated differentiation, contributes to ciliary dysfunction and mucous hyperproduction in COPD airways. Defective antioxidant, antiviral and damage repair mechanisms, possibly due to genetic or epigenetic factors, may confer susceptibility to airway epithelial dysfunction in these diseases. The current evidence suggests that a constant cycle of injury and abnormal repair of the epithelium drives chronic airway inflammation and remodelling in asthma and COPD. Mechanistic understanding of injury susceptibility and damage response may lead to improved therapies for these diseases