A phenomenological study: the social world of five adolescents who have Asperger's syndrome

This phenomenological study investigated the social experiences and perceptions of friendship among teenagers diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. Data were collected through the use of semi-structured interviews from five secondary school students in Australia. Data analysis resulted in the identification of a number of recurring themes used to illustrate the words of the young people in the study. These themes and words inform the reader by providing real experience of the characteristics of people who have Asperger's Syndrome that are emerging in the growing research: (1) description of social experiences - both difficult and satisfactory (2) description of hostile encounters with peers (3) need for following rules and (4) 'masquerading'. Masquerading is a term used to describe the facade, which some individuals with Asperger's syndrome adopt in order to mask their social differences. This type of study enables professionals to enter the worlds of adolescents who have Asperger's syndrome, by describing and analyzing the social phenomena found there. Although professionals have the goal of assisting young people with Asperger's syndrome to participate in ,socially accepted ways', there is also an obligation to recognise and value different persons' social perspectives. The findings of this study could inform a more subtle approach to social skill programmes for adolescents with Asperger's syndrom

A high-resolution wide-angle seismic study of the crust beneath the Northumberland trough

In June 1987, during the BIRPS MOBIL normal-incidence seismic profiling programme, off the East coast of England, the University of Durham recorded simultaneously at several land based seismic stations in Northern England. The resulting wide-angle data, particularly from Line 1, have excellent resolution in both space and time due to the airgun source and 50 m shot spacing. The interpretation of the Line 1 wide-angle data at Durham used BEAM87, Cerveny's Gaussian beam modelling package. The main arrivals interpreted include the upper crustal refraction (Pg), the Moho wide-angle reflection (PmP), the upper mantle refraction (Pn), and a very high amplitude arrival (D) which merges into PmP. Modelling gave a crust about 30 km thick with a change in velocity gradient and a slight velocity contrast at about 20 km depth. There are several wide-angle reflections from interfaces at mid-crustal depths, between 10 and 20 km depth, and the bottom 2 km of the crust has a high velocity of about 7 kms(^-1). Two interesting results are that a lateral velocity change about 40 km offshore is required to fit the Pg travel times; also that arrival D is modelled best as the remnant of a step on the Moho at the same location. These appear to be borne out by the normal incidence data for line 1, which show a lateral decrease in the mid-crustal reflectivity above a set of strong, westerly-dipping reflections at Moho depths. These results suggest the presence of a major crustal fault about 40 km offshore. It is suggested that this fault may be the northward continuation of the Dowsing Fault Zone

Cancer survival in New South Wales (NSW) and the impact of distance from and access to cancer surgical services: a data linkage study

Cancer survival is poorer in rural NSW but specialist cancer surgical services are predominately located in the Sydney region. The aim of this thesis is to examine whether increasing distance from cancer surgical services affects access to those services and ultimately cancer survival. The method used was population based data linkage for patients diagnosed between 2000 and 2008 (data obtained from the NSW Central Cancer Registry database and linked to hospitalisations) and followed to the end of 2008. Distance was measured in kilometres from a person’s home to their hospital of surgery (bladder cancer) or the closest specialist hospital (ovarian and lung cancer) by using geographical coordinates. Associations were modelled using logistic regression and the hazard of death using Cox regression and the survival time parametric method (stpm2). The hazard of death decreased with distance for people with bladder cancer who had a cystectomy. People with ovarian and lung cancer who lived further from specialist surgical hospitals were much more likely to attend general hospitals, have advanced or unknown stage cancer at diagnosis and have limited or no surgery. Understanding the factors that impede referral to specialist surgical hospitals particularly those who live remotely is essential for optimal cancer survival

IDENTIFICATION OF STRUCTURAL AND ANTIGENIC COMPONENTS OF BACILLUS ANTHRACIS SPORES AND THEIR APPLICATION TO RAPID DETECTION USING BIOSENSORS

The work presented in this thesis describes a rational design approach to the rapid detection of Bacillus anthracis spores. A range of assay formats are available for detection of B. anthracis, however none fulfil the criteria of speed, sensitivity or specificity. Optical biosensors have shown promise for the near real time detection of low molecular weight analytes, although exploitation of these systems for bacterial detection has been restricted due to a comparative lack of sensitivity. Electroporation was unsuitable as a disruption method for immunoassay based techniques, whereas preliminary experiments suggested sonication could be utilised. A novel tubular sonicator designed to operate in a continuous flow format, and to minimise antigen denaturation was shown to remove the exosporium and some of the underlying spore coat of B. anthracis spores, resulting in a significant increase in assay sensitivity (up to 500 fold). A range of methods were employed to characterise the structural and antigenic components of the spore, focusing on those released by sonication. Many of these were not suitable for detection purposes due to the high levels of identity with homologous proteins within closely related species. However, BxpA and EAI and two novel B. anthracis spore proteins, a homologues of B. cereus ExsA and MntA, were identified as potential targets. Computer modelling techniques mapped the unique regions of these proteins to potential binding pockets, indicating that they could be utilised for the production of specific recognition elements. Due to the inherent problems with the use of traditional antibodies, single chain antibodies (scFv) were developed. EAI was used as a target as it was consistently identified using a range of methods. Results indicated that it was predominantly associated with the spore and was not completely removed by Urografin purification and subsequent wash steps, in variance to previous work. Elimination of previously observed cross reactivity of scFv produced using a standard biopanning procedure was possible through the development of a one step competitive panning strategy. Finally, through the use of the scFv produced, combined with flow through sonication prior to the assay, near real time specific detection of B. anthracis spores was demonstrated through the use of a known protein target.Dstl, Porton Dow

Education for sustainability in transition of children from early childood education to primary school

This study examined the understandings gained by young children from education for sustainability experiences in their early childhood education and their actions and behaviours related to sustainability in their later years. Furthermore, the study investigated what environmental knowledge and behaviours were transferred across spaces and time, and what affordances make this possible and what constrains the process. The Aotearoa New Zealand early childhood curriculum, Te Whaariki (1996) and the New Zealand Curriculum (2007) were considered in terms of education for sustainability and their place in the transference of knowledge across spaces. This was a qualitative, in-depth case study which examined the teaching and learning experiences for a group of students, (aged 5 -7 years) from one early childhood centre and their subsequent use of knowledge and behaviours at two primary schools in the Canterbury region of New Zealand. The data was collected from interviews and focus groups with student participants, teachers (both early childhood and primary) and written surveys by parents/whanau. In the student focus groups the student participants were shown a range of photographs of environmental activities or areas of interest from the early childhood centre they attended prior to enrolling at primary school, as a catalyst for recall and prompt for discussion. A number of significant findings emerged from this study. For example; this study demonstrated that the student participants were identifying with tangible objects and resources around education for sustainability; therefore potentially these had a strong influence on their knowledge and practices. A number of affordances influenced this outcome, for example; pedagogical approaches and the interconnected relationships between the child, the family, the early childhood centre and the school. Finally the study has identified that an encompassing, holistic approach and the influence of home, the early childhood centre and primary school influences children’s developing environmental competencies and ultimately the development of their identity. This study identified that with an alignment of affordances young children were demonstrating thinking and actions from the dimension of education for the environment and were beginning to develop action competence.

Putting Christians on the map : topographic mosaics from late antique Jordan as representations of authority and status.

In this dissertation, I examine nine ecclesiastic floor mosaics from Late Antique Palaestina and Arabia that contain topographic motifs ­­˗ images of cities set in realistic or stylized landscapes. Previous interpretations of the pavements have been limited by two assumptions: that artists or bishops were solely responsible for determining the compositions, and that only religious interpretations were intended for church pavements. Inscriptions indicating that patrons were generally lay people and iconography that encourages secular interpretations complicates both assumptions. This study investigates the mosaics in light of Late Antique euergetism in order to determine why donors included architectonic elements in the pavements. This objective is realized using an interdisciplinary approach designed to gain an understanding of the ways in which patrons interpreted topographic imagery. An examination of Late Antique Neo-Platonist philosophy and ekphrases is utilized in ascertaining perceptions of ecclesiastic space. Spatial analyses of the topographic pavements within their architectural contexts recreate the original viewer experience as closely as possible. Comparisons to topographic mosaics from Israel, Syria, and the West provide identifications for some of the motifs and indicate that architectonic imagery was often used to signify the purpose of individual buildings, including funerary, reliquary, or pilgrimage churches. Patrons of the church mosaics strategically combined topographic motifs with iconography that had traditionally been used in domestic mosaics to denote elite status and economic prosperity, including images of leisure activities and agricultural production. Donors also incorporated images of local natural resources, as well as depictions of pilgrimage and trade routes, in order to illustrate the source of their personal and/or communal wealth. The socio-economic importance of the depicted resources and sites is well attested in archaeological and textural sources, including pilgrim itineraria, saints’ vitae, and documents related to agricultural production and trade. The inclusion of this iconography in topographic mosaics complicates conventional religious interpretations. This dissertation expands our understanding of the ways in which topographic motifs functioned as elements of Late Antique iconography, their roll in identifying various types of ecclesiastic buildings, and the motivations that led donors to contribute resources to the construction and decoration of churches

Understanding the Experiences and Needs of Children of Incarcerated Parents: Views From Mentors

Provides qualitative insights from mentors on how parental incarceration affects children emotionally, behaviorally, and developmentally, as well as their relationships with their parents, and how their needs differ from those of other at-risk children

A study of T cell receptor usage in allergic asthma and analysis of a humanised T cell receptor transgenic model of immunity to allergen

Imperial Users onl

Graduate Students in a Service Learning Design Case: The Development of a Parenting Program

The following design case illustrates the approach a group of advanced graduate onlinedesign students, two design coaches, and an instructor used to design an online instructional intervention as a service-learning project for parents interested in improving their parenting skills with their pre-teens. This design case is distinctive in that it explores the online collaboration for this service-learning project using email, instant messaging, Google Hangout, Google Documents within Google applications and Skype

Sex-Specific Responses of Life Span and Fitness to Variation in Developmental Versus Adult Diets in Drosophila melanogaster

Nutritional variation across the lifetime can have significant and sex-specific impacts on fitness. Using Drosophila melanogaster, we measured these impacts by testing the effects on life span and reproductive success of high or low yeast content in developmental versus adult diets, separately for each sex. We tested two hypotheses: that dietary mismatches between development and adulthood are costly and that any such costs are sex-specific. Overall, the results revealed the rich and complex responses of each sex to dietary variation across the lifetime. Contrary to the first hypothesis, dietary mismatches between developmental and adult life stages were not universally costly. Where costs of nutritional variation across the life course did occur, they were sex-, context-, and trait-specific, consistent with hypothesis 2. We found effects of mismatches between developmental and adult diets on reproductive success in females but not males. Adult diet was the main determinant of survival, and life span was significantly longer on high yeast adult food, in comparison to low, in both sexes. Developing on a high yeast diet also benefited adult female life span and reproductive success, regardless of adult diet. In contrast, a high yeast developmental diet was only beneficial for male life span when it was followed by low yeast adult food. Adult diet affected mating frequency in opposing directions, with males having higher mating frequency on high and females on low, with no interaction with developmental diet for either sex. The results emphasize the importance of sex differences and of the directionality of dietary mismatches in the responses to nutritional variation