98 research outputs found
Developing scholarship through collaboration in an online roleplay-simulation: Mekong eSim, a case study
Mekong e-Sim was designed to create an authentic learning environment in which students from different disciplines work together to learn about the complexities of environmental decision-making. The version of Mekong e-Sim that is reported here involved students of the subjects Asia-Pacific Development (geography), Technology Assessment (technological developments and impacts in engineering) and Environmental Engineering. During the Mekong e-Sim, students collaborated to adopt different stakeholder roles and initiate and respond to major events relating to economic and environmental development in the Mekong region. Key tasks included responding to topical news events, making submissions to public planning inquiries, writing reports and debating development issues in the Mekong region. Through their participation in Mekong e-Sim, students developed understanding of the complexities of decision-making, appreciation of the range of perspectives associated with environmental management and developed subject specific skills and understandings. A description of the design and evaluation of the Mekong e-Sim is provided in McLaughlan et al. (2001). The development of the teaching project was a collaborative, cross-institutional teaching development that brought together staff with a range of skills and expertise.
Despite the fact that there has been increasing attention to scholarly values in universities in recent years there has been little consideration of what this might look like. This paper uses the case of the development and teaching of Mekong e-Sim to investigate scholarly teaching, particularly the process and practice of scholarship and teaching in a team situation
Using Online Roleplay/Simulations for Creating Learning Experiences
Over 140 geography and engineering students from across Australia and overseas spent 4 weeks participating in an online roleplay-simulation set in the Mekong region of South East Asia. The online environment provides a setting for the construction of alternative points of view and a lively debate and creates an authentic context for student collaboration. The roleplay-simulation involves decision-making and conflict resolution regarding natural resource development. The Mekong e-Sim (electronic simulation) has been designed to support the learning of students studying subjects in the subjects Technology Assessment, Environmental Engineering or Asia Pacific Development Studies at different universities. The students share the online roleplay simulation experience, which is then utilised differently within each of the geography or engineering subjects at the institution where the students are enrolled. Student and staff response has been very positive. Students report that the e-Sim provides a realistic experience, is engaging, develops their information technology and communication skills and increases their awareness of multiple perspectives on the issues involved
A Comparison of Sensitivity Analysis Techniques for Complex Models for Environmental Management
Computer based modelling methods are being used increasingly to replicate natural systems in order to review both large and small scale policy measures prior to their implementation. Integrated Assessment Modelling (IAM) incorporates knowledge from several different disciplines into one model in order to provide an overarching assessment of the impact of different management decisions. The importance of IAM is that the environmental, social and economic impacts of management choices can be assessed within a single model, further allowing assessment in relation to sustainability criteria. The considerable detail facilitated by these models often requires the inclusion of a large number of parameters and model inputs, many of whose values may not be known with certainty. For this reason and because models do not always behave intuitively (in particular when there are non-linearities involved), sensitivity analysis (SA) of the model to changes in its parameters and inputs is an important stage of model development. Current SA methods have not kept pace with rapid increases in computing power and availability and more importantly the resultant increases in model size and complexity. Also related to the complexity is increased difficulty in finding and fitting distributions to all parameters. Further, the complex nature of integrated models requires SA that is flexible and can be implemented regardless of model structure. This research aims to establish new criteria for SA used in the context of integrated models for environmental management and decision-making. These criteria are believed to reflect the current requirements specific to this type of modelling. Desirable criteria are identified as: high computational efficiency; ability to take into account higher order parameter interactions; ability to account for model non-linearities; not requiring knowledge of parameter probability distributions; and use in decision making. SA of an integrated model of the Namoi River catchment is performed using the Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Testing (FAST) method, Morris method, method of Sobol', and regression and correlation coefficients. The results from these analyses are used as a basis for comparing the SA methods by the new criteria outlined above. The Namoi model is a combination of a flow model with a non-linear component, a policy model, an economic model and an extraction model. It can be used for assessing management options for the river. SA of two different potential management options for the catchment is undertaken to facilitate comparison of sensitivity between two slightly different models. Comparison of the different SA methods shows that none of the methods meet all of the criteria and, in particular, there are no methods that are effective for use when comparing management options. This lack of an adequate SA method for integrated models indicates that development of a new method of SA specifically for integrated models for environmental management is desirable. The FAST method is shown to meet the criteria most effectively, being able to account for model non-linearity and non-monotonicity, requiring only parameter ranges (not distributions), and being relatively computationally efficient (although this does come at a loss of some resolution). Results from the FAST SA of the Namoi model show the model to be sensitive to several parameters within the non-linear loss module. Further, one management option shows sensitivity to the decision variables within the model while the other does not. This means that the first management option clearly corresponds to the more controllable form of the model
Early and Differential Diagnosis of Dementia and Mild Cognitive Impairment Design and Cohort Baseline Characteristics of the German Dementia Competence Network
Background: The German Dementia Competence Network (DCN) has established procedures for standardized multicenter acquisition of clinical, biological and imaging data, for centralized data management, and for the evaluation of new treatments. Methods: A longitudinal cohort study was set up for patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), patients with mild dementia and control subjects. The aims were to establish the diagnostic, differential diagnostic and prognostic power of a range of clinical, laboratory and imaging methods. Furthermore, 2 clinical trials were conducted with patients suffering from MCI and mild to moderate Alzheimer's Disease (AD). These trials aimed at evaluating the efficacy and safety of the combination of galantamine and memantine versus galantamine alone. Results: Here, we report on the scope and projects of the DCN, the methods that were employed, the composition and flow within the diverse groups of patients and control persons and on the clinical and neuropsychological baseline characteristics of the group of 2,113 subjects who participated in the observational and clinical trials. Conclusion: These data have an impact on the procedures for the early and differential clinical diagnosis of dementias, the current standard treatment of AD as well as on future clinical trials in AD. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base
Urban planning capabilities for bushfire: treatment categories and scenario testing
The challenges facing settlements relating to bushfire require integrated approaches that manage risks across a wide range of factors. This paper sets out a framework demonstrating how urban planning, when coupled with appropriate decision support and future scenario testing, can reduce risks relating to bushfire while considering future growth. Examples of how planning can modify aspects of risk in association with scenario testing are included. Five main categories of risk reduction treatments are shown. The paper contributes to risk reduction by providing practical mechanisms for risk avoidance and treatment via urban and land-use planning systems combined with forward scenario testing to guide existing settlements and future growth
A large scale hearing loss screen reveals an extensive unexplored genetic landscape for auditory dysfunction
The developmental and physiological complexity of the auditory system is likely reflected in the underlying set of genes involved in auditory function. In humans, over 150 non-syndromic loci have been identified, and there are more than 400 human genetic syndromes with a hearing loss component. Over 100 non-syndromic hearing loss genes have been identified in mouse and human, but we remain ignorant of the full extent of the genetic landscape involved in auditory dysfunction. As part of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium, we undertook a hearing loss screen in a cohort of 3006 mouse knockout strains. In total, we identify 67 candidate hearing loss genes. We detect known hearing loss genes, but the vast majority, 52, of the candidate genes were novel. Our analysis reveals a large and unexplored genetic landscape involved with auditory function
Identification of genetic elements in metabolism by high-throughput mouse phenotyping.
Metabolic diseases are a worldwide problem but the underlying genetic factors and their relevance to metabolic disease remain incompletely understood. Genome-wide research is needed to characterize so-far unannotated mammalian metabolic genes. Here, we generate and analyze metabolic phenotypic data of 2016 knockout mouse strains under the aegis of the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) and find 974 gene knockouts with strong metabolic phenotypes. 429 of those had no previous link to metabolism and 51 genes remain functionally completely unannotated. We compared human orthologues of these uncharacterized genes in five GWAS consortia and indeed 23 candidate genes are associated with metabolic disease. We further identify common regulatory elements in promoters of candidate genes. As each regulatory element is composed of several transcription factor binding sites, our data reveal an extensive metabolic phenotype-associated network of co-regulated genes. Our systematic mouse phenotype analysis thus paves the way for full functional annotation of the genome
Monogenic variants in dystonia: an exome-wide sequencing study
Background Dystonia is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous condition that occurs in isolation (isolated dystonia), in combination with other movement disorders (combined dystonia), or in the context of multisymptomatic phenotypes (isolated or combined dystonia with other neurological involvement). However, our understanding of its aetiology is still incomplete. We aimed to elucidate the monogenic causes for the major clinical categories of dystonia. Methods For this exome-wide sequencing study, study participants were identified at 33 movement-disorder and neuropaediatric specialty centres in Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, and Switzerland. Each individual with dystonia was diagnosed in accordance with the dystonia consensus definition. Index cases were eligible for this study if they had no previous genetic diagnosis and no indication of an acquired cause of their illness. The second criterion was not applied to a subset of participants with a working clinical diagnosis of dystonic cerebral palsy. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood of participants and whole-exome sequenced. To find causative variants in known disorder-associated genes, all variants were filtered, and unreported variants were classified according to American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guidelines. All considered variants were reviewed in expert round-table sessions to validate their clinical significance. Variants that survived filtering and interpretation procedures were defined as diagnostic variants. In the cases that went undiagnosed, candidate dystonia-causing genes were prioritised in a stepwise workflow. Findings We sequenced the exomes of 764 individuals with dystonia and 346 healthy parents who were recruited between June 1, 2015, and July 31, 2019. We identified causative or probable causative variants in 135 (19%) of 728 families, involving 78 distinct monogenic disorders. We observed a larger proportion of individuals with diagnostic variants in those with dystonia (either isolated or combined) with coexisting non-movement disorder-related neurological symptoms (100 [45%] of 222;excepting cases with evidence of perinatal brain injury) than in those with combined (19 [19%] of 98) or isolated (16 [4%] of 388) dystonia. Across all categories of dystonia, 104 (65%) of the 160 detected variants affected genes which are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. We found diagnostic variants in 11 genes not previously linked to dystonia, and propose a predictive clinical score that could guide the implementation of exome sequencing in routine diagnostics. In cases without perinatal sentinel events, genomic alterations contributed substantively to the diagnosis of dystonic cerebral palsy. In 15 families, we delineated 12 candidate genes. These include IMPDH2, encoding a key purine biosynthetic enzyme, for which robust evidence existed for its involvement in a neurodevelopmental disorder with dystonia. We identified six variants in IMPDH2, collected from four independent cohorts, that were predicted to be deleterious de-novo variants and expected to result in deregulation of purine metabolism. Interpretation In this study, we have determined the role of monogenic variants across the range of dystonic disorders, providing guidance for the introduction of personalised care strategies and fostering follow-up pathophysiological explorations
Framework and baseline examination of the German National Cohort (NAKO)
The German National Cohort (NAKO) is a multidisciplinary, population-based prospective cohort study that aims to investigate the causes of widespread diseases, identify risk factors and improve early detection and prevention of disease. Specifically, NAKO is designed to identify novel and better characterize established risk and protection factors for the development of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, neurodegenerative and psychiatric diseases, musculoskeletal diseases, respiratory and infectious diseases in a random sample of the general population. Between 2014 and 2019, a total of 205,415 men and women aged 19–74 years were recruited and examined in 18 study centres in Germany. The baseline assessment included a face-to-face interview, self-administered questionnaires and a wide range of biomedical examinations. Biomaterials were collected from all participants including serum, EDTA plasma, buffy coats, RNA and erythrocytes, urine, saliva, nasal swabs and stool. In 56,971 participants, an intensified examination programme was implemented. Whole-body 3T magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 30,861 participants on dedicated scanners. NAKO collects follow-up information on incident diseases through a combination of active follow-up using self-report via written questionnaires at 2–3 year intervals and passive follow-up via record linkages. All study participants are invited for re-examinations at the study centres in 4–5 year intervals. Thereby, longitudinal information on changes in risk factor profiles and in vascular, cardiac, metabolic, neurocognitive, pulmonary and sensory function is collected. NAKO is a major resource for population-based epidemiology to identify new and tailored strategies for early detection, prediction, prevention and treatment of major diseases for the next 30 years. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10654-022-00890-5
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