Learning Through Multimedia Interaction: The Construal of Primary Social Science Knowledge in Web-based Digital Learning Materials

This thesis is concerned with the construal and the recontextualisation of primary social science knowledge in hypermedia texts. More specifically, it provides an account for the relations between verbiage and image in web-based multimodal interactive leaning materials, known as Multimodal Interactives (MIs). Based on the linguistic description, the thesis offers insights into the ways in which knowledge is construed and recontextaulised in the emerging electronic multimodal discourses. The general theoretical orientation of this thesis is that of systemic functional multimodal discourse analysis (SF-MDA). Within the framework of SF-MDA, the thesis proposes a complementary perspective on intersemiosis, which treats relations between verbiage and image as patterns formed during the unfolding of a text. To capture this type of intersemiotic relations, the thesis develops a logogenetic model for SF-MDA. The defining feature the model is the temporal axis (time), which serves as the main reference point for determining semiotic units (logogenetic units) and describing semiotic patterns (logogenetic patterns). The logogenetic model is applied in studying five MIs. The basic logogenetic unit used in analysis is Critical Path, the shortest traversal through a MI. Two types of logogenetic patterns along the Critical Paths in the five MIs are examined in detail, including intersemiotic ideational coupling and clustering. There are five basic types of verbiage-imaged coupling emerged from the analysis, including Naming & Identifying, Representing, Classifying & Co-classifying, and Circumstantiating. The analysis of ideational clustering shows the different ways in which participants and activities form clusters in each MI. By analysing intersemiotic coupling and clustering, the thesis shows that language and image construe the keys notions of primary social science such as people, place and community through three fundamental principles—abstraction, generalisation and specification. The study also demonstrates the possibility of achieving different degrees of pedagogic framing in hypermedia environments

Interference of circulating azathioprine but not methotrexate or sulfasalazine with measurements of interleukin-6 bioactivity

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Review of Program 1: Diagnostics, and Program 3: Genomics and Proteomics

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

Effect of methotrexate alone or in combination with sulphasalazine on the production and circulating concentrations of cytokines and their antagonists. Longitudinal evaluation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

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Astronomical Observations

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the role of Fcg receptor (FcgR) genes in susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using family based studies, to examine possible interactions between FcgR genotypes and the shared epitope (SE), and to assess linkage disequilibrium between FcgR loci. METHODS: Association studies were performed in 95 Caucasian, single-case, nuclear Caucasian families with both parents alive using haplotype based haplotype relative risk (HHRR) and transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) statistics. Three FcgR polymorphisms (FcgRIIA-131H/R, FcgRIIIA-158V/F, and FcgRIIIB-NA1/NA2) were genotyped using polymerase chain reaction methods. Linkage analysis was performed using 3 microsatellite markers (D1S498, D1S2844, D1S2762) flanking the FcgR region in an independent set of 90 Caucasian, multiple-case families. Potential effects of disease heterogeneity, including sex and the presence of rheumatoid factor, SE, and erosive or nodular disease, were taken into account in the analysis. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine whether FcgR alleles are independent risk factors for the susceptibility to and/or severity of RA. Linkage disequilibrium was calculated using pairwise linkage disequilibrium statistics. RESULTS: HHRR and TDT analysis showed no evidence of preferential transmission of any FcgR alleles studied, and there were no important associations with any given disease phenotype. Moreover, neither linkage to microsatellite markers close to the FcgR genes on chromosome 1 nor linkage disequilibrium between FcgR loci was present in our population. The distribution of inherited genotypes provided evidence for an interaction between the SE and the FcgRIIIA-158V allele and between the SE and the FcgRIIIA-158V-FcgRIIA-131H 2-locus haplotype since the combined presence of these factors increased the susceptibility to RA (OR 4.13, 95% CI 1.6-10.62 and OR 2.83, 95% CI 1.25-6.38, respectively). However, regression analysis showed that neither the 158V allele nor the 158V-131H haplotype contributed as independent factors to susceptibility or severity of RA. CONCLUSION: Isolated FcgR genes do not play a major independent role in susceptibility to RA. To a limited extent, the presence of high-binding alleles at the FcgRIIIA locus or at the FcgRIIIA-FcgRIIA haplotype might predispose to RA in SE positive individuals

Cellular infiltrates and injury evaluation in a rat model of warm pulmonary ischemia–reperfusion

INTRODUCTION: Beside lung transplantation, cardiopulmonary bypass, isolated lung perfusion and sleeve resection result in serious pulmonary ischemia–reperfusion injury, clinically known as acute respiratory distress syndrome. Very little is known about cells infiltrating the lung during ischemia–reperfusion. Therefore, a model of warm ischemia–reperfusion injury was applied to differentiate cellular infiltrates and to quantify tissue damage. METHODS: Fifty rats were randomized into eight groups. Five groups underwent warm ischemia for 60 min followed by 30 min and 1–4 hours of warm reperfusion. An additional group was flushed with the use of isolated lung perfusion after 4 hours of reperfusion. One of two sham groups was also flushed. Neutrophils and oedema were investigated by using samples processed with hematoxylin/eosin stain at a magnification of ×500. Immunohistochemistry with antibody ED-1 (magnification ×250) and antibody 1F4 (magnification ×400) was applied to visualize macrophages and T cells. TdT-mediated dUTP nick end labelling was used for detecting apoptosis. Statistical significance was accepted at P < 0.05. RESULTS: Neutrophils were increased after 30 min until 4 hours of reperfusion as well as after flushing. A doubling in number of macrophages and a fourfold increase in T cells were observed after 30 min until 1 and 2 hours of reperfusion, respectively. Apoptosis with significant oedema in the absence of necrosis was seen after 30 min to 4 hours of reperfusion. CONCLUSIONS: After warm ischemia–reperfusion a significant increase in infiltration of neutrophils, T cells and macrophages was observed. This study showed apoptosis with serious oedema in the absence of necrosis after all periods of reperfusion