The application of behavioural science to symbol Design

In order to develop a sound basis for the development of design education, we need to study the behaviour of designers. This enquiry focuses on the process of symbol design. A definition of design is offered which takes due account of prior definitions, design methods, psychological theory, the interdisciplinary nature of design, and of greatest importance, the need for a definition which underpins empirical investigation. The nature of symbols is discussed in relation to Semiotics. The difficulties of research are considered and an approach is developed after investigating methods of classifying symbols. The limiting conditions of this approach are specified. The above discussion is integrated into a definition of symbol design and a model of the potential influences on the process is evolved. Two pilot studies of symbol design are reported and refinements to the methodology of such experiments are suggested. Some tentative conclusions emerge from these experiments, which, along with the basic theoretical framework, are used to evaluate a number of design methods. The study concludes with a discussion of future research possibilities

A Protocol for Messaging to Extraterrestrial Intelligence

Messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence (METI) is a branch of study concerned with constructing and broadcasting a message toward habitable planets. Since the Arecibo message of 1974, the handful of METI broadcasts have increased in content and complexity, but the lack of an established protocol has produced unorganized or cryptic messages that could be difficult to interpret. Here we outline the development of a self-consistent protocol for messaging to extraterrestrial intelligence that provides constraints and guidelines for the construction of a message in order to maximize the probability that the message effectively communicates. A METI protocol considers several factors including signal encoding, message length, information content, anthropocentrism, transmission method, and transmission periodicity. Once developed, the protocol will be released for testing on different human groups worldwide and across cultural boundaries. An effective message to extraterrestrials should at least be understandable by humans, and releasing the protocol for testing will allow us to improve the protocol and develop potential messages. Through an interactive website, users across the world will be able to create and exchange messages that follow the protocol in order to discover the types of messages better suited for cross-cultural communication. The development of a METI protocol will serve to improve the quality of messages to extraterrestrials, foster international collaboration, and extend astrobiology outreach to the public.Comment: Accepted for publication in Space Polic

An analysis of visual representations of finance during the Victorian era

My thesis analyses visual representations of finance (primarily cartoons) during the Victorian era. Victorian finance has been covered extensively in academic literature, but there has been very little coverage of the impact of visual representations of finance during this period. My research is based on the digital archive of the British Library, and I use the lens of a cultural historian to complement the results obtained from the traditional written sources. This lens reflects the symbiotic relationship between publisher, editor, artist, and the reader. Finance is represented by the trust or mistrust that taxpayers experienced in the public and private arenas. During the Victorian period the Government’s aim was to convince taxpayers that repairing state finances after the Napoleonic Wars was possible through a combination of efficient government and administration of taxes (Public Trust). At the same time, there was a rapid increase in the numbers of Joint Stock companies which fuelled the Victorian economic expansion. Competing interests between shareholders, directors and consumers of these companies resulted in uneasy often litigious relationships (Private Trust). Over 800 images of finance were compiled, resulting in three research chapters on Financial crises (notably the City of Glasgow Bank failure of 1878), Men of Finance (using a dataset of caricatures compiled from Vanity Fair primarily), and Taxation (notably Sir William Harcourt’s 1894 Death Duties budget). The icons illustrate the ‘emotional discourse’ at play in relation to financial crises. Financiers were, contrary to literary depictions, accepted into High Society, as evidenced by their predominance amongst the professions caricatured in Vanity Fair. Repetition of tax icons is evidenced over the course of the whole Victorian period. Images of the 1894 budget represented almost one third of all the images of taxation

Clinical Trial Results Summary for Laypersons: A User Testing Study

Objective: To apply “user testing” to maximize readability and acceptability of a Clinical Trial Results Laypersons Summary—a new European requirement. Methods: “User testing” (using questionnaire and semistructured interview) assessed whether people could find and understand key points. Findings were used to improve content and design, prior to retesting. Participants had a range of levels of health literacy and there was a higher education group. Participants accessed the summary on screen. In round 1 we tested 12 points of information. In round 2 a revised summary addressing round 1 findings was tested, leading to a third final version. Results: In round 1, 2 of 12 points of information did not reach the target and interviews raised further format and content issues (some distracting technical explanations and inability to find or understand the 2 main study purposes). These findings informed revisions for the version tested in round 2, with 2 different points not reaching the target (inclusion criteria relating to duration of seasonal allergies and how researchers found out about participants’ symptoms). Identified problems in both rounds were addressed and reflected in the final version. Despite improvements, participants did not consistently understand that summaries were intended for the public, or to only interpret results of single trials in the context of additional trials. All readers, including those with higher education, found the clear and straightforward language acceptable. Conclusions: Applying “user testing” resulted in a largely health-literate summary suitable for people across a range of backgrounds

Voyage vers l’inconnu : le point de vue des diplômés internationaux en médecine sur le chemin de la résidence au Canada pendant la pandémie de la COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a tremendous effect on education programs worldwide, including medical education. Particularly, International Medical Graduates (IMGs) planning to pursue residency training in Canada have been profoundly impacted. Cancellation of away electives, as well as changes to the format, timeline, and requirements of mandatory medical licensing exams has left IMG residency applicants in uncharted territory. Given that IMGs comprise up to 25% of the Canadian healthcare force, and often are based in underserviced areas, the licensure and eligibility of IMGs to continue to enter the Canadian healthcare force is of the utmost importance in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the pandemic evolves, it is imperative that key decision makers and stakeholders continue to consider the downstream effect for IMGs and their eligibility to practice in Canada.La pandémie de la COVID-19 a fortement affecté les programmes d'éducation dans le monde entier, y compris l’éducation médicale. En particulier, les diplômés internationaux en médecine (DIM) qui prévoyaient s’inscrire à un programme de résidence au Canada ont été profondément touchés. L'annulation des stages à l’étranger, ainsi que les changements apportés au format, au calendrier et aux exigences des examens requis pour l'obtention du permis d'exercice de la médecine ont laissé en territoire inconnu les candidats internationaux aux programmes de résidence. Étant donné que les DIM représentent jusqu'à 25 % des professionnels de la santé au Canada et qu'ils exercent souvent dans les régions mal desservies, l’octroi de permis d’exercice et le recrutement de DIM dans le réseau de la santé canadien revêtent une importance capitale en contexte de pandémie de la COVID-19. À mesure que la pandémie évolue, il est impératif que les principaux décideurs et intervenants continuent de tenir compte des effets néfastes qu’elle peut avoir pour les DIM et leur admissibilité à l’exercice de la profession au Canada

Written information about individual medicines for consumers.

Medicines are the most common intervention in most health services. As with all treatments, those taking medicines need sufficient information: to enable them to take and use the medicines effectively, to understand the potential harms and benefits, and to allow them to make an informed decision about taking them. Written medicines information, such as a leaflet or provided via the Internet, is an intervention that may meet these purposes

Signaling through Lrg1, Rho1 and Pkc1 Governs Candida albicans Morphogenesis in Response to Diverse Cues

The capacity to transition between distinct morphological forms is a key virulence trait for diverse fungal pathogens. A poignant example of a leading opportunistic fungal pathogen of humans for which an environmentally responsive developmental program underpins virulence is Candida albicans. C. albicans mutants that are defective in the transition between yeast and filamentous forms typically have reduced virulence. Although many positive regulators of C. albicans filamentation have been defined, there are fewer negative regulators that have been implicated in repression of filamentation in the absence of inducing cues. To discover novel negative regulators of filamentation, we screened a collection of 1,248 C. albicans homozygous transposon insertion mutants to identify those that were filamentous in the absence of inducing cues. We identified the Rho1 GAP Lrg1, which represses filamentous growth by stimulating Rho1 GTPase activity and converting Rho1 to its inactive, GDP-bound form. Deletion of LRG1or introduction of a RHO1 mutation that locks Rho1 in constitutively active, GTP-bound state, leads to filamentation in the absence of inducing cues. Deletion of the Rho1 downstream effector PKC1 results in defective filamentation in response to diverse host-relevant inducing cues, including serum. We further established that Pkc1 is not required to sense filament-inducing cues, but its kinase activity is critical for the initiation of filamentous growth. Our genetic analyses revealed that Pkc1 regulates filamentation independent of the canonical MAP kinase cascade. Further, although Ras1 activation is not impaired in a pkc1Δ/pkc1Δ mutant, adenylyl cyclase activity is reduced, consistent with a model in which Pkc1 functions in parallel with Ras1 in regulating Cyr1 activation. Thus, our findings delineate a signaling pathway comprised of Lrg1, Rho1 and Pkc1 with a core role in C. albicans morphogenesis, and illuminate functional relationships that govern activation of a central transducer of signals that control environmental response and virulence programs

Medicines information and adherence in HIV/AIDS patients

Background: Providing written medicines information is being legislated in an increasing number of countries worldwide, with the patient information leaflet (PIL) being the most widely used method for conveying health information. The impact of providing such information on adherence to therapy is reportedly unpredictable. Therapy for human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) and related opportunistic infections usually involves polytherapy and complex regimens, both of which are risk factors for non-adherence. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of medicines information on adherence to chronic co-trimoxazole therapy in low-literate HIV/AIDS patients. Methods: Two different PILs were designed for co-trimoxazole tablets and were available in both English and isiXhosa. Participants were randomly allocated to a control group (receiving no PIL), group A (receiving a 'complex PIL') and group B (receiving a 'simple PIL' incorporating pictograms). At the first interview, demographic data were collected and the time, date and day that the participant would take his/her first tablet of the month's course was also documented. In a follow-up interview adherence to therapy was assessed using two methods; self-report and tablet count. Results: The medicines information materials incorporating simple text and pictograms resulted in significantly improved adherence to therapy in the short term, whereas a non-significant increase in adherence was associated with the availability of the more complex information. This was shown by both the self-reported assessment as well as the tablet count. Conclusion: This research suggests that appropriately designed written material can have a positive impact in improving adherence and, together with verbal consultation, are essential for enabling patients to make appropriate decisions about their medicine taking