119 research outputs found
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
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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 Governmentâs 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 Harcourtâs 1894 Death Duties budget).
The icons illustrate the âemotional discourseâ 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
Voyage vers lâinconnu : le point de vue des diplĂŽmĂ©s internationaux en mĂ©decine sur le chemin de la rĂ©sidence au Canada pendant la pandĂ©mie 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 pandĂ©mie de la COVID-19 a fortement affectĂ© les programmes d'Ă©ducation dans le monde entier, y compris lâĂ©ducation mĂ©dicale. En particulier, les diplĂŽmĂ©s internationaux en mĂ©decine (DIM) qui prĂ©voyaient sâinscrire Ă un programme de rĂ©sidence au Canada ont Ă©tĂ© profondĂ©ment touchĂ©s. L'annulation des stages Ă lâĂ©tranger, ainsi que les changements apportĂ©s au format, au calendrier et aux exigences des examens requis pour l'obtention du permis d'exercice de la mĂ©decine ont laissĂ© en territoire inconnu les candidats internationaux aux programmes de rĂ©sidence. Ătant donnĂ© que les DIM reprĂ©sentent jusqu'Ă 25 % des professionnels de la santĂ© au Canada et qu'ils exercent souvent dans les rĂ©gions mal desservies, lâoctroi de permis dâexercice et le recrutement de DIM dans le rĂ©seau de la santĂ© canadien revĂȘtent une importance capitale en contexte de pandĂ©mie de la COVID-19. Ă mesure que la pandĂ©mie Ă©volue, il est impĂ©ratif que les principaux dĂ©cideurs et intervenants continuent de tenir compte des effets nĂ©fastes quâelle peut avoir pour les DIM et leur admissibilitĂ© Ă lâexercice de la profession au Canada
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 pkc1Î/pkc1Î 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
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
Clinical Trial Results Summary for Laypersons: A User Testing Study
Objective: To apply âuser testingâ to maximize readability and acceptability of a Clinical Trial Results Laypersons Summaryâa new European requirement.
Methods: âUser testingâ (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 participantsâ 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 âuser testingâ resulted in a largely health-literate summary suitable for people across a range of backgrounds
Safety and efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in children and adolescents with obesity: A meta-analysis
To determine the weight, body mass index (BMI), cardiometabolic, and gastrointestinal effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists in children with obesity. Study design: Web of Science, PubMed/MEDLINE, and Scopus databases from 01/01/1994-01/01/2021 for randomized control trials examining the weight, BMI, cardiometabolic, or gastrointestinal effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in children and adolescents with obesity. Data were extracted by 2 independent surveyors and a random effects model was applied to meta-analyze generic inverse variance outcomes. Primary outcomes were related to weight and cardiometabolic profile, and secondary outcomes of interest were gastrointestinal-related treatment-emergent adverse events. Results: Nine studies involving 574 participants were identified, of which 3 involved exenatide and 6 involved liraglutide. GLP-1 receptor agonists use caused a modest reduction in body weight (mean difference [MD] -1.50 [-2.50,-0.50] kg, I2 64%), BMI (MD -1.24 [-1.71,-0.77] kg/m2, I2 0%), and BMI z score (MD -0.14 [-0.23,-0.06], I2 43%). Glycemic control was improved in children with proven insulin resistance (glycated hemoglobin A1c MD -1.05 [-1.93,-0.18] %, I2 76%). Although no lipid profile improvements were noted, a modest decrease in systolic blood pressure was detected (MD -2.30 [-4.11,-0.49] mm Hg; I2 0%). Finally, analysis of gastrointestinal-related treatment-emergent adverse events revealed an increased risk of nausea (risk ratio 2.11 [1.44, 3.09]; I2 0%), without significant increases in other gastrointestinal symptoms. Conclusions: This meta-analysis indicates that GLP-1 receptor agonists are safe and effective in modestly reducing weight, BMI, glycated hemoglobin A1c, and systolic blood pressure in children and adolescents with obesity in a clinical setting, albeit with increased rates of nausea
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
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