Supporting the management of electronic engineering design teams through a dynamic contingency approach

The contribution to knowledge presented in this thesis is the dynamic contingency approach, supported through software, which supports the management of the early, conceptual stages of electronic engineering team design. 1he term contingency pertains to the design environment being in a contingent state, that is "dependent on uncertain issues" (Hayward & Sparkes, 1991). These issues are typically dynamic, that is ''pertaining to forces not in equilibrium, forces that produce motion" (Hayward & Sparkes, 1991). The concept for the dynamic contingency approach was developed through a soft systems analysis. This analysis drew upon an ethnographic study conducted in parallel with the present work by another researcher. Both the present work and the ethnographic study were carried out within a multidisciplinary research team in collaboration with an industrial partner (company A). This thesis discusses the evolution of this multidisciplinary research method, including the development of a software prototype (EDAPT), which enabled the requirements for the dynamic contingency approach to be established. Through this research method key issues were identified which affect the ability of design managers, and to a lesser extent design engineers, to adequately perceive the current situation of a design project; and to determine appropriate corrective responses to potential problem situations. The work indicates that this is particularly true when under pressure in such a complex, interdependent and dynamic environment. This thesis illustrates how the environment of design can be dependent upon these key issues which are often uncertain, that is, the environment is in a contingent state. Furthermore, the thesis depicts the dynamic nature of these issues. The dynamic contingency approach was developed in response to these issues in partnership with the industrial collaborator. The approach synthesises a variety of such issues to support the coordination of interdependencies, provide a view of the current project situation, alert stakeholders to potential problem situations, and present possible responses to potential problem situations. In short, what has been achieved is a design management worldview with sufficient detail to help people expect and anticipate what might happen, and how others may behave in a team design environment, together with the foundations for a system which enables and supports this perspective. In essence the approach provides a way of conceptualising the design environment which should enable improvements in the management of design teams at the early, conceptual stages of electronic engineering design projects

An evaluation of patients’ adherence with hypoglycemic medications among Papua New Guineans with Type 2 Diabetes: Influencing factors

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the extent of adherence to hypoglycemic medications, assess the relationship between adherence and glycemic control, and evaluate factors affecting adherence. Research design and methods: This was a cross-sectional study of patients with established type 2 diabetes attending the Port Moresby General Hospital Diabetes Clinic. Face-to-face interviews were conducted using a questionnaire designed for the study and data were collected concerning the 3 months prior to interview. The questionnaire covered demographic details, lifestyle, biochemical and physical measurements, and medication management. Glycemic control was investigated among patients adhering to their medications (not missing doses) to different degrees (100%, 95%, 90%, and 80%).Results: Of a total of 356 participants who were prescribed hypoglycemic medications, 59.6% omitted some of their doses. Age appeared to have a significant impact on adherence at some levels of adherence, with those aged >60 years being more likely to be adherent (logistic regression). Those who were 95%–99% and those who were 10% (85.5 mmol/mol). Multiple factors were identified as contributors to nonadherence, with patient-based issues (86.0%) and the health care system (21.7%) being the most common. Conclusion: This study showed a significant level of nonadherence among patients with type 2 diabetes in Papua New Guinea. Nonadherence to medication appeared to be associated with poor glycemic control and was due to a variety of reasons. Future interventions aimed at improving adherence will need to take these into account

Staff education – learning about online assessment, online

Over the last eighteen months, the University of Dundee has developed a stable and resilient central Computer Aided Assessment (CAA) system to support student and staff use of online assessment. We recognise six key components to this system: quality software, quality hardware, clear policy and procedures, adequate central staffing support, integration with other online learning systems, and staff education. This paper will focus on our central approach to staff education. The online assessment system was designed and constructed with the guidance and cooperation of many staff members, most of whom had previous experience with computer-based assessments. With the physical systems in place, we initially deployed a conventional staff development programme predominantly based on face-to-face sessions. Feedback from these sessions encouraged us to revise our approach, in order to reflect the complexity of the subject area, and the diverse needs of the target audience. Consequently, we have now largely replaced these sessions with a more comprehensive and interactive course, delivered online using our Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) and Questionmark Perception (QMP). The course, Assessment Online, has run on four occasions, equipping over 60 staff members with the tools and skills necessary to design and deliver valid and reliable online assessments. Along this path the course instructors have learned a number of valuable lessons which have, in themselves, resulted in many enhancements to the way the course is delivered. Significantly, as a result of its early success, the 5 week course has now been formally accredited by the University’s Faculty of Education and Social Work and will run biannually

Polymorphism in cyclohexanol

The crystal structures and phase behaviour of phase II and the metastable phases III0 and III of cyclohexanol, C6H11OH, have been determined using high-resolution neutron powder, synchrotron X-ray powder and single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Cyclohexanol-II is formed by a transition from the plastic phase I cubic structure at 265 K and crystallizes in a tetragonal structure, space group P�4421c (Z0 = 1), in which the molecules are arranged in a hydrogen-bonded tetrameric ring motif. The structures of phases III0 and III are monoclinic, space groups P21/c (Z0 = 3) and Pc (Z0 = 2), respectively, and are characterized by the formation of hydrogen-bonded molecular chains with a threefold-helical and wave-like nature, respectively. Phase III crystallizes at 195 K from a sample of phase I that is supercooled to ca 100 K. Alternatively, phase III may be grown via phase III0, the latter transforming from supercooled phase I at ca 200 K. Phase III0 is particularly unstable and is metastable with respect to both I and II. Its growth is realised only under very restricted conditions, thus making its characterization especially challenging. The cyclohexanol molecules adopt a chair conformation in all three phases with the hydroxyl groups in an equatorial orientation. No evidence was found indicating hydroxyl groups adopting an axial orientation, contrary to the majority of spectroscopic literature on solid-state cyclohexanol; however, the H atom of the equatorial OH groups is found to adopt both in-plane and out-of-plane orientations

High expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase in patients with sporadic Alzheimer’s disease

We have previously shown that the expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is significantly increased in the brains of patients who have died of Parkinson’s disease (PD). In this study, we have compared the expression of NNMT in post-mortem medial temporal lobe, hippocampus and cerebellum of 10 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and 9 non-disease control subjects using a combination of quantitative Western blotting, immunohistochemistry and dual-label confocal microscopy coupled with quantitative analysis of colocalisation. NNMT was detected as a single protein of 29 kDa in both AD and non-disease control brains, which was significantly increased in AD medial temporal lobe compared to non-disease controls (7.5-fold, P < 0.026). There was no significant difference in expression in the cerebellum (P = 0.91). NNMT expression in AD medial temporal lobe and hippocampus was present in cholinergic neurones with no glial localisation. Cell-type expression was identical in both non-disease control and AD tissues. These results are the first to show, in a proof-of-concept study using a small patient cohort, that NNMT protein expression is increased in the AD brain and is present in neurones which degenerate in AD. These results suggest that the elevation of NNMT may be a common feature of many neurodegenerative diseases. Confirmation of this overexpression using a larger AD patient cohort will drive the future development of NNMT-targetting therapeutics which may slow or stop the disease pathogenesis, in contrast to current therapies which solely address AD symptoms

Neural basis for a heritable phenotype: differences in the effects of apomorphine on startle gating and ventral pallidal GABA efflux in male Sprague–Dawley and Long–Evans rats

Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle is a measure of sensorimotor gating that is heritable and deficient in certain psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia. Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats are more sensitive to PPI disruptive effects of dopamine (DA) agonists at long interstimulus intervals (60–120 ms) and less sensitive to their PPI-enhancing effects at short (10–30 ms), compared with Long–Evans (LE) rats. These heritable strain differences in sensitivity to the PPI disruptive effects of DA agonists must ultimately reflect neural changes "downstream" from forebrain DA receptors. The current study evaluated the effects of the DA agonist, apomorphine (APO), on ventral pallidal (VP) gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and glutamate efflux and PPI in SD and LE rats. PPI was tested in SD and LE rats after vehicle or APO (0.5 mg/kg, subcutaneously (s.c.)) in a within-subject design. In different SD and LE rats, VP dialysate was collected every 10 min for 120 min after vehicle or APO (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.) and analyzed for GABA and glutamate content by capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF). As predicted, SD rats exhibited greater APO-induced PPI deficits at long intervals and less APO-induced PPI enhancement at short intervals compared to LE rats. APO significantly reduced VP GABA efflux in SD but not in LE rats; glutamate efflux was unaffected in both strains. Heritable strain differences in PPI APO sensitivity in SD vs LE rats parallel, and may be mediated by, strain differences in the VP GABA efflux

Impacts of irrigation and hydroelectric power developments on the Victoria Nile in Uganda

This research aimed at increasing the understanding of the water resources of the Victoria Nile basin and assessing the impact of irrigation and hydropower developments on the Victoria Nile under different rainfall regimes. A Bayesian Network constructed with the HUGIN expert researcher software version 6.9 was used as the decision tool. The Network used a mixture of data, information from previous studies and consultation with experts/stakeholders. A network consisting of 21 nodes was developed and run to determine the impacts of different development scenarios. The Victoria Nile basin in Uganda is the first recipient of the river Nile flow as it leaves Lake Victoria. In this basin, there is potential for 5 large hydroelectric power plants and the basin consists of 70% of the irrigation potential in Uganda and yet it is one of the most lacking in hydrological data in the Nile basin. Further downstream of this basin are two riparian states, Egypt and Sudan which according to the prevailing legislation on the use of the Nile share amongst themselves the entire river flow. The research shows that Irrigation and hydropower developments have modest effects on lake levels and river flows exiting the basin. Rainfall occurrence on the other hand has the largest effect on the lake levels and Victoria Nile river flow exiting the basin. It is shown that in situations of very high water demand, which occurs when annual rainfall is less than 1,200 mm, full irrigation potential is utilized and all 5 hydroelectric power plants are developed, irrigation water need is not more than 7% of the Nile flow from the basin. The effects of hydropower plants are manifested mainly in the socioeconomic impacts in their vicinity, which are found to be large and to increase with the number of plants developed. The current mode of operation of outflows from Lake Victoria which is based on an international agreement between Uganda and Egypt is a satisfactory means of control only during moderate rainfall events and lake levels. However, for extreme conditions of lake levels outside the range of 10.8-11.6 m it is inadequate under increasing demands of hydroelectric power generation.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo