Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Doctoral pathway'

Given the absence of a comprehensive theory of doctoral student persistence within the current literature base, the purpose of this study was to propose and test a model that would predict doctoral degree completion using an integrated scheme of background, financial support, and experience variables between Black and White students. The impact and interaction of these variables was explored individually and collectively to describe a concept defined as situatedness. The situatedness model illustrates that a student's background is related to the financial support they receive in doctoral programs; in turn, these factors are connected to a student's departmental and personal experiences, which are all directly related to doctoral degree completion.;The situatedness model was found to be useful in conceptualizing doctoral degree completion, but it illustrated that that there are other variables that cause disparities in completion among Black and White doctoral students. The situatedness model indicated that financial support factors affect doctoral degree completion among Black and White students. For Whites, the situatedness model indicated that the total amount of grant aid, the amount borrowed for education, teaching assistantships, and private/outside sources of aid were independent and significant predictors of doctoral degree completion. For Blacks, the situatedness model indicated that income and outside sources of aid were predictive of degree completion. The findings of this study suggest that finances are the most important predictor of degree completion for both groups. The disparity in sources of funding for Blacks and Whites highlight many of the differences in experiences and outcomes between the groups.

En 2014, 9,1 % des sages-femmes enseignantes et directrices d’école de sages-femmes détenaient un diplôme de docteur ou bien étaient en cours de formation doctorale en France (Morin & Leymarie, 2016). Pourtant, seul un diplôme de master est exigé pour occuper de telles missions professionnelles. Nous nous sommes alors demandée pourquoi une partie importante des sages-femmes enseignantes s’engagent en doctorat. Puis, nous avons souhaité découvrir comment elles parvenaient à rester engagées lors des années de formation doctorale alors qu’elles sont en reprise d’études avec une vie privée et une vie professionnelle déjà établies.Pour répondre à ce questionnement, nous avons étudié le contexte de ce phénomène et les concepts afférents à notre question de recherche tels que l’engagement en formation (De Ketele, 2013b ; Kaddouri, 2011), le processus de formation doctorale (Cros & Bombaron, 2018 ; Skakni, 2019), le parcours de vie (Sapin et al., 2014) ainsi que le genre et le care (Molinier et al., 2009 ; Paperman, 2013 ; Champagne et al., 2015). En outre, nous avons mené une étude empirique avec une méthodologie qualitative et longitudinale comprenant deux séries d’entretiens à un an d’intervalle auprès de sages-femmes enseignantes en cours de formation doctorale au moins lors du premier entretien au printemps 2021. Nous avons procédé à un encodage des thématiques à l’aide du logiciel NVivo, puis à une analyse de contenu longitudinale et transversale (Bardin, 1989).Nos résultats montrent que le processus d’universitarisation de la formation initiale de sage-femme en France impulsé depuis 2009 représente une source motivationnelle importante d’engagement en doctorat des sages-femmes enseignantes. Cependant, les sages-femmes enseignantes engagées en doctorat ont également une motivation personnelle intellectuelle d’analyse réflexive sur des pratiques professionnelles de sage-femme et de sage-femme enseignante, bien souvent dans une quête de reconnaissance de leur identité professionnelle médicale.Leur engagement est fort que ce soit au niveau comportemental, cognitif et émotionnel, pour reprendre les indicateurs de l’engagement en formation selon Pintrich et al. (1993). Différents facteurs ont une influence sur leur engagement en doctorat, notamment l’articulation entre leurs trajectoires de vie personnelle, professionnelle et doctorale, la reconnaissance de leur travail doctoral par leur hiérarchie, la relation avec leur directeur de thèse. En somme, les sages-femmes enseignantes considèrent l’engagement en doctorat comme une valeur respectable et comme un investissement pour elles-mêmes, pour la profession de sage-femme et pour les sciences maïeutiques.Cette recherche a ainsi mis en exergue le phénomène d’engagement en doctorat de l’une des professions du care dans le contexte actuel d’universitarisation. Elle met en lumière également les difficultés rencontrées par une population de femmes en reprise d’études dans une formation doctorale. Certains leviers sont mis en avant dans la littérature scientifique et au travers des résultats de notre étude empirique. Des perspectives de recherche émanent de cette thèse pour trouver des pistes qui permettraient d’améliorer la qualité de vie doctorante en termes de bien-être et de performance académique
In 2014, 9,1 % of teaching midwives and midwifery school directors held a doctoral degree or were in the process of doctoral training in France (Morin & Leymarie, 2016). However, only a master's degree is required for such professional assignments. We therefore wondered why a significant proportion of midwifery teachers are enrolled in doctoral studies. Then we wanted to find out how they manage to stay committed during their doctoral training years when they are returning to their studies with an already established private and professional life.To answer this question, we studied the context of this phenomenon and the concepts related to our research question such as commitment in training (De Ketele, 2013b; Kaddouri, 2011), the doctoral training process (Cros & Bombaron, 2018; Skakni, 2019), the life course (Sapin and al., 2014) and gender and care (Molinier and al., 2009; Paperman, 2013; Champagne and al., 2015). In addition, we conducted an empirical study with a qualitative and longitudinal methodology including two rounds of interviews at one-year intervals with midwifery teachers in doctoral training at least in the first interview in spring 2021. Themes were coded using NVivo software, followed by a longitudinal and cross-sectional content analysis (Bardin, 1989).Our results show that the process of universitarisation of initial midwifery education in France, which has been underway since 2009, is an important motivational source for midwifery teachers' commitment to a doctorate. However, midwifery teachers involved in doctoral studies also have a personal intellectual motivation for reflective analysis of professional midwifery and midwifery teaching practices, often in a quest for recognition of their medical professional identity.Their commitment is strong at the behavioural, cognitive and emotional levels, to use the indicators of commitment to training according to Pintrich et al (1993). Various factors influence their commitment to the doctorate, notably the articulation between their personal, professional and doctoral life trajectories, the recognition of their doctoral work by their hierarchy, and the relationship with their thesis director. In short, midwifery teachers consider the commitment to a doctorate as a respectable value and as an investment for themselves, for the midwifery profession and for the midwifery science.This research has thus highlighted the phenomenon of doctoral commitment in one of the care professions in the current context of universitarisation. It also highlights the difficulties encountered by a population of women returning to study for a doctorate. Certain levers are highlighted in the scientific literature and through the results of our empirical study. Research perspectives emanate from this thesis in order to find ways to improve the quality of doctoral life in terms of well-being and academic performance

Schools of social work are facing a challenge of a lack of social workers with a doctorate to fill faculty positions expected to open due to faculty retiring. There is also a need for more ethnic diversity among social work faculty and schools are struggling to recruit and retain more faculty. This qualitative study used phenomenological methods to explore the factors that 20 Black women attribute to earning their doctorate degree in social work. It used Tinto’s theory of graduate persistence, critical race theory, and Black feminist thought to contextualize the findings.

All of the participants were first generational doctoral students. Two factors motivated them to earn their doctorates (1) influence of family, friends and mentors and (2) their desire to help others. Findings also revealed that participants encountered a number of internal and external obstacles during their studies. While these obstacles delayed many of the women, they did not stop them. The women perceived these obstacles to be connected to their race, gender, and class. All of the women prevailed against the obstacles they encountered utilizing internal supports such as their faith and determination. They also relied on external supports from those with whom they had interpersonal relationships, including family, friends, and their institutions. These findings suggest that having support from their institution and encouragement from their family and friends served as a protective factor to the obstacles they encountered. These findings also outline the dichotomy of finances in this study. Overall 90% of participants received some type of funding for their, however all of accumulated financial debt in pursuit of their doctorate. Based on the findings of this study the following suggestions are made for schools of social work. A) Address issues of institutional racism by providing mentorship training courses for faculty. B) Conduct research to test the effectiveness of recommendations outlined in this study. C) Provide more training and resources to prepare Black women who aspire to pursue their Ph.D. in social work.

The purpose of this study was to determine doctoral students’ reasoning for completing the required course work for their degree, but not completing their dissertation and thus the degree. There had not been formal research conducted on the students at Lindenwood that had not completed the doctoral program and the variables behind their not completing their degree. In order to gain a better understanding, the research looked at four categories of students: completed (achieved doctoral degrees); actively pursuing (on target to graduate in the allotted time); delayed completion (returned to the program or have needed extended time); failure to complete (quit the program). In each category, the research determined the variables that impacted the path of the student. This research may help Lindenwood University in its efforts to determine the reasons behind the success and failure of its graduate students.This looked specifically at the doctoral program and the status of students who were, or were at one time, all but dissertation (ABD), to uncover the barriers to completion.

This study could help drive the decisions and direction of the doctoral program. The personal investment of the student and the university included a considerable amount of time and dedication. Universities invest in their programs through doctoral seminars, hiring high quality professors, and creating a highly rigorous graduate program. Graduate students invest a large amount of money, time, and trust into the university. The two work together to achieve the ultimate goal of a doctoral degree.

PONTIFÍCIA UNIVERSIDADE CATÓLICA DO RIO DE JANEIRO
COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DO PESSOAL DE ENSINO SUPERIOR
PROGRAMA DE SUPORTE À PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO DE INSTS. DE ENSINO
PROGRAMA DE SUPORTE À PÓS-GRADUAÇÃO DE INSTITUIÇÕES COMUNITÁRIAS DE ENSINO PARTICULARES
A relação médico-paciente consiste numa díade que é hierarquicamente assimétrica. Uma parte cuida e a outra recebe cuidado, análogo ao que ocorre nas relações de apego. O médico teria o papel de figura de apego, possibilitando ativar o seu sistema de cuidado. O objetivo deste estudo é analisar como o sistema de cuidado está inserido na relação médico-paciente, analisando o estilo de apego do médico, além de relacioná-lo à capacidade de cuidado que o médico tem com seu paciente. Foram entrevistados onze hematologistas do Rio de Janeiro e São Paulo com experiência no SUS utilizando um roteiro de entrevista semiestruturado e foi aplicado o instrumento de autorrelato EVA (Escala de Vinculação do Adulto). Após análise de conteúdo das entrevistas e análise por clusters do EVA, os médicos entrevistados apresentaram apego seguro, com aspectos defensivos evitativos e amedrontados. Quatro categorias também foram estabelecidas: experiências pessoais com medicina e/ou hematologia; especificidade da hematologia; como lidar com as questões sobre perdas; e cuidado com o outro. Conclui-se que o presente trabalho prioriza o lado do médico nesta relação, e a importância do atendimento às suas necessidades psicológicas e relacionais. Com isso, intervenções podem ser propostas à equipe de saúde, de forma a cuidar de maneira consistente destes profissionais e aprimorar sua relação com o paciente e seus familiares.
The doctor-patient relationship consists of a hierarchically asymmetrical dyad. One side cares and the other receives care, analogous to the attachment relationship. The doctor would have the attachment figure s role, being able to activate his or her caregiving system. The purpose of this study is to analyze how the care system is inserted in the doctor-patient relationship, analyzing the attachment style of the physician in addition to relating it to the care ability that the doctor has with his/her patient. Eleven hematologists from Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo with experience in SUS were interviewed using a semi-structured interview script and the self-report instrument AAS-R (Adult Attachment Scale-Revised) was applied. After content analysis of the interview and a cluster analysis of the AAS-R, all the doctors presented secure attachment, with avoidant-dismissing and avoidant-fearful defensive aspects. Four categories were also analyzed: personal experiences with medicine and/or hematology; hematology s specificity; how to deal with loss; and caring towards other. We concluded that the present it is important to prioritize the doctor s stance in the relationship, and to attend their psychological and relational needs. In that manner, interventions in the healthcare team can be proposed, providing the proper care to the healthcare professional, and, hence, improve their relationship with patients and their family members.

Prostate cancer is an important male health issue. The strategies used to diagnose and treat prostate cancer underscore the cell and molecular interactions that promote disease progression. Prostate cancer is histologically defined by increasingly undifferentiated tumour cells and therapeutically targeted by androgen ablation. Even as the normal glandular architecture of the adult prostate is lost, prostate cancer cells remain dependent on the androgen receptor (AR) for growth and survival. This project focused on androgen-regulated gene expression, altered cellular differentiation, and the nexus between these two concepts. The AR controls prostate development, homeostasis and cancer progression by regulating the expression of downstream genes. Kallikrein-related serine peptidases are prominent transcriptional targets of AR in the adult prostate. Kallikrein 3 (KLK3), which is commonly referred to as prostate-specific antigen, is the current serum biomarker for prostate cancer. Other kallikreins are potential adjunct biomarkers. As secreted proteases, kallikreins act through enzyme cascades that may modulate the prostate cancer microenvironment. Both as a panel of biomarkers and cascade of proteases, the roles of kallikreins are interconnected. Yet the expression and regulation of different kallikreins in prostate cancer has not been compared. In this study, a spectrum of prostate cell lines was used to evaluate the expression profile of all 15 members of the kallikrein family. A cluster of genes was co-ordinately expressed in androgenresponsive cell lines. This group of kallikreins included KLK2, 3, 4 and 15, which are located adjacent to one another at the centromeric end of the kallikrein locus. KLK14 was also of interest, because it was ubiquitously expressed among the prostate cell lines. Immunohistochemistry showed that these 5 kallikreins are co-expressed in benign and malignant prostate tissue. The androgen-regulated expression of KLK2 and KLK3 is well-characterised, but has not been compared with other kallikreins. Therefore, KLK2, 3, 4, 14 and 15 expression were all measured in time course and dose response experiments with androgens, AR-antagonist treatments, hormone deprivation experiments and cells transfected with AR siRNA. Collectively, these experiments demonstrated that prostatic kallikreins are specifically and directly regulated by the AR. The data also revealed that kallikrein genes are differentially regulated by androgens; KLK2 and KLK3 were strongly up-regulated, KLK4 and KLK15 were modestly up-regulated, and KLK14 was repressed. Notably, KLK14 is located at the telomeric end of the kallikrein locus, far away from the centromeric cluster of kallikreins that are stimulated by androgens. These results show that the expression of KLK2, 3, 4, 14 and 15 is maintained in prostate cancer, but that these genes exhibit different responses to androgens. This makes the kallikrein locus an ideal model to investigate AR signalling. The increasingly dedifferentiated phenotype of aggressive prostate cancer cells is accompanied by the re-expression of signalling molecules that are usually expressed during embryogenesis and foetal tissue development. The Wnt pathway is one developmental cascade that is reactivated in prostate cancer. The canonical Wnt cascade regulates the intracellular levels of β-catenin, a potent transcriptional co-activator of T-cell factor (TCF) transcription factors. Notably, β-catenin can also bind to the AR and synergistically stimulate androgen-mediated gene expression. This is at the expense of typical Wnt/TCF target genes, because the AR:β-catenin and TCF:β-catenin interactions are mutually exclusive. The effect of β-catenin on kallikrein expression was examined to further investigate the role of β-catenin in prostate cancer. Stable knockdown of β-catenin in LNCaP prostate cancer cells attenuated the androgen-regulated expression of KLK2, 3, 4 and 15, but not KLK14. To test whether KLK14 is instead a TCF:β-catenin target gene, the endogenous levels of β-catenin were increased by inhibiting its degradation. Although KLK14 expression was up-regulated by these treatments, siRNA knockdown of β-catenin demonstrated that this effect was independent of β-catenin. These results show that β-catenin is required for maximal expression of KLK2, 3, 4 and 15, but not KLK14. Developmental cells and tumour cells express a similar repertoire of signalling molecules, which means that these different cell types are responsive to one another. Previous reports have shown that stem cells and foetal tissues can reprogram aggressive cancer cells to less aggressive phenotypes by restoring the balance to developmental signalling pathways that are highly dysregulated in cancer. To investigate this phenomenon in prostate cancer, DU145 and PC-3 prostate cancer cells were cultured on matrices pre-conditioned with human embryonic stem cells (hESCs). Soft agar assays showed that prostate cancer cells exposed to hESC conditioned matrices had reduced clonogenicity compared with cells harvested from control matrices. A recent study demonstrated that this effect was partially due to hESC-derived Lefty, an antagonist of Nodal. A member of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily, Nodal regulates embryogenesis and is re-expressed in cancer. The role of Nodal in prostate cancer has not previously been reported. Therefore, the expression and function of the Nodal signalling pathway in prostate cancer was investigated. Western blots confirmed that Nodal is expressed in DU145 and PC-3 cells. Immunohistochemistry revealed greater expression of Nodal in malignant versus benign glands. Notably, the Nodal inhibitor, Lefty, was not expressed at the mRNA level in any prostate cell lines tested. The Nodal signalling pathway is functionally active in prostate cancer cells. Recombinant Nodal treatments triggered downstream phosphorylation of Smad2 in DU145 and LNCaP cells, and stably-transfected Nodal increased the clonogencity of LNCaP cells. Nodal was also found to modulate AR signalling. Nodal reduced the activity of an androgen-regulated KLK3 promoter construct in luciferase assays and attenuated the endogenous expression of AR target genes including prostatic kallikreins. These results demonstrate that Nodal is a novel example of a developmental signalling molecule that is reexpressed in prostate cancer and may have a functional role in prostate cancer progression. In summary, this project clarifies the role of androgens and changing cellular differentiation in prostate cancer by characterising the expression and function of the downstream genes encoding kallikrein-related serine proteases and Nodal. Furthermore, this study emphasises the similarities between prostate cancer and early development, and the crosstalk between developmental signalling pathways and the AR axis. The outcomes of this project also affirm the utility of the kallikrein locus as a model system to monitor tumour progression and the phenotype of prostate cancer cells.

The thesis extends the use of systemic functional linguistics (SFL) to describe and analyse the semiotic systems beyond language by providing a detailed and systematic approach to the description of multimodal hypertext systems. The thesis uses a social semiotic approach to the text in order to develop an analytical framework for the description of hypertext through the two dimensions of rank and metafunction. This approach is employed to describe, assess and evaluate the pathways that student user groups construct using hypertext resources during a task-based information search session. The resources realised at the ranks of element, screen and pathway are described across four metafunctions: Representational, Interactive, Compositional and Logical. The data which forms the basis of the thesis was collected from a Year 4-5-6 classroom in a primary school in Sydney, Australia. The substantive contributions of this thesis detail the resources of the hypertext analytical framework.

Professional research project (Au.D.)--University of South Florida, 2003.
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ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an atypical pattern of early acoustic stimulation on auditory development. Previous human research suggests that the acoustic environment of pre-term human infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) negatively affects some aspects of auditory development. Animal research suggests that premature auditory stimulation interrupts auditory development. Because mice are born before their auditory systems are developed, they make an excellent model for research on fetal and postnatal plasticity of the auditory system. The premature auditory state of newborn mice is similar to that of the NICU pre-term infant, albeit, natural for mice C57 mouse pups were exposed to an augmented acoustic environment (AAE) of a nightly 12-hour regiment of 70 dB SPL noise burst, beginning before age 12 days (onset of hearing) and lasting for one month.
ABSTRACT: The prepulse inhibition (PPI) of mice exposed to the AAE was compared to that of non-exposed mice to observe short-term and long-term effects. Results showed that the prepulse inhibition of the AAE exposed mice did not differ significantly from that of the non-exposed mice. However, it is possible that the measurement used, PPI, may not have been appropriate or that the AAE may not have been an appropriate simulation of the NICU environment.
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This study examined the effects of genetic background on the acoustic startle response (ASR) and its modulation by prepulse inhibition (PPI) by comparing nine inbred strains of mice. The ASR, a jerk-like motor reflex, is elicited by bursts of noise or tones with sound pressure levels of 80-90 dB and greater. PPI is a type of modulation of the ASR, requires no training, and results in observable response in both mice and humans. Data were obtained from nine inbred mouse strains, sixteen per strain, which were shipped at approximately 3-5 weeks old from The Jackson Laboratory. In general, ASRs were generally smaller when the startle stimulus was less intense. PPI was relatively weak for the 4 kHz prepulse, and stronger with prepulses of 12 kHz and 20 kHz. However, means varied widely across strains for both ASR and PPI, suggesting a strong influence of genetic background on these behaviors. In addition to genetic influences, peripheral hearing loss and central auditory processing factors must be taken into consideration.

Early entrepreneurship studies have often regarded entrepreneurs as a homogeneous group. More recently, scholars have recognised that entrepreneurs have different ownership propensity. Portfolio entrepreneurs, a sub-type of the habitual entrepreneur, are involved in a number of businesses simultaneously. By their very nature, these entrepreneurs are more experienced than their novice counterparts and studying them should enhance understanding of entrepreneurship. This thesis aims to explore why and how some individuals become portfolio entrepreneurs. The investigation is guided by a conceptual framework that explores the theoretical antecedents (e.g., human and social capital, motivation and risk) to portfolio entrepreneurship, how they engage in the entrepreneurial processes (e.g., opportunity search and recognition, entry and operational strategies) and the outcomes (e.g., business and personal) of their entrepreneurial activities. This is a qualitative study using a multiple case approach. Fifteen cases of portfolio entrepreneurs were selected and interviewed in-depth. Results show that portfolio entrepreneurs do have a distinct combination of human and social capital endowments, motivation and risk propensity. These antecedents allow them to formulate strategies that pave the way to portfolio development. While the reasons for the pursuit of the portfolio model vary across the different portfolios, it is evident that the portfolio is a result of the entrepreneur's opportunity and growth-seeking pursuits and a way to spread the risk inherent in business. The study reports strategies and heuristics that these entrepreneurs employ to manage the dynamics of a portfolio structure. At the business level, outcomes indicate that individual business benefit from being part of a portfolio. At a personal level, successful portfolio entrepreneurs do become high net worth individuals. Although financial motivation is evident at the early stages of their careers, money no longer features in later stages. Their satisfaction levels are high, and regrets are almost non-existent. They enjoy being in business and thrive in the many challenges that new products, systems, solutions and ways of doing things bring to the market and society.

The purpose of this thesis was to investigate mechanisms contolling the growth of corneal epithelial cells, particularly the intracellular signals involved with stratification compared with cellular migration and maturation. Buttons of epithelium were cultured in different culture media. The explants were monitored microscopically for their growth patterns and finally fixed and examined for cytokeratin, vimentin and actin. Different growth patterns were observed in the different media, indicating that different signalling patterns must be operating in these cells depending upon the media in which they were grown. To investigate the intracellular pathways controlling the different growth patterns, the protein phosphorylation of different cultures was investigated. The two proteins, p57 and p30, are strongly suggested to be associated with stratification of the epithelial cells. The possible involvement of the common serine kinase, PKC, in controlling the growth pattern of corneal epithelial cells were also investigated. The results suggested that an intracellular pathway involving PKC promotes the maturation and spread of the cells but is not involved in their stratification. These experiments taken together indicate that the different aspects of corneal epithelia cell growth are tightly controlled and may occur quite independently. Specific protein expression appears to be important for stratification, and phosphorylation of proteins by PKC appears to be involved with the maturation of epithelial cells from basal cells. It also indicates that the mature cells are capable of producing the extracellular matrix protein fibronectin which appears to have an important role in causing the spread as distinct from the stratification of the corneal epithelial cells.

This paper provides an overview of developmental timetables relevant to hearing and of current pediatric audiological techniques and practices. The first sections summarize structural and functional development of the auditory pathway and the development of primary auditory processing. These developmental sequences appear to follow similar paths in humans and animals. Speech and music perception involve more complex processing and are strongly influenced by experience. Hearing disorders affect the perception of complex sounds in a variety of ways, depending on the site(s) of lesions. Early onset hearing impairment, including conductive loss from chronic otitis media, can seriously impede language development. Language cannot develop normally without adequate speech stimulation. Sensitive and inexpensive techniques are available for performing neonatal hearing screening, and early intervention has a positive effect on development of language skills in hearing-impaired children. Thus, the National Institute of Health has recommended nationwide universal newborns hearing screening. The rationale and methodology of universal screening programs is summarized in the chapter. Advances in the field of the genetics of hearing impairment are also reviewed Recent advances in the field of auditory physiology - coupled with longstanding concerns about delayed identification of hearing impairment - have precipitated public health initiatives (National Institute of Health, 1993) and legislation for neonatal hearing screening programs (Blake & Hall, 1990). Pediatric audiology, once more “art” than science, is now largely based on physiologic methods rather than observed behavior. With current techniques, it is not only possible to detect hearing impairment at birth but also to determine the site of the lesion and to obtain close estimates of hearing threshold at specific frequencies (Werner, Folsom, & Mancl, 1993). Habilitative measures, including amplification, can begin within weeks of birth. Protocols for the management of hearing impairment are guided not only by the site of the lesion but by the developmental sequences and interactions among all of the child’s sensory modalities. This chapter provides an overview of developmental timetables relevant to hearing and of current pediatric audiological techniques and practices.

The widespread expression of polypeptide growth factors from the earliest stages of embryonic development through to mature issues in the adult organism suggests an involvement in a reiterated developmental process affecting the underlying cellular growth and differentiation of many tissues. The hair follicle has taken on increased significance with the observation that many genetic mutations in these peptide growth factor genes affect its development. The targeted disruption of genes encoding members of the EpidermalGrowth Factor (EGF) and Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF) families in the mouse has revealed a functional role for these proteins in the regulation of hair follicle growth. Experimental data and other factors are examined and results given. A second experimental system was used to determine if a functional relationship between certain peptide growth factors was conserved in the Merino sheep. The induction of a catagen-like state in the wool follicle and other epidermal changes associated with EGF treatment may be related to the transciptional induction of these peptide growth factors

Parasitism, in nematodes, is a very successful life strategy which has evolved throughout the Nematoda phylum in several independent events. However, the genetic basis for parasitism remains unknown. Parastrongyloides trichosuri is a facultative parasitic nematode of the Australian brushtail possum. This parasite has retained the unusual ability to sample its environment at each generation, and make the developmental decision to develop either into a free-living nematode or, in response to environmental stress, develop into an infective larva, which must then seek out a host in order to complete its life cycle. The nematode model organism, Caenorhabditis elegans, also responds to environmental stresses by developing into a dauer larvae. The dauer hypothesis proposes that dauer larvae and infective larvae are homologous and that dauer larvae may be an evolutionary pre-adaptation that facilitated the evolution of parasitism in nematodes. One of the signalling pathways which control dauer larva development in C. elegans is the Insulin/IGF signalling pathway. Gene orthologues of the insulin/IGF signalling pathway were cloned from P. trichosuri: the daf-2 tyrosine kinase receptor, the age-1 phosphatidylinositol 3′ kinase and the daf-16 FOXO forkhead transcription factor. The expression profiles of these genes were characterized by q-PCR which determined that they were differentially expressed during the developmental switch to infective larva. Rescue by complementation showed that a P. trichosuri daf-16 transgene was able to recover both stress and developmental phenotypes in C. elegans daf mutants, suggesting it might perform an orthologous role in P. trichosuri. This research also demonstrated that the biology of P. trichosuri infective larvae and C. elegans dauer larvae are quite similar. Some of the environmental signals which control the free-living/infective larva developmental switch in P. trichosuri were characterized in this study and found to be similar to the environmental signals which trigger dauer larval development. These are: population density, food availability and temperature. There is a genetic component to the ability to respond to the environmental signals and inbred lines which display diverse developmental plasticity were isolated.

Content removed due to copyright restrictions: Webby, C.J., Patchett, M.L. & Parker, E.J. (2005) Characterization of a recombinant type II 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Helicobacter pylori. Biochemical Journal 390, 223-230 Webby C.J., Lott J.S., Baker H.M., Baker E.N., & Parker E.J. (2005) Crystallization and preliminary X-ray crystallographic analysis of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate-7-phosphate synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Acta Crystallographica Section F - Sturctural Biology and Crystallization Communications 61(4) 403-406. Webby C.J., Baker H.M., Lott J.S., Baker E.N. & Parker E.J. (2005) The structure of 3-deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase from Mycobacterium tuberculosis reveals a common catalytic scaffold and ancestry for type I and type II enzymes. Journal of Molecular Biology 354(4), 927-939
The shikimate pathway, responsible for the biosynthesis of aromatic compounds, is found in microorganisms and plants but absent in higher organisms. This makes the enzymes of this pathway attractive as targets for the development of antibiotics and herbicides. Recent gene disruption studies have shown that the operation of the shikimate pathway is essential for the viability of M. tuberculosis, validating the choice of enzymes from this pathway as targets for the development of novel anti-TB drugs. 3-Deoxy-D-arabino-heptulosonate 7-phosphate synthase (DAH7PS) catalyzes the first committed step of the shikimate pathway. Two distinct classes of DAH7PS have been defined based on sequence similarity. The type I DAH7PSs are well characterized, however prior to this project there was limited mechanistic and no structural information about type II enzymes. Sequence identity between type I and type II enzymes is less than 10% raising the possibility that they represent distinct protein families, unrelated by evolution. We have functionally characterized the type II enzyme from Helicobacter pylori, and have shown that type I and type II enzymes catalyze a metal-dependent ordered sequential reaction following the same stereochemical course. We have solved the structure of the type II DAH7PS from M. tuberculosis using single-wavelength anomalous diffraction (SAD) methods and the structure reveals a tightly associated dimer of (β/α)8 TIM barrels. The monomer fold, the arrangement of key residues in the active site, and the binding modes of PEP and Mn2+, all match those of the type I enzymes. This similarity of protein fold and catalytic architecture makes it unequivocal that type I and type II enzymes are related by divergent evolution from a common ancestor. Interestingly, there are significant differences in the additional structural elements that extend from the core (β/α)8 barrel and in the quaternary structure. Further structural and functional analysis of M. tuberculosis DAH7PS revealed that the two major additions decorating the barrel are involved in the binding of the aromatic amino acids. Two distinct inhibitory binding sites for Trp and Phe have been identified providing an explanation for the synergistic inhibition displayed with Trp and Phe. The role of several active site residues of Mt-DAH7PS in enzyme catalysis has also been investigated.

It is imperative that issues that lead to poor implementation of quality programs be addressed effectively to enable Australian companies to compete more effectively in highly competitive global markets. The development of a methodology to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the quality system in an organisation could thus be of value to organisations to enable them to rectify weaknesses and compete more effectively on the basis of customer value creation through quality enhancement. Creating value for the customer through quality is accepted as an important component of the competitive strategy of organisations throughout the world. Its relevance and significance is well reflected by the importance attached to the “quality imperative” not only by organisations but also by governments, international agencies, and business associations. The breakthrough gains that can be made through a well-implemented Total Quality Management (TQM) program have prompted the development of award systems such as the Deming Prize, the Baldrige Award, the European Quality Award the Japanese Quality Award, and the Australian Quality Award, which also serve as frameworks for self assessment and improvement. The purpose of this study is to establish pathways to achieve optimum business outcomes using the Quality Management Assessment Framework (QMAF) model with ICT as an enabler and to formulate guidelines for managers. The main research question is as follows. How do the categories which contain the TQM elements including information communication technology (ICT) in the model of the Quality Management Assessment Framework (QMAF) directly and indirectly affect the performance outputs of an organisation, namely business outcomes (business results and customer and stakeholder value)? Based on a study of popular quality frameworks, an integrated approach for assessing quality management practices at the organisation level is proposed. Explicit attention is then paid to the role that information and communication technology (ICT) can play in upgrading quality management practices. ICT is seen as an enabler that, through its influence on the elements of the proposed framework, can accelerate the movement of an organisation towards ICT supported quality management and strengthen an organisation’s operative technological capability. The model consists of the following major TQM elements: leadership; strategy; quality culture; benchmarking; customer focus; partnering; education and training; empowerment; total quality tools; continuous improvement; business processes; information/knowledge/communication; business results plus feedback; and customer value plus feedback. The major TQM elements are classified into nine categories in the model, namely leadership, quality culture, information/knowledge/communication, strategy, human resources management, partnering focus, improvement methods, business processes and business outcomes (business results, customer and stakeholder value and feedback).The model is referred to as the Quality Management Assessment Framework (QMAF). Based on a comprehensive review of the literature, a detailed checklist has been developed for each of these elements so that, through its administration, a quick assessment could be made of the status of the quality system of an organisation. The delineation of these elements and their further elaboration through the checklist is an attempt to understand the complex interactions of these factors on business results and customer value creation. The framework also pays special attention to the role that ICT can play in upgrading quality systems. Here, ICT is seen as an enabler that, together with the major elements of TQM, can revolutionise people management, technology management, knowledge management and business management in the pursuit of organisational excellence. This research involved a questionnaire-based survey of small, medium and large manufacturing organisations in the Western Sydney Region. A total of 60 useable questionnaires were received from organisations who received the questionnaire by mail. The management information from the data was treated with the appropriate statistical tools in order to attain secure and minimally biased conclusions. A clear methodological path for assessing the quality management systems of organisations with the use of the Quality Management Assessment Framework (QMAF) model is presented. It introduces the concepts evaluated by the QMAF model and provides an assessment of the quality management capabilities of the industries in the Western Sydney Region of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. The assessment is based on distribution of scores of the various categories in the QMAF model, using a benchmarking process. Furthermore, it detected significant differences between large, medium and small organisations and the various ANZSIC industry codes with regard to measures of the TQM categories of the QMAF model using ANOVA and multiple comparison with the best (MCB). The analysis verified the general reliability of the QMAF model. The QMAF model assessment has also identified many of the Western Sydney Region manufacturing industries’ shortcomings that merit further investigation. The results of this analysis can serve as valuable feedback to the managers of the industries considered in this study aiming at bettering their business processes in many ways, including benchmarking their performance against the best case scores of the QMAF. Multiple regression and Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) - path analysis were further used to study the strengths and the relationships between the constructs in the QMAF model. The causal relationships between the various constructs in the model were used to establish optimum pathways in achieving business outcomes encompassing business results, customer and stakeholder value were established for the manufacturing industries in the Western Sydney Region. The results of the analysis validate the QMAF model. The significance of information communication technology (ICT) as an enabler through its influence on the constructs of the proposed framework as represented by the information, knowledge and communication (IKC) construct is affirmed. Several hypotheses are substantiated establishing direct and indirect causal relationships among the constructs of the QMAF model. The impact of the traditional Total Quality Management (TQM) constructs on business outcomes using a Quality Management Assessment Framework (QMAF) without considering the Information/Knowledge/Communication (IKC) construct was also studied. Multiple regression and SEM - path analysis (recursive) were also used to study the strengths and the relationships between these constructs. In order to validate and reinforce the strengths of the relationships between traditional TQM constructs, several hypotheses are substantiated among the traditional TQM constructs establishing direct and indirect causal relationships among the constructs and their significance. Finally the one-to-one direct effect of IKC on the other categories of the QMAF model was determined using regression analysis. The quality assessment analysis using descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Hsu’s MCB along with (SEM) recursive path analysis study provides vital guidelines to managers in the manufacturing industries of the Western Sydney Region in formulating strategies towards achieving business excellence through TQM using ICT as an enabler. The one-to-one direct effect of IKC provides a more holistic picture of the important role ICT plays in obtaining optimum business outcomes. The above findings supported by the QMAF assessment tool can be used to foster continual improvement and achieve business excellence. This research concludes by pointing out the implications, strengths and limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.

The main achievement of this thesis has been the development of an operational system dynamics model of the Indonesian energy system. This model attempts to integrate a wide range of data so that policy-makers can understand the connections between economic, environmental and energy policy objectives. This is the first such model to be developed for Indonesia, building on previous modelling efforts that have been restricted to regression-based forecasting and optimisation modelling. The first part of the thesis provides a systematic analysis of background data, information and the context for the model development. These chapters review the historical and political context of energy developments in Indonesia; review past energy policies as well as emerging energy policy objectives; analyse the determinants of energy demand (by regression and divisia decomposition methods) and review energy supply options. The regression analysis concluded that GDP and household income had the most significant effect on energy demand. The effect of fuel price rises, on the other hand, did not exert a significant effect on energy demand. The divisia decomposition method found that, over the entire Indonesian economy, technical change was found to give a greater contribution to energy efficiency improvements (as measured by the energy:GDP ratio) than structural changes. The system dynamics model was developed and validated using the extensive data collected, refined and analysed in the first part of the thesis. The model consisted of an economic module (17 sector input-output model), energy demand module, electric power module, heat and transport fuel module, primary energy supply module and an environmental module. Five scenarios were developed from this model in order to analyse possible energy development pathways for Indonesia, over the 1998-2020 period. These scenarios reflected five themes Business-as-Usual, Environmentally Beneficial, Economic Efficiency, Self-Sufficiency and Balancing Trade-Offs. These scenarios were assessed using a number of policy evaluation criteria to measure various energy, economic and environmental policy objectives. All of these scenarios indicated that Indonesia's energy demand and hence CO2 emissions will grow significantly over the scenario period, even if Indonesia introduces some quite stringent polices to restrict these trends - eg, CO2 emissions are expected to increase by 189% under the 'Business-as-Usual' scenario; and even though they can be reduced to a 85% increase under the 'Environmentally Beneficial' scenario, this is still a significant and somewhat alarming increase in CO2 emissions. The scenarios also highlighted the trade-offs between different sets of policy objectives as an aid to energy planning and policy-making. Finally, further areas of research that could improve the model and its use were identified: improving the data on energy supply and demand (particularly the end-use characterisation), endogenise the economic growth dynamics into the model rather than depending on regression analysis, possibly converting the input-output structure into a computable general equilibrium model, including more sectoral detail, making the model at least partly spatially-specific, and investigating more participatory approaches for further developing the model so as to enhance its uptake.

Oil palm is the largest national crop produced in Papua New Guinea. It is grown on over 80,000 ha of young volcanic soils in five Provinces, employs over 12,000 workers and uses >12,000 tonnes of fertiliser to offset nitrogen deficiency which is the most limiting factor to production. Oil palms strip out 160 - 200 kg N ha-1 yr-1 from the soil. Nitrogen fertilisers account for 60-70 % of all variable production costs but 40-60 % of applied fertiliser cannot be accounted for. Few studies have investigated the amounts of nitrogen lost via leaching, denitrification, volatilisation or as surface runoff in tropical soils and none have been done in Papua New Guinea. Oil palm soils typically have extremely high infiltrabilities (80-8,500 mm hr-1) and receive high annual rainfall which throughfall makes spatially non-uniform. The objective of this study was to assess and quantify nitrogen losses and suggest strategies that might assist in reducing them and their impact on the environment. The modest facilities available at the two research sites, West New Britain (Dami) and Oro (Sangara) Provinces, meant that no analytical work could be done on-site, so simple but appropriate methods were used to evaluate losses, with samples collected, preserved and sent off-shore for analysis. Large four-palm plots were used to evaluate runoff; a gas trap was used to collect evolved nitrous oxide, and lysimeters, suction cups and finally an in situ destructive soil sampling procedure were all used to assess leaching losses and the rate of nitrification of ammonium fertiliser. Results suggest that under the extreme total annual rainfall at Dami (3,500-4,000 mm) and to a lesser extent at Sangara (2,500-3,000 mm), leaching is the dominant loss pathway, with the rate of loss depending, to some extent, on the rate of nitrate formation and the retentivity of the soil for ammonium, but mainly on the rate at which drainage water is generated. A leaching model was developed that indicated that the average residence time of nitrogen fertiliser in the root zone (0-50 cm) varied from 21 days in February, at Dami, to 190 days in May, at Sangara.

This research examines access to community resources - services, facilities and amenities that are potentially health promoting - in two New Zealand territorial authorities, and the policy and planning frameworks of each regarding community resources. International research evidence indicates that community resource access is potentially beneficial to health and wellbeing, through creating supportive environments for health, and providing venues to facilitate social connections. Review of the urban design and planning literature indicates that community resource access is strongly influenced by the dominant urban design and planning models. Geographic information systems were used to develop a Census meshblock-based indicator of community resource accessibility (the Community Resource Accessibility Index). Quantitative analysis examined associations of resource access with socio-economic and demographic population patterns. Qualitative analysis, using key informant interviews and document analysis, explored policies on community resource access, and the role of health and wellbeing as a policy goal for each territorial authority. Quantitative analysis revealed the socio-economically wealthier city had higher overall levels of community resource access, but within each city, more deprived areas had higher levels of access. The location of community resources within poorer areas reduces the mobility costs of people within these areas to access such resources, and makes more available the general health benefits of community resources. Qualitative analysis indicated community resources are important components of urban strategies. Historic patterns of community resource development, aggregated city wealth and local policies were important determinants of the level of community resource access. In New Zealand, as will be the case internationally to varying degrees, there is considerable scope for territorial authorities to enhance local health and wellbeing, through direct delivery of community resources, and through collaboration with external agencies to develop community resources that are outside the direct responsibilities of territorial authorities. When these findings are considered in the context of the passage of local government legislation in late 2002, there is growing potential for territorial authorities to use a variety of levers to enhance community resource access, and by implication, health and wellbeing. Health promoters have opportunities to engage with local government and contribute to urban development strategies, for the purposes of enhancing population health and reducing health inequalities.