cometadata/datacite-rtg-text-other-reclassification-records huggingface dataset:
What on earth is the planetary?
Creators: name: Allen, Jamie
name: Bolen, Jeremy
Publisher: name: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW
Year: 2023
Subjects: subject: geology
subject: earth systems
subject: planetarity
subject: 700 - Künste und Unterhaltung

description: There are efforts being made, and forced upon us, to grapple with the earth as an entity, object, and force. Under the guise of “planetarity,” these efforts span pursuits in the natural sciences of atmospheres, environments, and geologies, the biologies of living and ecologies of nonliving things, and the human knowledge practices that chart social, geopolitical, logistical, and infrastructural globalism. In their video essay project, “The Impossibility of a Planet,” artists and researchers Jeremy Bolen and Jamie Allen engage in dialogues with those who seek to compose planetary-scale images, thinking, narratives, and models. In a companion essay to the video segments, an inquiry into the media and methods of such compositions provides complement. Where do planetarities come from, and where are they taking us?
A neglected risk factor in HIV transmission, and implications for prevention
Creators: name: Owen, Branwen Nia
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: There is a greatly increased risk of HIV transmission during receptive anal intercourse (AI) compared to receptive vaginal intercourse (VI). If AI is commonly practised between men and women (heterosexual AI) it may substantially contribute to the spread of HIV epidemics. Heterosexual AI is, however, frequently overlooked as a risk factor and is incompletely understood. In order to assess the contribution of heterosexual AI to HIV epidemics we must first better understand who is engaging in AI, at what frequency, with whom, whether condoms are used, and whether once initiated, the practice is continued throughout the life course. This thesis aims to address these research gaps, using a variety of epidemiological approaches. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses of heterosexual AI practice among young people, South Africans and female sex workers are conducted, as well as data analysis of a cross-sectional survey of Swazi female sex workers and longitudinal analysis of a large, on-going cohort study of U.S. women. Overall, the analyses in this thesis point to heterosexual AI being an integral part of many people’s sexual practice, which often occurs in the context of sexual and physical violence, is associated with heavy drinking and drug use, having multiple partners and unprotected sex. It appears to be as likely practised with casual partners as steady partners and to be more likely condom unprotected than VI practice. Other than a sub-group who practise AI throughout the life course, it appears that most who practise AI do so sporadically and discontinue the practice with age. PrEP may be a suitable to prevent HIV infection in sub-groups who practise AI as a routine part of their sexual practice. Public health messages should emphasise the importance of condom use during AI as well as VI, as the transmission risk during AI is underestimated by many.
Methods for the capture of circulating tumour cells from blood, and the potential use of circulating biomarkers in the clinical management of breast cancer
Creators: name: Hills, Allison
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: Clinicians have limited ability to monitor patients with breast cancer (BC) for signs of drug resistance. In the metastatic setting, early detection of treatment resistance is paramount. Development of minimally invasive blood-based assays, with a focus on circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), offers opportunities for real-time monitoring that could significantly impact on patient outcome. The presence of CTCs in the blood is a poor prognostic indicator, however these cells are often found at very low concentrations in the blood of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), and this presents a significant technical challenge. Four CTC enrichment technologies were evaluated and compared with the “gold standard” CellSearch®, for the recovery of BC cell-lines from blood. No technique recovered higher numbers of BC cells than CellSearch®, however one antigen-independent method, ParsortixTM, showed promise by capturing cells that showed features of having undergone an epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT), which are not routinely detected by CellSearch®. In single blood samples collected from 194 MBC patients at various stages of treatment, total plasma cfDNA levels were compared with CellSearch® CTC counts, and levels of serum cancer antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) and alkaline phosphatase (ALK-PHOS), for the prediction of disease response. Total cfDNA level was the strongest predictor of disease response suggesting that cfDNA quantification may provide an additional, simple and inexpensive test for the monitoring of disease response in patients with MBC. By analysis of 5 MBC patients with high CTC counts by CellSearch®, next generation sequencing (NGS) of ~2200 mutations in 50 cancer genes, results showed not only mutational heterogeneity between single CTCs, but also that matched cfDNA samples accurately reflected the mutational profile of CTCs analysed. Together, these results demonstrate that both CTCs and cfDNA reflect the genetic status of the tumour, and are promising, non-invasive tools for the monitoring of disease response and detection of clinically-relevant somatic mutations in MBC patients.
Patterns of Horizontal Gene Transfer into the Geobacillus Clade
Creators: name: Esin, Alexander
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: Horizontal gene transfer (HGT) is the major driver behind rapid bacterial adaptation to a host of diverse environments and conditions. Successful HGT is dependent on overcoming a number of barriers on transfer to a new host, one of which is adhering to the adaptive architecture of the recipient genome. My aim was to investigate how HGT gain is spatially patterned, both on arrival and in long term maintenance. I chose to focus on HGT into a model group of Bacillaceae, that includes Geobacillus spp., not only to avoid ambiguity associated with aggregate analyses, but also because observed biases could enhance our ability to engineer this emerging chassis. In this thesis I first present my methodology for detecting HGT into a specific group; I augmented existing approaches to improve computational tractability while deriving a stringent set of horizontally transferred (HT) gene predictions. In the second results chapter, I assess the predicted HGTs in the context of previous work to find that they are highly consistent, justifying my detection approach. Finally, I dissect the topology of HT genes across Geobacillus genomes to find three large zones of contiguous HGT enrichment. I find that this patterning is driven by gene function, with metabolic genes clustering towards the terminus. Interestingly, the HGT-rich origin-proximal zones, home to many HT genes involved in membrane biogenesis, overlap with the section of the chromosome trapped within the nascent endospore during sporulation. Similar functional enrichment patterns are found in other spore-forming Bacilli, but not those unable to sporulate. This suggests that HGT flow into Geobacillus genomes may be spatially constrained, at least in part, by the sporulation program. In the final chapter, I discuss the implications of this research in a bioengineering context, and suggest possible future directions to confirm the link between HGT topology and sporulation.
Gesundheitsförderliche Mitarbeiterführung bei der Mobility Genossenschaft – eine Analyse
Creators: name: Obrist, Eliane
Publisher: name: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW
Year: 2016

description: Die vorliegende Arbeit beschäftigt sich mit dem Zusammenhang gesundheitsförderlicher Führung in der Arbeitsumgebung und der Gesundheit der Mitarbeitenden bei der Mobility Genossenschaft. Das zentrale Anliegen besteht zum einen darin, das Ausmass der gesundheitsförderlichen Führung mit dem Health-Promoting Leading Culture (HPLC) abzubilden, zum anderen soll ihre Wirkung auf die Gesundheit der Mitarbeitenden eruiert werden. Dazu wird als theoretische Grundlage vor dem Hintergrund des Job Demands-Resources Modell die Wirkweise des HPLC auf Arbeitsengagement und Burnout der Mitarbeitenden konkretisiert. Das methodische Vorgehen der Hauptuntersuchung gliedert sich in eine Umfrage der Führungskräfte und Mitarbeitenden mittels Fragebogen. Die Untersuchungsergebnisse zeigen ein günstiges Bild der gesundheitsförderlichen Führung. Als Hauptprädiktoren für Burnout der Mitarbeitenden verzeichnen sich die Führungsverhaltensweisen Handlungsspielraum, Arbeitsbelastung und Gerechtigkeit. Weiter zeigen die Ergebnisse auf, dass die Wertvorstellungen ein Hauptprädiktor für Arbeitsengagement darstellen.
Modelling the elimination of hepatitis C virus infection as a public health threat
Creators: name: Heffernan, Alastair
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: The revolution in hepatitis C virus treatment through the development of direct-acting antivirals has generated international interest in the elimination of the disease as a public health threat. This led the World Health Organization to establish viral hepatitis elimination targets. Whether these targets can be met and how intervention programmes should be scaled up in specific settings are open questions. This thesis details how mathematical models were developed and used to answer these questions. A model of the hepatitis C epidemic was designed and the impact of a range of intervention strategies estimated. A comprehensive package of prevention, screening and treatment interventions could avert 15 million new infections and 1.5 million premature deaths, falling narrowly short of the WHO targets. Nevertheless, achieving these gains relies on a dramatic scaling up of harm reduction interventions to people who inject drugs (to 40% coverage), continued reductions in risk of hepatitis C infection in the remaining population and implementation of screening programmes that result in 90% of hepatitis C infected people being diagnosed. Meeting global targets will only occur if concrete strategies are implemented at the local level. We worked with policy makers in Yunnan Province, China, to devise and assess a range of screening strategies. A combined suite of interventions could reduce incidence by 49% and mortality by 56% by 2030 with treatment costs over that period of 492 million Chinese Yuan. Targeted screening that averts future infections is more cost effective than general screening; cost effectiveness hinges upon reducing DAA costs below current list prices in China. Implementing hepatitis C interventions offers a net economic benefit. This work provides a two-sided view of tackling the public health burden of hepatitis C. Considered globally, significant steps towards elimination can be taken provided ambitious intervention targets are met. Considered locally, our analysis of the hepatitis C epidemic in Yunnan illustrates that interventions can be scaled up in a pragmatic way that offers economic benefits in addition to reducing the burden of disease ultimately borne by patients.
Die Geschichtsdidaktik und die digitale Welt. Eine Perspektive auf spezifische Chancen und Probleme
Creators: name: Demantowsky, Marko
Publisher: name: De Gruyter Oldenbourg
Year: 2015
Subjects: subject: 900 - Geschichte

description: Die Lebenswelt der Heranwachsenden unterliegt seit Jahren einem tiefgreifenden Wandel. Die alterstypische Kommunikation hat sich stark in digitale Social Networks verlagert (facebook, tumblr. etc.). Informationen und Interpretationen werden sehr vorrangig online recherchiert, vor allem in der Wikipedia. An gesellschaftlichen Debatten und Ereignissen nimmt man spontan, öffentlich und in Echtzeit teil (Twitter, Online-Threads etc.). Dieser radikale lebensweltliche Wandel wird kaum absehbare Folgen für die Entwicklung der individuellen Geschichtsbilder und damit auch für die kollektive Geschichtskultur in Deutschland haben. Die historisch-politischen Bildungsangebote für Kinder und Jugendliche müssen deshalb auf diesen Wandel reagieren, ihn kritisch aufnehmen und konstruktiv verarbeiten. Besonders der Geschichtsunterricht steht vor ganz neuen Herausforderungen.
Immature grooming and playing with non-mothers in post-conflict versus non-conflict intervals from Limited evidence for third-party affiliation during development in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii)
Creators: name: Miller, Jordan A.
name: Stanton, Margaret A.
name: Lonsdorf, Elizabeth V.
name: Wellens, Kaitlin R.
name: A. Catherine Markham
name: Murray, Carson M.
Publisher: name: The Royal Society
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 60801 Animal Behaviour
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Histogram of 10,000 proportions of non-conflict intervals in which an immature A) groomed or B) played with a non-mother obtained from a randomization procedure for individuals of age class 1.5 – 5.0, 5.0 – 8.0, 8.0 – 12.0. PC = Average proportion of PC intervals in which the non-mother was groomed or played with. NC = Bootstrapped mean of proportions in which the non-mother was groomed or played with in a random non-conflict interval.
Predicting the Self
Creators: name: Jones, Jason Jeffrey
Publisher: name: OSF Registries
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Social and Behavioral Sciences
subject: Psychology
subject: FOS: Psychology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Twitter
subject: ai
subject: artificial intelligence
subject: identity
subject: ipseology
subject: machine learning
subject: personal identity
subject: self
subject: social identity

description: In this work, I will leverage artificial intelligence methods by applying them to a multimillion-user longitudinal database I have compiled. My aim is to use state-of-the-art machine translation techniques to "predict the future self." The premise is this: natural language processing systems developed to map linguistic meaning from one language to another can be repurposed to map the words one would use to describe themselves today to the words one *will* use to describe themselves one, two or five years in the future.
Additional file 1 of RDmap: a map for exploring rare diseases
Creators: name: Yang, Jian
name: Dong, Cong
name: Duan, Huilong
name: Shu, Qiang
name: Li, Haomin
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2021
Subjects: subject: Genetics
subject: FOS: Biological sciences

description: Additional file 1: Supplemental Material.
Statistical approaches for metabolomics and omics data integration
Creators: name: Jendoubi, Takoua
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: Biological processes are the result of multiple interactions between various omic entities and are inherently complex. Metabolomics profiling plays a key role into deciphering mechanisms of biological functions in living organisms and is hence gaining popularity. In the last twenty years, the parallel acquisition of high-throughput datasets from the genome, metabolome, proteome, and transcriptome has seen a tremendous boost. The integrative analysis of these datasets is promising to enhance the understanding of biological functions and uncover their underlying mechanisms. The main objectives of this thesis consist in i) developing and investigating novel statistical models for integrative analysis of metabolomics data with other omics technologies, ii) enriching the offer of probabilistic models tailored to metabolomics data and iii) providing enhanced interpretability of results. This thesis is mainly concerned with designing models that can be introduced in different steps of a typical analysis pipeline of metabolomics data. Chapters 2 and 3 motivate the importance of data integration and review popular statistical techniques used in metabolomics. Chapter 4 simultaneously covers two steps of the analysis pipeline, by building a single integrative Bayesian model that is able to perform both cross-omics biomarker discovery and infer potential perturbed pathways. Chapter 5 focuses solely on integrative statistical analysis by uncovering hidden associations between multi-omics data. Finally, in Chapter 6 we investigate the incorporation of pathway information into a Bayesian nonparametric clustering model and its potential to help metabolite annotation. Where possible, simulation studies are used to get a better understanding of our methods and test their applicability. These simulations are always followed by analysis of real data and comparison to competing methods. In most instances, our methods have resulted in plausible biological findings when applied to real data, and represent, to our knowledge, one of the first applications of such probabilistic models in integrative analysis of metabolomics data.
CCWI2017: F139 'SAFEWATER – Application and Results of Innovative Tools for the Detection and Mitigation of CBRN- related Contamination Events in Drinking Water Supply Systems'
Creators: name: Bernard, Thomas
name: Rosenberg, Aharon
name: Lucas, Helena
name: Rieder, Adrian
name: Moßgraber, Jürgen
name: Deuerlein, Jochen
name: Brill, Eyal
name: Boudergui, Karim
name: Ilver, Dag
name: Nirit Ulitzur
name: Madar, Anna Elinge
Publisher: name: The University of Sheffield
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 90599 Civil Engineering not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Civil engineering

description: The security of drinking water is increasingly recognized as a major challenge for municipalities and water utilities. The safety and or security of drinking water can be threatened by natural disasters, accidents or malevolent attacks. The European FP7 project SAFEWATER (10/2013 - 12/2016) developed a comprehensive event detection and event management solution for drinking water security management and mitigation against major deliberate, accidental or natural CBRN related contaminations. The aim of this paper is to present the main results of the SAFEWATER project with a focus on (1) new sensors for detection of chemical, biological and radiological threats, (2) Event Detection System and (3) results of real-life user-case scenarios which have been investigated at three water utilities
Zusammenhang zwischen agiler Arbeit und Stressempfinden
Creators: name: Marx, Lara Viola
Publisher: name: Hochschule für Angewandte Psychologie FHNW
Year: 2022
Subjects: Agilität
Stress
Arbeitsbelastung
agile Arbeit
Gesundheit
Erschöpfung
JDR-Modell

description: Damit der schnell verändernden Umwelt standgehalten werden kann, arbeiten immer mehr Organisationen agil. Das Thema Agilität wird immer populärer. Bis dato liegen jedoch nur wenige empirische Erkenntnisse vor, welchen Einfluss Agilität auf die Gesundheit hat. Darum wird in dieser Arbeit der Frage nachgegangen, welche Zusammenhänge zwischen Agilität und Stress bestehen. Dazu wurde mittels Online-Fragebogen der Agilitätsgrad sowie das Stressempfinden von 47 agil arbeitenden Personen erhoben. Die auf den theoretischen Grundlagen basierenden Hypothesen werden anhand einer Korrelations- und Regressionsanalyse überprüft. Aus den Ergebnissen geht hervor, dass der Agilitätsgrad im negativen Zusammenhang mit Stressempfinden steht und das Stressempfinden mit zunehmender Selbstorganisatin abnimmt. Betreffend Stand-Up Meetings konnten keine signifikanten Ergebnisse gewonnen werden. Abschliessend werden Implikationen für die angewandte Forschung und für die Praxis vorgestellt.
Pilot plans including evaluation framework
Creators: name: Cabecinha, Ricardo
name: Gioulekas, Fotios
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Surveys on Cybersecurity Awareness
ICT Infrastructure at Pilot Sites
Planning of Pilot Operations
SPHINX Pilots' Evaluation Framework

description: This deliverable reports the work carried out in Task 7.1 - Sites Surveys and Planning of Pilot Operations. It presents the results of the regular reviews performed on all pilot sites in terms of their characteristics, operations and settings that affect the deployment and operation of the SPHINX Toolkit. Specifically, this document establishes the baseline of the cybersecurity awareness level at each of the SPHINX pilot sites, involving both the staff of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) departments and the remaining professionals working at the pilot sites. Additionally, the ICT infrastructure of the pilot sites is described, as well as its critical assets associated to prevailing business processes and daily operations, requiring protection. Furthermore, this document reviews the roles, responsibilities, organisational structures, assets, security processes and logistics processes across all the pilot sites. It catalogues the information needed from each pilot site for the deployment and operation of the SPHINX Toolkit. Finally, this report delineates a detailed planning of the proposed pilot operations, in terms of the activities to be implemented, the timing of these activities and the evaluation framework created to assess and validate the SPHINX Toolkit’s performance and added-value for the healthcare organisations’ cybersecurity operations.
Mobile applications for the collection of patient self-reported data: the case of depression during pregnancy
Creators: name: Marcano Belisario, Jose
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2017

description: Background: Mobile apps can operate as a delivery mode for many of the self-reported measures commonly used to gather patient data in healthcare. However, the incorporation of this technology in existing care pathways has the potential to influence the quality of the responses, as well as the routine activities of clinical services. This project evaluated the use of mobile apps for the delivery of depression screening scales and momentary questions during antenatal care. Methods: A systematic review assessed the impact that apps as a delivery mode can have on the quality of self-report survey responses, compared to other delivery modes. A subsequent study evaluated the feasibility of using tablet computers for administering the Whooley questions and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) in the waiting area of antenatal clinics. Lastly, another study assessed the feasibility of using a bespoke app running on patients’ own devices for the screening and monitoring of mood and depression in the last two pregnancy trimesters. Results: The responses of surveys collected via apps are equivalent to those collected through traditional delivery modes. Moreover, it is feasible to use apps for depression screening in the waiting area of antenatal clinics. However, the adaptation of screening scales for use with an app could influence data quality, as suggested by a significant relationship between survey layout (i.e., the number of questions presented on a single screen) and scoring intervals on the EPDS. In addition, apps can assist in generating evidence of the diagnostic performance of screening scales in specific populations. Lastly, the development and deployment of apps for depression screening on patients’ own devices must be sensitive to the needs of both patients and clinicians in order to minimise the likelihood of any potential detrimental effect. Conclusions: Mobile technology is an innovative tool for supporting and complementing the role of healthcare practitioners, empowering patients, and enabling the reconfiguration of health services to better meet the needs of their users.
cff2pages: Generate a frontend from your metadata
Creators: name: Bernoth, Jan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024

description: In discussions about FAIR software, primary use cases often center on making research accessible to other participants. The focus is usually on metadata. Metadata are used to make artifacts findable and accessible for search engines. This is structured in machine-readable file formats, based on YAML or JSON, and acts as intermediaries for researchers searching for artifacts. However, these formats aren't always user-friendly, which might discourage researchers from engaging with the content, despite its potential value.

Presenting metadata in a human-readable form, like a webpage, could help all researchers get an overview of a project. While there is an existing website generator named ya2RO [1] that automates generation using a minimal YAML description, it relies on a new YAML scheme. This scheme requires users to learn and a community to maintain it. Without an active user community, there's a high risk that the scheme becomes outdated or fails to meet user needs. An established file format like CFF [2] for feeding metadata into a webpage generator could ensure continuous updates and leverage an existing user base for initial adoption. This concept led to the creation of 'cff2pages'. The tool generates a single webpage displaying the title, authors and their affiliations, keywords, persistent identifier, license, and an abstract from the CFF. This page can easily be integrated into CI/CD pipelines for creating GitHub/GitLab Pages or webpages for internal repositories within institutions.

Currently, cff2pages is in a prototype stage, encouraging early adopters to provide use cases for wider integration into research systems. It offers potential enhancements, such as incorporating semantic web-oriented metadata (e.g., RO-Crate[3]) or integration into workflows like HERMES [4]. To suit institutional publication processes, the template is customizable to match the corporate design of specific institutions.

1. [A. F. Pavel and D. Garijo, “Ya2ro: A tool for creating Research Objects from minimum metadata,” 2023.](https://doi.org/10.4126/FRL01-006444984)2. [S. Druskat, J. H. Spaaks, N. Chue Hong, R. Haines, and J. Baker, “Citation File Format (CFF) - Specifications,” 2021.](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4813122)3. [S. Soiland-Reyes et al., “Packaging research artefacts with RO-Crate,” 2021, doi: 10.48550/arXiv.2108.06503](https://doi.org/10.3233/DS-210053)4. [Meinel, M., Druskat, S., Kelling, J., Bertuch, O., Knodel, O., & Pape, D. hermes (Version proof-of-concept) (Computer software)](https://github.com/hermes-hmc/hermes)
Pregnancy following Bariatric Surgery: feto-placental and neonatal considerations
Creators: name: Maric, Tanya
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: The prevalence of obesity in pregnancy is continuing to rise. Obese women have a three-fold risk of developing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), large for gestational age neonates (LGA) and the risk of preeclampsia (PE) doubles for every 5-7kg/m2 increase in pre-pregnancy bodyweight. Bariatric Surgery (BS) is an effective treatment for sustained weight loss with a rapid increase in the number of procedures performed in the last 6 years. Long-term studies in non-pregnant populations have demonstrated that BS significantly improves insulin sensitivity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) leading to long-term remission of the condition and improves cardiovascular outcomes. Numerous retrospective studies have shown that pregnancy following BS is associated with a reduced risk of GDM/LGA neonates and hypertensive disorders, but increased risk of small for gestational age (SGA) neonates and late preterm delivery, relative to pregnancies with similar maternal pre-surgery and pre-pregnancy BMI. The increased risk of SGA babies appears to be higher in patients who have undergone a malabsorptive procedure. The underlying causes of fetal growth restriction in this group is unknown and warrants further investigation to enable the development and application of preventative strategies. This study is a prospective, observational study aiming to investigate the effect of BS on perinatal growth and metabolic profile. We investigated the intra-uterine environment, metabolic profile and body composition of offspring of women who had undergone a previous BS compared to women without previous surgery. • Using 2D ultrasound, the intra-uterine fetal environment was assessed by measuring fetal growth velocity and feto-placental Doppler indices, longitudinally, at four timepoints during gestation to assess whether placental dysfunction plays a role in the reduction in fetal growth, seen in this population. • The intra-uterine fetal body composition was determined by calculating fractional limb (thigh and arm) volumes using 3D ultrasound and software. This was followed by anthropometric measurements at birth. • In order to assess the neonatal metabolic profile at delivery, neonatal insulin resistance from venous cord blood using HOMA-IR, a surrogate marker of insulin resistance, peptides involved in glucose metabolism and inflammatory markers were measured. • Finally, we investigated the placental expression of insulin-like growth factors, their binding proteins and glucose transporters as well as other peptides known to influence fetal growth.
Im gleichen Haus zu arbeiten ermöglicht Innovation
Creators: name: Nathan, Ganesh
name: Benz-Fragnière, Christelle
Publisher: name: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW
Year: 2014
Subjects: co-location
innovation
transition to parenthood

description: This article is written to highlight how co-location may breed innovation. The new campus building at Von Roll, Olten accommodates both School of Business and School of Social Work. The research problem of first-time transition to parenthood by couples is conducted by the researcher Dr. Christelle Benz within the School of Social Work at the new campus building.
The evolutionary dynamics of genomic regulatory blocks in metazoan genomes
Creators: name: Nash, Alex
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: Developmental genes require intricate control of the timing, location and magnitude of their expression. This is provided by multiple evolutionarily conserved enhancers, known as conserved non-coding elements (CNEs). CNEs cluster around their target genes, forming long syntenic arrays known as genomic regulatory blocks (GRBs). Current methods for GRB identification rely on the selection of arbitrary minimum conservation thresholds, impeding their performance in many contexts. In this thesis, I propose a novel measure of pairwise genome conservation that eliminates the need for conservation thresholds, and use this measure to study the evolutionary dynamics of GRBs in metazoa. I define sets of GRBs based on their rate of regulatory turnover – high turnover GRBs (htGRBs) and low turnover GRBs (ltGRBs) – in three independent metazoan lineages. I show that ht- and ltGRBs target functionally distinct classes of genes, and that these genes tend to be expressed during late and early development respectively, potentially contributing to their differing tolerance of regulatory turnover. Moreover, the differences between ht- and ltGRBs are consistent across all three lineages, suggesting that similar evolutionary pressures have defined the rate of turnover in these GRBs since their emergence in the metazoan ancestor. Next I identify GRBs in the extremely compact Caenorhabditis elegans and Oikopleura dioica genomes for the first time, and use these GRBs to investigate the effects of genome compaction on GRB size and composition. I show that GRB size scales proportionally with genome size and that GRBs exhibit similar enrichment and depletion of specific genomic features. This suggests that regardless of background genome content, GRBs are under similar pressure to maintain a permissive environment for long-range gene regulation. The development of a threshold-free GRB identification method has facilitated the analysis of GRBs in both closely related species and compact genomes, providing further insights into their origin and evolution.
Neurological injury associated with thoracic endovascular aortic repair
Creators: name: Perera, Anisha Helen
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2017

description: Thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) has improved patient outcomes compared to open surgery, although stroke and paraplegia remain complications. Silent cerebral infarction (SCI; imaging evidence of infarction without neurological dysfunction) has also emerged as a risk. Meta-analysis performed of SCI with seven endovascular procedures shows risk of SCI is significant, with rates of almost 70% with transcatheter aortic valve implantation and TEVAR. The neurological injury with aortic stenting study investigates transcranial Doppler-detected cerebral embolisation, SCI and neurocognitive decline following TEVAR in 52 patients. Higher rates of embolisation were detected with greater aortic atheroma and during stent-graft deployment and contrast injection. Left subclavian bypass, proximal landing zone 0 and 1 and arch hybrid procedures were identified as predictors of cerebral emboli. Cerebral infarction was detected in 25/31(81%) undergoing magnetic resonance imaging: 21 silent (68%) and four clinical strokes (13%). Neurocognitive decline was seen in 6/7 domains assessed in 15 patients with SCI, with age a significant predictor of decline. The robotic navigation study investigates cerebral embolisation during wire and catheter placement in the aortic arch and compares robotic versus manual techniques. It demonstrates robotic navigation is feasible during TEVAR, and results in significantly less cerebral embolisation compared to manual techniques. The health-related quality of life (HRQOL) study assesses HRQOL in three groups with thoracic aortic disease (TAD); patients under surveillance, post-TEVAR and prospectively undergoing TEVAR. It found surveillance may increase anxiety in older patients, and TEVAR does not appear to decrease HRQOL compared to surveillance. However, major post-operative complications and re-intervention are risks for impaired HRQOL, anxiety and depression. The vascular metabonomic profiling study was the first to perform 1H nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in TAD patients undergoing complex vascular surgery. It demonstrates inositol metabolites within CSF have the potential to be developed as biomarkers of ischaemia in TAD.
wastescapes
Creators: name: (:Unkn) Unknown
Publisher: name: Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz FHNW
Year: 2020
Subjects: audio walk
Basel border area
GPS technology
E-Waste/Smartphone
harbour
Artistic Research

description: wastescapes – ein Audiowalk im Grenzraum Basel Der Audiowalk wastescapes ist im Kontext von Times of Waste entstanden und geht verschiedenen Bewegungen von Menschen, Tieren, Pflanzen, Materialien und Gütern im Grenzraum Basel nach. Der Fokus liegt auf lokalen Phänomenen dieses trinationalen Gebiets, die exemplarisch für regionale und globale Zusammenhänge sind: das Hafengelände mit Recycling-Dienstleistungen, Import/Export-Aspekte (CH), Lindan-Bodensanierungen BASF (F), Handyreparatur-Shops (D), invasive Tiere (Grundeln) oder das Zwischennutzungsgebiet Klybeck nach Rückbauten von Öltanks (CH). Die Besuchenden erhalten die Möglichkeit, öffentliche und exklusive Orte im Grenzgebiet zu erkunden. Das Projekt bietet einen vielfältigen Zugang durch Szenarien, die von Science-Fiction bis zu dokumentarischen Formen, von gesprochenem Wort bis zu Geräuschen reichen und eine Nähe respektive Irritation gegenüber den vorgefundenen Situationen kreieren. Der GPS-basierte Walk wird auf einem Smartphone abgespielt. Die bewusst eingesetzte Technologie des Datenträgers reflektiert die zur Sprache gebrachten Themen wie Rohstoff-, Abfall- und Recyclingproblematiken auch medienspezifisch. Das weitgehend eigene Tempo der Raumexploration bietet andersartige Rezeptionsmöglichkeiten: Der Walk kann als physikalische Erfahrung des Raums und im Raum betrachtet werden, wo man eine Art Transformation durch Partizipation erfährt und sich die Rollen von Besuchenden und (befähigten) Agent_innen vermischen. wastescapes gründet auf dem 2012 veröffentlichten Forschungs- und Ausstellungsprojekt RhyCycling. Dieses untersuchte die Grenzregion von Deutschland, Frankreich und der Schweiz entlang des Rheins und fokussierte auf die Verknüpfungen und Abhängigkeiten der menschlichen und nicht-menschlichen Umwelt. www.rhycycling.ixdm.ch
CCWI2017: F109 'Feasibility Study on Water Temperature and Pressure Sensing based on Wireless Passive SAW Technology'
Creators: name: Zhaozhao Tang
name: Wenyan Wu
name: Jinliang Gao
Publisher: name: The University of Sheffield
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 90599 Civil Engineering not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Civil engineering

description: The conventional methods in monitoring water distribution system require batteries as power supply for sensor nodes. These methods are unreliable because the risk of damaging batteries is high especially in harsh environment. Wireless passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors do not need direct power supply like batteries for the sensor nodes. In this research, a feasibility study on water temperature and pressure sensing by using wireless passive SAW technology was undertaken. A wireless passive SAW temperature and pressure delay line sensor was adapted in a designed framework which can simulate water temperature and pressure changes in the pipeline. The experimental results show that wireless passive SAW sensor worked properly in this designed framework. There is only slight attenuation on response signals in the framework compared to the open-air environment. The related phase delays of the response signals depend linearly on the temperature (pressure) when the pressure (temperature) keeps constant, which meet the theoretical analysis of the sensor node design.
Microbubbles in vascular imaging
Creators: name: Dharmarajah, Brahman
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2017

description: Ultrasound is integral in diagnostic imaging of vascular disease. It is a common first line imaging modality in the detection of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and carotid atherosclerosis. The therapeutic use of ultrasound in vascular disease is also clinically established through ultrasound thrombolysis for acute DVT. Contrast agents are widely used in other imaging modalities, however, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using microbubbles remains a largely specialist clinical investigation with truly established roles in hepatic imaging only. Aim The aim of this thesis was to investigate diagnostic and therapeutic roles of CEUS in vascular disease. Diagnostically, carotid plaque characteristics were evaluated for stroke risk stratification in patients with carotid atherosclerosis. Therapeutically, microbubble augmented ultrasound thrombolysis was investigated in-vitro as a novel technique for acute thrombus removal in the prevention of post thrombotic syndrome. Methods A validated in-vitro flow model of DVT was adapted and developed for a formal feasibility study of microbubble augmented ultrasound thrombolysis. Two cross sectional studies of patients with 50-99% carotid stenosis were performed assessing firstly, plaque ulceration and secondly plaque perfusion using CEUS. Results Using commercially available microbubbles and ultrasound platform, significantly improved thrombus dissolution was demonstrated using CEUS over ultrasound alone in the in-vitro flow model of acute DVT. In particular, increased destruction of the thrombus fibrin mesh network was observed. CEUS demonstrated greater sensitivity than carotid duplex in the detection of carotid plaque ulceration with a trend toward symptomatic carotid plaques. A reduced plaque perfusion detected by both semi-qualitative and quantitative analysis was associated with a symptomatic status in patients with a 50-99% stenosis. Conclusion CEUS is a viable adjunct to vascular imaging with ultrasound. Microbubble augmented ultrasound thrombolysis is a feasible, non-invasive, non-irradiating intervention which warrants further investigation in-vivo. Carotid plaque CEUS may contribute to future scoring systems in stroke risk stratification but requires prospective validation.
CCWI2017: F94 'Valve Status Verification and Sensor Error Detection via Causal Inference from Sensor Data'
Creators: name: Vries, Dirk
name: Summeren, Joost Van
Publisher: name: The University of Sheffield
Year: 2017
Subjects: subject: 90599 Civil Engineering not elsewhere classified
subject: FOS: Civil engineering

description: Recent developments in (near) real-time sensor applications have the potential to provide operators and managers with useful information on drinking water distribution supply and need of its maintenance. A systematic methodology based on causal inference from observational data is proposed to increase knowledge of water supply distribution systems equipped with sensor networks. This methodology can be used to help identify deviations from expected operation of water supply and sensor infrastructure, using only observational data. We outline the first steps of two distinct procedures that use data from a sensor network, to infer a map of a causal dependence structure. These procedures are applied to scenario studies where an unexpected change in operation occurs, i.e. a valve status is different and a sensor bias is introduced. A draft outline of future steps is given that could improve and validate the methodology.
Physical activity, apolipoprotein-ɛ4 and cognition among cognitively healthy older adults: a longitudinal study
Creators: name: Robb, Catherine
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2019

description: Introduction: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is fast becoming a public health priority. In the absence of effective drug treatment, the focus has shifted towards lifestyle change for prevention. Physical activity (PA) engagement is consistently associated with preserved cognition and lower risk of cognitive decline among older adults. Whether PA mitigates enhanced risk for dementia via APOEɛ4 allele carriage, demographic and/or biomarker risk factors is less understood. This thesis aimed to evaluate the longitudinal relationship between PA and cognition among cognitively healthy older adults, alongside the role of other demographic, genetic and peripheral biomarkers. Methods: Data of 901 cognitively healthy older adults (60-85 years; mean age = 68.7 ± 3.9) collected as part of a prospective observational cohort study, CHARIOT: PRO, were utilised. The mean follow-up period was 18.5 months (SD 1.7), ranging from baseline to 30-months. Mixed-models regression methods were used to analyse the associations between PA and cognition over time, including effect modification by APOEɛ4 carrier status, age, and sex. Moderation and mediation by peripheral amyloid-beta and brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) were explored. All analyses were controlled for a priori selected health and demographic factors. Results: Being physically active was positively associated with longitudinal cognitive performance, with the largest effect sizes among those reporting high PA in both mid- and late-life. The positive association between late-life PA and delayed memory trajectories were augmented among APOEɛ4 carriers, when compared to non-carriers. Conversely, APOEɛ4 stratified analysis found associations to be consistently augmented among APOEɛ4 non-carriers for remaining domains. Age and sex did not significantly modify the association between PA and cognition. BDNF was not associated with PA or cognition, nor modified by APOEɛ4 carrier status. There was an inverse association between amyloid-beta plasma levels and global cognition and attention index scores, which were modified by late-life PA, especially among APOEɛ4 non-carriers. Conclusion: This thesis highlights the benefits of PA in mitigating cognitive decline in older age, especially among certain risk groups. Elucidating the complex interrelations between modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for AD will aid in promoting lifestyle intervention as a viable preventative strategy for public health recommendations.
Gonadotropin and kisspeptin receptor function in granulosa cells from women with and without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Creators: name: Owens, Lisa
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2019

description: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common, complex and heterogenous condition which affects 8-13% of women. The underlying aetiology is poorly understood and evidence suggests that it is multigenic disorder with strong epigenetic and environmental influences. Recent genome wide association studies have found hits close to loci encoding FSHR and LHCGR, implicating gonadotropin receptor action in the pathogenesis of the condition. I therefore studied the actions of the gonadotropin receptors in granulosa lutein cells (GLCs) from women with and without PCOS. I also studied the actions of receptors which have been shown to affect ovarian gonadotropin action, the androgen and kisspeptin receptors. Lastly, I examined gene expression of gonadotropin receptors, steroid enzymes and growth factors in granulosa cells (GCs) from small antral follicles from women with and without polycystic ovaries (PCO). Gonadotropin receptors are dependent on internalisation for the majority of gonadotropin receptor Gαs signal generation and LHR Gαs-cAMP signalling is enhanced in PCOS GLCs. This may be related to enhanced internalisation and trafficking of LHR to the very early endosome, as βarrestin-1 and GIPC expression are augmented. In PCOS LHR displays signal bias of Gαs over Gαq/11 but no difference in ERK signalling. Downstream there is augmented activation of cellular phosphoproteins and upregulation of LHR, but no difference in progesterone output into culture media. FSHR signalling is similar in control and PCOS GLCs but downstream phosphoprotein activation differs. In vitro androgen treatment enhances LH induced cAMP and ERK signalling. In vitro kisspeptin treatment activates kisspeptin receptor Gαq/11 and ERK signalling but does not contribute to steroidogenesis. In vivo kisspeptin given as an IVF maturation trigger in women with PCOS augments gonadotropin receptor and steroid enzyme gene expression. GCs from women with PCO display higher LHCGR in certain follicles, with higher steroid enzyme expression and lower FSHR and androgen receptor expression. In conclusion, GCs and GLCs from women with PCOS display distinct gonadotropin receptor signalling and regulation.
Putting the patient in patient safety: qualitative exploration and co-design of a new paradigm
Creators: name: Barrow, Emily
Publisher: name: Imperial College London
Year: 2018

description: There has been increasing interest in involving patients in patient safety. Whilst interventions have been introduced to support this, there are still barriers to patient involvement. Currently, there is a focus upon the clinical risk paradigm, where policymakers, academics and healthcare professionals define patient safety; however, evidence suggests that patients and healthcare professionals may conceptualise patient safety differently. This means that patient safety, as it is currently defined, may not be meaningful or accessible to patients. It is therefore necessary to understand, value and incorporate the patient perspective to support genuine patient involvement. This thesis aims to explore and compare different stakeholder perspectives of patient safety using qualitative methods, and reconcile these in a new patient safety paradigm. Chapter 1 provides the background to patient safety and patient involvement, and addresses the rationale for the thesis. Chapter 2 details the qualitative methods to be used in this research. Chapter 3 presents a systematic review using meta-study methodology to synthesise the current qualitative evidence that explores patient and healthcare professional perceptions of patient safety. Chapters 4 and 5 use constructivist grounded theory to explore patient and healthcare professional perceptions of patient safety within acute medicine for the elderly, elective surgery and maternity, and develop explanatory theory for their conceptualisations of patient safety. Additionally, these chapters allow a comparison of healthcare professional and patient conceptualisations, as well as comparison to existing definitions and models for patient safety. Chapter 6 presents the results of a co-design workshop involving patients and healthcare professionals in elective surgery; this utilises the qualitative findings of the thesis to develop a practical product that, if implemented, will broaden the current patient safety paradigm by identifying, understanding and using the patient perspective. Finally, Chapter 7 discusses the implications of this research for patient safety policy and practice.