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No / This study sought to investigate the characteristics of 'nearby' leaders by eliciting the constructs of male and female top, senior, and middle-level managers and professionals working in organizations in two large UK public sectors (local government and the National Health Service). An instrument, the Transformational Leadership Questionnaire (TLQ-LGV), was developed and piloted on a national sample of 1464 managers working for local government organizations. Analysis of the data, presented here, revealed the existence of nine highly robust scales with high reliabilities (.85) and with convergent validity (range r = .46 to .85). These findings are discussed, together with suggestions for subsequent research.

Recall that a Banach space X has the Dunford-Pettis property if every weakly compact operator defined on X takes weakly compact sets into norm compact sets. Some valuable characterisations of Banach spaces with the Dunford-Pettis property are: X has the DPP if and only if for all Banach spaces Y, every weakly compact operator from X to Y sends weakly convergent sequences onto norm convergent sequences (i.e. it requires that weakly compact operators on X are completely continuous) and this is equivalent to “if (xn) and (x*n) are sequences in X and X* respectively and limn xn = 0 weakly and limn x*n = 0 weakly then limn x*n xn = 0". A striking application of the Dunford-Pettis property (as was observed by Grothendieck) is to prove that if X is a linear subspace of L() for some finite measure  and X is closed in some Lp() for 1 ≤ p < , then X is finite dimensional. The fact that the well known spaces L1() and C() have this property (as was proved by Dunford and Pettis) was a remarkable achievement in the early history of Banach spaces and was motivated by the study of integral equations and the hope to develop an understanding of linear operators on Lp() for p ≥ 1. In fact, it played an important role in proving that for each weakly compact operator T : L1()  L1() or T : C()  C(), the operator T2 is compact, a fact which is important from the point of view that there is a nice spectral theory for compact operators and operators whose squares are compact. There is an extensive literature involving the Dunford-Pettis property. Almost all the articles and books in our list of references contain some information about this property, but there are plenty more that could have been listed. The reader is for instance referred to [4], [5], [7], [8], [10], [17] and [24] for information on the role of the DPP in different areas of Banach space theory. In this dissertation, however, we are motivated by the two papers [7] and [8] to study alternative Dunford-Pettis properties, to introduce a scale of (new) alternative Dunford-Pettis properties, which we call DP*-properties of order p (briefly denoted by DP*P), and to consider characterisations of Banach spaces with these properties as well as applications thereof to polynomials and holomorphic functions on Banach spaces. In the paper [8] the class Cp(X, Y) of p-convergent operators from a Banach space X to a Banach space Y is introduced. Replacing the requirement that weakly compact operators on X should be completely continuous in the case of the DPP for X (as is mentioned above) by “weakly compact operators on X should be p-convergent", an alternative Dunford-Pettis property (called the Dunford-Pettis property of order p) is introduced. More precisely, if 1 ≤ p ≤ , a Banach space X is said to have DPPp if the inclusion W(X, Y)  Cp(X, Y) holds for all Banach spaces Y . Here W(X, Y) denotes the family of all weakly compact operators from X to Y. We now have a scale of “Dunford-Pettis like properties" in the sense that all Banach spaces have the DPP1, if p < q, then each Banach space with the DPPq also has the DPPp and the strongest property, namely the DPP1 coincides with the DPP. In the paper [7] the authors study a property on Banach spaces (called the DP*-property, or briey the DP*P) which is stronger than the DPP, in the sense that if a Banach space has this property then it also has DPP. We say X has the DP*P, when all weakly compact sets in X are limited, i.e. each sequence (x*n)  X * in the dual space of X which converges weak* to 0, also converges uniformly (to 0) on all weakly compact sets in X. It turns out that this property is equivalent to another property on Banach spaces which is introduced in [17] (and which is called the *-Dunford-Pettis property) as follows: We say a Banach space X has the *-Dunford-Pettis property if for all weakly null sequences (xn) in X and all weak* null sequences (x*n) in X*, we have x*n(xn) n 0. After a thorough study of the DP*P, including characterisations and examples of Banach spaces with the DP*P, the authors in [7] consider some applications to polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces. Following an extensive literature study and in depth research into the techniques of proof relevant to this research field, we are able to present a thorough discussion of the results in [7] and [8] as well as some selected (relevant) results from other papers (for instance, [2] and [17]). This we do in Chapter 2 of the dissertation. The starting point (in Section 2.1 of Chapter 2) is the introduction of the so called p-convergent operators, being those bounded linear operators T : X  Y which transform weakly p-summable sequences into norm-null sequences, as well as the so called weakly p-convergent sequences in Banach spaces, being those sequences (xn) in a Banach space X for which there exists an x  X such that the sequence (xn - x) is weakly p-summable. Using these concepts, we state and prove an important characterisation (from the paper [8]) of Banach spaces with DPPp. In Section 2.2 (of Chapter 2) we continue to report on the results of the paper [7], where the DP*P on Banach spaces is introduced. We focus on the characterisation of Banach spaces with DP*P, obtaining among others that a Banach space X has DP*P if and only if for all weakly null sequences (xn) in X and all weak* null sequences (x*n) in X*, we have x*n(xn) n 0. An important characterisation of the DP*P considered in this section is the fact that X has DP*P if and only if every T  L(X, c0) is completely continuous. This result proves to be of fundamental importance in the study of the DP*P and its application to results on polynomials and holomorphic functions on Banach spaces. To be able to report on the applications of the DP*P in the context of homogeneous polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces, we embark on a study of “Complex Analysis in Banach spaces" (mostly with the focus on homogeneous polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces). This we do in Chapter 3; the content of the chapter is mostly based on work in the books [23] and [14], but also on the work in some articles such as [15]. After we have discussed the relevant theory of complex analysis in Banach spaces in Chapter 3, we devote Chapter 4 to considering properties of polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces with DP*P. The discussion in Chapter 4 is based on the applications of DP*P in the paper [7]. Finally, in Chapter 5 of the dissertation, we contribute to the study of “Dunford-Pettis like properties" by introducing the Banach space property “DP*P of order p", or briefly the DP*Pp for Banach spaces. Using the concept “weakly p-convergent sequence in Banach spaces" as is defined in [8], we define weakly-p-compact sets in Banach spaces. Then a Banach space X is said to have the DP*-property of order p (for 1 ≤ p ≤ ) if all weakly-p-compact sets in X are limited. In short, we say X has DP*Pp. As in [8] (where the DPPp is introduced), we now have a scale of DP*P-like properties, in the sense that all Banach spaces have DP*P1 and if p < q and X has DP*Pq then it has DP*Pp. The strongest property DP*P coincides with DP*P. We prove characterisations of Banach spaces with DP*Pp, discuss some examples and then consider applications to polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces. Our results and techniques in this chapter depend very much on the results obtained in the previous three chapters, but now we have to find our own correct definitions and formulations of results within this new context. We do this with some success in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of Chapter 5. Chapter 1 of this dissertation provides a wide range of concepts and results in Banach spaces and the theory of vector sequence spaces (some of them very deep results from books listed in the bibliography). These results are mostly well known, but they are scattered in the literature - they are discussed in Chapter 1 (some with proof, others without proof, depending on the importance of the arguments in the proofs for later use and depending on the detail with which the results are discussed elsewhere in the literature) with the intention to provide an exposition which is mostly self contained and which will be comfortably accessible for graduate students. The dissertation reflects the outcome of our investigation in which we set ourselves the following goals: 1. Obtain a thorough understanding of the Dunford-Pettis property and some related (both weaker and stronger) properties that have been studied in the literature. 2. Focusing on the work in the paper [8], understand the role played in the study of difierent classes of operators by a scale of properties on Banach spaces, called the DPPp, which are weaker than the DP-property and which are introduced in [8] by using the weakly p-summable sequences in X and weakly null sequences in X*. 3. Focusing on the work in the paper [7], investigate the DP*P for Banach spaces, which is the exact property to answer a question of Pelczynsky's regarding when every symmetric bilinear separately compact map X x X  c0 is completely continuous. 4. Based on the ideas intertwined in the work of the paper [8] in the study of a scale of DP-properties and the work in the paper [7], introduce the DP*Pp on Banach spaces and investigate their applications to spaces of operators and in the theory of polynomials and analytic mappings on Banach spaces. Thereby, not only extending the results in [7] to a larger family of Banach spaces, but also to find an answer to the question: “When will every symmetric bilinear separately compact map X x X  c0 be p-convergent?" / Thesis (M.Sc. (Mathematics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Recall that a Banach space X has the Dunford-Pettis property if every weakly compact operator defined on X takes weakly compact sets into norm compact sets. Some valuable characterisations of Banach spaces with the Dunford-Pettis property are: X has the DPP if and only if for all Banach spaces Y, every weakly compact operator from X to Y sends weakly convergent sequences onto norm convergent sequences (i.e. it requires that weakly compact operators on X are completely continuous) and this is equivalent to “if (xn) and (x*n) are sequences in X and X* respectively and limn xn = 0 weakly and limn x*n = 0 weakly then limn x*n xn = 0". A striking application of the Dunford-Pettis property (as was observed by Grothendieck) is to prove that if X is a linear subspace of L() for some finite measure  and X is closed in some Lp() for 1 ≤ p < , then X is finite dimensional. The fact that the well known spaces L1() and C() have this property (as was proved by Dunford and Pettis) was a remarkable achievement in the early history of Banach spaces and was motivated by the study of integral equations and the hope to develop an understanding of linear operators on Lp() for p ≥ 1. In fact, it played an important role in proving that for each weakly compact operator T : L1()  L1() or T : C()  C(), the operator T2 is compact, a fact which is important from the point of view that there is a nice spectral theory for compact operators and operators whose squares are compact. There is an extensive literature involving the Dunford-Pettis property. Almost all the articles and books in our list of references contain some information about this property, but there are plenty more that could have been listed. The reader is for instance referred to [4], [5], [7], [8], [10], [17] and [24] for information on the role of the DPP in different areas of Banach space theory. In this dissertation, however, we are motivated by the two papers [7] and [8] to study alternative Dunford-Pettis properties, to introduce a scale of (new) alternative Dunford-Pettis properties, which we call DP*-properties of order p (briefly denoted by DP*P), and to consider characterisations of Banach spaces with these properties as well as applications thereof to polynomials and holomorphic functions on Banach spaces. In the paper [8] the class Cp(X, Y) of p-convergent operators from a Banach space X to a Banach space Y is introduced. Replacing the requirement that weakly compact operators on X should be completely continuous in the case of the DPP for X (as is mentioned above) by “weakly compact operators on X should be p-convergent", an alternative Dunford-Pettis property (called the Dunford-Pettis property of order p) is introduced. More precisely, if 1 ≤ p ≤ , a Banach space X is said to have DPPp if the inclusion W(X, Y)  Cp(X, Y) holds for all Banach spaces Y . Here W(X, Y) denotes the family of all weakly compact operators from X to Y. We now have a scale of “Dunford-Pettis like properties" in the sense that all Banach spaces have the DPP1, if p < q, then each Banach space with the DPPq also has the DPPp and the strongest property, namely the DPP1 coincides with the DPP. In the paper [7] the authors study a property on Banach spaces (called the DP*-property, or briey the DP*P) which is stronger than the DPP, in the sense that if a Banach space has this property then it also has DPP. We say X has the DP*P, when all weakly compact sets in X are limited, i.e. each sequence (x*n)  X * in the dual space of X which converges weak* to 0, also converges uniformly (to 0) on all weakly compact sets in X. It turns out that this property is equivalent to another property on Banach spaces which is introduced in [17] (and which is called the *-Dunford-Pettis property) as follows: We say a Banach space X has the *-Dunford-Pettis property if for all weakly null sequences (xn) in X and all weak* null sequences (x*n) in X*, we have x*n(xn) n 0. After a thorough study of the DP*P, including characterisations and examples of Banach spaces with the DP*P, the authors in [7] consider some applications to polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces. Following an extensive literature study and in depth research into the techniques of proof relevant to this research field, we are able to present a thorough discussion of the results in [7] and [8] as well as some selected (relevant) results from other papers (for instance, [2] and [17]). This we do in Chapter 2 of the dissertation. The starting point (in Section 2.1 of Chapter 2) is the introduction of the so called p-convergent operators, being those bounded linear operators T : X  Y which transform weakly p-summable sequences into norm-null sequences, as well as the so called weakly p-convergent sequences in Banach spaces, being those sequences (xn) in a Banach space X for which there exists an x  X such that the sequence (xn - x) is weakly p-summable. Using these concepts, we state and prove an important characterisation (from the paper [8]) of Banach spaces with DPPp. In Section 2.2 (of Chapter 2) we continue to report on the results of the paper [7], where the DP*P on Banach spaces is introduced. We focus on the characterisation of Banach spaces with DP*P, obtaining among others that a Banach space X has DP*P if and only if for all weakly null sequences (xn) in X and all weak* null sequences (x*n) in X*, we have x*n(xn) n 0. An important characterisation of the DP*P considered in this section is the fact that X has DP*P if and only if every T  L(X, c0) is completely continuous. This result proves to be of fundamental importance in the study of the DP*P and its application to results on polynomials and holomorphic functions on Banach spaces. To be able to report on the applications of the DP*P in the context of homogeneous polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces, we embark on a study of “Complex Analysis in Banach spaces" (mostly with the focus on homogeneous polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces). This we do in Chapter 3; the content of the chapter is mostly based on work in the books [23] and [14], but also on the work in some articles such as [15]. After we have discussed the relevant theory of complex analysis in Banach spaces in Chapter 3, we devote Chapter 4 to considering properties of polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces with DP*P. The discussion in Chapter 4 is based on the applications of DP*P in the paper [7]. Finally, in Chapter 5 of the dissertation, we contribute to the study of “Dunford-Pettis like properties" by introducing the Banach space property “DP*P of order p", or briefly the DP*Pp for Banach spaces. Using the concept “weakly p-convergent sequence in Banach spaces" as is defined in [8], we define weakly-p-compact sets in Banach spaces. Then a Banach space X is said to have the DP*-property of order p (for 1 ≤ p ≤ ) if all weakly-p-compact sets in X are limited. In short, we say X has DP*Pp. As in [8] (where the DPPp is introduced), we now have a scale of DP*P-like properties, in the sense that all Banach spaces have DP*P1 and if p < q and X has DP*Pq then it has DP*Pp. The strongest property DP*P coincides with DP*P. We prove characterisations of Banach spaces with DP*Pp, discuss some examples and then consider applications to polynomials and analytic functions on Banach spaces. Our results and techniques in this chapter depend very much on the results obtained in the previous three chapters, but now we have to find our own correct definitions and formulations of results within this new context. We do this with some success in Sections 5.1 and 5.2 of Chapter 5. Chapter 1 of this dissertation provides a wide range of concepts and results in Banach spaces and the theory of vector sequence spaces (some of them very deep results from books listed in the bibliography). These results are mostly well known, but they are scattered in the literature - they are discussed in Chapter 1 (some with proof, others without proof, depending on the importance of the arguments in the proofs for later use and depending on the detail with which the results are discussed elsewhere in the literature) with the intention to provide an exposition which is mostly self contained and which will be comfortably accessible for graduate students. The dissertation reflects the outcome of our investigation in which we set ourselves the following goals: 1. Obtain a thorough understanding of the Dunford-Pettis property and some related (both weaker and stronger) properties that have been studied in the literature. 2. Focusing on the work in the paper [8], understand the role played in the study of difierent classes of operators by a scale of properties on Banach spaces, called the DPPp, which are weaker than the DP-property and which are introduced in [8] by using the weakly p-summable sequences in X and weakly null sequences in X*. 3. Focusing on the work in the paper [7], investigate the DP*P for Banach spaces, which is the exact property to answer a question of Pelczynsky's regarding when every symmetric bilinear separately compact map X x X  c0 is completely continuous. 4. Based on the ideas intertwined in the work of the paper [8] in the study of a scale of DP-properties and the work in the paper [7], introduce the DP*Pp on Banach spaces and investigate their applications to spaces of operators and in the theory of polynomials and analytic mappings on Banach spaces. Thereby, not only extending the results in [7] to a larger family of Banach spaces, but also to find an answer to the question: “When will every symmetric bilinear separately compact map X x X  c0 be p-convergent?" / Thesis (M.Sc. (Mathematics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Stigmatized obese individuals tend to internalize the pervasive weight stigma which might lead to self-discrimination and increased psychopathology. While explicit and implicit weight stigma can be measured using self-report questionnaires and Implicit Association Tests (IAT), respectively, the assessment of self-discrimination relied solely on self-report. The present study sought to develop an IAT measuring implicit self-discrimination (SD-IAT) in samples of obese individuals with and without binge-eating disorder (BED). Seventy-eight individuals were recruited from the community and individually matched in three groups. Obese participants with BED, obese participants without BED (OB), and a normal weight control group without eating disorder psychopathology (HC) were assessed with the SD-IAT and other measures relevant for convergent and discriminant validation. Results revealed significantly higher implicit self-discrimination in the BED group when compared to both OB and HC. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between the SD-IAT with body mass index, experiences of weight stigma, depressive symptoms, and implicit self-esteem. Finally, implicit self-discrimination predicted eating disorder psychopathology over and above group membership, and experiences of weight stigma. This study provides first evidence of the validity of the SD-IAT. Assessing implicit self-discrimination might further increase understanding of weight stigma and its significance for psychosocial functioning among vulnerable obese individuals.

La voie de la polarité planaire cellulaire (PCP), aussi connue sous le nom de la voie non-canonique du Frizzled/Dishevelled, contrôle le processus morphogénétique de l'extension convergente (CE) qui est essentiel pour la gastrulation et la formation du tube neural pendant l'embryogenèse. La signalisation du PCP a été récemment associée avec des anomalies du tube neural (ATN) dans des modèles animaux et chez l'humain. Prickle1 est une protéine centrale de la voie PCP, exprimée dans la ligne primitive et le mésoderme pendant l'embryogenèse de la souris. La perte ou le gain de fonction de Prickle1 mène à des mouvements de CE fautifs chez le poisson zèbre et la grenouille. PRICKLE1 interagit directement avec deux autres membres de la voie PCP, Dishevelled et Strabismus/Vang. Dans notre étude, nous avons investigué le rôle de PRICKLE1 dans l'étiologie des ATN dans une cohorte de 810 patients par le re-séquençage de son cadre de lecture et des jonctions exon-intron. Le potentiel pathogénique des mutations ainsi identifiées a été évalué par des méthodes bioinformatiques, suivi par une validation fonctionnelle in vivo dans un système poisson zèbre. Nous avons identifié dans notre cohorte un total de 9 nouvelles mutations dont sept: p.Ile69Thr, p.Asn81His, p.Thr275Met, p.Arg682Cys et p.Ser739Phe, p.Val550Met et p.Asp771Asn qui affectent des acides aminés conservés. Ces mutations ont été prédites in silico d’affecter la fonction de la protéine et sont absentes dans une large cohorte de contrôles de même origine ethnique. La co-injection de ces variantes avec le gène prickle1a de type sauvage chez l’embryon de poisson zèbre a démontré qu’une mutation, p.Arg682Cys, modifie dans un sens négatif le phénotype du défaut de la CE produit par pk1 de type sauvage. Notre étude démontre que PK1 peut agir comme facteur prédisposant pour les ATN chez l’humain et élargit encore plus nos connaissances sur le rôle des gènes de la PCP dans la pathogenèse de ces malformations. / The planar cell polarity pathway (PCP) or the non-canonical Frizzled/Dishevelled pathway controls the morphogenetic process of convergent extension (CE) that is essential during embryogenesis for gastrulation and neural tube formation. Recently, PCP signalling was associated with neural tube defects (NTD) in humans and animal models. The core PCP protein, Prickle1, is expressed in the primitive streak and mesoderm during mouse embryogenesis. Both gain and loss of function of Prickle1 cause faulty CE movements in zebrafish and the frog. PRICKLE1 physically interacts with two other core PCP members, Dishevelled and Strabismus/Vang. In the present study we investigated the role of PRICKLE1 in the aetiology of NTDs in a large cohort of 810 patients through resequencing of its open reading frame and exon-intron junctions. The pathogenicity of the identified mutations was assessed through bioinformatics methods followed by a functional validation in a zebrafish system, in vivo. We identified in our cohort a total of nine novel mutations, of which seven affected conserved amino acids: p.Ile69Thr, p.Asn81His, p.Thr275Met, p.Arg682Cys, p.Ser739Phe, p.Val550Met and p.Asp771As. These mutations were predicted to affect the function of the protein in silico and were absent in a large cohort of ethnically-matched controls. Co-injection of these variants with the wild type pk1 in zebrafish oocytes revealed that one mutation, p.Arg682Cys, antagonized the CE phenotype induced by the wild-type zebrafish prickle1a in a dominant fashion. Our study demonstrates that PRICKLE1 can represent a predisposing factor for human NTDs and further expands our knowledge on the role that PCP genes in the pathogenesis of these malformations.

Les anomalies du tube neural (ATN), incluant l'anencéphalie et le spina-bifida, représentent un groupe de malformations congénitales très fréquentes chez l'homme. Ces anomalies sont causées par un défaut partiel ou complet de la fermeture du tube neurale au cours de l'embryogenèse. Les ATN ont une étiologie complexe et multifactorielle impliquant des facteurs environnementaux et génétiques. La voie de signalisation non-canonique du Frizzled (Fz)/Dishevelled (Dvl) contrôle la polarité cellulaire planaire (PCP) et le processus morphogénétique appelé l’extension convergente qui est essentiel pour la gastrulation et la fermeture du tube neural. Très important, des mutations des gènes de cette voie étaient fortement associées aux ATN chez la souris et l’humain. Scribble est un gène de la voie PCP qui cause une sévère ATN chez la souris Circletail. Notre étude vise à analyser le rôle de SCRIBBLE1 dans les ATN humains par des analyses de séquence de son cadre de lecture et ses jonctions exon-introns. Notre étude comporte 396 patients recrutés au Centre Spina Bifida de l’hôpital Gaslini en Gènes, Italie et 83 patients recrutés au Centre Spina Bifida de l’hôpital Sainte Justine. Les patients sont affectés par plusieurs formes d’ATN. Nous avons identifié neuf mutations rares et non synonymes chez 10 patients, p.Asp93Ala (c. 435G>A), p.Gly145Arg (c. 278A>C), p.Gly263Ser (c. 786C>A), p.Gly469Ser (c. 1405G>A), p.Pro649His (c. 1946C>A), p.Gln808His (c. 2424G>T), p.Val1066Met (c. 3196G>A), p.Arg1150Gln (c. 3480G>A) et p.Thr1422Met (c. 4266C>T). Cinque mutations, p.Gly263Ser, p.Pro649His, p.Gln808His, p.Arg1150Gln, p.Thr1422Met, étaient absentes dans les contrôles analysés et prédites d’être pathogéniques in silico. Cette étude montre que des mutations rares dans SCRIB1 pourraient augmenter le risque des ATN dans une fraction des patients. L’identification des gènes prédisposant aux ATN nous aidera à mieux comprendre les mécanismes pathogéniques impliqués dans ces maladies. / Neural tube defects (NTDs), including anencephaly and spina bifida, represent a group of very common birth defects in humans. These anomalies are caused by a partial or complete failure of neural tube closure during embryogenesis. NTDs have a multifactorial etiology involving environmental and genetic factors. The non-canonical signaling pathway Frizzled (Fz) / Dishevelled (Dvl) controls the planar cell polarity (PCP) and the morphogenetic process called convergent extension (CE) which is essential for gastrulation and neural tube closure. Importantly, mutations in genes of this pathway were strongly associated with NTDs in mice and humans. Scribble is a PCP gene that causes a severe NTD mouse Circletail. Scribble binds to another PCP protein, Stbm / Vang, and they cooperate together for the stability of the PCP pathway. Our study aims at investigating the role of SCRIBBLE1 in human NTDs by sequence analyses of its open reading frame and exon-intron junctions. The cohort included in this study consisted of 396 patients recruited at the Spina Bifida Centre of Gaslini Hospital in Genoa, Italy, and 83 patients recruited at the Spina Bifida Center of the Sainte Justine Hospital, Montreal, Canada. Patients were affected by several forms of NTDs. We identified nine non-synonymous and rare mutations in 10 patients: p.Asp93Ala (c. 435G>A), p.Gly145Arg (c. 278A>C), p.Gly263Ser (c. 786C>A), p.Gly469Ser (c. 1405G>A), p.Pro649His (c. 1946C>A), p.Gln808His (c. 2424G>T), p.Val1066Met (c. 3196G>A), p.Arg1150Gln (c. 3480G>A) and p.Thr1422Met (c. 4266C>T). Five of those mutations, p.Gly263Ser, p.Pro649His, p.Gln808His, p.Arg1150Gln, p.Thr1422Met, were absent in all controls analyzed and were predicted to be pathogenic using bioinformatics. Our study demonstrates that rare mutations in SCRIB1 could predispose to NTDs in a fraction of patients. The identification of genes that predispose to ATN will help us better understand the pathogenic mechanisms involved in these diseases.

With creative thinking we can identify general methods of problem solving, look at real life from another point of view. The method of 6 Thinking Hats is one of the creative ways to do so. The aim of this thesis is a complex review of using this method when solving a problem in a group. It tries to show creative thinking by which the group should get a certain outcome in solving the problem. The thesis analyses thoroughly all the parts of the 6 Hats method, and at the same time, it tries to view other perspectives on the workings of the method. A significant part of the thesis is aimed at the instructor, who decides to use this particular method, and his work. It should be an instrument to use for application of the 6 Thinking Hats method on a specific company problem.