As the potential of applying machine learning techniques to perplexing problems is realised, increasingly complex problems are being tackled, requiring intricate explanations to be induced. Escher is a func tional logic language whose higher-order constructs allow arbitrarily complex observations to be captured and highly expressive generalisations to be conveyed. The work presented in this thesis alleviates the challenging problem of identifying an underlying structure normally required to search the resulting hypothesis space efficiently. This is achieved through STEPS, an evolutionary based system that allows the vast space of highly expressive Escher programs to be explored. STEPS provides a natural upgrade of the evolution of concept descriptions to the higher-order level. In particular STEPS uses the individual-as-terms approach to knowledge representation where all the information provided by an example is localised as a single closed term so that examples of arbitrary complexity can be treated in a uniform manner. STEPS also supports ?-abstractions as arguments to higher-order functions thus enabling the invention of new functions not contained in the original alphabet. Finally, STEPS provides a number of specialised genetic operators for the design of specific concept learning strategies. STEPS has been successfully applied to a number of complex real world problems, including the international PTE2 challenge. This problem involves the prediction of the Carcinogenic activity of a test set of 30 chemical compounds. The results produced by STEPS rank joint second if the hypothesis must be interpretable and joint first if interpretability is sacrificed for increased accuracy.

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Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) is the world’s largest and most recognisable recovery ‘program’, and central to its philosophy is the 12 Step Program. AA is a global organisation of 2.2 million members worldwide (AAWS, 2001), with a reported 3,600 weekly meetings in the United Kingdom (AAWS, 2011). AA has made many claims in their literature about the program’s effectiveness (AAWS, 2001: 84). Alcoholism is associated with a number of very serious health and social problems, including involvement in crime (Finney 2004; Fitzpatrick, 2010; Alcohol Reduction Strategy 2003). As fiscal pressure mounts, groups such as AA will be of interest to policy makers. Through an analysis of interviews with twenty long-term abstinent members of Alcoholics Anonymous, the thesis seeks to explain the effects of participation in AA’s therapeutic practices. Evidence from the literature on AA, revealed three concepts key to understanding participation in AA: Motivation to Engage (MtE), Structured Social Engagement (SSE), and Personal Agency (PA). A hypothetical model of AA-mediated behavioural change, constituted by these elements, was constructed and the findings supported this putative model. Further analysis revealed the coping strategies members of AA employed that ensured engagement with AA during stressful life events that threatened abstinence. The model was adapted to incorporate the temporal effects of long-term engagement with AA. Elements of Maruna’s (2001: 73) Condemnation Script resonated in the narratives of AA members. Contra Maruna’s analysis, AA members accepted ‘condemnation script’, but these were not negative, limiting beliefs. AA’s therapeutic practices structure, a coherent sense of self, one that supports cessation from negative patterns of drinking. The data exposed the sustained usage of AA’s discourse in the narrative accounts given. This finding extends Borkman’s (1976) Experiential Knowledge thesis, a language of ‘truth’ based on personal experience. The ‘linguistic echoes’ embedded in each narrative, suggests that a person uses AA’s discourse to ‘scaffold’ their recovery. This thesis provides an explanation of AA’s therapeutic practices of how adherence to AA’s principles, cognitively restructures the individual towards mastering self-control. AA’s philosophy and the following empirical evidence asserts abstinence as pre-requisite for recovery from alcohol dependence.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of leisure-based screen time on physical activity. Ninety-four families participated in this six-week study. Each family was randomly assigned to one of three screen time groups: (1) control group (2) 2-hour-limit group or (3) one-hour-limit group. Family members wore a Walk4Life LS 2505® pedometer to measure steps. Daily screen time logs were filled out each night and leisure-based screen time and steps were recorded. Analysis of variance (steps x group) was used to determine differences among the groups. Univariate tests showed there were no significant differences among any of the adult groups (F (2,101) = 1.02, p =.361). Similar to the adults, univariate tests in the 13 to 18-year-olds indicated there were no significant differences among any of the groups (F (2 ,62) = 368, p =.694). In the 5 to 12-year-olds, univariate tests determined significant group differences (F (2,164) = 3.35, p =.037). Estimated marginal mean differences indicated a significant difference between the control and 2-hour-limit groups (p =.011). In looking at all the children, males averaged more steps per day than females, and all groups in the 5 to 12-year-olds averaged more steps compared to the 13 to 18-year-olds (10,828 vs. 9,875 steps each day). The 5 to 12-year-olds in the 2-hour-limit and control groups viewed 72 minutes and 114 minutes of screen time each day, respectively. In conclusion, engaging in about 42 minutes less of screen time each day may increase physical activity by ~1,300 more steps each day.

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder that is characterised by akinesia, muscular rigidity, and postural instability, due primarily to the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and depletion of upstream dopamine in the striatum. Current dopaminergic treatments reduce motor symptoms, but have diminishing benefits as the disease progresses. Treatment with the neuroactive steroid natural progesterone (PROG) improves outcomes in many experimental models of brain injury due to its pleiotropic mechanisms of neuroprotection, many of which may also benefit PD. This thesis investigated the influence of PROG on motor impairments in the unilateral intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesion model of PD in rats. We established a PD-like impairment with a d-amphetamine induced rotation test at day 7 after large lesions and then administered PROG (4 mg/kg or 8 mg/kg) once daily for 7 days starting at day 8. Both PROG doses markedly improved the primary outcome measure, forelimb akinesia on the adjusting steps test, with improvement sustained for six weeks after treatment had stopped. In a second study the beneficial influence of PROG (8 mg/kg) on akinesia was replicated for rats with large lesions and was extended to rats with small lesions so that the latter rats were now similar to sham operated controls. We also found that PROG modestly improved postural instability of the ipsilateral forelimb on the postural instability test, and sensorimotor integration on the whisker test, but did not improve skilled reaching accuracy on a single-pellet reaching task, forelimb use asymmetry on the cylinder test, sensory neglect on the corridor test, or rotation bias after apomorphine. Furthermore, PROG did not change striatal tyrosine hydroxylase density when assessed in rats with large lesions. This study has provided the most thorough examination to date regarding PROG’s influence on motor skills in an animal model of PD. Furthermore, this study has produced novel evidence of the beneficial effects of PROG treatment on forelimb akinesia. These initial promising findings suggest that PROG is an effective therapy for akinesia and thus provides an impetus to further investigate PROG’s efficacy for the treatment of PD.

The primary aim of this dissertation is to examine the hermeneutical foundation, the biblical basis, the historical principle, and then to formulate a four-bridge application paradigm based on four distinguished processes--exegetical, doctrinal, homiletical, and transformational--aiming at transforming the lives of listeners for the glory of God. Chapter 1 analyzes the indispensability of a well-balanced hermeneutical application paradigm by arguing the relationship between hermeneutics and application, by reexamining application paradigms and bridge-building models, and by refocusing the four bridge paradigm. Chapter 2 examines the sermons of biblical prototypes--Moses, Ezra, the Minor Prophets, and Paul--and their features of application paradigms by means of a paradigmatic analyses rather than an exhaustive one. This chapter thoroughly explores Paul's sermons in his epistles, his preaching in Acts, and his hermeneutical bridge-building paradigm. The essential characteristics of these biblical models lead to a four-bridge life-changing application paradigm. Chapter 3 investigates four exemplary historical models--John Chrysostom, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, and John Broadus--and examines their illustrative sermons to identify their indispensable principles of application paradigms and to apply these historical facets for formulating a contemporized application paradigm. Four models provide a historical validation to formulate a legitimate life-changing application paradigm. Chapter 4 proposes a four-bridge application paradigm rooted in hermeneutical, biblical prototypes and historical models. The chapter systemizes (1) an exegetical bridge for discerning the aim of author-intended signification and the criteria for transferring universal principles of application (2) a doctrinal bridge for examining seven master keys to unlock the universal principles of ethical application, (3) a homiletical bridge for identifying a variety of relevance categories, legitimate methodologies of audience exegesis and adaptation, and an appropriate degree of transfer, and (4) a Spirit-led transformational bridge that is legitimate to change the lives of listeners. Chapter 5 concludes that contemporary preachers, as bridge-builders, need to seek a life-transforming application paradigm by utilizing the exegetical bridge, the doctrinal bridge, the homiletical bridge and the Spirit-led transformational bridge.

Background and Objectives: Tennessee has low breastfeeding rates and has identified opportunities for improvement to enhance maternity practices to support breastfeeding mothers. We sought a 10% relative increase in the aggregate Joint Commission measure of breastfeeding exclusivity at discharge (TJC PC-05) by focusing on high-reliability (≥90%) implementation of processes that promote breastfeeding in the delivery setting. Methods: A statewide, multidisciplinary development team reviewed evidence from the WHO-UNICEF “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” to create a consensus toolkit of process indicators aligned with the Ten Steps. Hospitals submitted monthly TJC PC-05 data for 6 months while studying local implementation of the Ten Steps to identify improvement opportunities, and for an additional 11 months while conducting tests of change to improve Ten Steps implementation using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, local process audits, and control charts. Data were aggregated at the state level and presented at 12 monthly webinars, 3 regional learning sessions, and 1 statewide meeting where teams shared their local data and implementation experiences. Results: Thirteen hospitals accounting for 47% of live births in Tennessee submitted data on 31,183 mother–infant dyads from August 1, 2012, to December 31, 2013. Aggregate monthly mean PC-05 demonstrated “special cause” improvement increasing from 37.1% to 41.2%, an 11.1% relative increase. Five hospitals reported implementation of ≥5 of the Ten Steps and two hospitals reported ≥90% reliability on ≥5 of the Ten Steps using locally designed process audits. Conclusion: Using large-scale improvement methodology, a successful statewide collaborative led to >10% relative increase in breastfeeding exclusivity at discharge in participating Tennessee hospitals. Further opportunities for improvement in implementing breastfeeding supportive practices were identified.

Objective: Pedometer programs are effective in increasing physical activity in sedentary individuals, a population that is at an increased for developing metabolic syndrome and each of its individual components. The aim of this study was to observe the effects of incremental increases in pedometer assessed physical activity on MetS components in sedentary overweight women. Design: This study was a longitudinal, quasi-experimental design. Participants were recruited from a 12-week work-site pedometer program and grouped after the intervention based on their self-paced increases in pedometer assessed physical activity with (a) active participants that increased their daily activity by mean volume >3000 steps/day or (b) participants who remained sedentary. Subjects: A multi-ethnic heterogeneous sample of seventy-seven sedentary middle-aged women (BMI: 30.15 plus or minus 5.24 kg/m2, age: 46.00 plus or minus 9.93 years). Measurements: Self-reported physical activity, pedometer assessed physical activity (steps/day), body mass index, resting heart rate, waist circumference, blood pressure, triglycerides, HDL-C and fasting glucose at baseline and after the 12-week program. Results: The active group showed significant within-group improvements (P less than or equal to .01) in waist circumference and fasting glucose. Significant between group changes were observed in resting heart rate (P less than or equal to .01), weight (P less than or equal to .01), BMI (P less than or equal to .01), and systolic blood pressure (P less than or equal to .001); however, the changes observed in systolic blood pressure were not independent of weight loss. Conclusions: Our study showed that incremental increases in steps/day over 12 weeks is effective in inducing mild, but favorable changes in some MetS components. This data suggests that this approach to increasing step/day is a viable starting point for sedentary individuals that may find it difficult to initially accumulate 10,000 steps/day.

Followinf the year of 1991, with the extensive application in the military field of new and high technology, focusing on information technology, it is a common choice for main countries in the world to build an Informationization army to promote the ability to win an information war in the future. Military information construction has already become the focus topic of military theory innovation and military practice and also an important observation indicator to assess national defense construction and military strength development all over the world. Under this background, Jiang Zemin proposed a national defence and military modernization cross-centennial ¡§three step¡¨ development strategy to promote military information construction in an all-round way and hope to build up an information-based army in 2050. The construction achievement of the first step strategy from 1991 to 2010 is a key factor to the success or failure of PLA building up an Informationization army in 2050. The main study focus and range of this dissertation is PRC's first step national defence and military modernization construction based on cross-centennial ¡§three steps¡¨ development strategy. By studying military thinking logic and law building, including fighting, building, training, we are going to observe and understand the military information construction outcome from 1991 to 2010 of PRC and assess and analyze the prospect of PLA military information construction, the domestic and foreign challenge that they may face, and its impacts on surrounding countries.