The University of Sydney

Faking on Self- and Informant-reports of the Dark Triad of Personality

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Faking on Self- and Informant-reports of the Dark Triad of Personality Walker, Sarah Ann Self-report rating scales are the most commonly used method for obtaining information about an individual’s personality and are used widely. However, prior meta-analytic results demonstrate people can distort (or fake) their responses on Big Five personality scales when instructed to do so. Informant-reports (where a knowledgeable informant rates a target’s personality) are an alternate method and are often used to verify the accuracy of self-reports. As yet, it is unclear whether informants can also fake on personality tests. The purpose of this thesis was to extend prior findings on instructed faking in three ways: 1) examining both self- and informant reports, 2) extending research from the Big Five to the Dark Triad domains and facets, and 3) examining whether item-level social desirability accounts for score changes due to faking. Chapter 1 introduces background theory and research on response distortion and the Dark Triad. Chapter 2 presents a meta-analysis and systematic review (k = 13) summarising mean score changes on Dark Triad domains and facets when people are instructed to ‘fake good’ or ‘fake bad’. Due to a small k, narcissism and Machiavellianism were systematically reviewed. Results indicate substantial mean score changes between the “answer honestly” and “faking” conditions, with larger differences for ‘fake bad’ than ‘fake good’. Chapter 3 consists of two studies. Study 1 (N = 834) examines instructed faking on the Dark Triad in a 2x3 between-person design crossing target (self- versus informant-report) and instructions (answer honestly, fake good, or fake bad). Results demonstrate significant faking good and faking bad, with similar effect sizes for self- and informant-reports. Study 2 obtained expert ratings (N = 9) of social desirability of the Dark Triad items used in Study 1. Results indicated: a) Dark Triad scales were generally socially undesirable, but the desirability differed across facets; and b) the extent of faking could be largely accounted for by item social desirability at both the item and scale level. Implications for the measurement of the Dark Triad, and personality more broadly, are discussed in the closing Chapter (Chapter 4) alongside recommendations for future research.

Molecular genetics of barley (Hordeum vulgare): Leaf rust (Puccinia hordei) interactions

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Molecular genetics of barley (Hordeum vulgare): Leaf rust (Puccinia hordei) interactions Dinh, Xuan Hoan Leaf rust caused by Puccinia hordei is one of the most common and widely distributed rust diseases of barley. Deploying genetic resistance is considered as the most effective and environmentally friendly approach to control this disease. Among 27 designated loci conferring resistance to P. hordei, three genes, namely Rph1, Rph15, and Rph22, have been previously isolated. In this study, the Rph3 gene was isolated using the positional cloning approach. A high-resolution map of the gene constructed using 10,411 F2 plants from six segregating populations delimited the Rph3 locus between two markers covering an interval of 0.024 cM. The physical map revealed that these two closest markers delimited a region of 8.5kb bp in Rph3-carrying cultivars such as cv. Barke and 98kb bp in cultivars lacking Rph3 such as cv. Morex. Two putative genes were determined within the 8.5kb region using FGENESH. The candidate gene for Rph3 was validated by mutational analysis, where four independent point mutations confirmed that ORF2 is Rph3. The resistance gene Rph3 encodes a protein of unknown function that does not belong to any known plant disease resistance protein family. The amino acid sequence showed no sequence homology to any domains/motifs of known function. Predictions using various tools revealed five to seven transmembrane helices in the structure of RPH3. Gene expression was locally induced at the infection site by pathotypes avirulent for Rph3. The current results suggest that the Rph3 gene acts like an executor gene that is regulated by transcriptional activator-like (TAL) effectors. A second study determined that resistance to P. hordei pathotype 5477 P- in the barley line 67:ZBS15 was conferred by two genes interacting in a complementary manner. One of these two genes is Rph3 and the other one was supposed to be Rph5 or an allele of Rph5 or an independent locus in the same genomic region as that of Rph5. Includes published articles

For Trumpet Alone: Australian Unaccompanied Trumpet Music

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

For Trumpet Alone: Australian Unaccompanied Trumpet Music Channon, Harriet Alice This research focuses on the body of unaccompanied trumpet music written by contemporary Australian composers. Australian unaccompanied works were analysed with the objective of identifying and categorizing thematic material and overall influences over the works, focusing on those that relate to the portrayal of Australian musical characteristics as defined after a thorough literature review surrounding the development of Australian music. The characteristics relate to the portrayal of Australian: fauna and flora; landscape and climate; people and culture – both individual and as a whole; a composer’s personal experiences and personality; national psyche; geographical position; geographical ties; history and historical ties; and musical-cultural ties. Analysis focused on pitch, rhythm, intervals, melodic contour, structural influence, programmatic material, and use of silence, followed by, if possible, an interview with the work’s composer. Compositional context and interpretational intent behind the works were discussed. Analysis of works by Alan Holley in particular allowed for the development of a basis for depiction of bird song, bird movement, insect life, landscape, and the influence of Australian people. Other works could be compared in order to find commonalities within the cohort, as well as differences in depiction and interpretation. Some works displayed characteristics unrelated to Australian musical characteristics, rather displaying influences such as unnatural landscapes, the nature and historical context or role of the trumpet, as well as formulaic techniques. Identification of multifarious influences present allowed for development of a possible performance context and interpretational basis for each work. It highlighted different compositional trends within the body of works. These works have in general not been submitted to this type of analysis before and so this information could prove invaluable to performers coming to these works in the future.

Health systems’ ability to deliver maternal health services in sub-Saharan African countries which experienced major armed conflicts (wars) during 1990–2015: lessons for the Sustainable Development Goals, 2030

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Health systems’ ability to deliver maternal health services in sub-Saharan African countries which experienced major armed conflicts (wars) during 1990–2015: lessons for the Sustainable Development Goals, 2030 Chol, Chol Samuel Ziue Background: In sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), health system resilience and preparedness for shocks such as wars are an urgent concern if the region is to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which includes a reduction in maternal deaths by fewer than 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. Aims: This thesis examines the interrelationships between war, health systems, female empowerment and the utilisation of maternal health services in war-affected SSA countries (1990–2015). This study includes examining the factors that enabled some war-affected SSA countries to achieve a significant maternal mortality reduction during this period based on their health systems’ resilience and preparedness for shocks such as wars. Methods: This study used diverse research methods: (1) quantitative analyses of maternal mortality in 49 SSA countries divided into two groups (countries with and without war (major armed conflict) during 1990–2015 (article to be submitted); (2) literature review and policy analysis to identify standard best health system practices in five SSA countries with war (1990–2015) and achieved a maternal mortality reduction (≥50%) in the same period (article published in Global Health Action); (3) qualitative research in Eritrea, a war-affected SSA country during 1990–2015 (article published in BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth); (4) quantitative analyses to assess the prevalence of female empowerment in 31 SSA countries using four female empowerment indicators in Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) collected during 2010–2015 (article to be submitted); (5) quantitative analyses of DHS data to assess associations between female empowerment and the utilisation of maternal health services––antenatal care visits (≥4 ANC) and delivery by skilled birth attendants (SBAs)––in 31 SSA countries using the four DHS female empowerment indicators (article published in BMJ Open), and (6) quantitative analyses to compare female empowerment in countries with and without war (1990–2015), and examining whether there are no differences between female empowerment and the utilisation of maternal health services in countries with and without war in the same period (article to be submitted). Includes published articles

Return Smoothing in Discrete and Continuous Time

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Return Smoothing in Discrete and Continuous Time Houben, Dirk In this thesis we propose four novel continuous-time return smoothing models. Borrowing from the private commercial real estate literature, we start with a benchmark model for return smoothing in discrete time. The benchmark model is translated into continuous time, taking us from an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) specification for the smoothed holding period return to an Ornstein-Uhlenbeck (OU) specification for the instantaneous continuously compounding rate of return on the smoothed asset price. The model is then extended to allow for the possibility of predictability in the underlying “true” return. In a second line of investigation, we propose an alternative continuous-time return smoothing model in which we keep the OU smoothing mechanism, but replace the instantaneous smoothed return with the smoothed detrended log price. This model leads to unrealistic autocorrelations in the smoothed return, and we address this with an extension that introduces a higher-order smoothing equation described by a continuous-time autoregressive moving average (CARMA) process—the continuous-time analogue of the ARMA process. We show that each of our four models belongs to a general framework for linear return smoothing in continuous time in which a CARMA process governing the underlying “true” asset price is overlaid with a CARMA-type smoothing equation that summarises the market mechanism whereby the “true” price is transformed into a market-observed, smoothed price. In each model, as with the general framework, the noise in the “true” price is represented by a Lévy process, allowing for non-normality and sample path discontinuities. To quantify the effect the smoothing models have on holding period returns, we develop a common set of smoothing metrics. These metrics are then computed for each of the models (including the discrete-time benchmark model), and form a basis on which the models can be compared. We also rely on the autocorrelation function in appraising the impact of return smoothing. We comment on the ability of the continuous-time smoothing models to reproduce stylised statistical properties commonly associated with smoothed returns, such as a reduction in return variance and an increase in return autocorrelation. Additionally, we develop the theory needed to operationalise the smoothing metrics for the smoothing framework in general.

The potential value of monitoring bone turnover markers among women on alendronate

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 GMT

The potential value of monitoring bone turnover markers among women on alendronate Bell, Katy J.L.; Hayen, Andrew; Irwig, Les; Hochberg, Marc C; Ensrud, Kristine E; Cummings, Steven R; Bauer, Douglas C Biochemical markers of bone turnover have been proposed to monitor the response to bisphosphonate therapy for osteoporosis, but this requires true between-person differences in the response to therapy.. Using mixed models we analysed 3 annual measurements of two markers (bone alkaline phosphatise (BAP) and cross linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX)) from the Fracture Intervention Trial. We compared marker variation among women allocated to alendronate with that among women allocated to placebo to estimate how much variation was due to true between-person differences in response to treatment, and how much was due to random within-person fluctuations unrelated to treatment. For both markers we found that the mean effect of treatment differed by the baseline level of marker. After allowing for this and other effects, we found large true between-person differences in response to treatment for both markers, with a coefficient of variation for NTX of 25.1% and for BAP of 21.2%. However random within-person fluctuation was even larger, with a coefficient of variation for change in NTX of 42.5% and for change in BAP of 25.8%. Although repeated measurements have the potential to reduce within person variability, even triplicate baseline marker measurements resulted in an averaged value that was only within 30% of the true value with 95% certainty. In summary, although bone turn-over markers appear promising for monitoring between person differences in response to treatment, their use in clinical practice is currently limited by large random within-person variation.

Use of randomised trials to decide when to monitor response to new treatment.

Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Use of randomised trials to decide when to monitor response to new treatment. Bell, Katy J.L.; Irwig, Les; Craig, Jonathan C; Macaskill, Petra Is monitoring initial response to treatment always helpful in clinical management of patients? Bell and colleagues have developed a framework for deciding whether surrogate outcomes should be used to monitor initial response to treatment in chronic disease.

Expression of Serotonin in the Development of Patiriella species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) with Different Modes of Development

Sat, 01 Jan 2000 00:00:00 GMT

Expression of Serotonin in the Development of Patiriella species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) with Different Modes of Development Chee, Francis Craig Serotonin expression was examined in the development of three species of seastars belonging to the genus Patiriella. These species represented three different modes of larval development, planktonic planktotrophic (P. regulars), planktonic lecithotrophic (P. calcar) and benthic lecithotrophic (P. exigua). Preneuronal serotonin-like immunoreactivity was detected in the ectoderm of the early gastrulae of P. regulars, and P. exigua up until the hatched brachiolarial stage. As serotonergic neurons appeared at the animal pole of the gastrulae of P. regulars, preneuronal serotonin expression was no longer evident in the ectodermal cells. These neurons were not associated with sensory-like structures such as an apical ciliary tuff. It is therefore suggested that serotonin in these neurons may be functioning as a trophic substance for their own growth and/or the development of the ciliated bands. These early serotonergic neurons also appeared to migrate to specific regions of the developing larva appearing to be the precursor neurons for the larval nervous system. Pharmacological depletion of serotonin, with the drug pchlorophenylalanine (L-PCPA), caused developmental abnormalities during gastrulation in P. regulars, P. calcar and P. exigua. These data suggested a morphogenetic role for serotonin during gastrulation. Drug treated P. exigua gastrulae also hatched prematurely, indicating a role for serotonin in the hatching process. Confocal immunofluorescence revealed ciliated serotonergic neurons in ganglia associated with the ciliated bands at the anterior and oral regions of the bipinnaria of P. regulars. Based on the disruption to feeding and swimming behaviour in P. regulars, induced by l -PCPA treatment, it is suggested that these ciliated serotonergic neurons function as sensory-like neurons in feeding and swimming behaviour. Reduction of serotonin content by L-PCPA also resulted in disruption to larval swimming in the lecithotrophic developer P. calcar.Serotonergic neurons were found in the brachiolarial arms and ciliated bands of P. regularis although immunoreactivity was absent from the adoral ciliated band of the mouth and the attachment disk. It is suggested that the absence of serotonergic neurons from the oral region reflects the changes in larval behaviour from a feeding state of the bipinnaria to the brachiolaria, which is primarily concerned with settlement behaviour. The brachiolarial arms and adhesive disk of the lecithotrophic developers, P. calcar and P. exigua contained numerous serotonergic neurons. The apical region of the serotonergic neurons of P. exigua and P. calcar contacted the exterior of the epithelium and it is suggested that these neurons function in sensing the substratum. The disruption of settlement behaviour in P. exigua by L-PCPA treatment also suggests a role for serotonin in attachment. Overall it appears that serotonin acts as a multifunctional neurochemical during different phases of development from the gastrula through to metamorphosis in Patiriella. Depletion of serotonin by l -PCPA was confirmed by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (rpHPLC). Irrespective of the morphological differences between the brachiolaria of the three species in this study, it appears that serotonergic neurons are conserved in like structures. A functional conservation of the role of serotonergic neurons in Patiriella is suggested.

Adolescents with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladesh: Health-related quality of life, mental health and sexual and reproductive health

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Adolescents with cerebral palsy in rural Bangladesh: Health-related quality of life, mental health and sexual and reproductive health Power, Rosalie Adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP) in the global South are purported to experience adverse health and wellbeing. For too long, however, focus on the material aspects of impairments have dominated research priorities; little is known about adolescents’ subjective experiences of their own health and wellbeing. The present thesis begins to address this gap by investigating the health-related quality of life (HRQoL), mental health and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) of adolescents with CP in rural Bangladesh, and mental health of their parents. These topics were examined through a wellbeing lens, drawing on critical disability theory and alongside a biopsychosocial understanding of disability. The research was conducted using the Bangladesh Cerebral Palsy Register (BCPR). Initially the HRQoL and mental health of 154 adolescents with CP was compared to that of 173 age and sex matched peers without disability using the Bengali validated Cerebral Palsy Quality of Life-Teenagers, Kidscreen-27 and Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires. The mental health of their parents was compared using the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Finally, focus group interviews with 24 adolescents with CP and 77 parents explored adolescents’ SRH. The findings affirmed significant inequality in the lives of adolescents with CP in rural Bangladesh and documented impacts of oppressions alongside areas in which adolescents felt their lives were going well. For some, school and friendships contributed to a positive outlook. For others, unmanaged pain, psychosocial issues including being bullied, infantilised, and fears about the future negatively impacted wellbeing. Furthermore, parents reported poor mental health and described caregiving for their adolescent with CP as ‘painful’ and ‘shameful’. The findings suggest the need to look beyond biomedical needs to also consider subjective aspects of health and wellbeing among adolescents with CP in rural Bangladesh.

Investigation of Precursor Nanoparticles and Soot using Point-wise Time-resolved Laser-Induced Emission

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Investigation of Precursor Nanoparticles and Soot using Point-wise Time-resolved Laser-Induced Emission Ashraf, Muhammad Awais This thesis provides improved insight into the formation and growth of combustion formed nanoparticles. The effects of two pollutant control methods (oxygen-enhancement and carbon dioxide dilution) on the formation and destruction of carbonaceous nanoparticles are studied. This thesis focuses on two classes of the carbonaceous nanoparticles: precursor nanoparticles and soot particles. Precursor nanoparticles have size range of 1-10 nm, ability to absorb in the ultraviolet, and fluoresce. Soot particles have size range of 10-100 nm, ability to absorb in broadband, and incandesce. A laser in the ultraviolet range (266 nm) was used for laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements to detect and characterize incipient soot. In general, 266 nm laser pulse can excite gas-phase polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as well. However, the diagnostics setup was tuned to reduce the contributions from gas-phase species. This arrangement was confirmed by analyzing the fluorescence decays. An infrared range (1064 nm) laser was used to probe soot. Scattering was also used to characterize aromatization, which involves the transformation of aliphatic to the aromatic structure. The sequence and timing of the lasers were adjusted to avoid interference between the lasers. First, 266 nm laser was fired to excite precursor nanoparticles. Then there was a delay of 900 ns, after which 1064 nm laser was fired to excite soot particle. As the lifetime of LIF signals is very short, 900 ns delay was enough to avoid any interference from 266 nm laser on the signal generated by 1064 nm laser. These measurements tracked the temporal decays of the signals, which were captured on four photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and stored in an oscilloscope. The spectral positions of the PMTs were carefully chosen to characterize the critical behaviours of the excited particles. The transformation from smaller aromatic to larger aromatic species was inferred from red-shifting in the fluorescence spectrum, scattering, and increasing decay times while moving downstream the burner. Temperature is essential in the characterization of precursor nanoparticles, and the estimation of soot primary size. A pneumatic-powered rapid insertion mechanism was designed and installed, which drove a thermocouple in and out of the flames quickly, enabling the thermocouple bead to read temperature before significant soot built upon the bead. This thesis characterized precursor nanoparticles in terms of concentration, structural growth, and aromatization. Moreover, the volume fraction and primary particle diameter of soot were also quantified. Oxygen enhancement not only increased the concentration of precursors, but also streamlined the transformation of precursors to soot. Growth of precursors is found to be a function of temperature rather than oxygen. A common intermediate stage during the transformation from precursors to soot is observed. Carbon dioxide enhancement did not affect the concentration of precursors, however, the transformation of precursors to soot was greatly reduced. Soot suppressing effects of carbon dioxide were observed in oxygen-depleted, atmospheric, and oxygen-enriched environments. Regardless of flame composition, a set of matching characteristics was achieved by precursors just before they converted into soot.

RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN THE INTERNET-OF-THINGS

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

RESOURCE ALLOCATION IN THE INTERNET-OF-THINGS Xu, Yizhen The Internet-of-Things (IoT) is widely regarded as a promising paradigm for connecting the ever-growing use of smart devices through various communications protocols. However, despite the popularity and widespread of its applications, the development and deployment of IoT are limited by the efficiency of resource utilization. For instance, the ubiquitous data exchange among numerous IoT devices poses severe issues in terms of spectrum availability. Meanwhile, IoT integration with mobile edge computing brings alongside a number of challenges in terms of computation resource management. Although emerging techniques related to energy harvesting will alleviate IoT devices' energy shortage problem due to limited battery energy supply, the energy for communication and local computation will always be a scarce resource to be handled with care. In this thesis, we introduce different resource allocation strategies for IoT devices to more efficiently utilize scarce resources including spectrum, computation and energy resources. In the first part, we focus on spectrum allocation and propose a new spectrum sensing framework based on Bayesian machine learning. We exploit the mobility of multiple secondary users (SUs) to simultaneously collect spectrum sensing data, and cooperatively derive global spectrum states. We first develop a novel non-parametric Bayesian learning model, referred to as beta process sticky hidden Markov model (BP-SHMM), to capture the spatial-temporal correlation in the collected spectrum data, where SHMM models the latent statistical correlation within each mobile SU's time series data while BP realizes the cooperation among multiple SUs. A Bayesian inference is then used to automatically infer heterogeneous spectrum states. In the second part, we focus on computation resource allocation in a large-scale asynchronous MEC system with random task arrivals, distinct workloads, and diverse deadlines. By exploiting the Whittle index (WI) theory, we rigorously establish the WI indexability and derive a scalable closed-form solution. Consequently, in our WI-based offloading policy, each user only needs to calculate its WI and report it to the BS, and the users with the highest indices are selected to perform task offloading. Furthermore, when the task completion ratio becomes the focus, the shorter slack time less remaining workload priority rule is introduced into the WI-based offloading policy for further performance improvement. When the knowledge of user offloading energy consumption is not available prior to the offloading, we develop Bayesian learning-enabled WI policies accordingly. Lastly, we tackle a general resource allocation problem with the constraints of energy consumption and queue package lengths. Specifically, we formulate it as a constrained deep reinforcement learning (DRL) with a mixed-action space including both discrete channel allocation and continuous energy harvesting time division. Then, we propose a novel DRL algorithm referred to as constrained discrete continuous soft actor critic (CDC-SAC) by redesigning the network architecture and policy learning process. Simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can achieve a significant performance improvement in terms of the total throughput with a strict constraints guarantee.

Reliability-based design of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) truss systems by advanced analysis

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Reliability-based design of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) truss systems by advanced analysis Chen, Silin Concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) truss is a type of composite structure with CFST chords and hollow tubular braces. CFST trusses have been increasingly used in large-scale structures such as towers, bridge girders, piers and arch ribs. The compression and flexural behaviour of CFST trusses are greatly improved compared to hollow tubular trusses due to the concrete infill in chords. For such complex composite structural systems, traditional structural analysis approaches are readily applied for the safety checks of individual members and connections, whilst system-level inelastic analysis and reliability calibration are very limited. In the past, relevant studies on the reliability of CFST structures mostly focused on structural components such as individual columns and beams, and there is no mature system-based design regulations nor reliability evaluations on this complex composite system. This thesis aims to address this gap by adopting stochastic finite element analysis (FEA) modellings of CFST truss systems through numerical approach considering both the structural nonlinearities and random uncertainties. With the complex configuration, nonlinear material interaction and sophisticated construction process, initial imperfections may largely affect the strength and stability of a CFST truss structure. The deterministic and probabilistic studies of CFST trusses with random imperfections based on the statistics of imperfections obtained through experiments and on-site measurements are carried out first, which lays a foundation for further study on the comprehensive reliability analysis of composite truss structures with uncertainties in material properties, structural configurations, initial imperfections and model uncertainties. The verified FEA models of CFST truss systems (two-chord, three-chord and four-chord) are then further developed to implement random uncertainties, including the elastic modulus of steel (Es), the yield strength of steel (fy), the thickness of steel (ts), the cylinder strength of concrete (fc’), the initial steel imperfection (χs) and the initial concrete imperfection (χc1, χc2), to facilitate a comprehensive reliability analysis. To consider the random variation of these uncertainties based on statistics, the Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and the Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS) technique are incorporated on the basis of the above-described Abaqus modelling. A large number of stochastic FEA models of CFST truss samples are randomly analysed using Abaqus-Python technique with random variables considered to estimate the statistics of the flexural strengths of CFST trusses. Using the obtained statistics of system resistance, reliability analysis is then undertaken to calculate the system reliability indices (β) of the three typical CFST truss systems. Random dead loads and live loads are implemented to the FEA models. The structure reliability of the CFST trusses is evaluated in MATLAB using the First-Order Reliability Method (FORM). The relationship between reliability indices (β) and system resistance factors (ϕs) under various load cases is obtained. Finally, a comprehensive reliability-based design guideline of CFST truss systems by advanced analysis is suggested. The proposed novel computational approach and the reliability analysis contribute to both the practical design and the standard drafting for CFST truss systems.

Minimum practice standards for Australian graduate emergency nursing programs: An exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study.

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Minimum practice standards for Australian graduate emergency nursing programs: An exploratory, sequential mixed-methods study. Jones, Tamsin Background A skilled emergency nursing workforce is needed to provide high quality and safe healthcare to patients in the emergency care environment. Graduate emergency nursing education programs, often referred to as postgraduate programs, are essential in establishing this workforce. There are no minimum practice standards for graduate emergency nursing programs in Australia, and thus there is variation in graduate attributes and clinical expectations of nurses who complete these programs. Aim The aim of this study was to develop minimum practice standards for graduate emergency nursing programs in Australia. Methods An exploratory sequential mixed-methods design comprising of three interconnected studies was used to answer the research aim. Results Six sets of international emergency nursing practice and competency standards were identified in Study One. Similarities and differences were identified across nine domains of analysis: (i) clinical expertise; (ii) communication; (iii) environment and resources; (iv) leadership; (v) legal; (vi) professional development; (vii) professional ethics; (viii) research and quality; (ix) teamwork. It was identified in Study Two that prior experience was not consistently required before undertaking graduate studies in emergency nursing, and employment requirements during course completion were also variable. Geographical location influenced accessibility to programs. The findings from Study Three, and sequential integration of Study One and Study Two, generated the evidence to establish minimum practice standards for Australian graduate emergency nursing programs across seven graduate attribute domains: (i) communication; (ii) safe and quality patient care; (iii) research and quality improvement; (iv) ethics and legal; (v) teamwork and leadership; (vi) professional development; and (vii) clinical practice expertise. Within the domain of clinical expertise, 70 clinical care capabilities have been determined. Conclusion This original research has generated evidence-based minimum practice standards for Australian graduate emergency nursing programs. Consistent and transparent expectations inform clinical practice, which ultimately leads to safer delivery of informed patient care, and improves workforce planning.

Type 1 Diabetes with Metabolic Syndrome Features: Exploring this Modern-Day Phenotype and the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Type 1 Diabetes with Metabolic Syndrome Features: Exploring this Modern-Day Phenotype and the Effects of High-Intensity Interval Training Lee, Angela Introduction Type 1 diabetes is characterised by insulin deficiency, however the ‘double diabetes’ phenotype of type 1 diabetes with insulin resistance and/or metabolic syndrome is becoming increasingly recognised, especially given rising global obesity rates. The effects of exercise on metabolic health have not been adequately studied in people with type 1 diabetes, and exercise-related hypoglycaemia is a major barrier. Aims This thesis aimed to examine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults with type 1 diabetes, and its association with diabetes complications. The safety and benefits of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on glycaemic control, cardiometabolic measures and liver fat were studied in people with type 1 diabetes and metabolic syndrome features. Methods Three related studies were conducted. Firstly, a cross-sectional study examined the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in type 1 diabetes, and its age-related association with diabetes complications. Secondly, the safety of HIIT in type 1 diabetes on exercise-related hypoglycaemia was examined in a pilot study using continuous glucose monitoring. Thirdly, a randomised controlled trial examined the effect of HIIT on HbA1c, cardiometabolic health and liver fat in adults with type 1 diabetes and overweight or obesity. Results Metabolic syndrome was common in adults with type 1 diabetes and was associated with a higher prevalence of diabetes complications, with the greatest impact at a younger age. HIIT performed with diabetes self-management strategies was not associated with increased exercise-related hypoglycaemia over 24 hours. In the randomised controlled trial, 12 weeks of HIIT did not significantly reduce HbA1c compared with control (-0.53% vs -0.14%, p=0.08). After 24 weeks, HIIT resulted in improvements in HbA1c, cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition compared with baseline. There was a favourable trend towards liver fat reduction with HIIT. Conclusions Metabolic syndrome can identify a high-risk population of type 1 diabetes, who may benefit from interventions targeting insulin resistance and cardiometabolic risk. This thesis provides novel evidence that HIIT can be performed safely, and can improve glycaemic control and cardiometabolic health in people with type 1 diabetes and metabolic syndrome features.

Next generation systematic review methodology

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Next generation systematic review methodology Seidler, Anna Lene Dora Systematic reviews and meta-analyses are widely used to inform guidelines, policy, and practice. Yet, there are several limitations associated with traditional systematic reviews. Potential sources of bias, such as publication bias and selective outcome reporting, can produce misleading results, and when individual studies collect different outcomes or use different measures to assess the same outcomes, this can make them difficult and sometimes impossible to synthesise. Traditional aggregate data meta-analyses give estimates about average effects, but provide limited reliable information on whether intervention effects vary across different populations, or whether differences between intervention characteristics may lead to differential effects. This is particularly problematic in an era that is steering away from a one-size-fits-all approach and toward precision medicine. In addition, traditional meta-analyses only include head-to-head comparisons of two interventions at a time when in reality, there are often more than two options that practitioners need to choose between. To explore these limitations and propose solutions, this thesis presents a series of nine manuscripts.

Modulating prodrug selectivity for prostate cancer: Design, synthesis, and testing of a modified peptide vehicle

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Modulating prodrug selectivity for prostate cancer: Design, synthesis, and testing of a modified peptide vehicle Tondl, Elisabeth Michelle Precision oncology approaches in prostate cancer treatment offer a complementary approach to genomics by targeting molecular phenotypes of an individual’s cancer, such as membrane transporter or protease expression. Prostate-specific antigen, a protease expressed by prostate cells, has played a key role in the diagnosis, stratification, and monitoring of prostate cancer patients. It is also a potential target for delivering drugs to prostate cancer using a protease-based activation strategy, involving the activation of a prodrug when it is cleaved by a protease. The HSSKLQ (HisSerSerLysLeuGln) peptide sequence is readily cleaved by active prostate-specific antigen, but not by other proteases common in human serum. It has been used to deliver drugs to prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo, but off-target activation has been observed. Modification of the HSSKLQ sequence to reduce off-target activation of the peptide-drug conjugates is one approach to improve the delivery of chemotherapeutics and radiotheranostics to prostate cancer cells. Computational molecular modelling was used to design modifications to the HSSKLQ sequence in order to decrease off-target activation of a drug-HSSKLQ conjugate, and to enhance interactions with prostate-specific antigen. Modified HSSKLQ-based peptides were conjugated to fluorescent tags to enable tracking of their in vitro localisation of the conjugates using fluorescence microscopy. Biological assays revealed that the modified peptide sequence is cleaved by prostate-specific antigen, resulting in release of the model active drug. In vitro fluorescence imaging indicated low uptake of the released drug in cultured cells. Future directions for this work are discussed.

Repackaging the Future: Artificial Intelligence, automated governance and education trade shows

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Repackaging the Future: Artificial Intelligence, automated governance and education trade shows Gulson, Kalervo; Witzenberger, Kevin Artificial Intelligence is increasingly posited as a key aspect of new education governance, built into everything from business intelligence platforms to real-time online testing. In this paper we are interested in the work an education trade show does to legitimate and support the use of AI in education governance, or more precisely, automated education governance. Automated education governance covers policy practices that are exercised by automated decision-making machines, and instances in which software has a governing role within education, mainly through the application of narrow forms of Artificial Intelligence. We aim to investigate the education technology trade show not only as a set of relations, and to see what work a trade show does it do in incorporating, legitimating, and propping up AI use in education. We propose that an education technology show helps to constitute an automated education governance assemblage, and creates and legitimises certain forms of educational governing practices around data generation, analysis and use that includes AI. We outline this argument using examples of off the shelf solutions, partnerships between Australian education technology companies providing student information system products and major global companies, and as part of start-up pitches for venture capital support. We conclude the paper by examining the limits of automated governance and identifying how AI is part of power and desire in education governance.

An essential role for sphingosine 1-phosphate in oligodendrocyte survival and remyelination

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

An essential role for sphingosine 1-phosphate in oligodendrocyte survival and remyelination Song, Huitong Oligodendrocytes (OLs) are the myelinating cells of the central nervous system. Therapeutics that promote OL survival and remyelination are needed to restore neurological function in multiple sclerosis (MS). Sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) is a lipid metabolite that signals through five receptors, S1PR1-5. The MS drug Fingolimod is an S1PR agonist that suppresses neuroinflammation. A key question in current research is whether S1PR agonists also directly protect OLs and promote remyelination. However, the role for endogenous S1P, synthesized by sphingosine kinase 2 (SphK2), in OL survival and myelination has not been established. This thesis investigated the importance of SphK2 in OL survival and remyelination using the cuprizone mouse model of acute demyelination, followed by spontaneous remyelination. OL density and myelin protein levels did not differ between untreated wild-type (WT) and SphK2 knockout (SphK2−/−) mice. However, after cuprizone treatment, significantly greater demyelination and loss of mature OLs were observed in the corpus callosum and cerebral cortex of SphK2−/− compared to WT mice. Spontaneous remyelination occurred in WT but not SphK2−/− mice following cuprizone withdrawal, despite restoration of mature OL numbers in SphK2−/− mice. These results indicate that SphK2 is not necessary for proliferation and maturation of OL progenitor cells but is necessary for the synthesis of new myelin by mature OLs. Since S1PR5 is expressed exclusively by OLs, we also investigated whether S1PR1/5 agonist Siponimod and S1PR5-selective agonist A-971432 protect against myelin and OL loss in WT mice. Siponimod but not A-971432 protected against cuprizone-mediated OL loss, demyelination, astrogliosis, and microgliosis. Overall, this thesis demonstrates the importance of SphK2 for OL stress resistance and spontaneous remyelination. Future work will determine whether the S1P produced by SphK2 promotes remyelination through autocrine stimulus of OL S1P receptors.

Development of a theoretically derived psychological intervention for clinically significant anxiety amongst patients with advanced or recurred cancer

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Development of a theoretically derived psychological intervention for clinically significant anxiety amongst patients with advanced or recurred cancer Curran, Leah Jane Treating anxiety in the context of advanced or recurred cancer is challenging. Theoretical models about the aetiology and maintenance of cancer-related anxiety, and the interventions derived from them, are mainly applicable to people with early stage disease. The aims of the thesis were to develop a transdiagnostic model of cancer-related anxiety, test the predictions arising from the model, develop an intervention for anxiety in the context of advanced or recurred disease and determine acceptability, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the intervention. The thesis comprised four parts. In study 1, a systematic review was conducted and existing models synthesised to develop a novel theoretical model of cancer-related anxiety. Study 2 tested the assumptions of the model amongst 211 persons with cancer. The model accounted for 65% of the variance in fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) and the tenets of the model were partly supported. An intervention addressing the key components of the model was developed, and included a novel integration of traditional and contemporary CBT. Study 3 obtained expert feedback about the intervention, which was found to have excellent face validity. Study 4 pilot tested the intervention with 12 persons with advanced or recurred cancer who were experiencing clinically significant anxiety. The intervention resulted in significant improvements in anxiety, FCR, traumatic symptoms, depression, and quality of life. Improvements on symptoms of anxiety, trauma and depression were maintained at follow-up. 55% of participants were clinically recovered post intervention and 64% at follow-up. Overall, the research confirmed that intrusions, threat appraisal, metacognitive beliefs and death anxiety are central to understanding cancer-related anxiety. Preliminary evidence was provided for the acceptability, feasibility and efficacy of the novel intervention. Further research is needed to evaluate the intervention in randomized controlled trials.

Mistranslation drives alterations in protein levels and the effects of a synonymous variant at the FGF21 locus

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Mistranslation drives alterations in protein levels and the effects of a synonymous variant at the FGF21 locus Bayoumi, Ali Background: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a liver-derived hormone with pleiotropic beneficial effects on metabolism. Paradoxically, FGF21 levels are elevated in metabolic diseases. Interventions that restore metabolic homeostasis reduce FGF21. Whether abnormalities in FGF21 secretion or resistance in peripheral tissues is the initiating factor in altering FGF21 levels and function in humans is unknown. Methods: I have studied the role of the rs838133 polymorphism in regulating FGF21 protein expression in-vivo and in-vitro. Then, I explored the mechanisms by which this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) modulates FGF21 production. I utilized RiboLace methodology to examine FGF21 production associated with the ribosomal translationally active fraction. Next I developed an in-vitro genetic model to help resolve the paradox of FGF21 expression in metabolic disorders. Furthermore, I studied the association between rs838133 and the expression of FGF21 receptors and activity. Finally, I related my findings back to tissue and explored the functional impact of rs838133 on hepatic inflammation. Results: I have shown that the minor (A) allele of the rs838133 polymorphism is associated with higher levels of circulating and hepatic FGF21 and it is not associated with the expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1), Klotho-β (KLB) nor fibroblast activation protein (FAP) and hence and does not alter FGF21 signalling or activity. Then I identified an unanticipated mechanism for the FGF21 levels variation which is a genotype dependant alteration in the translational rate of FGF21. This alteration is most probably the primary event which results in FGF21 levels disturbance. Furthermore, I have demonstrated that codon bias and secondary mRNA structure are pivotal elements of the effect of rs838133 on the FGF21 translation rate. Additionally, I have proposed that ribosomal protein lateral stalk subunit P0 (RPLP0) could be the link between metabolic stress and FGF21 overexpression in metabolic disorders. Finally, I have related my results back to tissue and identified that under metabolic stress, the rs838133 has a deferential inflammatory response in-vivo and in-vitro. Conclusion: My results highlight a dominant role for translation of the FGF21 protein to explain variations in blood levels that is at least partially inherited. These results provide a framework for translational reprogramming of FGF21 to treat metabolic diseases.

A Computational and Experimental Characterisation of Bacterial Interactions in the Plant Microbiome

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A Computational and Experimental Characterisation of Bacterial Interactions in the Plant Microbiome Baldock, Christopher Mark Microbiome manipulation provides opportunity to make crop production more efficient. For effective manipulation of bacterial communities, we need to understand the drivers of their variation. Bacterial interactions are one potential source, however, elucidating interactions is challenging due to experimental and statistical constraints. The aim of this thesis was to address these limitations and investigate the impact of bacterial interactions on plant microbiome dynamics. Three lines of questioning were pursued to address this: do interactions contribute to bacterial dynamics and are dynamics universal? What are key taxa important to said dynamics? Can interactions be studied in a mesocosm system? It was demonstrated that universal dynamics exist in most systems studied even after accounting for experimental and technical confounders, establishing the importance of bacterial interactions to plant microbiome dynamics. A set of 19 bacterial families from the proteobacteria, actinobacteria and bacteroidetes were found to disproportionately interact with other taxa in the root and leaf microbiome. Root communities were more amendable to transplantation than those from leaves, with latter suffering high levels other contamination. A refined experimental system to minimize environmental contamination was devised and yielded improved results. Transplantation experimental data was used to estimate the dynamics of communities using multiple statistical techniques. A sequence variant from the genus Sphingomonas as well as members of the Rhizobiales were responsible for most interactions. In sum, interactions contribute to bacterial dynamics in most cases, a set of bacterial families disproportionately affect these dynamics, and root communities are amendable to transplant to investigate their dynamics and potential interactions. This thesis highlights that interactions should be considered for the effective design of microbiome engineering technologies in agriculture.

Contained mad voices: An ethnography of digital practices and mobilities of voice and madness

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Contained mad voices: An ethnography of digital practices and mobilities of voice and madness Baylosis, Cherryldene This research interrogated the potential of voice in digital media for people living with mental illness. It drew from the fields of mad studies and digital media studies to inform a digital ethnography that explored the everyday practices and mobilities in and around digital media of eight people who identified as having mental illness. In doing this, this research explored issues of temporalities and spatialities of madness, which affected how and when mental distress was experienced and spoken about. Additionally, it examined the role of listening as a necessary corollary to voice, and the manner in which acts of listening was hindered by stigma. Lastly, it examined how dominant systems of psychiatrised knowledge simultaneously informed and limited alternative ways of thinking and speaking about mental distress. Taken together, these findings informed the development of a novel theory of ‘contained mad voice’, which proposes there are ‘containers of voice’ that restrict people’s capacity to self-narrate and participate in sense-making. Overall, this theory argues that while people are ‘free’ to speak in and around digital media, these acts are largely governed by social and cultural norms that determine not only how madness is spoken about, but what voices and narratives are registered as credible ways of knowing mental distress.

Granular Mechanics Across Length Scales: Contact, Breakage, Fracture, and Permeability

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Granular Mechanics Across Length Scales: Contact, Breakage, Fracture, and Permeability Wei, Deheng Particle morphology is of pivotal importance in granular materials at different length scales. This thesis begins with quantification and reconstruction of real particle shapes, then studies various kinds of granular material behaviour influenced by morphology features. The project background and related previous work are introduced in Chapters 1 and 2, respectively. Chapter 3 is firstly concentrated on reconstructing particle shapes using Spherical Harmonics (SH). DEM clumps are also used to approximate realistic particle shapes to simulate sand column collapse. The efficiency of SH analysis between different coordinate systems in FEM mesh qualities and reconstruction are also compared. Chapter 4 is on contact behaviour of rough spheres with different morphology features. Via FEM simulation, benchmarked with Hertzian solution, a semi-analytical model is proposed. In Chapter 5, to highlight the influences of contact curvature on single particle crushing behaviour, a rotational point loading in FDEM, benchmarked with an in-situ XCT experiment, is proposed. In Chapter 6, experiments of failure modes of cemented sands under different loading paths and the quantification of fracture fabric are conducted. FDEM simulations, benchmarked with a combined in-situ experiment with XCT and diffraction, of meso-scale concrete are also conducted. Effects of realistic aggregate morphology on overall concrete are investigated. In Chapter 7, permeability of uniformly graded 3D printed grains, is experimentally studied. Modified Kozney-Carman equation is also proposed. Chapter 8 concludes this work by summarising the findings and implications and provides an outlook on future works. This dissertation presents a new comprehensive understanding of granular behaviour influenced by its morphology features. Via the proposed framework combining both experimental and numerical information, it is helpful to design and optimise of various granular materials with specific morphology features.

The long-term impacts of invasive cane toads on reptilian predators in Australia

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

The long-term impacts of invasive cane toads on reptilian predators in Australia Pettit, Lachlan The near-extirpation of varanid lizards by Cane Toads has severely impacted ecosystem processes. Given the critical roles of apex predators in regulating ecosystem function, and the massively negative impacts of toads on populations of large goannas, we need to know the time-course of such effects. Limited data suggest that goanna populations eventually recover (e.g., in northeastern Queensland, where toads have been present for several decades) – but we know almost nothing about the nature or rate of such recovery. To develop robust priorities for conservation management, we need to understand how monitors adjust to Cane Toads over time.

Nutrient intake and its effects on health outcomes in older Australian men

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Nutrient intake and its effects on health outcomes in older Australian men Das, Arpita Objective: The objective of the thesis was to examine cross‐sectional and prospective associations between nutrient intake and dietary patterns and a range of health outcomes. Methods: In this thesis, men aged 75 years and older from the Concord Health and Ageing in Men Project (CHAMP) were evaluated. Nutrition data were first collected at a 5‐year follow‐up, hence this thesis analyses data from a 5-year follow-up (considered baseline nutrition) and an 8-year follow-up (considered 3-year follow-up). A validated diet history questionnaire was used to collect dietary intake. Dietary adequacy of nutrient intake was assessed by comparing participants' intake of each nutrient with the Nutrient Reference Values (NRV) for Australia. Attainment of the NRVs of micronutrients or antioxidants or essential nutrients was incorporated into a dichotomised variable using the cut-point method. Individual nutrients were also categorised into quartiles or quintiles. Sources of protein were also captured. Additionally, two different dietary patterns (the Mediterranean and Australian Dietary Guideline Index), monounsaturated: saturated fat and n-6:n-3 fatty acids ratio and individual nutrients, were used as predictor variables. Cross‐sectional and longitudinal data were collected on frailty, muscle mass and strength, depressive symptoms, cardiovascular disease and mortality. Results: The results presented in Chapter 3 show there was a significant increase in the inadequacy of the NRVs for thiamine, dietary folate, zinc, magnesium, calcium and iodine at 3-year follow-up compared to baseline nutrition. These changes in micronutrient intake were significantly associated with the country of origin in the UK and Italy, low levels of physical activity, having≥2 medical conditions and the use of meal services. The results in Chapters 4, 6 and 7 show that inadequate intake of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and zinc, at baseline nutrition was associated with incident frailty, depressive symptoms and congestive cardiac failure in prospective analyses. The findings in Chapter 5 suggest that inadequate nutrient intake, particularly protein, n-6 PUFA, n-3 PUFA, magnesium and calcium, was significantly associated with FNIH-defined sarcopenia. In addition, each unit decrease in the n-6:n-3 ratio was significantly associated with a 9% increased risk of FNIH-defined sarcopenia, but not with EWGSOP and EWGSOP2 defined sarcopenia. The results in Chapter 8 indicate that evidence on the associations between dietary or supplemental intake of antioxidants and mortality in the older population is inconclusive. Chapter 9, which concludes the thesis, indicates that both second and third quintiles of total protein intake were associated with reduced all-cause and cancer mortality. These findings reflect U-shaped associations between total protein intake and all-cause and cancer mortality; however, both the lowest and highest quintiles of protein consumption were not significantly associated with mortality. Plant protein was inversely associated with all-cause and cancer mortality, whereas animal protein intake was positively associated with mortality. Conclusion: The findings from these studies suggest that inadequate intake of micronutrients, particularly antioxidants, are plausible factors for poor health outcomes in older men. The conclusion can, therefore, be drawn that promoting a healthy diet characterised by plenty of plant-based food and limited amounts of animal-based food can contribute to long-term health benefits and longevity in older Australian men.

Synthetic efforts toward quinoid natural products

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Synthetic efforts toward quinoid natural products Graham, Marlowe Saxby Natural products are a potent reservoir of bioactive compounds, but their exploration is often hampered by the limited quantities available from natural sources. Total synthesis of natural products alleviates this restraint, and necessitates development of new chemistry to grant access to complex structures. In this thesis, we develop synthetic routes toward two quinoid natural products. Taiwaniaquinone G is a representative trans-configured taiwaniaquinoid, synthetically underrepresented compared to cis-configured taiwaniaquinoids, isolated from the bark of the endangered tree Taiwania cryptomeriodes. We developed a polyene cyclisation strategy which would form the tricyclic core in a single step from a linear precursor, but it proceeded cis-selectively instead of the expected trans-selectivity. DFT calculations were performed, and the cis-configured intermediate was found to be stabilised hyperconjugatively. Several strategies were explored to overcome this stereochemical preference, but ultimately the synthesis was continued towards the cis-configured 5-epi-taiwaniaquinone G, which was synthesised in 8 steps and 4.2% overall yield, the shortest synthesis to date. Elisabethin A is a minor metabolite isolated from the Caribbean sea whip Pseudopterogorgia elisabethae, and several groups have attempted its synthesis due to its unique ring structure. We review evidence that a reported total synthesis was unsuccessful, and provide computational support for the Diels-Alder product proposals of Zanoni et al. We explore a route to elisabethin A which would circumvent problems experienced in the terminal epimerisation step by Rawal et al. using a radical leaving group to invert the stereochemistry at the required tertiary carbon centre. A synthesis of the aryl core and pendant tail fragments was completed. Several strategies are explored to unite the precursor fragments. Model systems are investigated for our proposed Claisen rearrangement and radical inversion strategies. includes published articles

Towards Fluorescent Tools for Clinical Applications

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Towards Fluorescent Tools for Clinical Applications Yang, Kylie As our understanding of molecular biology broadens, we gain a deeper understanding of the molecular signatures and microenvironments associated with disease. In conjunction, better understanding of activatable fluorophores and the chemical transformations that occur within biological systems has enabled the development of numerous molecular probes and sensors. It is now possible to selectively sense chemical species associated with disease and use biochemical transformations to create activatable therapeutics. Through rational design, it is possible to build tailored molecular tools with finely tuned properties. However, rational design is built upon understanding the relationship between chemical structure, physical properties and biological behaviour, and currently our understanding of these interactions is incomplete. Thus, the goal of this thesis is to explore these relationships a basis for the rational design of molecular tools. Chapter 2 explores the development of activatable fluorescent hypoxia sensors for imaging hypoxia in 2D cell models and 3D tumour models. Chapter 3 explores the design of novel hypoxia targeted theranostics that are capable of simultaneous imaging and treatment of hypoxic tumour models. Chapter 4 focuses on building fast, facile and sensitive assays for detecting proteolytic activity in arthritic joints. Assay results correlated well with clinical disease markers, suggesting that our assay can also be used to indicate disease state. Overall, there is great potential for rationally designed fluorescent sensors to be applied in the clinic, and this thesis explores novel ways to apply fluorescence to build sensors for biomolecules, chemical analytes and drug activation.

The Journey of the Dutch Silver Rimmonim to The Great Synagogue in Sydney: The Search for Australian Jewish Visual Legacy, 1838–1878

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The Journey of the Dutch Silver Rimmonim to The Great Synagogue in Sydney: The Search for Australian Jewish Visual Legacy, 1838–1878 Vytrhlik, Jana Jewish ritual objects, Judaica, are significant for their symbolism and the meanings they convey through their use and art forms. The synagogue architecture can provide insights into a city’s past and reflect community’s aspirations. Mid-nineteenth-century Jewish heritage in Australia represents a rich historical and art historical field marked by a group of Judaica objects and synagogue architecture. Yet, the art history of Jewish Australia has, until now, remained an understudied subject. Inspired by a pair of exceptional and unattributed silver Torah finials (rimmonim in Hebrew) from The Great Synagogue in Sydney, this thesis investigates their provenance, and the emerging visual dimension of Jewish history in Australia. It offers a new context for understanding the role that visual expression played in the construction of Jewish identity. The thesis opens with an investigation of the rimmonim’s intricate provenance pointing to the late eighteenth-century Dutch silversmith and the Portuguese Synagogue in Amsterdam. The trail then vanishes until 1839, when Sydney’s Jewish leaders purchased the rimmonim in London. From this point on, the thesis examines the Jews' motivations to build a strong visual identity. It explores what inspired them in the design of Sydney’s two oldest synagogues – the York Street Synagogue (1844) and The Great Synagogue (1878). The Egyptian style of the York Street Synagogue sought to convey a message of ancient Israelites' independence. In contrast, the ornamented design of The Great Synagogue signified the merging of a new Jewish social conformity with the prevalent Victorian taste. Ultimately, this thesis instigates the method of documenting Jewish history in Australia through a visual-focused approach. It builds on the research of Australian historians, and moves into the mostly unexplored territory of Jewish art history in Australia.

Subclinical disease progression and repair in Multiple Sclerosis: Novel application of standardised functional visual biomarkers

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Subclinical disease progression and repair in Multiple Sclerosis: Novel application of standardised functional visual biomarkers Barton, Joshua Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is autoimmune disorder characterised by demyelinating lesions in central nervous system (CNS), which are associated with a lesser degree of axonal loss. MS lesions commonly affect the visual pathway, at both the optic nerve itself and the cerebral optic radiations. This pathway can be assessed through multiple modalities and is recognised as a valuable biomarker for MS disease activity for clinical practice and clinical trials. This thesis was undertaken to further define the changes in functional, electrophysiological and structural measures of the visual pathway in MS. Integration of cross modality measures elucidated the contribution of axonal loss relative to demyelination in individual measures. Novel metrics for multifocal VEPs (mfVEPs) were developed in order to assess temporal and structural aspects of the visual system previously ignored in visual electrophysiology. These additional metrics were automated so that future mfVEP analyses are less laborious and able to be standardised across study visits. Finally, interrogation of the visual system was performed under a stressed condition, with heating and then cooling of subjects used to assess the effect of temperature induced conduction block.

Devotio Moderna: Confrontations with Scholastic, University Culture

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Devotio Moderna: Confrontations with Scholastic, University Culture Tucker, Luke Rohan The founding stories of the Devotio Moderna began with a book burning and explicit rejections of scholastic, university culture. Most scholars have either pitted the movement’s dimensions of pastoral care and teaching against each other as exclusive alternatives or have declined to treat the New Devout’s status as a culture of learning. However, if we are to take this mythos as essential to the movement, we must proceed from the outset that confrontations with scholastic, university culture lay at the heart of the Devotio Moderna. This thesis suggests that either above approach is inadequate and misreads the movement. Using Charles Taylor’s framework of the Social Imaginary, this thesis argues that the Devotio Moderna developed based on an Augustinian Imaginary, a sense deriving from Augustine and his medieval interlocutors. By the time of the Observant Century, this Augustinian Imaginary now stood in competition with the universitas, a competing Social Imaginary that the New Devout could not reconcile with their Augustinian Imaginary and therefore rejected. By articulating the Devotio Moderna’s daily habits of reading, writing, and prayer, this thesis argues that this conflict between the Devotio Moderna and scholastic, university culture loomed large in the movement’s imagination. By relocating the key issues in analysis of the Devotio Moderna, we see the difficulty of the historian writing within the institution that the New Devout opposed, but which ultimately supplanted the movement. This thesis is therefore significant as a repositioning of analysis of the Devotio Moderna as a movement in relation fundamentally to scholastic, university culture, and in being an articulation of the difficulty for the universitas’ distant descendant, the modern discipline of history, to understand a historical movement animated by an imaginary opposed to that which vivified, and continues to vivify, university culture.

On the Survival of Humanity

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

On the Survival of Humanity Loo, Jane Weiling In this thesis, I defend the claim that if a desire-first account of group identity is the correct account of group identity for humanity and we hold a certain class of desires regarding humanity’s survival conditions, then we can survive the extinction of H. sapiens. Humanity faces the threat of existential risk, which is any risk that threatens humanity with its premature extinction or the destruction of its potential future development. I argue that before we can have any meaningful discussion about existential risk, we need to know who humanity is. To examine the question of who humanity is, I begin by considering extant accounts of group identity. It will turn out that none of these accounts is able to help us determine who humanity is, because they were constructed with different goals in mind. I move on to consider an account of group identity constructed for the specific purpose of answering the question of who humanity is. It turns out that even with an account of group identity constructed with the specific goals of this thesis in mind, it is still not possible to apply it to determine who humanity is, and when we make assumptions so that we can apply it, we run into other problems. This is because there is a perspective-dependent aspect to humanity’s identity, and the accounts considered up to this point have been metaphysics-first accounts of group identity. On such accounts, the perspective of a member is irrelevant in group identity. Instead, I propose a desire-first account of group identity. This account does not encounter the problems faced by metaphysics-first accounts and leverages the perspective-dependent aspect of a group’s identity to do the work in determining a group’s identity. On my proposed desire-first account, the synchronic and diachronic identity conditions of a group depend in part on the desires of putative members of the group. In the case of humanity, this means that humanity’s identity conditions depend in part on the desires of putative members of humanity. Importantly, I do not claim that my account provides the answer to the question of who humanity is and whether humanity can survive the extinction of H. sapiens. What it does is provide a procedure that will allow us to arrive at an answer given our desires.

Incremental benefits and harms of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association high blood pressure guideline.

Mon, 01 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Incremental benefits and harms of the 2017 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association high blood pressure guideline. Bell, Katy J.L.; Doust, Jenny; Glasziou, Paul The recent recommendations from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association (ACC/AHA) to lower the thresholds for defining hypertension and for treating higher-risk patients1 have been controversial. For example, the Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians (ACP) argued that the changes are “not supported by evidence and may result in low-value care,” and the American Academy for Family Physicians (AAFP) raised concerns that the “harms of treating a patient to a lower blood pressure (BP) were not assessed.” The Table summarizes key differences between the ACC/AHA guideline and prior guidelines.

Basic Income as a Policy Option for Australia

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Basic Income as a Policy Option for Australia Henderson, Troy This thesis examines Basic Income as a Policy Option for Australia and concludes that phased implementation of an affluence-tested BI scheme would benefit Australia. Chapter 1 historicises four ‘moments’ in the history of BI and advances some tentative explanations for the failure to convert BI proposals into concrete policy reform. Chapter 2 develops a normative framework for this policy option through a sustained critical engagement with the literature on the ethics of BI, including the seminal contributions of Philippe Van Parijs. It argues that BI can be justified on the basis of Van Parijs’ (1997) principle of ‘real freedom for all’, together with the concept of total social productivity (TSP), and a deep form of social reciprocity. Chapter 3 applies this set of normative criteria to the specific case of Australia. Chapter 4 examines the issue of the fiscal cost of BI in advanced countries, focusing on liberal welfare capitalist states. Chapter 5 evaluates the pros and cons of different financing mechanisms for BI, concluding that some combination of progressive taxation and public deficits offers the best way forward for Australia. Chapter 6 interrogates the relationship between BI and wellbeing. It concludes that BI has some potential to enhance wellbeing. Chapter 7 examines the effects of BI on paid work, concluding that modest BI schemes are unlikely to threaten aggregate labour supply. Chapter 8 addresses the under-theorised terrain of the interrelationship of BI, economic growth and inflation. The complexity of macroeconomic relationships admits only tentative conclusions in this chapter. Chapter 9 explores opportunities and implementation pathways for shifting social assistance in Australia towards a more universal and less conditional model. Chapter 10 canvasses a range of political strategies that might be deployed in order to achieve BI policy implementation in Australia.

Monitoring Adherence to Medication by Measuring Change in Blood Pressure.

Fri, 01 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

Monitoring Adherence to Medication by Measuring Change in Blood Pressure. Hayen, Andrew; Bell, Katy J.L.; Glasziou, Paul; Neal, Bruce; Irwig, Les After starting antihypertensives, blood pressure is monitored for several reasons, including assessment of adherence. We aimed to estimate the accuracy of blood pressure monitoring for detecting early nonadherence. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS), a large randomized trial of blood pressure lowering to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke. We compared change in blood pressure 3 months after randomization in people who had discontinued treatment (nonadherent) with those who stayed on treatment (adherent). We also used an indirect method, assessing whether change in blood pressure discriminated between active (adherent) and placebo (nonadherent) groups. Both methods gave similar results. For the 3433 subjects, the mean (SD) of the change in systolic blood pressure was −15.8 mm Hg (SD 18.7 mm Hg) in the adherent group and −4.2 mm Hg (SD 18.1 mm Hg) in the nonadherent group. After recalibration of the mean change in the nonadherent group to 0 mm Hg and in the adherent group to −11.6 mm Hg, the absence of a fall in systolic blood pressure at 3 months had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 80% for detecting nonadherence (50% of nonadherent patients and 20% of adherent patients had a rise in blood pressure). Discriminatory power was modest over the range of cutoffs (area under the receiver–operator curve 0.67). Monitoring blood pressure is poor at detecting nonadherence to blood pressure–lowering treatment. Further research should look at other methods of assessing adherence.

Implementation evaluation of an evidence-informed care bundle for patients with blunt chest injury

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Implementation evaluation of an evidence-informed care bundle for patients with blunt chest injury Kourouche, Sarah Background: Blunt chest wall injuries, such as rib fractures, are associated with higher rates of pneumonia and mortality when treatment is inadequate or delayed. Evidence-based treatments are available; however, they need to be implemented effectively within the complexity of healthcare systems. This thesis describes the development and evaluation of an implementation strategy for a blunt chest injury care bundle (ChIP) using the Knowledge-to-Action cycle as a guiding process model. The overall study objectives were to: 1. Identify best practice for patients with blunt chest injury to inform a care bundle (ChIP) 2. Determine facilitators and barriers to implementing ChIP at two hospitals in NSW, Australia 3. Design an implementation strategy to optimise implementation and uptake of ChIP 4. Evaluate the effectiveness of the implementation strategy at the two hospitals Using a mixed-methods approach, four studies were undertaken to address the study objectives: Study 1: An integrative review was conducted to identify the best available evidence related to chest injury interventions. The findings informed the development of a care bundle (ChIP) with four components: respiratory adjuncts, analgesia, complication prevention and surgical intervention (Objective 1). Study 2: A staff survey of 198 staff from 12 departments was used to identify nine facilitators and six barriers to implementation, which were linked to eight domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework (Objective 2). Study 3: Using the Behaviour Change Wheel and the Behaviour Change Taxonomy and in consultation with front line clinicians, an implementation plan was developed through a rigorous systematic theory-informed process to address the facilitators and barriers identified in study 2. The implementation plan included multi-modal implementation strategies and resources for implementation including a video, face-to-face education sessions, audit/feedback, clinical champions and environmental strategies (Objective 3). Study 4: An evaluation was conducted to assess the fidelity of the implementation in two ways. 1) Evaluation of fidelity to the implementation plan demonstrating that 97.6% of strategies were fully or partially implemented. 2) Evaluation of the fidelity to the overall uptake and adherence with components of ChIP was assessed through a quantitative retrospective pre-post study. Overall, uptake was 97.1% and adherence to the components of ChIP was sustained over the 19-month evaluation period (Objective 4). Conclusion: This thesis demonstrates high-fidelity of delivery in the emergency context by using a robust plan based on theoretical frameworks. The results from this evaluation can inform future design, methods and implementation of multidisciplinary interventions and create an impetus for increased use of implementation science in the emergency or acute care contexts.

Evolving Door: Smithson’s Legacy and the Yucatán Peninsula

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Evolving Door: Smithson’s Legacy and the Yucatán Peninsula Vickers, Rose Using Robert Smithson’s Hotel Palenque (1969/1972) as a fulcrum, this thesis investigates situatedness and the concept of ‘site’. It does so by reconceptualising multiple sites, thereby tackling the disintegration of site and the ruin as a fixed form. Through Hotel Palenque we encounter a site of new or classical ruin, and by looking at a wide range of artworks and the often-political environments of ruin they display, I consider how Hotel Palenque—as a hybrid artwork, lecture, script, and photo series—seems to open up multifaceted elements of entropic site. By drawing a lineage between Hotel Palenque and the writings of Denis Diderot and Georg Simmel—texts that may have informed Smithson—the subject of classical ruin can be located in the unlikely vehicle of new ruin. Yet as the central work in this thesis, Hotel Palenque also poses an exception: opening up a slew of revisory readings that reach back not only to Simmelian aesthetic theory, but into an urgent contemporary domain. A range of post-Smithson practices insist on Hotel Palenque as an important and overlooked facet of Smithson’s practice, provide decoding insights, and raise questions of legacy. By scoping broadly backwards and forwards—and delving into artworks by Julius von Bismarck, Cyprien Gaillard, Harrell Fletcher, Renzo Martens, Anahita Razmi, and Melanie Smith—I establish a continuum of theory on the imaging of ruin from historical texts to the present. The purpose of this exercise is not to construct a timeline, but rather to explore a central idea—that of ruin as metaphor—tested at various temporal points. Where ruin now speaks to contentious social, political, economic, and cultural realities, the idea of ruin speaking to anything at all remains an unusual constant.

Probing Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: A Study into Nonlocality and Quantum Gravity

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Probing Foundations of Quantum Mechanics: A Study into Nonlocality and Quantum Gravity Girdhar, Parth This thesis is about probing aspects of the foundations of quantum mechanics. Firstly, two notions of quantum nonlocality are explored: EPR-steering, the ability to control a remote quantum state, and Bell nonlocality, the inconsistency of a theory with local causality. A necessary and sufficient witness of Einstein-Podolsky- Rosen (EPR) steering is derived for a two qubit system employing only correlations between two arbitrary dichotomic measurements on each party. It is demonstrated that all states that are EPR-steerable with such correlations are also Bell nonlocal, a surprising equivalence between these two fundamental concepts of quantum mechanics. Next, testing modifications of the quantum mechanical canonical commutation relations is addressed. These are properties of some quantum gravity theories that involve an effective minimal length. It is shown that optomechanical probes of position noise spectrum of macroscopic oscillators can produce constraints on these theories. A comparison with current and future realistic experiments reveals the potential to beat constraints from direct experiments on elementary particles. Finally, it is studied how such modifications of quantum mechanics manifest in the theory of general continuous quantum position measurements. Several behaviours are found that deviate strongly from that of standard commutation relations.

Evaluating the metastasis suppressor NDRG1 and its potential in breast cancer prognosis and treatment

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Evaluating the metastasis suppressor NDRG1 and its potential in breast cancer prognosis and treatment Shehadeh Tout, Faten Jawdat Fadel The burden of breast cancer (BC) on healthcare systems and on women’s lives is indisputable. Despite the availability of early detection and endocrine treatments, many BC patients develop de novo/acquired resistance to these therapies, leading to metastasis and unresponsive relapse. Estrogen receptor α (ER-α) is a major driver of BC, being expressed in 75% of all diagnosed cases. As a result, ER-α is the major therapeutic target for ER-α-positive BC, with agents such as tamoxifen used to block ER-α activity and interfere with its down-stream oncogenic singling. However, a major problem associated with tamoxifen is the emergence of resistance. Resistant BC is often associated with aggressive relapse, metastasis and high mortality rates of 80%. A key mechanism for the development of resistance is the activation of EGFR/HER2/HER3 signalling pathways that can intrinsically activate ER-α. At present, no BC therapy is able to inhibit both ER-α and the EGFR/HER2/HER3 pathways to prevent the development of resistance and stop metastasis. This thesis investigated a novel class of thiosemicarbazone anti-cancer agents, namely Dp44mT and DpC, on the expression, activation and cross-talk between major BC hormonal receptors, their co-factors and key pathways involved in resistance in ER-α-positive BC. In addition, as metastasis is the primary cause of cancer death, this thesis investigated the role of the metastatic suppresser N-myc downstream-regulated gene 1 (NDRG1), in BC progression. Importantly, the ability of NDRG1 to influence the communication between the BC cells and surrounding cancer associated fibroblasts was also assessed for the first time. This study demonstrates for the first time the multi-faceted effect of novel thiosemicarbazone anti-cancer agents on multiple key drivers of BC progression and highlights their potential to overcome the major clinical problems of resistance and metastasis. This thesis also elucidates the functional role of NDRG1 on ER-α and the ability of NDRG1 to inhibit ER-α activation. Lastly, the ability of NDRG1 to inhibit cancer cell communication with surrounding CAFs is a major finding that may have important implications for understanding BC progression and metastasis, which are driven by CAFs. Hence, targeting NDRG1 is a novel therapeutic approach that may provide a safe and potent alternative for patients suffering advanced and resistant forms of BC.

Social and Emotional Wellbeing service experiences of Aboriginal young people in New South Wales, Australia: listening to voices, respecting experiences, improving outcomes

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Social and Emotional Wellbeing service experiences of Aboriginal young people in New South Wales, Australia: listening to voices, respecting experiences, improving outcomes Garay, Jasper Many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in New South Wales have lived experiences of mental health/social and emotional wellbeing services and systems. These lived experiences and knowledges are of great value to services and systems that are seeking to improve mental health/social and emotional wellbeing health outcomes through systemic reform. The lived experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people are crucial to developing an authentic understanding of why some services and systems work and why some services and systems do not work; they also offer a consumer perspective on how mental health/social and emotional wellbeing services and systems could be improved. While there is a growing body of research providing evidence suggesting that young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples experience very high burdens of mental health/social and emotional wellbeing challenges, there is minimal research on mental health/social and emotional wellbeing help-seeking, service experiences or on what works (and why or why not). This research fills part of that knowledge gap. This research forms part of a larger body of work being undertaken by the Study of Environment on Aboriginal Resilience and Child Health (SEARCH) team in partnership with several Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS) in New South Wales, Australia. It aims to privilege the voices, experiences, and perspectives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people who use mental health/social and emotional wellbeing services and systems in New South Wales. Through this data the research aims to establish a consumer perspective on how current mental health/social and emotional wellbeing services and systems can build upon current strengths and successes. It also aims to preview 4 suggestions for change by positioning the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people as experts on their own needs. Aboriginal young people involved in this study did have suggestions for reforms to Social and Emotional Wellbeing services that would improve outcomes across five key themes: access, cultural appropriateness, early intervention, service integration, and effectiveness. Overall, enhanced accessibility to holistic Social and Emotional Wellbeing services that genuinely support clients in their wellbeing journeys was identified as needed. Earlier intervention services were identified as important and requiring further embedment in communities, with services that do exist suggested to better utilise culturally informed and person-centered approaches to care. This thesis presents a synthesis of related literature, mental health/social and emotional wellbeing data and policies and uses qualitative health research methods to position the voices, experiences, and perspectives of current Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people as experts in this research

Playing Multiple Musical Instruments: How musicians can transform their principal instrument performance skills and musicality

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Playing Multiple Musical Instruments: How musicians can transform their principal instrument performance skills and musicality Koh, Li Qing Music students learning a musical instrument tend to rely on their teacher for instructions. The challenge for the students is to become autonomous performers and develop critical thinking to enhance their musical skills. Informal learning is an essential component for developing their self-efficacy and for regulating their learning skills. The aim of this study is to explore the experience of musicians in learning multiple musical instruments and to discover the knowledge transfer that takes place between one instrument to another. It first asks students to identify their reasons behind choosing a second instrument. Then, it asks students to identify any new skills that they have applied from their second instrument to their principal instrument. Thirty participants from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (fifteen pianists and fifteen non-pianists) were invited to complete a questionnaire about their principal and non-principal instrumental learning. Students reported are either formerly or currently playing two to three instruments. All were having tertiary instrumental lessons for their principal instrument. Some learned the non-principal instrument through formal lessons while others taught themselves. The reported skills were identified into seven different skills: aural and listening, theory, phrasing and breathing, sight reading, ensemble and collaborative skills, stylistic and interpretation and presentation skills, hand/body movement in affecting sound. Students reported that they felt more versatile and better equipped to demonstrate their musical sensitivity. They could implement better technique and have improved perception of music. They gained more performance experience from playing multiple instruments and learned more variety of stylistic genre and repertoire. Playing more than one instrument prepares students to be life-long learners who can direct and monitor their own musical development through their principal instrument. dddd

Dataset for "Knowledge, skills and barriers to evidence-based practice and the impact of a flipped classroom training program for physical therapists: an observational study"

Wed, 17 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Dataset for "Knowledge, skills and barriers to evidence-based practice and the impact of a flipped classroom training program for physical therapists: an observational study" Harrison, Leora; Wong, David; Harmer, Alison R; Jennings, Matthew Objective: To evaluate the knowledge, skills and barriers to evidence-based practice and the impact of evidence-based practice training for physical therapy clinicians. Methods: Physical therapists from a health district in Sydney, Australia were invited to participate. The primary outcome was the Assessing Competency in Evidence-based Medicine scale (range 0-15; 15 is high knowledge and skill) to quantify knowledge and skills. The secondary outcomes were the four subscales of the BARRIERS scale (range 1-4; 4 is high barrier) to quantify barriers. Outcomes were collected at baseline and post an evidence-based practice training program (flipped classroom approach that addressed the core competencies for teaching evidence-based practice) of 3 months duration. Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trial Register (ACTRN12619000038190). Results: 104 participants completed baseline data and 94 completed post-training data. The mean score for the Assessing Competency in Evidence-based Medicine scale for knowledge and skills at baseline was 9.5 (standard deviation 1.6). The mean BARRIERS subscale scores at baseline were: Healthcare Provider 1.9 (0.5); Research 2.2 (0.5); Setting 2.6 (0.5); and Presentation 2.6 (0.5). On average, training increased the Assessing Competency in Evidence-based Medicine scale score by 0.1 points (95% confidence interval -0.2 to 0.5) and reduced barriers by -0.1 (-0.2 to 0.0; Setting subscale) to -0.2 (-0.3 to -0.1; Healthcare Provider subscale). Conclusions: Physical therapists have knowledge and skill in evidence-based practice that is comparable to other allied health professionals, medical students and medical doctors, and encountered barriers to using high-quality clinical research to guide practice. Training did not change knowledge and skills but did reduce barriers.

Epithelial-mesenchymal dynamics in human carcinomas

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Epithelial-mesenchymal dynamics in human carcinomas Zolghadr, Fatemeh Carcinomas which are the malignancies of the epithelial tissue are the most common type of cancer. The two model systems studied in this thesis, ovarian and oral squamous cell carcinomas each comprise over 90% of cases diagnosed in their respective cancer groups. The current standing in the clinical management of both carcinomas involves surgical removal of the lesion, combined with adjuvant chemo/radiotherapy. Despite all the progress achieved, the five years survival of the patients is still low, which is largely affected by a high degree of metastatic disease relapse. It has been clearly demonstrated that most epithelial carcinomas including ovarian and oral carcinoma, manifest a large degree of cellular and molecular heterogeneity, with varied degrees of plasticity. Heterogeneity along the epithelial-mesenchymal axis driven by a cellular process called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial aspect of intratumour heterogeneity which severely affects tumour behaviour and response to treatment. Dissection of molecular pathways underlying this heterogeneity and their dynamics in response to treatment will provide a better understanding of the disease dynamics, facilitating design of novel therapeutic approaches with more promising clinical outcomes and prognosis. In the first part of this research work, the role of BMP signalling pathway in the regulation of ovarian carcinoma cells’ EMT and migration capacity was investigated. Analysing the existing ovarian carcinoma data, we demonstrated that the BMP pathway is enriched in tumours having elevated levels of EMT markers. Functional inhibition of the BMP pathway in ovarian carcinoma cells by a small molecule inhibitor, DMH1, resulted in impaired migration and depressed EMT signatures in both in vitro and in vivo models. On the other hand, ectopic induction of EMT in ovarian carcinoma cells through activation of an independent pathway, TNF-α, resulted in the selective induction of Smad-mediated BMP pathway suggesting it as the pathway of choice for the maintenance of EMT secondary to EMT induction. As the second part of the work, we have used human oral squamous carcinoma cell 3D spheroids as a model to study different aspects of tumour behaviour within epithelial and mesenchymal compartments and their functional roles during response to ionising radiation. We have further analysed the molecular dynamics of tumour spheroids during the course of radiation-induced tumour remodelling and identified the Wnt signalling pathway as a major player in radiation resistance and remodelling along the epithelial-mesenchymal axis. The last part of this thesis is a longitudinal study in which tumour biopsies from a single patient were analysed at different stages of the disease. The correlation between EMT states and the stage of carcinogenesis, radiation exposure and the location of the cells in the bulk of tumour was analysed in these samples. The results revealed that a population of hybrid ECADPos-VIMPos cells emerges and expands as the cancer develops and becomes more advanced. Moreover, by the time the well-differentiated carcinoma develops, another population comprised of ECADLow/Neg-VIMPos cells has come into existence. The number of ECADLow/Neg-VIMPos cells also increases in the relapsed tumour following the course of radiotherapy. Central parts of the well-differentiated OSCC biopsies in comparison to the marginal areas, contain higher numbers of ECADPos-VIMPos cells. The ECADLow/Neg-VIMPos cell population, however, is detectable only in the central but not the marginal areas.

La Vía Chilena al Socialismo, 50 años después

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

La Vía Chilena al Socialismo, 50 años después Austin Henry, Robert; Salém Vasconcelos, Joana; Canibilo Ramírez, Viviana Si bien el trienio de la Unidad Popular ha generado una gran literatura mundial, sigue siendo un tema de relevancia central para la reflexión crítica sobre los caminos al socialismo, sus formas, ritmos y obstáculos. El proyecto vigente es resultado de un profundo esfuerzo colectivo en la 2ª mitad de 2020 para alabar y criticar al mismo tiempo la así llamada Vía Chilena el Socialismo, a 50 años del triunfo de Salvador Allende y la Unidad Popular, desde variados enfoques. En este Vol. I (Historia), la lectoría encontrará tras el prefacio de Faride Zerán, un conjunto de 29 capítulos divididos en seis partes temáticas. La primera, sobre “Cultura y Feminismos”, contiene 5 capítulos que tratan de los feminismos interseccionales durante la UP, los cambios en la cultura, en la educación y la producción literaria. La 2ª parte, “Lucha Popular y Derechos”, reúne 5 trabajos sobre la experiencia de lucha cotidiana de los trabajadores, los sentidos populares de la política, el protagonismo comunitario y el sistema sanitario de la UP. En la 3ª parte, “Poder y Partidos”, se encuentran 5 capítulos sobre los partidos de izquierda, las polémicas de la Revolución Chilena bajo la mirada del presente, las alianzas políticas tejidas en las luchas sociales, la historia del FRAP hasta la UP y las relaciones entre la Revolución Cubana y la Vía Chilena. En la 4ª parte, intitulada “Economía y Reforma Agraria”, están reunidos 5 capítulos sobre la nacionalización del cobre, la reforma agraria, las luchas campesinas, el problema de la productividad, las crisis de desabastecimiento y el paro patronal de 1972. En la 5ª, “Luchas Indígenas y Territorio”, se encuentran 5 capítulos sobre la larga lucha indígena, el Cautinazo, las relaciones de alianzas y tensiones entre el pueblo mapuche y el marxismo, más las particularidades culturales y territoriales en las movilizaciones por la recuperación de las tierras usurpadas en Wallmapu. En la 6ª, “Imperialismo y Contrarrevolución”, hay 4 trabajos sobre las estrategias y actuación de las derechas durante el trienio, las maniobras de la sedición, las fuerzas que generaron el golpe de 1973, el papel de los Estados Unidos en el golpe militar y la cuestión militar desde el enfoque de la lucha popular.

ONLINE RESOURCE RESERVATION FORMOBILE EDGE COMPUTING SERVICES

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

ONLINE RESOURCE RESERVATION FORMOBILE EDGE COMPUTING SERVICES Zang, Shizhe Over the last decade, the world has witnessed the rapid penetration and proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT). With the rise of smart IoT applications, the edge of the computer network is envisioned to be the data processor, which refers to as mobile edge computing (MEC). Instead of processing tasks locally, the IoT applications offload computational intensive tasks to the MEC server for processing. As a large portion of smart IoT applications are event-triggered, MEC users have very limited information about future tasks, which includes the communication as well as computing resource usage and the arrival time of the task. Therefore, the MEC resource needs to be purchased or reserved in an online manner. As MEC market reaches maturity, MEC brokers will emerge to help reduce the cost of individual users by aggregating users’ task demand to improve resource utilization. In this thesis, we investigate the online MEC resource reservation problem for both individual users and brokers. Similar to the cloud computing and wireless communication market, MEC users and brokers can purchase both communication and computing resources by PAYG or plans. Besides data and computing plans for each type of resource, we also consider combo plans specifically designed for MEC services covering both resources. Compared with PAYG, plans have a high upfront fee but can cover the corresponding resource usage for a period of time. As such, how to choose between PAYG and plans and when to purchase the resource determine the cost of users and brokers. To the best of our knowledge, we are the first to consider online resource reservation problem for MEC users and brokers. To solve the resource reservation problem, we first formulate offline cost minimization problems for both individual users and brokers, which are NP-Complete. Then we formulate online cost minimization problems and convert them to competitive ratio minimization problems. We propose deterministic online resource reservation algorithms for individual users and brokers to solve these problems. By conducting competitive analysis, we derive the competitive ratio of the deterministic online re-source reservation algorithms for individual users and prove it to be the minimum among all deterministic online resource reservation algorithms for individual users. We also derive the competitive ratio of the deterministic online resource reservation algorithm for brokers, and prove it to be the minimum among all deterministic online resource reservation algorithms for brokers. Besides deterministic algorithms, we derive randomized online resource reservation algorithms for individual users and brokers, which are probability distribution of deterministic algorithms. By conducting competitive analysis, we derive the competitive ratio of the randomized online resource reservation algorithm for individual users and prove it to be the minimum among all randomized online resource reservation algorithms for individual users. We also derive the competitive ratio of the randomized online resource reservation algorithm for brokers, and prove it to be the minimum among all randomized online resource reservation algorithms for brokers. In the trace-driven simulations, our proposed deterministic online resource reservation algorithms for individual users and brokers outperforms all benchmark schemes including prediction based methods in terms of cost minimization and resource utilization. Although our proposed randomized online resource reservation algorithms for users and brokers have better competitive ratios (worst case guarantee) than deterministic online resource reservation algorithms, their performances are worse than the deterministic online resource reservation algorithms. Furthermore, we verify that MEC brokers can reduce costs of individual users through demand aggregation. Our proposed algorithms can be used for new MEC users and brokers with little knowledge on future resource usage or users and brokers with highly fluctuating demands.

Hypothetical bias in stated choice experiments: Part I. Integrative synthesis of empirical evidence and conceptualisation of external validity

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Hypothetical bias in stated choice experiments: Part I. Integrative synthesis of empirical evidence and conceptualisation of external validity Haghani, Milad; Bliemer, Michiel C. J.; Rose, John M.; Oppewal, Harmen; Lancsar, Emily The notion of hypothetical bias (HB) constitutes, arguably, the most fundamental issue in relation to the use of hypothetical survey methods. Whether or to what extent choices of survey participants and subsequent inferred estimates translate to real-world settings continues to be debated. While HB has been extensively studied in the broader context of contingent valuation, it is much less understood in relation to choice experiments (CE). This paper reviews the empirical evidence for HB in CE in various fields of applied economics and presents an integrative framework for how HB relates to external validity. Results suggest mixed evidence on the prevalence, extent and direction of HB as well as considerable context and measurement dependency. While HB is found to be an undeniable issue when conducting CEs, the empirical evidence on HB does not render CEs unable to represent real-world preferences. While health-related choice experiments often find negligible degrees of HB, experiments in consumer behaviour and transport domains suggest that significant degrees of HB are ubiquitous. Assessments of bias in environmental valuation studies provide mixed evidence. Also, across these disciplines many studies display HB in their total willingness to pay estimates and opt-in rates but not in their hypothetical marginal rates of substitution (subject to scale correction). Further, recent findings in psychology and brain imaging studies suggest neurocognitive mechanisms underlying HB that may explain some of the discrepancies and unexpected findings in the mainstream CE literature. The review also observes how the variety of operational definitions of HB prohibits consistent measurement of HB in CE. The paper further identifies major sources and catalogues explanations of HB as well as possible moderating factors. Finally, it explains how HB represents one component of the wider concept of external validity.

Multidisciplinary surgical management of patients with clinically severe obesity in a publicly funded bariatric surgery service in three public hospitals in Australia

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Multidisciplinary surgical management of patients with clinically severe obesity in a publicly funded bariatric surgery service in three public hospitals in Australia Tan, Mun Chieng Background: Obesity, a National Health Priority Area, has been a major challenge facing the Australian population and is at a crisis level. It has also become a global epidemic with a disproportionate rise in class III obesity (BMI ≥40 Kg/m2), causing substantial burden in obesity and the healthcare systems. There are approximately one million adults in Australia with clinically severe obesity, defined as class III obesity alone or a BMI ≥35 Kg/m2 with at least one major obesity-related comorbidity. Bariatric surgery is well-established as the most effective treatment for severe and complex obesity that has been unmanageable by other modalities. Despite most Australians relying on the public healthcare system, the vast majority of bariatric surgical procedures are performed in private hospitals owing to scarce resources in the public sector. As a result of this reason and sparse research funding, there is a limited understanding of the management, benefits and safety of publicly funded bariatric surgery in the context of clinically severe obesity and its metabolic consequences, especially in long-term (defined by >5 years). Settings: A multidisciplinary publicly funded bariatric surgery service covering three public hospitals, namely Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Concord Repatriation General Hospital and Camden Hospital in Sydney, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Data linkage with the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry (AOANJRR) was also performed. Aims and research themes: This thesis aims to address key knowledge deficiencies in a broad range of areas encompassing the full spectrum of bariatric surgery in multidisciplinary clinical obesity services, using both retrospective and prospective study designs. These studies were grouped into four major research themes, with each theme representing one chapter in the thesis. The research themes investigated were: (1) long-term health outcomes after bariatric surgery, (2) adherence to multidisciplinary post-operative follow-up care, (3) whether pre-operative weight loss predicts post-surgical weight loss, and (4) prediction of diabetes remission using an algorithm. Main findings: The first research theme (CHAPTER 2) is a retrospective cohort study that examined the long-term effectiveness and safety of bariatric surgery in a highly-complex clinically severe obese population. While the overall weight loss and changes of obesity-related comorbidities [especially type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), hypertension and hyperlipidaemia] were significant following bariatric surgery over 6 years; being super obese (BMI ≥50 Kg/m2) had no multiplicative and detrimental effect in these features compared to the morbidly obese patients (<50 Kg/m2). The prevalence of the obesity-related comorbidities studied [i.e. T2DM, hypertension, osteoarthritis (OA) and/or weight-bearing joint pain (WBJP), sleep-disordered breathing and hyperuricaemia] decreased after bariatric surgery and remained lower than baseline as time progressed; whereas hyperlipidaemia and mental illness surpassed baseline level at post-operative 6 years. For nutrient deficiency, vitamin D deficiency was noted in one-third of patients pre-operatively and decreased significantly after bariatric surgery. Iron deficiency anaemia doubled at year 6 post-operation. Low prevalence of vitamin B12 insufficiency was detected before and after bariatric surgery, with no patient developing a deficiency in years 5 and 6 post-operatively. Of the 34.5% with peri- and post-operative complications, none was life-threatening. The second research theme (CHAPTER 3) is a prospectively conducted study that investigated the reasons for ceasing attendance at clinic reviews after surgery, predictors of adherence to post-bariatric surgery clinic reviews, and the relationship – if any – between adherence to follow-up and weight loss outcomes. The adherence rate to follow-up visits after bariatric surgery (i.e. patients attended follow-up regularly) among the study patients was 63.7% [107 of 168 (63.7%)]; 20 (11.9%) attended irregularly and 41 (24.4%) ceased attending reviews. According to the patients, withdrawal from the publicly funded bariatric surgery service was mainly associated with travel distance. Linear mixed-effects model with random effects revealed no pronounced difference in the mean weight loss between the adherent and nonadherent groups (composite of those who attended irregularly or who ceased attending follow-up) over the years. Logistic regression model shows that older and partnered patients were more likely to adhere to follow-up care after operation. The results could guide care practices for patients needing additional contacts and supports, so they may benefit from additional assistance to experience optimal outcomes. Subsequent studies (CHAPTER 4) explored the relationship between pre-operative weight loss and weight loss post-bariatric surgery, to determine the necessity of the current requirement for weight loss prior to publicly funded bariatric surgery in the future. The result shows insignificant relationship between these two parameters, suggesting that the pre-operative weight management program (WMP) that is currently-mandated prior to the surgery may not be necessary. However, the WMP might still be important as an opportunity to resolve medical problems; to prevent post-operative psychological issues from emerging; to ensure patients understand the implications of bariatric surgery and its necessary lifestyle changes; and to minimise potential surgical risks. Multiple linear regression analysis demonstrated that age at surgery is a reliable predictor of post-operative weight loss across years 1 to 6 post-operation, suggesting that older patients may achieve better outcomes from bariatric surgery. The fourth research theme (CHAPTER 5) identified short- and longer-term post-operative diabetes remission prediction following bariatric surgery using the DiaRem scoring system that computed by the following simple variables – age, HbA1c, glucose lowering treatment other than insulin, and insulin treatment. The DiaRem algorithm was shown to perform well in discriminative capacity, predictive ability and calibration in the study cohort with T2DM. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operator characteristic was 0.869 (95% CI=0.800–0.938) for the standard year 1 post-operative follow-up, with the most optimal cut-off score being ≤12, sensitivity of 94.8% and specificity of 64.2%. The discriminative ability is comparatively high for those with 5-year post-operative diabetes remission [AUC=0.835 (95% CI=0.714–0.956), optimal cut-off score ≤12, sensitivity=89.5% and specificity=52.2%]. Logistic regression models demonstrated that DiaRem algorithm reliably predicted diabetes remission 1 year [OR (95% CI)=0.733 (0.655-0.821), p<0.001] and 5 years following surgery [OR (95% CI)=0.753 (0.623-0.909), p=0.003]. The Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit tests indicated good fit of DiaRem prediction models for both 1 year and 5 years post-surgery, thus accurate models to use. This study confirmed that DiaRem is a useful and practical tool to help clinicians with selection and prioritisation of patients with T2DM and seeking bariatric surgery in publicly funded models. Conclusion: Collectively, this thesis highlights the unique nature of the multidisciplinary surgical management of clinically severe obesity in three specialist obesity services in public hospitals within the carefully-studied cohort. It supported the high-risk and well-characterised clinically severe obese population with long-term effective and safe access to multidisciplinary publicly funded bariatric surgery service and research. These studies significantly contributed to a transparent and improved understanding of the management in the context of complex obesity, including those with super obesity and multiple obesity-related comorbidities. Ultimately, these findings can enhance clinical practice by providing evidence-based knowledge and specific tools for the management of multidisciplinary bariatric surgery in the growing population with clinically severe obesity.

Barriers to IoT Benefits Realization

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Barriers to IoT Benefits Realization Goad, David Douglas The Internet of Things (IoT) is often referred to as one of the key technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Along with the three industrial revolutions before it, this current industrial revolution promises to be disruptive, changing how we live our lives and run our organizations. Yet, while the IoT has demonstrated great promise, it will underperform in terms of expected adoption and resultant benefits realization compared to initially overly optimistic industry forecasts. This is partly due to several barriers to implementing IoT based solutions that inhibit, reduce, or slow the realization of the intended benefits. In this research thesis, I identify and then analyze several of the barriers to IoT benefits realization. These include issues related to IoT architectural heterogeneity, the challenges with securing the IoT, the reduction in privacy that the IoT creates and the resultant regulatory burden and the need for new business models to realize the value that the IoT can create. For each identified barrier I look to contribute to the literature by furthering understanding of that phenomena in question and/or by exploring potential solutions to improve benefits realization. Adopting a “Thesis including Publications” approach the analysis of each barrier is presented in a separate self-contained research paper with four papers presented in total. Two of these research papers (on IoT Architecture and Privacy) have been published and a further two (on IoT Security and Business Models) have been submitted for publication.

Raising the musical self-efficacy of classroom teachers: best practice collaborative strategies for visiting artists

Fri, 12 Feb 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Raising the musical self-efficacy of classroom teachers: best practice collaborative strategies for visiting artists Cortez, Karen This study aimed to investigate the collaborative possibilities of a modified single visit format to support the musical self-efficacy of teachers. A “truncated” action research model (Cain, 2008) was used to demonstrate at a methodological level the importance of teacher involvement in this process. The ensemble Quart-Ed worked with four teachers from Banana School over the course of two collaborative meetings in preparation for delivering a program for their classes. Using interviews, fieldnotes, video recordings, and formal and informal reflection from all participants at every stage of the process, numerous strategies for positive teacher-artist collaboration were identified that increased musical self-efficacy or fostered a sense of ownership of the program. Some attempted strategies were less successful and modified versions are suggested for future cycles of action research. The results of this study suggest that the modified single-visit format has strong potential to positively impact teacher musical self-efficacy and is a possible solution for artists wishing to encourage the musical capabilities of the teacher with whom they interact.

The influence of genetic and environmental factors on musculoskeletal motion and physical activity

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

The influence of genetic and environmental factors on musculoskeletal motion and physical activity Bayartai, Munkh-Erdene Human motion is complex and enables people to interact with the environment and conduct their daily activities. However, the physical activity levels of people living in modern society has reduced compared to ancestral environments, where people needed to undertake high rates of physical activity in order to pursue their prey and escape predators. In contemporary society, people living in rural areas undertake less vigorous activity due to mechanisation and industrialisation. In addition, sedentary behaviour has increased due to urbanisation, despite the fact that the health benefits of promoting general human movement through physical activity have been well established. The amount of physical activity of people living in urbanised areas also differs from those in rural areas. However, data related to physical activity are specifically lacking in developing countries. The aim of this thesis was to investigate genetic (heritability) and environmental contributions to musculoskeletal motion and physical activity in Mongolian adults. Chapter Two showed that too few studies have investigated the heritability of musculoskeletal motion. Chapter Three and Four found strong environmental contributions to light intensity physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and lumbar motion control, whilst high heritability was noted for higher intensities of physical activity and lumbar posture. Chapter Five identified that health benefits were the top motivator for physical activity, regardless of residential region, but barriers were region specific. Chapter Six found deceased physical activity along with prolonged sitting was negatively associated with lumbar motion, suggesting that increasing physical activity may promote lumbar motion. Incorporating health benefits as the top motivator into a physical activity intervention, as well as addressing region-specific barriers, may be beneficial in promoting individuals to be active in Mongolia. includes published articles

Distribution and Depletion of Lubricant on Anti-Fouling Lubricant-Infused Surfaces

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Distribution and Depletion of Lubricant on Anti-Fouling Lubricant-Infused Surfaces Peppou-Chapman, Samuel Joseph Lubricant-infused surfaces (LIS), which immobilise a liquid layer on a solid surface, combine the properties of both the liquid and solid surface. These surfaces are exceptionally slippery – droplets easily roll off them, bacteria cannot settle on them, ice cannot adhere to them. Lubricant-infused surfaces represent a paradigm shift in the study of functional surfaces, with the past decade seeing thousands of papers published on the design, application, function and analysis of these surfaces. One particularly exciting avenue of research is the their ability to repel biofouling without the use of banned toxic biocides such as tributyltin (TBT). Unfortunately, the lubricant layer is not entirely immobilised and depletes over time and due to external forces. This Thesis explores the marine antifouling properties of LIS and relates it to the quantity and distribution of lubricant on the surface by developing techniques to quantify and map the lubricant on the surface. The antifouling performance of LIS is tested against marine bacteria, Psuedoalteromonas spp., and in a real-world test. The antifouling ability of these LIS are then related to the amount of lubricant present by measuring the volume of lubricant using a fluorescence technique. To further explore the effect of depletion, the distribution of lubricant is mapped using atomic force microscopy (AFM) meniscus force measurements which allow for precise mapping of the thickness of lubricant at the nanoscale. Using this technique, the antifouling performance of LIS is directly related to the distribution of lubricant on the surface and the effect of different depleting forces on LIS are studied. Specifically, the effect of passing through the air-water interface (unavoidable if deployed in marine environments) is studied, showing that capillarity is the main driving force in stabilising lubricant against this depletion force.