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Comment on Zhou et al. Cost-effectiveness of Diabetes Prevention Interventions Targeting High-risk Individuals and Whole Populations: A Systematic Review. Diabetes Care 2020;43:1593-1616

Tue, 01 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Sathish, T; Shaw, JE; Oldenburg, B; Mahal, A 2020-12-01 Comment on Zhou et al. Cost-effectiveness of Diabetes Prevention Interventions Targeting High-risk Individuals and Whole Populations: A Systematic Review. Diabetes Care 2020;43:1593-1616 Journal Article

The Impact of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on 24-Hour Movement Behavior in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: New Insights From a Compositional Perspective

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Burge, AT; Palarea-Albaladejo, J; Holland, AE; Abramson, MJ; McDonald, CF; Mahal, A; Hill, CJ; Lee, AL; Cox, NS; Lahham, A; Moore, R; Nicolson, C; O'Halloran, P; Gillies, R; Chastin, SFM 2021-01-01 The Impact of Pulmonary Rehabilitation on 24-Hour Movement Behavior in People With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: New Insights From a Compositional Perspective BACKGROUND: Physical activity levels are low in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and there is limited knowledge about how pulmonary rehabilitation transforms movement behaviors. This study analyzed data from a pulmonary rehabilitation trial and identified determinants of movement behaviors. METHODS: Objectively assessed time in daily movement behaviors (sleep, sedentary, light-intensity physical activity, and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity) from a randomized controlled trial (n = 73 participants) comparing home- and center-based pulmonary rehabilitation was analyzed using conventional and compositional analytical approaches. Regression analysis was used to assess relationships between movement behaviors, participant features, and response to the interventions. RESULTS: Compositional analysis revealed no significant differences in movement profiles between the home- and center-based groups. At end rehabilitation, conventional analyses identified positive relationships between exercise capacity (6-min walk distance), light-intensity physical activity, and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity time. Compositional analyses identified positive relationships between a 6-minute walk distance and moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity time, accompanied by negative relationships with sleep and sedentary time (relative to other time components) and novel relationships between body mass index and light-intensity physical activity/sedentary time. CONCLUSION: Compositional analyses following pulmonary rehabilitation identified unique associations between movement behaviors that were not evident in conventional analyses. Journal Article

'Willingness to Pay': The Value Attributed to Program Location by Pulmonary Rehabilitation Participants

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Burge, A; Holland, AE; McDonald, CF; Abramson, MJ; Hill, CJ; Lee, AL; Cox, NS; Moore, R; Nicolson, C; O'Halloran, P; Lahham, A; Gillies, R; Mahal, A 2020-01-01 'Willingness to Pay': The Value Attributed to Program Location by Pulmonary Rehabilitation Participants Conference Paper

The state of stroke services across the globe: Report of World Stroke Organization-World Health Organization surveys.

Thu, 27 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Owolabi, MO; Thrift, AG; Martins, S; Johnson, W; Pandian, J; Abd-Allah, F; Varghese, C; Mahal, A; Yaria, J; Phan, HT; Roth, G; Gall, SL; Beare, R; Phan, TG; Mikulik, R; Norrving, B; Feigin, VL 2021-05-27 The state of stroke services across the globe: Report of World Stroke Organization-World Health Organization surveys. BACKGROUND: Improving stroke services is critical for reducing the global stroke burden. The World Stroke Organization-World Health Organization-Lancet Neurology Commission on Stroke conducted a survey of the status of stroke services in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries. METHODS: Using a validated World Stroke Organization comprehensive questionnaire, we collected and compared data on stroke services along four pillars of the stroke quadrangle (surveillance, prevention, acute stroke, and rehabilitation) in 84 countries across World Health Organization regions and economic strata. The World Health Organization also conducted a survey of non-communicable diseases in 194 countries in 2019. RESULTS: Fewer surveillance activities (including presence of registries, presence of recent risk factors surveys, and participation in research) were reported in low-income countries than high-income countries. The overall global score for prevention was 40.2%. Stroke units were present in 91% of high-income countries in contrast to 18% of low-income countries (p < 0.001). Acute stroke treatments were offered in ∼ 60% of high-income countries compared to 26% of low-income countries (p = 0.009). Compared to high-income countries, LMICs provided less rehabilitation services including in-patient rehabilitation, home assessment, community rehabilitation, education, early hospital discharge program, and presence of rehabilitation protocol. CONCLUSIONS: There is an urgent need to improve access to stroke units and services globally especially in LMICs. Countries with less stroke services can adapt strategies from those with better services. This could include establishment of a framework for regular monitoring of stroke burden and services, implementation of integrated prevention activities and essential acute stroke care services, and provision of interdisciplinary care for stroke rehabilitation. Journal Article

Imaging the ignition of dense, inhomogenous liquid fuel sprays at elevated temperatures and pressures

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Han, M; Gordon, R; Talei, M; Brear, M; Lacey, J 2020-12-11 Imaging the ignition of dense, inhomogenous liquid fuel sprays at elevated temperatures and pressures Conference Paper

International comparison of building energy performance standards

Sat, 01 Jan 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Horne, R; Hayles, C; Ron, W; Hes, D; Jensen, C 2005 International comparison of building energy performance standards Report

Family psychoeducation after a suicide attempt

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Krysinska, K; Andriessen, K 2021-01 Family psychoeducation after a suicide attempt

Family can play an important role in supporting a person at-risk of suicide, as well as through treatment and recovery after a suicide attempt. This text provides an overview of the impact a suicide attempt can have on the family and the needs of family carers. Examples of psychosocial interventions for people, mostly adolescents, who have made a suicide attempt and their families are presented along with psychoeducational materials developed for family carers, whose emotional proximity may hinder and/or facilitate engagement with the suicidal person. Although several interventions are promising, further research into the effectiveness of psychoeducational interventions and family involvement after a suicide attempt is warranted.

Chapter

Suicide loss

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Andriessen, K; Krysinska, K 2021-01 Suicide loss

Experiencing the suicide of a significant other, such as a family member or a friend, constitutes a major disruptive life event, which may exacerbate the risk of social, physical, and mental health problems, and suicidal behaviour in the bereaved individuals. This chapter describes how many people are bereaved by suicide, the possible grief reactions, and novel insights related to continuing bonds and personal growth that people bereaved by suicide may experience. The chapter also presents what types of support, either face-to-face or online, are available to people bereaved by suicide. While further research is needed to elucidate the effectiveness of support for people bereaved by suicide, the chapter concludes that all support should be offered in an involved, empathic, and educational climate.

Chapter

Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions for Family Members and Other Informal Support Persons of Individuals Who Have Made a Suicide Attempt.

Tue, 04 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Krysinska, K; Andriessen, K; Ozols, I; Reifels, L; Robinson, J; Pirkis, J 2021-05-04 Effectiveness of Psychosocial Interventions for Family Members and Other Informal Support Persons of Individuals Who Have Made a Suicide Attempt. Background: Individuals recovering from a suicide attempt may benefit from support provided by informal carers, that is, family members and other support persons, who may require support themselves. Aims: This systematic review aims to identify and synthesize available literature on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for this carer population. Method: A search of peer-reviewed literature in five databases was carried out. Studies using any design were eligible and results were synthesized using a narrative review. Results: Eight articles reporting on seven quantitative studies met the eligibility criteria. This included three studies on interventions designed specifically for informal carers and four studies on interventions designed for persons who have made a suicide attempt, and which involved their informal carers. Overall, informal carers were satisfied with support and psychosocial interventions they received. Interventions were related to some improvements in carers' mental health outcomes, lowered burden, and improved ability to provide care. There were mixed results regarding family functioning and quality of life. Limitations: No studies from lower- and middle-income countries were identified and the small number of heterogeneous studies precluded conducting a meta-analysis. Conclusion: Given the low number of studies and their overall poor quality, this review can only draw preliminary conclusions. More high-quality intervention studies are needed to formulate recommendations for effective psychosocial support for family members and other informal support persons after a suicide attempt. Journal Article

The role of volunteer organizations in suicide prevention

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Andriessen, K 2021-01 The role of volunteer organizations in suicide prevention

Contemporary suicide prevention emerged, to a large extent, as a result of groundwork conducted by volunteers. This chapter focuses on the involvement of volunteers in suicide prevention organizations throughout history and across the world, including the involvement of volunteers in suicide bereavement support. The characteristics of volunteers and volunteer organizations are presented. The question regarding the effectiveness of volunteer organizations is discussed (e.g. the available evidence regarding the positive effects of telephone crisis lines, online help, and community volunteer organizations). However, further research is needed given the shortage of studies. The chapter concludes with a plea for increased cooperation between volunteer and professional organizations, and integration of volunteer involvement in national suicide prevention policies, in order to provide optimal care to the people in need.

Chapter

Successful elements of an improved model of care for refugees and immigrants in regional Australia

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Schulz, Thomas Ray 2020 Successful elements of an improved model of care for refugees and immigrants in regional Australia Abstract/Overview Australia has benefited from a long history of migration, including accepting refugees and asylum seekers (referred to as refugees within this discussion) from a wide range of countries experiencing conflict and hardship. Multiple health care challenges exist for refugees, including language difficulties, low health literacy, poor mental health and exposure to infectious diseases that may be unfamiliar to Australian health care practitioners. This is exacerbated by the growing numbers of immigrants and refugees settling in regional areas, where there are poorer health outcomes and provision of quality health care is more difficult. The published papers included in this thesis outline a number of the challenges in the provision of high-quality health care to refugees who settle in regional Australia, and some solutions that have been successfully utilised to improve health care provision to this population. The demonstrated solutions used for refugee populations are also valid for other immigrants and locally born Australians living in regional areas. The literature review provides the context and rationale for each of these papers with more specific references included within each paper. The literature review provides an overview of the topic and outlines the importance of the papers in addressing issues previously poorly understood or not considered. Paper one investigates the challenges of identifying appropriate screening for newly arrived immigrants and focuses on the cost effectiveness of screening new arrivals for H pylori. Modelling outlines the situations where a screening program could be considered and highlights the uncertainties that exist within the assumptions used for this modelling. Expanding on specific infectious disease challenges in immigrant populations, paper two examines the genotypes of hepatitis B that are encountered in immigrants from Burma and paper three describes genotypes amongst African immigrants. Papers two and three address the clinical relevance of genotype and country of birth in the management of hepatitis B. The subsequent three papers examine the provision of health care to refugees and immigrants via telehealth. Paper four outlines the development of a tertiary hospital based Infectious Diseases telehealth program. Paper five measures and compares the effectiveness of healthcare delivered to regional areas via telehealth, with a focus on care for individuals with hepatitis C virus. Paper six then describes the extension of the use of telehealth to include the provision of interpreters. The discussion outlines the conclusions that have been drawn from these papers, and then suggests further improvements for the care of refugees and immigrants who settle in regional areas. Reducing the gap in health care outcomes between those who live in large urban centres and those who live in regional areas is relevant to the whole population. Drawing on these findings, recommendations are outlined to reduce this gap. © 2020 Thomas Ray Schulz Higher Doctorate

Statistical Approaches for Entity Resolution under Uncertainty

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Marchant, Neil Grant 2020 Statistical Approaches for Entity Resolution under Uncertainty When real-world entities are referenced in data, their identities are often obscured. This presents a problem for data cleaning and integration, as references to an entity may be scattered across multiple records or sources, without a means to identify and consolidate them. Entity resolution (ER; also known as record linkage and deduplication) seeks to address this problem by linking references to the same entity, based on imprecise information. It has diverse applications: from resolving references to individuals in administrative data for public health research, to resolving product listings on the web for a shopping aggregation service. While many methods have been developed to automate the ER process, it can be difficult to guarantee accurate results for a number of reasons, such as poor data quality, heterogeneity across data sources, and lack of ground truth. It is therefore essential to recognise and account for sources of uncertainty throughout the ER process. In this thesis, I explore statistical approaches for managing uncertainty—both in quantifying the uncertainty of ER predictions, and in evaluating the accuracy of ER to high precision. In doing so, I focus on methods that require minimal input from humans as a source of ground truth. This is important, as many ER methods require vast quantities of human-labelled data to achieve sufficient accuracy. In the first part of this thesis, I focus on Bayesian models for ER, owing to their ability to capture uncertainty, and their robustness in settings where labelled training data is limited. I identify scalability as a major obstacle to the use of Bayesian ER models in practice, and propose a suite of methods aimed at improving the scalability of an ER model proposed by Steorts (2015). These methods include an auxiliary variable scheme for probabilistic blocking, a distributed partially-collapsed Gibbs sampler, and fast algorithms for performing Gibbs updates. I also propose modelling refinements, aimed at improving ER accuracy and reducing sensitivity to hyperparameters. These refinements include the use of Ewens-Pitman random partitions as a prior on the linkage structure, corrections to logic in the record distortion model and an additional level of priors to improve flexibility. I then turn to the problem of ER evaluation, which is particularly challenging due to the fact that coreferent pairs of records (which refer to the same entity) are extremely rare. As a result, estimates of ER performance typically exhibit high levels of statistical uncertainty, as they are most sensitive to the rare coreferent (and predicted coreferent) pairs of records. In order to address this challenge, I propose a framework for online supervised evaluation based on adaptive importance sampling. Given a target performance measure and set of ER systems to evaluate, the framework adaptively selects pairs of records to label in order to approximately minimise statistical uncertainty. Under verifiable conditions on the performance measure and adaptive policy, I establish strong consistency and a central limit theorem for the resulting performance estimates. I conduct empirical studies, which demonstrate that the framework can yield dramatic reductions in labelling requirements when estimating ER performance to a fixed precision. © 2020 Neil Grant Marchant PhD thesis

English Language Proficiency Among Older Migrants in Australia, 2016–2046

Temple, J; Wilson, T; Brijnath, B; Utomo, A; McDonald, P English Language Proficiency Among Older Migrants in Australia, 2016–2046 Journal Article

Arbitrary-angle rotation of the polarization of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Prasad, SB; Mulkerin, BC; Martin, AM 2021-03-23 Arbitrary-angle rotation of the polarization of a dipolar Bose-Einstein condensate We have employed the theory of harmonically trapped dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates to examine the influence of a uniform magnetic field that rotates at an arbitrary angle to its own orientation. This is achieved by semi-analytically solving the dipolar superfluid hydrodynamics of this system within the Thomas-Fermi approximation and by allowing the body frame of the condensate's density profile to be tilted with respect to the symmetry axes of the nonrotating harmonic trap. This additional degree of freedom manifests itself in the presence of previously unknown stationary solution branches for any given dipole tilt angle. We also find that the tilt angle of the stationary state's body frame with respect to the rotation axis is a nontrivial function of the trapping geometry, rotation frequency, and dipole tilt angle. For rotation frequencies of at least an order of magnitude higher than the in-plane trapping frequency, the stationary state density profile is almost perfectly equivalent to the profile expected in a time-averaged dipolar potential that effectively vanishes when the dipoles are tilted along the "magic angle"54.7 deg. However, by linearizing the fully time-dependent superfluid hydrodynamics about these stationary states, we find that they are dynamically unstable against the formation of collective modes, which we expect would result in turbulent decay. Journal Article

Leveling-up: explaining the depth of South-South trade agreements

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Gamso, J; Postnikov, E 2021 Leveling-up: explaining the depth of South-South trade agreements Journal Article

testing preprint citation and type

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Veal, A 2021 testing preprint citation and type testing preprint citation and type Preprint

Ethical concerns in suicide research: thematic analysis of the views of human research ethics committees in Australia

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Barnard, E; Dempster, G; Krysinska, K; Reifels, L; Robinson, J; Pirkis, J; Andriessen, K 2021-04-07 Ethical concerns in suicide research: thematic analysis of the views of human research ethics committees in Australia BACKGROUND: Suicide research aims to contribute to a better understanding of suicidal behaviour and its prevention. However, there are many ethical challenges in this research field, for example, regarding consent and potential risks to participants. While studies to-date have focused on the perspective of the researchers, this study aimed to investigate the views and experiences of members of Human Research Ethics Committees (HRECs) in dealing with suicide-related study applications. METHODS: This qualitative study entailed a thematic analysis using an inductive approach. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample (N = 15) of HREC Chairs or their delegates from Australian research-intensive universities. The interview guide included questions regarding the ethical concerns and challenges in suicide-related research raised by HREC members, how they dealt with those challenges and what advice they could give to researchers. RESULTS: The analysis identified four main themes: (1) HREC members' experiences of reviewing suicide-related study applications, (2) HREC members' perceptions of suicide, suicide research, and study participants, (3) Complexity in HREC members' decision-making processes, and (4) HREC members' relationships with researchers. CONCLUSIONS: Reliance on ethical guidelines and dialogue with researchers are crucial in the assessment of suicide-related study applications. Both researchers and HREC members may benefit from guidance and resources on how to conduct ethically sound suicide-related studies. Developing working relationships will be likely to help HRECs to facilitate high quality, ethical suicide-related research and researchers to conduct such research. Journal Article

Ethical concerns in suicide research: thematic analysis of the views of human research ethics committees in Australia

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Ethical concerns in suicide research: thematic analysis of the views of human research ethics committees in Australia

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β by ubiquitination and its role in modulating IL-1β activity

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Vijayaraj, Swarna Lekha 2021 Regulation of the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1β by ubiquitination and its role in modulating IL-1β activity Interleukin-1 beta is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that requires inflammasome-associated caspase-1, a cysteine protease, to cleave inactive precursor IL-1beta, to its active secreted p17 fragment. Excessive IL-1beta activation and release promotes autoinflammatory diseases, such as Cryopyrin associated periodic syndromes (CAPS), gout and cancers. Despite this role in inflammatory disease, the post-translational regulation of IL-1beta is poorly understood. This thesis studies the post-translational modifications (PTMs) of IL-1beta, with a particular focus on the ubiquitination of precursor IL-1beta and its role in modulating IL-1beta activity. © 2021 Swarna Lekha Vijayaraj PhD thesis

The effects of ultrasound on the molecular, structural and nutritional aspects of dairy proteins

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Pathak, Rachana 2021 The effects of ultrasound on the molecular, structural and nutritional aspects of dairy proteins Process improvement and product improvement in the dairy processing industry is an ongoing dynamic process. Ultrasound processing technology for food processing is in its developmental stages, and dairy sector is a key area for potential applications. The use of low frequency and high frequency ultrasound to modify functional properties of dairy streams is being widely studied by seeking to modify the protein and lipid components of milk. The effects of ultrasound on size of lipid globules and lipid oxidation volatiles have been studied. The effects on functional properties of milk proteins such as viscosity, gelation, heat stability etc. have been documented. However, the present literature lacks information on the effects that ultrasound processing may have on the fundamental properties of dairy proteins. Therefore, it is of importance to document the effects of ultrasound processing on the molecular, structural and nutritional aspects of dairy proteins. As such, the effects of ultrasound processing on dairy proteins have been studied in the context of the amino acid composition, amyloid modifications, and bioactive peptides released. This work aims to bridge the gap in existing literature attempting to illuminate upon these fundamental aspects. Chapter 1 in this thesis introduces the premise of this research by discussing the fundamental properties ultrasound technology and presents dairy proteins as the central theme of this research. A systematic review of literature in Chapter 2 attempts to build familiarity with the effects of processing on milk proteins; and discusses the potential applications of ultrasound in the dairy industry – noting the studies done on whey are caseins. This chapter also discusses the research areas which could be addressed to answer questions related to the objectives of current PhD work. To encourage the application of ultrasound for dairy processing, it would be of significance to understand the extent of operating parameters that ensure nutritional integrity and food safety. The amino acid integrity of skim milk proteins after sonication along with the potential of ultrasound to modify secondary structural conformations of milk proteins has been demonstrated in Chapter 4. Chapter 5 expands the objectives of Chapter 4 into whole milk systems, taking into account milk lipids and the potential for oxidation of lipids on sonication. In Chapter 5 an effort has been made to better understand the underlying cause of lipid oxidation observed due to ultrasound processing of milk lipids. The observations from this study suggest that the enhanced mass transfer of oxygen due to ultrasonic shear forces makes oxygen non-limiting in lipid phase and increases auto-oxidation reactions. An assessment of amino acid integrity of full cream milk after ultrasound treatment confirmed oxidative stability of milk proteins. These findings complement the data in Chapter 4. Along with amino acid integrity, Chapter 4 also demonstrates that the secondary structural conformations of milk proteins can be modified by ultrasound. The work in Chapter 6 builds up greater understanding on such changes by studying the effects of low frequency ultrasound on isolated beta-lactoglobulin (b-lg). b-lg is a b-sheet rich protein with amyloidogenic potential. The effects of high shear and high temperature microenvironments produced by ultrasonic waves were studied on b-lg aggregation. Ultrasound induced formation of amyloid crystals in dilute b-lg solutions at neutral pH and ambient bulk temperatures. The theoretical reasoning for the aggregation phenomenon substantially adds to the understanding of protein energy landscape. Chapter 7 focusses on nutritional properties of milk proteins. It examines the effect of ultrasound pre-treatment on the release of BCM-7 bioactive peptide from milk by simulated gastro-intestinal digestion (SGID), and the effect on overall protein digestibility. It demonstrates that ultrasound processing could be used to downregulate the release of undesirable BCM-7 bioactive peptide in milk, by affecting the rate of enzymatic hydrolysis of certain intermediate peptide fragments. The findings from this body of work add to the existing knowledge for improved use of ultrasound to ensure nutritional integrity of dairy proteins and lipids, minimising oxidative damage. It also builds on current understanding of ultrasound induced protein restructuring and its potential for modification of peptide release from dairy proteins. © 2021 Rachana Pathak PhD thesis

Interactions of core cross-linked poly(2-oxazoline) and poly(2-oxazine) micelles with immune cells in human blood.

Tue, 04 May 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Leiske, MN; Lai, M; Amarasena, T; Davis, TP; Thurecht, KJ; Kent, SJ; Kempe, K 2021-05-04 Interactions of core cross-linked poly(2-oxazoline) and poly(2-oxazine) micelles with immune cells in human blood. Water-soluble poly(cyclic imino ether)s (PCIEs) have emerged as promising biocompatible polymers for nanomedicine applications in recent years. Despite their generally accepted stealth properties, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of their interactions with primary immune cells in human blood. Here we present a library of core cross-linked micelles (CCMs) containing various PCIE shells. Well-defined high molar mass CCMs (Mn > 175 kDa, Ð < 1.2) of similar diameter (~20 nm) were synthesised using a cationic ring-opening polymerisation (CROP) - surfactant-free reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) emulsion polymerisation strategy. The stealth properties of the different PCIE CCMs were assessed employing a whole human blood assay simulating the complex blood environment. Cell association studies revealed lower associations of poly(2-methyl-2-oxazoline) (PMeOx) and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) (PEtOx) CCMs with blood immune cells compared to the respective poly(2-oxazine) (POz) CCMs. Noteworthy, PMeOx CCMs outperformed all other reported CCMs, showing overall low associations and only negligible differences in the presence and absence of serum proteins. This study highlights the importance of investigating individual nanomaterials under physiologically relevant conditions and further strengthens the position of PMeOx as a highly promising stealth material for biomedical applications. Journal Article

Regulation of Emotions to Optimize Classical Music Performance: A Quasi-Experimental Study of a Cellist-Researcher

Tue, 06 Apr 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Lopez-Iniguez, G; McPherson, GE 2021-04-06 Regulation of Emotions to Optimize Classical Music Performance: A Quasi-Experimental Study of a Cellist-Researcher The situational context within which an activity takes place, as well as the personality characteristics of individuals shape the types of strategies people choose in order to regulate their emotions, especially when confronted with challenging or undesirable situations. Taking self-regulation as the framework to study emotions in relation to learning and performing chamber music canon repertoire, this quasi-experimental and intra-individual study focused on the self-rated emotional states of a professional classical cellist during long-term sustained practice across 100-weeks. This helped to develop greater awareness of different emotions and how they vary over artistic events (9 profiled concerts and 1 commercially recorded album). Data analysis included traditional psychometric measurements to test the internal consistency of the time series data as well as the relationship between variables (artistic events). The study mapped the cellist's flexible regulation of 17 different positive and negative emotions empirically linked to learning and achievement while practicing within the social context of performing music publicly at a high level. Findings arising from the study help with understandings of how to support musicians to maximize their artistic potential by reducing emotion dysregulation and strengthening the types of adaptive methods that enable them to manage their own emotions. Journal Article

Recognition of Butyrophilin-family Members by gamma-delta T Cells

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Rigau Cortal, Marc 2020 Recognition of Butyrophilin-family Members by gamma-delta T Cells Human gamma-delta (gd) T cells can respond rapidly with cytotoxic responses to pathogenic infections and malignant cells. Although they are found at low numbers in peripheral blood, these might expand and constitute up to half of the total circulating T cells after infection. Most systemic gd T cells expressed a recombined heterodimeric T-cell receptor (TCR) with genes of the variable (V) g9 and d2 loci, termed Vg9Vd2 T cells. Opposed to conventional ab T cells that recognise processed peptides on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II and elicit delayed adaptive responses, gd T cells are innate-like T cells that recognise non-peptidic antigens akin to mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) or MHC-like lipid-presenting molecule (CD1)-restricted T cells which recognise vitamin-B derivates or lipids, respectively. The most interesting feature of Vg9Vd2 T cells is that they recognise phosphorylated antigens (aka phosphoantigens) which are essential for life including bacteria and particularly abundant in cancer cells. Little is known how gd T cells recognise phosphoantigens, even though, a few putative ligands have been described. Butyrophilins (BTNs) are a family of transmembrane molecules capable of regulating the immune activity of innate-like gd T cells. They dimerise to constitute complexes, some of which may interact with germline-encoding regions of the gd T cell receptors in murine or human species. For instance, mouse butyrophilin-like (BTNL) molecules shape the Vg7+ gd T-cell compartment in the intestine, while human BTNL counterparts selectively activate Vg4+ gd T cells of the colon. Here, tetrameric gdTCR clonotype probes are used for a genetic screen to identify a previously unknown molecular ligand essential for recognition of phosphorylated antigens by gd T cells. This screen identifies BTN2A1 and subsequent experiments elucidate this protein contacts with the Vg9 domain irrespective of the Vd recombined segment and is essential to confer reactivity to phosphoantigens together with BTN3A1. Thus, BTN2A1 and BTN3A1 constitute a functional complex of which we found both intracellular domains are critically important in maintaining an active conformation. Whereas internal BTN3A1 PRY/SPRY (B30.2) motif senses the antigen, the BTN2A1 intracellular domain appears fundamental to retain association of the complex. Mutagenic alanine screens reveal a dual-ligand binding site for the Vg9Vd2 TCR, where conserved residues of the Vg9 domain bind to BTN2A1 and several residues located at the complementarity-determining regions (CDRs) might react to a putative molecule of the BTN3A family. Thus, this work proposes a phosphoantigen-reactive gd T cells recognise a dual-ligand binding complex where BTN2A1 contacts the Vg9 domain and BTN3A1 is a phosphoantigen sensor molecule that plausibly induces the molecular switch necessary to induce immune responses. Lastly, the influence of tumour infiltrated phosphoantigen-reactive gd T cells in renal carcinogenic tumour patient-derived organoids (PDO) samples is examined and their relevance in healing disease assessed in comparison to previous clinical studies. These results are of vital importance to better understand the potential of gd T cells in prospective medical applications. Completed under a Cotutelle arrangement between the University of Melbourne and University of Bonn; © 2020 Marc Rigau Cortal PhD thesis

The discursive construction of risk in Vietnamese communities

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Nguyen, Hoang Van 2021 The discursive construction of risk in Vietnamese communities The concept of risk has become more central to contemporary societies, as we struggle to manage a range of perceived threats based on our understandings and associated practices under the discourses of risk. Studies of risk discourses, however, are often based on Western assumptions of rationality and individuality, which have not been deeply examined outside of Western cultures. Situated in the literature of risk and discourse, the study aims to investigate the discursive construction of risk in the contexts of non-Western societies. To fulfil this aim, the study examines how the discourse of risk is constructed in the media and in everyday life of Vietnamese communities via three case studies set in Vietnam. The case studies focus on the construction of risk discourses in the media and in the lived experiences of members of Vietnamese communities, with a particular focus on the experience of women vis-a-vis gender expectations in daily lives. In the case studies, I use the methodologies of multimodal discourse analysis based on Systemic Functional Theory, while drawing from ethnography and autoethnography to understand the situated meanings of risk as embedded in the lived experiences of Vietnamese women. Findings of the study highlight sociocultural values and practices in the construction of risk in Vietnamese communities, which extend beyond Western-centric epistemologies which currently dominate the field. The study informs new theories in risk discourse, forges new approaches to discourse research and holds significance for further work in risk communication. © 2021 Hoang Van Nguyen PhD thesis

Atomistic simulation-informed continuum models for ion distribution in water-filled graphene nanoslits and at graphene surfaces

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Wang, Peiyao 2020 Atomistic simulation-informed continuum models for ion distribution in water-filled graphene nanoslits and at graphene surfaces Aqueous electrolytes confined in nanoporous materials are involved in many biological and technological systems. Both atomistic simulation and experiments have revealed that the non-classical solvation state, ion spatial location, or in-pore density of electrolyte can emerge in nanoconfinement. The ability to develop quantitative models to describe the microscopic structure of nanoconfined electrolytes is crucial to allow the new nanoscience to be readily harvested for future engineering design. Although atomistic simulations can predict a detailed microscopic structure for nanoconfined aqueous electrolytes, the limited model size and time scale of atomistic simulations make it difficult to scale up the results for experimental design. By contrast, conventional continuum modelling is computationally efficient to describe and predict the behaviour or performance of a macroscale system. However, it is generally challenging to have atomic structure considered in continuum modelling, which will affect the accuracy of the resultant models. Continuum models that can describe the microscopic structure of aqueous electrolytes are so far very rare due to limited understanding of the crowdedly interplayed physical interactions in nanoconfinement and the lack of approaches for quantitatively measuring or parameterizing the interplayed physical interactions. Using water-filled graphene nanoslits and a range of selected aqueous electrolytes as a model system, this PhD work aims to examine the critical role of nanoconfined water structure on the electrolyte ion structure and develop nanoscience-based continuum models to describe quantitatively the microscopic electrolyte structure that are parameterized with MD simulations. Such an approach enables the proposed continuum models to have the essential components necessary to reproduce the microscopic electrolyte structure observed in MD simulations, meanwhile, to maintain its capability to predict and design nanoconfined aqueous-electrolyte-based applications on a large scale. Specifically, the spatial density of aqueous electrolytes including NaBF4, LiBF4, and CsBF4 in non-electrified graphene nanoslits was first studied. By incorporating the non-electrostatic interaction energy between ions and graphene wall from the MD simulations, the modified Poisson-Boltzmann model can capture the oscillated layering of ion density profiles. The accuracy of the resultant continuum model can be further improved after the water distribution effect was considered through a new lattice-gas model. The conventional Poisson-Boltzmann model was then modified to improve the prediction of electric potential values in the electrified interface system. After the orientation of interfacial water molecules was considered, the modified continuum model can remedy the oversimplified surface potential values predicted by the Poisson-Boltzmann model and the artificial layer equipped by an implicit dielectric constant in the Poisson-Boltzmann-Stern model. The continuum models developed were then combined with the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the aqueous electrolytes absorbed between graphene layers obtained by experimental collaborators to study the ion absorption density inside multilayered graphene membranes. The high simulation efficiency of the continuum modelling enabled the investigation of the membrane thickness effect on ion absorption density inside nanochannels. The prediction of the continuum model was in good agreement with experimental results when the slit sizes were relatively large (> 1.2nm). It also revealed that the electrical polarization of the graphene membrane contributed to the electroneutrality breakdown in nanochannels. In addition, the results show that not only the ion-graphene interaction strength but also the ion layered distribution structure played dominant roles in the ion accessibility inside nanochannels. © 2020 Peiyao Wang PhD thesis

Giving Daggers to Higher Cats: Generalised Quasi Operads, Astroidal Sets, and a Surface Operad

Wed, 01 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Strumila, Michelle Louise 2020 Giving Daggers to Higher Cats: Generalised Quasi Operads, Astroidal Sets, and a Surface Operad This thesis contains my work on various generalisations of infinity operads, as well as an example inspired by Topological Quantum Field Theories (TQFTs). The main result is a proof of the equivalence between the Segal and strict inner Kan conditions for graphical sets. There are two different generalisations of infinity operads explored herein. Firstly, there are dagger categories. Inspired by Hilbert spaces, the notion of adjoint is generalised to the category setting. Dagger categories assign to each morphism f : A -> B an adjoint f* : B -> A. One can then consider f to be a morphism between A and B rather than going in any particular direction A -> B or B -> A. A cyclic operad is an operad with something akin to an adjoint; the action of the symmetric group interchanges the input objects and the output objects. This thesis contains a theory of quasi cyclic operads, including astroidal sets (presheaves over a category of unrooted trees) and a nerve theorem. Then, the shape of morphisms can be changed. Operads extend categories by allowing morphisms to have multiple inputs, while infinity operads extend infinity categories by being presheaves over the category of rooted trees rather than the category of paths. This can be further generalised to presheaves over other categories, in particular the category of graphs, to facilitate a connection with surfaces of higher genus. Graphical sets are the cyclic, higher genus analogue of simplicial sets. They are used to represent infinity modular operads. This thesis contains an exploration of each of the four models of infinity categories extended to infinity modular operads, with a focus on quasi modular operads and the inner Kan condition. Finally, given the applications in TQFTs and Grothendieck-Teichmuller theory, I construct an infinity modular operad of surfaces. © 2020 Michelle Louise Strumila PhD thesis

Wangkarra: Communication and the Verbal Arts of Australia’s Western Desert

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Green, J; Kral, I; Ellis, EM 2019 Wangkarra: Communication and the Verbal Arts of Australia’s Western Desert Journal Article

Mara yurriku: Western Desert sign languages

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

Green, J; Kral, I; Ellis, EM; Reed, L 2019 Mara yurriku: Western Desert sign languages Journal Article

Visible Talk: Looking at Australian Indigenous Sign Languages

Fri, 01 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

Green, J 2021 Visible Talk: Looking at Australian Indigenous Sign Languages Chapter