A new systemic disease mouse model for glioblastoma capable of single-tumour-cell detection
- Ware, Thomas, Luwor, Rodney, Zhu, Hong-Jian
- Authors: Ware, Thomas , Luwor, Rodney , Zhu, Hong-Jian
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cells Vol. 13, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Glioblastoma is characterised by extensive infiltration into the brain parenchyma, leading to inevitable tumor recurrence and therapeutic failure. Future treatments will need to target the specific biology of tumour recurrence, but our current understanding of the underlying mechanisms is limited. Significantly, there is a lack of available methods and models that are tailored to the examination of tumour recurrence. Methods: NOD-SCID mice were orthotopically implanted with luciferase-labelled donor U87MG or MU20 glioblastoma cells. Four days later, an unlabelled recipient tumor was implanted on the contralateral side. The mice were euthanised at a humane end-point and tissue and blood samples were collected for ex vivo analyses. Results: The ex vivo analyses of the firefly-labelled MU20 tumours displayed extensive invasion at the primary tumour margins, whereas the firefly-labelled U87MG tumours exhibited expansive phenotypes with no evident invasions at the tumour margins. Luciferase signals were detected in the contralateral unlabelled recipient tumours for both the U87MG and MU20 tumours compared to the non-implanted control brain. Remarkably, tumour cells were uniformly detected in all tissue samples of the supratentorial brain region compared to the control tissue, with single tumour cells detected in some tissue samples. Circulating tumour cells were also detected in the blood samples of most of the xenografted mice. Moreover, tumour cells were detected in the lungs of all of the mice, a probable event related to haematogenous dissemination. Similar results were obtained when the U87MG cells were alternatively labelled with gaussian luciferase. Conclusions: These findings describe a systemic disease model for glioblastoma which can be used to investigate recurrence biology and therapeutic efficacy towards recurrence. © 2024 by the authors.
- Authors: Ware, Thomas , Luwor, Rodney , Zhu, Hong-Jian
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Cells Vol. 13, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: Glioblastoma is characterised by extensive infiltration into the brain parenchyma, leading to inevitable tumor recurrence and therapeutic failure. Future treatments will need to target the specific biology of tumour recurrence, but our current understanding of the underlying mechanisms is limited. Significantly, there is a lack of available methods and models that are tailored to the examination of tumour recurrence. Methods: NOD-SCID mice were orthotopically implanted with luciferase-labelled donor U87MG or MU20 glioblastoma cells. Four days later, an unlabelled recipient tumor was implanted on the contralateral side. The mice were euthanised at a humane end-point and tissue and blood samples were collected for ex vivo analyses. Results: The ex vivo analyses of the firefly-labelled MU20 tumours displayed extensive invasion at the primary tumour margins, whereas the firefly-labelled U87MG tumours exhibited expansive phenotypes with no evident invasions at the tumour margins. Luciferase signals were detected in the contralateral unlabelled recipient tumours for both the U87MG and MU20 tumours compared to the non-implanted control brain. Remarkably, tumour cells were uniformly detected in all tissue samples of the supratentorial brain region compared to the control tissue, with single tumour cells detected in some tissue samples. Circulating tumour cells were also detected in the blood samples of most of the xenografted mice. Moreover, tumour cells were detected in the lungs of all of the mice, a probable event related to haematogenous dissemination. Similar results were obtained when the U87MG cells were alternatively labelled with gaussian luciferase. Conclusions: These findings describe a systemic disease model for glioblastoma which can be used to investigate recurrence biology and therapeutic efficacy towards recurrence. © 2024 by the authors.
A survey of commercial and industrial demand response flexibility with energy storage systems and renewable energy
- Yasmin, Roksana, Amin, B.M. Ruhu, Shah, Rakibuzzaman, Barton, Andrew
- Authors: Yasmin, Roksana , Amin, B.M. Ruhu , Shah, Rakibuzzaman , Barton, Andrew
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 16, no. 2 (2024), p.
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- Description: The transition from traditional fuel-dependent energy systems to renewable energy-based systems has been extensively embraced worldwide. Demand-side flexibility is essential to support the power grid with carbon-free generation (e.g., solar, wind.) in an intermittent nature. As extensive energy consumers, commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers can play a key role by extending their flexibility and participating in demand response. Onsite renewable generation by consumers can reduce the consumption from the grid, while energy storage systems (ESSs) can support variable generation and shift demand by storing energy for later use. Both technologies can increase the flexibility and benefit by integrating with the demand response. However, a lack of knowledge about the applicability of increasing flexibility hinders the active participation of C&I consumers in demand response programs. This survey paper provides an overview of demand response and energy storage systems in this context following a methodology of a step-by-step literature review covering the period from 2013 to 2023. The literature review focuses on the application of energy storage systems and onsite renewable generation integrated with demand response for C&I consumers and is presented with an extensive analysis. This survey also examines the demand response participation and potential of wastewater treatment plants. The extended research on the wastewater treatment plant identifies the potential opportunities of coupling biogas with PV, extracting the thermal energy and onsite hydrogen production. Finally, the survey analysis is summarised, followed by critical recommendations for future research. © 2024 by the authors.
- Authors: Yasmin, Roksana , Amin, B.M. Ruhu , Shah, Rakibuzzaman , Barton, Andrew
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 16, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The transition from traditional fuel-dependent energy systems to renewable energy-based systems has been extensively embraced worldwide. Demand-side flexibility is essential to support the power grid with carbon-free generation (e.g., solar, wind.) in an intermittent nature. As extensive energy consumers, commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers can play a key role by extending their flexibility and participating in demand response. Onsite renewable generation by consumers can reduce the consumption from the grid, while energy storage systems (ESSs) can support variable generation and shift demand by storing energy for later use. Both technologies can increase the flexibility and benefit by integrating with the demand response. However, a lack of knowledge about the applicability of increasing flexibility hinders the active participation of C&I consumers in demand response programs. This survey paper provides an overview of demand response and energy storage systems in this context following a methodology of a step-by-step literature review covering the period from 2013 to 2023. The literature review focuses on the application of energy storage systems and onsite renewable generation integrated with demand response for C&I consumers and is presented with an extensive analysis. This survey also examines the demand response participation and potential of wastewater treatment plants. The extended research on the wastewater treatment plant identifies the potential opportunities of coupling biogas with PV, extracting the thermal energy and onsite hydrogen production. Finally, the survey analysis is summarised, followed by critical recommendations for future research. © 2024 by the authors.
Advanced care directives in residential aged care for residents with major neuro-cognitive disorders (dementia) : a scoping Review
- Hormazábal-Salgado, Raul, Osman, Abdi, Poblete-Troncoso, Margarita, Whitehead, Dean, Hills, Danny
- Authors: Hormazábal-Salgado, Raul , Osman, Abdi , Poblete-Troncoso, Margarita , Whitehead, Dean , Hills, Danny
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care Vol. 20, no. 1 (2024), p. 83-114
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- Description: The aim of this review was to identify, assess, collate, and analyze existing research that has made a direct contribution to aiding understanding of the ethical and decision-making issues related to the use of advance care directives for people with dementia and/or other major neurocognitive disorders and/or their surrogate decision-makers on treatment. The Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, Academic Search Ultimate, and MEDLINE databases were searched between August and September 2021 and July to November 2022 limited to primary studies written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Twenty-eight studies of varying quality that addressed related thematic areas were identified. These themes being support for autonomy in basic needs (16%), making decisions ahead/planning ahead and upholding these decisions (52%), and support in decision-making for carers (32%). Advance care directives are an important mechanism for documenting treatment preferences in patient care planning. However, the available literature on the topic is limited in both quantity and quality. Recommendations for practice include involving decision makers, promoting educational interventions, exploring how they are used and implemented, and promoting the active involvement of social workers within the healthcare team. © 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
- Authors: Hormazábal-Salgado, Raul , Osman, Abdi , Poblete-Troncoso, Margarita , Whitehead, Dean , Hills, Danny
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life and Palliative Care Vol. 20, no. 1 (2024), p. 83-114
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The aim of this review was to identify, assess, collate, and analyze existing research that has made a direct contribution to aiding understanding of the ethical and decision-making issues related to the use of advance care directives for people with dementia and/or other major neurocognitive disorders and/or their surrogate decision-makers on treatment. The Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, Academic Search Ultimate, and MEDLINE databases were searched between August and September 2021 and July to November 2022 limited to primary studies written in English, Spanish, or Portuguese. Twenty-eight studies of varying quality that addressed related thematic areas were identified. These themes being support for autonomy in basic needs (16%), making decisions ahead/planning ahead and upholding these decisions (52%), and support in decision-making for carers (32%). Advance care directives are an important mechanism for documenting treatment preferences in patient care planning. However, the available literature on the topic is limited in both quantity and quality. Recommendations for practice include involving decision makers, promoting educational interventions, exploring how they are used and implemented, and promoting the active involvement of social workers within the healthcare team. © 2023 The Author(s). Published with license by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
An exploration of online technoliteracy capability teaching and learning in early years classrooms
- Authors: Falloon, Garry
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Education and Information Technologies Vol. 29, no. 1 (2024), p. 625-654
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- Description: The increasing use of digital devices by young children, has led to calls for earlier teaching for information literacy. However, some research indicates reluctance to do this, due to perceived limitations of young children and notions about what is and is not ‘appropriate’ for them learn. This study examines this proposition, through analysis of 6 and 7 year olds’ application of ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities during a unit of learning about Matariki (the Maori new year). It used an updated and expanded revision of Durrant and Green’s (2000) l(IT)eracy capability model, to understand how the students applied ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities to online research and production of an information artefact for an identified audience. Although results were mixed, data was found of students’ productive engagement of ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities aligned with Durrant and Green’s dimensions, suggesting that with developmentally-appropriate curriculum and pedagogy they were capable of integrating these for meaning making, judging meaning quality, and meaning sharing and communication. Given increasingly ubiquitous access to devices from a young age, results indicate that serious consideration should be given to teaching basic ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities in early years classrooms. © 2023, Crown.
- Authors: Falloon, Garry
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Education and Information Technologies Vol. 29, no. 1 (2024), p. 625-654
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The increasing use of digital devices by young children, has led to calls for earlier teaching for information literacy. However, some research indicates reluctance to do this, due to perceived limitations of young children and notions about what is and is not ‘appropriate’ for them learn. This study examines this proposition, through analysis of 6 and 7 year olds’ application of ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities during a unit of learning about Matariki (the Maori new year). It used an updated and expanded revision of Durrant and Green’s (2000) l(IT)eracy capability model, to understand how the students applied ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities to online research and production of an information artefact for an identified audience. Although results were mixed, data was found of students’ productive engagement of ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities aligned with Durrant and Green’s dimensions, suggesting that with developmentally-appropriate curriculum and pedagogy they were capable of integrating these for meaning making, judging meaning quality, and meaning sharing and communication. Given increasingly ubiquitous access to devices from a young age, results indicate that serious consideration should be given to teaching basic ‘Technoliteracy’ capabilities in early years classrooms. © 2023, Crown.
Animal models, pathogenesis, and potential treatment of thoracic aortic aneurysm
- Wang, Yutang, Panicker, Indu, Anesi, Jack, Sargisson, Owen, Atchison, Benjamin, Habenicht, Andreas
- Authors: Wang, Yutang , Panicker, Indu , Anesi, Jack , Sargisson, Owen , Atchison, Benjamin , Habenicht, Andreas
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 25, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1062671
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) has a prevalence of 0.16–0.34% and an incidence of 7.6 per 100,000 person-years, accounting for 1–2% of all deaths in Western countries. Currently, no effective pharmacological therapies have been identified to slow TAA development and prevent TAA rupture. Large TAAs are treated with open surgical repair and less invasive thoracic endovascular aortic repair, both of which have high perioperative mortality risk. Therefore, there is an urgent medical need to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying TAA development and rupture to develop new therapies. In this review, we summarize animal TAA models including recent developments in porcine and zebrafish models: porcine models can assess new therapeutic devices or intervention strategies in a large mammal and zebrafish models can employ large-scale small-molecule suppressor screening in microwells. The second part of the review covers current views of TAA pathogenesis, derived from recent studies using these animal models, with a focus on the roles of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF
- Authors: Wang, Yutang , Panicker, Indu , Anesi, Jack , Sargisson, Owen , Atchison, Benjamin , Habenicht, Andreas
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Molecular Sciences Vol. 25, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1062671
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) has a prevalence of 0.16–0.34% and an incidence of 7.6 per 100,000 person-years, accounting for 1–2% of all deaths in Western countries. Currently, no effective pharmacological therapies have been identified to slow TAA development and prevent TAA rupture. Large TAAs are treated with open surgical repair and less invasive thoracic endovascular aortic repair, both of which have high perioperative mortality risk. Therefore, there is an urgent medical need to identify the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying TAA development and rupture to develop new therapies. In this review, we summarize animal TAA models including recent developments in porcine and zebrafish models: porcine models can assess new therapeutic devices or intervention strategies in a large mammal and zebrafish models can employ large-scale small-molecule suppressor screening in microwells. The second part of the review covers current views of TAA pathogenesis, derived from recent studies using these animal models, with a focus on the roles of the transforming growth factor-beta (TGF
Civilizational analysis as a mode of the intercultural : intercivilizational encounters, the intercultural and contemporary historical sociology
- Authors: Smith, Jeremy
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Intercultural Studies Vol. 45, no. 2 (2024), p. 310-325
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Classical and contemporary civilizational analysis has not sat comfortably with theoretical constructions of the intercultural or their empirical applications. A ‘classical era’ of civilizations analysis generated a program of research problems that was productive in critical and multidisciplinary ways and limited in scope and vision in others, but this failed to generate a provisional notion of the intercultural. Contemporary civilizational analysis improves on this position significantly in respect of the intercultural, particularly in the development of a current around ‘intercivilizational encounters’. This essay examines this current especially in the work of Benjamin Nelson, Marshall Hodgson and Johann P. Arnason. Arguing that this approach represents vital advances for theoretical constructions of the intercultural in civilizational analysis and more generally in the human sciences, the essay also identifies limitations in latter-day approaches. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- Authors: Smith, Jeremy
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Intercultural Studies Vol. 45, no. 2 (2024), p. 310-325
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Classical and contemporary civilizational analysis has not sat comfortably with theoretical constructions of the intercultural or their empirical applications. A ‘classical era’ of civilizations analysis generated a program of research problems that was productive in critical and multidisciplinary ways and limited in scope and vision in others, but this failed to generate a provisional notion of the intercultural. Contemporary civilizational analysis improves on this position significantly in respect of the intercultural, particularly in the development of a current around ‘intercivilizational encounters’. This essay examines this current especially in the work of Benjamin Nelson, Marshall Hodgson and Johann P. Arnason. Arguing that this approach represents vital advances for theoretical constructions of the intercultural in civilizational analysis and more generally in the human sciences, the essay also identifies limitations in latter-day approaches. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Coupled attention networks for multivariate time series anomaly detection
- Xia, Feng, Chen, Xin, Yu, Shuo, Hou, Mingliang, Liu, Mujie, You, Linlin
- Authors: Xia, Feng , Chen, Xin , Yu, Shuo , Hou, Mingliang , Liu, Mujie , You, Linlin
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing Vol. 12, no. 1 (2024), p. 240-253
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Multivariate time series anomaly detection (MTAD) plays a vital role in a wide variety of real-world application domains. Over the past few years, MTAD has attracted rapidly increasing attention from both academia and industry. Many deep learning and graph learning models have been developed for effective anomaly detection in multivariate time series data, which enable advanced applications such as smart surveillance and risk management with unprecedented capabilities. Nevertheless, MTAD is facing critical challenges deriving from the dependencies among sensors and variables, which often change over time. To address this issue, we propose a coupled attention-based neural network framework (CAN) for anomaly detection in multivariate time series data featuring dynamic variable relationships. We combine adaptive graph learning methods with graph attention to generate a global-local graph that can represent both global correlations and dynamic local correlations among sensors. To capture inter-sensor relationships and temporal dependencies, a convolutional neural network based on the global-local graph is integrated with a temporal self-attention module to construct a coupled attention module. In addition, we develop a multilevel encoder-decoder architecture that accommodates reconstruction and prediction tasks to better characterize multivariate time series data. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed CAN approach, and the results show that CAN significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baselines. © 2013 IEEE.
- Authors: Xia, Feng , Chen, Xin , Yu, Shuo , Hou, Mingliang , Liu, Mujie , You, Linlin
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Transactions on Emerging Topics in Computing Vol. 12, no. 1 (2024), p. 240-253
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Multivariate time series anomaly detection (MTAD) plays a vital role in a wide variety of real-world application domains. Over the past few years, MTAD has attracted rapidly increasing attention from both academia and industry. Many deep learning and graph learning models have been developed for effective anomaly detection in multivariate time series data, which enable advanced applications such as smart surveillance and risk management with unprecedented capabilities. Nevertheless, MTAD is facing critical challenges deriving from the dependencies among sensors and variables, which often change over time. To address this issue, we propose a coupled attention-based neural network framework (CAN) for anomaly detection in multivariate time series data featuring dynamic variable relationships. We combine adaptive graph learning methods with graph attention to generate a global-local graph that can represent both global correlations and dynamic local correlations among sensors. To capture inter-sensor relationships and temporal dependencies, a convolutional neural network based on the global-local graph is integrated with a temporal self-attention module to construct a coupled attention module. In addition, we develop a multilevel encoder-decoder architecture that accommodates reconstruction and prediction tasks to better characterize multivariate time series data. Extensive experiments on real-world datasets have been conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed CAN approach, and the results show that CAN significantly outperforms state-of-the-art baselines. © 2013 IEEE.
Crop monitoring by multimodal remote sensing : a review
- Karmakar, Priyabrata, Teng, Shyh, Murshed, Manzur, Pang, Shaoning, Li, Yanyu, Lin, Hao
- Authors: Karmakar, Priyabrata , Teng, Shyh , Murshed, Manzur , Pang, Shaoning , Li, Yanyu , Lin, Hao
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment Vol. 33, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Effective approaches to achieve food safety and security can prevent catastrophic situations. Therefore, it is required to monitor agricultural crops on a regular basis. This can be easily achieved by capturing data from various remote sensing (RS) devices followed by processing them. Most RS devices are useful in monitoring crops and analysing different stages of plant growth successfully. However, individual devices have some limitations. To overcome this, multimodal remote sensing (MRS) methods have been gradually gaining popularity. In the multimodal approach, data from more than one modality are used together to obtain a better outcome. This is because, different modalities of data when used together can complement each other to achieve the same objective by combining their strengths and reducing their limitations, simultaneously. MRS methods have been found to be particularly useful for crop monitoring as they allow for the integration of data from multiple sources, resulting in a more comprehensive understanding of plant growth and development. By using MRS methods, it is possible to obtain a more accurate and detailed analysis of crop conditions, leading to improved decision-making and ultimately, better crop yields. In this paper, we will explore how MRS methods have been successfully utilised in crop monitoring and how the data obtained from these methods can provide valuable insights into the health and development of plants. © 2023 The Authors
- Authors: Karmakar, Priyabrata , Teng, Shyh , Murshed, Manzur , Pang, Shaoning , Li, Yanyu , Lin, Hao
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Remote Sensing Applications: Society and Environment Vol. 33, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Effective approaches to achieve food safety and security can prevent catastrophic situations. Therefore, it is required to monitor agricultural crops on a regular basis. This can be easily achieved by capturing data from various remote sensing (RS) devices followed by processing them. Most RS devices are useful in monitoring crops and analysing different stages of plant growth successfully. However, individual devices have some limitations. To overcome this, multimodal remote sensing (MRS) methods have been gradually gaining popularity. In the multimodal approach, data from more than one modality are used together to obtain a better outcome. This is because, different modalities of data when used together can complement each other to achieve the same objective by combining their strengths and reducing their limitations, simultaneously. MRS methods have been found to be particularly useful for crop monitoring as they allow for the integration of data from multiple sources, resulting in a more comprehensive understanding of plant growth and development. By using MRS methods, it is possible to obtain a more accurate and detailed analysis of crop conditions, leading to improved decision-making and ultimately, better crop yields. In this paper, we will explore how MRS methods have been successfully utilised in crop monitoring and how the data obtained from these methods can provide valuable insights into the health and development of plants. © 2023 The Authors
Description and assessment of a new high resolution erosion model for constructed landforms
- Yavari, Shahla, McIntyre, Neil, Shao, Qi, Baumgartl, Thomas
- Authors: Yavari, Shahla , McIntyre, Neil , Shao, Qi , Baumgartl, Thomas
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Environmental Modelling and Software Vol. 172, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Literature review reveals that many erosion models have limitations for application to constructed landforms. The new EroCA model aims to address this gap. The model uses established erosion and sediment transport models applied to multiple particle size classes at fine spatial and temporal resolutions, covering both suspended load and bedload. Using data from an experimental plot in Northern Australia, global sensitivity analysis was used to investigate the sources of uncertainty, limitations of the model, and priorities for data collection. Further analysis explored sensitivity to model grid size. The results showed that the Manning roughness, erodibility parameters and particle size are the most important parameters. Results also showed low parameter identifiability and hence the difficulty of calibration, even when using high quality experimental data. EroCA has the capacity to be a powerful landform modelling tool at appropriate scales of application; however ideally its data needs would be considered during monitoring design. © 2023 The Authors
- Authors: Yavari, Shahla , McIntyre, Neil , Shao, Qi , Baumgartl, Thomas
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Environmental Modelling and Software Vol. 172, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Literature review reveals that many erosion models have limitations for application to constructed landforms. The new EroCA model aims to address this gap. The model uses established erosion and sediment transport models applied to multiple particle size classes at fine spatial and temporal resolutions, covering both suspended load and bedload. Using data from an experimental plot in Northern Australia, global sensitivity analysis was used to investigate the sources of uncertainty, limitations of the model, and priorities for data collection. Further analysis explored sensitivity to model grid size. The results showed that the Manning roughness, erodibility parameters and particle size are the most important parameters. Results also showed low parameter identifiability and hence the difficulty of calibration, even when using high quality experimental data. EroCA has the capacity to be a powerful landform modelling tool at appropriate scales of application; however ideally its data needs would be considered during monitoring design. © 2023 The Authors
Determinants of cancer screenings participation in Queensland : a scoping review
- Lui, Paraniala, Singh, Kamal, Nguyen, Tam, Kurth, Brian, Phan, Thuc, Nelson, Ashleigh, Danisevska, Renata, De Ambrosis, Tony
- Authors: Lui, Paraniala , Singh, Kamal , Nguyen, Tam , Kurth, Brian , Phan, Thuc , Nelson, Ashleigh , Danisevska, Renata , De Ambrosis, Tony
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Primary Health Care Vol. 16, no. 1 (2024), p. 70-77
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction: Cancer screening programmes for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer have successfully reduced mortality rates among target groups. However, a large proportion of women and men are unscreened. Aim: This review aims to provide an overview of the literature regarding the determinants of cancer screening participation among target groups in Queensland. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies on determinants of cancer screening participation in Queensland. Retrieved studies were screened, and eligible articles were selected for data extraction. Both peer-reviewed and grey literature studies were included. The determinants of cancer screening participation were classified according to the I-Change model. Results: Sixteen out of 75 articles were selected and analysed. Information factors, such as the lack of tailored strategies, determined cancer screening participation. Age, gender, cultural beliefs, fear and past experiences were the most reported predisposing factors to cancer screening participation. Lack of knowledge, misconceptions, low awareness, timely access to service, privacy and confidentiality were mainly reported awareness and motivation factors. Encouragement from health professionals, providing more information and interactions with communities would result in different effects on cancer screening participation among the target groups. Discussion: The I-Change model is a valuable tool in mapping the current determinants of cancer screening participation programs. Further research may be needed to fully understand the barriers and facilitators of cancer screening programs. © 2024 Authors
- Authors: Lui, Paraniala , Singh, Kamal , Nguyen, Tam , Kurth, Brian , Phan, Thuc , Nelson, Ashleigh , Danisevska, Renata , De Ambrosis, Tony
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Primary Health Care Vol. 16, no. 1 (2024), p. 70-77
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction: Cancer screening programmes for cervical, breast, and colorectal cancer have successfully reduced mortality rates among target groups. However, a large proportion of women and men are unscreened. Aim: This review aims to provide an overview of the literature regarding the determinants of cancer screening participation among target groups in Queensland. Methods: Electronic databases were searched for studies on determinants of cancer screening participation in Queensland. Retrieved studies were screened, and eligible articles were selected for data extraction. Both peer-reviewed and grey literature studies were included. The determinants of cancer screening participation were classified according to the I-Change model. Results: Sixteen out of 75 articles were selected and analysed. Information factors, such as the lack of tailored strategies, determined cancer screening participation. Age, gender, cultural beliefs, fear and past experiences were the most reported predisposing factors to cancer screening participation. Lack of knowledge, misconceptions, low awareness, timely access to service, privacy and confidentiality were mainly reported awareness and motivation factors. Encouragement from health professionals, providing more information and interactions with communities would result in different effects on cancer screening participation among the target groups. Discussion: The I-Change model is a valuable tool in mapping the current determinants of cancer screening participation programs. Further research may be needed to fully understand the barriers and facilitators of cancer screening programs. © 2024 Authors
Differences in anxiety, insomnia, and trauma symptoms in wildfire survivors from australia, canada, and the United States of America
- Isaac, Fadia, Toukhsati, Samia, Klein, Britt, Di Benedetto, Mirella, Kennedy, Gerard
- Authors: Isaac, Fadia , Toukhsati, Samia , Klein, Britt , Di Benedetto, Mirella , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 21, no. 1 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Many survivors of wildfires report elevated levels of psychological distress following the trauma of wildfires. However, there is only limited research on the effects of wildfires on mental health. This study examined differences in anxiety, depression, insomnia, sleep quality, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following wildfires in Australia, Canada, and the United States of America (USA). One hundred and twenty-six participants from Australia, Canada, and the USA completed an online survey. The sample included 102 (81%) women, 23 (18.3%) men, and one non-binary (0.8%) individual. Participants were aged between 20 and 92 years (M age = 52 years, SD = 14.4). They completed a demographic questionnaire, the Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Index (DDNSI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and PTSD Checklist (PCL-5). Results showed that participants from the USA scored significantly higher on the GAD-7 (p = 0.009), ISI (p = 0.003), and PCL-5 (p = 0.021) than participants from Australia and Canada. The current findings suggest a need for more international collaboration to reduce the severity of mental health conditions in Australia, Canada, and the USA. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Isaac, Fadia , Toukhsati, Samia , Klein, Britt , Di Benedetto, Mirella , Kennedy, Gerard
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 21, no. 1 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Many survivors of wildfires report elevated levels of psychological distress following the trauma of wildfires. However, there is only limited research on the effects of wildfires on mental health. This study examined differences in anxiety, depression, insomnia, sleep quality, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms following wildfires in Australia, Canada, and the United States of America (USA). One hundred and twenty-six participants from Australia, Canada, and the USA completed an online survey. The sample included 102 (81%) women, 23 (18.3%) men, and one non-binary (0.8%) individual. Participants were aged between 20 and 92 years (M age = 52 years, SD = 14.4). They completed a demographic questionnaire, the Disturbing Dream and Nightmare Severity Index (DDNSI), Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and PTSD Checklist (PCL-5). Results showed that participants from the USA scored significantly higher on the GAD-7 (p = 0.009), ISI (p = 0.003), and PCL-5 (p = 0.021) than participants from Australia and Canada. The current findings suggest a need for more international collaboration to reduce the severity of mental health conditions in Australia, Canada, and the USA. © 2023 by the authors.
Digital technology and environmental pedagogies in tertiary outdoor education: linking digital spaces to more-than-human places
- Jukes, Scott, Lynch, Jonathan
- Authors: Jukes, Scott , Lynch, Jonathan
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning Vol. 24, no. 1 (2024), p. 108-122
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Digital technologies are receiving increased attention in outdoor and environmental education (OEE). Historically, debates on digital technology in these fields have tended to focus on how technology might hinder authentic relationships with the outdoors or how it might be used instrumentally to meet educational aims or support pedagogy. More recent postdigital perspectives understand digital technology as something that is deeply embedded, entangled, throughout society and by extension the daily life of OEE participants. The idea that we are entangled with technology is congruent with the emerging theories of new materialism; theories that are increasingly influencing OEE research and pedagogy. In this paper, we argue that new materialism is a useful way to conceptualise the entangled nature of digital technology in OEE. We show some ways we have tried to embrace technology as entangled in our OEE practice, drawing upon theoretical insights and practice-based examples from tertiary outdoor education contexts. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- Authors: Jukes, Scott , Lynch, Jonathan
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning Vol. 24, no. 1 (2024), p. 108-122
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Digital technologies are receiving increased attention in outdoor and environmental education (OEE). Historically, debates on digital technology in these fields have tended to focus on how technology might hinder authentic relationships with the outdoors or how it might be used instrumentally to meet educational aims or support pedagogy. More recent postdigital perspectives understand digital technology as something that is deeply embedded, entangled, throughout society and by extension the daily life of OEE participants. The idea that we are entangled with technology is congruent with the emerging theories of new materialism; theories that are increasingly influencing OEE research and pedagogy. In this paper, we argue that new materialism is a useful way to conceptualise the entangled nature of digital technology in OEE. We show some ways we have tried to embrace technology as entangled in our OEE practice, drawing upon theoretical insights and practice-based examples from tertiary outdoor education contexts. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Does coping style mediate the relationship between knowledge and psychosocial outcomes in women with atrial fibrillation?
- Le Grande, Michael, Salvacion, Marielle, Shwaita, Lubab, Murphy, Barbara, Jackson, Alun, Alvarenga, Marlies
- Authors: Le Grande, Michael , Salvacion, Marielle , Shwaita, Lubab , Murphy, Barbara , Jackson, Alun , Alvarenga, Marlies
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Psychiatry Vol. 15, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction: In patients affected by atrial fibrillation (AF) disease-specific knowledge and coping style may be associated with psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to determine if coping style (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidance-focused) mediated the relationship between patient knowledge and three psychosocial outcomes (anxiety, depression and life satisfaction). Methods: In 2021 a total of 188 women with reported AF, and ages ranging from 18 to 83 years (mean 48.7, sd 15.5 years), completed an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic, clinical and AF knowledge questions and psychosocial instruments (Anxiety and depression, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) scale; life satisfaction, Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS); and coping style (Brief COPE). Using Jamovi statistical software three individual mediational models (for anxiety, depression and life satisfaction) were constructed assessing the direct and indirect relationships between knowledge, coping style and each psychosocial outcome. Age was a covariate in each model. Results: The mediation analyses demonstrated significant direct negative associations between AF knowledge and HADS anxiety and depression and positive associations with SWLS. There were also direct associations between each of the three coping styles and the three psychosocial outcomes. There were significant indirect effects of coping style between AF knowledge and each of the three outcomes confirming partial mediation effects. Discussion: These findings highlight the crucial role of coping style in mediating the association between AF knowledge and psychosocial outcomes. As such, interventions aimed at increasing patient knowledge of AF may be more effective if adaptive problem-solving coping strategies are also demonstrated to these patients. Additionally, modification of maladaptive coping strategies as part of the psychological management of patients with AF is highly recommended. Copyright © 2024 Le Grande, Salvacion, Shwaita, Murphy, Jackson and Alvarenga.
- Authors: Le Grande, Michael , Salvacion, Marielle , Shwaita, Lubab , Murphy, Barbara , Jackson, Alun , Alvarenga, Marlies
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Psychiatry Vol. 15, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction: In patients affected by atrial fibrillation (AF) disease-specific knowledge and coping style may be associated with psychosocial well-being. This study aimed to determine if coping style (problem-focused, emotion-focused, avoidance-focused) mediated the relationship between patient knowledge and three psychosocial outcomes (anxiety, depression and life satisfaction). Methods: In 2021 a total of 188 women with reported AF, and ages ranging from 18 to 83 years (mean 48.7, sd 15.5 years), completed an online questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic, clinical and AF knowledge questions and psychosocial instruments (Anxiety and depression, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression (HADS) scale; life satisfaction, Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS); and coping style (Brief COPE). Using Jamovi statistical software three individual mediational models (for anxiety, depression and life satisfaction) were constructed assessing the direct and indirect relationships between knowledge, coping style and each psychosocial outcome. Age was a covariate in each model. Results: The mediation analyses demonstrated significant direct negative associations between AF knowledge and HADS anxiety and depression and positive associations with SWLS. There were also direct associations between each of the three coping styles and the three psychosocial outcomes. There were significant indirect effects of coping style between AF knowledge and each of the three outcomes confirming partial mediation effects. Discussion: These findings highlight the crucial role of coping style in mediating the association between AF knowledge and psychosocial outcomes. As such, interventions aimed at increasing patient knowledge of AF may be more effective if adaptive problem-solving coping strategies are also demonstrated to these patients. Additionally, modification of maladaptive coping strategies as part of the psychological management of patients with AF is highly recommended. Copyright © 2024 Le Grande, Salvacion, Shwaita, Murphy, Jackson and Alvarenga.
DQN approach for adaptive self-healing of VNFs in cloud-native network
- Arulappan, Arunkumar, Mahanti, Aniket, Passi, Kalpdrum, Srinivasan, Thiruvenkadam, Naha, Ranesh, Raja, Gunasekaran
- Authors: Arulappan, Arunkumar , Mahanti, Aniket , Passi, Kalpdrum , Srinivasan, Thiruvenkadam , Naha, Ranesh , Raja, Gunasekaran
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 12, no. (2024), p. 34489-34504
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The transformation from physical network function to Virtual Network Function (VNF) requires a fundamental design change in how applications and services are tested and assured in a hybrid virtual network. Once the VNFs are onboarded in a cloud network infrastructure, operators need to test VNFs in real-time at the time of instantiation automatically. This paper explicitly analyses the problem of adaptive self-healing of a Virtual Machine (VM) allocated by the VNF with the Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approach. The DRL-based big data collection and analytics engine performs aggregation to probe and analyze data for troubleshooting and performance management. This engine helps to determine corrective actions (self-healing), such as scaling or migrating VNFs. Hence, we proposed a Deep Queue Learning (DQL) based Deep Queue Networks (DQN) mechanism for self-healing VNFs in the virtualized infrastructure manager. Virtual network probes of closed-loop orchestration perform the automation of the VNF and provide analytics for real-time, policy-driven orchestration in an open networking automation platform through the stochastic gradient descent method for VNF service assurance and network reliability. The proposed DQN/DDQN mechanism optimizes the price and lowers the cost by 18% for resource usage without disrupting the Quality of Service (QoS) provided by the VNF. The outcome of adaptive self-healing of the VNFs enhances the computational performance by 27% compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. © 2013 IEEE.
- Authors: Arulappan, Arunkumar , Mahanti, Aniket , Passi, Kalpdrum , Srinivasan, Thiruvenkadam , Naha, Ranesh , Raja, Gunasekaran
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Access Vol. 12, no. (2024), p. 34489-34504
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The transformation from physical network function to Virtual Network Function (VNF) requires a fundamental design change in how applications and services are tested and assured in a hybrid virtual network. Once the VNFs are onboarded in a cloud network infrastructure, operators need to test VNFs in real-time at the time of instantiation automatically. This paper explicitly analyses the problem of adaptive self-healing of a Virtual Machine (VM) allocated by the VNF with the Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) approach. The DRL-based big data collection and analytics engine performs aggregation to probe and analyze data for troubleshooting and performance management. This engine helps to determine corrective actions (self-healing), such as scaling or migrating VNFs. Hence, we proposed a Deep Queue Learning (DQL) based Deep Queue Networks (DQN) mechanism for self-healing VNFs in the virtualized infrastructure manager. Virtual network probes of closed-loop orchestration perform the automation of the VNF and provide analytics for real-time, policy-driven orchestration in an open networking automation platform through the stochastic gradient descent method for VNF service assurance and network reliability. The proposed DQN/DDQN mechanism optimizes the price and lowers the cost by 18% for resource usage without disrupting the Quality of Service (QoS) provided by the VNF. The outcome of adaptive self-healing of the VNFs enhances the computational performance by 27% compared to other state-of-the-art algorithms. © 2013 IEEE.
Dreaming of an indigenised Australia
- Authors: Tout, Dan
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Australian Studies Vol. 48, no. 1 (2024), p. 135-151
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article offers a critical engagement with Billy Griffiths’s award-winning book Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia as a departure point towards uncovering and examining a significant tradition of Australian cultural reflection and interpretation it terms, following Anthony Moran, indigenising settler nationalism. Tracing the genealogy of the indigenising settler-nationalist tendencies that shape Deep Time Dreaming, and to which the text itself contributes, the article situates Griffiths’s contribution as a recent and notable exemplar of a longstanding historiographical tradition that responds to the continuing crisis of settler-national belonging and legitimacy by attempting to incorporate the historical depth of Indigenous occupation into its own national, nationalising narrative, and so to indigenise the settler nation itself. The tradition is not Griffiths’s alone. When read in the context of a broader indigenising settler-nationalist tradition, Griffiths’s approach is revealed as neither unusually problematic nor uniquely complicit in the dynamics the article draws attention to. On the contrary, the genealogical reading of Griffiths’s work I offer here is important precisely to the extent that it facilitates an understanding of the underlying tendencies towards settler indigenisation that continue to condition Australian settler-national/ist historiography, and culture at large. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- Authors: Tout, Dan
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Australian Studies Vol. 48, no. 1 (2024), p. 135-151
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This article offers a critical engagement with Billy Griffiths’s award-winning book Deep Time Dreaming: Uncovering Ancient Australia as a departure point towards uncovering and examining a significant tradition of Australian cultural reflection and interpretation it terms, following Anthony Moran, indigenising settler nationalism. Tracing the genealogy of the indigenising settler-nationalist tendencies that shape Deep Time Dreaming, and to which the text itself contributes, the article situates Griffiths’s contribution as a recent and notable exemplar of a longstanding historiographical tradition that responds to the continuing crisis of settler-national belonging and legitimacy by attempting to incorporate the historical depth of Indigenous occupation into its own national, nationalising narrative, and so to indigenise the settler nation itself. The tradition is not Griffiths’s alone. When read in the context of a broader indigenising settler-nationalist tradition, Griffiths’s approach is revealed as neither unusually problematic nor uniquely complicit in the dynamics the article draws attention to. On the contrary, the genealogical reading of Griffiths’s work I offer here is important precisely to the extent that it facilitates an understanding of the underlying tendencies towards settler indigenisation that continue to condition Australian settler-national/ist historiography, and culture at large. © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Economic model predictive control for microgrid optimization : a review
- Hu, Jiefeng, Shan, Yinghao, Yang, Yong, Parisio, Alessandra, Li, Yong, Amjady, Nima, Islam, Syed, Cheng, Ka, Guerrero, Josep, Rodriguez, Jose
- Authors: Hu, Jiefeng , Shan, Yinghao , Yang, Yong , Parisio, Alessandra , Li, Yong , Amjady, Nima , Islam, Syed , Cheng, Ka , Guerrero, Josep , Rodriguez, Jose
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid Vol. 15, no. 1 (2024), p. 472-484
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Microgrids have emerged as a promising solution to integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) and supply reliable and efficient electricity. The operation of a microgrid involves the coordination of different DERs and loads. To date, various control methods have been developed to maximize the overall benefit while satisfying various constraints. Now it is urgently needed to understand and comprehend these approaches to further stimulate the deployment of microgrids. This paper presents an overview for researchers on economic model predictive control (EMPC) methods of microgrids to achieve a variety of objectives such as cost minimization and benefit maximization. The fundamental principle of the EMPC theory is explained in detail. The most popular and important strategies applied to stand-alone microgrids, grid-connected microgrids, residential smart homes, as well as networked microgrids are discussed. Future trends are also highlighted. © 2010-2012 IEEE.
- Authors: Hu, Jiefeng , Shan, Yinghao , Yang, Yong , Parisio, Alessandra , Li, Yong , Amjady, Nima , Islam, Syed , Cheng, Ka , Guerrero, Josep , Rodriguez, Jose
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid Vol. 15, no. 1 (2024), p. 472-484
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Microgrids have emerged as a promising solution to integrate distributed energy resources (DERs) and supply reliable and efficient electricity. The operation of a microgrid involves the coordination of different DERs and loads. To date, various control methods have been developed to maximize the overall benefit while satisfying various constraints. Now it is urgently needed to understand and comprehend these approaches to further stimulate the deployment of microgrids. This paper presents an overview for researchers on economic model predictive control (EMPC) methods of microgrids to achieve a variety of objectives such as cost minimization and benefit maximization. The fundamental principle of the EMPC theory is explained in detail. The most popular and important strategies applied to stand-alone microgrids, grid-connected microgrids, residential smart homes, as well as networked microgrids are discussed. Future trends are also highlighted. © 2010-2012 IEEE.
Enlarging the thermal coagulation volume during thermochemical ablation with alternating acid-base injection by shortening the injection interval : a computational study
- Mak, Nguoy, Ng, Wen, Ooi, Ean, Lau, Ee, Pamidi, Narendra, Foo, Ji, Ooi, Ean Tat, Ali, Ahmad
- Authors: Mak, Nguoy , Ng, Wen , Ooi, Ean , Lau, Ee , Pamidi, Narendra , Foo, Ji , Ooi, Ean Tat , Ali, Ahmad
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine Vol. 243, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background and objectives: Thermochemical ablation (TCA) is a cancer treatment that utilises the heat released from the neutralisation of acid and base to raise tissue temperature to levels sufficient to induce thermal coagulation. Computational studies have demonstrated that the coagulation volume produced by sequential injection is smaller than that with simultaneous injection. By injecting the reagents in an ensuing manner, the region of contact between acid and base is limited to a thin contact layer sandwiched between the distribution of acid and base. It is hypothesised that increasing the frequency of acid-base injections into the tissue by shortening the injection interval for each reagent can increase the effective area of contact between acid and base, thereby intensifying neutralisation and the exothermic heat released into the tissue. Methods: To verify this hypothesis, a computational model was developed to simulate the thermochemical processes involved during TCA with sequential injection. Four major processes that take place during TCA were considered, i.e., the flow of acid and base, their neutralisation, the release of exothermic heat and the formation of thermal damage inside the tissue. Equimolar acid and base at 7.5 M was injected into the tissue intermittently. Six injection intervals, namely 3, 6, 15, 20, 30 and 60 s were investigated. Results: Shortening of the injection interval led to the enlargement of coagulation volume. If one considers only the coagulation volume as the determining factor, then a 15 s injection interval was found to be optimum. Conversely, if one places priority on safety, then a 3 s injection interval would result in the lowest amount of reagent residue inside the tissue after treatment. With a 3 s injection interval, the coagulation volume was found to be larger than that of simultaneous injection with the same treatment parameters. Not only that, the volume also surpassed that of radiofrequency ablation (RFA); a conventional thermal ablation technique commonly used for liver cancer treatment. Conclusion: The numerical results verified the hypothesis that shortening the injection interval will lead to the formation of larger thermal coagulation zone during TCA with sequential injection. More importantly, a 3 s injection interval was found to be optimum for both efficacy (large coagulation volume) and safety (least amount of reagent residue). © 2023 The Author(s)
- Authors: Mak, Nguoy , Ng, Wen , Ooi, Ean , Lau, Ee , Pamidi, Narendra , Foo, Ji , Ooi, Ean Tat , Ali, Ahmad
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine Vol. 243, no. (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background and objectives: Thermochemical ablation (TCA) is a cancer treatment that utilises the heat released from the neutralisation of acid and base to raise tissue temperature to levels sufficient to induce thermal coagulation. Computational studies have demonstrated that the coagulation volume produced by sequential injection is smaller than that with simultaneous injection. By injecting the reagents in an ensuing manner, the region of contact between acid and base is limited to a thin contact layer sandwiched between the distribution of acid and base. It is hypothesised that increasing the frequency of acid-base injections into the tissue by shortening the injection interval for each reagent can increase the effective area of contact between acid and base, thereby intensifying neutralisation and the exothermic heat released into the tissue. Methods: To verify this hypothesis, a computational model was developed to simulate the thermochemical processes involved during TCA with sequential injection. Four major processes that take place during TCA were considered, i.e., the flow of acid and base, their neutralisation, the release of exothermic heat and the formation of thermal damage inside the tissue. Equimolar acid and base at 7.5 M was injected into the tissue intermittently. Six injection intervals, namely 3, 6, 15, 20, 30 and 60 s were investigated. Results: Shortening of the injection interval led to the enlargement of coagulation volume. If one considers only the coagulation volume as the determining factor, then a 15 s injection interval was found to be optimum. Conversely, if one places priority on safety, then a 3 s injection interval would result in the lowest amount of reagent residue inside the tissue after treatment. With a 3 s injection interval, the coagulation volume was found to be larger than that of simultaneous injection with the same treatment parameters. Not only that, the volume also surpassed that of radiofrequency ablation (RFA); a conventional thermal ablation technique commonly used for liver cancer treatment. Conclusion: The numerical results verified the hypothesis that shortening the injection interval will lead to the formation of larger thermal coagulation zone during TCA with sequential injection. More importantly, a 3 s injection interval was found to be optimum for both efficacy (large coagulation volume) and safety (least amount of reagent residue). © 2023 The Author(s)
Examining the intra-rater reliability of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)-Induced Motor Evoked Potentials (MEPs) within and between sessions: a step towards ensuring accuracy of observed mep changes in repeated measures studies conducted by newly trained TMS operators
- Salihu, Abubakar, Hill, Keith, Zoghi, Maryam, Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Authors: Salihu, Abubakar , Hill, Keith , Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies Vol. 11, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: An essential factor in the validity of motor evoked potential (MEP)s recorded by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over multiple times is their test-retest reliability which to a large extent depends on the accuracy and competence of the assessor (intra-rater reliability). However, intra-rater reliability is infrequently reported in TMS studies suggesting that this is rarely done. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the intra-rater within and between-session reliability of a newly trained TMS assessor prior to a main TMS study and report on the methodology used to encourage similar practice. Methods: Fourteen (10 males, 4 females; mean age: 32 ± 5.8 years) participants took part in the study. Motor evoked potentials were elicited from a relaxed, right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle three times (T1, T2 and T3) across two testing sessions at least 48 hours apart. During the first session, MEPs were recorded twice (T1 and T2) within an interval of 20 minutes to determine the within (intra) session reliability of the assessor. During the second session, a single measurement was carried out (T3) which was compared to T1 to determine the inter-session reliability. Results: Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not reveal significant difference in the amplitude of the MEPs obtained across the three time periods (P = 0.196) demonstrating agreement in the MEPs and hence the reliability of the assessor. Additionally, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between T1 and T2; and T1 and T3 were 0.952 (P < 0.001) and 0.833 (P = 0.001) respectively further indicating the within and between sessions reliability of the assessor. Conclusions: The agreement between the three measured MEPs amplitude and the significant ICC demonstrates the reliability of the assessor in this study to use TMS for research. We suggest that the intra-rater reliability of new TMS operators should be established using the methodology in this report prior to main TMS studies. © 2023, Salihu et al.
- Authors: Salihu, Abubakar , Hill, Keith , Zoghi, Maryam , Jaberzadeh, Shapour
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Middle East Journal of Rehabilitation and Health Studies Vol. 11, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Background: An essential factor in the validity of motor evoked potential (MEP)s recorded by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over multiple times is their test-retest reliability which to a large extent depends on the accuracy and competence of the assessor (intra-rater reliability). However, intra-rater reliability is infrequently reported in TMS studies suggesting that this is rarely done. Objectives: This study was conducted to determine the intra-rater within and between-session reliability of a newly trained TMS assessor prior to a main TMS study and report on the methodology used to encourage similar practice. Methods: Fourteen (10 males, 4 females; mean age: 32 ± 5.8 years) participants took part in the study. Motor evoked potentials were elicited from a relaxed, right first dorsal interosseous (FDI) muscle three times (T1, T2 and T3) across two testing sessions at least 48 hours apart. During the first session, MEPs were recorded twice (T1 and T2) within an interval of 20 minutes to determine the within (intra) session reliability of the assessor. During the second session, a single measurement was carried out (T3) which was compared to T1 to determine the inter-session reliability. Results: Repeated measure analysis of variance (ANOVA) did not reveal significant difference in the amplitude of the MEPs obtained across the three time periods (P = 0.196) demonstrating agreement in the MEPs and hence the reliability of the assessor. Additionally, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) between T1 and T2; and T1 and T3 were 0.952 (P < 0.001) and 0.833 (P = 0.001) respectively further indicating the within and between sessions reliability of the assessor. Conclusions: The agreement between the three measured MEPs amplitude and the significant ICC demonstrates the reliability of the assessor in this study to use TMS for research. We suggest that the intra-rater reliability of new TMS operators should be established using the methodology in this report prior to main TMS studies. © 2023, Salihu et al.
Fuzzy multiplier, sum and intersection rules in non-Lipschitzian settings : decoupling approach revisited
- Fabian, Marian, Kruger, Alexander, Mehlitz, Patrick
- Authors: Fabian, Marian , Kruger, Alexander , Mehlitz, Patrick
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications Vol. 532, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: We revisit the decoupling approach widely used (often intuitively) in nonlinear analysis and optimization and initially formalized about a quarter of a century ago by Borwein & Zhu, Borwein & Ioffe and Lassonde. It allows one to streamline proofs of necessary optimality conditions and calculus relations, unify and simplify the respective statements, clarify and in many cases weaken the assumptions. In this paper we study weaker concepts of quasiuniform infimum, quasiuniform lower semicontinuity and quasiuniform minimum, putting them into the context of the general theory developed by the aforementioned authors. Along the way, we unify the terminology and notation and fill in some gaps in the general theory. We establish rather general primal and dual necessary conditions characterizing quasiuniform
- Authors: Fabian, Marian , Kruger, Alexander , Mehlitz, Patrick
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications Vol. 532, no. 2 (2024), p.
- Relation: https://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: We revisit the decoupling approach widely used (often intuitively) in nonlinear analysis and optimization and initially formalized about a quarter of a century ago by Borwein & Zhu, Borwein & Ioffe and Lassonde. It allows one to streamline proofs of necessary optimality conditions and calculus relations, unify and simplify the respective statements, clarify and in many cases weaken the assumptions. In this paper we study weaker concepts of quasiuniform infimum, quasiuniform lower semicontinuity and quasiuniform minimum, putting them into the context of the general theory developed by the aforementioned authors. Along the way, we unify the terminology and notation and fill in some gaps in the general theory. We establish rather general primal and dual necessary conditions characterizing quasiuniform
Guideline for the decommissioning/abandonment of subsea pipelines
- Reda, Ahmed, Amaechi, Chiemela, Diaz Jimenez, Luis, Sultan, Ibrahim, Rawlinson, Andrew
- Authors: Reda, Ahmed , Amaechi, Chiemela , Diaz Jimenez, Luis , Sultan, Ibrahim , Rawlinson, Andrew
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering Vol. 12, no. 1 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The operating lifespan of pipelines is limited, defined by their specific design codes and specifications, with the economic justification for this being determined primarily by the pipeline owner. During its operational lifespan, a pipeline’s integrity is affected mainly by the quality of the hydrocarbons being transported. The integrity of a pipeline can be maintained with regular inspections and maintenance/cleaning programmes followed from installation to commissioning. As production matures and declines, operators face several decisions concerning the pipeline’s future. There are several potential scenarios, and each should be assessed on a case-by-case basis for any specific pipeline in question. The industry best practices outline the minimum requirements for the safe decommissioning of pipelines. However, there currently need to be international specifications to be followed for the decommissioning of disused offshore pipelines. This paper aims to provide insight into the decommissioning and abandonment of offshore pipelines. Also, this article provides case studies for the decommissioning of subsea pipelines. © 2023 by the authors.
- Authors: Reda, Ahmed , Amaechi, Chiemela , Diaz Jimenez, Luis , Sultan, Ibrahim , Rawlinson, Andrew
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Marine Science and Engineering Vol. 12, no. 1 (2024), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The operating lifespan of pipelines is limited, defined by their specific design codes and specifications, with the economic justification for this being determined primarily by the pipeline owner. During its operational lifespan, a pipeline’s integrity is affected mainly by the quality of the hydrocarbons being transported. The integrity of a pipeline can be maintained with regular inspections and maintenance/cleaning programmes followed from installation to commissioning. As production matures and declines, operators face several decisions concerning the pipeline’s future. There are several potential scenarios, and each should be assessed on a case-by-case basis for any specific pipeline in question. The industry best practices outline the minimum requirements for the safe decommissioning of pipelines. However, there currently need to be international specifications to be followed for the decommissioning of disused offshore pipelines. This paper aims to provide insight into the decommissioning and abandonment of offshore pipelines. Also, this article provides case studies for the decommissioning of subsea pipelines. © 2023 by the authors.