Re-engineering higher education for energy efficiency solutions

Emerging 21st century challenges require higher education institutions (HEIs) to play a key role in developing graduates and professionals, particularly in engineering and design, who can forge sustainable solutions. The trouble is there’s currently a significant lag in the preparedness of HEIs to provide the stream of professionals needed. Addressing energy efficiency competencies is one critical area.

Water solutions adapted for climate change

The Water Transformed online education package demonstrates how Australia is leading in many aspects of water management, as well as how, across a number of sectors, companies and organisations are achieving significant savings – of both water and money...

Re-thinking sustainable solutions: Innovation inspired by nature

Australian rural landscapes are facing a crisis from land degradation due to rising salinity levels, soil acidification and soil erosion. There is growing consensus amongst the businesses community, government departments and research organisations that the real solution to these problems and the broader sustainability dilemma comes by taking a ‘whole of system’ approach to agricultural and rangelands management. This article introduces two cutting-edge concepts – Biomimicry and Natural Sequence Farming – to illustrate how whole-system thinking can effectively and profitably address the challenges facing agriculture and rangelands.

A taste of best practice in engineering sustainable solutions

This paper asks the question to what scale and speed does society need to reduce its ecological footprint and improve resource productivity to prevent further overshoot and return within the ecological limits of the earth’s ecological life support systems? How fast do these changes need to be achieved? The paper shows that now a large range of studies find that engineering sustainable solutions need to be roughly an order or magnitude resource productivity improvement (sometimes called a Factor of 10, or a 90% reduction) by 2050 to achieve real and lasting ecological sustainability. This marks a significant challenge for engineers – indeed all designers and architects, where best practice in engineering sustainable solutions will need to achieve large resource productivity targets. The paper brings together examples of best practice in achieving these large targets from around the world. The paper also highlights key resources and texts for engineers who wish to learn how to do it. But engineers need to be realistic and patient. Significant barriers exist to achieving Factor 4-10 such as the fact that infrastructure and technology rollover and replacement is often slow. This slow rollover of the built environment and technology is the context within which most engineers work, making the goal of achieving Factor 10 all the more challenging. However, the paper demonstrates that by using best practice in engineering sustainable solutions and by addressing the necessary market, information and institutional failures it is possible to achieve Factor 10 over the next 50 years. This paper draws on recent publications by The Natural Edge Project (TNEP) and partners, including Hargroves, K. Smith, M. (Eds) (2005) The Natural Advantage of Nations: Business Opportunities, Innovation and Governance for the 21st Century, and the TNEP Engineering Sustainable Solutions Program - Critical Literacies for Engineers Portfolio. Both projects have the significant support of Engineers Australia. its College of Environmental Engineers and the Society of Sustainability and Environmental Engineering.

Aspect-based opinion mining from product reviews using conditional random fields

Product reviews are the foremost source of information for customers and manufacturers to help them make appropriate purchasing and production decisions. Natural language data is typically very sparse; the most common words are those that do not carry a lot of semantic content, and occurrences of any particular content-bearing word are rare, while co-occurrences of these words are rarer. Mining product aspects, along with corresponding opinions, is essential for Aspect-Based Opinion Mining (ABOM) as a result of the e-commerce revolution. Therefore, the need for automatic mining of reviews has reached a peak. In this work, we deal with ABOM as sequence labelling problem and propose a supervised extraction method to identify product aspects and corresponding opinions. We use Conditional Random Fields (CRFs) to solve the extraction problem and propose a feature function to enhance accuracy. The proposed method is evaluated using two different datasets. We also evaluate the effectiveness of feature function and the optimisation through multiple experiments.

Ion exchange treatment of saline solutions using lanxess S108H strong acid cation resin

Common to many types of water and wastewater is the presence of sodium ions which can be removed by desalination technologies, such as reverse osmosis and ion exchange. The focus of this investigation was ion exchange as it potentially offered several advantages compared to competing methods. The equilibrium and column behaviour of a strong acid cation (SAC) resin was examined for the removal of sodium ions from aqueous sodium chloride solutions of varying normality as well as a coal seam gas water sample. The influence of the bottle-point method to generate the sorption isotherms was evaluated and data interpreted with the Langmuir Vageler, Competitive Langmuir, Freundlich, and Dubinin-Astakhov models. With the constant concentration bottle point method, the predicted maximum exchange levels of sodium ions on the resin ranged from 61.7 to 67.5 g Na/kg resin. The general trend was that the lower the initial concentration of sodium ions in the solution, the lower the maximum capacity of the resin for sodium ions. In contrast, the constant mass bottle point method was found to be problematic in that the isotherm profiles may not be complete, if experimental parameters were not chosen carefully. Column studies supported the observations of the equilibrium studies, with maximum sodium loading of ca. 62.9 g Na/kg resin measured, which was in excellent agreement with the predictions of the data from the constant concentration bottle point method. Equilibria involving coal seam gas water were more complex due to the presence of sodium bicarbonate in solution, albeit the maximum loading capacity for sodium ions was in agreement with the results from the more simple sodium chloride solutions.

The role of institutional pressures and top management support in the intention to adopt cloud computing solutions

Purpose – While many studies have predominantly looked at the benefits and risks of cloud computing, little is known whether and to what extent institutional forces play a role in cloud computing adoption. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of institutional factors in top management team’s (TMT’s) decision to adopt cloud computing services. Design/methodology/approach – A model is developed and tested with data from an Australian survey using the partial least squares modeling technique. Findings – The results suggest that mimetic and coercive pressures influence TMT’s beliefs in the benefits of cloud computing. The results also show that TMT’s beliefs drive TMT’s participation, which in turn affects the intention to increase the adoption of cloud computing solutions. Research limitations/implications – Future studies could incorporate the influences of local actors who might also press for innovation. Practical implications – Given the influence of institutional forces and the plethora of cloud-based solutions on the market, it is recommended that TMTs exercise a high degree of caution when deciding for the types of applications to be outsourced as organizational requirements in terms of performance and security will differ. Originality/value – The paper contributes to the growing empirical literature on cloud computing adoption and offers the institutional framework as an alternative lens with which to interpret cloud-based information technology outsourcing.

Monoclonal antibody screening of a phage-displayed random peptide library reveals mimotopes of chemokine receptor CCR5: Implications for the tertiary structure of the receptor and for an n-terminal binding site for HIV-1 gp120

The chemokine receptor CCR5 contains seven transmembrane-spanning domains. It binds chemokines and acts as co-receptor for macrophage (m)-tropic (or R5) strains of HIV-1. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb) to CCR5, 3A9 and 5C7, were used for biopanning a nonapeptide cysteine (C)-constrained phage-displayed random peptide library to ascertain contact residues and define tertiary structures of possible epitopes on CCR5. Reactivity of antibodies with phagotopes was established by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). mAb 3A9 identified a phagotope C-HASIYDFGS-C (3A9/1), and 5C7 most frequently identified C-PHWLRDLRV-C (5C7/1). Corresponding peptides were synthesized. Phagotopes and synthetic peptides reacted in ELISA with corresponding antibodies and synthetic peptides inhibited antibody binding to the phagotopes. Reactivity by immunofluorescence of 3A9 with CCR5 was strongly inhibited by the corresponding peptide. Both mAb 3A9 and 5C7 reacted similarly with phagotopes and the corresponding peptide selected by the alternative mAb. The sequences of peptide inserts of phagotopes could be aligned as mimotopes of the sequence of CCR5. For phage 3A9/1, the motif SIYD aligned to residues at the N terminus and FG to residues on the first extracellular loop; for 5C7/1, residues at the N terminus, first extracellular loop, and possibly the third extracellular loop could be aligned and so would contribute to the mimotope. The synthetic peptides corresponding to the isolated phagotopes showed a CD4-dependent reactivity with gp120 of a primary, m-tropic HIV-1 isolate. Thus reactivity of antibodies raised to CCR5 against phage-displayed peptides defined mimotopes that reflect binding sites for these antibodies and reveal a part of the gp120 binding sites on CCR5.

Characterization of epitopes for virus-neutralizing monoclonal antibodies to Ross River virus E2 using phage-displayed random peptide libraries

Ross River virus (RRV) is the predominant cause of epidemic polyarthritis in Australia, yet the antigenic determinants are not well defined. We aimed to characterize epitope(s) on RRV-E2 for a panel of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that recognize overlapping conformational epitopes on the E2 envelope protein of RRV and that neutralize virus infection of cells in vitro. Phage-displayed random peptide libraries were probed with the MAbs T1E7, NB3C4, and T10C9 using solution-phase and solid-phase biopanning methods. The peptides VSIFPPA and KTAISPT were selected 15 and 6 times, respectively, by all three of the MAbs using solution-phase biopanning. The peptide LRLPPAP was selected 8 times by NB3C4 using solid-phase biopanning; this peptide shares a trio of amino acids with the peptide VSIFPPA. Phage that expressed the peptides VSIFPPA and LRLPPAP were reactive with T1E7 and/or NB3C4, and phage that expressed the peptides VSIFPPA, LRLPPAP, and KTAISPT partially inhibited the reactivity of T1E7 with RRV. The selected peptides resemble regions of RRV-E2 adjacent to sites mutated in neutralization escape variants of RRV derived by culture in the presence of these MAbs (E2 210-219 and 238-245) and an additional region of E2 172-182. Together these sites represent a conformational epitope of E2 that is informative of cellular contact sites on RRV.

Multiple alignment and sorting of peptides derived from phage-displayed random peptide libraries with polyclonal sera allows discrimination of relevant phagotopes

Biopanning of phage-displayed random peptide libraries is a powerful technique for identifying peptides that mimic epitopes (mimotopes) for monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). However, peptides derived using polyclonal antisera may represent epitopes for a diverse range of antibodies. Hence following screening of phage libraries with polyclonal antisera, including autoimmune disease sera, a procedure is required to distinguish relevant from irrelevant phagotopes. We therefore applied the multiple sequence alignment algorithm PILEUP together with a matrix for scoring amino acid substitutions based on physicochemical properties to generate guide trees depicting relatedness of selected peptides. A random heptapeptide library was biopanned nine times using no selecting antibodies, immunoglobulin G (IgG) from sera of subjects with autoimmune diseases (primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and type 1 diabetes) and three murine ascites fluids that contained mAbs to overlapping epitope(s) on the Ross River Virus envelope protein 2. Peptides randomly sampled from the library were distributed throughout the guide tree of the total set of peptides whilst many of the peptides derived in the absence of selecting antibody aligned to a single cluster. Moreover peptides selected by different sources of IgG aligned to separate clusters, each with a different amino acid motif. These alignments were validated by testing all of the 53 phagotopes derived using IgG from PBC sera for reactivity by capture ELISA with antibodies affinity purified on the E2 subunit of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC-E2), the major autoantigen in PBC: only those phagotopes that aligned to PBC-associated clusters were reactive. Hence the multiple sequence alignment procedure discriminates relevant from irrelevant phagotopes and thus a major difficulty with biopanning phage-displayed random peptide libraries with polyclonal antibodies is surmounted.

Phagotopes derived by antibody screening of phage-displayed random peptide libraries vary in immunoreactivity: Studies using an exemplary monoclonal antibody, CII-C1, to type II collagen

Antibody screening of phage-displayed random peptide libraries to identify mimotopes of conformational epitopes is promising. However, because interpretations can be difficult, an exemplary system has been used in the present study to investigate whether variation in the peptide sequences of selected phagotopes corresponded with variation in immunoreactivity. The phagotopes, derived using a well-characterized monoclonal antibody, CII-C1, to a known conformational epitope on type II collagen, C1, were tested by direct and inhibition ELISA for reactivity with CII-C1. A multiple sequence alignment algorithm, PILEUP, was used to sort the peptides expressed by the phagotopes into clusters. A model was prepared of the C1 epitope on type II collagen. The 12 selected phagotopes reacted with CII-C1 by both direct ELISA (titres from < 100-11 200) and inhibition ELISA (20-100% inhibition); the reactivity varied according to the peptide sequence and assay format. The differences in reactivity between the phagotopes were mostly in accord with the alignment, by PILEUP, of the peptide sequences. The finding that the phagotopes functionally mimicked the C1 epitope on collagen was validated in that amino acids RRL at the amino terminal of many of the peptides were topographically demonstrable on the model of the C1 epitope. Notably, one phagotope that expressed the widely divergent peptide C-IAPKRHNSA-C also mimicked the C1 epitope, as judged by reactivity in each of the assays used: these included cross-inhibition of CII-C1 reactivity with each of the other phagotopes and inhibition by a synthetic peptide corresponding to that expressed by the most frequently selected phagotope, RRLPFGSQM. Thus, it has been demonstrated that multiple phage-displayed peptides can mimic the same epitope and that observed immunoreactivity of selected phagotopes with the selecting mAb can depend on the primary sequence of the expressed peptide and also on the assay format used.

Comparing multilevel and Bayesian spatial random effects survival models to assess geographical inequalities in colorectal cancer survival: a case study

Background Multilevel and spatial models are being increasingly used to obtain substantive information on area-level inequalities in cancer survival. Multilevel models assume independent geographical areas, whereas spatial models explicitly incorporate geographical correlation, often via a conditional autoregressive prior. However the relative merits of these methods for large population-based studies have not been explored. Using a case-study approach, we report on the implications of using multilevel and spatial survival models to study geographical inequalities in all-cause survival. Methods Multilevel discrete-time and Bayesian spatial survival models were used to study geographical inequalities in all-cause survival for a population-based colorectal cancer cohort of 22,727 cases aged 20–84 years diagnosed during 1997–2007 from Queensland, Australia. Results Both approaches were viable on this large dataset, and produced similar estimates of the fixed effects. After adding area-level covariates, the between-area variability in survival using multilevel discrete-time models was no longer significant. Spatial inequalities in survival were also markedly reduced after adjusting for aggregated area-level covariates. Only the multilevel approach however, provided an estimation of the contribution of geographical variation to the total variation in survival between individual patients. Conclusions With little difference observed between the two approaches in the estimation of fixed effects, multilevel models should be favored if there is a clear hierarchical data structure and measuring the independent impact of individual- and area-level effects on survival differences is of primary interest. Bayesian spatial analyses may be preferred if spatial correlation between areas is important and if the priority is to assess small-area variations in survival and map spatial patterns. Both approaches can be readily fitted to geographically enabled survival data from international settings

A directed continuous time random walk model with jump length depending on waiting time

In continuum one-dimensional space, a coupled directed continuous time random walk model is proposed, where the random walker jumps toward one direction and the waiting time between jumps affects the subsequent jump. In the proposed model, the Laplace-Laplace transform of the probability density function P(x,t) of finding the walker at position at time is completely determined by the Laplace transform of the probability density function φ(t) of the waiting time. In terms of the probability density function of the waiting time in the Laplace domain, the limit distribution of the random process and the corresponding evolving equations are derived.

Archiving primary data: Solutions for long-term studies

The recent trend for journals to require open access to primary data included in publications has been embraced by many biologists, but has caused apprehension amongst researchers engaged in long-term ecological and evolutionary studies. A worldwide survey of 73 principal investigators (Pls) with long-term studies revealed positive attitudes towards sharing data with the agreement or involvement of the PI, and 93% of PIs have historically shared data. Only 8% were in favor of uncontrolled, open access to primary data while 63% expressed serious concern. We present here their viewpoint on an issue that can have non-trivial scientific consequences. We discuss potential costs of public data archiving and provide possible solutions to meet the needs of journals and researchers.