Physical activity, sitting and depression during pregnancy

Aims The aim of this cross sectional study is to explore levels of physical activity and sitting behaviour amongst a sample of pregnant Australian women (n = 81), and investigate whether reported levels of physical activity and/or time spent sitting were associated with depressive symptom scores after controlling for potential covariates. Methods Study participants were women who attended the antenatal clinic of a large Brisbane maternity hospital between October and November 2006. Data relating to participants. current levels of physical activity, sitting behaviour, depressive symptoms, demographic characteristics and exposure to known risk factors for depression during pregnancy were collected; via on-site survey, follow-up telephone interview (approximately one week later) and post delivery access to participant hospital records. Results Participants were aged 29.5 (¡¾ 5.6) years and mostly partnered (86.4%) with a gross household income above $26,000 per annum (88.9%). Levels of physical activity were generally low, with only 28.4 % of participants reporting sufficient total activity and 16% of participants reporting sufficient planned (leisure-time) activity. The sample mean for depressive symptom scores measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS-D) was 6.38 (¡¾ 2.55). The mean depressive symptom scores for participants who reported total moderate-to-vigorous activity levels of sufficient, insufficient, and none, were 5.43 (¡¾ 1.56), 5.82 (¡¾ 1.77) and 7.63 (¡¾ 3.25), respectively. Hierarchical multivariable linear regression modelling indicated that after controlling for covariates, a statistically significant difference of 1.09 points was observed between mean depressive symptom scores of participants who reported sufficient total physical activity, compared with participants who reported they were engaging in no moderate-to-vigorous activity in a typical week (p = 0.05) but this did not reach the criteria for a clinically meaningful difference. Total physical activity was contributed 2.2% to the total 30.3% of explained variance within this model. The other main contributors to explained variance in multivariable regression models were anxiety symptom scores and the number of existing children. Further, a trend was observed between higher levels of planned sitting behaviour and higher depressive symptom scores (p = 0.06); this correlation was not clinically meaningful. Planned sitting contributed 3.2% to the total 31.3 % of explained variance. The number of regression covariates and limited sample size led to a less than ideal ratio of covariates to participants, probably attenuating this relationship. Specific information about the sitting-based activities in which participants engaged may have provided greater insight about the relationship between planned sitting and depressive symptoms, but these data were not captured by the present study. Conclusions The finding that higher levels of physical activity were associated with lower levels of depressive symptoms is consistent with the current body of existing literature in pregnant women, and with a larger body of evidence based in general population samples. Although this result was not considered clinically meaningful, the criterion for a clinically meaningful result was an a priori decision based on quality of life literature in non-pregnant populations and may not truly reflect a difference in symptoms that is meaningful to pregnant women. Further investigation to establish clinically meaningful criteria for continuous depressive symptom data in pregnant women is required. This result may have implications relating to prevention and management options for depression during pregnancy. The observed trend between planned sitting and depressive symptom scores is consistent with literature based on leisure-time sitting behaviour in general population samples, and suggests that further research in this area, with larger samples of pregnant women and more specific sitting data is required to explore potential associations between activities such as television viewing and depressive symptoms, as this may be an area of behaviour that is amenable to modification.

Action inquiry into the use of standardized evaluation tools for music therapy : a real life journey within a parent-child community program

Sing & Grow is an early intervention music therapy project that provides community group music therapy programs to families with young children who encounter risk factors that may impact on parenting and optimal child develop variety of evaluation tools were devised and used over the first 3 years of the project. Upon the subsequent funding and expansion of the project at the end of this period, it was necessary to find, test and devise more rigorous, valid and reliable measures to withstand the scrutiny of researchers, and to combat the concerns and criticisms associated with the previous methods of data collection. An action inquiry project was therefore undertaken with two groups of project participants to trial the use of the Parenting Stress Index and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales, both recommended by leading psychologists. Key findings that will be discussed include the friction between the deficit-focussed nature of many psychometric tools and the strengths-based approach taken in service delivery, the level of difficulty in terms of literacy and comprehension for vulnerable respondents, and the lack of one tool with the ability to comprehensively measure all aspects of a broad scoping program. Keywords: music therapy, evaluation, PSI, DASS, action inquiry.

Gimmelife : listening for dialogic voices in the email self-narratives of gifted young adolescents

The art of listening for voices within narrative research is a positive endeavour that has specific value within research design and subsequent approaches to analysis. This paper details an investigation into the dialogic nature of voices among gifted young adolescents who engaged in the co-construction of email-generated self-narratives. Data are drawn from a study involving ten adolescents, aged between ten and fourteen years, diagnosed as gifted according to Australian guidelines. Individual participants were asked to produce self-managed journal entries written and sent as asynchronous emails to the researcher who was the sole recipient and respondent. Within this approach, specific techniques of listening were used to examine a series of multi-vocal narratives generated over a period of six months. This paper proposes that an adaptation of the everyday convenience of email with the traditional journal format as a self-report mechanism creates a synergy that fosters self-disclosure. Individual excerpts are presented to show that the harnessing of personal narratives within an email context has potential to yield valuable insights into the emotions, personal realities and experiences of gifted young adolescents. Furthermore, the co-construction of self-expressive and explanatory narratives supported by a facilitative adult listener appeared to promote healthy self-awareness amongst participants. This paper contributes to narrative exploration in two distinct ways: first, in using online methods for gaining access to the everyday, emotional realities of participants; and, second, in demonstrating the value of listening as a narrative technique for uncovering layers of voices across a body of texts produced over time. These methods represent an innovative attempt to move beyond face-to-face approaches and away from a focus on content and coding techniques that might oversimplify complex emotions.

Support teachers, learning difficulties and secondary school culture

This thesis will report on mixed method research which examined secondary Support Teachers Learning Difficulties (STLDs) and their modes of operation in New South Wales (NSW) government schools, Australia. Four modes of operation were identified in the literature as consultancy, team teaching, in-class support and withdrawal. An additional area of other duties was also included to examine the time when STLDs were not functioning in the four identified modes of operation. NSW government policy is in keeping with the literature as it recommends that STLDs should spend the majority of their time in consultancy and team teaching while in class with a minimum of withdrawal of students from their main classrooms for individual or small group instruction. STLDs, however, did not appear to be functioning in the recommended way. A number of factors identified in the literature, which may influence the modes of operation, can be grouped under the heading of school culture thus this research involved the examination of the effects of school culture on the modes of operation with the aim of expanding our understanding of the functioning of STLDs and providing suggestions for improvement. The theoretical base of social constructionism has informed this research which included survey and case study methods. Case studies of the STLDs in three secondary schools led to the conclusion that, in conjunction with factors such as flexibility and commitment, the involvement of the STLD in a sub-culture of learning support may lead to functioning in the recommended modes of operation.

A review of locative media, mobile and embodied spatial interaction

Highlights ► Provides a review of the history and development of locative media. ► Outlines different human-computer interaction techniques applied in locative media. ► Discusses how locative media applications have changed interaction affordances in and of physical spaces. ► Discusses practices of people in urban settings that evolved through these new affordances. ► Provides an overview on methods to investigate and elaborate design principles for future locative media.

Mussel-inspired porous SiO2 scaffolds with improved mineralization and cytocompatibility for drug delivery and bone tissue engineering

Porous SiO2 scaffolds with mesopore structure (named as MS scaffolds) have been proposed as suitable for bone tissue engineering due to their excellent drug-delivery ability; however, the mineralization and cytocompatibility of MS scaffolds are far from optimal for bone tissue engineering, and it is also unclear how the delivery of drugs from MS scaffolds affects osteoblastic cells. The aims of the present study were to improve the mineralization and cytocompatibility of MS scaffolds by coating mussel-inspired polydopamine on the pore walls of scaffolds. The effects of polydopamine modification on MS scaffolds was investigated with respect to apatite mineralization and the attachment, proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs), as was the release profile of the drug dexamethasone (DEX). Our results show that polydopamine can readily coat the pore walls of MS scaffolds and that polydopamine-modified MS scaffolds have a significantly improved apatite-mineralization ability as well as better attachment and proliferation of BMSCs in the scaffolds, compared to controls. Polydopamine modification did not alter the release profile of DEX from MS scaffolds but the sustained delivery of DEX significantly improved alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of BMSCs in the scaffolds. These results suggest that polydopamine modification is a viable option to enhance the bioactivity of bone tissue engineering scaffolds and, further, that DEX-loaded polydopamine MS scaffolds have potential uses as a release system to enhance the osteogenic properties of bone tissue engineering applications.

Drinking and driving in Vietnam : perceptions and risk

Road traffic injuries are a major global public health problem but continue to receive inadequate attention. Alcohol influences both risk and consequence of road traffic injury but the scale of the problem is not well understood in many countries. In Vietnam, economic development has brought a substantial increase in the number of registered motorcycles as well as alcohol consumption. Traffic injury is among the leading causes of death in Vietnam but there is little local information regarding alcohol related traffic injuries. The primary goal of this study is to explore the drinking and driving patterns of males and their perceptions towards drink-driving and to determine the relationship between alcohol consumption and road traffic injuries. Furthermore, this thesis aims to present the situation analysis for choosing priority actions to reduce drinking and driving in Vietnam. The study is a combination of two cross-sectional surveys and a pilot study. The pilot study, involving 224 traffic injured patients, was conducted to test the tools and the feasibility of approach methods. In the first survey, male patrons (n=464) were randomly selected at seven restaurants. Face-to-face interviews were conducted when patrons just arrived and breath tests were collected when they were about to leave the restaurant. In the second survey, male patients admitted to hospital following a traffic injury (n=480, of which 414 were motorcycle or bicycle riders) were interviewed and their blood alcohol concentration (BAC) measured by breathalyzer. The results show broadly similar patterns of drinking and driving among male patrons and male traffic injured patients with a high frequency of drinking and drink-driving reported among the majority of the two groups. A high proportion of male patrons were leaving restaurants with a BAC over the legal limit. Factors that significantly associate with the number of drinks and BAC were age, hazardous drinking, frequency of drink-driving in the past year, self-estimated number of drinks consumed to drive legally, perceived family’s disapproval of drink-driving, and perceived legal risk and physical risk. The proportion of patrons and patients with BAC above the legal limit of 0.05 were 86.7% and 60.4% respectively, which was much higher than found in previous studies. In addition, both groups had a high prevalence of BAC over 0.15g/100ml (39.7% of patrons and 45.6% patients), a level that can seriously affect driving capacity. Results from the case-crossover analysis for patients indicate a dose-response relationship between alcohol consumption and the risk of traffic injury. The risk of traffic injury increased when alcohol was consumed before driving and there was a more than 13 fold increase when six or more drinks were consumed. Regarding perceptions towards drinking and driving, findings corroborate the low awareness among males in Vietnam, with a majority of respondents holding a low knowledge of safe and legally permissible alcohol use, and a low perceived risk of drinking and driving. The results also indicate a huge gap in prevention skills in terms of planning ahead or using alternative transport to avoid drink-driving and a perception by patrons and patients of a low rate of disapproval of drink-driving from peers and family. Findings in this study have considerable implications for national policy, injury prevention, clinical practice, reporting systems, and for further research. The low rate of compliance with existing laws and a generally low perceived legal risk toward drink-driving in this study call for the strengthening of enforcement along with mass media campaigns and news coverage in order to decrease the widespread perception of impunity and thereby, to reduce the level of drink-driving. In addition, no significant difference was found in this study on risk of traffic injuries between car drivers and motorcycle drivers. The current inconsistency between legal BAC for drivers of motorcycles, compared to cars, thus needs addressing. Furthermore, as drinking was found to be very common, rather than solely targeting drink-driving, it is important to call for a more strategic and comprehensive approach to alcohol policy in Viet Nam. This study also has considerable implications for clinical practice in terms of screening and brief interventions. Our study suggests that the short form of the AUDIT (AUDIT-C) screening tool is appropriate for use in busy emergency departments. The high proportion of traffic injured patients with evidence of alcohol abuse or hazardous drinking suggests that brief interventions by alcohol and drug counselors in emergency departments are a sensible option to addressing this important problem. The significance of this study is in the combination of the systematic collection of breath test and use of case-crossover design to estimate the risk of traffic injuries after alcohol consumption. The results provide convincing evidence to policy makers, health authorities and the media to help raise community awareness and policy advocacy toward the drinkdriving problem in Vietnam. The findings suggest an urgent need for a multi-sectoral approach to curtail drink-driving in Vietnam, especially programs to raise community awareness and effective legal enforcement. Furthermore, serving as a situation analysis, the thesis should inform the formulation of interventions designed to curtail drinking and driving in Vietnam and other developing countries.

Accelerated leap methods for simulating discrete stochastic chemical kinetics

Biologists are increasingly conscious of the critical role that noise plays in cellular functions such as genetic regulation, often in connection with fluctuations in small numbers of key regulatory molecules. This has inspired the development of models that capture this fundamentally discrete and stochastic nature of cellular biology - most notably the Gillespie stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA). The SSA simulates a temporally homogeneous, discrete-state, continuous-time Markov process, and of course the corresponding probabilities and numbers of each molecular species must all remain positive. While accurately serving this purpose, the SSA can be computationally inefficient due to very small time stepping so faster approximations such as the Poisson and Binomial τ-leap methods have been suggested. This work places these leap methods in the context of numerical methods for the solution of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) driven by Poisson noise. This allows analogues of Euler-Maruyuma, Milstein and even higher order methods to be developed through the Itô-Taylor expansions as well as similar derivative-free Runge-Kutta approaches. Numerical results demonstrate that these novel methods compare favourably with existing techniques for simulating biochemical reactions by more accurately capturing crucial properties such as the mean and variance than existing methods.

Implementing design build project delivery system in Indonesian road infrastructure projects

Design-Build (DB) project delivery systems have increasingly been adopted by many private and public sector organizations worldwide due to its many advantages. However, many Indonesian road infrastructure projects are still delivered using the traditional design-bid-build (DBB) project delivery system. This paper reviews the existing literature to explore factors that can influence the successful implementation of DB project delivery system in Indonesian road infrastructure projects. It founds the lack of clarification in existing legislations as well as the lack of experiences, knowledge and skill as the main obstacles in implementing DB systems in Indonesia. To overcome these obstacles, this paper proposes (1) A relook at existing legislation in term of providing more guidance on determining projects appropriate for the DB, procedures for implementing DB, and the structure of builder entity; (2) To develop the skills and knowledge of DB to all stakeholders through communications, knowledge sharing and training. The outcome of this review can serve as a guide to development a framework for the implementation of the design-build project delivery system in Indonesian road infrastructure projects.

Supplement : Efficient weak second-order stochastic Runge-Kutta methods for non-commutative Stratonvich stochastic differential equations

This paper gives a modification of a class of stochastic Runge–Kutta methods proposed in a paper by Komori (2007). The slight modification can reduce the computational costs of the methods significantly.

Determinants of skin self-examination (SSE) in men aged 50 years or older

Background: Queensland men aged 50 years and older are at high risk for melanoma. Early detection via skin self examination (SSE) (particularly whole-body SSE) followed by presentation to a doctor with suspicious lesions, may decrease morbidity and mortality from melanoma. Prevalence of whole-body SSE (wbSSE) is lower in Queensland older men compared to other population subgroups. With the exception of the present study no previous research has investigated the determinants of wbSSE in older men, or interventions to increase the behaviour in this population. Furthermore, although past SSE intervention studies for other populations have cited health behaviour models in the development of interventions, no study has tested these models in full. The Skin Awareness Study: A recent randomised trial, called the Skin Awareness Study, tested the impact of a video-delivered intervention compared to written materials alone on wbSSE in men aged 50 years or older (n=930). Men were recruited from the general population and interviewed over the telephone at baseline and 13 months. The proportion of men who reported wbSSE rose from 10% to 31% in the control group, and from 11% to 36% in the intervention group. Current research: The current research was a secondary analysis of data collected for the Skin Awareness Study. The objectives were as follows: • To describe how men who did not take up any SSE during the study period differed from those who did take up examining their skin. • To determine whether the intervention program was successful in affecting the constructs of the Health Belief Model it was aimed at (self-efficacy, perceived threat, and outcome expectations); and whether this in turn influenced wbSSE. • To determine whether the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) was a better predictor of wbSSE behaviour compared to the Health Belief Model (HBM). Methods: For objective 1, men who did not report any past SSE at baseline (n=308) were categorised as having ‘taken up SSE’ (reported SSE at study end) or ‘resisted SSE’ (reported no SSE at study end). Bivariate logistic regression, followed by multivariable regression, investigated the association between participant characteristics measured at baseline and resisting SSE. For objective 2 proxy measures of self-efficacy, perceived threat, and outcome expectations were selected. To determine whether these mediated the effect of the intervention on the outcome, a mediator analysis was performed with all participants who completed interviews at both time points (n=830) following the Baron and Kenny approach, modified for use with structural equation modelling (SEM). For objective 3, control group participants only were included (n=410). Proxy measures of all HBM and HAPA constructs were selected and SEM was used to build up models and test the significance of each hypothesised pathway. A likelihood ratio test compared the HAPA to the HBM. Results: Amongst men who did not report any SSE at baseline, 27% did not take up any SSE by the end of the study. In multivariable analyses, resisting SSE was associated with having more freckly skin (p=0.027); being unsure about the statement ‘if I saw something suspicious on my skin, I’d go to the doctor straight away’ (p=0.028); not intending to perform SSE (p=0.015), having lower SSE self-efficacy (p<0.001), and having no recommendation for SSE from a doctor (p=0.002). In the mediator analysis none of the tested variables mediated the relationship between the intervention and wbSSE. In regards to health behaviour models, the HBM did not predict wbSSE well overall. Only the construct of self-efficacy was a significant predictor of future wbSSE (p=0.001), while neither perceived threat (p=0.584) nor outcome expectations (p=0.220) were. By contrast, when the HAPA constructs were added, all three HBM variables predicted intention to perform SSE, which in turn predicted future behaviour (p=0.015). The HAPA construct of volitional self-efficacy was also associated with wbSSE (p=0.046). The HAPA was a significantly better model compared to the HBM (p<0.001). Limitations: Items selected to measure HBM and HAPA model constructs for objectives 2 and 3 may not have accurately reflected each construct. Conclusions: This research added to the evidence base on how best to target interventions to older men; and on the appropriateness of particular health behaviour models to guide interventions. Findings indicate that to overcome resistance those men with more negative pre-existing attitudes to SSE (not intending to do it, lower initial self-efficacy) may need to be targeted with more intensive interventions in the future. Involving general practitioners in recommending SSE to their patients in this population, alongside disseminating an intervention, may increase its success. Comparison of the HBM and HAPA showed that while two of the three HBM variables examined did not directly predict future wbSSE, all three were associated with intention to self-examine skin. This suggests that in this population, intervening on these variables may increase intention to examine skin, but not necessarily the behaviour itself. Future interventions could potentially focus on increasing both the motivational variables of perceived threat and outcome expectations as well as a combination of both action and volitional self-efficacy; with the aim of increasing intention as well as its translation to taking up and maintaining regular wbSSE.

Investigation of methods for increasing the energy efficiency on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVS)

In recent years, development of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) has become a significant growing segment of the global aviation industry. These vehicles are developed with the intention of operating in regions where the presence of onboard human pilots is either too risky or unnecessary. Their popularity with both the military and civilian sectors have seen the use of UAVs in a diverse range of applications, from reconnaissance and surveillance tasks for the military, to civilian uses such as aid relief and monitoring tasks. Efficient energy utilisation on an UAV is essential to its functioning, often to achieve the operational goals of range, endurance and other specific mission requirements. Due to the limitations of the space available and the mass budget on the UAV, it is often a delicate balance between the onboard energy available (i.e. fuel) and achieving the operational goals. This thesis presents an investigation of methods for increasing the energy efficiency on UAVs. One method is via the development of a Mission Waypoint Optimisation (MWO) procedure for a small fixed-wing UAV, focusing on improving the onboard fuel economy. MWO deals with a pre-specified set of waypoints by modifying the given waypoints within certain limits to achieve its optimisation objectives of minimising/maximising specific parameters. A simulation model of a UAV was developed in the MATLAB Simulink environment, utilising the AeroSim Blockset and the in-built Aerosonde UAV block and its parameters. This simulation model was separately integrated with a multi-objective Evolutionary Algorithm (MOEA) optimiser and a Sequential Quadratic Programming (SQP) solver to perform single-objective and multi-objective optimisation procedures of a set of real-world waypoints in order to minimise the onboard fuel consumption. The results of both procedures show potential in reducing fuel consumption on a UAV in a ight mission. Additionally, a parallel Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System (HEPS) on a small fixedwing UAV incorporating an Ideal Operating Line (IOL) control strategy was developed. An IOL analysis of an Aerosonde engine was performed, and the most efficient (i.e. provides greatest torque output at the least fuel consumption) points of operation for this engine was determined. Simulation models of the components in a HEPS were designed and constructed in the MATLAB Simulink environment. It was demonstrated through simulation that an UAV with the current HEPS configuration was capable of achieving a fuel saving of 6.5%, compared to the ICE-only configuration. These components form the basis for the development of a complete simulation model of a Hybrid-Electric UAV (HEUAV).

Novel numerical methods for time-space fractional reaction diffusion equations in two dimensions

We consider time-space fractional reaction diffusion equations in two dimensions. This equation is obtained from the standard reaction diffusion equation by replacing the first order time derivative with the Caputo fractional derivative, and the second order space derivatives with the fractional Laplacian. Using the matrix transfer technique proposed by Ilic, Liu, Turner and Anh [Fract. Calc. Appl. Anal., 9:333--349, 2006] and the numerical solution strategy used by Yang, Turner, Liu, and Ilic [SIAM J. Scientific Computing, 33:1159--1180, 2011], the solution of the time-space fractional reaction diffusion equations in two dimensions can be written in terms of a matrix function vector product $f(A)b$ at each time step, where $A$ is an approximate matrix representation of the standard Laplacian. We use the finite volume method over unstructured triangular meshes to generate the matrix $A$, which is therefore non-symmetric. However, the standard Lanczos method for approximating $f(A)b$ requires that $A$ is symmetric. We propose a simple and novel transformation in which the standard Lanczos method is still applicable to find $f(A)b$, despite the loss of symmetry. Numerical results are presented to verify the accuracy and efficiency of our newly proposed numerical solution strategy.

Predictive factors of contact lens case contamination

PURPOSE: To examine the relationship between contact lens (CL) case contamination and various potential predictive factors. METHODS: 74 subjects were fitted with lotrafilcon B (CIBA Vision) CLs on a daily wear basis for 1 month. Subjects were randomly assigned one of two polyhexamethylene biguanide (PHMB) preserved disinfecting solutions with the corresponding regular lens case. Clinical evaluations were conducted at lens delivery and after 1 month, when cases were collected for microbial culture. A CL care non-compliance score was determined through administration of a questionnaire and the volume of solution used was calculated for each subject. Data was examined using backward stepwise binary logistic regression. RESULTS: 68% of cases were contaminated. 35% were moderately or heavily contaminated and 36% contained gram-negative bacteria. Case contamination was significantly associated with subjective dryness symptoms (OR 4.22, CI 1.37–13.01) (P<0.05). There was no association between contamination and subject age, ethnicity, gender, average wearing time, amount of solution used, non-compliance score, CL power and subjective redness (P>0.05). The effect of lens care system on case contamination approached significance (P=0.07). Failure to rinse the case with disinfecting solution following CL insertion (OR 2.51, CI 0.52–12.09) and not air drying the case (OR 2.31, CI 0.39–13.35) were positively correlated with contamination; however, did not reach statistical significance. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that case contamination may influence subjective comfort. It is difficult to predict the development of case contamination from a variety of clinical factors. The efficacy of CL solutions, bacterial resistance to disinfection and biofilm formation are likely to play a role. Further evaluation of these factors will improve our understanding of the development of case contamination and its clinical impact.

Hyaluronic acid : evaluation as a potential delivery vehicle for vitronectin:growth factor complexes in wound healing applications

We have previously reported that novel vitronectin:growth factor (VN:GF) complexes significantly increase re-epithelialization in a porcine deep dermal partial-thickness burn model. However, the potential exists to further enhance the healing response through combination with an appropriate delivery vehicle which facilitates sustained local release and reduced doses of VN:GF complexes. Hyaluronic acid (HA), an abundant constituent of the interstitium, is known to function as a reservoir for growth factors and other bioactive species. The physicochemical properties of HA confer it with an ability to sustain elevated pericellular concentrations of these species. This has been proposed to arise via HA prolonging interactions of the bioactive species with cell surface receptors and/or protecting them from degradation. In view of this, the potential of HA to facilitate the topical delivery of VN:GF complexes was evaluated. Two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cell cultures and 3D de-epidermised dermis (DED) human skin equivalent (HSE) models were used to test skin cell responses to HA and VN:GF complexes. Our 2D studies revealed that VN:GF complexes and HA stimulate the proliferation of human fibroblasts but not keratinocytes. Experiments in our 3D DED-HSE models showed that VN:GF complexes, both alone and in conjunction with HA, led to enhanced development of both the proliferative and differentiating layers in the DED-HSE models. However, there was no significant difference between the thicknesses of the epidermis treated with VN:GF complexes alone and VN:GF complexes together with HA. While the addition of HA did not enhance all the cellular responses to VN:GF complexes examined, it was not inhibitory, and may confer other advantages related to enhanced absorption and transport that could be beneficial in delivery of the VN:GF complexes to wounds.