One-step homogeneous C-reactive protein assay for saliva

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world. Human C-reactive protein (CRP) has been used in the risk assessment of coronary events. Human saliva mirrors the body's health and well-being and is non-invasive, easy to collect and ideal for third world countries as well as for large patient screening. The aim was to establish a saliva CRP reference range and to demonstrate the clinical utility of salivary CRP levels in assessing the coronary events in a primary health care setting. Methods: We have used a homogeneous bead based assay to detect CRP levels in human saliva. We have developed a rapid 15 min (vs 90 min), sequential, one-step assay to detect CRP in saliva. Saliva was collected from healthy volunteers (n = 55, ages 20-70 years) as well as from cardiac patients (n = 28, ages 43-86 years). Results: The assay incubation time was optimised from 90 min to 15 mm and generated a positive correlation (n = 29, range 10-2189 pg/mL, r2 = 0.94; Passing Bablok slope 0.885. Intercept 0, p>0.10), meaning we could decrease the incubation time and produce equivalent results with confidence. The mean CRP level in the saliva of healthy human volunteers was 285 pg/mL and in cardiac patients was 1680 pg/mL (p<0.01). Analysis of CRP concentrations in paired serum and saliva samples from cardiac patients gave a positive correlation (r2 = 0.84, p<0.001) and the salivary CRP concentration capable of distinguishing healthy from diseased patients. Conclusions: The results suggest that this minimally invasive, rapid and sensitive assay will be useful in large patient screening studies for risk assessment of coronary events. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the Australian Performing Arts Market 2014-2018 - Year One Report

The Australia Council awarded the tender of APAMs 2014, 2016 and 2018 to the Brisbane Powerhouse. The Australia Council, in awarding the contract for the presentation of APAM by Brisbane Powerhouse, stipulated that a formal evaluation of the three iterations of APAM and activity in the intervening years be undertaken. Queensland University of Technology, Creative Industries Faculty, under the leadership of Associate Professor Sandra Gattenhof, were contracted to undertake the formal evaluation. This is the first year report on the Brisbane iteration of the Market. This report has drawn from data collected across a range of sources, drawing on the scoping study undertaken by Justin Macdonnell addressing the Market from 1994–2010; the tender document submitted by the Brisbane Powerhouse; in-person interviews with APAM staff, APAM Stakeholders, Vox Pops from delegates in response to individual sessions, producer company/artist case studies and, most significantly, responses from a detailed online survey sent to all delegates. The main body of the report is organised around three key research aims, as outlined in the Brisbane Powerhouse Tender document (2011). These have been articulated as: Evaluation of international market development outcomes through showcasing work to targeted international presenters and agents Evaluation of national market development outcomes through showcasing work to national presenters and producers Evaluation of the exchange ideas, dialogue, skill 
development, partnerships, collaborations and co- productions and networks with local and international peers. The culmination of the data analysis has been articulated through five key recommendations, which may assist the APAM delivery team for the next version, in 2016. In summary, the recommendations are described as: 1. Indigenous focus to remain central to the conception and delivery of APAM 2. Re-framing APAM’s function and its delivery 3. Logistics and communications in a multi-venue approach, including communications and housekeeping, volunteers, catering, re-calibrating the employment of Brisbane Powerhouse protocols and processes for APAM 4. Presentation and promotion for presenters 5. Strategic targeting of Asian producers.

Component modeling for SCADA network mapping

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition systems (SCADA) are widely used to control critical infrastructure automatically. Capturing and analyzing packet-level traffic flowing through such a network is an essential requirement for problems such as legacy network mapping and fault detection. Within the framework of captured network traffic, we present a simple modeling technique, which supports the mapping of the SCADA network topology via traffic monitoring. By characterizing atomic network components in terms of their input-output topology and the relationship between their data traffic logs, we show that these modeling primitives have good compositional behaviour, which allows complex networks to be modeled. Finally, the predictions generated by our model are found to be in good agreement with experimentally obtained traffic.

Association study of MTHFD1 coding polymorphisms R134K and R653Q with migraine susceptibility

Objective There is evidence that folate metabolism has a role in migraine pathophysiology, particularly in the migraine with aura subtype. In this study we investigate whether two non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), rs1950902 (C401T; R134K) and rs2236225 (G1958A; R653Q), in MTHDF1 are associated with migraine in an Australian case-control population. Background Increased plasma levels of homocysteine (HCy), one of the metabolites produced in the folate pathway, has been found to be a risk factor for migraine. There is also a genetic link, as a common polymorphism (C667T) that reduces the catalytic activity of MTHFR, the enzyme that catalyses the formation of HCy, is associated with an increase in risk of the migraine with aura (MA) subtype. MTHFD1 is a crucial multifunctional enzyme that catalyses three separate reactions of the folate pathway and therefore variants in MTHFD1 may also influence migraine susceptibility. Methods The R134K and R653Q variants in MTHFD1 were genotyped in an Australian cohort of 520 unrelated migraineurs (162 were diagnosed with migraine without aura [MO] and 358 with MA) and 520 matched controls. Data were analysed for association with migraine and for interaction with the MTHFR C667T polymorphism. Results We find no significant differences in genotype or allele frequencies for either SNP between migraineurs and controls, or when either MO or MA cases were compared to controls. In addition these MTHFD1 polymorphisms did not appear to influence the risk of MA conferred by the MTHFR 667T allele. Conclusions We find no evidence for association of the MTHFD1 R134K and R653Q polymorphisms with migraine in our Australian case-control population. However, as folate metabolism appears to be important in migraine, particularly with respect to the aura component, future studies using high throughput methods to expand the number of SNPs in folate-related genes genotyped and investigation of interactions between SNPs may be justified.

Toowoomba torrent no one knew was coming

"It came without warning and, within minutes, the sea of murky brown water that swept through the main street of Toowoomba was gone."

One year on and flood victims pick up the pieces

"For many Australians, January 10 last year is just a media memory — a vision of cars surfing down inner-city creeks in Toowoomba CBD and houses floating across farm paddocks in the Lockyer Valley. But for the people of the Lockyer Valley who were clinging to life, the terrifying visions of that day remain every time they close their eyes."

Conceptual and statistical framework for a water quality component of the integrated report card for the Great Barrier Reef catchments

This report presents the final deliverable from the project titled Conceptual and statistical framework for a water quality component of an integrated report card’ funded by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF; Project 3.7.7). The key management driver of this, and a number of other MTSRF projects concerned with indicator development, is the requirement for state and federal government authorities and other stakeholders to provide robust assessments of the present ‘state’ or ‘health’ of regional ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) catchments and adjacent marine waters. An integrated report card format, that encompasses both biophysical and socioeconomic factors, is an appropriate framework through which to deliver these assessments and meet a variety of reporting requirements. It is now well recognised that a ‘report card’ format for environmental reporting is very effective for community and stakeholder communication and engagement, and can be a key driver in galvanising community and political commitment and action. Although a report card it needs to be understandable by all levels of the community, it also needs to be underpinned by sound, quality-assured science. In this regard this project was to develop approaches to address the statistical issues that arise from amalgamation or integration of sets of discrete indicators into a final score or assessment of the state of the system. In brief, the two main issues are (1) selecting, measuring and interpreting specific indicators that vary both in space and time, and (2) integrating a range of indicators in such a way as to provide a succinct but robust overview of the state of the system. Although there is considerable research and knowledge of the use of indicators to inform the management of ecological, social and economic systems, methods on how to best to integrate multiple disparate indicators remain poorly developed. Therefore the objective of this project was to (i) focus on statistical approaches aimed at ensuring that estimates of individual indicators are as robust as possible, and (ii) present methods that can be used to report on the overall state of the system by integrating estimates of individual indicators. It was agreed at the outset, that this project was to focus on developing methods for a water quality report card. This was driven largely by the requirements of Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (RWQPP) and led to strong partner engagement with the Reef Water Quality Partnership.

Awards before and after the Nobel Prize : a Matthew effect and/or a ticket to one's own funeral?

The primary aim of this descriptive exploration of scientists’ life cycle award patterns is to evaluate whether awards breed further awards and identify researcher experiences after reception of the Nobel Prize. To achieve this goal, we collected data on the number of awards received each year for 50 years before and after Nobel Prize reception by all 1901–2000 Nobel laureates in physics, chemistry, and medicine or physiology. Our results indicate an increasing rate of awards before Nobel reception, reaching the summit precisely in the year of the Nobel Prize. After this pinnacle year, awards drop sharply. This result is confirmed by separate analyses of three different disciplines and by a random-effects negative binomial regression model. Such an effect, however, does not emerge for more recent Nobel laureates (1971–2000). In addition, Nobelists in medicine or physiology generate more awards shortly before and after prize reception, whereas laureates in chemistry attract more awards as time progresses.

Prevalence of malnutrition, obesity and nutritional risk of Australian paediatric inpatients: A national one-day snapshot

Aim Low prevalence rates of malnutrition at 2.5% to 4% have previously been reported in two tertiary paediatric Australian hospitals. The current study is the first to measure the prevalence of malnutrition, obesity and nutritional risk of paediatric inpatients in multiple hospitals throughout Australia. Methods Malnutrition, obesity and nutritional risk prevalence were investigated in 832 and 570 paediatric inpatients, respectively, in eight tertiary paediatric hospitals and eight regional hospitals across Australia on a single day. Malnutrition and obesity prevalence was determined using z-scores and body mass index (BMI) percentiles. High nutritional risk was determined as a Paediatric Yorkhill Malnutrition Score of 2 or more. Results The prevalence rates of malnourished, wasted, stunted, overweight and obese paediatric patients were 15%, 13.8%, 11.9%, 8.8% and 9.9%, respectively. Patients who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander were more likely to have lower height-for-age z-scores (P < 0.01); however, BMI and weight-for-age z-scores were not significantly different. Children who were younger, from regional hospitals or with a primary diagnosis of cardiac disease or cystic fibrosis had significantly lower anthropometric z-scores (P = 0.05). Forty-four per cent of patients were identified as at high nutritional risk and requiring further nutritional assessment. Conclusions The prevalence of malnutrition and nutritional risk of Australian paediatric inpatients on a given day was much higher when compared with the healthy population. In contrast, the proportion of overweight and obese patients was less.

Using textual analysis with Concept Inventories to identify root causes of misconceptions

Engineers must have deep and accurate conceptual understanding of their field and Concept inventories (CIs) are one method of assessing conceptual understanding and providing formative feedback. Current CI tests use Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) to identify misconceptions and have undergone reliability and validity testing to assess conceptual understanding. However, they do not readily provide the diagnostic information about students’ reasoning and therefore do not effectively point to specific actions that can be taken to improve student learning. We piloted the textual component of our diagnostic CI on electrical engineering students using items from the signals and systems CI. We then analysed the textual responses using automated lexical analysis software to test the effectiveness of these types of software and interviewed the students regarding their experience using the textual component. Results from the automated text analysis revealed that students held both incorrect and correct ideas for certain conceptual areas and provided indications of student misconceptions. User feedback also revealed that the inclusion of the textual component is helpful to students in assessing and reflecting on their own understanding.

One and the same: Integrative taxonomic evidence that Bactrocera invadens (Diptera: Tephritidae) is the same species as the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis

The invasive fruit fly Bactrocera invadens Drew, Tsuruta & White, and the Oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) are highly destructive horticultural pests of global significance. Bactrocera invadens originates from the Indian subcontinent and has recently invaded all of sub-Saharan Africa, while B. dorsalis principally occurs from the Indian subcontinent towards southern China and South-east Asia. High morphological and genetic similarity has cast doubt over whether B. invadens is a distinct species from B. dorsalis. Addressing this issue within an integrative taxonomic framework, we sampled from across the geographic distribution of both taxa and: (i) analysed morphological variation, including those characters considered diagnostic (scutum colour, length of aedeagus, width of postsutural lateral vittae, wing size, and wing shape); (ii) sequenced four loci (ITS1, ITS2, cox1 and nad4) for phylogenetic inference, and; (iii) generated a cox1 haplotype network to examine population structure. Molecular analyses included the closely related species, Bactrocera kandiensis Drew & Hancock. Scutum colour varies from red-brown to fully black for individuals from Africa and the Indian subcontinent. All individuals east of the Indian subcontinent are black except for a few red-brown individuals from China. The postsutural lateral vittae width of B. invadens is narrower than B. dorsalis from eastern Asia, but the variation is clinal, with subcontinent B. dorsalis populations intermediate in size. Aedeagus length, wing shape and wing size cannot discriminate between the two taxa. Phylogenetic analyses failed to resolve B. invadens from B. dorsalis, but did resolve B. kandiensis. Bactrocera dorsalis and B. invadens shared cox1 haplotypes, yet the haplotype network pattern does not reflect current taxonomy or patterns in thoracic colour. Some individuals of B. dorsalis/B. invadens possessed haplotypes more closely related to B. kandiensis than to conspecifics, suggestive of mitochondrial introgression between these species. The combined evidence fails to support the delimitation of B. dorsalis and B. invadens as separate biological species. Consequently, existing biological data for B. dorsalis may be applied to the invasive population in Africa. Our recommendation, in line with other recent publications, is that B. invadens be synonymized with B. dorsalis.

Investigating design for disassembly through creative practice

The construction industry is responsible for a significant part of the solid waste that industrialised nations dispose of each year. One reason for this is the inability to easily separate materials and components from each other and from the building structure. If buildings were designed for disassembly in the first instance, then future material and component recovery would be easier. This paper presents a number of principles for design for disassembly that have been tested and developed through a process of research through creative practice. A number of architectural designs have been used to trial the principles in practice.

Canards in advection-reaction-diffusion systems in one spatial dimension

This thesis contains a mathematical investigation of the existence of travelling wave solutions to singularly perturbed advection-reaction-diffusion models of biological processes. An enhanced mathematical understanding of these solutions and models is gained via the identification of canards (special solutions of fast/slow dynamical systems) and their role in the existence of the most biologically relevant, shock-like solutions. The analysis focuses on two existing models. A new proof of existence of a whole family of travelling waves is provided for a model describing malignant tumour invasion, while new solutions are identified for a model describing wound healing angiogenesis.

A new study on binder performance and formulation modification of anti-corrosive primer based on ethyl silicate resin

Zinc-rich ethyl silicate coatings are quite successful in protecting steel against corrosion under severe exposing conditions. In spite of providing excellent cathodic protection to steel structure after film curing, two-component zinc-rich ethyl silicate coatings have some limitations, one of which is inadequate shelf life as a result of in-can binder gelation. In this work, the preparation steps of ethyl silicate such as pre-hydrolysis, dehydration and organometallic reactions were surveyed and herein an approach towards understanding the cause and effect relationship of the use of ingredients is presented. The effects of water and catalytic acid dosages on gel time under accelerated conditions and the effect of alcoholic solvent order on the rate of the hydrolysis and dehydration reactions were studied via Karl-Fischer test determining the water content of hydrolysate. A thriving optimization in shelf life without any loss in physical–mechanical characteristics of the final film (e.g. hardness, adhesion, solvent and salt spray resistance) was obtained.

Unsupervised online learning of condition-invariant images for place recognition

This paper presents an online, unsupervised training algorithm enabling vision-based place recognition across a wide range of changing environmental conditions such as those caused by weather, seasons, and day-night cycles. The technique applies principal component analysis to distinguish between aspects of a location’s appearance that are condition-dependent and those that are condition-invariant. Removing the dimensions associated with environmental conditions produces condition-invariant images that can be used by appearance-based place recognition methods. This approach has a unique benefit – it requires training images from only one type of environmental condition, unlike existing data-driven methods that require training images with labelled frame correspondences from two or more environmental conditions. The method is applied to two benchmark variable condition datasets. Performance is equivalent or superior to the current state of the art despite the lesser training requirements, and is demonstrated to generalise to previously unseen locations.