Challenges of responding to online fraud victimisation in Australia

Online fraud occurs when an individual or a business responds in some manner to an unsolicited invitation received via the internet and suffers financial or other detrimental effects as a result. In 2010–11, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (2012) found that over 1.2 million Australians (6.7% of the population aged 15 years and over) had been a victim of personal fraud, losing approximately $1.4b in the preceding 12 months. More than half of these victims (55.7%) were contacted via the internet or email (online victimisation). In addition to monetary losses, victims of online fraud suffer serious psychological, emotional, social and even physical problems as a consequence of their victimisation. This paper explores the challenges of responding to online fraud victimisation in Australia and describes some of the specific support services that have recently emerged to support victims of this crime.

Classifying natural aerial scenery for autonomous aircraft emergency landing

In this paper, we present an approach for image-based surface classification using multi-class Support Vector Machine (SVM). Classifying surfaces in aerial images is an important step towards an increased aircraft autonomy in emergency landing situations. We design a one-vs-all SVM classifier and conduct experiments on five data sets. Results demonstrate consistent overall performance figures over 88% and approximately 8% more accurate to those published on multi-class SVM on the KTH TIPS data set. We also show per-class performance values by using normalised confusion matrices. Our approach is designed to be executed online using a minimum set of feature attributes representing a feasible and ready-to-deploy system for onboard execution.

Contribution of fibroblast and mast cell (afferent) and tumor (efferent) IL-6 effects within the tumor microenvironment

Hyperactive inflammatory responses following cancer initiation have led to cancer being described as a 'wound that never heals'. These inflammatory responses elicit signals via NFκB leading to IL-6 production, and IL-6 in turn has been shown to induce epithelial to mesenchymal transition in breast cancer cells in vitro, implicating a role for this cytokine in cancer cell invasion. We previously have shown that conditioned medium derived from cancer-associated fibroblasts induced an Epithelial to Mesenchymal transition (EMT) in PMC42-LA breast cancer cells and we have now identify IL-6 as present in this medium. We further show that IL-6 is expressed approximately 100 fold higher in a cancer-associated fibroblast line compared to normal fibroblasts. Comparison of mouse-specific (stroma) and human-specific (tumor) IL-6 mRNA expression from MCF-7, MDA MB 468 and MDA MB 231 xenografts also indicated the stroma rather than tumor as a significantly higher source of IL-6 expression. Mast cells (MCs) feature in inflammatory cancer-associated stroma, and activated MCs secrete IL-6. We observed a higher MC index (average number of mast cells per xenograft section/average tumor size) in MDA MB 468 compared to MDA MB 231 xenografts, where all MC were observed to be active (degranulating). This higher MC index correlated with greater mouse-specific IL-6 expression in the MDA MB 468 xenografts, implicating MC as an important source of stromal IL-6. Furthermore, immunohistochemistry on these xenografts for pSTAT3, which lies downstream of the IL-6 receptor indicated frequent correlations between pSTAT3 and mast cell positive cells. Analysis of publically available databases for IL-6 expression in patient tissue revealed higher IL-6 in laser capture microdissected stroma compared to adjacent tissue epithelium from patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) and invasive non-inflammatory breast cancer (non-IBC) and we show that IL-6 expression was significantly higher in Basal versus Luminal molecular/phenotypic groupings of breast cancer cell lines. Finally, we discuss how afferent and efferent IL-6 pathways may participate in a positive feedback cycle to dictate tumor progression.

Sports participation and health-related behaviors among US youth

Objective To examine the relationship between sports participation and health-related behaviors among high school students. Design Cross-sectional design using data from the 1997 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Participants A nationally representative sample of 14221 US high school students. Main Outcome Measures Prevalence of sports participation among males and females from 3 ethnic groups and its associations with other health behaviors, including diet, tobacco use, alcohol and illegal drug use, sexual activity, violence, and weight loss practices. Results Approximately 70% of male students and 53% of female students reported participating on 1 or more spores teams in school and/or nonschool settings; rates varied substantially by age, sex, and ethnicity. Male sports participants were more likely than male nonparticipants to report fruit and vegetable consumption on the previous day and less likely to report cigarette smelting, cocaine and other illegal drug use, and trying to lose weight. Compared with female nonparticipants, female sports participants were more likely to report consumption of vegetables on the previous day and less likely to report having sexual intercourse in the past 3 months. Among white males and females, several other beneficial health behaviors were associated with sports participation. A few associations with. negative health behaviors were observed in African American and Hispanic subgroups. Conclusion Sports participation is highly prevalent among US high school students, and is associated with numerous positive health behaviors and few negative health behaviors.

Is unsupervised exercise following breast cancer safe for all women?

One in eight women living in developed countries will be diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85, with the mean age at first diagnosis approximately 60 years. Stage I represents just under 50% of diagnoses, while 45% of cases are diagnosed at later stages (stages II to IV; the remainder being unknown stage). Breast cancer continues to be the most common cause of cancer-related deaths in women , and although survival for women with stage I disease is high (98% 5-year relative survival), survival is significantly lower for those diagnosed with more advanced disease stage (i.e., stages II to IV, 83%; an unknown stage, 50%) .

Epithelial-mesenchymal interconversions in normal ovarian surface epithelium and ovarian carcinomas : an exception to the norm

Cancer that arises from the ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) accounts for approximately 90% of human ovarian cancer, and is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in developed countries. The pathophysiology of epithelial ovarian cancer is still unclear because of the poor understanding of the complex nature of its development and the unusual mechanism(s) of disease progression. Recent studies have reported epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cultured OSE and ovarian cancer cell lines in response to various stimuli, but our understanding of the importance of these observations for normal ovarian physiology and cancer progression is not well established. This review highlights the current literature on EMT-associated events in normal OSE and ovarian cancer cell lines, and discusses its implication for normal ovarian function as well as acquisition of neoplastic phenotypes. The pathological changes in OSE in response to EMT during neoplastic transformation and the contribution of hormones, growth factors, and cytokines that initiate and drive EMT to sustain normal ovarian function, as well as cancer development and progression are also discussed. Finally, emphasis is placed on the clinical implications of EMT and potential therapeutic opportunities that may arise from these observations have been proposed.

Aberrant fibroblast growth factor receptor signaling in bladder and other cancers

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are potent mitogens, morphogens, and inducers of angiogenesis, and FGF signaling governs the genesis of diverse tissues and organs from the earliest stages. With such fundamental embryonic and homeostatic roles, it follows that aberrant FGF signaling underlies a variety of diseases. Pathological modifications to FGF expression are known to cause salivary gland aplasia and autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets, while mutations in FGF receptors (FGFRs) result in a range of skeletal dysplasias. Anomalous FGF signaling is also associated with cancer development and progression. Examples include the overexpression of FGF2 and FGF6 in prostate cancer, and FGF8 overexpression in breast and prostate cancers. Alterations in FGF signaling regulators also impact tumorigenesis, which is exemplified by the down-regulation of Sprouty 1, a negative regulator of FGF signaling, in prostate cancer. In addition, several FGFRs are mutated in human cancers (including FGFR2 in gastric cancer and FGFR3 in bladder cancer). We recently identified intriguing alterations in the FGF pathway in a novel model of bladder carcinoma that consists of a parental cell line (TSU-Pr1/T24) and two sublines with increasing metastatic potential (TSU-Pr1-B1 and TSU-Pr1-B2), which were derived successively through in vivo cycling. It was found that the increasingly metastatic sublines (TSU-Pr1-B1 and TSU-Pr1-B2) had undergone a mesenchymal to epithelial transition. FGFR2IIIc expression, which is normally expressed in mesenchymal cells, was increased in the epithelial-like TSU-Pr1-B1 and TSU-Pr1-B2 sublines and FGFR2 knock-down was associated with the reversion of cells from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype. These observations suggest that modified FGF pathway signaling should be considered when studying other cancer types.

Frizzled-7 receptor ectodomain expression in a colon cancer cell line induces morphological change and attenuates tumor growth

Frizzled (FZD) receptors have a conserved N-terminal extracellular cysteine-rich domain that interacts with Wnts and co-expression of the receptor ectodomain can antagonize FZD-mediated signalling. Using the ectodomain as an antagonist we have modulated endogenous FZD7 signalling in the moderately differentiated colon adenocarcinoma cell line, SK-CO-1. Unlike the parental cell line, which grows as tightly associated adherent cell clusters, the FZD7 ectodomain expressing cells display a spread out morphology and grow as a monolayer in tissue culture. This transition in morphology was associated with decreased levels of plasma membrane-associated E-cadherin and β-catenin, localized increased levels of vimentin and redistribution of α6 integrin to cellular processes in the FZD7 ectodomain expressing cells. The morphological and phenotype changes induced by FZD7 ectodomain expression in SK-CO-1 cells is thus consistent with the cells undergoing an epithelial-to-mesenchymal-like transition. Furthermore, initiation of tumor formation in a xenograft tumor growth assay was attenuated in the FZD7 ectodomain expressing cells. Our results indicate a pivotal role for endogenous FZD7 in morphology transitions that are associated with colon tumor initiation and progression.

Heregulin regulates the actin cytoskeleton and promotes invasive properties in breast cancer cell lines

The metastatic process requires changes in tumor cell adhesion properties, cell motility and remodeling of the extracellular matrix. The erbB2 proto-oncogene is overexpressed in approximately 30% of breast cancers and is a major prognostic parameter when present in invasive disease. A ligand for the erbB2 receptor has not yet been identified but it can be activated by heterodimerization with heregulin (HRG)-stimulated erbB3 and erbB4 receptors. The HRGs are a family of polypeptide growth factors that have been shown to play a role in embryogenesis, tumor formation, growth and differentiation of breast cancer cells. The erbB3 and erbB4 receptors are involved in transregulation of erbB2 signaling. The work presented here suggests biological roles for HRG including regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and induction of motility and invasion in breast cancer cells. HRG-expressing breast cancer cell lines are characterized by low erbB receptor levels and a high invasive and metastatic index, while those which overexpress erbB2 demonstrate minimal invasive potential in vitro and are non-tumorigenic in vivo. Treatment of the highly tumorigenic and metastatic HRG-expressing breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 with an HRG-neutralizing antibody significantly inhibited proliferation in culture and motility in the Boyden chamber assay. Addition of exogenous HRG to non-invasive erbB2 overexpressing cells (SKBr-3) at low concentrations induced formation of pseudopodia, enhanced phagocytic activity and increased chemomigration and invasion in the Boyden chamber assay. The specificity of the chemomigration response to HRG is demonstrated by inhibition with the anti-HRG neutralizing antibody. These results suggest that either HRG can act as an autocrine or paracrine ligand to promote the invasive behavior of breast cancer cells in vitro or thus may enhance the metastatic process in vivo.

Health promotion for dogs and humans : the 10,000 steps Rockhampton dog walking intervention

Purpose This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of an intervention aimed at increasing the dog-walking behaviour of residents from a community of approximately 60,000. This intervention was a sub strategy of the 10 000 Steps Rockhampton project – a community intervention aimed at decreasing sedentary behaviour in the adult population. Methods Brochures and posters were developed that promoted dog walking as a means to improve both human and canine health. The brochures were distributed by the local council to over 8 000 homes with the annual dog-renewal registrations. Results Evaluation of the intervention included a telephone survey of a randomly selected sample of Rockhampton residents (n=420) four-months post intervention. Although 63.6% of participants reported that owning a dog increased their physical activity levels, 40% of dog-owners did not walk their dog at all in the last week. The outcome evaluation of the intervention showed that 20.2% of dog-owners recalled receiving the brochure. Overall 15.3% of respondents with a dog in their household reported an increase in their physical activity levels since the intervention, 8.4% reported a decrease. Conclusions The intervention was an innovative and cost-effective way to tap into a section of the population that can benefit from engaging in regular walking behaviour. It was also a unique and useful way to engage local council in physical activity health promotion as part of a larger ongoing community-wide intervention.

Embedded creatives in the Australian manufacturing industry

According to 2011 Australian Census figures, embedded creative employees (creative employees not working in the core Creative Industries) make up 2 per cent (or a total of 17 635) of manufacturing industry employees. The average for all industries is 1.6 per cent. In the 2011–2012 financial year the manufacturing industry formed 7.3 per cent of Australia’s gross domestic product (GDP), contributing approximately AU$106.5 billion to the economy (Department of Industry, Innovation, Science, Research and Tertiary Education 2013). Manufacturing is central to innovation, accounting for over one-quarter of all business expenditure in R&D in 2010–2011, representing around AU$4.8 billion invested in R&D (ibid.). Facing challenges such as sustainability concerns, ever-increasing offshore production and the global financial crisis, the Australian manufacturing industry needs to remain relevant and competitive to succeed. Innovation is one way to do this. Given the contribution of the manufacturing industry to the Australian economy, and the above-average portion of embedded creatives in manufacturing, it is important to consider what exactly embedded creatives add to the industry. This chapter, inspired by the Getting Creative in Healthcare report (Pagan, Higgs and Cunningham 2008), examines the contribution of embedded creatives to innovation in the manufacturing industry via case studies and supplemental data.

Models for studying cellular invasion of basement membranes

Invasion of extracellular matrices is crucial to a number of physiological and pathophysiological states, including tumor cell metastasis, arthritis, embryo implantation, wound healing, and early development. To isolate invasion from the additional complexities of these scenarios a number of in vitro invasion assays have been developed over the years. Early studies employed intact tissues, like denuded amniotic membrane (1) or embryonic chick heart fragments (2), however recently, purified matrix components or complex matrix extracts have been used to provide more uniform and often more rapid analyses (for examples, see the following integrin studies). Of course, the more holistic view of invasion offered in the earlier assays is valuable and cannot be fully reproduced in these more rapid assays, but advantages of reproducibility among replicates, ease of preparation and analysis, and overall high throughput favor the newer assays. In this chapter, we will focus on providing detailed protocols for Matrigel-based assays (Matrigel=reconstituted basement membrane; reviewed in ref. (3)). Matrigel is an extract from the transplantable Engelbreth-Holm-Swarm murine sarcoma that deposits a multilammelar basement membrane. Matrigel is available commercially (Becton Dickinson, Bedford, MA), and can be manipulated as a liquid at 4°C into a variety of different formats. Alternatively, cell culture inserts precoated with Matrigel can be purchased for even greater simplicity.

Statistical analysis of reduction in tensile strength of cotton strips as a measure of soil microbial activity

The cotton strip assay (CSA) is an established technique for measuring soil microbial activity. The technique involves burying cotton strips and measuring their tensile strength after a certain time. This gives a measure of the rotting rate, R, of the cotton strips. R is then a measure of soil microbial activity. This paper examines properties of the technique and indicates how the assay can be optimised. Humidity conditioning of the cotton strips before measuring their tensile strength reduced the within and between day variance and enabled the distribution of the tensile strength measurements to approximate normality. The test data came from a three-way factorial experiment (two soils, two temperatures, three moisture levels). The cotton strips were buried in the soil for intervals of time ranging up to 6 weeks. This enabled the rate of loss of cotton tensile strength with time to be studied under a range of conditions. An inverse cubic model accounted for greater than 90% of the total variation within each treatment combination. This offers support for summarising the decomposition process by a single parameter R. The approximate variance of the decomposition rate was estimated from a function incorporating the variance of tensile strength and the differential of the function for the rate of decomposition, R, with respect to tensile strength. This variance function has a minimum when the measured strength is approximately 2/3 that of the original strength. The estimates of R are almost unbiased and relatively robust against the cotton strips being left in the soil for more or less than the optimal time. We conclude that the rotting rate X should be measured using the inverse cubic equation, and that the cotton strips should be left in the soil until their strength has been reduced to about 2/3.

An experimental analysis of direction judgment in a curved corridor

An experiment was conducted to investigate direction judgment in a curved corridor. Each participant walked through the curved corridor. A direction was presented to participants at the entrance, and they were asked to point this direction at two points within the corridor. The present study proposed two hypotheses : (a) participants underestimate the change of their traveling direction while walking; (b) participants use four-direction reference axes (front, back, left, and right) for direction judgment. Both hypotheses were supported, and it was suggested that participants estimated the change of their traveling direction to be approximately 90% of the actual change.

Thoracoscopic scoliosis surgery – a cheaper option? A cost analysis of 189 consecutive cases

INTRODUCTION: Increasing health care costs, limited resources and increased demand makes cost effective and cost-efficient delivery of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) management paramount. Rising implant costs in deformity correction surgery have prompted analysis of whether high implant densities are justified. The objective of this study was to analyse the costs of thoracoscopic scoliosis surgery, comparing initial learning curve costs with those of the established technique and to the costs involved in posterior instrumented fusion from the literature. METHODS: 189 consecutive cases from April 2000 to July 2011 were assessed with a minimum of 2 years follow-up. Information was gathered from a prospective database covering perioperative factors, clinical and radiological outcomes, complications and patient reported outcomes. The patients were divided into three groups to allow comparison; 1. A learning curve cohort, 2. An intermediate cohort and 3. A third cohort of patients, using our established technique. Hospital finance records and implant manufacturer figures were corrected to 2013 costs. A literature review of AIS management costs and implant density in similar curve types was performed. RESULTS: The mean pre-op Cobb angle was 53°(95%CI 0.4) and was corrected postop to mean 22.9°(CI 0.4). The overall complication rate was 20.6%, primarily in the first cohort, with a rate of 5.6% in the third cohort. The average total costs were $46,732, operating room costs of $10,301 (22.0%) and ICU costs of $4620 (9.8%). The mean number of screws placed was 7.1 (CI 0.04) with a single rod used for each case giving average implant costs of $14,004 (29.9%). Comparison of the three groups revealed higher implant costs as the technique evolved to that in use today, from $13,049 in Group 1 to $14577 in Group 3 (P<0.001). Conversely operating room costs reduced from $10,621 in Group 1 to $7573 (P<0.001) in Group 3. ICU stay was reduced from an average of 1.2 to 0 days. In-patient stay was significantly (P=0.006) lower in Groups 2 and 3 (5.4 days) than Group 1 (5.9 days) (i.e. a reduction in cost of approximately $6,140). CONCLUSIONS: The evolution of our thoracoscopic anterior scoliosis correction has resulted in an increase in the number of levels fused and reduction in complication rate. Implant costs have risen as a result, however, there has been a concurrent decrease in those costs generated by operating room use, ICU and in-patient stay with increasing experience. Literature review of equivalent curve types treated posteriorly shows similar perioperative factors but higher implant density, 69-83% compared to the 50% in this study. Thoracoscopic Scoliosis surgery presents a low density, reliable, efficient and effective option for selected curves. A cost analysis of Thoracoscopic Scoliosis Surgery using financial records and a prospectively collected database of all patients since 2000, demonstrating a clear cost advantage compared to equivalent posterior instrumentation and fusion.