Smart Cities, Social Capital, and Citizens at Play: A Critique and a Way Forward

Digital transformations are not contained within the digital domain but are increasingly spilling over into the physical world. In this chapter, we analyse some of the transformations undergoing in cities today towards becoming smart cities. We offer a critique of smart cities and a way forward, divided into three parts: First, we explore the concept of Smart Citizens in terms of both localities, the move towards a hyperlocal network and also the citizen’s role in the creation and use of data. We use the ‘Smart London’ plan drawn up by the Mayor of London, as a way to illustrate our discussion. Second, we turn to the civic innovations enabled by digital transformations and their potential impact on citizens and citizenship. Specifically, we are interested in the notion of social capital as an alternative form of in-kind currency and its function as an indicator of value, in order to ask, can digital transformations give rise to ‘civic capital,’ and how can such a concept help, for instance, a local government invite more representative residents and community champions to participate in community engagement for better urban planning. Third, we introduce a hybrid, location-based game under development by design agency Preliminal Games in London, UK. This illustrative case critiques and highlights the current challenges to establishing a new economic model that bridges the digital / physical divide. The game provides a vehicle for us to explore how established principles and strategies in game design such as immersive storytelling and goal setting, can be employed to encourage players to think of the interconnections of their hybrid digital / physical environments in new ways.

The transition from isolated, rural contexts to boarding school: Can school physical education play a part?

This study considers the transition of children from rurally isolated schooling environments to boarding school contexts. There is an assumption that these transitions are often carried out with little fuss. Moreover; there is some evidence to show this transition is beneficial to both child and school. However, contrary data suggest that parents of such children are deeply concerned about this transition from a sport and physical education perspective (Wright et al., 1998). This study attempts to address this under-researched area. Data were gathered using semi-structured interviews with teachers, children and parents in an isolated schooling context, and with teachers and children from a boarding school in a regional Queensland centre. Some videotape data of children in physical education and sporting contexts were also collected. The data indicate that the transition from rural contexts to highly competitive boarding school environments is relatively smooth, with physical education and sport being significant contributors to this process.

A new method of detecting changes in corneal health in response to toxic insults

The size and arrangement of stromal collagen fibrils (CFs) influence the optical properties of the cornea and hence its function. The spatial arrangement of the collagen is still questionable in relation to the diameter of collagen fibril. In the present study, we introduce a new parameter, edge-fibrillar distance (EFD) to measure how two collagen fibrils are spaced with respect to their closest edges and their spatial distribution through normalized standard deviation of EFD (NSDEFD) accessed through the application of two commercially available multipurpose solutions (MPS): ReNu and Hippia. The corneal buttons were soaked separately in ReNu and Hippia MPS for five hours, fixed overnight in 2.5% glutaraldehyde containing cuprolinic blue and processed for transmission electron microscopy. The electron micrographs were processed using ImageJ user-coded plugin. Statistical analysis was performed to compare the image processed equivalent diameter (ED), inter-fibrillar distance (IFD), and EFD of the CFs of treated versus normal corneas. The ReNu-soaked cornea resulted in partly degenerated epithelium with loose hemidesmosomes and Bowman’s collagen. In contrast, the epithelium of the cornea soaked in Hippia was degenerated or lost but showed closely packed Bowman’s collagen. Soaking the corneas in both MPS caused a statistically significant decrease in the anterior collagen fibril, ED and a significant change in IFD, and EFD than those of the untreated corneas (p < 0.05, for all comparisons). The introduction of EFD measurement in the study directly provided a sense of gap between periphery of the collagen bundles, their spatial distribution; and in combination with ED, they showed how the corneal collagen bundles are spaced in relation to their diameters. The spatial distribution parameter NSDEFD indicated that ReNu treated cornea fibrils were uniformly distributed spatially, followed by normal and Hippia. The EFD measurement with relatively lower standard deviation and NSDEFD, a characteristic of uniform CFs distribution, can be an additional parameter used in evaluating collagen organization and accessing the effects of various treatments on corneal health and transparency.

“Well it depends on what you’d call play”: Parent perspectives on play in Queensland’s Preparatory Year

In the context of recent education reform, Queensland’s Preparatory Year (Prep) is undergoing a period of significant change. The framing of Prep under a new national curriculum reflects a shift from its play-based roots to a formalised subject-based approach. This shift coincides with suggestions that parents may favour more formalised approaches to teaching and learning in the early years. This paper reports on two studies in which parents were interviewed about their views of play in Prep. Data were analysed thematically, with a focus on themes used by parents to talk about play. While parents broadly valued play, the findings suggest that parent participation greatly influenced their acceptance of play-based learning in the formal learning context of Prep. The findings raise implications for educators in fostering strong parent-teacher partnerships in order to facilitate improved parental understanding and support of play in early childhood programs.

Does the microbiome play a causal role in spondyloarthritis?

The purpose of this study is to review the potential causal role of the microbiome in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis. The method used for the study is literature review. The microbiome plays a major role in educating the immune response. The microbiome is strongly implicated in inflammatory bowel disease which has clinical and genetic overlap with spondyloarthritis. The microbiome also plays a causal role in bowel and joint disease in HLA B27/human beta 2 microglobulin transgenic rats. The mechanism(s) by which HLA B27 could influence the microbiome is unknown but theories include an immune response gene selectivity, an effect on dendritic cell function, or a mucosal immunodeficiency. Bacteria are strongly implicated in the pathogenesis of spondyloarthritis. Studies to understand how HLA B27 affects bacterial ecosystems should be encouraged.

A novel fluorescent probe involving a graphene quantum dot-enzyme hybrid system for the analysis of hydroquinone in the presence of toxic resorcinol and catechol

An efficient method for the analysis of hydroquinone at trace levels in water samples has been developed in the form of a fluorescent probe based on graphene quantum dots (GQDs). The analytical variable, fluorescence quenching, was generated from the formation of benzoquinone intermediates, which formed during the catalytic oxidation of hydroquinone by horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In general, the reaction mechanism involved hydroquinone, as an electron acceptor, which affected the surface state of GQDs via an electron transfer effect. The water-soluble GQDs were directly prepared by the pyrolysis of citric acid and with the use of the mentioned hybrid enzyme system, the detection limit for hydroquinone was as low as 8.4 × 10−8 M. Furthermore, this analysis was almost unaffected by other phenol and quinine compounds, such as phenol, resorcinol and other quinines, and therefore, the developed GQD method produced satisfactory results for the analysis of hydroquinone in several different lake water samples.

“I have to rest all the time because you are not allowed to play”: Exploring children’s perceptions of autonomy during sleep-time in long day care services

Daytime sleep is a significant part of the daily routine for children attending early childhood education and care (ECEC) services in Australia and many other countries. The practice of sleep-time can account for a substantial portion of the day in ECEC and often involves a mandated sleep/rest period for all children, including older preschool-aged children. Yet, there is evidence that children have a reduced need for daytime sleep as they approach school entry age and that continuation of mandated sleep-time in ECEC for preschool-aged children may have a negative impact on their health, development, learning and well-being. Mandated sleep-time practices also go against current quality expectations for services to support children’s agency and autonomy in ECEC. This study documents children’s reports of their experiences of sleep-time in ECEC. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 54 preschool-aged children (44–63 months) across four long day ECEC services that employed a range of sleep-time practices. Findings provide a snapshot of children’s views and experiences of sleep-time and perceptions of autonomy-supportive practices. These provide a unique platform to support critical reflection on sleep-time policies and practices, with a view to continuous quality improvement in ECEC. This study forms part of a programme of work from the Sleep in Early Childhood research group. Our work examines sleep practices in ECEC, the subsequent staff, parent and child experiences and impacts on family and child learning and development outcomes.

Does calcium deposition play a role in the stability of atheroma? Location may be the key

Background: Rupture of vulnerable atheromatous plaque in the carotid and coronary arteries often leads to stroke and heart attack respectively. The role of calcium deposition and its contribution to plaque stability is controversial. This study uses both an idealized and a patient-specific model to evaluate the effect of a calcium deposit on the stress distribution within an atheromatous plaque. Methods: Using a finite-element method, structural analysis was performed on an idealized plaque model and the location of a calcium deposit within it was varied. In addition to the idealized model, in vivo high-resolution MR imaging was performed on 3 patients with carotid atheroma and stress distributions were generated. The individual plaques were chosen as they had calcium at varying locations with respect to the lumen and the fibrous cap. Results: The predicted maximum stress was increased by 47.5% when the calcium deposit was located in the thin fibrous cap in the model when compared with that in a model without a deposit. The result of adding a calcium deposit either to the lipid core or remote from the lumen resulted in almost no increase in maximal stress. Conclusion: Calcification at the thin fibrous cap may result in high stress concentrations, ultimately increasing the risk of plaque rupture. Assessing the location of calcification may, in the future, aid in the risk stratification of patients with carotid stenosis.

Children’s perspectives of play and learning for educational practice

Play as a learning practice increasingly is under challenge as a valued component of early childhood education. Views held in parallel include confirmation of the place of play in early childhood education and, at the same time, a denigration of the role of play in favor for more teacher-structured and formal activities. As a consequence, pedagogical approaches towards play, the curriculum activities that constitute play, and the appropriateness of play in educational settings, have come under scrutiny in recent years. In this context, this study investigates children’s perspectives of play and how they understand the role of play and learning in their everyday activities. This article reports on an Australian study where teacher-researchers investigated child-led insights into what counts as play in their everyday classroom activities. Children (aged 3–4 years) described play as an activity that involved their active participation in “doing” something, being with peers, and having agency and ownership of ideas. Children did not always characterize their activities as “play”, and not all activities in the preschool program were described as play. The article highlights that play and learning are complex concepts that may be easily dismissed as separate, when rather they are deeply intertwined. The findings of this study generate opportunities for educators and academics to consider what counts as “play” for children, and to prompt further consideration of the role of play as an antidote to adult centric views of play.

Toxic effects of Pb2+ on growth of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata)

A concentration as low as 1 μM lead (Pb) is highly toxic to plants, but previous studies have typically related plant growth to the total amount of Pb added to a solution. In the present experiment, the relative fresh mass of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) was reduced by 10% at a Pb2+ activity of 0.2 μM for the shoots and at a Pb2+ activity of 0.06 μM for the roots. The primary site of Pb2+ toxicity was the root, causing severe reductions in root growth, loss of apical dominance (shown by an increase in branching per unit root length), the formation of localized swellings behind the root tips (due to the initiation of lateral roots), and the bending of some root tips. In the root, Pb was found to accumulate primarily within the cell walls and intercellular spaces.

Lionhearts of the Playworld : An ethnographic case study of the development of agency in play pedagogy

This is an ethnographic case study of the creation and emergence of a playworld – a pedagogical approach aimed at promoting children’s development and learning in early education settings through the use of play and drama. The data was collected in a Finnish experimental mixed-age elementary school classroom in the school year 2003-2004. In the playworld students and teachers explore different social and cultural phenomena through taking on the roles of characters from a story or a piece of literature and acting inside the frames of an improvised plot. The thesis takes under scrutiny the notion of agency in education. It produces theoretically grounded empirical knowledge of the ways in which children struggle to become recognized and agentive actors in early education settings and how their agency develops in their interaction with adults. The study builds on the activity theoretical and sociocultural tradition and develops a methodological framework called video-based narrative interaction analysis for studying student agency as developing over time but manifesting through the situational material and discursive local interactions. The research questions are: 1. What are the children’s ways of enacting their agency in the playworld? 2. How do the children’s agentive actions change and develop over the spring? 3. What are the potentials and challenges of the playworld for promoting student agency? 4. How do the teachers and the children deal with the contradiction between control and agency in the playworld? The study consists of a summary part and four empirical articles which each have a particular viewpoint. Articles I and II deal with individual students’ paths to agency. In Article I the focus is on the role of resistance and questioning in enabling important spaces for agency. Article II takes a critical gender perspective and analyzes how two girls struggled towards recognition in the playworld. It also illuminates the role of imagination in developing a sense of agency. Article III examines how the open-ended and improvisational nature of the playworld interaction provided experiences and a sense of ‘shared agency’ for the students and teachers in the class. Article IV turns the focus on the teachers and analyzes how their role actions in the playworld helped the children to enact agency. It also discusses the challenges that the teachers faced in this work and asks what makes the playworld activity sustainable in the class. The summary part provides a critical literature review on the concept of agency and argues that the inherently contradictory nature of the phenomenon of agency has not been sufficiently theorized. The summary part also locates the playworld intervention in a historical frame by discussing the changing conceptions of adulthood and childhood in the West. By focusing on the changing role of play and art in both adults’ and children’s contemporary lives, the thesis opens up an important but often neglected perspective on the problem of promoting student agency in education. The results illustrate how engaging in a collectively imagined and dramatized pretend play space together with the children enabled the teachers to momentarily put aside their “knower” positions in the classroom. The fictive roles and the narrative plot helped them to create a necessary incompleteness and open-endedness in the activity that stimulated the children’s initiatives. This meant that the children too could momentarily step out of their traditional classroom positions as pupils and initiate action to further the collective play. Engaging in this kind of unconventional activity and taking up and enacting agency was, however, very challenging for the participating children and teachers. It often contradicted the need to sustain control and order in the classroom. The study concludes that play- and drama-based pedagogies offer a unique but undeveloped potential for developing educational spaces that help teachers and children deal with the often contradictory requirements of schooling.

Roles, responsibilities and scope of practice: describing the ‘state of play’ for infection control professionals in Australia and New Zealand

Background In the past decade the policy and practice context for infection control in Australia and New Zealand has changed, with infection control professionals (ICPs) now involved in the implementation of a large number of national strategies. Little is known about the current ICP workforce and what they do in their day-to-day positions. The aim of this study was to describe the ICP workforce in Australia and New Zealand with a focus on roles, responsibilities, and scope of practice. Methods A cross-sectional design using snowball recruitment was employed. ICPs completed an anonymous web-based survey with questions on demographics; qualifications held; level of experience; workplace characteristics; and roles and responsibilities. Chi-squared tests were used to determine if any factors were associated with how often activities were undertaken. Results A total of 300 ICPs from all Australian states and territories and New Zealand participated. Most ICPs were female (94%); 53% were aged over 50, and 93% were employed in registered nursing roles. Scope of practice was diverse: all ICPs indicated they undertook a large number and variety of activities as part of their roles. Some activities were undertaken on a less frequent basis by sole practitioners and ICPs in small teams. Conclusion This survey provides useful information on the current education, experience levels and scope of practice of ICPs in Australia and New Zealand. Work is now required to establish the best mechanisms to support and potentially streamline scope of practice, so that infection-control practice is optimised.

Reflections on the Research Students' 2015 Art Exhibition and Operetta/morality play "The Trial of Homo Economicus: The dollar hunting animal"

The paper outlines the process of organising research student participants and creating a public musical performance at QUT. The theme of the Operetta/Morality play is the clash between economic values of humans necessitating growth and the basic needs of the other life on planet earth. The one act play is set in a court room presided over by a judge who adjudicates the court proceedings.Homo economicus is in the dock and victims(various animals and birds) raise their grievances.

The epidemiology of severe Streptococcus pyogenes disease in Europe

Diseases caused by the Lancefield group A streptococcus, Streptococcus pyogenes, are amongst the most challenging to clinicians and public health specialists alike. Although severe infections caused by S. pyogenes are relatively uncommon, affecting around 3 per 100,000 of the population per annum in developed countries, the case fatality is high relative to many other infections. Despite a long scientific tradition of studying their occurrence and characteristics, many aspects of their epidemiology remain poorly understood, and potential control measures undefined. Epidemiological studies can play an important role in identifying host, pathogen and environmental factors associated with risk of disease, manifestation of particular syndromes or poor survival. This can be of value in targeting prevention activities, as well directing further basic research, potentially paving the way for the identification of novel therapeutic targets. The formation of a European network, Strep-EURO, provided an opportunity to explore epidemiological patterns across Europe. Funded by the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission s Directorate-General for Research (QLK2.CT.2002.01398), the Strep-EURO network was launched in September 2002. Twelve participants across eleven countries took part, led by the University of Lund in Sweden. Cases were defined as patients with S. pyogenes isolated from a normally sterile site, or non-sterile site in combination with clinical signs of streptococcal toxic shock syndrome (STSS). All participating countries undertook prospective enhanced surveillance between 1st January 2003 and 31st December 2004 to identify cases diagnosed during this period. A standardised surveillance dataset was defined, comprising demographic, clinical and risk factor information collected through a questionnaire. Isolates were collected by the national reference laboratories and characterised according to their M protein using conventional serological and emm gene typing. Descriptive statistics and multivariable analyses were undertaken to compare characteristics of cases between countries and identify factors associated with increased risk of death or development of STSS. Crude and age-adjusted rates of infection were calculated for each country where a catchment population could be defined. The project succeeded in establishing the first European surveillance network for severe S. pyogenes infections, with 5522 cases identified over the two years. Analysis of data gathered in the eleven countries yielded important new information on the epidemiology of severe S. pyogenes infections in Europe during the 2000s. Comprehensive epidemiological data on these infections were obtained for the first time from France, Greece and Romania. Incidence estimates identified a general north-south gradient, from high to low. Remarkably similar age-standardised rates were observed among the three Nordic participants, between 2.2 and 2.3 per 100,000 population. Rates in the UK were higher still, 2.9/100,000, elevated by an upsurge in drug injectors. Rates from these northern countries were reasonably close to those observed in the USA and Australia during this period. In contrast, rates of reports in the more central and southern countries (Czech Republic, Romania, Cyprus and Italy) were substantially lower, 0.3 to 1.5 per 100,000 population, a likely reflection of poorer uptake of microbiological diagnostic methods within these countries. Analysis of project data brought some new insights into risk factors for severe S. pyogenes infection, especially the importance of injecting drug users in the UK, with infections in this group fundamentally reshaping the epidemiology of these infections during this period. Several novel findings arose through this work, including the high degree of congruence in seasonal patterns between countries and the seasonal changes in case fatality rates. Elderly patients, those with compromised immune systems, those who developed STSS and those infected with an emm/M78, emm/M5, emm/M3 or emm/M1 were found to be most likely to die as a result of their infection, whereas those diagnosed with cellulitis, septic arthritis, puerperal sepsis or with non-focal infection were associated with low risk of death, as were infections occurring during October. Analysis of augmented data from the UK found use of NSAIDs to be significantly associated with development of STSS, adding further fuel to the debate surrounding the role of NSAIDs in the development of severe disease. As a largely community-acquired infection, occurring sporadically and diffusely throughout the population, opportunities for control of severe infections caused by S. pyogenes remain limited, primarily involving contact chemoprophylaxis where clusters arise. Analysis of UK Strep-EURO data were used to quantify the risk to household contacts of cases, forming the basis of national guidance on the management of infection. Vaccines currently under development could offer a more effective control programme in future. Surveillance of invasive infections caused by S. pyogenes is of considerable public health importance as a means of identifying long and short-term trends in incidence, allowing the need for, or impact of, public health measures to be evaluated. As a dynamic pathogen co-existing among a dynamic population, new opportunities for exploitation of its human host are likely to arise periodically, and as such continued monitoring remains essential.

Novel insights on functions of myotilin/palladin family members

Poikkijuovaisen luuranko- ja sydänlihaksen supistumisyksikkö, sarkomeeri, koostuu tarkoin järjestyneistä aktiini- ja myosiinisäikeistä. Rakenne eroaa muista solutyypeistä, joissa aktiinisäikeistö muovautuu jatkuvasti ja sen järjestyminen säätelee solun muotoa, solujakautumista, soluliikettä ja solunsisäisten organellien kuljetusta. Myotilin, palladin ja myopalladin kuuluvat proteiiniperheeseen, jonka yhteispiirteenä ovat immunoglobuliinin kaltaiset (Igl) domeenit. Proteiinit liittyvät aktiinitukirankaan ja niiden arvellaan toimivan solutukirangan rakenne-elementteinä ja säätelijöinä. Myotilinia ja myopalladinia ilmennetään poikkijuovaisessa lihaksessa. Sen sijaan palladinin eri silmukointimuotoja tavataan monissa kudostyypeissä kuten hermostossa, ja eri muodoilla saattaa olla solutyypistä riippuvia tehtäviä. Poikkijuovaisessa lihaksessa kaikki perheen jäsenet sijaitsevat aktiinisäikeitä yhdistävässä Z-levyssä ja ne sitovat Z-levyn rakenneproteiinia, -aktiniinia. Myotilingeenin pistemutaatiot johtavat periytyviin lihastauteihin, kun taas palladinin mutaatioiden on kuvattu liittyvän periytyvään haimasyöpään ja lisääntyneeseen sydäninfarktin riskiin. Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettin myotilinin ja pallainin toimintaa. Kokeissa löydettiin uusia palladinin 90-92kDa alatyyppiin sitoutuvia proteiineja. Yksi niistä on aktiinidynamiikkaa säätelevä profilin. Profilinilla on kahdenlaisia tehtäviä; se edesauttaa aktiinisäikeiden muodostumista, mutta se voi myös eristää yksittäisiä aktiinimolekyylejä ja edistää säikeiden hajoamista. Solutasolla palladinin ja profilinin sijainti on yhtenevä runsaasti aktiinia sisältävillä solujen reuna-alueilla. Palladinin ja profilinin sidos on heikko ja hyvin dynaaminen, joka sopii palladinin tehtävään aktiinisäideiden muodostumisen koordinoijana. Toinen palladinin sitoutumiskumppani on aktiinisäikeitä yhteensitova -aktiniini. -Aktiniini liittää solutukirangan solukalvon proteiineihin ja ankkuroi solunsisäisiä viestintämolekyylejä. Sitoutumista välittävä alue on hyvin samankaltainen palladinissa ja myotilinissa. Luurankolihaksen liiallinen toistuva venytys muuttaa Z-levyjen rakennetta ja muotoa. Prosessin aikana syntyy uusia aktiinifilamenttejä sisältäviä tiivistymiä ja lopulta uusia sarkomeereja. Löydöstemme perusteella myotilinin uudelleenjärjestyminen noudattaa aktiinin muutoksia. Tämä viittaa siihen, että myotilin liittää yhteen uudismuodostuvia aktiinisäikeitä ja vakauttaa niitä. Myotilin saattaa myös ankkuroida viesti- tai rakennemolekyylejä, joiden tehtävänä on edesauttaa Z-levyjen uudismuodostusta. Tulostemme perusteella arvelemme, että myotilin toimii Z-levyjen rakenteen vakaajana ja aktiinisäikeiden säätelijänä. Palladinin puute johtaa sikiöaikaiseen kuolemaan hiirillä, mutta myotilinin puutoksella ei ole samanlaisia vaikutuksia. Tuotettujen myotilin poistogeenisten hiirten todetiin syntyvän ja kehittyvän normaalisti eikä niillä esiintynyt rakenteellisia tai toiminnallisia häiriöitä. Toisaalta aiemmissa kokeissa, joissa hiirille on siirretty ihmisen lihastautia aikaansaava myotilingeeni, nähdään samankaltaisia kuin sairailla ihmisillä. Näin ollen muuntunut myotilin näyttä olevan lihaksen toiminnalle haitallisempi kuin myotilinin puute. Myotilinin ja palladinin yhteisvaikutusta selvittääksemme risteytimme myotilin poistegeenisen hiiren ja hiirilinjan, joka ilmentää puutteellisesti palladinin 200 kDa muotoa. Puutteellisesti 200 kDa palladinia ilmentävien hiirten sydänlihaksessa todettiin vähäisiä hienorakenteen muutoksia, mutta risteytetyillä hiirillä tavattiin rakenteellisia ja toiminnallisia muutoksia myös luurankolihaksessa. Tulosten perusteella voidaan todeta, että palladinin 200 kDa muoto säätelee sydänlihassolujen rakennetta. Luurankolihaksessa sen sijaan myotilinilla ja palladinilla näyttäisi olevan päällekkäisiä tehtäviä.