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Views of speech pathology educators on a learning resource for cognitive-communication disorders: a user survey of TBIBank Grand Rounds
No full textCognitive-communication disorders are highly prevalent after traumatic brain injury and have significant impacts on rehabilitation outcomes. TBIBank Grand Rounds was developed as an online multimedia resource to support clinical education about cognitive-communication disorders. The objective of this study was to survey speech pathology educators to establish their views towards TBIBank Grand Rounds. Method. An online survey with 37 items was distributed internationally to obtain a cross-section of international educators. The survey consisted of five sections covering (1) participant details; (2) awareness, interest, and use; (3) interface design and delivery; (4) content; and (5) overall impressions. The question formats included yes/no questions, multiple choice options, rating scales, and free text questions. Survey responses were analysed descriptively, with free text supporting interpretation. Results. Twenty-five participants completed the online survey. Overall, most users agreed that the design and content of TBIBank
Grand Rounds met their needs for supporting education about cognitive-communication disorders. The survey identified high interest but limited prior awareness of the resource. Survey respondents identified useful directions for updates, future enhancements, and dissemination of TBIBank Grand Rounds. Conclusions. Incorporating feedback from educators has identified priorities for future enhancements, such as improving cultural diversity. High interest and positive feedback indicate that the TBIBank Grand Rounds is a valuable resource for education about cognitive-communication disorders. However, limited awareness internationally suggests the need for improved dissemination. Enhancing speech pathologists’ knowledge about cognitive-communication disorders after TBI may lead to improved clinical care and outcomes
Data and R markdown to replicate analyses in “Optimizing remote underwater video sampling to quantify relative abundance, richness, and corallivory rates of reef fish”
No full textRemote underwater videos (RUVs) are valuable for studying fish assemblages and behaviours, but analyzing them is time-consuming. To effectively extract data from RUVs while minimizing sampling errors, this study developed optimal subsampling strategies for assessing relative abundance, richness, and bite rates of corallivorous fish across eight geographically dispersed reef sites on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Torres Strait. Analyzing 40 frames per 60-minute video yielded precise and accurate estimates of the mean number of individuals per frame (i.e., MeanCount), with systematic sampling (one frame every 90 seconds) proved as effective as or better than random sampling, depending on the survey sites. However, this approach underestimated species richness by ~40%, missing the less common species. For estimating bite rates, 30 minutes or 15 feeding events were optimal, with no significant gains in precision and accuracy with further effort. These strategies enhance data standardization and process efficiency, reducing the time required for MeanCount and bite rate estimates by nine and two times, respectively, compared to full video annotation. If used in full or in part, please cite the data and the original publication: Hsu TH.T, Gordon S, Rerrari R, Hoey A.S, Figueira W.F (2025) Optimizing remote underwater video sampling to quantify relative abundance, richness, and corallivory rates of reef fish (accepted in Coral Reefs)
Compact devices based on photonics integration
No full textThe integration of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) technology with Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) enables the consolidation of multiple components onto a single optical chip, supporting cost-effective applications with greater bandwidth, reduced signal loss, and lower energy consumption. This thesis focuses on the development of compact photonic devices using Silicon (Si) and Silicon Carbide (SiC) for modulators, sensors, and nonlinear photonics. Silicon Photonics, driven by the high-index-contrast waveguides of Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) and its CMOS-compatible fabrication, has enabled efficient signal routing via compact broadband couplers and advancements in thin-film characterization and on-chip sensing using microring resonators (MRRs). SiC, particularly Cubic SiC (3C-SiC), offers scalability through epitaxial growth on silicon and supports nonlinear photonic applications with its second- and third-order nonlinearities (χ^(2) and χ^(3)). This work demonstrates χ^(3) characterization and optical parametric oscillation in 3C-SiC on Insulator (3C-SiCOI) using MRRs, facilitated by low-loss waveguides enabled by wafer bonding. The thesis further explores photothermal and χ^(2) effects in 3C-SiCOI MRRs, analyzing intrinsic losses and advancing electro-optic (EO) modulators by characterizing 3C-SiC’s EO coefficients. Lastly, second harmonic generation in 3C-SiC waveguides is optimized for visible-wavelength applications, achieving high conversion efficiency in compact designs, showcasing the potential of these platforms for integrated photonics
Beyond the NDIS: Unmet needs, Foundational Supports and system reform for psychosocial disability
No full textWe conducted a survey of 1625 people in Australia, asking them about their views on recent and proposed reforms to the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and broader psychosocial supports. In this report we have brought together the data relating to unmet needs for support, Targeted Foundational Supports for psychosocial disability, and broader policy reform priorities
Understanding the impact of age and the role of geriatric assessments in treatment decision-making for older adults with cancer
No full textTreatment decision-making is complex for older adults with cancer given the heterogeneity in health and potential presence of age-related vulnerabilities. Personalised care guided by geriatric assessments (GAs) can reduce the risk of under- or over-treatment. However, use of GAs and assessment of geriatric domains more broadly is low in Australian clinical practice. This thesis aimed to synthesise the current international evidence associated with GAs for cancer patients, explore Australian cancer healthcare professionals (HCPs), older cancer patients and their carers’ experiences and views of treatment decision-making for older adults with cancer and finally, quantitatively evaluate the relative importance oncologists’ place on patient and clinical characteristics when weighing up treatment decisions. Study 1 involved an umbrella review which identified inconsistencies in GA definition and lack of implementation focussed reviews. Study 2 involved semi-structured qualitative interviews with Australian HCPs (n=29), older adults with cancer (n=19), and carers (n=9). HCP themes included(1)Who do we consider older? Chronological vs. functional age,(2)Clinical management of older adults-theory vs. practice,(3)Is there value in geriatric assessments?,(4)Factors that impact GA implementation and an overarching theme(5)Treatment decision-making for older adults with cancer. Patient and carer themes included(1)Impact of age in decision-making: assumptions and discussions,(2)Factors that influenced patient treatment decisions and,(3)Cancer and ageing-related supports. Study 3 used a discrete choice experiment (DCE) methodology. Oncologists (n=44) placed highest relative importance on survival whilst age had the lowest relative importance and was not a statistically significant influence in decision-making. Overall, this thesis provides critical insight into the role of age in treatment decision-making and considerations for implementation of GAs for older adults with cancer
Bringing School Leadership to a HALT: A Design-based Intervention to Support the Development of Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers in NSW Schools
No full textProfessional development is fundamental to the advancement of the teaching profession. It can be used as a tool to drive improvement in line with professional standards, neoliberalist policies or system improvement initiatives. However, this thesis contends that professional development that listens to research and the views of participants can also foster broader, praxeological teacher growth, or the means to act in a way that contributes positively and meaningfully to wider society. This thesis was conducted in New South Wales, Australia and reports on a DesignBased Research study that responds to the overarching research question: What are the design principles for an effective professional development program targeting professional accreditation? It also aims to address the current dearth of certified Highly Accomplished and Lead Teachers under the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers. The study produced, refined and contextualised a set of design principles for effective professional development. It also constructed a professional development program that can be used by researchers and professional developers to support future Highly Accomplished and Lead Teacher applicants. The study consisted of four phases. A systematic literature review was conducted to produce a set of initial design principles for effective professional development, reflecting current literature. A stakeholder analysis was then undertaken to refine the design principles by incorporating the views of teachers. These revised design principles were then used to construct a professional development program. However, the program was unable to be implemented and tested due to limited participant availability. An additional stakeholder analysis was then conducted to further contextualise the design principles for Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher applicants. It also enabled the answering of an additional research question: What factors affect teacher engagement with Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher certification under the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers? These factors are presented in this thesis and can be used by future researchers and policy makers to strengthen teacher certification processes in Australia and beyond. The design principles produced in this study are unique in their synthesis of research and practitioner expertise. Each iteration of the design principles makes a purposeful contribution to knowledge in the field of professional development. The initial design principles contribute a synthesis of peer-reviewed research that is both rigorous and systematic. They can be used by researchers and professional developers to design and deliver effective professional development within and beyond the teaching profession. The revised design principles build upon the initial design principles by incorporating the voice of teachers. They contribute to wider understanding of the professional development needs of teachers, as articulated by teachers. They can also be used in the production of effective professional development that is teacher-specific. The final design principles were contextualised for teachers undertaking Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher certification but may also have applicability in the fields of broader teacher certification, middle leadership, and high-performing teachers. The overall findings of this study contribute to wider understanding of effective professional development by demonstrating a praxisfocussed solution to a teaching standards problem within current educational policy
A Mangle of Code and the digitalising of the Home Sweet Home sampler
No full textA Mangle of Code is a studio-led research project that examines interactive and reactive experimental art practices encompassing electronics and creatively written computer code. Exploring the liminal spaces between art, technology and science, this paper’s research considers human and non-human interactions, and the role computer systems play in their relationship. Referring to artists who incorporate interaction, data sonification and experimental coding, including Philippa Cullen, Jasmine Guffond, Eryk Salvaggio, Daniel Holden, Chris Kerr, and Anne Veinberg establish the argument for experimental computer programming as being an art material. Varying and various agencies of both the human and non-human players within creative processes are discussed using Andrew Pickering’s Mangle of Practice as the base-line theory. Accompanying this paper is a body of artworks that take a multimodal approach consisting of audio-visuals, tactile handcrafts and spontaneity. Each artwork has a connection to computer programming either as a functioning program or as an abstractly interpreted aesthetic resulting in a mangled exhibition of experimental code
Robust Solid Hydrogel Structures for Biomedical Engineering
No full textImplant-associated infections and poor tissue integration are major challenges in biomedical applications, often leading to implant failure and revision surgeries. Surface modification strategies, including physical, chemical, and biological methods, have been developed to improve tissue integration and reduce bacterial colonisation. Hydrogel coatings are especially promising due to their biocompatibility, ability to retain bioactive molecules, and capacity to mimic native tissue and extracellular matrix. However, physical attachment methods lack durability, while covalent methods, though more stable, often involve complex, material-specific, and cytotoxic wet-chemistry approaches. Additionally, the widespread use of antibiotics in coatings contributes to resistance, necessitating alternative antibacterial strategies.
This thesis presents a multifunctional implant coating that enhances biocompatibility, promotes soft tissue integration on hard implants, and prevents infection without antibiotics. The key innovations include (1) a novel ion-assisted plasma polymerisation (IAPP) technique for covalently attaching hydrogels to solid surfaces, forming hybrid solid–hydrogel structures (HSHs), and (2) the incorporation of antibacterial carbon dots (CDs) into the HSHs to offer antibiotic-free infection control.
The research examines the effects of plasma-induced radical concentration on hydrogel thickness and crosslinking, the mechanical and interfacial stability of the coatings, and the biocompatibility of the platform. The antibacterial activity, release behaviour, and mechanism of CDs+HSHs are also explored. The findings demonstrate that IAPP enables robust, scalable surface modification for improved soft tissue integration and infection resistance, offering a versatile platform for implantable biomedical devices
Adeno-Associated Virus Gene Therapy For Maple Syrup Urine Disease
No full textAdvancements in genetic therapies, including recombinant adeno-associated virus (AAV) technologies, have now reached a point where potential curative treatments are within reach for incurable genetic diseases such as Maple Syrup Urine Disease (MSUD). MSUD is caused by biallelic mutations in one of five autosomal genes required for the enzyme BCKDH. Current treatment options are non-curative. This thesis explored the potential of recombinant AAV technology as a novel therapy for MSUD using a DBT-deficient neonatal lethal murine model. This thesis first explored a liver directed approach with AAV8 pseudoserotyped vectors carrying a human DBT transgene under the transcriptional regulation of the APOe/hAAT enhancer/promoter. These experiments used conventional and hybrid AAV/piggyBac transposase vectors and found that both integrating and non-integrating AAV vectors significantly improved the physical and biochemical phenotype of DBT-deficient mice, though the rescue was only transient with non-integrating vectors. A muscle restricted vector was also developed and included the CK8e promoter/enhancer, a human DBT transgene and was packaged in the muscle trophic AAVMYO capsid. MicroRNA targeting site sequences were also included to de-target transgene expression in the liver and brain. Neonatal injection of the muscle optimised vector successfully rescued DBT-deficient mice to adulthood with biophysical parameters statistically equivalent to those observed in wildtype mice during periods of metabolic stability and transgene expression was highly muscle restricted. Whilst further, rigorous pre-clinical testing is required before an equivalent muscle optimised vector would be safe for human clinical application, this thesis has demonstrated the viability of AAV-mediated gene transfer to skeletal muscle, a post mitotic tissue, in a neonatal lethal MSUD murine model and is an encouraging step in the search for a cure for MSUD patients and their familie
Cold atmospheric plasma interactions with biofilm cells and the extracellular matrix
No full textThe microbial biofilms represent a significant threat to human health and contribute to substantial
costs associated with cleaning and maintenance. Cold plasma, a partially ionized gas, along with
plasma-activated water (PAW), has shown potent antimicrobial properties. However, the ideal
conditions for generating PAW and the mechanisms by which it exerts its antimicrobial effects remain
poorly understood. This study aims to advance PAW as an innovative disinfectant for tackling
microbial biofilm contamination. In this work, PAWs were produced using different gases in a plasma
bubble spark discharge (BSD) reactor, and their effectiveness in biofilm removal was evaluated
under both direct and indirect PAW treatments. The stability of PAWs was assessed through storage
experiments. Results revealed that direct PAW treatment was more effective in eradicating biofilms,
with further optimization achieved by altering the activated gases used. The physical and chemical
properties of various PAWs were systematically optimized, and the underlying antimicrobial
mechanisms were explored at both the intracellular and extracellular levels. A key finding was the
significant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in Escherichia coli (E. coli)
ATCC 25922 biofilms treated with PAW generated with oxygen gas, where superoxide anion radicals
(•O2-) were identified as crucial contributors to biofilm inactivation. Confocal microscopy analysis
confirmed the removal of the majority of biofilm cells from the surface, leaving only a small fraction of
dead cells behind. Additionally, the study revealed that PAW effectively targets both the extracellular
matrix and bacterial cells in biofilms from both Gram-negative E. coli UTI 89 and Gram-positive
Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) NCTC 8325 bacteria. A proteomic analysis further elucidated the
response of E. coli and S. aureus biofilms to PAW-induced stres