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Rose bengal–encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles for the photodynamic treatment of Trichophyton species
No full textRose bengal (RB) solutions coupled with a green laser have proven to be efficient in clearing resilient nail infections caused by Trichophyton rubrum in a human pilot study and in extensive in vitro experiments. Nonetheless, the RB solution can become diluted or dispersed over the tissue and prevented from penetrating the nail plate to reach the subungual area where fungal infection proliferates. Nanoparticles carrying RB can mitigate the problem of dilution and are reported to effectively penetrate through the nail. For this reason, we have synthesized RB-encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles with a peak distribution size of ~200 nm and high reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The RB-encapsulated chitosan nanoparticles aPDT were shown to kill more than 99% of T. rubrum, T. mentagrophytes, and T. interdigitale spores, which are the common clinically relevant pathogens in onychomycosis. These nanoparticles are not cytotoxic against human fibroblasts, which promotes their safe application in clinical translation
Motor patterns of patients with spinal muscular atrophy suggestive of sensory and corticospinal contributions to the development of locomotor muscle synergies
No full textComplex locomotor patterns are generated by combination of muscle synergies. How genetic processes, early sensorimotor experiences, and the developmental dynamics of neuronal circuits contribute to the expression of muscle synergies remains elusive. We shed light on the factors that influence development of muscle synergies by studying subjects with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA, types II/IIIa), a disorder associated with degeneration and deafferentation of motoneurons and possibly motor cortical and cerebellar abnormalities, from which the afflicted would have atypical sensorimotor histories around typical walking onset. Muscle synergies of children with SMA were identified from electromyographic signals recorded during active-assisted leg motions or walking, and compared with those of age-matched controls. We found that the earlier the SMA onset age, the more different the SMA synergies were from the normative. These alterations could not just be explained by the different degrees of uneven motoneuronal losses across muscles. The SMA-specific synergies had activations in muscles from multiple limb compartments, a finding reminiscent of the neonatal synergies of typically developing infants. Overall, while the synergies shared between SMA and control subjects may reflect components of a core modular infrastructure determined early in life, the SMA-specific synergies may be developmentally immature synergies that arise from inadequate activity-dependent interneuronal sculpting due to abnormal sensorimotor experience and other factors. Other mechanisms including SMA-induced intraspinal changes and altered cortical-spinal interactions may also contribute to synergy changes. Our interpretation highlights the roles of the sensory and descending systems to the typical and abnormal development of locomotor modules.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This is likely the first report of locomotor muscle synergies of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a subject group with atypical developmental sensorimotor experience. We found that the earlier the SMA onset age, the more the subjects' synergies deviated from those of age-matched controls. This result suggests contributions of the sensory/corticospinal activities to the typical expression of locomotor modules, and how their disruptions during a critical period of development may lead to abnormal motor modules
Unlocking Women's Potential: Labour Force Participation in Western Sydney
Full text linkWestern Sydney has experienced a period of rapid growth in employment rates and educational attainment, particularly among women. However, women in Western Sydney provide more unpaid childcare and earn less than women in the rest of Sydney. Enhancing women's labour force potential is essential, not only for social equality but also for maximising the potential of emerging innovation districts. This research report provides innovative recommendations to improve women's workforce participation and empowerment and has the potential to bridge the gender gap and catalyse a sustainable, equitable future for Western Sydney
LGBTQ-related issues in K-12 education across global contexts
No full textMany countries in the world are now, to varying degrees, supportive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, and plus (LGBTQ+) identities, and encouragingly, LGBTQ+-related inclusions are increasingly apparent in some school contexts. Despite this, LGBTQ+ identities often remain silenced and marginalized in educational settings internationally. This entry examines LGBTQ+-related issues in K–12 education. It first outlines broad issues related to LGBTQ+ identities and schooling. Then it examines LGBTQ+ issues in K–12 educational settings, focusing on three main areas: (1) LGBTQ+ students’ experiences at school; (2) LGBTQ+ teachers’ experiences, as well as educators’ experiences related to addressing LGBTQ+ issues at school; and (3) parents’ perspectives toward the inclusion/exclusion of gender and sexuality diversity knowledges in schools
Compliance with Australian Orthopaedic Association guidelines does not reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism after total hip and knee arthroplasty
No full textPreventing avoidable venous-thrombo-embolism (VTE) is a priority to improve patient and service outcomes after total hip and total knee arthroplasty (THA, TKA), but compliance with relevant clinical guidelines varies. This study aims to determine the degree to which prophylaxis was compliant with Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) VTE prophylaxis guidelines and whether non-compliance is associated with increased risk of VTE. A prospective multi-centre cohort study of adults with osteoarthritis undergoing primary TKA/THA was completed at 19 high-volume public and private hospitals. Data were collected prior to surgery and for one-year post-surgery. Logistic regression was undertaken to explore associations between non-compliance with AOA VTE prophylaxis guidelines and symptomatic 90-day VTE outcomes. Data were analysed for 1838 participants from 19 sites. The rate of non-compliance with all clinical guideline recommendations was 20.1% (N = 369), with 14.1% (N = 259) non-compliance for risk-stratified prophylaxis, 35.8% (N = 658) for duration, and 67.8% (N = 1246) for other general recommendations. Symptomatic VTE was experienced up to 90-days post-surgery by 48 people (2.6%). Overall guideline non-compliance (AOR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.4 to 1.3, p = 0.86) was not associated with a lower risk of symptomatic 90-day VTE. Results were consistent when people with high bleeding risk were excluded (AOR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.44 to 2.34, p = 0.89). Non-compliance with the AOA VTE prophylaxis guidelines was not associated with risk of 90-day VTE after arthroplasty. This counterintuitive finding is concerning and necessitates a rigorous review of the AOA VTE prevention clinical guideline
A lightweight sensor scheduler based on AoI function for remote state estimation over lossy wireless channels
No full textThis paper investigates the problem of sensor scheduling for remotely estimating the states of heterogeneous dynamical systems over resource-limited and lossy wireless channels. Considering the low time complexity and high versatility requirements of schedulers deployed on the transport layer, we propose a lightweight scheduler based on an Age of Information (AoI) function built with the tight scalar upper bound of the remote estimation error. We show that the proposed scheduler is indexable and sub-optimal. We derive an upper and a lower bound of the proposed scheduler and give stability conditions for estimation error. Numerical simulations demonstrate that, compared to existing policies, the proposed scheduler achieves estimation performance very close to the optimal at a much lower computation time
Soil-borne disease suppressiveness after short and long term application of fermented, composted or fresh organic amendment treatments in arable soils
No full textSoil-borne diseases can cause significant crop losses and should be tackled sustainably in agroecosystems. Increasing the capacity of soils to suppress the effects of soil-borne diseases (soil suppressiveness) is an important tool in sustainable crop production. Soil suppressiveness can be improved by adding organic amendments to the soil for multiple years, but the effects can vary greatly depending on the processing method of the organic amendment (composted, fermented, or fresh material) and the time since application. To test these impacts we conducted two bioassays using the Lepidium savitum (cress) – Pythium ultimum model system. We tested the disease suppression capacity of sandy arable soil from a field experiment where fresh plant material, compost, or Bokashi (fermented amendment), all originating from the same plant material had been applied for two consecutive years across 10 field sites subject to conventional farming. In addition, the effect of short term application on soil suppressiveness was tested right after applying the same organic amendments to control arable sandy soil from 2 sites from the field experiment. Field sites strongly differed in cress growth independent of the organic amendment treatments. Absence of field effects in the sterilized soil and their soil chemical characteristics suggested differences in inherent soil pathogen load between the field sites. Focussing on sites with low inherent pathogen load we found no significant impact of long term organic amendment application on either cress weight or soil suppressiveness. However, short term application of Bokashi did significantly promote soil suppressiveness. This effect can likely be attributed to the increased metabolic activity of the soil's micro- organisms in response to Bokashi, which contains more easily decomposable compounds as compared to the other soil amendments, together with Bokashi microorganisms that survive the fermentation and are activated in the aerobic soil condition. Our results suggest that Bokashi could promote the suppression of soil-borne diseases by stimulating the locally adapted soil microbiome but the longevity of this effect requires further field tests
Multiple open-switch fault diagnosis for three-phase four-leg inverter under unbalanced loads via interval sliding mode observer
No full textThe three-phase four-leg inverter has garnered significant attention for its advantages in addressing unbalanced loads and other factors. However, compared to traditional threephase three-leg inverters, the introduction of additional branches and the occurrence of unbalanced three-phase currents increase the complexity of open-switch (OS) fault modes and types, posing challenges for fault diagnosis. In this article, a multiple OS fault diagnosis strategy is designed specifically for three-phase four-leg inverters operating under unbalanced loads. The method begins with the design of a novel interval sliding mode observer (SMO) that accurately and rapidly estimates phase currents through the use of an adaptive reaching law. By using the interval characteristics of the innovative interval SMO, the upper and lower bounds estimations of the observer are then utilized to design a fault detection parameter and its adaptive thresholds to ensure the robustness of the detection algorithm. Additionally, single OS fault identification and multiple OS fault identification methods are developed. By combining the detection variables with the identification methods, the proposed approach enables the diagnosis of 36 different types of OS faults. Hardware-in-theloop (HIL) test results validate the efficient diagnosis of OS faults in three-phase four-leg inverters utilizing the proposed approach
Action research and transformation : lessons from three decades of practice
No full textIn this paper I look back over three decades of doing participatory action research and extract some lessons that bear upon the pressing issues of our time—namely, how to act in the face of unsustainable socio-economic growth trajectories and cascading environmental degradation. I start with my circuitous journey into action research and to the importance of human subjectivity to transformation processes. I then trace the thinking that shaped a postmodern feminist social research agenda. Next follows an account of developing a research design for poststructuralist participatory action research (PPAR) that foregrounds understanding ‘ways of living’ in place. Drawing on actual action research projects, the lessons that emerge concern the importance of 1) inventory and bearing witness to difference; 2) new techniques of resubjectivation that encourage transformation; and 3) shifting the action focus from human subjects to socio-technical assemblages in which humans, material infrastructures, habits and experimentation are interwoven. Throughout my three decades of involvement with action research I have learnt about the limits to the durability of subjectivity change and the need to work on support from wider ecosystems of governance, infrastructure, health and social expectation
Mānuka oil based ECMT-154 versus vehicle control for the topical treatment of eczema : study protocol for a randomised controlled trial in community pharmacies in Aotearoa New Zealand
No full textBackground: Eczema is a chronic, relapsing skin condition commonly managed by emollients and topical corticosteroids. Prevalence of use and demand for effective botanical therapies for eczema is high worldwide, however, clinical evidence of benefit is limited for many currently available botanical treatment options. Robustly-designed and adequately powered randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are essential to determine evidence of clinical benefit. This protocol describes an RCT that aims to investigate whether a mānuka oil based emollient cream, containing 2% ECMT-154, is a safe and effective topical treatment for moderate to severe eczema. Methods: This multicentre, single-blind, parallel-group, randomised controlled trial aims to recruit 118 participants from community pharmacies in Aotearoa New Zealand. Participants will be randomised 1:1 to receive topical cream with 2% ECMT-154 or vehicle control, and will apply assigned treatment twice daily to affected areas for six weeks. The primary outcome is improvement in subjective symptoms, assessed by change in POEM score. Secondary outcomes include change in objective symptoms assessed by SCORAD (part B), PO-SCORAD, DLQI, and treatment acceptability assessed by TSQM II and NRS. Discussion: Recruitment through community pharmacies commenced in January 2022 and follow up will be completed by mid-2023. This study aims to collect acceptability and efficacy data of mānuka oil based ECMT-154 for the treatment of eczema. If efficacy is demonstrated, this topical may provide an option for a novel emollient treatment. The community-based design of the trial is anticipated to provide a generalisable result. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval was obtained from Central Health and Disability Ethics Committee (reference: 2021 EXP 11490). Findings of the study will be disseminated to study participants, published in peer-reviewed journal and presented at scientific conferences. Trial registration: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR)Â ACTRN12621001096842. Registered on August 18, 2021 (https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=382412&isReview=true). Protocol version: 2.1 (Dated 18/05/2022)