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[In Press] Exploring the anti-inflammatory potential of Australian native plants based on their ethnopharmacological knowledge
No full textInflammation represents the inherent protective reaction of the human body to various harmful agents and noxious stimuli. Standard anti-inflammatory therapy including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are associated with several side effects. In the past decades, people rely on medicinal plants for the treatment of inflammation. The traditional utilization of medicinal plants is regarded as a safe, cost-effective, and broadly accepted approach. In this study, anti-inflammatory activity of plants traditionally utilized by the D'harawal people in Australia has been assessed in vitro. Eighty Australian native plants were screened based on the Dharawal Pharmacopeia for their inhibitory effect on the nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and interferon (IFN)-γ stimulated RAW 264.7 murine macrophages for their anti-inflammatory activity. From the eighty ethanolic extracts screened, seventeen displayed potent NO inhibition with an IC50 recorded below 15 μg/mL. The aim of this review was to utilise the ethnopharmacological knowledge and to correlate the anti-inflammatory activity of the seventeen plants with either their known or unknown phytochemicals reported in the literature. In doing so, we have created a snapshot of Australian native plant candidates that warrant further chemical investigation associated with their anti-inflammatory activity
Numeracy teaching for undergraduate nursing students : a scoping review
No full textBackground: Education providers teach numeracy to undergraduate nursing students using a diverse range of approaches. Proficiency in numeracy skills is critical for patient safety; however, alarmingly, the accuracy rate of calculations by both undergraduate nurses and RNs is reported to be low. Method: The literature search yielded 1,180 articles published between 1994 and 2022. The assessment of the studies was reported using the PRIMSA extension for Scoping Reviews. Results: Thirty-nine articles were included in the review. A diverse range of approaches were used to teach numeracy including learning theory, methods of calculation, learning environment, and examination aids. Conclusion: This review highlights the plethora of approaches for teaching numeracy within undergraduate nursing education. Internationally, there were limited studies on the most effective teaching approaches; therefore, developing a robust evidence-based numeracy framework would be beneficial to guide non-nursing instructors in teaching undergraduate nurses
Study on the piezoelectric properties and the mechanism of strain-regulated piezoelectricity in flexible Janus monolayers Cr2X3Y3 (X/Y = Cl, Br, I)
No full textPiezoelectric materials hold significant promise in piezoelectric electronics and piezoelectric optoelectronics. As a new member of this family, the 2D Janus structures characterized by central symmetry breaking have attracted much attention due to the out-of-plane piezoelectric effects. In this work, the mechanical, piezoelectric properties, and the strain regulation mechanism of Juans structure material (Cr2X3Y3, X/Y = Cl, Br, I) are systematically investigated by the first-principles methods. The calculated mechanical properties show that Cr2X3Y3 with a lower Young’s modulus of 27.31∼29.76 N m−1 is more sensitive to applied stresses, theoretically exhibiting exceptional piezoelectric properties. The in-plane piezoelectric coefficients d 11 for Cr2Br3Cl3, Cr2I3Cl3, and Cr2I3Br3 are 4.92, 9.89, and 7.86 pm V−1, respectively; the out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficients d 31 are 1.13, 2.33, and 1.64 pm V−1, respectively. Cr2I3Cl3 has the highest values of d 11 and d 31 due to the large electronegativity difference between iodine and chlorine atoms. Based on the analysis, it can be deduced that Cr2X3Y3 demonstrates substantial piezoelectric responses in both in- and out-of-plane, with potential strain regulation effects. The d 31 values of Cr2I3Cl3 show an approximately linear relationship to strain in the range from −2% to 4% and remain consistently above 2.10 pm V−1 across a broader range of strain from −4% to 6%, underscoring its robustness to strain. Our study indicates that two-dimensional Janus Cr2X3Y3 monolayers would emerge as promising candidates for diverse applications in multifunctional electronic devices
The views of parents and carers on managing acute otitis media in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children : a qualitative study
No full textObjectives: To explore the views of parents and carers regarding the management of acute otitis media in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who are at low risk of complications living in urban communities. Study design: Qualitative study; semi-structured interviews and short telephone survey. Setting, participants: Interviews: purposive sample of parents and carers of urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children (18 months – 16 years old) screened in Aboriginal medical services in Queensland, New South Wales, and Canberra for the WATCH study, a randomised controlled trial that compared immediate antibiotic therapy with watchful waiting for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children with acute otitis media. Survey: parents and carers recruited for the WATCH trial who had completed week two WATCH surveys. Results: We interviewed twenty-two parents and carers, including ten who had declined participation in or whose children were ineligible for the WATCH trial. Some interviewees preferred antibiotics for managing acute otitis media, others preferred watchful waiting, expressing concerns about side effects and reduced efficacy with overuse of antibiotics. Factors that influenced this preference included the severity, duration, and recurrence of infection, and knowledge about management gained during the trial and from personal and often multigenerational experience of ear disease. Participants highlighted the importance of shared decision making by parents and carers and their doctors. Parents and carers of 165 of 262 WATCH participants completed telephone surveys (63%); 81 were undecided about whether antibiotics should always be used for treating acute otitis media. Open-ended responses indicated that antibiotic use should be determined by clinical need, support for general practitioners’ decisions, and the view that some general practitioners prescribed antibiotics too often. Conclusions: Parents and carers are key partners in managing acute otitis media in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Our findings support shared decision making informed by the experience of parents and carers, which could also lead to reduced antibiotic use for managing acute otitis media
High pH and chloramine suppress nontuberculous mycobacterial growth in a model water distribution system
No full textThis study reports the importance of maintaining a high pH and/or chloramine concentrations in water distribution system to supress the growth of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) - a group containing some opportunistic pathogens. Four sets of reactor systems, each containing three reactors connected in series, were operated at three different feed water pH values (7.6, 8.4, and 9.0) and two different chloramine concentrations (2.6 and 3.8 mg/L). Altogether, 44 operational taxonomic units of NTM were identified. The NTM species Mycobacterium chelonae, M. europaeum, M. gordonae, M. stephanolepidis, M. llatzerense, M. lentiflavum, and M. kyorinense were detected in the majority of the samples. Among them, M. chelonae was highly dominant NTM species in majority of the tested samples. The NTM populations were in the range of 8.83E+ 01–6.30E+ 05 gene copies/mL. Higher relative abundances of NTM were noted in reactors containing higher chloramine residuals, but the number of NTM and total bacterial population increased with the decreasing chloramine concentration, under low pH (<8.4) and under nitrifying conditions. This study underscores the benefits of maintaining high pH in the feed as it not only increases the chloramine stability, but also suppresses the bacterial growth including NTM
Resisting productionist timescapes by making better futures in the present : care for country in Western Sydney literatures
No full textGreater Western Sydney is unceded Aboriginal land, Country reciprocally caring and cared for by Darug, Dharawal and Gundungurra Peoples over tens of thousands of years. The region is currently home for more than 2.5 million people, with significant further population increase anticipated, facilitated by administrative documents such as the Cumberland Plain Conservation Plan. This pervasive desire for ongoing sprawling development is supported by ‘antiecological’ thinking creating ‘productionist timescapes’. This desire conflicts with the fact that Greater Western Sydney is a diverse place that is cared for by and cares for many: a beautiful and diverse Country, described by Western sciences as Cumberland Plain woodland, a natural world home for myriad non-human beings. This article reads a variety of contemporary literary texts, considering their differing attitudes to and representation of Care for Country. It identifies a continuum of placemaking practices on unceded Land, from the proprietorial, through varying visions for intercultural futures, to those committed to #landback. A commitment to intercultural practices of Care for Country is discernible, creating more just and equitable futures in the present. This article traces Western Sydney literature’s thinking on the entanglement and intra-action of human and more-than-human worlds. It concludes by observing this intra-action in practice
Landscape of sign language research based on smartphone apps : coherent literature analysis, motivations, open challenges, recommendations and future directions for app assessment
No full textNumerous nations have prioritised the inclusion of citizens with disabilities, such as hearing loss, in all aspects of social life. Sign language is used by this population, yet they still have trouble communicating with others. Many sign language apps are being created to help bridge the communication gap as a result of technology advances enabled by the widespread use of smartphones. These apps are widely used because they are accessible and inexpensive. The services and capabilities they offer and the quality of their content, however, differ greatly. Evaluation of the quality of the content provided by these applications is necessary if they are to have any kind of real effect. A thorough evaluation like this will inspire developers to work hard on new apps, which will lead to improved software development and experience overall. This research used a systematic literature review (SLR) method, which is recognised in gaining a broad understanding of the study whilst offering additional information for future investigations. SLR was adopted in this research for smartphone-based sign language apps to understand the area and main discussion aspects utilised in the assessment. These studies were reviewed on the basis of related work analysis, main issues, discussions and methodological aspects. Results revealed that the evaluation of sign language mobile apps is scarce. Thus, we proposed a future direction for the quality assessment of these apps. The findings will benefit normal-hearing and hearing-impaired users and open up a new area where researchers and developers could work together on sign language mobile apps. The results will help hearing and non-hearing users and will pave the way for future collaboration between academicians and app developers in the field of sign language technology
Evolution of digital twin frameworks in bridge management : review and future directions
No full textOver the last decade, the digital twin (DT) concept has effectively revolutionized conventional bridge monitoring and management. Despite their overall success, current bridge DTs encounter conceptual ambiguities, hindering their inherent potential for practical implementation. Moreover, intelligent decision support models have not been properly considered as a component of the bridge DTs framework to enhance the reliability of decisions for asset maintenance. Therefore, this paper conducts a scientometric analysis and a comprehensive state-of-the-art review, exploring current bridge DT research trends and architectures and introducing an enhanced conceptual framework for bridge DTs. To this end, more than 480 research publications have been reviewed, compared, and analyzed. The research result encompasses the redevelopment of a multilayer DT framework, fostering its implementation in the full lifecycle of bridge infrastructure while exploring the potential integration of decision support systems and data fusion from advanced technologies to improve the overall efficiency of implementing DT technology in bridges
Development and initial validation of the multifaceted instrument for body image disturbance (MI-BoD)
No full textSpecific facets of body image disturbance have an important role in eating disorder (ED) onset and maintenance yet have been assessed with single items and/or questionnaires predominantly developed in female samples to capture desire for a thinner body. The aim of this multipart study was to develop the multifaceted instrument for body image disturbance (MI-BoD) that will assess body image disturbance across gender and body size. In Study 1, interviews were conducted with 31 ED lived experience experts (45% females) to develop an initial item pool which was then rated for relevance and clarity by 59 international field experts, shortened and refined by the research team, and then rerated by 20 field experts and 91 ED lived experience experts. Of the 477 items developed from interviews, 46 were retained for the initial validation study. In Study 2, the MI-BoD was administered to undergraduate students (N = 937; 84% females), community adolescents (N = 208; 58% females), and individuals with self-reported ED diagnosis (N = 410; 77% females) to assess its preliminary psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis revealed six underlying factors, namely, Dissatisfaction, Overvaluation, Preoccupation, Fear of Weight Gain, Body Checking, and Body Exposure. No differential item functioning was detected for most MI-BoD items across gender, weight status, and ED status (symptomatic vs. asymptomatic). Overall, the MI-BoD showed good internal consistency, convergent and divergent validity, concurrent validity, and test–retest reliability. In conclusion, the MI-BoD is a promising tool for assessment of important facets of body image disturbance across gender, body size, and ED symptomatology
An assessment of the cyber security challenges and issues associated with cyber-physical power systems
No full textCyber-Physical Power Systems (CPPS) are innovative technologies that combine physical systems with control, computing, and communication technology. Its significance has grown because of improved efficiency and safety in various applications such as smart grids, smart cities, CNC matching monitoring systems, intelligent manufacturing systems, smart transportation, smart government, smart healthcare, smart environments, smart homes, and so on. These smart applications not only cause accidental failure and errors but also pose numerous security and privacy issues, such as cyber-attacks that cause physical harm to the system and its environment. Due to the heterogeneity, scalability, and dynamic nature of these intelligent applications, existing security solutions cannot be directly applied to them; therefore, when developing and implementing new mechanisms or systems, it is essential to be aware of security and privacy risks. This paper examines the security challenges and issues associated with CPPS in response to this concern. The review gives a general overview of the CPPS interdependence framework and numerous CPPS applications. The security challenges and solutions are then evaluated, followed by describing the cyber threats that can exploit CPPS using an analysis, defense, and protection model. Other critical CPPS issues, which include the development of secure and sustainable power systems, are summarized along with current research challenges and suggestions for future work