University of the Sunshine Coast
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Soluble factors from packed red blood cells augmented LPS Induced monocyte production of IL-1Β and caspase-1
No full textIntroduction: During routine storage packed red blood cells (PRBC) undergo biochemical and morphological changes, and soluble mediators accumulate which have been hypothesised to contribute to poor outcomes post-transfusion. Interleukin (IL)-1β is a pro-inflammatory cytokine critical for cell proliferation and differentiation. We investigated whether PRBC transfusion modulated IL-1β driven inflammation and assessed whether macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) was involved.
Methods: Isolated monocytes were co-incubated with PRBC supernatants (collected at D2, D14, D28, D42) +/– lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 1 μg/mL) or LPS+ATP (positive control) for 4 hours, 37°C, 5% CO2. IL-1β and caspase-1 were quantified in PRBC-SN and culture SN. MIF was quantified in PRBC-SN and then recombinant MIF (rMIF) +/– LPS added to model 2-3 unit of transfusion. Results were analysed by ANOVA (compared to untreated or LPS alone, p<0.05).
Results: PRBC-SN increased LPS-induced monocyte production of IL-1β (p<0.05) and caspase-1 (p<0.05). MIF was present in D2 (19 ng/mL) and D42 (247 ng/mL) PRBC-SN. rMIF did not modulate LPS-induced IL-1β or caspase-1 production from monocytes.
Conclusions: Soluble factors in PRBC augmented LPS-induced IL-1β and caspase-1 production in monocytes suggesting inflammasome activation. There was no evidence that MIF was responsible for modulating IL-1β production and further investigation into the other immunomodulatory mediators from PRBC is warranted
Rapid and sensitive molecular detection of antimicrobial resistance (AMR); towards point-of-care testing in low resource settings
No full textBackground and Purpose: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is on the rise and presents serious new clinical and public health challenges. Rapid detection of AMR is needed to inform appropriate treatment for many infections; however, conventional methods of detection such as disk diffusion, broth micro-dilution and E-test can take at least 24 hours. While molecular detection methods such as PCR and direct sequencing can decrease the turnaround time to a few hours, these are typically laboratory based and/or require specialist equipment and expert users. The purpose of this study was to develop a rapid and sensitive AMR detection method, without the need for expensive equipment or expertise, which is suitable for point-of-care testing in low resource settings.
Methodology: Our approach utilized recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) with lateral-flow detection and was piloted for detection of NDM carbapenemases. In brief, primers and probes were designed for sensitive and specific detection of NDM genes. Up to this point, the assay was optimized and tested for the analytical sensitivity. The results of turnaround times as well as the clinical sensitivity and specificity are being assessed.
Results and Discussions: Initial assessment shows that the RPA method gives results in approximately 20 minutes including sample-handling and incubation time. The limit of detection was 10 copies/ul for NDM.
Conclusion: This study demonstrates the effectiveness of RPA-based technology for rapid AMR gene detection. Combining the technology with the lateral-flow detection promotes a key advantage of this approach to make it suitable for point-of-care testing in low resource settings
Sintering and biocompatibility of blended elemental Ti-xNb alloys
No full textTitanium-niobium (Ti–Nb) alloys have great potential for biomedical applications due to their superior biocompatibility and mechanical properties that match closely to human bone. Powder metallurgy is an ideal technology for efficient manufacture of titanium alloys to generate net-shape, intricately featured and porous components. This work reports on the effects of Nb concentrations on sintered Ti-xNb alloys with the aim to establish an optimal composition in respect to mechanical and biological performances. Ti-xNb alloys with 33, 40, 56 and 66 wt% Nb were fabricated from elemental powders and the sintering response, mechanical properties, microstructures and biocompatibility assessed and compared to conventional commercial purity titanium (CPTi). The sintered densities for all Ti-xNb compositions were around 95%, reducing slightly with increasing Nb due to increasing open porosity. Higher Nb levels retarded sintering leading to more inhomogeneous phase and pore distributions. The compressive strength decreased with increasing Nb, while all Ti-xNb alloys displayed higher strengths than CPTi except the Ti–66Nb alloy. The Young's moduli of the Ti-xNb alloys with ≥40 wt% Nb were substantially lower (30–50%) than CPTi. In-vitro cell culture testing revealed excellent biocompatibility for all Ti-xNb alloys comparable or better than tissue culture plate and CPTi controls, with the Ti–40Nb alloy exhibiting superior cell-material interactions. In view of its mechanical and biological performance, the Ti–40Nb composition is most promising for hard tissue engineering applications
RNA-Based Therapeutics: From Antisense Oligonucleotides to miRNAs
No full textThe first therapeutic nucleic acid, a DNA oligonucleotide, was approved for clinical use in 1998. Twenty years later, in 2018, the first therapeutic RNA-based oligonucleotide was United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved. This promises to be a rapidly expanding market, as many emerging biopharmaceutical companies are developing RNA interference (RNAi)-based, and RNA-based antisense oligonucleotide therapies. However, miRNA therapeutics are noticeably absent. miRNAs are regulatory RNAs that regulate gene expression. In disease states, the expression of many miRNAs is measurably altered. The potential of miRNAs as therapies and therapeutic targets has long been discussed and in the context of a wide variety of infections and diseases. Despite the great number of studies identifying miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets, only a handful of miRNA-targeting drugs (mimics or inhibitors) have entered clinical trials. In this review, we will discuss whether the investment in finding potential miRNA therapeutic targets has yielded feasible and practicable results, the benefits and obstacles of miRNAs as therapeutic targets, and the potential future of the field
Ibuprofen might make your periods lighter, but it’s not a long-term solution
No full textNo abstract available
“I Harbour Strong Feelings for Tali Despite Her Being a Fictional Character”: Investigating Videogame Players’ Emotional Attachments to Non-Player Characters
No full textThis study investigated players’ emotional attachment to two non-player characters, Tali and Garrus, from BioWare’s Mass Effect videogame series. Two forum threads, created soon after the release by BioWare of Mass Effect 2 in January 2010 dedicated to these two characters, were downloaded and analyzed using thematic analysis. The results found that players had developed intense emotional attachments to the characters, but the emotional attachment for the female character of Tali was expressed from the players’ point of view, while the emotional attachment for the male character of Garrus was expressed from the player character of Shepard’s point of view. These emotional attachments influenced how players engaged with the game mechanics of Mass Effect 2 (BioWare, 2010), for example players customized their player character’s armour to match that of Tali or Garrus. As previous research into videogame characters has focused on playable characters, this article advances knowledge by considering the relationship between players and non-player characters in videogames
Consumers' Perceptions of the Australian Health Star Rating Labelling Scheme
No full textThe objective of this study was to explore consumers' use and perception of the Australian Health Star Rating (HSR). A purposive sample of fifteen Australian grocery shoppers was recruited into four focus groups using a supermarket intercept strategy. Focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed and analysed using an iterative approach to thematic analysis. Three key themes emerged from analysis. The HSR was seen as simple, uncluttered, easy to understand and useful for quick comparison across products. The nutrition information was viewed positively; however, there was little confidence in the HSR due to a perceived lack of transparency in the criteria used to determine the number of stars. Highly processed foods were generally seen as having inflated ratings and participants expressed concern that this would increase consumption of these products. Finally, there was a belief that the HSR had a lack of negative imagery limiting the dissuasive impact on consumers when presented with low-rated foods. Consumers saw benefits in the HSR but were sceptical about how the ratings were derived. Transparency about the development and education on the application may assist with consumers' perception of the HSR
Comparison of the Physical Susceptibility of Pacific Islands to Risks Potentially Associated with Variability in Weather and Climate
No full textThis chapter details an objective method of developing an index of island susceptibility to climate change. Three separate indices are developed to estimate the potential of an island to physical change in response to likely climatic changes. These are indicative susceptibility, exposure index and geomorphic susceptibility. To develop the indicative susceptibility, four physical variables that are readily available or can be calculated from other datasets were used. These were lithology, shape of islands, maximum elevation and area. The exposure index took into account broad-scale climate and oceanic processes, such as composite water level range (ENSO and tide), average annual significant wave height and tropical cyclone frequency. The geomorphic index was a combination of the first two with relevant weightings applied. A database encompassing 15 countries and 1532 islands spread across the Pacific Ocean was developed. Analysis showed that there was a wide spread of island susceptibility, with reef islands mostly being very highly susceptible while volcanic high islands were the least susceptible. Some countries in the Pacific had all their islands in the high or very high susceptibility classes, confirming the potential risks climate change poses for them. The index has the potential to be used as a rapid appraisal tool for prioritization of adaptation measures to a changing climate
Climate Change and the Pacific Islands
No full textClimate change has been recognized as one of the most critical and controversial issues facing the world in the twenty-first century. It is predicted to lead to adverse and irreversible impacts on the earth and ecosystems as a whole. This chapter discusses the causes of climate change and current and potential impacts that will affect the people now and in the coming decades while providing a comprehensive account of how Pacific Island nations face challenges from climate change-related impacts. Global warming, sea-level rise, changing weather patterns and extreme events, pressure on water and food security, human health risks, and impacts on wildlife and ecosystems are considered as major impacts of climate change. Pacific Island countries register the greatest negative impacts of climate change even though they account for only 0.03% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Current and projected climate change poses a set of fundamental challenges to the local economy and livelihoods, resulting in human mobility and cross-border displacement and migration. The dispersed nature and heterogeneity of the Pacific Island countries presents special challenges for localized climate projections and adaptation strategies. Effective adaptation measures and policies to climate change impacts in the Pacific Islands should acknowledge their unique environmental and cultural characteristics
Higher Education, Intellectual Property, and Incubation Mechanisms: The Case of Australia's Indie 100
No full textThis chapter describes a research and engagement project through which a pedagogy of experience presented itself as a fruitful way forward for teaching creative industries professionalism in higher education (HE) contexts. The project, Indie 100, involved hundreds of local musicians at an annual attempt to create 100 new songs in 100 hours. Following an intense week of music production, the project undertook to promote and commercialise the material over the following 12 months. During the five-year period in which the project ran, its participants—including musicians, students, and industry professionals from throughout Australia and internationally, along with staff from the university that ran the project—formed into numerous and surprising project configurations, many of which resulted in ongoing success. The historical slant of the chapter situates today’s young musician within a fast-emerging, post-digital ‘handicraft’ economy. That is, rather than being simply an industrial hand—solely a maker of musical things—today’s musicians will often need to compose, record, stage, produce, release, promote, and manage the copyrights they produce, at least until they can afford to ‘outsource’ one or more of the functions that add up to a musical living. Or, to put it more simply, today’s musicians must make, promote, and sell their music, with all the complications that involves. The recorded music industry is especially perplexing for young artists, in large part because of its intersection with national and international intellectual property (IP) regimes, and with a long corporate influence on the ways in which the act of making a record is understood, both legally and interpersonally. The chapter details the ways in which IP and musical aspirations redound against each other to produce the complex legal relationships involved in any recording. It shows how John Dewey’s emphasis on locality provides a basis upon which new understandings of curriculum can emerge in a globalised semiotic environment (which includes the legal, business, and aesthetic environments) dominated by the likes of Google, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. The experience of Indie 100 showed all of us involved how quickly and strangely the informational deluge facilitated by those behemoths has come to challenge the centuries-old ‘knowledge monopoly’ formerly held by universities and other institutes of higher learning. Rather than continue as brokers of ‘sacred’ or ‘secret’ information, our experience of Indie 100 indicates the future for HE, at least in creative industries, is one in which students are guided through high-value, high-stakes, high-profile projects that immerse them in professional networks, professional working circumstances, and professional levels of intensity and engagement