85000 research outputs found
Sort by
Mental Jam: co-creating video games about the lived experiences of depression and anxiety as a form of creative self-expression
No full textThis dissertation details my design, critical reflection and evaluation of my creative practice–based research project called Mental Jam. Mental Jam is a series of three game jam workshops that I developed to co-create with young people video games about their lived experiences of depression and/or anxiety using different game design approaches, namely narrative, metaphorical and gameful design.
Mental health is a vital part of our health and wellbeing. Mental health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a state of wellbeing where a person can recognise their abilities, handle normal life stress, work productively and contribute to their community. One of the goals of the WHO’s Mental Health Action Plan is to decrease stigma and discrimination by educating the public through mental health awareness campaigns. One of the ways to promote mental health is through the knowledge translation of lived experiences via different artistic mediums, such as video games. Video games can be a powerful medium for telling people’s stories as they are interactive and immersive. Empathy games can inspire players to gain more insightful understanding of the experiences of others. Accordingly, my practice-based research is motivated by the following question: “How can participants with lived experiences of depression and/or anxiety co-create video games as a form of self-expression?”
I have addressed this question using the participatory action research methodology to engage my participants at different stages of the video game development process, including lived experience interviews, game jam workshops, post-game jam interviews and player group interviews. I conducted three game jam workshop iterations that were refined based on the feedback from the participants and players, and which resulted in the development of the Mental Jam Process Framework. The framework outlines a process for co-creating video games with people in relation to their lived experiences of depression and/or anxiety.
My study is important because it explores depression and anxiety from the perspectives of young people with lived experiences, rather than portraying representations of depression and anxiety as defined by mental health professionals. Use of participatory action research ensured that my participants’ voices were heard and their contributions were valued throughout the study, following the WHO recommendation to engage and empower people with lived experiences by collaborating with them in mental health advocacy projects.
My original contributions to knowledge are the Mental Jam Process Framework as well as three video games: Amour de Soi, Life in Progress and Anyo, which were co-created through the game jam workshops as a form of creative self-expression. Mental Jam provided a venue for people with lived experiences of depression and/or anxiety to share their stories, learn new skills and work together to develop video games. My research is situated in the field of video game design and expands the perspectives on empathy games and video game co-creation
Rapid movement analytics for checkpoint data
No full textExisting mobility research has tended to focus primarily on one important class of movement data: trajectory data, such as GNSS trajectories. In contrast, checkpoint data, such as generated social media ``check-ins' or smart card ``swipes,' represents an ontologically distinct class of movement data. Checkpoint data exhibits fundamentally different spatial and temporal granularity characteristics when compared to trajectory data. Arguably underutilized and less well understood, this thesis investigates systematically the analytics of checkpoint movement data. The research approach develops a single, consistent conceptual model of checkpoint movement data, called the cordon network. The cordon network addresses one of the key challenges of using checkpoint data: the heterogeneity of checkpoint movement data sets. Unlike the trajectory data, which demands a primarily geometric framework, checkpoint data uses primarily graph data structures and algorithms. The cordon network is itself founded on the fundamental distinction between two complementary types of checkpoint movement data: transaction records and presence records. A set of primitive analytic operations are defined to work with both transaction and presence checkpoint data at varying scales. A software analytics toolkit that implements the cordon network model was developed, based on a graph database. To validate the implementation, a number of case studies were developed using real movement data sets. These example data sets exhibited highly heterogeneous characteristics, typical of checkpoint movement data. The results frame the commonalities of all checkpoint movement data, despite its apparent heterogeneity, including: the transaction/presence duality; distinct spatiotemporal granularity; and the intrinsic relationship between checkpoints their underlying movement environment. The cordon network provides a faithful representation of checkpoint movement data that successfully captures those features. The research outcomes provide a foundation and blueprint for future storage, sharing, and spatial analysis systems for checkpoint movement data
Making tools: exploring process in jewellery and objects
No full textThis practice-led research project explores making in a contemporary jewellery context through enquiries into methods of making and by performing acts of making.
The benefits of integrating social science style methods into creative practice research are explored by my collection of primary source material through a series of interviews with makers about their most precious tool in the contemporary jewellery and object field in Melbourne. The knowledge from this study provided the basis to produce the final creative outcomes of my research. The stories revealed by the makers in the study were composed into an archive to make this narrative history more accessible.
The introduction of play into my established, highly structured method of making took the form of rumination procedures, utilising illustrations and a disruptive device which employed chance to insert pre-determined actions into my making process to push the work in unexpected directions. The value of this device was further tested by one hundred makers around Australia, with their experiences recorded through a survey.
The final creative outcomes of this research examine performative acts of making which focus on process over object outcome. These playful exaggerations of making procedures were informed by my research into methods of making and contribute to the inclusion of performative concepts in contemporary jewellery
High frequency surface reflected bulk wave induced mechanotransduction
No full textThe innate ability of cells to detect and respond to mechanical cues in their microenvironment plays a crucial role in the development and fate of the cells. This ability is facilitated by complex internal machinery involving systems to sense the changes in the microenvironment, transmit the signals to other parts of cells and further govern cellular activities. Contrary to simple static mechanostimuli primarily involving constant-force
loadings such as compression, tension and shear (or forces applied at very low oscillatory frequencies (≤ 1 Hz) that essentially render their effects quasi-static), dynamic mechanostimuli comprising more complex vibrational forms (e.g., time-dependent, i.e., periodic, forcing) at higher frequencies are less explored. We used acoustic forcing, typically at ultrasonic frequencies (> 20 kHz), particularly 10 MHz, to stimulate mammalian adherent cells to understand the mechanotransduction involved. We reveal that exposing cells to high frequency mechanotimulation in the form of surface reflected bulk wave (SRBW) of MHz frequency can initiate mechanosensing through the cell membrane. Furthermore, we note that SRBW induces changes in cell membrane activating stretch activated channels (SACs). We also identify how mechanical stimuli are transmitted from the cell membrane to the cytoplasm to initiate various signalling cascades.
Contrary to the impression that higher frequencies should not significantly affect cells, we demonstrate, for the first time, that exposing a variety of cells to nanometer-amplitude vibrations in the form of surface reflected bulk waves at 10 MHz can govern their transcriptomic behaviour in different ways. Moreover, this high MHz-order mechanostimulation can render cellular responses distinctive to mechanostimulations at lower Hz and kHz
frequencies while retaining high cell viability (> 95%) owing to the absence of cavitation- induced heat and stress on the cells.
Three studies were conducted to elucidate the mechanotransduction involved in high frequency mechanostimualtions. The first study on mammalian cells investigates connotations of high frequency mechanostimulation-induced increased intracellular calcium. We show that the high frequency mechanostimulation induces a transient change in intracellular calcium flux through membrane aberrations. Such variances initiate the ESCRT-dependent signalling pathway, which, in turn, leads to an eight- to ten-fold enrichment in the number of exosomes that can be produced in just 280 mins, which is equivalent to a yield of approximately 1.7-2.1 fold/hr. We also note that high frequency mechanostimulation induced responses in the cell depend primarily upon extracellular calcium.
Meanwhile, short exposure of high frequency MHz-order mechanostimulation in the form of nanoscale amplitude vibrations directs mesenchymal stem cells can induce longterm osteogenic commitment with short stimulations. It is noted that these mechanostimulations, depending on the culture conditions, can initiate different signalling cascades through the activation of SACs like piezo channels. It is also observed that these
mechanostimulation preferentially direct stem cells from different tissue sources toward osteogenesis.
Similarly, exposing interendothelial junctions in an endothelial monolayer to high frequency mechanostimulation for a short duration generated multiple cellular arrangements depending on the altered cytoskeletal arrangements and adherens junctions. Upon mechanostimulation, responding to altered intracellular calcium, cells exhibited altered cytoskeletal rearrangement and impaired adherens junctions inducing transient endothelial barrier permeabilisation and upon relaxation, the integrity of the endothelial barrier not only recovered but also enhanced considerably, which is characterised by the formation of circumferential actin bundle and mature adherens junctions. Thus we observe this distinct biphasic response, which maintains the enhanced barrier integrity for more than 4
hours. Such an ability to regulate and enhance endothelial barrier capacity is instrumental in developing in vitro barrier models that closely resemble their in vivo counterparts.
These studies note that high frequency mechanostimulation induced mechanotransduction involves membrane aberrations that activate SACs like piezo channels altering intracellular calcium. The mechanical cues, thus sensed by cells, are transmitted through intracellular calcium, followed by cytoskeletal rearrangement initiating multiple signalling cascades like ESCRT pathway, Rho-ROCK signalling, Epac1-Rap1 pathway inducing
transient and permanent mechanoresponses such as exosome production, stem cell differentiation and endothelial barrier modulation. Finally, we offer perspectives on the possible existence of a universal mechanism common across all forms of acoustically-driven mechanostimuli that underscores the central role of the cell membrane as the key effector, and calcium as the dominant second messenger, in the mechanotransduction process
A recombinase polymerase amplification-lateral flow assay (RPA-LFA) for Escherichia coli O157:H7 in food and beverages – Towards assured point-of-care diagnostics
No full textAccording to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, 600 million people (1 in 10) fall sick every year after eating contaminated food, and over 2 billion people consume faecal-contaminated water. Escherichia coli O157:H7, a serotype of Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli has been listed as one of the most important food and waterborne pathogens which causes both acute and life-threatening chronic diseases such as haemorrhagic diarrhea, haemorrhagic colitis (HC), haemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) and haemolytic anaemia. Early and rapid detection of pathogens represent a key strategy to manage the spread of infection and related outbreaks. Despite showing good sensitivity and specificity, current methods are limited in terms of expense, time, complexity and trained labour requirement, making them unsuitable for on-site diagnosis. Recently, several isothermal DNA amplification techniques, including recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) have been shown to be effective for the detection of various key pathogens; however, there is limited research on the development and assessment of RPA as a point-of-care (POC) detection tool for E. coli O157:H7 from food and beverages. Integrating RPA with a paper-based lateral flow assay (LFA) may overcome the limitation of current molecular assays which cannot be used for POC detection of E. coli O157:H7. The overarching aim of this thesis was to develop and validate an isothermal DNA amplification methodology for the POC detection of E. coli O157:H7 from food and beverages based on the use of RPA integrated with lateral flow technology.
With the aim of developing RPA-LFA for E. coli O157:H7 detection, Chapter 3 involved the use of PrimedRPA software to design primer pairs targeting three different genes (rfbE, fliC, stx2) of E. coli O157:H7 and subsequently assess their in-vitro amplified target DNA. Optimisation of time (5-30 min) and temperature (37-42 OC) for the primers targeting all 3 genes was carried out. Specificity and sensitivity assessment of the RPA-LFA was conducted through evaluation using drinking water, apple juice, and milk. Optimum amplification of E. coli O157:H7 DNA was achieved at 39 OC in 20 min irrespective of gene/primer types. The optimised RPA-LFA detected rfbE and stx2 gene targets with 100 % specificity; only 72.8% specificity was achieved with the fliC gene target when cross-reactivity was checked with other closely related bacteria including E. coli strains. The RPA was 100 times more sensitive than polymerase chain reaction (PCR); greatest sensitivity was observed using the stx2 gene, which could detect 100 ag DNA of E. coli O157:H7, some 10 - 100 times lower than the concentration detected using rfbE and fliC genes. The optimised RPA assay detected between 100 CFU/mL and 102 CFU/mL of E. coli O157:H7 using rfbE and stx2 gene targets. Two target candidates (rfbE and stx) were found more sensitive and specific for E. coli O157:H7 detection.
Chapter 4, continued the work with two selected gene targets stx2 and rfbE and aimed to use the RPA-LFA for the differential detection of dead and live E. coli O157:H7 and its assessment on viable but non-culturable (VBNC) E. coli O157:H7. To achieve this aim, an improved DNA intercalating dye called propidium monazide xx (PMAxx) was used in a range of 0-150 µM. RfbE gene amplification from dead E. coli O157:H7 was completely inhibited at 100 µM PMAxx; in contrast, stx2 gene amplification was only reduced to some extent with RPA-LFA. The sensitivity and selectivity of the PMAxx-RPA-LFA were found to be 102 CFU/mL and 100%, respectively when applied to dead cells, evaluated using viable but non-culturable (VBNC) E. coli O157:H7 cells from fresh milk, apple juice and drinking water. No effects of varying pH were seen on the PMAxx-RPA-LF assay. The results confirmed that the RPA-LFA can differentiate between live/dead E. coli O157:H7 in less than 40 min if integrated with PMAxx and rfbE gene target. In addition, the assay can detect VBNC cells which can significantly overcome the limitation of culture-based and other molecular methods.
Chapter 5 aimed at improving the proposed qualitative RPA-LFA through the development of a quantitative assay. A more diverse range of food and beverage samples were used and RPA-LFA was compared with other DNA amplification-based detection approaches, namely polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time PCR (qPCR), and loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) for a better understanding of efficiencies in Affordability, Sensitivity, Specificity, User-friendliness, Rapid turnaround time, Equipment-involved, and Deliverability (ASSURED). This study also evaluated an in-house prepared, simple and cost-effective nitrocellulose paper-based dipstick technique for DNA extraction from E. coli O157:H7 spiked in different samples, with the aim to assess its efficacy in combination with the RPA assay, thereby overcoming the drawback of commercial DNA extraction kits. Moreover, the specificity of the RPA technology was cross validated in terms of the amplification of the target sequence amplicon. All 4 molecular methods used in this study were found to be 100 % specific using either commercial DNA extraction kit or the in-house extraction dipsticks. Quantitative RPA-LFA was found to be the most sensitive of the 4 molecular methods (p<0.05) irrespective of the DNA extraction methodology. However, RPA-LFA was found the most suitable of the molecular assays for the POC detection of E. coli O157:H7, based on the ASSURED criteria. Amplicon readouts from Sanger sequencing validated the 100% specificity of RPA by showing 100% similarity with the expected in-silico amplicons using rfbE gene of E. coli O157:H7. The combination of nitrocellulose DNA extraction dipsticks with RPA-LFA increased the potential application of the proposed assay for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 contamination in remote settings areas.
Overall, the research demonstrated that RPA-LFA targeting the rfbE gene could be a suitable rapid POC approach for the detection of E. coli O157:H7 contamination from food and beverages with minimal resource requirement in under 30 min on the same day of sampling. This research contributes to the understanding of the RPA technique and its potential application for the on-site detection of pathogens. The research conducted in this thesis produced encouraging results for E. coli O157:H7 contamination to support or categorise RPA-LFA as an ideal diagnostic test that has been coined as ASSURED by the WHO. Future work should include multiplexing of the assay to diagnose more than one foodborne or waterborne pathogen. The sensitivity of RPA technology could be increased with further research
Sensorial Contemporary Arts, Mindfulness and Play for Children's Post-Pandemic Recovery – Qualitative Evaluation of The Children's Sensorium
No full text‘The Children's Sensorium – art, play and mindfulness for post-pandemic recovery’ was an exhibition that brought together sensory-based art installations featuring First Nations Connection to Country with mindfulness and embodiment strategies to enhance well-being for children (ages 4–11). As the COVID-19 pandemic slowly moves from the centre of public attention, we are starting to gauge the impact of the world's longest lockdown in Melbourne, Australia, on children's well-being and resilience. ‘The Children's Sensorium’ exhibition was created with children and their well-being in mind. In this article, we focus on insights from the exhibition evaluation and address the ways artistic and sensory-based mindful engagement can support children's well-being and resilience. Evaluation of The Sensorium exhibition provides a view into the potential of sensory-based artworks to create a stimulating environment, positive emotions, mindful awareness of their senses and the environment and a sense of playful agency for children. The Sensorium provoked a fresh way of thinking about art exhibitions for children: one that centred a child-friendly, strength-based artistic space where children felt agency to be creative and explore the complexity of their emotions, hopes and fears in the wake of the global pandemic.</p
Talking about borderline personality disorder, shaping care: The multiple doings of narratives
No full textThis article focuses on the narratives that circulate about borderline personality disorder (BPD) in health-care settings in Australia and the effects such narratives can have on how people practice and seek out care. People with a BPD diagnosis frequently access health-care services, often encountering stigma and discrimination. Drawing on narrative theory, we critically unpack the circulation and capacities of BPD narratives and the ways they can often contribute to poor and troubling experiences. This article is based on qualitative interviews with people living with a BPD diagnosis, as well as health practitioners who work with people with a BPD diagnosis. Our findings identified insidious and powerful BPD narratives that circulate in health-care settings, particularly in short-term, acute, or non-specialist contexts, such as emergency departments and in-patient units. These narratives influenced the ways that participants both practiced and sought out care. To improve health service quality for people with a BPD diagnosis, or those experiencing mental distress, it is important to challenge the sociocultural–political norms and relations that can influence approaches to care and practice. Disrupting and reframing negative BPD narratives and raising awareness about the impact of stories that are told about BPD have the potential to generate social change.</p
What does leisure have to do with mental health – arts, creative and leisure practices and living with mental distress
No full textThere is a growing interest in the role of leisure, arts and creative activities in cultivating health and wellbeing across different contexts. Leisure sports have historically been considered beneficial for achieving health, and similar focus has recently been placed on arts and creativity. Recent research into the role of arts and creative engagement for wellbeing highlights the benefits of these modes of engagement on emotional wellbeing and social connectedness. In this article, we examine the ways arts, creative and leisure practices and mental health converge, co-exist and collide. We draw on feminist leisure studies scholarship and Sarah Ahmed’s work on emotion to discuss insights from our research into the everyday experiences of people living with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (BPD). We utilise qualitative methods to investigate people’s experiences of meaningful leisure practices and the dynamics between leisure practices and living well with the distress. We explore how leisure activities initiate complex processes of discovery and production of meanings, identity and wellbeing. Our discussion emphasises that leisure practices contribute to producing everyday forms of self-care and provide transformative space for self-discovery yet are simultaneously inseparable from the politics of living with mental distress while navigating accumulated effects of distress.</p
Simultaneous Enhancement of Electrical Conductivity and Porosity of a Metal–Organic Framework Toward Thermoelectric Applications
No full textMetal–organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit large surface areas and low thermal conductivity, making them promising for thermoelectric generation. However, their limited electrical conductivity poses a significant hurdle to be practically useful. Traditionally, enhancing the electrical conductivity of MOFs typically comes at the cost of reducing surface area, thereby increasing thermal conductivity. This study introduces an approach to simultaneously boost the electrical conductivity and porosity of a MOF-based material while maintaining remarkably low thermal conductivity. The electrically conductive poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) is deployed to nucleate the growth of Cu3(BTC)2 (or simply CuBTC, where BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid), resulting in the synthesis of composites labeled CPP-y (where y denotes wt% PEDOT:PSS). Predictably, the CPP-y composites are more electrically conductive than pure CuBTC, achieving an electrical conductivity exceeding 1.40 S cm−1 at room temperature. Furthermore, the CPP-y composites exhibit consistently high Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface areas of ≈1600 m2 g−1, comparable to pristine CuBTC, while maintaining thermal conductivities below 0.04 W m−1 K−1 at room temperature. With a high Seebeck coefficient in the range 180–373 µV K−1, CPP-15 and CPP-23 demonstrate a figure-of-merit (zT) of 0.25 and 0.11, respectively, at 285 K, marking a substantial achievement for MOF-based materials.</p
Investigations on Lead-free Oxide-based Piezoelectric Materials for Sustainable Energy Harvesting and Sensing Technologies
No full textPiezoelectric materials, capable of converting mechanical stress into electric charge, are indispensable in sensors, actuators, and energy harvesters. However, the environmental and health hazards posed by traditional lead-based piezoelectric materials necessitate the development of sustainable alternatives. This thesis explores lead-free piezoelectric materials, focusing on their structural, electromechanical, and energy conversion properties, to address global directives on sustainability and align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The study begins with Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZT) ceramics, where a comprehensive analysis of the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) involving rhombohedral, orthorhombic, and tetragonal phases is conducted. Rietveld refinement, TEM indexing, and SEM-EDS mapping reveal enhanced piezoelectric performance due to phase coexistence. Theoretical insights from density functional theory (DFT) highlight the phase-dependent polarizability and dipole moments, emphasizing BCZT’s potential for energy harvesting. The work extends to ZnTa2O6 (ZTO) ceramics, characterized by its orthorhombic Pbcn symmetry. Advanced spectroscopic and thermal analyses uncover its high thermal stability and piezoelectric efficiency, positioning ZTO as a robust candidate for high-temperature applications. MoO3, a transition metal oxide, is investigated for its unique orthorhombic symmetry, layered structure, and vibrational properties. Measurements of its dielectric constant and piezoelectric coefficient demonstrate remarkable energy conversion properties, validated through a prototype energy harvester. Further exploration into 2D materials such as MoS2 and MoO3 synthesized via chemical vapor deposition (CVD) unveils their out-of-plane vibrational modes and defect-driven piezoelectricity. Piezoresponse force microscopy confirms significant piezoelectric coefficients, indicating potential applications in nanoscale electronics. Finally, flexible piezoelectric nanogenerators are fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrices with BCT, BZT, and CoAl-layered double hydroxides. These nanocomposites exhibit superior thermal stability, hydrophobicity, and energy harvesting efficiency, paving the way for wearable and sustainable energy devices. This thesis presents a holistic investigation of lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, thin films, and nanocomposites, showcasing their potential as environmentally friendly alternatives to lead-based materials. The findings contribute significantly to the field of sustainable piezoelectric technologies, offering innovative solutions for energy harvesting and functional device application.</p