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Innovation in wood products manufacturing in the face of changing resource supply: The case of engineered wood products at a Gippsland timber mill
No full text© 2025 Sebastian John KleinTimber supplies worldwide are affected by numerous conditions that are altering the volume, characteristics and availability of forestry resources. The influence of ecological concerns and social licence issues in Victoria, Australia, have driven significant regulatory changes and increased pressure on resource availability in the State. This research examined the response and approach of one timber processing and manufacturing firm in Gippsland, Victoria, to innovate in the face of these resource pressures. The work built on existing research into innovation in timber processing industries and drew on frameworks of innovation studies, new product development and product optimisation. It utilised qualitative research methods to: analyse the firm’s innovation readiness using a resource-based-view; and then to conduct research to inform new product design linking available resources with lead user views regarding likely product applications, market demand and other factors such as regulatory considerations. The research aimed to develop recommendations relevant to other firms and the broader forest products sector in response to resource-availability constraints in the context of a range of factors leading to supply pressures. It sought to position the research in the context of broader debates around the role of market and business-oriented perspectives in the forest products sector, and the role of business in the context of climate change and broader environmental degradation
Algorithms and Combinatorics of String Net Frequency
No full text© 2025 Zifeng GuoAlso known as: Peaker GuoStringology concerns the algorithmic and combinatorial aspects of string processing, with applications in bioinformatics, information retrieval, and data mining. One avenue of research in stringology involves identifying significant strings within a text. Different definitions of significance lead to different problem formulations. These significant strings could be repeats, tandem repeats, maximal repeats, and others. For many applications, frequency serves as a basis for significance measure, but, on its own, is often insufficient. This thesis focuses on net frequency (NF), a notion originally introduced for natural language processing applications. However, it has lacked efficient algorithms and a thorough understanding of its properties—gaps that our work seeks to address.
The contribution of this thesis is threefold. First, we introduce efficient offline algorithms for computing NF, leveraging suffix arrays, LCP arrays, Burrows-Wheeler transform, and solutions to the Coloured Range Listing problem. Second, motivated by the wide range of applications involving streaming data, we explore NF computation in the online setting. However, the structures used for our offline algorithms cannot be easily applied to the online setting. Instead, we build upon results related to maintaining implicit nodes in an implicit suffix tree. Finally, we identify all the net occurrences in Fibonacci and Thue-Morse words, two mathematical objects at the heart of the field of combinatorics on words. We do so by providing a precise characterization of occurrences of Fibonacci and Thue-Morse words of smaller order, which could also be of independent interest
Immunogenicity, Reactogenicity, and Safety of a Pentavalent Meningococcal ABCWY Vaccine in Adolescents and Young Adults Who Had Previously Received a Meningococcal ACWY Vaccine: A Phase 3, Randomized Controlled Clinical Study
No full textBACKGROUND: A MenABCWY vaccine containing 4CMenB and MenACWY-CRM vaccine components has been developed to protect against the 5 meningococcal serogroups that cause most invasive disease cases. METHODS: In this phase 3 study, healthy participants aged 15-25 years, who had received MenACWY vaccination ≥4 years previously, were randomized (1:1) to receive 2 MenABCWY doses 6 months apart or 1 MenACWY-CRM dose. Primary objectives were to demonstrate the noninferiority of MenABCWY 1 month postvaccination versus MenACWY-CRM, with a lower limit of 2-sided 95% confidence interval above -10% for group differences in 4-fold rise in human serum bactericidal antibody (hSBA) titers against serogroups ACWY, and to evaluate reactogenicity and safety. Secondary endpoints included percentages of participants with hSBA titers greater than or equal to the lower limit of quantitation (≥LLOQ) against serogroups ACWY and vaccine antigen-specific serogroup B (MenB) indicator strains. RESULTS: Noninferiority of MenABCWY versus MenACWY-CRM was demonstrated following each MenABCWY dose. Percentages of participants with hSBA titers ≥LLOQ for serogroups ACWY were 97.9%-98.9% and 99.5%-100% following 1 and 2 MenABCWY doses, respectively, and 96.8%-99.0% following 1 MenACWY-CRM dose. After 2 MenABCWY doses, 75.6%-96.3% of participants had hSBA titers ≥LLOQ against MenB indicator strains. The MenABCWY vaccine was well tolerated in MenACWY-primed individuals, with a favorable safety profile. CONCLUSIONS: Immune responses against serogroups ACWY following 1 and 2 doses of investigational MenABCWY vaccine are noninferior to those following MenACWY-CRM in MenACWY-primed adolescents and young adults. Robust immune responses were observed against MenB indicator strains after 2 MenABCWY doses administered 6 months apart. Clinical Trials Registration. NCT04707391
Neurodiverse students in Post-Secondary music programs: A whole community approach.
No full textA student at the Schulich School of Music recalled the statement above being made to them by a teacher at our institution. Although this situation may not be typical, too often students with different needs and learning styles face challenges at the post-secondary level. Our entire community needs to recognize that these students deserve support and encouragement. This is often difficult as individuals who have been met with a lack of understanding in the past may be reluctant to ask for help. On Wednesday, January 15th, we will be hosting Drs. Anthea Skinner and Leon de Bruin from The University of Melbourne who will speak to us about that institution’s attempt to address these issues. The session will be held from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in C201. Graduate students, academic staff and support staff are warmly invited to attend.
Neurodiverse Students in Post-Secondary Music Programs: A Whole Community Approach
“Students undertaking higher education music degrees represent a rich tapestry of experiences, cultures and needs. However, equity and inclusion issues related to music students with disability in higher education are frequently addressed in generic ways, and without consultation or consideration of their unique requirements” (Thompson, de Bruin, Subiantoro & Skinner, 2024). Drs. de Bruin and Skinner formed part of a team which collected and analyzed reflections culled from a number of students with disability at an Australian Conservatorium of Music. A good proportion of these students represented the neurodiverse community. Study results indicated that there was a great need for institutional reform in dealing with the issues involved as well as for increased professional development for teachers. The researchers recommended a whole community approach and called for music educators, professional staff and institutional leaders to work together to implement truly inclusive best practices
Hip Dysplasia in Charcot–Marie–Tooth Disease: Insights From a Large Cohort of Children and Adolescents
No full textBACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite the known association of hip dysplasia and Charcot Marie Tooth disease (CMT), evidence is limited regarding its exact prevalence. Available studies pre-date genetic confirmation of CMT subtypes and current hip reconstruction surgical options. This study examined the prevalence of hip dysplasia in CMT in a tertiary neuromuscular center. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of children with CMT who had at least one pelvic radiograph between 2000 and 2020. Reimer's migration percentage, acetabular index and lateral center edge angle were used to identify hip dysplasia. RESULTS: A total of 178 children were included with a median age of 6.4 (IQR 3.4-11.3) years at CMT diagnosis. First pelvic radiographs were performed at a median age of 8.0 (IQR 4.6-12.2) years and 64 (35.8%) had hip dysplasia, of which 20 normalized over time. Repeat radiographs were done in 96/178 children (53.9%), and six children with originally normal radiographs developed later radiographic hip dysplasia. At the time of last follow up, 50/178 children (28.1%) had hip dysplasia and 17/178 children (9.6%) required surgical intervention. The frequency of hip dysplasia in specific CMT subtypes was: 28/100 in CMT1A, 5/7 in Dejerine-Sottas disease, 3/10 in CMT2A, and 4/4 in TRPV4-related CMT. INTERPRETATION: The prevalence of hip dysplasia in children with CMT in this cohort was estimated to be between 9.6% and 28.1%. Serial imaging is important to monitor outcomes into adulthood. Specific CMT subtypes were more likely to be associated with hip dysplasia
Challenges with understanding and measuring inclusive teaching practices: Insights for India
No full textDecorin, an exercise-induced secretory protein, is associated with improved prognosis in breast cancer patients but does not mediate anti-tumorigenic tissue crosstalk in mice
No full textPURPOSE: Regular exercise can reduce incidence and progression of breast cancer, but the mechanisms for such effects are not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to examine the mechanisms behind the protective effects of exercise. METHODS: We used a variety of rodent and human experimental model systems to determine whether exercise training can reduce tumor burden in breast cancer and to identify mechanism associated with any exercise training effects on tumor burden. RESULTS: We show that voluntary wheel running slows tumor development in the mammary specific polyomavirus middle T antigen overexpression (MMTV-PyMT) mouse model of breast cancer but only when mice are not housed alone. We identify the proteoglycan decorin as a contraction-induced secretory factor that systemically increases in patients with breast cancer immediately following exercise. Moreover, high expression of decorin in tumors is associated with improved prognosis in patients, while treatment of breast cancer cells in vitro with decorin reduces cell proliferation. Notwithstanding, when we overexpressed decorin in murine muscle or injected recombinant decorin systemically into mouse models of breast cancer, elevated plasma decorin concentrations did not result in higher tumor decorin levels and tumor burden was not improved. CONCLUSION: Exercise training is anti-tumorigenic in a mouse model of luminal breast cancer, but the effect is abrogated by social isolation. The proteoglycan decorin is an exercise-induced secretory protein, and tumor decorin levels are positively associated with improved prognosis in patients. The hypothesis that elevated plasma decorin is a mechanism by which exercise training improves breast cancer progression in humans is not, however, supported by our pre-clinical data since elevated circulating decorin did not increase tumor decorin levels in these models
Unraveling MECP2 structural variants in previously elusive Rett syndrome cases through IGV interpretation
No full textRett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurodevelopmental disorder, with MECP2 mutations accounting for 90–95% of classic and 50–70% of atypical cases. However, many clinically diagnosed RTT patients remain without molecular diagnoses. While point mutations and large rearrangements in MECP2 are well studied, the role of small-intermediate structural variants (SVs) remains mostly elusive. Using standard short-read whole genome sequencing, we identified novel de novo SVs in three out of three previously unresolved RTT cases: a complex SV with two deletions (~ 5Kbp and ~60Kbp) and a ~105Kbp inversion; a ~200Kbp translocation; and a ~3Kbp deletion. These findings suggest that such elusive SVs might be a common cause for “MECP2-negative” RTT. Incorporating SV detection into routine genetic testing through bioinformatic analysis of short-read sequencing or manual review using IGV could improve diagnostic rates and expand our understanding of RTT and similar disorders
Antagonisation of Prokineticin Receptor-2 Attenuates Preeclampsia Symptoms
No full textPreeclampsia (PE) is the most threatening pathology of human pregnancy. Placenta from PE patients releases harmful factors that contribute to the exacerbation of the disease. Among these factors is the prokineticin1 (PROK1) and its receptor, PROKR2 that we identified as a mediators of PE. Here we tested the effects of PKRA, an antagonist of PROKR2, on the attenuation of PE symptoms. We used the genetic PE mouse model, STOX1 that overexpresses Stox1 gene in a heterozygosis manner in the placenta. This model allowed exploiting two genotypes of the offspring, those that overexpress the Stox1 gene, and the WT that grow in a PE environment (STE). We characterised the effect PKRA (1 μM) on the attenuation of PE symptoms and compared its effects on STOX1 and STE placentas. We also used STOX1 overexpressing trophoblast cells to decipher the PROK1-underlying mechanism. We demonstrated that (i) antagonisation of PROKR2 attenuated PE-mediated hypertension and proteinuria, (ii) STE placentas and foetuses exhibited better outcomes in response to PKRA, (iii) the secretome of STOX1-trophoblasts impacted the integrity of the fetal vasculature that was attenuated by PKRA treatment. This study demonstrates the direct involvement of the PROK1 in PE and identifies PKRA as a promising therapy for PE
Position statement on the management of pregnancy in sickle cell disease
No full textSickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary haemoglobinopathy which causes multi-organ dysfunction. Pregnancies in SCD are high risk with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, including vaso-occlusive crises, thrombosis, anaemia, placental insufficiency, fetal growth restriction, preterm birth and medication effects. High level evidence on this topic is lacking. The Australian Sickle Cell Disease Working Group has reviewed international guidelines on this topic and provide an up-to-date and structured approach to the pre-conception, antenatal, birth and post-partum management of these women. Early and comprehensive multidisciplinary care involving experienced clinicians is recommended