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Life cycle embodied greenhouse gas emissions of new residential buildings in Uganda: A case study
No full textInvestigating Unconscious Verbal Mimicry as a Measure of Empathy in Design
No full textAbstract
Developing empathy toward a user is a vital part of user-centered design. Several approaches developed in psychology, sociology, and neuroscience have been adopted in measuring empathy in design. However, these approaches have limitations, such as subjective bias, time consumption, the need for specialized equipment, and expensive laboratories. To address these shortcomings, there is a need for a quick, easy-to-implement, and automatic measure of empathy in design. We explore empathy measurement using transcripts from a user interview. More specifically, we explored whether language style matching (LSM), a measure of unconscious verbal mimicry, can be an indicator of empathic mental processes. We further investigated its relationship with the designer's empathic understanding of the user and the expressed emotion similarity between the designer and the user. The results show that verbal mimicry exists between the designer and the user. However, this mimicry, as detected with LSM, was not correlated with empathic understanding. Instead, we found that LSM has a significant correlation with the similarity between the designer's and the user's expressed emotions during the interview. Verbal mimicry using LSM shows the potential to measure the designer's empathic understanding of the user, which is both cognitive and affective. Further research should explore other measures of empathic understanding
Polydopamine as a hydrogen radical scavenger to prevent embrittlement of steel
No full textHydrogen embrittlement is a phenomenon in which hydrogen radicals penetrate steel structures, leading to weakened integrity and susceptibility to cracking and fracture. In this work, we explore the use of internal coatings that can scavenge these hydrogen radicals before they enter the steel. Polydopamine (PDA) films and particles were fabricated by dopamine self-polymerisation and exposed to gas phase hydrogen radicals generated by a microwave-assisted plasma chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) system. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis revealed significant alterations in the composition and concentration of functional groups on the PDA surface after exposure to these hydrogen radicals. The results indicate that the reaction between PDA and hydrogen radicals primarily occurs within the catechol and quinone groups of the PDA structure with a noticeable decrease in the oxygen atom percentage and a change in relative proportions of the quinone and catechol groups. Molecular dynamic (MD) simulations corroborated the experimental outcomes, confirming that the hydrogen radicals indeed react with the quinone and catechol moieties present in PDA. This study underscores the potential to scavenge hydrogen radicals and prevent their penetration into steel piping through the use of a PDA coating, thereby mitigating the risk of hydrogen embrittlement
Game-Theoretic Analysis of Adversarial Decision Making in a Complex Socio-Physical System
No full textThe growing integration of technology within human processes has significantly increased the difficulty in optimising organisational decision-making, due to the highly coupled and non-linear nature of these systems. This is particularly true in the presence of dynamics for resource competition models between adversarial teams. While game theory provides a conceptual lens for studying such processes, it often struggles with the scale associated with real-world systems. This paper contributes to resolving this limitation through a parallelised variant of the efficient-but-exact nash dominant game pruning framework, which we employ to study the optimal behaviour under adversarial team dynamics parameterised by the so-called networked Boyd–Kuramoto–Lanchester resource competition model. In doing so, we demonstrate a structural bias in competitive systems towards concentrating organisational resources away from regions of competition to ensure resilience
APE1/Ref-1 inhibition via APX3330 lowers monocyte/macrophage infiltration without ameliorating the structure and function of dystrophic mdx hindlimb muscles
No full textChronic inflammation and oxidative stress exacerbate muscle wasting and weakness in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1/redox factor-1 (APE1/Ref-1) regulates transcription factors involved in inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways. APE1/Ref-1 is an emerging therapeutic target in inflammatory conditions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of APX3330, a small molecule inhibitor of APE1's Ref-1 on mdx mouse pathology, a model of DMD. Six-week-old mdx mice and wild type (WT) C57Bl/10 mice were treated with APX3330 (25 mg·kg-1) or vehicle for 6 weeks. Ex vivo contractile function, histological and biochemical analysis were performed in extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and soleus muscles. APE1/Ref-1 protein was greater in mdx hindlimb muscles compared to WT (p < 0.0001) and APE1/Ref-1 protein abundance was not altered by treatment with APX3330. In dystrophic EDL muscles, APX3330 treated mice had fewer (47%) infiltrating CD68-positive monocytes/macrophages (p < 0.05) compared to vehicle-treated mdx mice. Markers of oxidative stress, NRF2/KEAP-1, were unchanged, yet phospho-NF-κB abundance was higher with treatment (p < 0.01). APX3330 treatment neither improve force output and fatiguability of isolated hindlimb muscles, nor affect muscle pathology. As APE1/Ref-1 inhibition modestly lowered inflammation, with no improved contractile function, targeting solely inflammation and oxidative stress in 6-week-old mdx mice appears insufficient
Migrant Mums and Maternity Care: A Qualitative Participatory Health Research Study
No full textOBJECTIVE: To explore the expectations and experiences of migrant women, including international students, in using maternity care services and describe factors affecting their access and use of these services. DESIGN: This is a qualitative participatory research study. METHODS: Data were collected through 12 photo-elicitation workshops and 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews. We conducted inductive reflexive thematic analysis in a collaborative process with participants, community partners and academic researchers. SETTING: Melbourne, Australia. SAMPLE: Twenty-one migrant women who had been pregnant or given birth since 2021 and were either international students, and/or born in Vietnam or Indonesia. RESULTS: Key challenges migrant women faced accessing and navigating Australian maternity care included costly services, inadequate language services, limited continuity of care and limited health information sharing from health workers. Lack of culturally and linguistically appropriate care hindered women's ability to transition from passive to active participants in decision-making. When provided, social and community support, along with respectful care from health workers, improved access and experiences. Practical enablers included accessible transportation, health insurance information sessions, waivers for insurance waiting periods for maternity coverage and language-concordant care. CONCLUSION: Migrant women showed pragmatism when navigating maternity care challenges but faced structural barriers that limited their decision-making and access to healthcare. Strengthening shared decision-making and woman-centred care is essential for addressing health system inequities
A whole blood assay for antibody dependent phagocytosis of Plasmodium falciparum infected erythrocytes
No full textBackground: Antibodies are used to protect against Plasmodium falciparum malaria. One antibody target, the variant surface antigens, is expressed on infected erythrocytes (IEs). Antibodies to these antigens can either block IE sequestration in the tissues, facilitate natural killer cell-mediated killing, or opsonise IEs for phagocytic clearance by neutrophils and monocytes. Methods: We developed a high-throughput assay to measure antibody-dependent neutrophil phagocytosis (ADNP) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP, by blood monocytes) in the same sample of fresh whole blood. Results: Here we show that immune plasma mediates ADNP and ADCP in a concentration-dependent manner. Uptake is greater in the presence of complement proteins and is largely dependent on the expression of P. falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1 located on the IE surface. Plasma from pregnant Papua New Guinean women with and without placental malaria shows that ADNP and ADCP are associated with protection from placental malaria. ADNP, but not ADCP, using IEs expressing IT4VAR19 (a PfEMP1 variant that binds to endothelial protein C receptor through a DC8 domain cassette) is higher at hospital presentation in children with uncomplicated malaria than in severe malaria. In pregnant women, ADNP and ADCP in whole blood are strongly correlated with one another (Spearman’s rho = 0.90), but not with ADNP or ADCP using purified neutrophils and monocytes in the absence of complement proteins. Conclusions: The whole blood assay is a powerful new tool to assess functional antibodies that may protect against P. falciparum malaria. It allows simultaneous measurement of phagocytosis of opsonised IEs by monocytes and neutrophils.10.1038/s43856-025-00989-
Interrupting prolonged sitting reduces postprandial GIP but not GLP-1 responses in type 2 diabetes
No full textTest and tune: evaluating, adjusting and optimising the stiffness of hydrogels to influence cell fate
No full textThe use of bioequivalent hydrogels in tissue engineering (TE) is enabling 3D tissue-like scaffolds capable of reproducing the sophistication of natural cell–matrix interactions. Alongside the common concerns of chemical function, it is crucial that hydrogels have suitable mechanical properties, particularly stiffness, to create a complete biomimetic environment for cell development. Non-covalent biocompatible hydrogels are often too soft, while stiffer, covalently crosslinked materials may have challenging microenvironments in which porosity and residual chemicals can be problematic. If the potential of hydrogel-based TE to be realised, design strategies need to be carefully considered to achieve desirable end-use biomechanical properties. This review is intended for a cross-disciplinary readership; we discuss recent successes in bioengineering hydrogel stiffness, where materials that are responsive to cell inputs are used to explore the relationship between substrate stiffness and cellular fate commitment. We discuss the most popular measurements for mechanical studies, and outline optimal substrate stiffness for different cells. We summarise recent advanced studies on tuning stiffness and highlight future challenges challenges to address
Efficacy and tolerability of the combination of minocycline and metronidazole for macrolide-resistant Mycoplasma genitalium
No full textBACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Curing Mycoplasma genitalium is challenging in the context of rising antimicrobial resistance and limited therapeutic options. There is an urgent need for globally relevant and effective treatment options using readily available and affordable agents. From September 2021 to August 2024 at Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, we prospectively evaluated microbial cure and tolerability of oral minocycline 100 mg combined with metronidazole 400 mg (twice daily for 14 days) for individuals with macrolide-resistant M. genitalium in whom fluroquinolones had failed or were not advised. METHODS: Microbial cure was defined as a negative test of cure (TOC) using transcription-mediated amplification 14-90 days after completing the regimen. The proportion cured and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Data on side effects and adherence were collected at TOC visits. RESULTS: Microbial cure in patients receiving the combination regimen was 80.8% (95% CI: 71.9-87.8%). Cure in those who had received preceding doxycycline was 90.3% (n = 28/31, 95% CI: 74.2-98.0%) compared to 76.7% (n = 56/73, 95% CI: 65.4-85.8%) in those who had not, P = 0.172. Central nervous system and gastrointestinal side effects were commonly reported. CONCLUSIONS: Minocycline with metronidazole cured 80% of macrolide-resistant infections in this cohort. Cure may be enhanced by the use of doxycycline before the combination regimen but larger studies are needed. Given limited options for treating resistant M. genitalium infections, the combined minocycline and metronidazole regimen may represent a promising option where no alternative drugs are available, or quinolones are contraindicated. Clinicians should be aware of and discuss side effects with patients