Swinburne University Research Articles

Optimising technology to measure functional vision, mobility and service outcomes for people with low vision or blindness: protocol for a prospective cohort study in Australia and Malaysia

IntroductionOrientation and mobility (O&M) specialists assess the functional vision and O&M skills of people with mobility problems, usually relating to low vision or blindness. There are numerous O&M assessment checklists...

A preliminary report on new Ediacaran fossils from Iran

Vickers-Rich, P., Soleimani, S., Farjandi, F., Zand, M., Linnemann, U., Hofmann, M., Wilson, S., Cas, R. & Rich, T.H. November, 2017. A preliminary report on new Ediacaran fossils from Iran. Alcheringa 42, 231–244. ISSN 0311-5518.Recent exploratory field mapping of marine sedimentary sequences in the Koushk Mine locality of the Bafq region in Central Iran, and on the northern slopes of the Elborz Mountains south of the Caspian Sea, has yielded large complex body and trace fossils of Neoproterozoic–early Cambrian age. The recovered specimens resemble the previously documented Precambrian discoidal form Persimedusites, and a the tubular morphotype Corumbella, which is a novel occurrence for Iran and otherwise only recorded before from Brazil and the western USA. Additional enigmatic traces can not yet be interpreted unequivocally, but suggest that future work may uncover more unusual Ediacaran fossils from various localities in Central Iran.Patricia Vickers-Rich* [prich@swin.edu.au, pat.rich@monash.edu], Faculty of Science, Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne (Hawthorn), Victoria 3122, Australia; Sara Soleimani [sara_soleimani@yahoo.com], Palaeontology Department, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Farnoosh Farjandi [farnooshfarjandi@gmail.com], Department of Geochemical Exploration, Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Mehdi Zand [zand.mehdi.geo@gmail.com], Geology Department, Bafq Mining Company, Koushk Mine, Yazd, Iran. Ulf Linnemann [ulf.linnemann@senckenberg.de], and Mandy Hofmann [mandy.hofmann@senckenberg.de], Senckenberg Naturhistorische Sammlungen, Dresden, Museum für Mineralogie und Geologie, Sektion Geochronologie, Koenigsbruecker Landstrasse 159, D-01109, Dresden, Germany; Sasha Wilson [sasha.wilson@monash.edu], School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; Raymond Cas [ray.cas@monash.edu], School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; Thomas H. Rich† [trich@museum.vic.gov.au], Museum Victoria, Exhibition Gardens, PO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria, 3001 Australia. *Also affiliated with: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; School of Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne (Burwood), Victoria, Australia 3125; Palaeontology Department, Museum Victoria, Carlton Gardens, PO Box 666, Melbourne, Victoria 3001, Australia. †Also affiliated with: School of Earth, Atmosphere and Environment, Monash University, Melbourne (Clayton), Victoria 3800, Australia; Faculty of Science, Swinburne University of Science and Technology, Melbourne (Hawthorn), Victoria 3122, Australia.

The association between adherence to a Mediterranean style diet and cognition in older people: The impact of medication

Recent reviews indicate that adherence to a Mediterranean diet may be associated with better cognitive functioning. In assessing these relationships in older individuals, previous studies have not taken into account medication usage that may support or compromise cognitive functioning. To investigate the association between adherence to a Mediterranean style diet, cognition and medication usage in cognitively healthy older individuals. Data were assessed from individuals aged 60-90 years (mean=77.8 years, SD=6.7) from 15 independent living aged care villages around Melbourne, Australia. Participants' diets were assessed using a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Cognition was assessed using reaction times from the Swinburne University Computerised Cognitive Assessment Battery (SUCCAB). Prescribed medications were recorded and analysed using binary measures. Cluster analyses were used to group participants in terms of cognitive measures and medications taken. Analyses controlled for age, gender, average daily kilojoule (kJ) intake and medication cluster. The relationship between cognitive speed clusters and medication clusters was significant (Chi-squared=10.63, df=3, p=0.014). The odds ratio of 1.533 for average daily food intake suggested that for each additional kilojoule of average daily intake, the odds of belonging to the slower reaction time cluster increased by 53% and odds ratio of 0.573 for Mediterranean diet score suggested that for every additional unit, the odds of belonging to the slower reaction time cluster declined by 43%. The relationship between Mediterranean diet score and cognition was only significant when medication use was taken into account. These data demonstrate that when medications are considered, a higher Mediterranean diet score is associated with a faster response on cognitive function tests. The present findings also indicate that it is pertinent to take into account medication use when investigating relationships between dietary status and cognitive performance.

2017 2nd International Conference on Advanced Materials Research and Manufacturing Technologies (AMRMT 2017)

PrefaceAMRMT 2017 was held in Phuket, Thailand during August 2-5, 2017. AMRMT 2017 was organized by Hong Kong Society of Mechanical Engineers (HKSME), supported by Swinburne University of Technology and other organizations. The conference provides a useful and wide platform both for display the latest research and for exchange of research results and thoughts in broad Advanced Materials Research and Manufacturing Technologies. The participants of the conference were from almost every part of the world, with background of either academia or industry, even well-known enterprise. The success and prosperity of the conference is reflected high level of the papers received.The proceedings are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. This book covers 4 chapters: Metals and processing Technology; Nanomaterials; Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Proeprties, Wearing and Tribology.We would like to acknowledge all of those who supported AMRMT 2017. Each individual and institutional help were very important for the success of this conference. Especially we would like to thank the organizing committee for their valuable advices in the organization and helpful peer review of the papers.We sincerely hope that AMRMT 2017 will be a forum for excellent discussions that will put forward new ideas and promote collaborative researches. We are sure that the proceedings will serve as an important research source of references and the knowledge, which will lead to not only scientific and engineering progress but also other new products and processes.Prof. Alan Kin Tak Lau, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

Psychological distress and quality of life: rationale and protocol of a prospective cohort study in a rural district in Bangaladesh

IntroductionA significant proportion of the global burden of disease has been attributed to mental and behavioural disorders. People with mental disorders (MDs) have lower levels of health-related quality of life...

The evolution of an e-book demand-driven acquisition programme at Swinburne University of Technology

In 2006 Swinburne University of Technology became the first library in the world to launch a large-scale implementation of a demand-driven acquisition (DDA) programme for e-books. At that time, the 34,000 e-books made available through the EBL DDA programme accounted for almost all the e-books available from the Library. In the intervening years the demand-driven collection has grown to almost 300,000 e-books but these now form only a component of a much larger collection of 765,000 e-books in total, acquired through a range of acquisition models. When changes in publisher charging models caused a large increase in short-term loan-based DDA expenditure from late 2014, the library took action during 2015 to put the DDA programme on a sustainable footing. Further changes were introduced in 2016 when Swinburne became one of the launch customers for a new DDA model developed for ProQuest’s Ebook Central platform called Access-to-Own (ATO). This paper describes the evolution of DDA at Swinburne and the early experiences of using the new ATO model.

Emotional intelligence and risky driving behaviour in adults

BackgroundRisky driving is considered a key predictive factor in road traffic accidents resulting in morbidity and mortality. Intra-individual emotional and personality factors have been shown to influence risk-taking behaviours among drivers. Despite this, there is limited research investigating the individual dimensions of these constructs and their relationship to risky driving behaviour (RDB). The current study therefore aimed to assess whether the individual dimensions of Emotional Intelligence (EI) were implicated in RDB. MethodsThe sample comprised 179 adults (55% male) aged between 18 and 64years (M=29.85, SD=11.46) and who currently held a valid driver’s licence completed an online survey. Emotional Intelligence was assessed via self-report using the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test (SUEIT), and RDB was measured using both the Brief Distracted Driving Scale (BDDS) and the Dula Dangerous Driving Index (DDDI). ResultsRegression analyses revealed that ‘Risky Driving’ was related to greater levels of Emotional Recognition and Expression and lesser Age [F(6, 172)=2.27, p<0.05: R2=7.3%], and the Negative Emotions sub-scale of DDDI, was significantly predicted by Emotional Control and Age [F(6, 172)=6.41, p<0.05: R2=18.3%]. A mediation model incorporating Age, Emotional Control scores and the Negative Emotions driving behaviour score indicated that a significant indirect effect of Age through Emotional Control (K2=0.08, 95% CI [−0.02, −0.03]). (H [3]=10.98, p=0.012). ConclusionsLower scores on specific indices of EI are associated with increased rates of RDB, suggesting that poor emotional control may impede an individuals’ ability to make safe behavioural decisions when driving. The effect sizes for these models were small, however, and further research is needed to explore the contributory components in this association. Greater awareness of the role of emotional regulation and driving behaviours may be useful in preventing RDB in adults.

Proyek Sepaham: An Experiment in Cross-cultural and Collaborative Journalism Education

Proyek Sepaham, or Project Understanding, brought together staff and students at the journalism schools at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, and Universitas Multimedia Nusantara in Tangerang, Indonesia, for an exercise in cross-cultural journalism education in which each university separately wrote feature stories and produced multimedia reports in response to questions provided by the other university’s students. The questions reflected topics about which the students felt they lacked understanding about the other country. Once the questions were exchanged, the students produced journalism for readers at the other country’s university, seeking to generate greater understanding of the topics concerned. The results were then published on two inter-connected websites under the banner Proyek Sepaham. This paper explores the nature of the collaboration and discusses the key lessons learnt about the design and scope of the project and its practical day-to-day operation. It also considers how the model might be improved for future collaborative exercises.

Travelling design: Learning from Hanoi’s craft streets through design-centred Vietnam study tours

Abstract This article looks at the experiences of design students who took part in study tours of Vietnam offered as summer courses by the School of Design at Swinburne University of Technology in 2014, 2015 and 2016. It discusses the role that travel played in their design projects and their design education in general. The author suggests that looking at aspects of Vietnamese everyday life, including its built environment and local crafts, creates greater awareness and a better understanding of the social and cultural aspects of the design process. As outsiders based in Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, over the course of the study tour the students achieved what Edward Relph (1976) called ‘empathetic insiderness’ – i.e. a willingness to be open to the significance of a place and to feel and appreciate this significance – as a result of exploring and engaging with the city’s architecture and everyday life.

Lessons and Perspectives from a 25-Year Bioelectromagnetics Research Program.

The question of whether electromagnetic fields from electric power or telecommunications systems can be linked unequivocally to health detriments has occupied scientific research endeavors for nearly half a century. For 25 years, the bioelectromagnetic research group at Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia, has pursued a series of investigations with relevant endpoints, such as neurophysiological and neuropsychological effects, cell calcium level changes, proliferation, and genotoxic effects. Most have shown no significant changes due to fields, however, in some pilot studies significant changes were revealed, but in most cases these were not replicated in follow-up studies. This highlights a feature of this research area, generally; the unambiguous identification of small changes in noisy data where the understanding of possible interaction mechanisms is lacking. On the other hand, mathematical modelling studies, particularly with respect to fields near metallic implants, in workers exposed to fields in harsh environmental conditions and at very high frequencies (THz), continue to add to the expanding knowledge database on the characteristics of the complex electromagnetic environment we live in today.

Functional Cortical networks associated with personality, emotional intelligence and decision making

Background: Many studies have investigated the neural correlates associated with personality by using a variety of neuroimaging techniques and psychometrics (Kennis et al., 2013). Previous electroencephalogram (EEG) studies have examined the relationship between emotional traits (Stenberg 1995) and personality traits (Takahashi et al 2005). In this EEG based pilot study, a multidisciplinary strategy of combining brain imaging techniques (LORETA) and EEG coherence analysis with psychological constructs was applied to explore the relationships between personality traits. In particular, the relationship between emotional intelligence with participants’ reactions and decision making to rich complex stimuli such as advertising videos was examined. Methods: A preliminary study group of 45 participants, (Mean age 30.8 years SD 11.9 years, Education = 14.8 years SD 1.5 years ) had their EEG recorded with a Quikcap electrode system while watching a series of videos which were selected based on various marketing categories such as, food & drink, community interests, celebrities and social issues. Using the Swinburne University Emotional Intelligence Test or SUEIT (Stough, Palmer 2001), individuals were categorized into two groupings; those who scored high and low in emotional intelligence (EI). EEG was analyzed offline to remove muscle and ocular artifact. Results: Selected epochs of EEG were then analyzed to produce LORETA and EEG coherence data during decision making. Preliminary findings suggest that participants with high or low emotional intelligence (EI) were receptive to certain types of social issues or visual imagery. This was validated by the associated brain functional connectivity networks for each group. Also, correlations with other personality scales (NEO-PI Costa & McCrae 1992) demonstrated personality types react differently to imagery, content and humor. Discussion/Conclusion: Both LORETA and EEG coherence data demonstrated distinct functional connectivity associated with each group and may help to explain their associated perceptions and behaviors. More specifically, the high EI group demonstrated clear preferences in specific video material when contrasted with the low EI group. The NEO-PI has been used in previous psychophysiology studies of emotional arousability but not with complex social stimuli. The use of a multidisciplinary approach can assist in the identification of the neural networks associated with personality and provide insights into individual differences in perception.

Celebrating the First Impact Factor of Advanced Science

The popularity of Advanced Science has been increasing steadily in the 1.5 years since its launch. We have published many excellent articles and have seen readership broaden consistently each month. The number of full text downloads of published articles has increased rapidly over the course of the last 18 months and citations of published articles are also on the rise. Advanced Science was accepted for coverage in Web of Science at the beginning of 2016 and, based on the first issue published in December 2014, we just received our first impact factor of 6.0. This early success has been made possible in part by the enthusiastic support of our editorial advisory board and many top authors. I recently met one of our authors, Cyrille Boyer, whose work is featured on the front cover of this issue at a conference and he stated: “I believe Advanced Science is an excellent multidisciplinary journal. I read it every week and I always find new and exciting research. I especially like that it covers research in different fields: materials science, energy, drug delivery, chemistry, and more, written by high profile authors and I'm sure the journal will have a very high first impact factor. I absolutely believe this journal has a great future.” In this issue, we are happy to present a collection of review articles that cover topics of highest interest ranging from drug delivery systems to perovskite solar cells and engineering cooling roofs. Like all articles published in Advanced Science, these not to be missed articles are available as open access and can be read without a subscription. The outstanding contributions featured here cover a wide range of topics. David Cahen (Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel) and Liming Ding (National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, China) review advances in perovskite solar cells. The understanding of surface adhesion in nature is in the focus of a review article by Shutao Wang (Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China). Yuanhua Sang and Hong Liu (Shandong University, Jinan, China) summarize the current state of 1D ferroelectric nanostructures and their prospects for future applications. A more application-oriented topic is presented by Ming Gu (Swinburne University of Technology Hawthorn, Australia) who looks into the topic of radiative cooling. Tierui Zhang (Northwest University, Xi'an, China) presents a comprehensive and timely review on Zn2+-containing catalysts for efficient energy conversion. Jie-Peng Zhang (Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China) summarizes recent progresses in the use of photoluminescent metal-organic frameworks for gas sensing. Light-activated drug delivery systems using lanthanide-doped up-conversion nanoparticles are presented to our readers by Cyrille Boyer and May Lim (University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia). In a much more physics-oriented review Tie-Jun Zhu (Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China) and Jian He (Clemson University, USA) report on defect engineering in thermoelectric materials. The article by Jian-Xin Tang (Soochow University, Suzhou, China) comprehensively reviews the most recent progress of the light manipulation in organic photovoltaics. Last but not least, Wei Feng (Tianjin University, China) reviews the synthesis, structures, and applications of two-dimensional fluorinated graphene. We would like to thank all invited authors for their inspiring manuscripts, their trust in the journal and their contribution to the future success of Advanced Science. I hope that you will enjoy this collection of articles. If you are interested in contributing an open access article of your own that anyone can freely access do not hesitate to contact us. We are happy to discuss any potential topic with you. On behalf of the editorial team,

Precipitation downscaling using the artificial neural network BatNN and development of future rainfall intensity-duration-frequency curves

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 68:73-89 (2016) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01383 Precipitation downscaling using the artificial neural network BatNN and development of future rainfall intensity-duration-frequency curves Sze Miang Kueh*, King Kuok Kuok Faculty of Engineering, Computing and Science, Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus, Jalan Simpang Tiga, 93350 Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia *Corresponding author: skueh@swinburne.edu.my ABSTRACT: This paper proposes an artificial neural network (ANN) approach to forecasting future precipitation through spatial downscaling and constructing new intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) curves that take climate change into consideration using a temporal downscaling method. For spatial downscaling, the bat neural network (BatNN) was developed and benchmarked with the traditional scaled conjugate gradient neural network (SCGNN). Both downscaling models were trained with observed precipitation series from Kuching and selected predictors from 1961 to 1990 (base period). Evaluations from goodness-of-fit metrics and QQ-plots from 1991 to 2010 showed that BatNN outperformed its benchmark in terms of predicting accuracy. However, both models showed an underestimation of extreme precipitation events. Subsequently, future precipitation forecasts made by BatNN were used as the basis for the construction of new IDF curves. A scaling-GEV (general extreme value) approach was used to temporally downscale the predicted daily annual maximum precipitation quantile into sub-daily quantiles. The feasibility of the approach was validated with observed precipitation and the Gumbel distribution method. Predicted future IDF curves for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s showed an increase in precipitation extremes of 19% relative to the base period. KEY WORDS: Artificial neural network · Statistical downscaling · Precipitation forecast · Intensity-duration-frequency curve · IDF curve Full text in pdf format PreviousCite this article as: Kueh SM, Kuok KK (2016) Precipitation downscaling using the artificial neural network BatNN and development of future rainfall intensity-duration-frequency curves. Clim Res 68:73-89. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr01383 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 68, No. 1. Online publication date: April 14, 2016 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2016 Inter-Research.

Effects of steel fibres on dynamic strength of UHPC

In modern civil engineering, steel fibres are widely used as reinforcement in the design of high performance concrete material. The addition of steel fibres in the concrete matrix can greatly improve the material ductility and durability as well as the impact and abrasion resistance. The performance of steel fibre reinforced concrete changes with varying concretes, fibre geometries, distribution, orientation and densities. In the recent study, an innovative ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) material with nano-material addition is developed. In the mix design of this UHPC material, steel fibre is taken as an important composite. Great improvement of static compressive strength and split tensile strength had been obtained. In the current research, Split-Hopkinson-Pressure-Bar (SHPB) tests are conducted on this UHPC material to investigate its dynamic properties. Different types of steel fibres including two kinds of micro fibres and two kinds of twisted fibres are mixed in the UHPC. In total, 80 UHPC samples were tested in Swinburne University of Technology in 2011 and 190 specimens were tested in the Central South University of China in 2013. The influence of steel fibre addition on the dynamic strength of UHPC is experimentally investigated. It is found that steel fibre additions have prominent influence on the concrete dynamic strength, however, Dynamic Increase Factors (DIF) of steel fibre reinforced UHPC are constantly lower than that of conventional concrete material.

Volunteers Befriending Older Adults in Aged Care Residencies: Three Case Studies

ObjectiveThe benefits of befriending programs for aged care residents are well documented. However, there is a paucity of research on the befriender's experience. The aim of this paper is to provide insight into the experiences of befriending from the perspective of befrienders in aged care residencies. It is intended to provide a snapshot into the complexities inherent in the befriending role, in order to prepare potential befrienders with a realistic expectation of this role, and to generate the type of training that is needed to assist befrienders to address such challenges.MethodThree postgraduate psychology students participated in Swinburne University's Wellbeing Clinic for Older Adults' Befriending Program. After a year of befriending, exploratory case studies were produced from the befrienders' first‐hand experience.ResultsEach case study is composed of three subheadings: role description, challenges, and role uncertainty. Befriending predominately consisted of companionship and conversation, and befrienders were exposed to confronting discussions, memory decline, and an uncertainty surrounding their role.ConclusionsGreater insight has been provided to future befrienders into what befriending entails, as well as some of the challenges and benefits of the role. This may minimise their apprehension towards befriending. Befriending has the potential to benefit both the befriender and the older adult and could be a viable and sustainable solution to combating loneliness in aged care residencies. Formal training programs that provide counselling skills and guidelines on the specifics of what the role entails may facilitate future befriending and should be investigated in future research.

Fast Radio Transient searches with UTMOST at 843 MHz

We report the first radio interferometric search at 843 MHz for fast transients, particularly Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs). The recently recommissioned Swinburne University of Technology's digital backend for the Molonglo Observatory Synthesis Telescope array (the UTMOST) with its large collecting area (18,000 $\mathrm{m^2}$) and wide instantaneous field of view (7.80 $\mathrm{deg^2}$) is expected to be an efficient tool to detect FRBs. As an interferometer it will be capable of discerning whether the FRBs are truly a celestial population. We show that UTMOST at full design sensitivity can detect an event approximately every few days. We report on 2 preliminary FRB surveys at about 7% and 14% respectively of the array's final sensitivity. Several pulsars have been detected via single pulses and no FRBs were discovered with pulse widths ($W$), in the range 655.36 $\mu$s $< W < 41.9$ ms and dispersion measures (DMs) in the range $100 < $DM$< 2000$ $\mathrm{pc\,cm^{-3}}$. This non-detection sets a 2$\sigma$ upper limit of the sky rate of not more than 1000 events $\mathrm{sky^{-1}}$ $\mathrm{day^{-1}}$ at 843 MHz down to a flux limit of 11 Jy for 1 ms FRBs. We show that this limit is consistent with previous survey limits at 1.4 GHz and 145 MHz and set a lower limit on the mean spectral index of FRBs of $\alpha > -3.2$.

Predicting co-morbid traumatic brain injury and psychosis from neuropsychological profile

a Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre (BPsyC), Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia b Monash-Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre (MAPrc), Melbourne, Victoria, Australia c RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria, Australia d University of Melbourne Department of Psychiatry, Albert Road Clinic, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia e Monash-Epworth Rehabilitation Research Centre, Epworth Hospital, Richmond, Victoria, Australia

Changing the treatment paradigm: Ex vivo assessment of gemcitabine-eluting degradable polymeric fibres for the treatment of pancreatic cancer

Event Abstract Back to Event Changing the treatment paradigm: Ex vivo assessment of gemcitabine-eluting degradable polymeric fibres for the treatment of pancreatic cancer Simon Moulton1, 2, Amanda Zuzic1, Samantha Wade3, Javad Foroughi1, Morteza Aghmesheh4 and Kara Vine3 1 University of Wollongong, ARC Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Sciences, Australia 2 Swinburne University of Technology, Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology, Australia 3 University of Wollongong, Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Australia 4 Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Area Health District, Illawarra Cancer Care Centre, Australia Pancreatic cancer (PC) has a dismal prognosis with a 5-year overall survival of only 1-4%. At first diagnosis, only 20% of PC patients present with primarily resectable (surgically removable) disease, and locally advanced, non-metastatic PC is observed in up to 30-40% of patients. Median overall survival (OS) of primarily resectable patients is 20–24 months, while survival is only 9–13 months in locally advanced PC. Studies suggest that up to 15% of PC patients die with locally advanced PC due to the non-resectable nature of the disease[1]. It is therefore clear that surgical resection is an absolute requirement for achieving long-term survival and/or cure of PC[2]. We hypothesise that the surgical implantation of a degradable drug-eluting polymeric structure, capable of locally administering the anticancer drug gemcitabine (current standard of care for PC) will achieve tumour control and convert non-resectable PC cases to resectable cases to improve overall survival. Therefore the aim of this study was to fabricate and characterise the physicochemical and in vitro biological properties of gemcitabine-loaded wet-spun polymeric fibres for the future development of an implantable drug delivery system capable of improving PC patient survival. Gemcitabine loaded polymeric fibres had a uniform surface area, were internally homogeneous and ranged from 50-120μm in diameter as determined by SEM. Mechanical testing revealed an increase in the young’s modulus when the concentration of gemcitabine was increased, indicating a slight loss in elasticity. Encapsulation efficiency of gemcitabine ranged from 60-90% depending on the type and percent composition of polymer used. The release profiles of gemcitabine loaded fibres displayed burst release, typical for these hydrogel fibres. Approximately 85% of the loaded drug was released in the first 8 hours followed by a sustained, slow release of drug over the next 72 hours. A time dependent inhibition of PANC-1 spheroid growth and decrease in cell viability was observed after incubation with gemcitabine loaded fibres but not control fibres. There was no significant difference in the inhibition of PANC-1 spheroid growth after incubation with 10 μM free gemcitabine or 10 μM equivalent Gemcitabine-loaded fibres indicating bioequivalence. Australian Institute of Innovative Materials; University of Wollongong Science, Medicine and Health Faculty; University of Wollongong Vice Chancellor’s Fellowship; Australian Research Council

Colloidal crystal based plasma polymer patterning to control Pseudomonas aeruginosa attachment to surfaces

Event Abstract Back to Event Colloidal crystal based plasma polymer patterning to control Pseudomonas aeruginosa attachment to surfaces Hitesh Pingle1, Peng-Yuan Wang1, 2, Helmut Thissen2, Sally Mcarthur1 and Peter Kingshott1 1 Swinburne University Of Technology,Hawthorn, Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Australia 2 CSIRO Manufacturing Flagship, Bay view Avenue, Clayton,, Australia Introduction: Infections from biofilm formation on medical devices is a global problem with risks to human health and huge costs to health care worldwide[1],[2]. Bacteria have unique capabilities to generate resistance against antimicrobial agents. Recent studies have shown that extra-cellular DNA is a key molecule that helps biofilms form[3],[4], but the precise mechanisms of how bacteria and DNA interact at surfaces remains unknown. It has been shown that micro- and nanotopography and chemistry on surfaces can influence initial biomolecule adsorption, and subsequent bacterial adhesion[5]-[7]. However, there are fewer reports using such approaches for selectively grafting of DNA to understand the mechanisms of initial bacterial attachment responsible for biofilm formation. Material and Methods: Colloidal self-assembly was used to pattern surfaces with colloidal crystals to use as masks against allylamine plasma polymer (AAMpp) and acrylic acid plasma (AACpp) deposition to generate highly ordered patterns from the micro- to the nanoscale. PEG-aldehyde was grafted to the plasma regions via ‘cloud point’ grafting to prevent the attachment of bacteria on the plasma patterned surface regions, thereby controlling the adhesive sites by choice of the colloidal crystal morphology. Salmon sperm DNA was physically or covalently attached on both patterned and flat surfaces. P. aeruginosa was chosen to study the bacterial interactions with these chemically patterned surfaces. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and Epi-fluorescence microscopy were used for pattern characterization, surface chemical analysis, and imaging of attached bacteria. Results: The AAMpp, AACpp, PEG and eDNA patterns were developed using the colloidal lithography approach. XPS results confirm the successful grafting of PEG and eDNA on the plasma coated surfaces. The AAMpp surface showed increased bacterial attachment compared to control while PEG and eDNA coated surface showed reductions in bacterial attachment as highlighted in Figures 1 and 2. FIG. 1. Epifluorescence images of DAPI stained P. aeruginosa attachment to (a) a 5 µm AAMpp pattern (b) a 5 µm AAMpp-DNA pattern (c) a 5 µm AAMpp_PEG pattern (d) a 5 µm AAMpp-PEG_DNA pattern. All scale bars: 50µm. FIG. 2. SEM images of P. aeruginosa attachment onto (a) a 5 µm AAMpp pattern (b) a 5 µm AAMpp-DNA pattern (c) a 5 µm AAMpp-PEG pattern (d) a 5 µm AAMpp-PEG-DNA pattern All scale bars: 10µm. Discussion: The bacterial attachment increase on the AAMpp surface is most likely due to the amine groups displaying a positive charge that attract the negatively charged extra-cellular polysaccharides on the bacterial cell surfaces. AACpp and DNA both contain negatively charged groups thus repulsion of bacteria is the most likely cause for the reduced bacterial attachment. Micron sized plasma patterns were able to trap bacteria due to the different chemistries presented. Different sized plasma patterns were generated through the use of different sized colloidal particles used as masks for plasma deposition. Conclusion: Surface charge plays an essential role in initial attachment of bacteria. Different chemical patterns made from colloidal crystal masking are easy to fabricate and could be useful in further applications in biomaterials research. The results showed that PEG and DNA patterns can be easily fabricated with exquisite control of pattern size and spacing and this is a useful tool to help understand how bacterial attach to surfaces. The Australian Research Council is acknowledged for funding a PhD scholarship for Hitesh Pingle through the Discovery.; The Scientific Industrial Endowment Fund (SIEF) is acknowledged for providing a John Stocker Postdoctoral Research Fellowship for Peng Yuan Wang.; This work was supported in part at both the Bio-interface Engineering Hub at Swinburne and the Melbourne Centre for Nanofabrication as part of the Victorian Node of the Australian National Fabrication Facility, a company established under the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy to provide nano and micro-fabrication facilities for Australia’s researchers.

Scientists and Social Media

Personally I enjoy social media. I love Facebook because I can see the brides and grooms and babies of friends. I can connect with people who were a large part of my life when I was a child and young adult. It is gratifying to see what friends from the past are doing now and to virtually meet their families. I can continually see pictures of my relatives in Italy and see how their children are growing. I enjoy all of these connections that would not be a part of my life without social media.Twitter, however, is just not for me. So you won't be getting any Tweets from me, and I won't be searching for the hash tag symbol (which I still think of as the pound sign-#showingmyage).Professionally, I use LinkedIn. I see the advantages of LinkedIn. I understand that there are professional groups that I would like to be able to access, network with, and query. I am also happy to support LinkedIn groups for my academic community.As a scientist, however, I am still deciding which websites I wish to use and how I wish to use them. Like many of you, I receive lots of e-mail from ResearchGate, which has been criticized for this practice (Swinburne University of Technology, 2015) as some of their emails are made to appear as if they are sent by individuals rather than autogenerated. ResearchGate appears to be used by younger scientists at this point rather than more established scientists (Knapp, 2012). Like all social media, it can take a lot of time to use optimally. However, ResearchGate helps me to see what my co-authors are publishing these days and how my articles are being used. Unfortunately, the question of copyright is still being evaluated with ResearchGate. I am continually being asked to upload copies of my articles to this site, but given that most publishers hold the copyright to published work (unless it is in openaccess journals), I have resisted this practice. The question of what is legal and fair in terms of uploading published work is still being established.Then there is Altrimetrics. As an editor of a journal that is published by Wiley-Blackwell, I know that each article published in the Journal of Nursing Scholarship has an Altimetrics score that an author (or follower of this kind of research) can click on and view (Stone, 2014). The Altimetrics score follows where an article is picked up by social media; it lets you see how your research is being disseminated in social media around the world; it helps you to identify new researchers interested in your work and to engage in new conversations globally. We all care about the influence of our research. It is very useful to be able to see the kind of blogs, Facebook pages, or tweets generated by your article and to follow discussions of your work.Wiley-Blackwell also provides authors free use of Kudos. Kudos helps to organize information about your research in one place. …