Digital Commons Network^™

Comparing Biological Markers Of Alzheimer's Disease Across Blood Fraction And Platforms: Comparing Apples To Oranges, Sid E. O'Bryant, Simone Lista, Robert A. Rissman, Melissa Edwards, Fan Zhang, James Hall, Herik Zetterberg, Simon Lovestone, Veer Bular Gupta, Neill Graff-Radford, Ralph N. Martins, Andreas Jeromin, Stephen Waring, Esther Oh, Mitchel Kling, Laura D. Baker, Harald Hampel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

This study investigated the comparability of potential Alzheimer's disease (AD) biomarkers across blood fractions and assay platforms.

Methods:

Nonfasting serum and plasma samples from 300 participants (150 AD patients and 150 controls) were analyzed. Proteomic markers were obtained via electrochemiluminescence or Luminex technology. Comparisons were conducted via Pearson correlations. The relative importance of proteins within an AD diagnostic profile was examined using random forest importance plots.

Results:

On the Meso Scale Discovery multiplex platform, 10 of the 21 markers shared > 50% of the variance across blood fractions (serum amyloid A R2 = 0.99, interleukin (IL)10 R2 = 0.95, fatty …

Genetic Model, Feifei Zhao, Manshu Song, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

Sea Surface Temperature Variability In The Central-Western Mediterranean Sea During The Last 2700 Years: A Multi-Proxy And Multi-Record Approach, Merce Cisneros, Isabel Cacho, Jaime Frigola, Miquel Canals, Pere Masque, Belen Martrat, Marta Casado, Joan Grimalt, Leopoldo Pena, Giulia Margaritelli, Fabrizio Lirer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study presents the reconstructed evolution of sea surface conditions in the central-western Mediterranean Sea during the late Holocene (2700 years) from a set of multi-proxy records as measured on five short sediment cores from two sites north of Minorca (cores MINMC06 and HER-MC-MR3). Sea surface temperatures (SSTs) from alkenones and Globigerina bulloides Mg / Ca ratios are combined with δ¹⁸O measurements in order to reconstruct changes in the regional evaporation–precipitation (E–P) balance. We also revisit the G. bulloides Mg / Ca–SST calibration and re-adjusted it based on a set of core-top measurements from the western Mediterranean Sea. …

Processing Of Al-12si-Tnm Composites By Selective Laser Melting And Evaluation Of Compressive And Wear Properties, Konda Prashanth, Sergio Scudino, Anil Chaubey, Lukas Löber, Pei Wang, Hooyar Attar, Frank Schimansky, Florian Pyczak, Jürgen Eckert

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Al-12Si (80 vol%)-Ti52.4Al42.2Nb4.4Mo0.9B0.06 (at.%) (TNM) composites were successfully produced by the selective laser melting (SLM). Detailed structural and microstructural analysis shows the formation of the Al6MoTi intermetallic phase due to the reaction of the TNM reinforcement with the Al-12Si matrix during SLM. Compression tests reveal that the composites exhibit significantly improved properties (∼140 and ∼160 MPa higher yield and ultimate compressive strengths, respectively) compared with the Al-12Si matrix. However, the samples break at ∼6% total strain under compression, thus showing a reduced plasticity of the composites. Sliding wear tests were carried out for both the Al-12Si matrix and the Al-12Si-TNM …

Iron Supplementation And Altitude: Decision Making Using A Regression Tree, Laura A. Garvican-Lewis, Andrew D. Govus, Peter Peeling, Chris R. Abbiss, Christopher J. Gore

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

Linking Vital Rates Of Landbirds On A Tropical Island To Rainfall And Vegetation Greenness, James F. Saracco, Paul Radley, Peter Pyle, Erin Rowan, Ron Taylor, Lauren Helton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Remote tropical oceanic islands are of high conservation priority, and they are exemplified by range-restricted species with small global populations. Spatial and temporal patterns in rainfall and plant productivity may be important in driving dynamics of these species. Yet, little is known about environmental influences on population dynamics for most islands and species. Here we leveraged avian capture-recapture, rainfall, and remote-sensed habitat data (enhanced vegetation index [EVI]) to assess relationships between rainfall, vegetation greenness, and demographic rates (productivity, adult apparent survival) of three native bird species on Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands: rufous fantail (Rhipidura rufifrons), bridled white-eye (Zosterops conspicillatus), and …

Individual And Population-Level Responses To Ocean Acidification, Ben P. Harvey, Niall J. Mckeown, Samuel P. Rastrick, Camilla Bertolini, Andy Foggo, Helen Graham, Jason M. Hall-Spencer, Marco Milazzo, Paul W. Shaw, Daniel P. Small, Philippa J. Moore

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Ocean acidification is predicted to have detrimental effects on many marine organisms and ecological processes. Despite growing evidence for direct impacts on specific species, few studies have simultaneously considered the effects of ocean acidification on individuals (e.g. consequences for energy budgets and resource partitioning) and population level demographic processes. Here we show that ocean acidification increases energetic demands on gastropods resulting in altered energy allocation, i.e. reduced shell size but increased body mass. When scaled up to the population level, long-term exposure to ocean acidification altered population demography, with evidence of a reduction in the proportion of females in the …

Stick Or Switch: A Selection Heuristic Predicts When People Take The Perspective Of Others Or Communicate Egocentrically, Shane Rogers, Nicholas Fay

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper examines a cognitive mechanism that drives perspective-taking and egocentrism in interpersonal communication. Using a conceptual referential communication task, in which participants describe a range of abstract geometric shapes, Experiment 1 shows that perspective-taking and egocentric communication are frequent communication strategies. Experiment 2 tests a selection heuristic account of perspective-taking and egocentric communication. It uses participants' shape description ratings to predict their communication strategy. Participants' communication strategy was predicted by how informative they perceived the different shape descriptions to be. When participants' personal shape description was perceived to be more informative than their addressee's shape description, there was a …

Interactively Cutting And Constraining Vertices In Meshes Using Augmented Matrices, Yu-Hong Yeung, Jessica Crouch, Alex Pothen

Computer Science Faculty Publications

We present a finite-element solution method that is well suited for interactive simulations of cutting meshes in the regime of linear elastic models. Our approach features fast updates to the solution of the stiffness system of equations to account for real-time changes in mesh connectivity and boundary conditions. Updates are accomplished by augmenting the stiffness matrix to keep it consistent with changes to the underlying model, without refactoring the matrix at each step of cutting. The initial stiffness matrix and its Cholesky factors are used to implicitly form and solve a Schur complement system using an iterative solver. As changes …

A Preliminary Investigation Into Worry About Mental Health: Development Of The Mental Health Anxiety Inventory, Della Commons, Kenneth M. Greenwood, Rebecca A. Anderson

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Worry about physical health is broadly referred to as health anxiety and can range from mild concern to severe or persistent anxiety such as that found in DSM-IV hypochondriasis. While much is known about anxiety regarding physical health, little is known about anxiety regarding mental health. However, recent conceptualizations of health anxiety propose that individuals can experience severe and problematic worry about mental health in similar ways to how people experience extreme worry about physical health.

Aims:

Given the paucity of research in this area, the aim of the current study was to explore anxiety regarding mental health through …

Profiling Igg N-Glycans As Potential Biomarker Of Chronological And Biological Ages: A Community-Based Study In A Han Chinese Population, Xinwei Yu, Youix Wang, Jasminka Krištić, Jing Dong, Xi Chu, Siqi Ge, Hao Wang, Honghong Fang, Qing Gao, Di Lui, Zhongya Zhao, Hongli Peng, Maja P. Baković, Lijuan Wu, Manshu Song, Igor Rudan, Harry Campbell, Gordan Lauc, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

As an important post-translation modifying process, glycosylation significantly affects the structure and function of immunoglobulin G (IgG) molecules and is essential in many steps of the inflammatory cascade. Studies have demonstrated the potential of using glycosylation features of IgG as a component of predictive biomarkers for chronological age in several European populations, whereas no study has been reported in Chinese. Herein, we report various patterns of changes in IgG glycosylation associated with age by analyzing IgG glycosylation in 701 community-based Han Chinese (244 males, 457 females; 23-68 years old). Eleven IgG glycans, including FA2B, A2G1, FA2[6]G1, FA2[3]G1, FA2[6]BG1, FA2[3]BG1, A2G2, …

Resilience As Resistance To The New Managerialism: Portraits That Reframe Nursing Through Quotes From The Field, Vicki Cope, Bronwyn Jones, Joyce Hendricks

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim:

This paper acknowledges the relationship between resilience and the new managerialism of contemporary nursing.

Methods:

Qualitative portraiture methodology.

Discussion:

The new managerialism in hospital settings results in a rapidly increasing turnover of acutely ill or comorbid patients, which directly relates to retention and quality service. In education settings, the management imperative to recruit more students into the profession combined with financial cutbacks leads to similar tensions. In aged care the trend equates care directly with funding, with the same effect. Yet despite this, many registered nurses remain working. Portraiture explored 'why' nurses remain in workplaces often described as awful. …

Incorporating Field Studies Into Species Distribution And Climate Change Modelling: A Case Study Of The Koomal Trichosurus Vulpecula Hypoleucus (Phalangeridae), Shaun Molloy, Robert Davis, Eddie Van Etten

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Species distribution models (SDMs) are an effective way of predicting the potential distribution of species and their response to environmental change. Most SDMs apply presence data to a relatively generic set of predictive variables such as climate. However, this weakens the modelling process by overlooking the responses to more cryptic predictive variables. In this paper we demonstrate a means by which data gathered from an intensive animal trapping study can be used to enhance SDMs by combining field data with bioclimatic modelling techniques to determine the future potential distribution for the koomal (Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus). The koomal is a geographically …

Proactive Biometric-Enabled Forensic Imprinting, Abdulrahman Alruban, Nathan L. Clarke, Fudong Li, Steven M. Furnell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Threats to enterprises have become widespread in the last decade. A major source of such threats originates from insiders who have legitimate access to the organization's internal systems and databases. Therefore, preventing or responding to such incidents has become a challenging task. Digital forensics has grown into a de-facto standard in the examination of electronic evidence; however, a key barrier is often being able to associate an individual to the stolen data. Stolen credentials and the Trojan defense are two commonly cited arguments used. This paper proposes a model that can more inextricably links the use of information (e.g. images, …

Influence Of Nb On The Β → Α″ Martensitic Phase Transformation And Properties Of The Newly Designed Ti-Fe-Nb Alloys, Shima Ehtemam-Haghighi, Yujing Liu, Guanghui Cao, Lai-Chang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A series of Ti-7Fe-xNb (x = 0, 1, 4, 6, 9, 11 wt.%) alloys was designed and cast to investigate the β → α″ martensitic phase transformation, β phase stability, the resulting microstructure and mechanical properties. Phase analysis revealed that only Ti-7Fe-11Nb alloy shows a single body-centred cubic β phase microstructure while the others are comprised of β and orthorhombic α″ phases. Moreover, Nb addition up to 11 wt.% enhances the stability and volume fraction of β phase in the microstructure, hence reducing the propensity of the alloy system to form α″ phase during quenching. Compressive yield strength and hardness …

Floating Constructed Wetland For The Treatment Of Polluted River Water: A Pilot Scale Study On Seasonal Variation And Shock Load, Tanveer Saeed, Biprojit Paul, Rumana Afrin,, Abdullah Al-Muyeed, Guangzhi Sun

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper reports the performance of a pilot scale floating constructed wetland (FCW), employed for the treatment of polluted water collected from Buriganga river in Bangladesh. The FCW system included a tank for accommodating collected water and a floating mat with media, to support the growth of two macrophyte species Phragmites australis and Canna indica. Mean mass removal rates of 0.66, 0.76, 0.08, 0.51, 2.49g/m2d were achieved for ammoniacal nitrogen (NH4-N), total inorganic nitrogen (TIN), phosphorus (P), biochemical oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), respectively by the FCW. Nitrogen removal was via nitrification-denitrification processes, whereas filtration-sedimentation appeared to influence …

Nursing Education In China: Meeting The Global Demand For Quality Healthcare, Carol Wang, Lisa Whitehead, Sara J. Bayes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

With a predicted global nursing shortage, ensuring the provision of quality healthcare has become a pressing concern. In China, these concerns include the need to produce nurses trained to a level to support advancing nursing practice and a healthcare system that supports the growth and retention of nurses in China. This paper argues that the standard of nursing education in China plays a crucial role in preparing graduates to meet the health demands of China's growing population and the role that China can play into the future in the global progression of nursing. Collaboration between nursing authorities, educators, and legislators …

A Practical Anodic And Cathodic Curve Intersection Model To Understand Multiple Corrosion Potentials Of Fe-Based Glassy Alloys In Oh-Contained Solutions, Yingjie Li, Yonggang Wang, Bang An, Hui Xu, Yihua Liu, Laichang Zhang, Houyi Ma, Weimin Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A practical anodic and cathodic curve intersection model, which consisted of an apparent anodic curve and an imaginary cathodic line, was proposed to explain multiple corrosion potentials occurred in potentiodynamic polarization curves of Fe-based glassy alloys in alkaline solution. The apparent anodic curve was selected from the measured anodic curves. The imaginary cathodic line was obtained by linearly fitting the differences of anodic curves and can be moved evenly or rotated to predict the number and value of corrosion potentials. © 2016 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution …

Regular Fat And Reduced Fat Dairy Products Show Similar Associations With Markers Of Adolescent Cardiometabolic Health, Theresa A. O'Sullivan, Alexandra P. Bremmer, Trevor A. Mori, Lawrence J. Beilin, Charlotte Wilson, Katherine Hafekost, Gina L. Ambrosini, Rae Chi Huang, Wendy H. Oddy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Reduced fat dairy products are generally recommended for adults and children over the age of two years. However, emerging evidence suggests that dairy fat may not have detrimental health effects. We aimed to investigate prospective associations between consumption of regular versus reduced fat dairy products and cardiometabolic risk factors from early to late adolescence. In the West Australian Raine Study, dairy intake was assessed using semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires in 860 adolescents at 14 and 17-year follow-ups; 582 of these also had blood biochemistry at both points. Using generalized estimating equations, we examined associations with cardiometabolic risk factors. Models incorporated …

Spatiotemporal Pattern Analysis Of Scarlet Fever Incidence In Beijing, China, 2005–2014, Gehendra Mahara, Chao Wang, Da Huo, Qin Xu, Fangfang Huang, Lixin Tao, Jin Guo, Kai Cao, Liu Long, Jagadish K. Chhetri, Qi Gao, Wei Wang, Quanyi Wang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

To probe the spatiotemporal patterns of the incidence of scarlet fever in Beijing, China, from 2005 to 2014.

Methods:

A spatiotemporal analysis was conducted at the district/county level in the Beijing region based on the reported cases of scarlet fever during the study period. Moran’s autocorrelation coefficient was used to examine the spatial autocorrelation of scarlet fever, whereas the Getis-Ord Gi* statistic was used to determine the hotspot incidence of scarlet fever. Likewise, the space-time scan statistic was used to detect the space-time clusters, including the relative risk of scarlet fever incidence across all settings.

Results:

A total of …

Key Biogeochemical Factors Affecting Soil Carbon Storage In Posidonia Meadows, Oscar Serrano, Aurora M. Ricart, Paul S. Lavery, Miguel-Angel Mateo, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Pere Masque, Andy Steven, Carlos M. Duarte

Research Datasets

The database compiles published data (in Serrano et al. 2015, Biogeosciences, doi:10.5194/bgd-12-18913-2015) on biogeochemical characteristics (age, density, organic carbon, inorganic carbon, stable carbon isotopes and sediment grain size) of sediments underneath seagrass meadows (Posidonia sinuosa) along a bathymetric gradient (from 2 to 8 m) and adjacent un-vegetated patches in Garden Island (Perth, Western Australia). The dataset compiles data on biogeochemical sediment characteristics (including organic and inorganic carbon stocks and burial rates) for a total of 5 cores (4 cores from seagrass meadows and 1 core from adjacent un-vegetated sediments).

Can Mud (Silt And Clay) Concentration Be Used To Predict Soil Organic Carbon Content Within Seagrass Ecosystems?, Oscar Serrano, Paul Lavery, Carlos M. Duarte, Gary A. Kendrick, Antoni Calafat, Paul York, Andy Steven, Peter Macreadie

Research Datasets

The database compiles published data (in Serrano et al. 2016, Biogeosciences, doi:10.5194/bg-2015-598) on biogeochemical characteristics (%organic carbon, stable carbon isotopes and mud content) of sediments underneath seagrass meadows and bare sediments in Australia and Spain. Details on habitat characteristics (latitude/longitude, water depth, seagrass species and geomorphology) and sediment depth are also provided for each location studied. The data set includes 1345 data entries from 100 sediment cores, encompassing 10 seagrass species in estuarine and coastal habitats.

Impact Of Mooring Activities On Carbon Stocks In Seagrass Meadows, Oscar Serrano, Radhiyah Ruhon, Paul S. Lavery, Gary A. Kendrick, Sharyn Hickey, Pere Masque, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Andy Steven, Carlos M. Duarte

Research Datasets

The database compiles published data (in Serrano et al. 2016, Scientific Reports, in press) on biogeochemical characteristics (density, organic carbon, calcium carbonate, stable carbon isotopes and sediment grain size) of sediments underneath seagrass meadows and adjacent un-vegetated patches after mooring disturbances in Rottnest Island (Perth, Western Australia). The dataset compiles data on biogeochemical sediment characteristics for a total of 16 cores, 50 cm-long (4 cores from seagrass meadows and 4 cores from adjacent bare sediments at Thompson Bay, and 4 cores from seagrass meadows and 4 cores from adjacent bare sediments at Stark Bay).

Seagrass Sediments Reveal The Long-Term Deterioration Of An Estuarine Ecosystem, Oscar Serrano, Paul S. Lavery, Pere Masque, Karina Inostroza, James Bongiovanni, Carlos Duarte

Research Datasets

The database compiles published data (in Serrano et al. 2016, Global Change Biology, doi:10.1111/gcb.13195) on temporal trends in biogeochemical variables in the Posidonia australis sediment core from Oyster Harbour, Western Australia. The core studied encompasses the last 500 years of history. Data on dry bulk density, carbonate content, sedimentso.

Variability In The Carbon Storage Of Seagrass Habitats And Its Implications For Global Estimates Of Blue Carbon Ecosystem Service, Paul Lavery, Miguel-Angel Mateo, Oscar Serrano, Mohammad Rozaimi

Research Datasets

The dataset compiles published data (in Lavery et al. 2013, PLoS ONE 8(9): e73748. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0073748) on biogeochemical variables (organic matter, organic carbon and CO3 contents, and stable carbon isotope signatures of the organic carbon) in sediment core from seagrass meadows in Australia. The cores studied were up to 29 cm long, and ecompass tropical, subtropical and temperate seagrass meadows in intertidal and subtidal habitats.

Community Building, Multiculturalism And The Suburban Public Library: Community, Cohesion And Sustainability. Qualitative Data From Interviews On Western Australian Migrants' Information Needs & Quantitative Web Survey Data On Service Provision At Australian Public Libraries, 2011-2012, Rajeswari Chelliah

Research Datasets

This dataset consists of 3 files:

File 1: Qualitative data enclosed in Microsoft Excel file. Data collection includes one to one interviews with Western Australian migrants.

Content analysis: interview utterances were analysed for content, classified into categories, and coded and entered in Microsoft Excel file columns.

File 2: Qualitative data enclosed in Microsoft Word file. Data collection includes one to one interviews with Western Australian migrants.

Content analysis: interview utterances were analysed for content, classified into categories, and coded and entered in Microsoft Word file columns.

File 3: Quantitative data enclosed in Qualtrics software which includes public librarians’ responses to …

Collage De Mousse De Polyuréthane : Meuble, Denis Bégin, Michel Gérin, Maximilien Debia

Fiches

No abstract provided.

Nettoyage D’Asphalte : Asphaltage De Rue, Denis Bégin, Michel Gérin, Maximilien Debia

Fiches

No abstract provided.

Heat-Mediated Reduction Of Apoptosis In Uvb-Damaged Keratinocytes In Vitro And In Human Skin Ex Vivo, Leslie Calapre, Elin S. Gray, Sandrine Kurdykowski, Anthony David, Prue Hart, Pascal Descargues, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

UV radiation induces significant DNA damage in keratinocytes and is a known risk factor for skin carcinogenesis. However, it has been reported previously that repeated and simultaneous exposure to UV and heat stress increases the rate of cutaneous tumour formation in mice. Since constant exposure to high temperatures and UV are often experienced in the environment, the effects of exposure to UV and heat needs to be clearly addressed in human epidermal cells.

Methods:

In this study, we determined the effects of repeated UVB exposure 1kJ/m2 followed by heat (39°C) to human keratinocytes. Normal human ex vivo skin models …

Women Business Owners’ Start-Up Motivations And Network Content, Jalleh Sharafizad, Alan Coetzer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how women small business owners’ (SBOs) business start-up motivations influence their network content.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 women SBOs who were recruited through purposeful sampling methods. Interview data on their start-up motivations were used to categorise them into three types: classic, forced and work-family. The interviews explored the network contents of the three categories of participants.

Findings

There were many similarities between network contents of classic and forced SBOs, as both groups had started their business for financial reasons rather than family reasons. All the participants’ networks contained …