Digital Commons Network^™

Spatial And Environmental Drivers Of Temperate Estuarine Archaeal Communities, Emily Cocksedge, Michael Stat, Alessandra L. Suzzi, Troy F. Gaston, Megan J. Huggett

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Archaea play a crucial role in the global biogeochemical cycling of elements and nutrients, helping to maintain the functional stability of estuarine systems. This study characterised the abundance and diversity of archaeal communities and identified the environmental conditions shaping these microbial communities within six temperate estuaries along approximately 500 km of the New South Wales coastline, Australia. Estuarine sediments were found to exhibit significantly higher species richness than planktonic communities, with representative sequences from the Crenarchaeota phylum characterising each environment. Ordinate analyses revealed catchment characteristics as the strongest drivers of community variability. Our results also provide evidence supporting distance-decay patterns …

Production Of Lioh·H2o From Lithium Chloride By Electrodialysis And Crystallisation, Kwang Loon Ang, Maryam Barmi, Yasaman Boroumand, Amir Razmjou, Aleksandar N. Nikoloski

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Laboratory bench scale experiments were performed to develop a process for electrodialysis (ED) of LiCl liquor from spodumene leaching and purification to produce LiOH solution, for subsequent conversion by evaporative crystallisation to LiOH·H2O crystals as the end-product. Nafion® 117 cation-selective membranes were used in all experiments. The small electrolytic test cell achieved an average LiOH production rate of 7.5 g/h with 83 % coulombic efficiency and specific electrical consumption of 6.5 kWh/kg LiOH. In the large electrolytic test cell, a higher average LiOH production rate of 11.2 g/h was attained but at lower coulombic efficiency (62 %) and greater specific …

Adherence To A Healthful Plant-Based Diet And Risk Of Mortality Among Individuals With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study, Alysha S. Thompson, Martina Gaggl, Nicola P. Bondonno, Amy Jennings, Joshua K. O'Neill, Claire Hill, Nena Karavasiloglou, Sabine Rohrmann, Aedín Cassidy, Tilman Kühn

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Plant-rich dietary patterns may protect against negative health outcomes among individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD), although aspects of plant-based diet quality have not been studied. This study aimed to examine associations between healthful and unhealthful plant-based dietary patterns with risk of all-cause mortality among CKD patients for the first time.

Methods: This prospective analysis included 4807 UK Biobank participants with CKD at baseline. We examined associations of adherence to both the healthful plant-based diet index (hPDI) and unhealthful plant-based diet index (uPDI), calculated from repeated 24-h dietary assessments, with risk of all-cause mortality using multivariable Cox proportional hazard …

Fostering Physical Activity Motivation At Substance Use Disorder Treatment Facilities: A Qualitative Study Grounded In Self-Determination Theory, Sascha Thal, Chloe Graham, Nikos Ntoumanis, Bronwyn Myers, Stephen Bright, Jocelyn Jones, Eleanor Quested

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and aims: Studies have found inconclusive results for the effects of physical activity (PA) interventions on substance use, mental health, and physiological health of people experiencing substance use disorders (SUDs). To improve PA interventions for individuals with SUDs, a deeper understanding of the underlying motivational processes is imperative. This study employs self-determination theory as a framework to explore factors impacting PA motivation in SUD treatment contexts. Methods: A qualitative research design utilising semi-structured interviews explored the experiences and perspectives of five people with lived or living experience of SUD treatment and five stakeholders within SUD treatment facilities across Western …

Macronutrients In Human Milk And Early Childhood Growth—Is Protein The Main Driver?, Jie Ma, Debra J. Palmer, Ching Tat Lai, Susan L. Prescott, Nina D’Vaz, Philip Vlaskovsky, Lisa F. Stinson, Zoya Gridneva, Donna T. Geddes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Infant growth trajectories reflect current health status and may predict future obesity and metabolic diseases. Human milk is tailored to support optimal infant growth. However, nutrient intake rather than milk composition more accurately predicts growth outcomes. Although the role of protein leverage in infant growth is unclear, protein intake is important for early infancy growth.

Materials and methods: This study of exclusively breastfeeding mothers with allergies (n = 161) from the Infant Fish Oil Supplementation Study assessed relationships between intake of human milk macronutrients and infant growth. Human milk fat, protein and lactose concentrations were measured at 3 months …

Redefining Boundaries In Innovation And Knowledge Domains: Investigating The Impact Of Generative Artificial Intelligence On Copyright And Intellectual Property Rights, Adil S. Al-Busaidi, Raghu Raman, Laurie Hughes, Mousa Ahmed Albashrawi, Tegwen Malik, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Thuraiya Al- Alawi, Mohammed Alrizeiqi, Gareth Davies, Mark Fenwick, Parul Gupta, Shashikala Gurpur, Apeksha Hooda, Paulius Jurcys, Daryl Lim, Nicola Lucchi, Tanvi Misra, Ramakrishnan Raman, Anuragini Shirish, Paul Walton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The rapid integration of generative AI (GenAI) into industries and society has prompted a re-evaluation of copyright and intellectual property rights (IPR) frameworks. GenAI's ability to produce original content using data from human-created sources raises critical ethical and legal concerns. Current copyright and IPR frameworks, designed around human authorship, are insufficient to address these challenges. This study, using a multi-perspective approach, explores GenAI's disruptive potential in replicating or transforming copyrighted materials, challenging established IPR norms. Findings highlight gaps in legislation and the opacity of GenAI platforms. To address these issues, this study presents a Dynamic Ethical Framework linked to a …

Butte Priority Soils Operable Unit (Bpsou) Final Quarterly Operations And Maintenance Report Butte Treatment Lagoon System – Fourth Quarter 2022., Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Peripartum Prediction Of Fetal Weight In Gravidas With Obesity, Katherine H Bligard, Jeannie C Kelly, Antonina I Frolova, Anthony O Odibo, Nandini Raghuraman

2020-Current year OA Pubs

OBJECTIVES: Estimated fetal weight (EFW) is an important metric at delivery as neonates with abnormal birthweight and their mothers are at higher risk of birth complications. Data regarding optimal EFW assessment in gravidas with obesity is inconsistent, and with the increasing incidence of obesity, clarification of this question is crucial. We aimed to compare accuracy of ultrasound (US)-derived EFW and clinical assessments of EFW in predicting neonatal birthweight among gravidas with obesity.

METHODS: This prospective cohort study enrolled gravidas with obesity and a singleton pregnancy admitted for delivery at term. EFW was determined using either US biometry or clinical assessment …

Persistent Inward Currents In Tibialis Anterior Motoneurons Can Be Reliably Estimated Within The Same Session, Thomas Lapole, Ricardo N.O. Mesquita, Stéphane Baudry, Robin Souron, Eleanor K. O'Brien, Callum G. Brownstein, Vianney Rozand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The response of spinal motoneurons to synaptic input greatly depends on the activation of persistent inward currents (PICs), the contribution of which can be estimated through the paired motor unit technique. Yet, the intra-session test–retest reliability of this measurement remains to be fully established. Twenty males performed isometric triangular dorsiflexion contractions to 20 and 50 % of maximal torque at baseline and after a 15-min resting period. High-density electromyographic signals (HD-EMG) of the tibialis anterior were recorded with a 64-electrode matrix. HD-EMG signals were decomposed, and motor units tracked across time points to estimate the contribution of PICs to motoneuron …

An Overview Of Additively Manufactured Metal Matrix Composites: Preparation, Performance, And Challenge, Liang Yu Chen, Peng Qin, Lina Zhang, Lai Chang Zhang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Highlight Recent progresses in additive manufacturing on metal matrix composites are reviewed. Additive manufacturing technologies for metal matrix composites are summarized. The characteristics of feedstocks and reinforcements are introduced. Mechanical property of additively manufactured metal matrix composites is reviewed. Challenges of additively manufactured metal matrix composites are discussed.

Circulating Blood Plasma Profiling Reveals Proteomic Signature And A Causal Role For Svep1 In Sudden Cardiac Death, Thuyvy Duong, Thomas R Austin, Jennifer A Brody, Ali Shojaie, Alexis Battle, Joel S Bader, Yun Soo Hong, Christie M Ballantyne, Josef Coresh, Robert E Gerszten, Russell P Tracy, Bruce M Psaty, Nona Sotoodehnia, Dan E Arking

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Taxing The Ten Percent, Alex Raskolnikov

Faculty Scholarship

The United States government is rapidly approaching the point when it will have no choice but to raise taxes. But whose taxes should go up, and why? The argument for higher taxes on the top one percent is well known. The case for higher taxes on the next nine percent is not. This Article makes that case.

Americans with incomes in the top ten percent but not the top one percent are not rich, but they are not middle class either—they are affluent. These affluent Americans have seen mostly tax cuts over the past three decades. Yet today, as progressive …

Correspondence Re Essam El-Sayed Felaya Et Al, Kiyeun Nam, Dongho Lee, Seokjoon Hwang, Minsu Seo, Taeheon Lee, Yonghoon Lee, Michael Y Lee

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

No abstract provided.

Publisher Correction: Detection Of Mosaic And Population-Level Structural Variants With Sniffles2, Moritz Smolka, Luis F Paulin, Christopher M Grochowski, Dominic W Horner, Medhat Mahmoud, Sairam Behera, Ester Kalef-Ezra, Mira Gandhi, Karl Hong, Davut Pehlivan, Sonja W Scholz, Claudia M B Carvalho, Christos Proukakis, Fritz J Sedlazeck

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

This corrects the article "Detection of mosaic and population-level structural variants with Sniffles2" on page 1571.

Spatial Characterisation And Drivers Of Catch And Effort In Highly Specialised Recreational Pelagic Fisheries, Shannon J. Burchert, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Karina L. Ryan, Ute Mueller, Glenn A. Hyndes

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Large pelagic finfish are highly mobile, distributed across broad geographical scales, and often targeted by both commercial and recreational sectors. Fishing effort in these fisheries is variable due to seasonal patterns in fish behaviour and accessibility of fishing locations. Similarly, fisher behaviour and access are likely to differ within the recreational sector, between private boat-based fishing and charter (or for hire) fishing. Here, we compare spatio-temporal patterns in catch per unit effort (CPUE), effort (boat days) and catch (total catch per fishing party) for private boat-based and charter fishing, and identify environmental variables that may influence those patterns, for two …

Stability Of Two-Class Armour Berm Breakwaters: An Experimental Study, Mohammed Al-Ogaili, Amir Etemad-Shahidi, Nick Cartwright, Sigurdur Sigurdarson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The recession of a berm breakwater is a key parameter in ensuring its stability, and functionality, to protect coastal areas against wave impacts. Consequently, consideration of the expected recession in structural design is required to ensure the required objectives of the structure. In this study, physical model laboratory experiments were conducted to measure the recession of two-class armour berm breakwaters in response to varying sea state conditions (wave height, wave period, storm duration, and water depth at the structure's toe) and geometrical parameters (berm elevation from still water level, berm width, and rock size). A total of 110 tests were …

Commercial Friendships In Pubs: Defining The Quality, Levels, And Process, Sake Jan Velthuis, Ondrej Mitas, Erwin Losekoot, Marcel Bastiaansen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This research explores commercial friendship within Dutch pubs, focusing on the transition from transactional to personal interactions between bartenders and guests. The study uses semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis to reveal that commercial friendship shares many similarities with non-commercial friendship but differs in important aspects. We found six levels of commercial friendship that range from minimal interactions, categorized as 'guest,' to deep, personal connections identified as 'best friend.' We identified three dimensions of commercial friendship quality: activities, self-disclosure, and social support. A critical finding is the 'tipping point'—a stage in the relationship development where interactions shift from professional to personal, …

Lessons Learned On The Feasibility Of Coastal Wetland Restoration For Blue Carbon And Co-Benefits In Australia, Valerie Hagger, Phoebe Stewart-Sinclair, Renee Anne Rossini, Maria Fernanda Adame, William Glamore, Paul Lavery, Nathan J. Waltham, Catherine E. Lovelock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Diverse types of saline coastal wetlands contribute significantly to global biodiversity, carbon stocks, and ecosystem functions. Opportunities to incentivise coastal wetland restoration from carbon markets is growing across the world. However, little is known of the economic feasibility of blue carbon restoration across different regions, or the quantities of ecological and social co-benefits that accompany restoration. We explored the opportunities for tidal restoration of coastal wetlands for blue carbon projects in three regions across Australia. We identified biophysically suitable potential restoration sites for mangroves, saltmarshes and supratidal forests, estimated their carbon abatement over 25 years, and undertook a cost-benefit analysis …

Reimagining A Nursing Ecosystem In An Uncertain World, Pawel Krol, Rochelle Einboden, Horas Wong, Lynore Geia, Agness Tembo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The discussion paper synthesises the insights shared during a keynote panel at the 26th International Philosophy of Nursing Conference, themed “Reimagining a nursing ecosystem in an uncertain world.” It delves into the substantial impact uncertainty has on nursing, offering innovative strategies for reconceptualization. Through a critical examination of evidence-based practice, the tendency to homogenise nursing is discussed, prompting advocacy for a Nietzschean political framework as a form of resistance and emancipation. Drawing inspiration from Donna Haraway, a transition from individualistic to relational approaches is needed, especially amidst social and economic instability. Furthermore, the integration of caritas and Indigenous epistemologies underscore …

Burden Of Disease Attributable To High Body Mass Index: An Analysis Of Data From The Global Burden Of Disease Study 2021, Xiao Dong Zhou, Qin Fen Chen, Wah Yang, Mauricio Zuluaga, Giovanni Targher, Christopher D. Byrne, Luca Valenti, Fei Luo, Christos S. Katsouras, Omar Thaher, Anoop Misra, Karim Ataya, Rodolfo J. Oviedo, Alice Pik-Shan Kong, Khalid Alswat, Amedeo Lonardo, Yu Jun Wong, Adam Abu-Abeid, Hazem Al Momani, Arshad Ali, Gabriel Alejandro Molina, Olivia Szepietowski, Nozim Adxamovich Jumaev, Mehmet Celal Kızılkaya, Octavio Viveiros, Carlos Jesus Toro-Huamanchumo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Obesity represents a major global health challenge with important clinical implications. Despite its recognized importance, the global disease burden attributable to high body mass index (BMI) remains less well understood. Methods: We systematically analyzed global deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high BMI using the methodology and analytical approaches of the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021. High BMI was defined as a BMI over 25 kg/m2 for individuals aged ≥20 years. The Socio-Demographic Index (SDI) was used as a composite measure to assess the level of socio-economic development across different regions. Subgroup analyses considered age, …

Carbon Fiber And Carbon Fiber Composites—Creating Defects For Superior Material Properties, Ashis Sutradhar Nitai, Tonny Chowdhury, Md Nafis Inam, Md Saifur Rahman, Md Ibrahim H. Mondal, M. A.H. Johir, Volker Hessel, Islam Md Rizwanul Fattah, Md Abul Kalam, Wafa Ali Suwaileh, John L. Zhou, Masoumeh Zargar, Mohammad Boshir Ahmed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recent years have seen a rise in the use of carbon fiber (CF) and its composite applications in several high-tech industries, such as the design of biomedical sensor components, 3D virtual process networks in automotive and aerospace parts, and artificial materials or electrodes for energy storage batteries. Since pristine CF have limited properties, their properties are often modified through a range of technologies, such as laser surface treatment, electron-beam irradiation grafting, plasma or chemical treatments, electrophoretic deposition, carbonization, spinning-solution or melt, electrospinning, and sol–gel, to greatly improve their properties and performance. These procedures cause faulty structures to emerge in CF. …

Conceptual Considerations For Understanding Resilience In Healthcare Students, Claire Donnellan, Deepthi Chakkittakandy, Christina Lydon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: Increasing attention has been given to the concept resilience in the context of healthcare especially during and post the COVID pandemic. Much of the inquiry and evidence reported has focused on promoting or enhancing resilience in healthcare for improving the quality of care and reducing medical negligence. This discursive paper aims to highlight how resilience is conceptualised and identify any potential limitations or gaps in the context of healthcare students, acknowledging considerations for further development and research into this topic. Design and Methods: This discursive discussion draws on relevant theoretical underpinnings from the fields of adjustment and coping psychology, …

Leptospirosis In The Platypus (Ornithorhynchus Anatinus) In Australia: Who Is Infecting Whom?, Richard J. Whittington, Thomas R. Grant, Jarrad Mckercher, Monica Suann, Keith Hart, Kathrine A. Handasyde, James Macgregor, Mark E. Westman, Joanne H. Connolly

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is an amphibious, egg-laying mammal of high conservation value that is found only in Australia. The zoonotic bacterium Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo was discovered in platypuses in prior studies, but little is known about its epidemiology. Samples in the Platypus Serum Bank were tested in 2023 and the results were combined with historical records. Antibodies against L. interrogans serovar Hardjo were found in 50% of 464 serum samples from 411 platypuses collected from 14 river basins in southeastern Australia between 1981 and 2012; prevalence remained high over three decades in the Shoalhaven River population. Seroprevalence increased …

Operational And Design Factors In Air Staging And Their Effects On Fouling From Biomass Combustion, Akram Elsebaie, Mingming Zhu, Yasir M. Al-Abdeli

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The global transition towards a carbon-neutral economy highlights the potential of biomass as a renewable fuel source. However, the sustainability of biomass energy systems is challenged by its complex fouling behaviours during combustion. This study investigates the impact of air staging on mitigating fouling in biomass combustion. By optimising the secondary-to-total air flowrate ratio (Qs/Qt) and the positioning of secondary air, this research investigates the impact of operational and design parameters on fouling deposits in biomass combustion. A fixed-bed combustor was used for the experiments, with hardwood pellets as fuel. This study employed TGA and SEM to analyse the fouling …

Rapid Weight Changes And Competitive Outcomes In Muay Thai And Mixed Martial Arts: A 14-Month Study Of 24 Combat Sports Events, Colin S. Doherty, Lauren V. Fortington, Oliver R. Barley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study investigates the rapid weight loss (RWL) and rapid weight gain (RWG) of contest winners and losers from Muay Thai (MT) and mixed martial arts (MMA) events. The relationship between rapid weight change variables of males and females, and competitive success is also examined. Data from a weight management questionnaire was collected one day post-competition from 185 participants across 24 fight events, resulting in 263 responses (MMA: n = 78, MT: n = 185). Official and secondary weigh-in data were provided by the Combat Sports Commission. The results show that in MT, contest winners compared to losers had significantly …

Revising A Right To Food Road Map—Perspectives Of Australian Key Informants, Rebecca Lindberg, Vivien Yii, Elizabeth Millen, Stephanie Godrich

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: In Australia, an estimated 1 in 10 households experiences food insecurity. The objective of this study was to devise a visual synthesis to summarise the activities, processes and principles that support the right to food for everyone in Australia. Methods: Semi-structured key informant interviews (n=30) were conducted during 2019–20. Content analysis synthesised perspectives and assisted co-authors in revising an initial draft (shared during the interview) to finalise the road map through semantic realist data analysis and re-design. Results: The six components of the right to food road map summarise the actions, processes, and principles to address the human right …

The Role Of Grandparents In Facilitating Children’S Physical Activity, Michelle I. Jongenelis, Timothy Budden, Hayley Christian, David A. Coall, Ben Jackson, Andrea Nathan, Emma Glassenbury

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Research suggests there is considerable opportunity to improve children’s movement behaviors while they are being cared for by their grandparents. An understanding of the extent to which grandparent practices facilitate children’s engagement in physical activity is critical to the development of health interventions targeting grandparent caregivers. This study examined the activity-related beliefs and practices of grandparents and their association with grandchildren’s engagement in various movement behaviors while in grandparental care. Methods: Australian grandparents (N = 1190; 60% women) who provided regular care to a grandchild aged 3–14 years were recruited via a web panel provider to complete an online …

Investigating Gender Bias In Large Language Models Through Text Generation, Shweta Soundararajan, Sarah Jane Delany

Conference papers

Large Language Models (LLMs) have swiftly become essential tools across diverse text generation applications. However, LLMs also raise significant ethical and societal concerns, particularly regarding potential gender biases in the text they produce. This study investigates the presence of gender bias in four LLMs: ChatGPT 3.5, ChatGPT 4, Llama 2 7B, and Llama 2 13B. By generating a gendered language dataset using these LLMs, focusing on sentences about men and women, we analyze the extent of gender bias in their outputs. Our evaluation is two-fold: we use the generated dataset to train a gender stereotype detection task and measure gender …

Multivalent Protein-Nucleic Acid Interactions Probed By Composition-Gradient Multiangle Light Scattering, Josephine C Ferreon, Natee Kongchan, Phoebe S Tsoi, Kyoung-Jae Choi, Sophia Kenrick, Joel Neilson, Allan Chris M Ferreon

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

Many RNA-binding proteins, such as TDP-43 or CELF1, interact multivalently with nucleic acid repetitive elements. The molecular stoichiometry of protein to nucleic acid is often difficult to assess, particularly by standard electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSAs). Here, we investigate the use of composition-gradient multiangle light scattering (CG-MALS) for quantifying binding affinity and stoichiometry for two RNA-binding proteins with their nucleic acid partners of varied sequence and length: TDP43's N-terminal RNA recognition motifs with both TG/GU-repeat ssDNA and ssRNA, respectively, and CELF1's two N-terminal RNA recognition motifs with (TG/UGUU/GU) repeats and an experimentally defined cognate GU-rich element (GRE). Our CG-MALS data …

Integrated Safety And Efficacy Analyses Of Phase 3 Trials Of A Microbiome Therapeutic For Recurrent Cdi, Colleen S Kraft, Matthew Sims, Michael Silverman, Thomas J Louie, Paul Feuerstadt, Edward S Huang, Sahil Khanna, Charles S Berenson, Elaine E L Wang, Stuart H Cohen, Louis Korman, Christine Lee, Colleen R Kelly, Alberto Odio, Paul P Cook, Bret Lashner, Mayur Ramesh, Princy Kumar, Ananya De, Asli Memisoglu, David A Lombardi, Brooke R Hasson, Barbara H Mcgovern, Lisa Von Moltke, Darrell S Pardi, Ecospor Iii And Ecospor Iv Investigators

Faculty, Staff and Students Publications

INTRODUCTION: Recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (rCDI) often occurs after standard-of-care antibiotics. VOWST oral spores (VOS, previously SER-109), an FDA-approved orally administered microbiome therapeutic, is indicated to prevent rCDI following antibiotics for rCDI.

OBJECTIVE, DESIGN, AND PATIENTS: To evaluate safety and efficacy of VOS from two phase 3 trials, (randomized, placebo-controlled [ECOSPOR III: NCT03183128] and open-label, single arm [ECOSPOR IV: NCT03183141]) of 349 adults with rCDI and prevalent comorbidities.

METHODS: VOS or placebo [ECOSPOR III only] (4 capsules once daily for 3 days). Integrated analysis of treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) collected through week 8; serious TEAEs and TEAEs of special interest …