Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Arterial Or Venous: Where Are The Circulating Tumor Cells?, Elin S. Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The study of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) has been largely confounded by the low number of these cells in the blood stream amid billions of other cells. To overcome this challenge numerous methodologies for CTC isolation have been described. Photoacoustic flow cytometry (Nedosekin et al., 2013), dielectrophoresis array (Maltoni et al., 2015) and microfluidics (Warkiani et al., 2015) are among the most sophisticated of these methodologies. However, methods based on immunecapture and immunestaining are still the more frequently utilized, with CellSearch® remaining the most commonly used method to date and the only US FDA approved (Alix-Panabieres and Pantel, 2014). Irrespective …

Accurate Modelling And Positioning Of A Magnetically-Controlled Catheter Tip, Vi T. H. Le

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis represents the initial phase of a proposed operator and patient friendly method designed to semi-automate the positioning and directing of an intravascular catheter in the human heart using a variable electromagnetically induced field to control a catheter tip equipped with three tiny fixed magnets oriented in XYZ planes. Here we demonstrate a comprehensive mathematical model which accurately calculates the magnetic field generated by the electromagnet system, and the magnetic torques and forces exerted on a three-magnet tip catheter. From this we have developed an iterative predictive computer algorithm to show the displacement and deflection of the catheter tip. …

Defining Young In The Context Of Prostate Cancer, Suzanne Chambers, Anthony Lowe, Melissa Hyde, Leah Zajdlewicz, Robert F. Gardiner, David Sandoe, Jeff Dunn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The experience of prostate cancer is for most men a major life stress with the psychological burden of this disease falling more heavily on those who are younger. Despite this, being young as it applies to prostate cancer is not yet clearly defined with varied chronological approaches applied. However, men’s responses to health crises are closely bound to life course and masculinities from which social roles emerge. This paper applied qualitative methodology (structured focus groups and semistructured interviews with expert informants) using interpretative phenomenological analysis to define what it means to be young and have prostate cancer. Structured focus groups …

The Feasibility Of Implementing A Novel Electrical Stimulation Device In The Self-Management Of Hand Burn Pain, Katrina Liddiard

Theses : Honours

Burns are widely acknowledged as one of the most painful injuries experienced, and poorly controlled pain following burn injury has been linked to reduced psychological adjustment, lower quality of life, and increased risk of developing a chronic pain state. Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation has been used for pain relief in a range of medical conditions, and may have the potential to reduce pain and analgesic consumption for burns patients. The burn care environment presents unique challenges to the introduction of new interventions, and the feasibility of introducing a novel form of electrical stimulation into this environment has not been tested. …

The N-Glycosylation Of Immunoglobulin G As A Novel Biomarker Of Parkinson’S Disease, Alyce Christine Russell

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

For neurodegenerative diseases, interventions during the early stages of the disease, before significant neurodegeneration has occurred, are associated with an increased probability of slowing or halting the disease process. In order to intervene early, it is essential that an accurate diagnosis is obtained and that disease progression can be monitored. This is particularly relevant for Parkinson’s disease (PD; International Classification of Diseases version 10) because significant neurodegeneration has already occurred by the time the clinical motor symptoms are present. Therefore, the development of translatable, high-throughput biomarkers for large scale population screening is a crucial area of research. Of promise are …

Evaluation Of A Modified Food Frequency Questionnaire To Measure Lignans In Australian Men And Women, Ying Qi Winnie Li

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that possess estrogenic and biological properties that have been postulated to protect against chronic diseases. Isoflavonoids and lignans are two main classes of phytoestrogen that have been investigated for their estrogenic efficacy and occurrence in the human diet. Isoflavonoids are found in soy and related products, whereas lignans are found in a wider range of plant-based foods, such as cereals, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts and seeds; and in beverages such as tea, coffee and wine. In Western populations with low dietary intake of soy products, compared to the Asian counterparts, lignans could be a more important …

Guidelines For The Standardization Of Preanalytic Variables For Blood-Based Biomarker Studies In Alzheimer's Disease Research, Sid O'Bryant, Veer Gupta, Kim Henriksen, Melissa Edwards, Andreas Jeromin, Simone Lista, Chantal Bazenet, Holly Soares, Simon Lovestone, Harald Hampel, Thomas Montine, Kaj Blennow, Tatiana Foroud, Maria Carrillo, Neill Graff-Radford, Christoph Laske, Monique Breteler, Leslie Shaw, John Q. Trojanowski, Nicole Schupf, Robert A. Rissman, Anne M. Fagan, Pankaj Oberoi, Robert Umek, Michael W. Weiner, Paula Grammas, Holly Posner, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The lack of readily available biomarkers is a significant hindrance toward progressing to effective therapeutic and preventative strategies for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Blood-based biomarkers have potential to overcome access and cost barriers and greatly facilitate advanced neuroimaging and cerebrospinal fluid biomarker approaches. Despite the fact that preanalytical processing is the largest source of variability in laboratory testing, there are no currently available standardized preanalytical guidelines. The current international working group provides the initial starting point for such guidelines for standardized operating procedures (SOPs). It is anticipated that these guidelines will be updated as additional research findings become available. The statement …

Abcb5 Identifies Immunoregulatory Dermal Cells, Tobias Schatton, Jun Yang, Sonja Kleffel, Mayuko Uehara, Steven R. Barthel, Christoph Schlapbach, Qian Zhan, Stephen Dudeney, Hansgeorg Mueller, Nayoung Lee, Juliane C. De Vries, Barbara Meier, Seppe Vander Beken, Mark M. Kluth, Christoph Ganss, Arlene H. Sharpe, Ana Maria Waaga-Gasser, Mohamed H. Sayegh, Reza Abdi, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek, George F. Murphy, Thomas S. Kupper, Natasha Y. Frank, Markus H. Frank

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Cell-based strategies represent a new frontier in the treatment of immune-mediated disorders. However, the paucity of markers for isolation of molecularly defined immunomodulatory cell populations poses a barrier to this field. Here, we show that ATP-binding cassette member B5 (ABCB5) identifies dermal immunoregulatory cells (DIRCs) capable of exerting therapeutic immunoregulatory functions through engagement of programmed cell death 1 (PD-1). Purified Abcb5+ DIRCs suppressed T cell proliferation, evaded immune rejection, homed to recipient immune tissues, and induced Tregs in vivo. In fully major-histocompatibility-complex-mismatched cardiac allotransplantation models, allogeneic DIRCs significantly prolonged allograft survival. Blockade of DIRC-expressed PD-1 reversed the inhibitory effects of …

Segmental Musculoskeletal Examinations Using Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry (Dxa): Positioning And Analysis Considerations, Nicolas H. Hart, Sophia Nimphius, Tania Spiteri, Jodie L. Cochrane, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Musculoskeletal examinations provide informative and valuable quantitative insight into muscle and bone health. DXA is one mainstream tool used to accurately and reliably determine body composition components and bone mass characteristics in-vivo. Presently, whole body scan models separate the body into axial and appendicular regions, however there is a need for localised appendicular segmentation models to further examine regions of interest within the upper and lower extremities. Similarly, in-consistencies pertaining to patient positioning exist in the litera-ture which influence measurement precision and analysis out-comes highlighting a need for standardised procedure. This paper provides standardised and reproducible: 1) positioning and analysis …

Association Of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Associates With Decreased Immunosuppressive Potential Of The Igg Glycome, Franco Vukovic, Jasminka Krištić, Ivan Gudelj, Maria Teruel, Toma Keser, Marija Pezer, Maja Pučić-Baković, Jerko Štambuk, Irena Trbojević-Akmačić, Clara Barrios, Tamara Pavić, Cristina Menni, Youxin Wang, Yong Zhou, Liufu Cui, Haicheng Song, Qiang Zeng, Xiuhua Guo, Bernardo A. Pons-Estel, Paul Mckeigue, Alan Leslie Patrick, Olga Gornik, Tim D. Spector, Miroslav Harjaček, Marta Alarcon-Riquelme, Miriam Molokhia, Wei Wang, Gordan Lauc

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Glycans attached to the Fc portion of IgG are important modulators of IgG effector functions. Interindividual differences in IgG glycome composition are large and they associate strongly with different inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. IKZF1, HLA–DQ2A/B, and BACH2 genetic loci that affect IgG glycome composition show pleiotropy with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), indicating a potentially causative role of aberrant IgG glycosylation in SLE. We undertook this large multicenter case–control study to determine whether SLE is associated with altered IgG glycosylation. Methods: Using ultra-performance liquid chromatography analysis of released glycans, we analyzed the composition of the IgG glycome in 261 SLE …

The Clinical Utility Of The Halosperm Assay And The Development Of A Simplified Method Of Human Semen Storage For The Testing Of Sperm Dna Fragmentation, Ashleigh Cavell Mcevoy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Male infertility is typically diagnosed upon routine semen analysis following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) semen analysis manual. Recent editions of the manual have essentially changed the diagnosis of a semen sample, prompting debate between experts as to which edition should be followed. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) integrity analysis is proving to be a useful adjunct to semen analysis as 15% of infertile men have a normal semen analysis but they have an increased DNA fragmentation level (DFL) which has been associated with increased disease incidence in any resultant offspring. However, such tests are not endorsed by the WHO, possibly due …

Evolutionary Approaches For Feature Selection In Biological Data, Vinh Q. Dang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Data mining techniques have been used widely in many areas such as business, science, engineering and medicine. The techniques allow a vast amount of data to be explored in order to extract useful information from the data. One of the foci in the health area is finding interesting biomarkers from biomedical data. Mass throughput data generated from microarrays and mass spectrometry from biological samples are high dimensional and is small in sample size. Examples include DNA microarray datasets with up to 500,000 genes and mass spectrometry data with 300,000 m/z values. While the availability of such datasets can aid in …

Identification Of Plasma Lipid Biomarkers In Alzheimer's Disease, Rhona Creegan

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD), the commonest form of dementia, is a chronic, progressive neurodegenerative disease which manifests clinically as a slow global decline in cognitive function, including deterioration of memory, reasoning, abstraction, language and emotional stability, culminating in a patient with end-stage disease, totally dependent on custodial care. With an ageing population, there is predicted to be a marked increase in the number of people diagnosed with AD in the coming decades, making this a significant challenge to socio-economic policy and aged care. Currently there is no cure for AD and while current therapies may temporarily ameliorate symptoms, death usually occurs …

Young Australian Adults’ Reactions To Viewing Personalised Uv Photoaged Photographs, Lori L. Presti, Paul Chang, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Despite two nationwide sun-protection awareness campaigns, young Australian adults continue to sunbathe. Since their primary motivation for tanning is appearance enhancement, it may well be that campaigns that highlight the negative effects of tanning on appearance are more effective than campaigns that emphasise the health risks associated with sun exposure.Aims: This study aims to explore young adults’ reactions to viewing a photoaged photograph of the sun damage already visible in their facial image.Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven females and three males aged 20-30 years. The interview transcripts were transcribed verbatim and were then subjected to Interpretive Phenomenological …

Retinal Vascular Biomarkers For Early Detection And Monitoring Of Alzheimer's Disease, Shawn Frost, Yogi Kanagasingam, Hamid Sohrabi, J Vignarajan, P Bourgeat, Olivier Salvado, Victor Villemagne, Christopher Rowe, S Lance Macaulay, Cassandra Szoeke, Kathryn A. Ellis, David Ames, Colin L. Masters, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2013

The earliest detectable change in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the buildup of amyloid plaque in the brain. Early detection of AD, prior to irreversible neurological damage, is important for the efficacy of current interventions as well as for the development of new treatments. Although PiB-PET imaging and CSF amyloid are the gold standards for early AD diagnosis, there are practical limitations for population screening. AD-related pathology occurs primarily in the brain, but some of the hallmarks of the disease have also been shown to occur in other tissues, including the retina, which is more accessible for imaging. Retinal vascular changes …

Multiplex Biomarkers In Blood, Veer Bala Bala Gupta, Ramani Sundaram, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2013

Advances in the field of blood biomarker discovery will help in identifying Alzheimer's disease in its preclinical stage, allowing treatment to be initiated before irreversible damage occurs. This review discusses some recent past and current approaches being taken by researchers in the field. Individual blood biomarkers have been unsuccessful in defining the disease pathology, progression and thus diagnosis. This directs to the need for discovering a multiplex panel of blood biomarkers as a promising approach with high sensitivity and specificity for early diagnosis. However, it is a great challenge to standardize a worldwide blood biomarker panel due to the innate …

Prediction Models For Solitary Pulmonary Nodules Based On Curvelet Textural Features And Clinical Parameters, Jing-Jing Wang, Hai-Feng Wu, Tao Sun, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Li-Xin Tao, Da Huo, Ping-Xin Lv, Wen He, Xiu-Hua Guo

Research outputs 2013

Lung cancer, one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths, usually appears as solitary pulmonary nodules (SPNs) which are hard to diagnose using the naked eye. In this paper, curvelet-based textural features and clinical parameters are used with three prediction models [a multilevel model, a least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression method, and a support vector machine (SVM)] to improve the diagnosis of benign and malignant SPNs. Dimensionality reduction of the original curvelet-based textural features was achieved using principal component analysis. In addition, non-conditional logistical regression was used to find clinical predictors among demographic parameters and morphological features. …

The Identification Of Diagnostic Serological Autoantibodies For Cutaneous Melanoma, Pauline Zaenker

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Abstract not available.

Magnetocardiography In Unshielded Environment Based On Optical Magnetometry And Adaptive Noise Cancellation, Valentina Tiporlini

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This thesis proposes and demonstrates the concept of a magnetocardiographic system employing an array of optically-pumped quantum magnetometers and an adaptive noise cancellation for heart magnetic field measurement within a magnetically-unshielded environment.

Optically-pumped quantum magnetometers are based on the use of the atomic-spin-dependent optical properties of an atomic medium. An Mxconfiguration- based optically-pumped quantum magnetometer employing two sensing cells containing caesium vapour is theoretically described and experimentally developed, and the dependence of its sensitivity and frequency bandwidth upon the light power and the alkali vapour temperature is experimentally demonstrated. Furthermore, the capability of the developed magnetometer of measuring very weak …

The Influence Of Sample Volume Applied To The Makler Sperm Counting Chamber Upon The Measured Concentration Of Latex Beads: A Multi-Centre Study, Melanie Walls, Emily Zuvela, Cheryl Ayres, Deborah Sherrin, Asma Chhotani, Liz Butler, Kelli Peirce, Jenny Krapez, Renae Parker, Cherise Mooy, Patrick Mohan, Sally Catt, Matthew Wiltshire, Hassan W. Bakos, Mary Whyte, Phillip Matson

Research outputs 2012

Objective: To undertake a multi-centre study to maximize the number of Makler chambers used.

Methods: A total of 15 laboratories participated with 31 Makler chambers. A suspension of latex beads was prepared to a concentration of 20 millions per milliliter, and 0.5 mL aliquots distributed to each participating laboratory. They measured the concentration on their Makler chamber(s) used for routine semen analysis by adding 3, 4, 5, 7 and 10 μL volumes of bead suspension to the chamber.

Results: There was no difference in within-chamber analysis of the bead concentration according to the volume of bead suspension …

Association Between The G-Protein Β3 Subunit C825t Polymorphism With Essential Hypertension: A Meta-Analysis In Han Chinese Population, Jaipeng Lu, Q Guo, Ling Zhang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2012

We aimed to evaluate the contribution of the G-protein β3 subunit C825T (GNB3-C825T) polymorphism to essential hypertension (EH) in Han Chinese population by performing meta-analysis. A meta-analysis was performed in 12 case–control genetic association studies including 3,020 hypertension patients and 2,790 controls from MEDLINE (PubMed) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure platforms. The STATA 10.0 software was used in analysis. Overall, there was no significant association between the GNB3-C825T polymorphism and EH in neither additive [TT vs. CC: OR (95 % CI) = 1.11 (0.74–1.69), P = 0.61; TC vs. CC: OR (95 % CI) = 1.08 (0.89–1.31), P = …

Biomedical Image Signal Processing For Reflection-Based Imaging, Paul Jansz, Steven Richardson, Graham Wild, Steven Hinckley

Research outputs 2012

Optical coherence tomography (OCT), ultrasound and other reflection based biomedical imaging technologies involve image signal processing that is primarily a filtering, digitizing and summing process so that the tissue cross-section can be visualized. In particular, in OCT, a series of adjacent one dimensional in-vivo axial interferograms (A-scan) are summed to form a two dimensional (B-scan) reflection map or reflectogram. Further graphical combinations can add adjacent B-scan together to form three dimensional C-scans. A physician can make a subjective interpretation and evaluation from the B and/or C-scans that may lead to actions impacting on the patient’s prognosis. More objective information can …

The Fate Of Frozen Human Embryos When Transferred Either On The Day Ofthawing Or After Overnight Culture, Yanhe Liu, Kellie Peirce, Kailin Yap, Kate Mckenzie, Jay Natalwala, Vince Chapple, Margo Norman, Phillip Matson

Research outputs 2012

Objective: To study the performance of thawed zygotes and cleavage stage embryos transferred either on the day of thaw or after overnight culture. Methods: A retrospective study of 864 frozen embryo transfer cycles. Cryosurvival rates per thawed embryo and implantation rates were analysed for embryos frozen on Day 1, Day 2 or Day 3 relative to oocyte collection (Day 0) and transferred on the day of thaw or after overnight culture, together with clinical pregnancy rates and prevalence of multiple gestations. Results: Survival of Day 3 embryos was significantly lower than those frozen on Day 1 (P=0.017) or Day 2 …

Yeast As A Model For Studying Aβ Aggregation, Toxicity And Clearance, Prashant R. Bharadwaj

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder of the central nervous system, characterised by acute memory loss and behavioural symptoms. The AD brain is characterized by the presence of senile amyloid plaques associated with degenerating neurites and inflammatory processes. The major protein component of these amyloid deposits is the amyloid beta (Aβ) protein. The Aβ protein is a 40 or 42 amino acid cleavage product of APP (Amyloid Precursor Protein) which is produced in low levels in the normal ageing brain. Although senile amyloid plaques is the major pathological hallmark of AD brains, accumulating evidence has been presented to …

Quantification Of Circulating Melanoma Cells, Jamie Freeman

Theses : Honours

Current prognostic techniques for Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma (CMM), a highly aggressive and drug resistant skin cancer, are inadequate at managing the disease and identifying early stage patients requiring treatment. It is thought that Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs), which circulate in patient blood after being shed from solid tumours, may be useful in enhancing prognostic techniques and it has previously been shown in other malignancies that the presence of CTCs in patient blood is associated with poor prognosis. In CMM, CTCs can be detected through RT-PCR for melanoma associated markers, although this technique does not allow CTCs to be quantified. In …

Development Of A Blood Test For The Detection Of Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma, Rebecca Slattery

Theses : Honours

Cutaneous Malignant Melanoma is a highly aggressive form of skin cancer that has a tendency to metastasise. In its early stages, the 5-year survival rate of patients is greater than 90% following surgical excision of an in situ tumour. However, following metastasis of the tumour, the 5-year survival rate declines to 5-35%. Due to the correlation between metastasis and declining survival, studies have attempted to identify potential metastasis as early as possible. Molecular markers of melanoma cells in the peripheral blood of CMM patients have been investigated, as the invasion of tumour cells into the blood is one of the …

Recruiting And Retaining Gps And Patients In Intervention Studies: The Deps-Gp Project As A Case Study, M Williamson, J Pirkis, J Pfaff, O Tyson, Moira Sim, N Kerse, N Lautenschlager, N Stocks, O Almeida

Research outputs pre 2011

Background: Recruiting and retaining GPs for research can prove difficult, and may result in sub-optimal patient participation where GPs are required to recruit patients. Low participation rates may affect the validity of research. This paper describes a multi-faceted approach to maximise participation of GPs and their patients in intervention studies, using an Australian randomised controlled trial of a depression/suicidality management intervention as a case study. The paper aims to outline experiences that may be of interest to others considering engaging GPs and/or their patients in primary care studies. Methods: A case study approach is used to describe strategies for: (a) …

Analysis Of Cancer Risk And Brca1 And Brca2 Mutation Prevalence In The Kconfab Familial Breast Cancer Resource, Graham J. Mann, Heather Thorne, Rosemary L. Balleine, Phyllis N. Butow, Christine L. Clarke, Edward Edkins, Gerda M. Evans, Sián Fereday, Eric Haan, Michael Gattas, Graham G. Giles, Jack Goldblatt, John L. Hopper, Judy Kirk, Jennifer A. Leary, Geoffery Lindeman, Eveline Niedermayr, Kelly_Anne Phillips, Sandra Picken, Gulietta M. Pupo, Christobel Saunders, Clare L. Scott, Amanda B. Spurdle, Graeme Suthers, Kathy Tucker, Georgia Chenevix-Trench

Research outputs pre 2011

Introduction The Kathleen Cuningham Foundation Consortium for Research into Familial Breast Cancer (kConFab) is a multidisciplinary, collaborative framework for the investigation of familial breast cancer. Based in Australia, the primary aim of kConFab is to facilitate high-quality research by amassing a large and comprehensive resource of epidemiological and clinical data with biospecimens from individuals at high risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer, and from their close relatives. Methods Epidemiological family history and lifestyle data, as well as biospecimens, are collected from multiple-case breast cancer families ascertained through family cancer clinics in Australia and New Zealand. We used the Tyrer-Cuzick algorithms …

Factors Which Influence Women's Decisions For Choice Of Primary Surgery For Stage I And Stage Ii Breast Cancer, Barbara Mastaglia

Theses : Honours

A descriptive correlational study was conducted to describe the factors that Western Australian women with either Stage I or Stage II Breast Cancer, perceived to be important considerations when deciding upon either Modified Radical Mastectomy (MRM) or Breast Conserving Treatment (BCT) for surgical treatment. The Conflict Theory of Decision Making (Janis & Mann, 1977) was used as the theoretical framework to guide this study. Ward, Heidrich and Wolberg's (1989) Factor List, the Multidimensional Health Locus of Control (MHLC) Scale (Wallston, Wallston & De Vellis, 1978) and a demographic questionnaire were used to measure variables. Questionnaires were mailed to a consecutive …

Monitoring Of Oxygen Saturation During And After Endoscopy, George Paul Van Lawick

Theses : Honours

Fibreoptic endoscopy is a common and relatively safe diagnostic and therapeutic procedure used to examine the gastrointestinal tract. Previous research has established that oxygen desaturation is common among patients undergoing endoscopy and is one of the few complications which may arise during, and after the procedure. Oxygen saturation (Sa0₂) is a measurement of the percentage of oxygen carried by the haemoglobin and can be measured noninvasively and accurately using a pulse oximeter. Oxygen desaturation is generally described as Sa0₂ levels at or below 90%. Currently there are no clear guidelines for the duration of Sa0₂ monitoring …