Collaborative systems: Evolving databases and the “Conditions of possibility”-artificial life models of agency in on-line interactive art

This paper will discuss interactive on-line artworks modelled on cellular automata that employ various types of agents, both algorithmic and human, to assist in the evolution of their databases. These works constitute what will here be referred to as Collaborative Systems systems that evolve through the practice of inter-authorship.     

Estimation of Effect of Fog on Terrestrial Free Space Optical Communication Link

Wireless Personal Communications - Free Space Optical Communication Technology is expected as the successor to the existing communication technologies as many of its features like high bandwidth,...     

Enhancing the Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Based Therapies with an Anti-Fibrotic Agent for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 1 in 10 members of the general population, placing these patients at an increasingly high risk of kidney failure. Despite the significant burden of CKD on various healthcare systems, there are no effective cures that reverse or even halt its progression. In recent years, human bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs) have been recognised as a novel therapy for CKDs, owing to their well-established immunomodulatory and tissue-reparative properties in preclinical settings, and their promising safety profile that has been demonstrated in patients with CKDs from several clinical trials. However, renal fibrosis (scarring), a hallmark of CKD, has been shown to impair the viability and functionality of BM-MSCs post-transplantation. This has suggested that BM-MSCs might require a pre-treatment or adjunct therapy that can enhance the viability and therapeutic efficacy of these stromal cells in chronic disease settings. To address this, recent studies that have combined BM-MSCs with the anti-fibrotic drug serelaxin (RLX), have demonstrated the enhanced therapeutic potential of this combination therapy in normotensive and hypertensive preclinical models of CKD. In this review, a critical appraisal of the preclinical data available on the anti-fibrotic and renoprotective actions of BM-MSCs or RLX alone and when combined, as a treatment option for normotensive vs. hypertensive CKD, is discussed.     

Female-Headed Households and Achieving Home Ownership in Australia

This paper begins by identifying the growth in female-headed households in Australia. Despite this increase, it is argued that females still lag males in terms of home ownership rates (HORs) with women in Australia facing similar ownership challenges as those experienced in the UK and the USA. In seeking to establish any dynamic change, the study analyses female home ownership rates in Australia for two points in time, 1998 and 2008. Logit models are used to predict HORs. The results indicate that factors such as household type, income and source of income have an impact on rates of ownership. The paper concludes that female-headed households in Australia show an increasing propensity to purchase which match, or even exceed, those of male-headed households.     

Hydrogel/bioactive glass composites for bone regeneration applications: Synthesis and characterisation

Due to the deficiencies of current commercially available biological bone grafts, alternative bone graft substitutes have come to the forefront of tissue engineering in recent times. The main challenge for scientists in manufacturing bone graft substitutes is to obtain a scaffold that has sufficient mechanical strength and bioactive properties to promote formation of new tissue. The ability to synthesise hydrogel based composite scaffolds using photopolymerisation has been demonstrated in this study. The prepared hydrogel based composites were characterised using techniques including Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX), rheological studies and compression testing. In addition, gel fraction, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), porosity and swelling studies of the composites were carried out. It was found that these novel hydrogel bioglass composite formulations did not display the inherent brittleness that is typically associated with bioactive glass based bone graft materials and exhibited enhanced biomechanical properties compared to the polyethylene glycol hydrogel scaffolds along. Together, the combination of enhanced mechanical properties and the deposition of apatite on the surface of these hydrogel based composites make them an ideal candidate as bone graft substitutes in cancellous bone defects or low load bearing applications.     

DNA-directed immobilization of horseradish peroxidase onto porous SiO2optical transducers

ABSTRACT: Multifunctional porous Si nanostructure is designed to optically monitor enzymatic activity of Horseradish Peroxidase. First, an oxidized PSi optical nanostructure, a Fabry-Perot thin film, is synthesized and is used as the optical transducer element. Immobilization of the enzyme onto the nanostructure is performed through DNA-Directed Immobilization. Preliminary studies demonstrate high enzymatic activity levels of the immobilized Horseradish Peroxidase, while maintaining its specificity. The catalytic activity of the enzymes immobilized within the porous nanostructure is monitored in real time by reflective interferometric Fourier transform spectroscopy. We show that we can easily regenerate the surface for consecutive biosensing analysis by mild de-hybridization conditions.     

Polychromic carbon black: Laser galvanized multicolour fluorescence display

Recovered carbon black (rCB), a very economical and abundance source of material, is transformed into dazzling multicolour fluorescence and visual display for the first time by way of a scanning focused laser treatment. This laser-initiated process is both straightforward and versatile, catering to both micro- and macro-scopic patterning with the sample in ambient or helium environment. The observed phenomenon is attributed to both chemical and structural induced colouration of rCB powder. Chemically, carbon infusion of oxidised metal occurs when photothermal reaction takes place in ambient. After laser modification with the sample in helium environment, the powder not only fluoresces due to sulphur impurities, control annealing of these powders results in formation of periodic arrangements of carbon nanoparticles. The periodicity of these arrangement falls within the range of visible wavelength, hence contributing to the visually observable rainbow coloured rCB flakes. The patterned sample is also transferrable using PDMS stamps. This in turn broadens the application of this material in flexible electronic devices/displays. Photocurrent measurements show most significant enhancement under yellow light illumination. Furthermore, in the presence of an applied potential, the fluorescence detected from the sample can easily be switched off. All in all, we present a simple process to add multiple functionalities to a material that is both inexpensive and sustainable.

     

A three-stage real-time detector for traffic signs in large panoramas

Computational Visual Media - Traffic sign detection is one of the key components in autonomous driving. Advanced autonomous vehicles armed with high quality sensors capture high definition images...     

The Effect of Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption on Overall Diet: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Increasing fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption is associated with reduced risk of major diseases. However, it is unclear if health benefits are related to increased micronutrient intake or to improvements in overall diet profile.

This review aimed to assess if increasing FV consumption had an impact on diet profile. In the systematic review, 12 studies revealed increases in micronutrient intakes, whilst the meta-analysis confirmed macronutrient findings from the systematic review showing no significant difference between the intervention and control groups in energy (kcals) in seven studies (mean difference = 1 kcals [95% CI = ?115, 117]; p = 0.98), significant decreases in total fat (% energy) in five studies (Mean difference = ?4% [95% CI = ?5, ?3]; p = < 0.00001) and significant increases in fiber in six studies (Mean difference = 5.36 g [95% CI = 4, 7]; p = < 0.00001) and total carbohydrate (% energy) in four studies (Mean = 4% [95% CI= 2, 5]; p = < 0.00001).

In conclusion, results indicate that increased FV consumption increases micronutrient, carbohydrate and fiber intakes and possibly reduces fat intake, with no overall effect on energy intake. Therefore health benefits may act through an improvement in overall diet profile alongside increased micronutrient intakes.     

Towards an understanding of the causes and effects of software requirements change: two case studies

Changes to software requirements not only pose a risk to the successful delivery of software applications but also provide opportunity for improved usability and value. Increased understanding of the causes and consequences of change can support requirements management and also make progress towards the goal of change anticipation. This paper presents the results of two case studies that address objectives arising from that ultimate goal. The first case study evaluated the potential of a change source taxonomy containing the elements ??market??, ??organisation??, ??vision??, ??specification??, and ??solution?? to provide a meaningful basis for change classification and measurement. The second case study investigated whether the requirements attributes of novelty, complexity, and dependency correlated with requirements volatility. While insufficiency of data in the first case study precluded an investigation of changes arising due to the change source of ??market??, for the remainder of the change sources, results indicate a significant difference in cost, value to the customer and management considerations. Findings show that higher cost and value changes arose more often from ??organisation?? and ??vision?? sources; these changes also generally involved the co-operation of more stakeholder groups and were considered to be less controllable than changes arising from the ??specification?? or ??solution?? sources. Results from the second case study indicate that only ??requirements dependency?? is consistently correlated with volatility and that changes coming from each change source affect different groups of requirements. We conclude that the taxonomy can provide a meaningful means of change classification, but that a single requirement attribute is insufficient for change prediction. A theoretical causal account of requirements change is drawn from the implications of the combined results of the two case studies.