From Hull to Price – Part I: A Pricing Framework for Biofouling Risk

Biosecurity systems commonly rely on centralised decision and resource allocation processes. This approach does not price biosecurity risk efficiently and as a result, the financial sustainability of systems is routinely called into question. Application of actuarial principles to biosecurity risk management would lead to beneficial behavioural responses in those stakeholders who create risks, and there would be equity and financial sustainability advantages. We introduce a novel actuarial risk pricing framework that integrates actuarial techniques with established scientific insights to address the challenges of biofouling risk management of ships. The actuarial risk pricing model provides a mechanism for incentivising vessel owners to engage in risk mitigation practices through a structured, risk-based fee system. This fee system establishes a sustainable funding source for the efforts in monitoring and responding to incursions of non-indigenous marine species, addressing the funding challenges faced by many biosecurity agencies. The framework can also be utilised to investigate effective ways for reducing risk costs and allocating management resources, thereby improving the decision-making process. Importantly, the principles underlying our framework have broader applications, promising significant advancements in the management of wider biosecurity risks such as those associated with general imports

Conceptualising the actual L2 self into the L2 motivational self system

L2 motivation research has given considerable attention to possible L2 selves. The actual L2 self also plays a significant role in shaping L2 motivation, yet the concept of the actual L2 self is still not clearly defined. The present study examined the nature of the actual L2 self and its relationship with possible L2 selves through the person-in-context relational (PCR) view (Ushioda, 2009). Employing the visual methods (Magid & Chan, 2012), this study gathered picture-drawings that captured the L2 selves of 179 Chinese secondary year one English as foreign language learners from diverse instructional contexts, the majority of whom were 13 years old. Classroom observations, stimulated recall interviews, and semi-structured interviews were then conducted among 18 focal participants in one academic year to investigate their L2 selves and the contextual influences on their L2-self perceptions. The findings indicate that students’ actual L2 selves mainly consist of (i) English competence; (ii) identity; and (iii) attitudes towards English learning. The construction of the actual L2 selves vary across diverse learning experiences and instructional contexts. The study discusses the implications for theorising the actual L2 self and ways to support L2 learners by fostering the development of their actual L2 selves

The challenges of quantifying the effects of housing on health using observational data

Housing is an often overlooked yet fundamental social determinant of health. Like other social epidemiology exposures, housing faces a tension between the promise of modern causal inference methods and the messy reality of complex social processes and reliance on observational data. We use examples from over a decade of research to illustrate some of the key challenges in undertaking causally focused healthy housing research and demonstrate approaches that have been applied to address these challenges. We reflect on the improved understanding these approaches have delivered, and the key gaps and next steps in generating the evidence required to act on housing as a social determinant of health

Interacting and Dynamical Properties of Su-Schrieffer-Heeger like Systems

© 2025 Anirban GhoshTopological phases constitute an important aspect of modern condensed matter physics, and the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger (SSH) model is one of the most simple ways to construct such a system. As a result, it remains one of the most heavily applied/studied systems across classical and quantum settings. Two important aspects of this model are that it is essentially a single particle and hosts robust edge states in certain regions of parameter space, but it does not in other regions. These attributes have intrigued interest in a couple of directions, and among these, one is the effect of interactions on the topology of the system. Another such direction is the dynamics of the topological edge state in response to that of the quantum quench. In this thesis, we present our work in these two directions. Starting from the core concepts, we examine the non-equilibrium dynamics of an extended SSH model under quantum quenches across topological phases, unveiling the role of path of winding number transitions in shaping information transport. We then introduce complex impurities into the SSH system, demonstrating the emergence of asymmetric post-quench transport, where reflection asymmetry undergoes polarity switching with increasing quench extent. Finally, we investigate how interactions modify the topological edge states of a bosonic SSH system, employing an interacting continuum Dirac equation approach and a novel algorithm to extract boundary states in the presence of interactions. This then motivates an investigation of topological edge states in a 1D interacting ultra cold Bose gas in a periodic potential using the Gross-Pitaevskii equation, employing the algorithm. Overall, these studies provide insight into the fate of the edge states with respect to quenching and interactions

Closing the gap between biology and classification in splenic B-cell lymphomas

The mature splenic B-cell lymphomas are an enigmatic group of lymphoid neoplasms that have long caused significant difficulty for the practicing pathologist due to overlapping diagnostic features among entities and the decreasing availability of splenic tissue for assessment. While some entities have highly characteristic and specific clinicopathological features (e.g. hairy cell leukaemia), others are substantially more difficult to recognise (e.g. splenic diffuse red pulp lymphoma). At the same time, classification systems have been evolving, resulting in multiple changes to the boundaries among these entities and even the existence of some entities in their own right. Moreover, unbiased multi-omic interrogation (whole genome/transcriptome sequencing, methylome) of the splenic B-cell lymphomas over the past decade has given us significant insights into the underling biology of these neoplasms. We present a clinicopathological perspective on the historical, current and future state of the diagnosis and classification of splenic B-cell lymphomas integrating multi-omic data and highlighting areas of focus for the field in order to continue to strive to improve patient outcomes through accurate diagnosis

High-frequency ultrasound induced the preparation of oxidized low density lipoprotein

Foam cells have been frequently used in studies related to atherosclerosis. Traditional methods for inducing oxidized low-density lipoprotein (oxLDL) involve copper ion (Cu2+) treatment, which has inherent limitations such as prolonged oxidation times and residual copper ions. This study explored high-frequency ultrasound (400 kHz) as an alternative method for LDL oxidization. The findings demonstrated that high-frequency ultrasound-oxidized LDL (U-oxLDL) exhibited no significant differences compared to copper-oxidized LDL (Cu-oxLDL) in terms of electrophoretic mobility, foam cell morphology, lipid content, and cholesterol transport proteins. Additionally, lipidomic analysis revealed that U-oxLDL was more comparable to native LDL (N-LDL). Transcriptomic profiling of bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) treated with oxLDL showed that the gene expression patterns of BMDM foam cells treated with U-oxLDL were over 90 % consistent with those treated with Cu-oxLDL. Therefore, high-frequency ultrasound oxidation method represents a green and efficient strategy for oxLDL preparation, offering potential advantages for advancing atherosclerosis research

Association of Daily Body Temperature, White Blood Cell Count, and C-reactive Protein With Mortality and Persistent Bacteremia in Patients With Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia: A Post Hoc Analysis of the CAMERA2 Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction: Classification of patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia as complicated versus uncomplicated is based on a combination of clinical and microbiologic variables. Whether daily body temperature and common laboratory tests such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) can improve risk stratification algorithms is unclear. Methods: We conducted a post hoc secondary analysis of the CAMERA2 trial, which enrolled hospitalized adult patients with methicillin-resistant S aureus bacteremia and prospectively collected daily body temperature and peripheral blood WBC and CRP. We evaluated the prognostic relevance of each parameter by calculating crude and adjusted odds ratios for 90-day all-cause mortality comparing patients with the abnormal parameter of interest versus those with normal parameters on each day of illness. Results: A total of 345 patients were included in this analysis, of whom 63 (18.3%) died within 90 days. Fever (body temperature ≥38.0 °C) was associated with increased odds of 90-day mortality from day 4 and onwards. Fever later in the illness course was associated with higher adjusted odds of mortality (8.78; 95% confidence interval, 2.78-27.7 on day 7 vs adjusted odds ratio 3.70; 95% CI, 1.58-8.67 on day 4). In contrast, CRP and abnormal WBC count did not demonstrate a consistent or temporal association with mortality. Conclusions: Persistent fever after 72 hours is associated with increased mortality in patients with methicillin-resistant S aureus bacteremia, supporting recommendations that this should be kept as a criterion for classifying patients as either "high-risk"or "complicated."Within this dataset, there was limited additional predictive value in WBC or CRP

Managing indoor respiratory infection risks with Facilities Management Interventions

© 2025 Yan ZhangThe COVID-19 pandemic reveals that the hazard of respiratory viruses was a secondary consideration in the design, development, construction, and management of public and commercial buildings. An extensive literature review established the link between Facilities Management (FM) and respiratory infection control and identified the research gaps in this interdisciplinary area, including the lack of empirical studies on Facilities Management Intervention (FMI) decision-making and occupant behaviour change (OBC) related to respiratory infection control and application of multi-route dose-response models in FMI outcomes assessment. This thesis adopts a mixed method and includes three studies to address the research question: “How can we manage indoor respiratory infection control with FMIs?” In Study 1, 41 semi-structured interviews were conducted with facilities managers and key stakeholders to explore FMI practices, outcomes, and decision-making, as well as observed OBC in post-COVID Melbourne. Study 2 collected 2129 survey responses from building occupants based in 90 buildings to explore occupant risk perceptions (RP) and OBC. Study 3 developed an interactive application named FMI Outcomes Calculator (FMIOC), which integrates the latest research on indoor respiratory transmission mechanisms and risk assessment methods, as well as insights from the empirical findings (Study 1 and Study 2). Study 1 provided empirical evidence on FMI practices and identified measurement of FMI outcomes from economic, health, environmental, and social perspectives. It found that interventions on indoor air quality (IAQ) were more influenced by internal drivers from the organisations rather than compliance pressures, revealing IAQ policy gaps in Australia. Moreover, the interviews revealed the challenges practitioners faced in understanding respiratory transmission mechanisms and quantifying FMI outcomes, which pointed to the need for data-based tools. Study 2 identified determinants for RP and OBC towards each transmission route. The survey findings highlighted the role of occupant trust and revealed changes in occupants' expectations about IAQ and individual space. Additionally, Study 2 established evidence-based OB parameters for respiratory infection risk assessment. These findings have important management implications for FM in respiratory infection control and post-COVID workplace management. Study 3 developed FMIOC, which enables users to calculate risk outcomes in multiple transmission routes, as well as additional energy consumption and costs from combined FMIs. The app can help users understand the multi-route transmission mechanism, identify the dominating transmission route in various scenarios, and conduct scenario analysis under different virus, community prevalence, and OB scenarios for FMI decision-making. This thesis has made significant empirical and practical contributions to FM and respiratory infection control. It provides evidence-based insights on FMI practice, outcomes, decision-making, occupant RP and OBC regarding respiratory infection control. It also provides a new application for FMI outcomes assessment. This thesis serves as a new approach for managing respiratory infections with FMIs

Considerations and recommendations from the ISMRM diffusion study group for preclinical diffusion MRI: Part 2—Ex vivo imaging: Added value and acquisition

The value of preclinical diffusion MRI (dMRI) is substantial. While dMRI enables in vivo non-invasive characterization of tissue, ex vivo dMRI is increasingly being used to probe tissue microstructure and brain connectivity. Ex vivo dMRI has several experimental advantages including higher SNR and spatial resolution compared to in vivo studies, and enabling more advanced diffusion contrasts for improved microstructure and connectivity characterization. Another major advantage of ex vivo dMRI is the direct comparison with histological data, as a crucial methodological validation. However, there are a number of considerations that must be made when performing ex vivo experiments. The steps from tissue preparation, image acquisition and processing, and interpretation of results are complex, with many decisions that not only differ dramatically from in vivo imaging of small animals, but ultimately affect what questions can be answered using the data. This work represents "Part 2" of a three-part series of recommendations and considerations for preclinical dMRI. We describe best practices for dMRI of ex vivo tissue, with a focus on the value that ex vivo imaging adds to the field of dMRI and considerations in ex vivo image acquisition. We first give general considerations and foundational knowledge that must be considered when designing experiments. We briefly describe differences in specimens and models and discuss why some may be more or less appropriate for different studies. We then give guidelines for ex vivo protocols, including tissue fixation, sample preparation, and MR scanning. In each section, we attempt to provide guidelines and recommendations, but also highlight areas for which no guidelines exist (and why), and where future work should lie. An overarching goal herein is to enhance the rigor and reproducibility of ex vivo dMRI acquisitions and analyses, and thereby advance biomedical knowledge

Exploring the Implementation of Cognitive Screening in First-Episode Psychosis Settings: The CogScreen Implementation Study

Aim: Accurate and appropriate cognitive screening can significantly enhance early psychosis care, yet no screening tools have been validated for the early psychosis population and little is known about current screening practices, experiences, or factors that may influence implementation. CogScreen is a hybrid type 1 study aiming to validate two promising screening tools with young people with first episode psychosis (primary aim) and to understand the context for implementing cognitive screening in early psychosis settings (secondary aim). This protocol outlines the implementation study, which aims to explore the current practices, acceptability, feasibility and determinants of cognitive screening in early psychosis settings from the perspective of key stakeholders. Methods: Young people with first episode psychosis (n = 350), caregivers (minimum n = 10) and service providers (minimum n = 12) will be recruited from primary and specialist early psychosis services in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, Australia. Two implementation science frameworks will inform data collection and analysis: the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability and the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research. A mixed-methods design will be employed to collect and analyse data from questionnaires with young people, interviews with all stakeholder groups, and administrative processes. Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Qualitative data will be analysed through content analysis using deductive and inductive coding. Results and Discussion: This protocol paper presents the rationale and methods for the CogScreen implementation study. Conclusion: Together with accuracy findings, results from the implementation study will provide insights about the practices, experiences, enablers and barriers to cognitive screening in early psychosis services