Cracked Metal–Phenolic Networks with Durable Confinement Capillarity for Enhanced Solar Desalination

Solar-driven interfacial desalination is a promising strategy to address freshwater shortages. Water evaporation can be enhanced through confinement capillarity by generating ultra-thin water layers on the internal surfaces of porous photothermal materials. However, realizing confinement capillarity relies on coatings composed of aggregated nanospheres, which likely detach under mechanical compression, limiting their practical application. Herein, nature-inspired crack patterns are introduced into adhesive photothermal supramolecular materials, metal–phenolic network coatings, forming C-MPNs to achieve durable confinement capillarity. The crack patterns can be controlled to optimize water transport through narrow channels, enhancing the evaporation rate from 1.6 to 3.3 kg m−2 h−1 while preventing salt accumulation during seawater desalination. Furthermore, the cracks serve as buffer zones, significantly improving the mechanical stability of C-MPN coatings under compression (exhibiting negligible change after 300 cycles)—overcoming a key challenge that has hindered the practical application of confinement capillarity. Furthermore, due to the enhanced confinement capillarity in C-MPNs, high evaporation performance is sustained even as the size of the photothermal material increases—a rare characteristic among 3D photothermal materials. This work provides fundamental insights into the design of photothermal coatings with confinement capillarity, paving the way for their application in solar desalination

The New Metrics International Schools Program

This session will explore next generation approaches to assessment recognition and credentialing, as explored through the New Metrics International Schools Progra

Outcomes of the Fontan Operation in Patients with Ebstein’s Anomaly: Findings from a Binational Fontan Registry

Objectives: We sought to review the outcomes of patients with Ebstein’s anomaly (EA) after the Fontan operation. Methods: Patients with EA were identified from a large binational registry about the Fontan operation. Data were collected from hospital records, registry data, and clinical correspondence. Results: Of the 1601 patients who underwent a contemporary Fontan operation from 1991 to 2023, 34 patients had EA. Seven patients (21%) had concomitant congenitally-corrected transposition of great arteries (ccTGA). Prior Starnes procedure was performed in 18 (53%) patients. Survival after Fontan operation in patients with EA was 92% (95%CI: 70%-98%) and freedom from Fontan failure was 80% (95%CI: 53%-92%) at 10 years. Patients with EA had worse long-term survival (p=0.01) after Fontan operation and lower freedom from Fontan failure (p=0.004) compared to other patients with left-ventricle dominance. Patients with EA, who underwent prior Starnes procedure, had 100% survival and freedom from Fontan failure, albeit at a shorter follow-up (median 4.2 years, range 13 days – 17.7 years), with no difference between patients with prior Starnes and patients with tricuspid atresia (p=0.76 and p=0.69, respectively), although comparison was hindered by low numbers. Of the 7 patients with ccTGA and Ebstein’s anomaly, there were no mortalities, however, 2 patients had Fontan failure at 7.0 and 9.8 years post-Fontan. Conclusion: Patients with EA have worse long-term outcomes after the Fontan operation, as compared to other patients with left ventricular dominance. Patients with a prior Starnes procedure appear to have good post-Fontan outcomes, although bias may occur due to small numbers

Amplifying the Immune Activity of Metal Ions through Metal-Phenolic Complexation

The immune-modulatory properties of metal ions have contributed to vaccination and immunotherapy (i.e., metalloimmunotherapy) for the prevention and treatment of various diseases. Developing an enabling approach that can readily incorporate metal ions in vaccine formulations and deliver them with controllable pharmacokinetics and targeting ability is an ongoing endeavor. Herein, we report a simple and highly effective metal-phenolic assembly approach, whereby both ovalbumin (a model antigen) and immune-responsive metal ions (i.e., AlIII and MnII) are immobilized within a biocompatible coordination network to form metal-phenolic network vaccines (MPNVs) under mild conditions. The MPNVs demonstrated specific lymph node accumulation and elicited humoral and cellular immune responses following their subcutaneous and intramuscular administration in mice. Mice immunized with MPNVs maintained a robust antibody response for at least 10 weeks, comparable to a commercial aluminum adjuvant. The modularity of the assembly approach afforded dual-metal incorporation into MPNVs (MPNVMn+Al), which amplified immune responses up to 11-fold compared to the mixture of OVA, AlIII, and MnII (i.e., OVA + Al + Mn). Moreover, MPNVs showed effective anticancer properties in suppressing the development of B16F10 melanoma in mice. Specifically, treatment with MPNVMn+Al led to a 5-fold reduction in subcutaneous tumor volume and a 6.6-fold decrease in metastatic nodule number, compared to treatment with OVA + Al + Mn. This work provides insights into the immune activity of metal-organic materials, underpinning the rational design of vaccine and therapeutic platforms based on these materials

Experimental characterisation of Kelvin-Helmholtz rollers over riblet surfaces

The formation of Kelvin–Helmholtz-like rollers (referred to as K–H rollers) over riblet surfaces has been linked to the drag-increasing behaviour seen in certain riblet geometries, such as sawtooth and blade riblets, when the riblet size reaches sufficiently large viscous scales (Endrikat et al. (2021a), J. Fluid Mech. 913, A37). In this study, we focus on the sawtooth geometry of fixed physical size, and experimentally examine the response of these K–H rollers to further increases in viscous scaled riblet sizes, by adopting the conventional approach of increasing freestream speeds (and consequently, the friction Reynolds number). Rather than continual strengthening, the present study shows a gradual weakening of these K–H rollers with increasing sawtooth riblet size. This is achieved by an analysis of the roller geometric characteristics using both direct numerical simulations and hot-wire anemometry databases at matched viscous scaled riblet spacings, with the former used to develop a novel methodology for detecting these rollers via streamwise velocity signatures (e.g. as acquired by hot wires). Spectral analysis of the streamwise velocity time series, acquired within riblet grooves, reveals that the frequencies (and the streamwise wavelengths) of the K–H rollers increase with increasing riblet size. Cross-correlation spectra, estimated from unique two-point hot-wire measurements in the cross-plane, show a weakening of the K–H rollers and a reduction in their wall-normal coherence with increasing riblet size. Besides contributing to our understanding of the riblet drag-increasing mechanisms, the present findings also have implications for the heat transfer enhancing capabilities of sawtooth riblets, which have been associated previously with the formation of K–H rollers. The present study also suggests conducting future investigations by decoupling the effects of viscous scaled riblet spacing and friction Reynolds numbers, to characterise their influence on the K–H rollers independently

Profiling factors of occupant behaviour change towards indoor respiratory infection control in post-pandemic Australia

Purpose: Occupant behaviour (OB) significantly impacts building energy performance, occupant comfort and workplace health. This paper aims to explore occupant behaviour change (OBC) relating to respiratory disease transmissions. Design/methodology/approach: This paper collected 530 survey responses from occupants in 66 buildings with operable windows in Melbourne in 2023. OBCs were grouped, measured and analysed with univariate and multivariate regressions towards three indoor respiratory transmission routes: (1) fomite: hand hygiene behaviours; (2) airborne: individual interventions to indoor air quality including face masking and window openings; and (3) droplets: social distancing and reducing working hours in the workplace. Findings: Regressions show that OBC towards different transmission routes share the same primary determinants, including risk perception and co-worker behaviour change. Older age significantly influenced air-related OBC, while fomite-related OBC was more associated with the gender factor. By contrast, the personal factor was negligible for droplet-related OBCs, which were more influenced by perceived individual space in the workplace. Research limitations/implications: First, the sample used in this paper is skewed towards occupants in prime educational and office buildings in a developed country, limiting the findings’ generalisation. Second, readers should also be aware that the scales used for the OBC towards three transmission routes include a limited number of items that limit the scope of measurement. Third, the research depends on correlational rather than experimental data, demonstrating connections but not causation or directionality. Therefore, other studies, such as experiments, interviews and field observations, are required to validate the results of OBC in the workplace. Practical implications: This study informs practitioners and modellers on the significant change in OBs relating to respiratory disease transmissions to improve their building energy and respiratory infection risk assessment models. In addition, the findings inform building designers of occupant preference for touchless public interface and more individual space in the workplace. Social implications: This research helps in understanding building OB and behaviour change in respect of respiratory diseases which will, in turn, improve building occupant by reducing the risk of indoor transmission of respiratory diseases. Originality/value: This paper provides information about OBC concerning respiratory infection control and offers evidence-based insight into the determinants of those changes

What’s driving post-pandemic university student engagement? Findings from a design faculty

Situated within the many post-pandemic questions around patterns of student engagement and student choice, this paper explores the topic of why university students choose to attend campus on a day-to-day basis. This work builds on recent inquiry into the purpose of campus within broader narratives of university life, including notions of being a student and belonging to one’s institution. It is also positioned within student experience scholarship, which broadly engages with the complexities of delivering high-quality tertiary education to diverse student cohorts. Using student engagement as a conceptual lens, this paper reports on a study of twenty students within an Australia-based faculty of design. Semi-structured interviews explored how students engage with their studies and the faculty, including the factors influencing their ongoing decisions around when and why to come to campus, stay and leave. Findings underscore the importance of environmental quality and atmosphere, as well as meaningful social connections, for driving on-campus engagement. The study also suggests that, whilst the push towards flexibility has granted students the ability to manage how, where and when they engage, this may also come with risks like feelings of disconnection. In addition to making an empirical contribution to student experience and student engagement scholarship, the focus on a single, multi-disciplinary faculty is meant to prompt reflection on the relative benefits for approaching student experience at this particular scale

What Do Young People Say about Their Education?: Voices of School Leavers in Australia

This report examines the schooling experiences of a cohort of young people who completed secondary school in Australia at the end of 2023. The results show: • The majority of participants (60%) were positive about their education, stating that they were either somewhat or very satisfied with it. • While reflecting on their education many participants identified their teachers, wider school environment and sense of school connectedness as key determinants of their satisfaction. • Reviewing the participants’ open text comments revealed two areas of consensus: 1) that education was important, and 2) that Australian school education needs to change. • The participants identified several areas in which they felt that change was needed. They included: a perceived misalignment between what they expect the current Australian education system to do and what it actually does, the stress and pressure experienced by young people, and the lack of opportunities for students to be heard and consulted with in relation to their education. • We find that the critiques that our participants made of the Australian education system broadly align with some existing critiques in the literature

Chemical Genetics of P. falciparum Plasmepsin V, Plasmepsin X, and Cytochrome b

© 2025 Wenyin SuMalaria is caused by the Plasmodium parasite and results in about 600,000 deaths worldwide annually. The emergence of resistance against almost all antimalarial drugs has now become an obstacle to eliminating the disease. To address the issue, there is an urgent need for the discovery and development of new antimalarials with novel mechanisms of action. In this thesis, complementary forward and reverse genetics, and chemo-proteomic techniques were applied to characterise the mechanism of action (MoA) and explore resistance factors of three antimalarial classes. Plasmepsin V (PMV) is an aspartyl protease that is essential for processing the N-terminal PEXEL motif of proteins licensing them for export to the host red blood cell during the asexual segment of malaria parasite’s life cycle. Small molecule peptidomimetics mimicking the PEXEL motif have been previously developed as potent inhibitors of PMV. The peptidomimetics have been shown to block protein export and kill the malaria parasite, although confirmation of their on-target activity was required. In Chapter 2, resistance selection and genome sequencing revealed a mutation in PMV. Reverse genetics was then used to reverse engineer parasites to confirm the mutation in PMV. Biased and unbiased chemo-proteomics were then applied to demonstrate on-target engagement of PMV in P. falciparum parasites, definitively showing that the peptidomimetics kill the parasite by targeting PMV. Plasmepsin X (PMX) is an aspartyl protease that is vital for the maturation of proteins that enable the malaria parasite to enter and exit from the host red blood cell. Small molecules with an imino pyrimidinone chemotype have been developed as inhibitors of PMX that potently block red blood cell invasion and egress preventing asexual stage parasite development. Resistance selection using imino pyrimidinone inhibitors was previously performed to understand the risk of resistance in the field. In Chapter 3, parasites were genetically reversed engineered to confirm and investigate the mutations and amplifications in PMX responsible for the resistance observed. To uncover new starting points for antimalarial development, a phenotypic screen of the Janssen Jumpstarter library against the asexual stage parasite uncovered the cyclopropyl carboxamide hit class. In Chapter 4, forward genetics was used to identify the MoA of the hit class. Genome sequencing of cyclopropyl carboxamide-resistant parasites revealed mutations in the Qo site of cytochrome b, which is an essential component of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Cytochrome b was confirmed as the molecular target by evaluating cyclopropyl carboxamide analogs against cytochrome b resistant parasite lines, and in a mitochondrial functional assay supporting this antimalarial class targeting cytochrome b. The investigation of the mechanisms of action of the three antimalarial classes undertaken in this thesis will assist in better understanding the role of the target proteins in parasite survival and resistance to facilitate the future development of these antimalarial classes

Causes of mortality in koalas autopsied at the University of Melbourne

Objective: To determine the causes of mortality in koalas autopsied at the University of Melbourne based on the retrospective analysis of autopsy reports. Methods: The autopsy reports of 239 koalas examined at the University of Melbourne from 1970 to 2023 were reviewed to determine which of the comorbidities present was the primary cause to which death could be attributed. Results: Infectious disease (62 cases) including presumptive chlamydiosis (38 cases), emaciation (38 cases) and trauma (35) were the leading cause of mortality. Death was attributed to other causes in 89 cases, whereas the cause was not definitively determined in 39. Twenty-six different causes of death were identified overall. Presumptive chlamydiosis was the greatest single disease to cause mortality, primarily due to the increased likelihood of leading to euthanasia. Traumatic causes included motor vehicle accidents (16 cases), animal attacks (all from dogs; 5 cases) and malicious acts (1 case). Emaciation resulting in death was attributed to senescence (9), sarcoptic mange (7), starvation (6) and dental disease (6). Sarcoptic mange caused mortality, with or without emaciation, in 16 cases. There was one case each of congenital abdominal hernia, cardiomyopathy, burns and ivermectin toxicosis, and two of oxalate nephropathy. Neoplasms were the cause of mortality in 12 koalas and included five female reproductive tract neoplasms and, importantly, only two lymphomas, in contrast with previous studies in which lymphoma is the most prevalent neoplasm. Conclusion: This is the most comprehensive data analysis of mortality amongst Victorian koalas, and one of the few autopsy studies on koalas. Infectious disease including presumptive chlamydiosis, emaciation and trauma were the leading causes of mortality amongst koalas submitted for autopsy at this institution