Principle and Policy in Malicious Prosecution

Judicial consideration by the Judicial Committee of the PrivyCouncil, and the United Kingdom Supreme Court, of the tort of malicious prosecution – historically confined to criminal prosecution and limited civil proceedings – demonstrates considerable confusion in Common Law systems over the roles of principle and policy in judicial reasoning. As judgements extending malicious prosecution to maliciously motivated civil claims demonstrate, the principles and policies underpinning malicious prosecution and abuse of process, and the relationship between these torts – regarded by judges and jurists as anomalous – remain unclear. Other common law jurisdictions are yet to positively affirm the revised malicious prosecution tort’s applicability to civil proceedings, and the few plaintiffs to plead the expanded tort to date have been unsuccessful

A Multiscale Approach towards the Characterisation of Upper Crustal Deformation at Passive Continental Margins: A Case Study on the Otway Basin, Australia

This thesis presents a multiscale structural analysis of upper crustal deformation at a passive continental margin, using the Jurassic - Quaternary Otway Basin along Australia’s southern margin as a case study. Techniques of structural analyses across the micro (calcite twin, magnetic and porefabric analyses), meso (wellbore and outcrop natural fracture analysis) and macroscales (three-dimensional seismic interpretation) providing an effective means of characterising stress and strain across space and time. The integration of these investigative methods at a passive continental margin for the first time, has assisted in reducing structural uncertainty for basin evolution models, delivering original insights into the evolution of stress within these tectonic environments. The results of this study show magnitudes of maximum differential stress as high as 69MPa during extension and continental breakup, in contrast to magnitudes as low as 13MPa during basin inversion. The influence of high extensional stresses during continental break up, resulting in layer parallel stretching (LPSt), a microstructural strain which may develop in layered rock, characterised by an azimuth of stretching or thinning, orthogonal to the orientation of regional extensional faults. LPSt occurs in the early stages of extension, prior to the development of calcite twins, natural fractures, and faults which occur progressively as the intensity and duration of extension increases. This is evidenced in the Otway Basin, where Late Cretaceous aged NE-SW and N-S oriented LPSt is co-axial with extensional azimuths during that time, derived from the stress inversion of seismic scale faults, calcite twins and natural fractures from the outcrop and wellbore. The neotectonic preservation of LPSt in the Otway Ranges, an uplifted section of Early Cretaceous sediments in the Otway Basin, suggests that early grain-scale extensional strain can be preserved during ensuing phases of inversion at continental margins. As during the process of inversion, stress is primarily released through the reactivation of previously formed extensional fault and detachment systems. A process of deformation that results in low levels of coupling between the basement and cover, an observation that is supported by the low magnitudes of compressional stress (13MPa) calculated during the same period. Additionally, the results of this study have improved our understanding of sub-surface fluid flow in the Otway Basin. Geomechanical modelling demonstrating that low contemporary magnitudes of effective normal stress, acting on NW-SE oriented faults, striking parallel to the orientation of maximum horizontal stress, results in a high risk of fault dilation. This suggests that future efforts of exploration for conventional oil and gas systems within the Otway Basin, are best focused where E-W, N-S and NE-SW striking faults interact with the major NW-SE fabric, or where the influence of basin inversion is most pronounced. A major outcome of this study is a new structural framework for the Otway Basin, one that is defined by a consistent pattern of NW-SE striking faults across much of the basin, in contrast to the previous structural model of opposing fault trends in the west and east. The new framework characterises a structural trend that is consistent with faulting patterns in sedimentary provinces to the west and east along Australia’s southern margin.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, Australian School of Petroleum, 201

Investigation of insulin-like receptor systems.

The insulin and insulin-like growth factor receptor (IR and IGF-lR respectively) networks are ancient and fundamental systems that control growth and metabolism in multicellular organisms. This thesis has examined several aspects of this field focusing on mammalian receptor biology and a comparison of the similarities and differences between the insulin and IGF receptor signalling systems. The insulin receptor family of proteins consist of eleven structural domains, of which the extracellular domains contain all the ligand binding and specificity determinants. The insert domain, within the extracellular region is the least understood of all the domains, and it has no similarity to any other protein sequence. It does however contain the cleavage site which separates the receptor into two subunits and also a small stretch of residues shown to directly contact bound ligand and which is absolutely required for ligand binding in short recombinant forms of the receptor. In addition, the human insulin receptor, expressed as one of two isoforms, A and B, results in the exclusion or inclusion of 12 amino acids directly adjacent to the ligand contacting amino acids in the insert domain. The A isoform lacking exon11 is expressed ubiquitously and the B isoform containing exon11 is co-expressed mainly in the traditional insulin responsive tissues of liver, muscle, adipocytes and kidney, where it is the dominant isoform. In this thesis recombinant insert domain was expressed in a bacterial system in an attempt to purify folded protein suitable for NMR structural analysis. The results of the expression studies indicated that the insert domain was unstructured in isolation and was unable to be adequately refolded by all conditions tried, although hydrophobic conditions appeared to partially stabilize the structure. The overall conclusions of this project were that the Insert domain is likely to have limited structure, and probably buried within the receptor, and therefore requires the presence of the rest of the extracellular domains to adopt its correct structure. A comparison of the ligand binding and phsophorylation potential between the two human isoforms of the insulin receptor was made. A competition binding assay using europium labelled insulin was developed, that found that both IGF-l and IGF-2 had an increased affinity for the hIR-A, but insulin had a slightly reduced affinity. These results differ from the established literature in the raw values, however the relative ratios of binding strength are consistent. The most likely reason for this is that the europium labelled insulin has a different mode of binding the receptors due to the location of the europium chelate. Interestingly, using europium labelled IGF-l produced results nearly identical to those of conventional competition assays. Phosphorylation assays indicated that the hIR-B isoform was more responsive than hIR-A. Even though IGF-2 and IGF-l had improved affinity for hIR-A, the level of phosphorylation was not as high. The ability of each growth factor to promote cellular proliferation correlated well with the relative strength of binding and activation of the receptor. The regions of the IR and IGF-1R involved in binding substrates and regulators are predominantly found in the juxtamembrane domain and the C-terminal domain, which contain several potential tyrosine and serine phosphorylation target sequences. In this study the effect of mutations in unique tyrosine residues and other residues in the C-terminal domain of the hIGF-lR was investigated. Results of time-course phosphorylation assays showed that mutation of Tyrosine¹²⁵¹ to phenylalanine caused hyperphosphorylation of the receptor and increased proliferation, which was caused by deregulation of a tyrosine phosphatase. A Tyrosine¹²⁵⁰ to phenylalanine mutation had altered kinetics of phosphorylation, displaying an unchanging rate of phosphorylation over time after ligand stimulation. However, proliferation was unaltered, indicating that even under extended exposure to ligand, the initial strength of receptor activation is more critical to affecting the biological response. The Caenorhabditis elegans insulin-like peptide family is a very large family consisting of possibly 38 peptides likely to be both agonists and antagonists of Daf-2 Receptor (IR homologue) signalling. Comparative modelling of all 38 peptides was performed based on the known structures of mammalian peptides. The overall results indicated that good quality models of ins peptides could be made despite the low sequence similarity with the templates. This suggested that it is the conformational shape of the molecule allowable by the individual residues that is most important when modelling and not having a perfect sequence match.Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, 200

Bridging the gaps: studying the misconceptions, knowledge gaps and commonly held beliefs about dementia with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Far North Queensland

Aims: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have lower life expectancy and worse health outcomes than the general Australian population and an increased risk of dementia within these communities has recently been found (Smith et al., 2008). Although studies have shown that dementia is not widely understood within urban Aboriginal Communities (Garvey et al. 2011), knowledge in remote communities and in the Torres Strait, where health inequalities are greatest, has not been investigated. As knowledge of symptoms has been linked to willingness to seek treatment and early diagnosis is crucial for optimal treatment of dementia, the aim of this study was to investigate understanding of Alzheimer's disease and dementia amongst remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and to clarify variables that influence dementia literacy. Methods: A total of 462 adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders completed the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Survey for Indigenous Australians whilst attending three cultural festivals in Far North Queensland. Responses were analyzed to evaluate overall knowledge of Alzheimer's disease and dementia as well as identify commonly held beliefs, misconceptions and knowledge gaps. Results: Consistent with previous research, dementia knowledge was low (mean score = 5.23 (SD 2.9), range 0–13 out of 20) and did not differ significantly between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Although there was a commonly held belief that memory loss was a central feature of Alzheimer's disease, there were shared misconceptions about the cause, prevalence and treatment of dementia and how dementia is diagnosed. Conclusion: Results highlighted the importance of developing culturally appropriate interventions to improve dementia literacy amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders given the increased risk of dementia within these communities

Are we there yet? Exploring the journey to quality stroke care for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in rural and remote Queensland

Introduction: The burden of stroke for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia is significant. The National Stroke Foundation has identified that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to have a stroke at a younger age than the non-Indigenous population and are twice as likely for stroke to result in death, and that those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in rural and remote areas are less likely to have access to an acute stroke unit. The only acute stroke unit in Far North Queensland treats six times more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients than the Queensland average, a large proportion of whom reside in the rural and remote communities of the Cape and Torres Strait. This article describes part of the qualitative phase of a project titled Culturally appropriate stroke services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people', received Closing the Gap funding to identify the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stroke survivors in Far North Queensland and establish a model of care that is responsive to these needs. Method: Data were collected from 24 stroke survivors, 10 carers and 70 stakeholders through surveys. The surveys incorporated open-ended questions and were administered through face to face interviews with participants from across 18 diverse Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities within Far North Queensland. Guided by the principles of thematic analysis the data were coded, categories created and themes and subthemes identified. Results: This study emphasises the need for an inclusive coordinated and culturally responsive approach to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stroke care that values the role of the client, their family and community. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander liaison officer has a pivotal role within the multidisciplinary team. Resources specific to the language, literacy and cultural needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stroke survivors are required as is advocacy for the availability and use of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language interpreters. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stroke survivors have limited opportunity to fulfil their rehabilitation potential after hospital discharge. Conclusion: An integrated patient centred model of care that spans the care continuum and places value on an extended role for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker workforce is indicated, as is an increased utilisation of allied health and specialist follow-up close to home

Increasing Pasture Production on Drained Saltland

The Upper South East of South Australia has been identified as being at risk of extensive soil degradation, with large areas already affected by dryland salinity and waterlogging. To mitigate this, an extensive network of drains has been installed. In 2009, 19 soil surveys were conducted on land adjacent to a number of deep drains (\u3e 1.0 m) in order to determine soil salinity and pH. The surveys indicated low levels of topsoil salinity (0-10 cm) in the southern part of the region, while 66% of soil sampling sites in the northern zone had salinity levels (ECe) below 4 dS/m. These results suggest that important changes in soil salinity have occurred, which are likely to impact on pasture species adaptation. To identify suitable pasture options for these drained areas, four pasture evaluation trials were established in 2009. These trials were established on four different soil types, with each sown to 32 species including annual and perennial legumes, annual and perennial grasses and perennial herbs. Results show that an array of productive pasture species could potentially be suited to these environments, with species performance often site specific. This contrasts to the limited range of previously sown saltland species, principally puccinellia (Puccinellia ciliata) and tall wheat grass (Thinopyrum ponticum). The results demonstrate that pasture productivity can be substantially improved by the resowing of new pasture species in these areas

Messina (\u3cem\u3eMelilotus siculus\u3c/em\u3e)–A New Pasture Legume for Saltland

Messina (Melilotus siculus ((Turra) Vitman ex B.D. Jacks)) is a new annual pasture legume for saltland in temperate Australia and regions of the world that experience Mediterranean climates. Messina has greater tolerance to the combined stresses of salinity and water-logging than existing commercial pasture legumes. Coupled with desirable agronomic traits these characteristics give messina the capacity to rehabilitate saltland and increase productivity on land where existing legumes fail. This paper reviews the agronomic perform-ance of messina in relation to top soil salinity levels

Leaf gas films delay salt entry and enhance underwater photosynthesis and internal aeration of Melilotus siculus submerged in saline water

A combination of flooding and salinity is detrimental to most plants. We studied tolerance of complete submergence in saline water for Melilotus siculus, an annual legume with superhydrophobic leaf surfaces that retain gas films when under water. M.siculus survived complete submergence of 1 week at low salinity (up to 50molm-3 NaCl), but did not recover following de-submergence from 100molm-3 NaCl. The leaf gas films protected against direct salt ingress into the leaves when submerged in saline water, enabling underwater photosynthesis even after 3d of complete submergence. By contrast, leaves with the gas films experimentally removed suffered from substantial Na+ and Cl- intrusion and lost the capacity for underwater photosynthesis. Similarly, plants in saline water and without gas films lost more K+ than those with intact gas films. This study has demonstrated that leaf gas films reduce Na+ and Cl- ingress into leaves when submerged by saline water - the thin gas layer physically separates the floodwater from the leaf surface. This feature aids survival of plants exposed to short-term saline submergence, as well as the previously recognized beneficial effects of gas exchange under water