Search

Improving the degradation performance and enhancing the biocompatibility are the main challenges of Mg-based biodegradable implants. In this study, a nano-hydroxyapatite-enhanced (nHA) Mg matrix composite was fabricated via friction stir processing and characterised, including microstructure, mechanical, in vitro degradation properties, and cytocompatibility. Hydroxyapatite is renowned for its superior bone compatibility, promoting healing responses and tissue growth. Friction stirring created a gradient grain structure in the alloy, with the stir zone exhibiting the highest grain refinement. The stir zone also contained most of the incorporated nHA and exhibited a strong texture with grains preferentially oriented along the [0001] direction. Immersion and polarisation experiments showed an increase in the FSPed WE43-nHA's corrosion resistance due to the refined microstructure. The treatment also caused a shift in the corrosion mode of the alloy from localized to uniform corrosion despite some localized corrosion associated with the nHA. Cytocompatibility tests in human osteoblast (HOB) cell lines indicated good biocompatibility in the Mg-nHA alloy, with cells exhibiting relatively healthy morphology and increased live cell count. Friction stir processing is a viable manufacturing option for creating Mg-based metal matrix composites with improved corrosion resistance and good biocompatibility.

UHP Mg-Ge alloys was recently found to provide excellent corrosion resistance. This paper provides new insights on the mechanism of improved corrosion resistance of UHP Mg-Ge alloys in Hanks' solution. The studied UHP Mg-0.5Ge and UHP Mg-1Ge alloys showed superior corrosion resistance compared to UHP Mg and WE43, with the Mg-1Ge exhibiting the best corrosion performance. The exceptional corrosion resistance of the UHP alloy is attributed to (i) Mg2Ge's ability to suppress cathodic kinetics, (ii) Ge's capability to accelerate the formation of a highly passive layer, and the (iii) low amounts of corrosion-accelerating impurities.

Additively manufactured lattices based on triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS) have attracted significant research interest from the medical industry due to their good mechanical and biomorphic properties. However, most studies have focussed on permanent metallic implants, while very little work has been undertaken on manufacturing biodegradable metal lattices. In this study, the mechanical properties and in vitro corrosion of selective laser melted Fe–35%Mn lattices based on gyroid, diamond and Schwarz primitive unit-cells were comprehensively evaluated to investigate the relationships between lattice type and implant performance. The gyroid-based lattices were the most readily processable scaffold design for controllable porosity and matching the CAD design. Mechanical properties were influenced by lattice geometry and pore volume. The Schwarz lattices were stronger and stiffer than other designs with the 42% porosity scaffold exhibiting the highest combination of strength and ductility, while diamond and gyroid based scaffolds had lower strength and stiffness and were more plastically compliant. The corrosion behaviour was strongly influenced by porosity, and moderately influenced by geometry and geometry-porosity interaction. At 60% porosity, the diamond lattice displayed the highest degradation rate due to an inherently high surface area-to-volume ratio. The biodegradable Fe–35Mn porous scaffolds showed a good cytocompatibility to primary human osteoblasts cells. Additive manufacturing of biodegradable Fe–Mn alloys employing TPMS lattice designs is a viable approach to optimise and customise the mechanical properties and degradation response of resorbable implants toward specific clinical applications for hard tissue orthopaedic repair.

As a form of assessment, examinations are designed to determine whether students have met learning outcomes. However, students with disabilities report avoiding examinations, selecting units of study where the assessments align with their strengths. To ensure examinations do not contribute to the systematic exclusion of students with disabilities, it is important to explore their experiences. In this paper, we use a sociomaterial frame to analyse how examination arrangements construct inclusion in examinations. Interviews with 40 students were conducted across two universities. Inclusion or exclusion was variably constituted for students through emergent combinations of social and material arrangements. COVID-19 pandemic related social distancing related changes such as shifting examinations online, using technology, increasing time limits and moving to open-book examinations contributed to increased inclusion for most students, who were able to use familiar equipment in spaces they had adapted to their own needs. Staff acceptance and implementation of access requirements and assessment flexibility also contributed. While the attitudes and actions of staff involved in examinations can facilitate inclusion, reducing the need for adjustments through assessment design is important. This requires consideration of how time, technology, equipment and materials contribute to inclusion or exclusion, which may have benefits for many students.

Within Australia, Vocational Education and Training (VET) is promoted as a pathway for low socioeconomic status (LSES) students to enter Higher Education (HE). However, greater equity will only occur if these students achieve successful university outcomes. But how should such success be defined? This paper examined two data sources (i.e., nine years of archival achievement data from one multi-campus Australian university, 18 qualitative interviews with LSES VET students who had transitioned to HE) to consider varying measures of this group's success. Quantitative achievement measures indicated that although VET-entry students performed as well as or better than those entering based on secondary school results, LSES students had systematically lower academic achievement across both groups, suggesting equity goals are yet to be realised. While interviewed students frequently mentioned grades, they also described seeing improvement, making connections, experiencing satisfaction and growing confidence as markers of success. Data highlighted the negative consequences some LSES VET students experienced when grades were viewed as the sole metric of success. Findings suggest it is important for universities to continue to promote VET pathways and normalise diverse conceptions of success to encourage persistence when academic achievement goals are not immediately reached.

It is widely acknowledged that there is systemic pressure on teachers to enact assessment practices that raise student achievement. In this article assessment related discourses that influence teacher and student classroom practices are examined in relation to initial teacher education. In Australia, preservice teachers (PSTs) are required to demonstrate assessment capability, promote student agency and monitor their practice impact on student learning whilst working in schooling ecologies that are marked by high stakes accountability measures. Processes that bridge university and in-school PST teacher preparation are an important consideration in developing assessment capability. It is argued that there are tensions in the current policy environment associated with distributed classroom power relations that are emblematic of student agency in practice. The socially constituted nature of ecological agency that underpins generative assessment for learning practices is an important consideration for judgement about initial teacher assessment capability and associated graduate impact on student learning.

Flexible piezoelectrics realise the conversion between mechanical movements and electrical power by conformally attaching onto curvilinear surfaces, which are promising for energy harvesting of biomedical devices due to their sustainable body movements and/or deformations. Developing secondary functions of flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters is becoming increasingly significant in recent years via aiming at issues that cannot be addressed or mitigated by merely increasing piezoelectric efficiencies. These issues include loose interfacial contact and pucker generation by stretching, power shortage or instability induced by inadequate mechanical energy, and premature function degeneration or failure caused by fatigue fracture after cyclic deformations. Herein, the expedient secondary functions of flexible piezoelectrics to mitigate above issues are reviewed, including stretchability, hybrid energy harvesting, and self-healing. Efforts have been devoted to understanding the state-of-the-art strategies and their mechanisms of achieving secondary functions based on piezoelectric fundamentals. The link between structural characteristic and function performance is unravelled by providing insights into carefully selected progresses. The remaining challenges of developing secondary functions are proposed in the end with corresponding outlooks. The current work hopes to help and inspire future research in this promising field focusing on developing the secondary functions of flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters.

Compulsory distance education has always sought to be inclusive, providing educational opportunities for K-12 students unable to attend mainstream, face-to-face schools for medical, geographical, or personal reasons. However, how to effectively engage these diverse learners has remained a perpetual challenge, with a need for further investigation into the nature of student engagement with compulsory school distance contexts and how teachers can best support it. This qualitative study used focus groups (n = 2 groups, n = 16 participants) to examine teacher definitions and student engagement strategies within eKindy-12 distance education in Queensland, Australia. Categorical analysis was conducted using a priori codes for definitions, focusing on four previously established engagement types (i.e. behavioural, emotional, cognitive, and agentic engagement), and in vivo codes for strategies. Teacher definitions focused strongly on behavioural engagement, but most also contained elements of emotional and cognitive engagement; agentic engagement was only occasionally evidenced via practice descriptions. Teachers described engaging students by: building relationships, creating a safe classroom environment through differentiation, using inclusive technological tools to facilitate interaction and monitor progress, making learning fun and relevant, drawing on school-wide pedagogical frameworks and teaching strategies, and encourage self-regulation. Findings suggest distance education teachers face unique challenges around evidencing engagement and supporting student agency.

Abstract Heavy industry can face challenges in choosing applicable climate change mitigation measures due to a lack of technical background and practical guidance. A better understanding of these determinants is needed to design region-specific climate policies that most effectively enable more ‘successful’ low carbon transitions. Set in an emerging economy, this study aims to understand the determinants which underlie investment decision-making in greenhouse gas reduction. It relies on empirical research using an exploratory case study method in the leading cement company in Indonesia. The results show four key determinants influencing (constraining) adoption were (1) the primacy of profit-seeking objectives in operational planning and development; (2) the availability of sources (clinker substitutes and alternative energy fuels); (3) the limited access to cash capital; and (4) the complexity in implementing emissions reduction projects. The inquiry also compares determinants in an emerging and developed country to provide a comparative perspective on emissions management in manufacturing. It appears that firms from the industrial sector in emerging economies have investment strategies that are largely characterised by activities that accentuate achieving financial benefits or best value for money or cost savings in a short time frame, or ‘short-termism’. Currently, greenhouse gas emissions management activities tend to be second-preference strategies for firms in emerging economies, at least in the industrial manufacturing sector.

This paper examined Australian distance education teachers' perspectives about how they drew on technological tools to support their primary and secondary students' learning. Via two focus groups (n = 9, n = 7), teachers identified that technology greatly assisted them in relation to developing relationships with students and families, creating interactive lessons, differentiating learning, providing quality feedback, and connecting peers. However, they also reported experiencing ongoing challenges and constraints related to gaining technology expertise, overcoming technology faults, and coping with additional accountability. Data made it clear that teacher use of technology was driven by specific student needs and that teachers drew heavily on both core pedagogical knowledge and technological pedagogical content knowledge. Findings suggest the need for more distance education specific professional development to ensure that teachers have the knowledges needed to support diverse learners in this context.

Additively manufactured Ti alloys exhibit spatially dependent microstructures and mechanical properties owing to the intrinsic thermal cycling. Here the authors develop new Ti alloys with uniform mechanical properties through a rational alloy design.

A magnesium alloy containing essential, non-toxic, biodegradable elements such as Ca and Zn has been fabricated using a novel twin-roll casting process (TRC). Microstructure, mechanical properties, in vivo corrosion and biocompatibility have been assessed and compared to the properties of the rare earth (RE) element containing WE43 alloy. TRC Mg-0.5 wt% Zn- 0.5 wt% Ca exhibited fine grains with an average grain size ranging from 70 to 150 μm. Mechanical properties of a TRC Mg-0.5Zn-0.5Ca alloy showed an ultimate tensile strength of 220 MPa and ductility of 9.3%. The TRC Mg-0.5Zn-0.5Ca alloy showed a degradation rate of 0.51 ± 0.07 mm/y similar to that of the WE43 alloy (0.47 ± 0.09 mm/y) in the rat model after 1 week of implantation. By week 4 the biodegradation rates of both alloys studied were lowered and stabilized with fewer gas pockets around the implant. The histological analysis shows that both WE43 and TRC Mg-0.5Zn-0.5Ca alloy triggered comparable tissue healing responses at respective times of implantation. The presence of more organized scarring tissue around the TRC Mg-0.5Zn-0.5Ca alloys suggests that the biodegradation of the RE-free alloy may be more conducive to the tissue proliferation and remodelling process.

Magnesium alloys such as Mg–Ca and Mg–Zn–Ca are good orthopaedic materials; however their tendency to corrode is high. Herein we utilize selective laser melting (SLM) to modify the surface of these Mg alloys to simultaneously improve the corrosion behaviour and microhardness. The corrosion rate decreased from 2.1 ± 0.2 mm/y to 1.0 ± 0.1 mm/y for the laser-processed Mg–0.6Ca, and from 1.6 ± 0.1 mm/y to 0.7 ± 0.2 mm/y for laser-processed Mg–0.5Zn–0.3Ca. The microhardness increased from 46 ± 1 HV to 56 ± 1 HV for Mg–0.6Ca, and from 47 ± 3 HV to 55 ± 3 HV for Mg–0.5Zn–0.3Ca. In addition, good biocompatibility remained in the laser processed Mg alloys. The improved properties are attributed to laser-induced grain refinement, confined impurity elements, residual stress, and modified surface chemistry. The results demonstrated the potential of SLM as a surface engineering approach for developing advanced biomedical Mg alloys.

Infectious bone defects (IBD) remain a major problem in orthopedics in clinical settings. For IBD repair, implants possessing multiple functions such as osseointegration and antibacterial activity are in demand. This study aims to develop a surface-modified titanium (Ti) implant (MTi/Ag/CaP) with osseointegration and antibacterial functions for IBD repair. The pure Ti implant is printed using a selective laser melting technique, and a two-layer hierarchical structure is formed on its surface using a one-step micro-arc oxidation (MAO) approach. The outer layer is an apatite-like material decorated with Ag nanoparticles, whereas the inner layer is porous TiO2. In vitro experiments show that the MTi/Ag/CaP implant can effectively eliminate and inhibit the adhesion and proliferation of bacteria over a long period time while promoting MG-63 cell adhesion, proliferation, and osteogenic differentiation. In vivo experiments further reveal that the MTi/Ag/CaP implant produces more mineralized bone tissue than non-treated samples and interlocks closely with the bone tissue after 8 weeks. The one-step MAO modification developed in this study is simple, efficient, and environment-friendly, which demonstrates great potential as a promising approach for providing advanced biomedical materials in orthopedic applications, including for the prevention and treatment of IBDs.

A refined, equiaxed grain structure and the formation of finer primary intermetallic phases are some of the notable benefits of ultrasonic processing of liquid/solidifying melts. Ultrasonic treatment (UST) has been widely explored in Al and Mg-based alloys due to its operational versatility and scalability. During UST, the refinement of grain and primary intermetallic phases occurs via cavitation-induced fragmentation mechanisms. In addition, UST improves the efficiency (activation of particles) of the conventional grain refinement process when potent particles are added through master alloys. Though the UST’s ability to produce refined as-cast structures is well recognized, the understanding of the refinement mechanisms is still debated and unresolved. Significant efforts have been devoted to understanding these mechanisms through the use of sophisticated techniques such as in-situ/ real-time observation, lab-scale and commercial-scale casting processes. All these studies aim to demonstrate the significance of cavitation, fragmentation modes, and alloy chemistry in microstructure refinement. Although the physical effects of cavitation and acoustic streaming (fluid flow) are primary factors influencing the refinement, the dominant grain refinement mechanisms are affected by several solidification variables and casting conditions. Some of these include melt volume, solute, cooling rate, potent particles, grain growth (equiaxed, columnar or dendritic), and the cold zones of the casting where the onset of nucleation occurs. This review aims to provide a better insight into solidification variables emphasizing the importance of cold zones in generating fine structures for small- and large-volume (direct chill) castings. Another important highlight of this review is to present the relatively less explored mechanism of (acoustic) vibration-induced crystallization and discuss the role of cavitation in achieving a refined ingot structure.

There is mounting evidence that, unless greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fall back quickly, the goals outlined by the 2015 Paris Agreement to keep the global temperature rise well below 2 °C and preferably 1.5 °C will not be met. In response to these concerns, direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS) technologies are gaining research and development attention. This article provides a thorough comparison of the two leading DACCS variants and reports on their status among major research and policy institutions worldwide. By translating the operating and capital costs to the Australian context, we assess the viability of DACCS implementation using either cheap renewable or legacy fossil energy to power CO2 extraction plants.

Novel ternary Zn–Ca–Cu alloys were studied for the development of absorbable wound closure device material due to Ca and Cu's therapeutic values to wound healing. The influence of Ca and Cu on the microstructure, mechanical and degradation properties of Zn were investigated in the as-cast state to establish the fundamental understanding on the Zn–Ca–Cu alloy system. The microstructure of Zn-0.5Ca-0.5Cu, Zn-1.0Ca-0.5Cu, and Zn0.5Ca-1.0Cu is composed of intermetallic phase CaZn13 distributed within the Zn–Cu solid solution. The presence of CaZn13 phase and Cu as solute within the Zn matrix, on the one hand, exhibited a synergistic effect on the grain refinement of Zn, reducing the grain size of pure Zn by 96%; on the other hand, improved the mechanical properties of the ternary alloys through solid solution strengthening, second phase strengthening, and grain refinement. The degradation properties of Zn–Ca–Cu alloys are primarily influenced by the micro-galvanic corrosion between Zn–Cu matrix and CaZn13 phase, where the 0.5% and 1.0% Ca addition increased the corrosion rate of Zn from 11.5 μm/y to 19.8 μm/y and 29.6 μm/y during 4 weeks immersion test.

Ultrasonic treatment (UST) applied during the solidification of pure Mg, eutectic (Mg – Zn) and peritectic (Mg – Zr) alloys was investigated in order to explore the grain refinement mechanisms. Temperature dependent grain refinement is observed in pure Mg where decreasing the superheat temperature (at which UST is applied from above the melting temperature, TM) from 100 °C to 40 °C produces significant refinement with a uniform grain structure. The presence of solute reduces the temperature dependence of the UST refinement and excellent grain refinement is obtained regardless of the superheat temperature (100 °C or 40 °C) and even with the use of preheated sonotrode in the Mg – 6 wt.% Zn alloy. A further improvement in grain refinement is achieved when the alloy contains potent particles that introduce additional nucleation of grains in Mg – 0.5 and 1.0 wt.% Zr alloys (producing an average grain size of ≤100 µm). At 40 °C superheat, UST of Mg – Zn alloys produces excellent refinement (average grain size

The effects of Sr additions on the microstructure and corrosion performance of a Mg-Al-RE alloy in 3.5 wt.% NaCl saturated with Mg(OH)2 have been investigated. Microstructure examination reveals that the Sr addition introduces additional intermetallic phases, refines intermetallic networks and dendritic grains, and improves the network continuity. More Al and rare earth elements can be identified in the intermetallics and grain boundaries or inter-dendrite regions under a transmission electron microscope and secondary electron microscope, respectively. On the Sr-containing intermetallic phases and the refined microstructure, the oxide films become more protective, resulting in more corrosion resistant boundary areas and thus dendrite grain grooves. Hence, the presence of large amounts of intermetallics and boundaries can enhance the corrosion performance of the Mg-Al-RE alloy containing Sr .

Although additively manufactured titanium-tantalum alloys can offer unique mechanical and biological advantages for implant applications, their use in conjunction with engineered lattice architectures is yet to be explored. In the present study, the promising gyroid, diamond and Schwarz primitive minimal surfaces are used for the design of 3D lattices for biomedical implants. The lattices are fabricated using laser powder-bed fusion and a blend of elemental titanium-tantalum powder. The processability, compressive mechanical properties and in vitro biological properties of the dense and lattice samples are assessed via non-destructive and destructive characterization methods. The topologies from the designed structures are retained through processing and the compressive tests results show that the strength-to-modulus ratios are comparable to the conventional Ti-6Al-4 V alloy. However, the higher ductility and absence of toxic elements make the Ti-25Ta lattices a more favourable option for a new generation of implants. Compared to conventional lattices, the designs presented here also show advantageous mechanical properties for use in bone implants with higher elastic admissible strains. The in vitro cell cultures confirm the high biocompatibility of the material and improved biological response of the interconnected lattices over dense material.

This paper studied corrosion of pure Mg and the Mg alloys EV31A, WE43B, ZE41A, coated with commercial corrosion inhibiting compounds (CICs) (LPS 3, LPS2, AMLGuard, Ardrox 3961) immersed in 3.5 wt% (0.6 M) NaCl solution saturated with Mg(OH)2. All four CICs reduced corrosion rates. LPS 3 resulted in zero corrosion rates and 100% inhibition in most cases. LPS 2 and AMLGuard had comparable inhibition efficiencies, whilst Ardrox 3961 had the lowest inhibition efficiency. Reduction in corrosion rates was tentatively attributed to barrier films formed by chemical adsorption for LPS 3 and AMLGuard, and by physical adsorption for LPS2 and Ardrox 3961.

Recent events within the Australian National Electricity Market have demonstrated that the system of an energy-only market (a market that only compensates power that has been produced) is no longer fit for purpose. The rate of change in installed capacity and generation requires better planning to ensure reliability is maintained at the lowest total system cost during the transition to net zero. Australian National Electricity Market participants will need sufficient incentives and confidence to invest in new capacity. This paper assesses a “no constraints” scenario and recommends a range of policy and market mechanisms that could be utilized to achieve a net zero National Electricity Market in Australia by 2050. This paper adopts the perspective of total system cost, which allows multiple factors relating to decision-making to be incorporated. In the absence of a carbon price, this paper seeks to put forward technology-based policy and market mechanisms to incentivise the changes required. The “Modelling Energy and Grid Services” model used in this study has shown that this “no constraints” future grid will need to contain approximately 100 GW of variable renewable energy, almost 20 GW of firm, low-emissions generation, such as carbon capture, utilisation and storage, bioenergy with carbon capture and storage, hydroelectric power, or nuclear power. It will also require more than 10 GW of storage, including pumped hydro energy storage and other energy storage technologies, and over 30 GW of firm, dispatchable peaking plants, including thermal power generation.

Aluminium nitride (AlN) is an important technical ceramic with outstanding strength and thermal conductivity that has important applications for advanced heat sink materials and as a reinforcement for metal-based composites. In this study, we report a novel, straightforward and low-cost method to prepare AlN powder using a vacuum tube furnace for the direct nitridation of loose aluminium powder at low temperatures (down to 500 ∘C) under flowing high-purity nitrogen. Small amounts of magnesium powder (1 wt.%), combined with aluminium, promote nitridation. Here, we characterise the effects of time (up to 12 h) and temperature (490 to 560 ∘C) on nitridation with the aim to establish an effective regimen for the controlled synthesis of an aluminium nitride reinforcement powder for the production of metal matrix composites. The extent of nitridation and the morphology of the reaction products were assessed using scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analyses. AlN was detected for all nitriding temperatures ≥ 500 ∘C, with the highest yields of 80% to 85% obtained at 530 ∘C for times ≥ 1 h. At this temperature, nitridation proceeded rapidly, and there was extensive agglomeration of the reaction products making it difficult to reprocess into powder. At lower temperatures around 510 ∘C, a relatively high proportion of AlN was attained (>73% after 6 h) while retaining excellent friability so that it could be manually reprocessed to powder. The synthesised reinforcement consisted of micro- or nano-crystalline AlN comingled with metallic aluminium. The ratio of AlN and metallic aluminium can be readily controlled by varying the nitriding temperature. This provides a flexible and accessible method for the production of AlN-reinforcement powders suited to the production of metal matrix composites.

Because age is the greatest risk factor for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD), phenotypic screens based upon old age-associated brain toxicities were used to develop the potent neurotrophic drug J147. Since certain aspects of aging may be primary cause of AD, we hypothesized that J147 would be effective against AD-associated pathology in rapidly aging SAMP8 mice and could be used to identify some of the molecular contributions of aging to AD. An inclusive and integrative multiomics approach was used to investigate protein and gene expression, metabolite levels, and cognition in old and young SAMP8 mice. J147 reduced cognitive deficits in old SAMP8 mice, while restoring multiple molecular markers associated with human AD, vascular pathology, impaired synaptic function, and inflammation to those approaching the young phenotype. The extensive assays used in this study identified a subset of molecular changes associated with aging that may be necessary for the development of AD.

Abstract Background All cells accumulate insoluble protein aggregates throughout their lifespan. While many studies have characterized the canonical disease-associated protein aggregates, such as those associated with amyloid plaques, additional, undefined proteins aggregate in the brain and may be directly associated with disease and lifespan. Methods A proteomics approach was used to identify a large subset of insoluble proteins in the mild cognitively impaired (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) human brain. Cortical samples from control, MCI, and AD patients were separated into detergent-soluble and detergent-insoluble fractions, and high-resolution LC/MS/MS technology was used to determine which proteins became more insoluble in the disease state. Bioinformatics analyses were used to determine if the alteration of protein aggregation between AD and control patients was associated with any specific biological process. Western blots were used to validate the proteomics data and to assess the levels of secondary protein modifications in MCI and AD. Results There was a stage-dependent increase in detergent-insoluble proteins, with more extreme changes occurring in the AD cohort. Glycolysis was the most significantly overrepresented gene ontology biological process associated with the alteration of protein aggregation between AD and control patients. It was further shown that many low molecular weight proteins that were enriched in the AD brain were also highly aggregated, migrating on SDS-PAGE far above their predicted molecular masses. Glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase isoenzyme L1 (UCHL1/PARK5), and the DNA damage repair enzyme KU70 were among the top insoluble proteins identified by proteomics and validated by Western blot to be increased in the insoluble fractions of both MCI and AD brain samples. Conclusions Diverse proteins became more detergent-insoluble in the brains of both MCI and AD patients compared to age-matched controls, suggesting that multiple proteins aggregate in these diseases, likely posing a direct toxic insult to neurons. Furthermore, detergent-insoluble proteins included those with important biological activities for critical cellular processes such as energetics, proteolysis, and DNA damage repair. Thus, reduced protein solubility likely promotes aggregation and limits functionality, reducing the efficiency of multiple aspects of cell physiology. Pharmaceutical interventions that increase autophagy may provide a useful therapeutic treatment to combat protein aggregation.

Current metrics fail to adequately capture the temporal and spatial complexity of energy transitions in a sufficiently meaningful way and this limits their usefulness to inform effective climate and energy policy and management. In this paper we propose a cumulative integral of CO2 emissions intensity for electricity and heat use as a metric to monitor energy transition progress. We demonstrate its application using International Energy Agency data for each of the G20-member countries. Findings show that whilst most countries are far from the energy transition positions required to effectively mitigate climate change, there are some examples of countries that have made an effective transition that provide useful insights into how energy transitions might progress more extensively.

To satisfy the property requirements for biodegradable medical implants, Zn alloyed with low levels of Mg (≤0.8 wt%) has attracted increased research interest. In the present study, deformation twinning was observed in tensile tests and twinning appears to have an adverse impact on ductility. The profuse twinning in the as-cast Zn-Mg alloys accelerated crack growth in tension due to twinning impingement which caused local stress concentrations and initiates cracking. As-rolled Zn-Mg alloys have better ductility than their as-cast counterparts due to the inhibition of twinning by the refined Mg2Zn11 intermetallic phase and the finer grain size. Keywords: Biodegradable metals, Zn-Mg alloys, Deformation twinning, Mechanical properties, Hot rolling

Within self-regulated learning, learners exercise agency by setting targets, formatively monitoring progress, and evaluating results in ways which inform their own goal attainment. However, in real-world classroom situations, assessment processes can elicit behaviours that are more ego-protective than growth-oriented. Resistance to teacher expectations in assessment can arise from the individual's need to protect his or her own identity or ego within the psychosocial context of the classroom. In addition, resistance can arise from strategic choices learners make to cope with competing demands on their time and resources. Thus, students may exercise their agency by not following assessment expectations or protocols (e.g. lying, cheating, or failing to give their best effort). These choices seem to undermine assessment validity. This paper shares student voice data from the Measuring Teachers' Assessment Practices (MTAP) project (n = 46 students in seven focus groups) in New Zealand and the Supporting Student-assessment Success (SSAS) Project (n = 108 first-year university students) in Australia. Both highlight the different ways students resist, subvert, or act in contention with assessment. These data show that students in both sectors do not always act in the growth-oriented ways that educators envision. Students reported exercising potentially maladaptive assessment agency via "Assessment dishonesty," "Purposeful underperformance," and "Doing it alone." These categories were underpinned by three differing rationales: "Protection," "Strategic prioritisation," and "Mini-max." Educators must be mindful of these potential student actions and motives, working to establish psychological safety within the learning environment, and making sure links between learning and assessment are clear.

There is both a growing appreciation of teacher assessment capability for the improvement of school student learning and achievement and a commensurate drive for graduates in Australian Initial Teacher Education institutions to demonstrate impact on school student learning as part of a national accreditation process. We argue in this article that if institutions are to prepare assessment capable graduates who are "profession-ready", attention to practice architectures is warranted. Practice architectures are the features in schools that enable and/or constrain practice. Skills, knowledge and understandings do not just cleanly transfer across Initial Teacher Education institutions and practicum contexts into graduate teacher classrooms. Practitioner identities are produced through "relatings" within specific social-political arrangement, "doings" that constitute activities afforded in material-economic conditions, and "sayings" that are a dominating medium in cultural-discursive frameworks.

The tropical peatlands of Indonesia are widely recognized as a globally significant carbon stock and an important provider of crucial ecosystem services. However, in recent years they have been increasingly degraded. The Indonesian government has attempted to involve communities in peatland restoration efforts. These attempts were made in recognition of (1) the important role livelihood activities play in land degradation processes and (2) the ‘gatekeeping’ and stewardship role local communities play in ensuring the durability and longer-term effectiveness of restoration activities. Engaging communities has proven challenging for many reasons, but particularly because of the historical distrust local communities have towards land management interventions. In this article, we borrow the concept of a social license to operate (SLO) from the business management literature to understand why and how community involvement impacts peatland restoration in Indonesia. We introduce the concept and conceptual models of a social license to restore (SLR). As a result of engaging with our perspective, readers will be able to identify how issues of government distrust, low levels of community participation, and poverty—and the counterfactual—may impact the longer-term success of restoration initiatives and how a social license to restore may expedite progress in restoration. Secondly, discussing and linking the multi-faceted issues of peatland restoration will highlight its relevance within the land, biodiversity and human well-being nexus.

This research analyzes the changes to electricity generation and demand in Japan following both the Global Financial Crisis and Disaster of March 2011. Monthly electricity demand and generation data for all regions of Japan from April 2005 to March 2016 were reviewed to identify differences in disruption-response between different types of electricity users. We apply inferential statistics to identify underlying trends, which we find are dominated by differences in user scale response. Higher capacity users reduced demand in response to the Global Financial Crisis, whereas smaller domestic scale users reduced electricity demand after the Disaster. Analysis reveals that regions within the 50Hz grid that were directly impacted by the Fukushima event and resulting load restrictions showed a statistically significant sustained reduction in monthly electricity demand post-disaster. However, Kansai and Shikoku, regions that are both outside the area directly impacted by the Fukushima event, also showed the same sorts of sustained significant reductions. By considering two disruptions to the same sociotechnical system we can draw conclusions that add to the discourse of electricity use behaviors, which informs both disaster response planning and policy for the broader issues of electricity demand reduction for climate stabilisation. In particular, the results highlight the importance of tailoring engagement and intervention actions to the preferences and needs of different types of electricity users.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia. It is the only one of the top ten causes of death in the USA for which prevention strategies have not been developed. Although AD has traditionally been associated with the deposition of amyloid β plaques and tau tangles, it is becoming increasingly clear that it involves disruptions in multiple cellular systems. Therefore, it is unlikely that hitting a single target will result in significant benefits to patients with AD. An alternative approach is to identify molecules that have multiple biological activities that are relevant to the disease. Fisetin is a small, orally active molecule which can act on many of the target pathways implicated in AD. We show here that oral administration of fisetin to APPswe/PS1dE9 double transgenic AD mice from 3 to 12 months of age prevents the development of learning and memory deficits. This correlates with an increase in ERK phosphorylation along with a decrease in protein carbonylation, a marker of oxidative stress. Importantly, fisetin also reduces the levels of the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) activator p35 cleavage product, p25, in both control and AD brains. Elevated levels of p25 relative to p35 cause dysregulation of Cdk5 activity leading to neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. These fisetin-dependent changes correlate with additional anti-inflammatory effects, including alterations in global eicosanoid synthesis, and the maintenance of markers of synaptic function in the AD mice. Together, these results suggest that fisetin may provide a new approach to the treatment of AD.