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Spurred by internationalization, short-term study abroad (STSA) programmes have been increasingly adopted by higher education (HE) for enhancing students’ global perspectives. However, students’ intercultural learning through STSA was under-researched in the context of the fast-evolving self-financed sector of Hong Kong HE. This study investigated students’ intercultural learning experiences through STSA programmes in a self-financed sub-degree institution in Hong Kong. Based on the Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006), this study explored the process of students’ intercultural development from STSA experiences. A qualitative case study methodological approach was employed. Data was collected by semi-structured interview, photo-elicitation and reflective report of fourteen students participating in three different STSA programmes of the institution; and semi-structured interview with the three teachers-in-charge. Data was then coded and analysed by thematic analysis. This study argued that intercultural learning in STSA in this context could be explained by the Process Model of Intercultural Competence (Deardorff, 2006) but what promotes the process of intercultural development from one constituent element to the other seemed missing in the framework. Meaningful intercultural contact or exchange with the host culture is essential for promoting intercultural development. Furthermore, students’ intercultural development is context-based as programme features, accommodation, students’ openness to differences would affect students’ interaction opportunities with the local culture differently. Findings revealed that students perceived ‘cultural knowledge’ and ‘cultural exchange’ as two major aspects of intercultural learning in STSA. Students described the host culture and lifestyles as ‘spacious and green’, ‘slow pace’, ‘participative classroom’, ‘expressive style’, ‘high tolerance’ and ‘strong national identification’, which they p

The Grainger Museum is one of the University of Melbourne’s museums. It is a purpose-built autobiographical building for the collection of Ellan and Percy Grainger, with more than 100,000 items, including musical scores, manuscripts, and a collection of musical instruments. The museum was designed by the University of Melbourne architect, John Gawler in close exchange with the Graingers, and opened in 1938. The museum’s significance as a collection but also of its architecture is expressed through its inclusion in the Register of the National Estate and the Victorian Heritage Register, and its classification by the National Trust of Australia (Victoria). As part of a university-wide digitization strategy, we created digital 3D models of the building, its surroundings, and interiors, through the use of Lidar laser scanning. While this generates a digital dataset that documents and preserves the heritage-listed building, we aim to go beyond the mere representation of the physical. Our creative research expands the notion of the building and its collection as a mere collection of physical artefacts. Through digital animation and storytelling, we express and make accessible the stories and histories of the collection and building. We represent atmospheric experiences, animated views, newly composed soundscapes, and interactive visualizations – exploring new modes of documentation and representation. Are we able to add layers to the physical and build through artistic explorations, using visual animations and soundscapes? How can we expand the understanding of the building and its collection for visitors and viewers? These are some of the questions we will discuss in this paper. This research demonstrates how a visitor- and viewer-centred approach to the museum and the collection allows for other experiences and relationships with the collection and the spaces of the Grainger Museum.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their synthetic mimics have received recent interest as new alternatives to traditional antibiotics in attempts to overcome the rise of antibiotic resistance in many microbes. AMPs are part of the natural defenses of most living organisms and they also have a unique mechanism of action against bacteria. Herein, a new series of short amphiphilic cationic peptidomimetics were synthesized by incorporating the 3′-amino-[1,1′-biphenyl]-3-carboxylic acid backbone to mimic the essential properties of natural AMPs. By altering hydrophobicity and charge, we identified the most potent analogue 25g that was active against both Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus (MIC = 15.6 μM) and Gram-negative Escherichia coli (MIC = 7.8 μM) bacteria. Cytoplasmic permeability assay results revealed that 25g acts primarily by depolarization of lipids in cytoplasmic membranes. The active compounds were also investigated for their cytotoxicity to human cells, lysis of lipid bilayers using tethered bilayer lipid membranes (tBLMs) and their activity against established biofilms of S. aureus and E. coli.

Bacteria regulate the expression of various virulence factors and processes such as biofilm formation through a chemically-mediated communication mechanism called quorum sensing. Bacterial biofilms contribute to antimicrobial resistance as they can protect bacteria embedded in their matrix from the effects of antibiotics. Thus, developing novel quorum sensing inhibitors, which can inhibit biofilm formation, is a viable strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance. We report herein the synthesis of novel acyclic and cyclic glyoxamide derivatives via ring-opening reactions of N-acylisatins. These compounds were evaluated for their quorum sensing inhibition activity against P. aeruginosa MH602 and E. coli MT102. Compounds 20, 21 and 30 displayed the greatest quorum sensing inhibition activity against P. aeruginosa MH602, with 71.5%, 71.5%, and 74% inhibition, respectively, at 250 μM. Compounds 18, 20 and 21 exhibited the greatest QSI activity against E. coli MT102, with 71.5%, 72.1% and 73.5% quorum sensing inhibition activity, respectively. In addition, the biofilm inhibition activity was also investigated against P. aeruginosa and E. coli at 250 μM. The glyoxamide compounds 16, 18 and 19 exhibited 71.2%, 66.9%, and 66.5% inhibition of P. aeruginosa biofilms, respectively; whereas compounds 12, 20, and 22 showed the greatest inhibitory activity against E. coli biofilms with 87.9%, 90.8% and 89.5%, respectively. Finally, the determination of the in vitro toxicity against human MRC-5 lung fibroblast cells revealed that these novel glyoxamide compounds are non-toxic to human cells.

The synthesis and supramolecular properties of novel glyoxylamide-based short peptides formed via the ring-opening reaction of N-acetylisatins in solution phase are described. The short peptides self-assembled into gels, which were examined for their mechanical and morphological characteristics using multiple spectroscopic and microscopy techniques. The critical gel concentration and mechanical strength of the self-assembled gels were influenced by the presence of electronegative substituents (such as fluoro, in 5b) or hydrophobic substituents (such as bromo, 5d) respectively in the short peptides. Moreover, in vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that these compounds were non-toxic to mammalian cells.

Neuroblastoma is frequently diagnosed at advanced stage disease and treatment includes high dose chemotherapy and surgery. Despite the use of aggressive therapy survival rates are poor and children that survive their disease experience long term side effects from their treatment, highlighting the need for effective and less toxic therapies. Catechin is a natural polyphenol with anti-cancer properties and limited side effects, however its mechanism of action is unknown. Here we report that Dextran-Catechin, a conjugated form of catechin that increases serum stability, is preferentially and markedly active against neuroblastoma cells having high levels of intracellular copper, without affecting non-malignant cells. Copper transporter 1 (CTR1) is the main transporter of copper in mammalian cells and it is upregulated in neuroblastoma. Functional studies showed that depletion of CTR1 expression reduced intracellular copper levels and led to a decrease in neuroblastoma cell sensitivity to Dextran-Catechin, implicating copper in the activity of this compound. Mechanistically, Dextran-Catechin was found to react with copper, inducing oxidative stress and decreasing glutathione levels, an intracellular antioxidant and regulator of copper homeostasis. In vivo, Dextran-Catechin significantly attenuated tumour growth in human xenograft and syngeneic models of neuroblastoma. Thus, Dextran-Catechin targets copper, inhibits tumour growth, and may be valuable in the treatment of aggressive neuroblastoma and other cancers dependent on copper for their growth.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are a key component of the human immune system. Synthetic AMP mimics represent a novel strategy to counteract the increasing incidence of antimicrobial resistance. Here, we describe the synthesis of novel glyoxamide derivatives via ring-opening reactions of N-hexanoyl, N-benzoyl and N-naphthoylisatins with N,N-dimethylethane-1,2-diamine and N,N-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine. These were converted to both the hydrochloric acid (HCl) or quaternary ammonium iodide (MeI) salts and their antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was investigated by their zone-of-inhibition and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC). The HCl salt 22b exhibited the lowest MIC of 16 μg mL-1, whereas the corresponding MeI salt 22c had a MIC of 39 μg mL-1. We also investigated the in vitro toxicity of active compounds against the MRC-5 normal human lung fibroblasts and their activity against established biofilm in S. aureus.