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Item Metadata only Water pricing and markets: Principles, practices and proposals(Wiley, 2025) Wheeler, S.A.; Nauges, C.; Grafton, R.Q.The allocation of water across space and time is a key challenge of water governance, with demand and supply often not well matched over time and place. Best practice water pricing and markets may promote water conservation, yet their application is limited. We highlight the governance principles needed for best practice water pricing and water markets, describe differences across regions, and provide six key water demand governance recommendations for both Global North and Global South countries.Item Metadata only Energy and fertigation consumption and economic viability of a light blocking film in greenhouse lettuce production(Elsevier, 2024) He, J.; Lin, T.; Liang, W.; Chavan, S.; Sethuvenkatraman, S.; Goldsworthy, M.; Tissue, D.; Chen, Z.H.High-technology greenhouses offer a promising avenue for enhancing global food security, yet their high operational energy costs, associated with cooling, remain a significant barrier to extensive utilisation in crop production, particularly in warm regions. This study evaluates the impact of Light Blocking Film (LBF) and different cooling technologies on lettuce production in high-technology greenhouses in Australia. The effect of LBF on cooling energy reduction and crop yield variation was evaluated over three lettuce trials, and the results were used to assess the commercial feasibility. LBF was found to slightly reduce average cooling energy expenditure and the average fertigation use by 24.2%. Despite these savings, LBF led to decreased crop yields of 6.2%–14% across three seasons and three different cultivars, highlighting a trade-off between resource use efficiency and productivity. Economic modelling indicates that integrating LBF with fan-pad systems could achieve a net present value of $1013 per m2, and a benefit-cost ratio of 2.11 through the lifespan. Conversely, the system combining LBF with fan-coil units showed a longer payback period of more than 17 years, emphasizing the importance of system compatibility. The study highlights the necessity for precision in the choice of greenhouse technologies to balance energy and resource sustainability with crop productivity. These findings serve as a guide for optimizing technology deployment in protected cropping systems to maximize agricultural, environmental and economic benefits.Item Metadata only Manipulating adsorbed hydrogen for enhanced HMF electrocatalytic hydrogenation(Elsevier, 2025) Gao, Y.; Tang, C.; Zheng, Y.5-Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), derived from biomass, is a promising sustainable resource that can be converted into valuable chemical compounds. One such compound, 2,5-dihydroxymethylfuran (DHMF), produced through the electrocatalytic hydrogenation of HMF, is widely used in industrial polymer manufacturing. However, the hydrogenation of high-concentration HMF remains challenging due to the tendency for undesirable dimerization. Acknowledging the critical role of adsorbed hydrogen (H*) in HMF hydrogenation, a series of transition metal-doped dual-cubic Cu electrocatalysts (M-Cu, where M = Mo, Pd, Pt, Au, and Ag) were synthesized to systematically investigate the effect of varying H* reactivity on HMF hydrogenation. A pronounced correlation between DHMF selectivity and H* coverage was observed. Increasing H* coverage can enhance the selectivity for DHMF and prevent undesired dimerization of adsorbed HMF molecules. While elevated H* coverage enhanced DHMF selectivity, excessive coverage adversely impacted Faradaic efficiency due to competing hydrogen evolution reaction. This underscores the critical importance of finely tuning H* coverage. The optimal electrocatalyst, achieved by fine-tuning the doping amount of Pt on Cu, demonstrated a Faradaic efficiency of over 90% for DHMF in high-concentration HMF at −0.3 V, marking the highest record reported to date.Item Open Access Genomic and evolutionary evidence for drought adaptation of grass allopolyploid Brachypodium hybridum(Oxford University Press, 2025) Wang, Y.; Chen, G.; Zeng, F.; Deng, F.; Yang, Z.; Han, Z.; Xu, S.; Nevo, E.; Catalán, P.; Chen, Z.-H.; Zhang, J.Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of drought worldwide, threatening the environmental resilience of cultivated grasses. However, the genetic diversity in many wild grasses could contribute to the development of climate-adapted varieties. Here, we elucidated the impact of polyploidy on drought responses using allotetraploid Brachypodium hybridum (B. hybridum) and its progenitor diploid species Brachypodium stacei (B. stacei). Our findings suggest that progenitor species’ genomic legacies resulting from hybridization and whole-genome duplications conferred greater ecological adaptive advantages to B. hybridum compared with B. stacei. Genes related to stomatal regulation and the immune response from S-subgenomes were under positive selection during speciation, underscoring their evolutionary importance in adapting to environmental stresses. Biased expression in polyploid subgenomes (B. stacei-type and B. distachyon-type) significantly influenced differential gene expression, with the dominant subgenome exhibiting more differential expression. B. hybridum adapted a drought escape strategy characterized by higher photosynthetic capacity and lower intrinsic water-use efficiency than B. stacei, driven by a highly correlated coexpression network involving genes in the circadian rhythm pathway. In summary, our study shows the influence of polyploidy on ecological and environmental adaptation and resilience in model Brachypodium grasses. These insights hold promise for informing the breeding of climate-resilient cereal crops and pasture grasses.Item Metadata only Guard cell and subsidiary cell sizes are key determinants for stomatal kinetics and drought adaptation in cereal crops(Wiley, 2024) Rui, M.; Chen, R.; Jing, Y.; Wu, F.; Chen, Z.H.; Tissue, D.; Jiang, H.; Wang, Y.Climate change-induced drought is a major threat to agriculture. C₄ crops have a higher water use efficiency (WUE) and better adaptability to drought than C₃ crops due to their smaller stomatal morphology and faster response. However, our understanding of stomatal behaviours in both C₃ and C₄ Poaceae crops is limited by knowledge gaps in physical traits of guard cell (GC) and subsidiary cell (SC). We employed infrared gas exchange analysis and a stomatal assay to explore the relationship between GC/SC sizes and stomatal kinetics across diverse drought conditions in two C₃ (wheat and barley) and three C₄ (maize, sorghum and foxtail millet) upland Poaceae crops. Through statistical analyses, we proposed a GCSC-τ model to demonstrate how morphological differences affect stomatal kinetics in C₄ Poaceae crops. Our findings reveal that morphological variations specifically correlate with stomatal kinetics in C₄ Poaceae crops, but not in C₃ ones. Subsequent modelling and experimental validation provide further evidence that GC/SC sizes significantly impact stomatal kinetics, which affects stomatal responses to different drought conditions and thereby WUE in C₄ Poaceae crops. These findings emphasize the crucial advantage of GC/SC morphological characteristics and stomatal kinetics for the drought adaptability of C₄ Poaceae crops, highlighting their potential as future climate-resilient crops.Item Metadata only Highly Porous Tantalum Acetabular Components Without Ancillary Screws Are Non-inferior at 7 Years When Compared With Titanium Components With Ancillary Screw Fixation: A Randomized Controlled Trial(Elsevier, 2025) Robertson, T.S.; Solomon, L.B.; Howie, D.W.; Holubowycz, O.T.; Cho, C.H.; Callary, S.A.Background: While porous tantalum components have shown to be advantageous in the revision setting, registry studies have identified tantalum components used in primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) to be associated with an increased risk of revision. The only study to examine the migration of tantalum acetabular components with radiostereometric analysis (RSA) beyond 2 years found continued migration. The aim of this 7-year follow-up RSA study was to determine if the mid-term migration of tantalum acetabular components without ancillary screw fixation is no greater than that of fiber metal titanium components with one ancillary screw fixation. Methods: We prospectively reviewed the mid-term implant stability of patients who underwent primary THA and were randomized intra-operatively to receive either the tantalum or titanium acetabular component. Of the initial 66 patients enrolled, 51 (77.3%) were available at 7-year follow-up; 2 tantalum components were revised due to recurrent dislocation and infection, respectively, and 2 titanium components underwent open reduction internal fixation to treat femoral periprosthetic fracture. Acetabular component migration relative to the surrounding acetabular bone was measured using RSA at 4-6 days post-operatively and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 1, 2, 3, 5, and 7 years following THA. Results: At 7 years, the mean proximal migration of tantalum components was 0.22 mm (95% confidence interval 0.08-0.35) and non-inferior to that of titanium components at 0.19 mm (95% confidence interval 0.07-0.32). In addition, the mean proximal migration of tantalum components was non-inferior to that of titanium at both 3 and 5 years. There were no significant differences noted between cohorts for any other axis of translation and rotation. Conclusions: The continued mid-term stability of tantalum acetabular components without ancillary screw fixation is encouraging for long-term stability. The non-inferiority compared to titanium acetabular components with established excellent long-term survivorship provides reassurance to the operative surgeon using tantalum components in the primary setting. Level of Evidence: I.Item Metadata only Meta Wave Learner: Predicting wave farms power output using effective meta-learner deep gradient boosting model: A case study from Australian coasts(Elsevier, 2024) Neshat, M.; Sergiienko, N.Y.; Rafiee, A.; Mirjalili, S.; Gandomi, A.H.; Boland, J.Precise prediction of wave energy is indispensable and holds immense promise as ocean waves have a power capacity of 30–40 kW/m along the coast. Utilising this energy source does not generate harmful emissions, making it a superior substitute for fossil fuel-based energy. The computational expense associated with simulating and computing intricate hydrodynamic interactions in wave farms restricts optimisation methods to a few thousand evaluations and makes a challenging situation for training in deep neural prediction models. To address this issue, we propose a new solution: a Meta-learner gradient boosting method that employs four multi-layer convolutional dense neural network surrogate models combined with an optimised extreme gradient boosting. In order to train and validate the predictive model, we used four wave farm datasets, including the absorbed power outputs and 2D coordinates of wave energy converters (WECs) located along the southern coast of Australia, Adelaide, Sydney, Perth and Tasmania. Furthermore, the capability of the transfer learning strategy is evaluated. The WECs used in this study are of the fully submerged three-tether converter type, similar to the CETO prototype. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is assessed by comparing it with 15 well-established and effective machine learning (ML) methods. The experimental findings indicate that the proposed model is competitive with other ML and deep learning approaches, exhibiting considerable accuracy of 88.8%, 90.0%, 90.3%, and 84.4% in Adelaide, Perth, Sydney and Tasmania and improved robustness in predicting wave farm power output.Item Metadata only Molecular evolution and interaction of 14-3-3 proteins with H⁺-ATPases in plant abiotic stresses(Oxford University Press, 2024) Jiang, W.; He, J.; Babla, M.; Wu, T.; Tong, T.; Riaz, A.; Zeng, F.; Qin, Y.; Chen, G.; Deng, F.; Chen, Z.H.; Dietz, K.-J.Environmental stresses severely affect plant growth and crop productivity. Regulated by 14-3-3 proteins (14-3-3s), H⁺-ATPases (AHAs) are important proton pumps that can induce diverse secondary transport via channels and cotransporters for the abiotic stress response of plants. Many studies demonstrated the roles of 14-3-3s and AHAs in coordinating the processes of plant growth, phytohormone signaling, and stress responses. However, the molecular evolution of 14-3-3s and AHAs has not been summarized in parallel with evolutionary insights across multiple plant species. Here, we comprehensively review the roles of 14-3-3s and AHAs in cell signaling to enhance plant responses to diverse environmental stresses. We analyzed the molecular evolution of key proteins and functional domains that are associated with 14-3-3s and AHAs in plant growth and hormone signaling. The results revealed evolution, duplication, contraction, and expansion of 14-3-3s and AHAs in green plants. We also discussed the stress-specific expression of those 14-3-3and AHA genes in a eudicotyledon (Arabidopsis thaliana), a monocotyledon (Hordeum vulgare), and a moss (Physcomitrium patens) under abiotic stresses. We propose that 14-3-3s and AHAs respond to abiotic stresses through many important targets and signaling components of phytohormones, which could be promising to improve plant tolerance to single or multiple environmental stresses.Item Metadata only Out-of-hospital neck of femur injury: An eight-year observational analysis(Elsevier España, 2025) Hartley, R.; Nehme, Z.; Schultz, B.; Nehme, E.Objectives: Pain management for patients with neck of femur fractures is a challenge for out-ofhospital clinicians. This study aimed to describe (1) the characteristics of patients presenting to emergency medical services (EMS) with suspected neck of femur injuries, (2) clinically meaningful pain reduction, and (3) ongoing moderate to severe pain in the out-of-hospital setting. Methods: A retrospective cohort study of adult patients with suspected neck of femur injuries attended by EMS in Victoria, Australia, between 01 July 2015 and 30 June 2023. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with clinically meaningful pain reduction and moderate to severe pain upon final EMS assessment. Results: In total, 15,937 patients were included. The median age was 84 (Interquartile Range 76–89) years, 70% were female, and 92% occurred because of a fall. Clinically meaningful pain reduction was achieved for 13,136 (82%) patients, however, 4,859 (30.5%) patients reported moderate to severe final pain. According to adjusted analysis, increasing age (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 1.026, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.021, 1.031), paramedic attendance (relative to basic life support-trained personnel, AOR = 3.471 (95%CI 2.921, 4.125)), increasing initial pain score (AOR = 1.705 (95%CI 1.665, 1.747)), application of a splint (AOR = 1.272 (95%CI 1.147, 1.411)) and analgesia administration including opioids and methoxyflurane were associated with clinically meaningful pain reduction. Factors associated with reduced odds of moderate to severe final pain included paramedic attendance (AOR = 0.298 (95%CI 0.251, 0.354)) and splint application (AOR = 0.788 (95%CI 0.730, 0.850)). Conclusions: Although most patients with neck of femur fractures reported a clinically meaningful reduction in pain, 30.5% of patients reported moderate to severe pain upon conclusion of out-ofhospital treatment. Expansion of analgesic options available to basic life support-trained patient transport officers and educating prehospital clinicians on the safety and efficacy of analgesics and splinting practices represent future opportunities for improvement.Item Metadata only Potential viral influence on sulfur metabolism in acid sulfate soils(Elsevier, 2025) Bi, L.; Du, S.; Fitzpatrick, R.; Chen, Q.L.; Nguyen, T.B.A.; He, Z.Y.; He, J.Z.; Hu, H.W.Acid sulfate soils cover extensive areas across the globe and pose profound ecological and economic challenges. While microbial activities associated with sulfur metabolisms primarily mediate the formation process of acid sulfate soils, the potential impact of viruses, known for their roles in infecting microorganisms or encoding auxiliary metabolic genes (AMGs), remains largely unexplored. Here, we characterized the community and biogeochemical impacts of viruses in unoxidized acid sulfate soils (hypersulfidic soils, pH 6.5–7.3) and oxidized acid sulfate soils (sulfuric soils, pH < 3.3) using paired viromes and total metagenomes. Our results revealed higher diversity and distinct composition of viral communities in hypersulfidic soils compared to sulfuric soils. In hypersulfidic soils, we identified 30 times more virus-encoded AMGs and observed an average abundance 6.6 times higher than in sulfuric soils. Particularly, the identification of AMGs associated with assimilatory and dissimilatory sulfate reduction, organosulfur compound degradation, organic matter degradation, and electron transfer implied the potential role of viruses in influencing sulfur cycling and the formation of sulfidic materials in Hypersulfidic soils. The virus-host predictions linked seven lysogenic and 55 lytic vOTUs to sulfate-reducing and sulfur-oxidizing microorganisms in both soils, suggesting that viruses play a role in sulfur cycling through host infection. Altogether, our findings highlight the potential roles of viruses in influencing sulfur cycling processes in acid sulfate soils.Item Metadata only Recent advances in fluidic neuromorphic computing(American Institute of Physics, 2025) Law, C.S.; Wang, J.; Nielsch, K.; Abell, A.D.; Bisquert, J.; Santos, A.Human brain is capable of optimizing information flow and processing without energy-intensive data shuttling between processor and memory. At the core of this unique capability are billions of neurons connected through trillions of synapses—basic processing units of the brain. The action potentials or “spikes” based temporal processing using the regulated flow of ions across ion channels in neuron cells allows sparse and efficient transmission of data in the brain. Emerging systems based on confined fluidic systems have provided a framework for a new type of neuromorphic computing with lower energy consumption, hardware-level plasticity, and multiple information carriers that emulate natural processes and mechanisms of human brain. These systems mimic neuronal architectures by harnessing and modulating ion transport along artificial channels. The spikes-induced ion-to-surface interactions within these fluidic systems enables the control of ionic conductivity to achieve synaptic plasticity for the realization of brain-inspired functionalities such as memory effect and signal transmission. Herein, this review provides an overview of recent advances in fluidic devices such as memristors and other computing components, covering their basic operations, materials and architectures, as well as applications in neuromorphic computing. The review concludes with a brief outline of the challenges that these emerging technologies face and an outlook for the development of fluidic-based brain-inspired computing.Item Open Access Exploring the experiences of social loafing in group work among online psychology students(University of Wollongong, 2025) Puccini, O.; Newell, S.Social loafing is the tendency for individuals to put in less effort when working in a group, compared to working alone. This behaviour can be amplified through challenges in online learning environments. These challenges include maintaining engagement, reduced task visibility, and the physical distance created by technology, all of which can encourage some group members to contribute less. The absence of face-to-face interaction can lead to feelings of isolation and reduced accountability, further complicating group dynamics. Through a qualitative approach, this research explores how online psychology students perceive and experience social loafing during group assessments. Semi-structured focus groups with nine participants from a Graduate Diploma in Psychology program were conducted to co-create possible solutions to social loafing in online group assessments. Using Reflexive Thematic Analysis, four themes were developed. These themes reflect students’ interest in co-creating solutions that suit an online (mostly asynchronous) context. Students recommended alternative channels to communication (such as social media), as learning technologies native to the Learning Management System can create barriers to engagement. Students prefer to reduce the weighting of any group grades and balance their grade against their individual contribution. Findings suggest that evaluative judgement training is needed to improve the peer assessment of group contributions. Online students also require more investment/facilitation in the group introduction stage, as their competing demands mean they are less able to synchronously meetItem Metadata only An historic divide: Understanding conservatories and schools of music and their place in Australian higher education(SAGE Publications, 2025) McCormick, L.This paper examines the impact that the differing structure of conservatories and schools of music has on the educational experiences of their students by using musical higher education in Australia as a case study. Preprofessional music education at the tertiary level is crucial for the seamless interaction between and integration of musicians operating across multiple regions in an industry that requires international cooperation and collaboration. This paper explores the historical origins of formalized music training (including both performance- and academic-based disciplines), the evolution of this education through conservatories and university schools of music, and the role that tertiary music education plays in preparing musicians for global success. The contrasting origins of conservatories and schools of music as educational institutions begets significant differences between the educational focuses, teaching methodologies, and structure of these institutions. These factors have strong implications on the type of music education a student should expect to receive; both what is taught and how it is taught is determined by these structural differences between conservatories and university schools. This paper also discusses how the unique strengths of conservatories and schools of music can cultivate a vibrant ecosystem where musical performers, writers, teachers, researchers, theorists, and scholars can thrive.Item Open Access Towards co-governance: An evaluation of co-management advantages, challenges and ways forward in South Australia(Elsevier, 2025) Gienger, A.; Nursey-Bray, M.Recent decades have been marked by a transition from exclusionary to collaborative and community-based conservation. This transition has been underpinned by the aim to enhance the field’s contribution to human coexistence and environmental sustainability. Yet while the language of collaboration is now firmly entrenched in the global conservation rhetoric, collaborations too often remain restricted to community participation in predetermined programs at local scales. Using South Australia as a case study, we illustrate this restriction and its implications in the context of co-management between the state and Aboriginal nations. Specifically, we draw on co-management legislation, agreements and reports, observations of co-management meetings of the Ngaut Ngaut and Gawler Ranges Parks co-management boards as well as interviews with co-management board and committee members, policy makers and park rangers. We illustrate that collaboration only exists within park management planning and does not extend to the design and administration of the legislative framework under which it occurs. As this restriction disproportionately affects the realisation and realisability Aboriginal nations’ aspirations, we propose a transition from co-management of protected areas to co-governance of the entire framework moving forward. We further highlight similar power and knowledge imbalances within the new conservation paradigm more broadly and make the case for an expansion of current forms of collaboration to conservation policy and practice on all scales.Item Metadata only Burden of disease scenarios by state in the USA, 2022–50: a forecasting analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021(Elsevier, 2024) Mokdad, A.H.; Bisignano, C.; Hsu, J.M.; Bryazka, D.; Cao, S.; Bhattacharjee, N.V.; Dalton, B.E.; Lindstedt, P.A.; Smith, A.E.; Ababneh, H.S.; Abbasgholizadeh, R.; Abdelkader, A.; Abdi, P.; Abiodun, O.O.; Aboagye, R.G.; Abukhadijah, H.J.; Abu-Zaid, A.; Acuna, J.M.; Addo, I.Y.; Adekanmbi, V.; et al.Background: The capacity to anticipate future health issues is important for both policy makers and practitioners in the USA, as such insights can facilitate effective planning, investment, and implementation strategies. Forecasting trends in disease and injury burden is not only crucial for policy makers but also garners substantial interest from the general populace and leads to a better-informed public. Through the integration of new data sources, the refinement of methodologies, and the inclusion of additional causes, we have improved our previous forecasting efforts within the scope of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) to produce forecasts at the state and national levels for the USA under various possible scenarios. Methods: We developed a comprehensive framework for forecasting life expectancy, healthy life expectancy (HALE), cause-specific mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to 359 causes of disease and injury burden from 2022 to 2050 for the USA and all 50 states and Washington, DC. Using the GBD 2021 Future Health Scenarios modelling framework, we forecasted drivers of disease, demographic drivers, risk factors, temperature and particulate matter, mortality and years of life lost (YLL), population, and non-fatal burden. In addition to a reference scenario (representing the most probable future trajectory), we explored various future scenarios and their potential impacts over the next several decades on human health. These alternative scenarios comprised four risk elimination scenarios (including safer environment, improved behavioural and metabolic risks, improved childhood nutrition and vaccination, and a combined scenario) and three USA-specific scenarios based on risk exposure or attributable burden in the best-performing US states (improved high adult BMI and high fasting plasma glucose [FPG], improved smoking, and improved drug use [encompassing opioids, cocaine, amphetamine, and others]). Findings: Life expectancy in the USA is projected to increase from 78·3 years (95% uncertainty interval 78·1–78·5) in 2022 to 79·9 years (79·5–80·2) in 2035, and to 80·4 years (79·8–81·0) in 2050 for all sexes combined. This increase is forecasted to be modest compared with that in other countries around the world, resulting in the USA declining in global rank over the 2022–50 forecasted period among the 204 countries and territories in GBD, from 49th to 66th. There is projected to be a decline in female life expectancy in West Virginia between 1990 and 2050, and little change in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Additionally, after 2023, we projected almost no change in female life expectancy in many states, notably in Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Iowa, Maine, and Wisconsin. Female HALE is projected to decline between 1990 and 2050 in 20 states and to remain unchanged in three others. Drug use disorders and low back pain are projected to be the leading Level 3 causes of age-standardised DALYs in 2050. The age-standardised DALY rate due to drug use disorders is projected to increase considerably between 2022 and 2050 (19·5% [6·9–34·1]). Our combined risk elimination scenario shows that the USA could gain 3·8 additional years (3·6–4·0) of life expectancy and 4·1 additional years (3·9–4·3) of HALE in 2050 versus the reference scenario. Using our USA-specific scenarios, we forecasted that the USA could gain 0·4 additional years (0·3–0·6) of life expectancy and 0·6 additional years (0·5–0·8) of HALE in 2050 under the improved drug use scenario relative to the reference scenario. Life expectancy and HALE are likewise projected to be 0·4–0·5 years higher in 2050 under the improved adult BMI and FPG and improved smoking scenarios compared with the reference scenario. However, the increases in these scenarios would not substantially improve the USA’s global ranking in 2050 (from 66th of 204 in life expectancy in the reference scenario to 63rd–64th in each of the three USA-specific scenarios), indicating that the USA’s best-performing states are still lagging behind other countries in their rank throughout the forecasted period. Regardless, an estimated 12·4 million (11·3–13·5) deaths could be averted between 2022 and 2050 if the USA were to follow the combined scenario trajectory rather than the reference scenario. There would also be 1·4 million (0·7–2·2) fewer deaths over the 28-year forecasted period with improved adult BMI and FPG, 2·1 million (1·3–2·9) fewer deaths with improved exposure to smoking, and 1·2 million (0·9–1·5) fewer deaths with lower rates of drug use deaths. Interpretation: Our findings highlight the alarming trajectory of health challenges in the USA, which, if left unaddressed, could lead to a reversal of the health progress made over the past three decades for some US states and a decline in global health standing for all states. The evidence from our alternative scenarios along with other published studies suggests that through collaborative, evidence-based strategies, there are opportunities to change the trajectory of health outcomes in the USA, such as by investing in scientific innovation, health-care access, preventive health care, risk exposure reduction, and education. Our forecasts clearly show that the time to act is now, as the future of the country’s health and wellbeing—as well as its prosperity and leadership position in science and innovation—are at stake.Item Metadata only Trends in Treatment Strategies and Perioperative Outcomes for Complex Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms: A VASCUNET Report(Elsevier, 2025) Meuli, L.; Gavali, H.; Budtz-Lilly, J.; Khashram, M.; Lattmann, T.; Lopez-Espada, C.; Møller, C.M.; McMillan, N.; Ribeiro, T.F.; Venermo, M.; Mani, K.Objective: To examine trends in treatment strategies and perioperative outcomes for intact and ruptured complex abdominal aortic aneurysms (cAAA) across seven countries. Design: Multinational, registry-based observational study within the VASCUNET framework. Methods: This study used aggregated data from vascular registries in Australia, Denmark, Finland, New Zealand, Portugal, Sweden, and Switzerland. Patients treated with open repair (OR) and fenestrated (or branched) endovascular aortic repair (F/BEVAR) for intact and ruptured cAAA between 2018-2022 were included. The primary outcome was perioperative mortality (30-day or in-hospital). Weighted perioperative mortality rates with 95% confidence intervals (95%-CI) were calculated and variations in treatment practices and outcomes were assessed. Results: 3344 patients treated for intact cAAA, and 547 patients treated for ruptured cAAA were included. An overall increase in the use of F/BEVAR for intact cAAA was observed, rising from 50% in 2018 to 54% in 2022, with Denmark showing the largest rise, from 33% to 71%. The highest F/BEVAR rate was seen in Australia at 68%, the lowest in Switzerland at 25%. In contrast, OR was the predominant treatment for ruptured cAAA, accounting for 94% of all procedures without a clear trend. The overall perioperative mortality for intact cAAA decreased from 5.2% (95%-CI: 3.3-7.0%) in 2018 to 2.4% (1.3-3.5%) in 2022, though the trend was not statistically significant (p=.09). No time trend was observed in the perioperative mortality for ruptured cAAA, with an overall mortality rate of 35.6%. Complication rates, including myocardial infarction, acute kidney failure, and respiratory failure were more frequent in OR patients. Conclusion: While the use of F/BEVAR for elective cAAA repair has increased and mortality rates show a declining trend, the treatment of ruptured cAAA continues to rely predominantly on OR, with high perioperative mortality rates. These findings highlight the need for ongoing advancements in endovascular technologies for ruptured cAAA repairs.Item Metadata only What Is Decoupling and Where Is Our World Headed?(Springer Nature, 2025) Gao, M.; O'Connor, J.; Xie, B.; Butcher, J.; Gao, M.; O'Connor, J.; Xie, B.; Butcher, J.D.This introductory chapter examines ‘decoupling’ in the context of recent U.S. and allied efforts to reduce economic and technological reliance on China. Decoupling is a strategy to uphold U.S. hegemony by reconfiguring global trade to reduce economic and technological dependence on China amidst rising geopolitical tensions, limiting Chinese access to advanced sectors, and signalling a shift away from globalisation. Highlighting the main arguments presented in the book, this chapter envisions an alternative future addressing various topics, apart from trade, finance and geopolitics, from environmental challenges and philosophies of coexistence to the promotion of greater economic openness and engagement with the Global South, advocating for a new global order centred on peace, cooperation, and shared prosperity.Item Metadata only Grassroots Perceptions of Australia in China During Diplomatic Tensions: A Lens Through “We-Media” Framing(Palgrave Macmillan, 2023) Butcher, J.; Gao, M.; O'Connor, J.; Xie, B.; Butcher, J.Chinese and Australians often view themselves as “worlds apart”. This view has only intensified since the deterioration of diplomatic relations. Views of China are well known in Australia, with China depicted and perceived increasingly negatively. However, perceptions of Australia in China remain largely unexplored. This chapter conducts a qualitative frame analysis of Chinese language “we-media” contents through four media frames: conflict, human interest, economic consequences and responsibility to explore how Australia has been portrayed and perceived at the grassroots level in China. This chapter aims to inform a non-Chinese-speaking audience regarding the diversity of views communicated about Australia in China at the grassroots level and promote mutual understanding for a shared future.Item Metadata only ASO Visual Abstract: Compliance and Toxicity of Total Neoadjuvant Therapy in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-analysis(Springer, 2025) Seow, W.; Murshed, I.; Bunjo, Z.; Bedrikovetski, S.; Stone, J.; Sammour, T.Across all treatment strategies, induction total neoadjuvant therapy (iTNT) had higher radiation-related gastrointestinal toxicities and postoperative diarrhea; consolidation total neoadjuvant therapy (cTNT) had higher vomiting and lymphopenia rates. While no treatment strategy was superior in chemotherapy compliance, radiotherapy compliance was ranked highest in cTNT.Item Metadata only Strategies for the optimisation of troublesome peptide nucleic acid (PNA) sequences(Royal Society of Chemistry, 2025) Watson, E.E.Through the use of a pseudo-peptidic backbone, peptide nucleic acids (PNA) mimic the functionality of native nucleic acids while enjoying improved binding affinity and metabolic stability. However, many aspects of the application of PNA to biological and medicinal settings still requires sequence specific optimisation. This review highlights key areas for refinement, including synthesis, tuning of physical properties, cell permeability and analysis, including common strategies for the pracitioner to apply in each area.