Griffith Research Online

The manipulation and separation of particles and cells are crucial for disease diagnosis, biomedical research and therapeutic development. Microfluidics has shown significant progress in these areas, demonstrating precise manipulation and separation of tiny particles (e.g., cells, bacteria, viruses, and DNA). This technology offers advantages such as reduced sample volumes, lower cost, higher accuracy, automation and integration with multiple procedures. Among the various manipulation technologies, inertial microfluidics stands out due to its simple structure, label-free, easy operation, and high throughput. However, the current inertial microfluidic technology is still challenged when processing complex rare target cell samples, such as circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in blood samples. The separation efficiency and resolution are still limited. Moreover, conventional inertial microfluidic technology is difficult to handle heterogeneous cell samples, where particle sizes are too close or even partially overlap. Thus, it is urgent to develop innovative inertial microfluidic technology to enhance cell separation performance. [...]

Heart failure is a growing epidemic within the global population, with an estimated 64.3 million people living with the condition as of 2017, with up to 45% of patients dying within a year of their first hospital admission. For the most severely affected patients, a heart transplant is considered to be the preferred method of treatment. However, there is a scarcity of hearts available for treating each patient that presents, with transplant waiting lists growing year-on-year. In order to combat this, mechanical alternatives to the natural heart, such as ventricular assist devices, total artificial hearts and extra-corporeal membrane oxygenation, have been developed to relieve the patient burden on the healthcare system. The cost of these devices, however, remains high and often treatment exhibits a poor economic case, particularly for short-term support periods. As a result of this, development of a lower-cost alternative device is paramount to improve cost-effectiveness within healthcare for severe heart failure. In previous decades, one of the most prevalent devices was the Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP), which saw relative success due to being easy to insert, low development and equipment costs and increased accessibility in comparison to other mechanical circulatory support devices. It acts as a volume-displacement device inside of the patient's aorta, inflating during diastole (the heart's relaxation period) to increase circulatory energy. However, the low haemodynamic support provided by IABP and lack of randomized controlled trial evidence suggesting significant patient benefit, has seen its use decline across the past decade. Throughout the timeline of IABP usage, a number of attempts have been made to translate the balloon volume-displacement concept into a device that pumps blood from inside of the ventricle, known as an Intra-Ventricular Balloon Pump (IVBP). Each of these studies demonstrated successful increases in cardiac output and arterial pressure resulting from IVBP; however, the concept never progressed beyond early prototyping and evaluation. No specific reasoning was provided for these previous cessations in research; however, the concept is once again the subject of fresh interest, with as many as four research groups publishing on the concept since 2018. This present study aimed to continue the development of an IVBP prototype device for use as short-term mechanical circulatory support. A primary focus was placed onto evaluating physiological compatibility of the IVBP to provide beneficial support for the patient, with a view to evaluation of risk of mitral valve regurgitation, haemolysis, thrombosis and arrythmia. It was hypothesised that the usage of IVBP would increase the amount of support provided to the circulation without inducing excessive haemolysis and thrombosis, and without induction of mitral valve prolapse, leading to regurgitation. [...]

Since the last decade, memorable tourism experiences (MTEs) have gained prominence as a topic of interest in tourism research (Hosseini, Cortes-Macias, & Almeida-Garcia, 2024; Bai, Lai, & Wong, 2023; Tung et al., 2017; Zhong et al., 2017) due to their importance in providing tourist destinations a competitive advantage and sustainability (Moliner-Tena, Monferrer-Tirado, Ferreres-Bonfill, & Rodriguez-Artola, 2021; Pizam, 2010; Sthapit & Jimenez-Barreto, 2018; Chen, Cheng, & Kim, 2020) in today's fiercely competitive tourism industry. In the hospitality and tourism literature, various scholars have identified numerous factors that contribute to the formation of MTEs. Among many, is the hospitality of locals towards tourists visiting a destination (Kim, 2014; Chandralal & Valenzeula, 2015). The local hospitality construct, despite having significance for tourists' MTEs, has not gained much attention from hospitality and tourism researchers (Aristides & Efi, 2019; Christou & Sharpley, 2019). Due to a dearth of research in this domain of hospitality, there exists ambiguity and lack of clarity as to what constitutes local hospitality. The current study, firstly, addresses this knowledge gap by exploring the aspects of local hospitality. This research also provides an opportunity to better understand the association of local hospitality and MTEs. Further, an investigation of the moderating role of tourist motivations on the relationship between local hospitality and MTEs was also part of this study. Social exchange theory was employed as a theoretical foundation for this study as it is concerned with the exchange of hospitality to tourists in return for gains such as sharing local culture, experiences, stories, financial gains, positive word of mouth, and social prestige for the local people (Coulson, Maclaren, McKenzie, & O'Gorman, 2014). To address the overall aim and specific research objectives of this study, a mixed-method research design was adopted. The research is carried out in the context of Pakistan. The reason for choosing Pakistan lies in the fact that the country has emerged as a top tourist destination that offers beautiful landscapes, rich heritage, and diverse cultures and attracts visitors from around the globe with diverse travelling motivations and needs. Phase one of the study, aimed at addressing research question 1, comprised of a qualitative research approach for exploring and better understanding the local hospitality construct and its aspects. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted online with 20 tourists who have visited Pakistan and experienced local hospitality. Phase one is followed by a quantitative research approach in the second phase for an investigation of the aspects of local hospitality that contribute to the formation of MTEs. Phase two was aimed at addressing second and third research questions. A survey using questionnaire was carried out with 511 tourists who have visited Pakistan. This phase also investigated the moderating impact of tourist motivations on the relationship between local hospitality and MTEs. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection during both phases was carried out online. For analysing the results in Study 1, NVivo software was utilized. Findings of the study in phase one revealed five dimensions of local hospitality including care, generosity, sociability, helpfulness, and authenticity. Data collected from respondents in Study 2 was analysed using SPSS software. Results of Study 2 revealed a significant and positive impact of local hospitality on memorable tourism experiences. Interestingly, the moderating impact of tourist motivations on the relationship between local hospitality and MTEs was insignificant. This research has important theoretical implications. Based on the interviews conducted as part of Study 1, the findings revealed specific dimensions of local hospitality from tourists' point of view. This is among the first studies, exploring dimensions of local hospitality particularly, in the context of Pakistan. Thus, by providing a better understanding of local hospitality, this research adds to enriching theoretical debate on local hospitality. The current literature acknowledges the contribution of local hospitality in shaping memorable tourism experiences. However, the examination of the relationship between the two constructs is not explored extensively. Findings of Study 2 add discussion to the literature on what and how different aspects of local hospitality shape memorable tourism experiences. This also provides meaningful insights of the framework through which hospitality impacts memories of tourists. Another important theoretical contribution is the addition to the ongoing debate on the complex psychology of local-tourist interactions through an investigation of tourist motivations and its relationship between local hospitality and memorable tourism experiences. Moreover, the study also provides opportunities for practical implications valuable for destination managers and practitioners in providing memorable experiences for tourists.

Rock art is globally recognized as significant, yet the resources allocated to the study and exploration of this important form of cultural heritage are often scarce. In areas where numerous rock art sites exist, much of the rock art is unidentified and therefore remains, unrecorded and unresearched. Manually identifying rock art is time-consuming, tedious, and expensive. Therefore, it is necessary to automate many processes in rock art research, which can be accomplished by Machine Learning. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) can greatly facilitate rock art research in many ways, such as through Object Recognition and Detection, Motif Extraction, Object Reconstruction, Image Knowledge Graphs, and Representations. This article is a reflective work on the future of ML for rock art research. As a proof-of-concept, it presents a machine learning method based on recent advances in deep learning to train a model to identify images with painted rock art (pictograms). The efficacy of the proposed method is shown using data collected from fieldwork in Australia. Furthermore, our proposed method can be used to train models that are specific to the rock art found in different regions. We provide the code and the trained models in the supplementary section.

The shift toward sustainable agriculture involves replacing inorganic fertilizers with organic alternatives like biosolids. However, concerns arise over emerging contaminants, such as microplastics (MPs), which remain largely unregulated. Despite their common use in Australia, the transfer of MPs from biosolids to agricultural soils remains largely unknown. Herein, we have investigated the abundance, characteristics, and transport of MPs resulting from biosolids application in two Queensland agricultural sites. MP concentrations were significantly higher in biosolid-amended soils (average of 1137 MPs/kg) than in reference sites (average of 36 MPs/kg), correlating with the volume, time since application, and frequency of biosolids application. MPs > 25 μm were predominantly polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(methyl methacrylate) fragments (up to 85%). Fibers constitute only 15–30% of MPs and mainly in larger sizes (average 1011 μm), whereas fragments (average 188 μm) and beads (average 72 μm) had smaller size ranges. Despite analytical challenges using Raman spectroscopy, detected smaller MPs (1–25 μm) were fragments composed of polyethylene, polypropylene, and poly(vinyl alcohol). This study provides the first report of MPs down to 1 μm in Australian agricultural soils. Our findings suggest a need to assess the long-term impact of MPs in biosolids on soil health and food safety. We call on policymakers to consider the implementation of effective MP source control strategies and the development of guidelines for acceptable biosolids application rates.