Curtin University

About: Curtin University is a education organization based out in Perth, Western Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Zircon. The organization has 14257 authors who have published 48997 publications receiving 1336531 citations. The organization is also known as: WAIT & Western Australian Institute of Technology.

Voltammetry in Room Temperature Ionic Liquids: Comparisons and Contrasts with Conventional Electrochemical Solvents

Abstract: The recent literature is surveyed to explore the nature of voltammetry in room temperature ionic liquids. The extent of similarities with conventional electrochemical solvents is reported and some surprising differences are noted.

Molecular Events Linking Oxidative Stress and Inflammation to Insulin Resistance and β-Cell Dysfunction.

Abstract: The prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) is increasing worldwide, a consequence of the alarming rise in obesity and metabolic syndrome (MetS) Oxidative stress and inflammation are key physiological and pathological events linking obesity, insulin resistance, and the progression of type 2 DM (T2DM) Unresolved inflammation alongside a "glucolipotoxic" environment of the pancreatic islets, in insulin resistant pathologies, enhances the infiltration of immune cells which through secretory activity cause dysfunction of insulin-secreting β-cells and ultimately cell death Recent molecular investigations have revealed that mechanisms responsible for insulin resistance associated with T2DM are detected in conditions such as obesity and MetS, including impaired insulin receptor (IR) signalling in insulin responsive tissues, oxidative stress, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress The aim of the present review is to describe the evidence linking oxidative stress and inflammation with impairment of insulin secretion and action, which result in the progression of T2DM and other conditions associated with metabolic dysregulation

Improved prediction of fungal effector proteins from secretomes with EffectorP 2.0.

Abstract: Plant-pathogenic fungi secrete effector proteins to facilitate infection We describe extensive improvements to EffectorP, the first machine learning classifier for fungal effector prediction EffectorP 20 is now trained on a larger set of effectors and utilizes a different approach based on an ensemble of classifiers trained on different subsets of negative data, offering different views on classification EffectorP 20 achieves an accuracy of 89%, compared with 82% for EffectorP 10 and 598% for a small size classifier Important features for effector prediction appear to be protein size, protein net charge as well as the amino acids serine and cysteine EffectorP 20 decreases the number of predicted effectors in secretomes of fungal plant symbionts and saprophytes by 40% when compared with EffectorP 10 However, EffectorP 10 retains value, and combining EffectorP 10 and 20 results in a stringent classifier with a low false positive rate of 9% EffectorP 20 predicts significant enrichments of effectors in 12 of 13 sets of infection-induced proteins from diverse fungal pathogens, whereas a small cysteine-rich classifier detects enrichment in only seven of 13 EffectorP 20 will fast track the prioritization of high-confidence effector candidates for functional validation and aid in improving our understanding of effector biology EffectorP 20 is available at http://effectorpcsiroau

Effect of different upright sitting postures on spinal-pelvic curvature and trunk muscle activation in a pain-free population.

Abstract: Study design: A normative within-subjects single-group study. Objective: To compare spinal-pelvic curvature and trunk muscle activation in 2 upright sitting postures ("thoracic" and "lumbo-pelvic") and slump sitting in a pain-free population. Summary of background data: Clinical observations suggest that both upright and slump sitting postures can exacerbate low back pain. Little research has investigated the effects of different upright sitting postures on trunk muscle activation. Methods: Spinal-pelvic curvature and surface electromyography of 6 trunk muscles were measured bilaterally in 2 upright (thoracic and lumbo-pelvic) sitting postures and slump sitting in 22 subjects. Results: Thoracic, compared to lumbo-pelvic, upright sitting showed significantly greater thoracic extension (P < 0.001), with significantly less lumbar extension (P < 0.001) and anterior pelvic tilt (P = 0.03). Furthermore, there was significantly less superficial lumbar multifidus (P < 0.001) and internal oblique (P = 0.03) activity, with significantly higher thoracic erector spinae (P < 0.001) and external oblique (P = 0.04) activity in thoracic upright sitting. There was no significant difference in superficial lumbar multifidus activity between thoracic upright and slump sitting. Conclusions: Different upright sitting postures resulted in altered trunk muscle activation. Thoracic when compared to lumbo-pelvic upright sitting involved less coactivation of the local spinal muscles, with greater coactivation of the global muscles. These results highlight the importance of postural training specificity when the aim is to activate the lumbo-pelvic stabilizing muscles in subjects with back pain.

A Review of Marketing Mix: 4Ps or More?

Abstract: The main objective of this study is to review the present marketing mix applies particularly to the marketing. Borden (1965) claims to be the first to have used the term marketing mix and that it was suggested to him by Culliton’s (1948). McCarthy (1964) offered marketing mix, often referred to as the 4Ps, as a means of translating marketing planning into practice (Bennett, 1997). Marketing mix is originating from the single P (price) of microeconomic theory (Chong, 2003). Number of researchers (eg. Gronroos, 1994; Constantinides, 2002; Goi, 2005; Moller, 2006) explores more Ps instead of traditional 4Ps only currently applied in the market. However, the creation of new P seem like unstop. New Ps were introduced into the marketing scene in order to face up into a highly competitively charged environment (Low and Tan, 1995). Even, Moller (2006) presents an up-to-date picture of the current standing in the debate around the Mix as marketing paradigm and predominant marketing management tool by reviewing academic views from five marketing management sub-disciplines (consumer marketing, relationship marketing, services marketing, retail marketing and industrial marketing) and an emerging marketing (E-Commerce). The concept of 4Ps has been criticised by number of studies. Popovic (2006) criticised 4Ps as being a production-oriented definition of marketing, and not a customer-oriented. However, in spite of its deficiencies, the 4Ps remain a staple of the marketing mix. The subsequent Ps have yet to overcome a consensus about eligibility and agreement over the practical application (Kent and Brown, 2006).