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Guided Wave Testing (GWT) using novel Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) is proposed for the inspection of large structures operating at high temperatures. To date, high temperature EMATs have been developed only for thickness measurements and they are not suitable for GWT. A pair of water-cooled EMATs capable of exciting and receiving Shear Horizontal (SH0) waves for GWT with optimal high temperature properties (up to 500 °C) has been developed. Thermal and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) simulations of the EMAT design have been performed and experimentally validated. The optimal thermal EMAT design, material selection and operating conditions were calculated. The EMAT was successfully tested regarding its thermal and GWT performance from ambient temperature to 500 °C.

Objective: To explore the association between bowel dysfunction and use of laxatives and opioids in an acute rehabilitation setting following spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Data was collected regarding individuals with acute traumatic/non-traumatic SCI over a two-year period (2012–2013) during both the week of admission and discharge of their inpatient stay. Results: An increase in frequency of bowel movement (BM) (p = 0.003) and a decrease in frequency of fecal incontinence (FI) per week (p < 0.001) between admission and discharge was found across all participants. There was a reduction in the number of individuals using laxatives (p = 0.004) as well as the number of unique laxatives taken (p < 0.001) between admission and discharge in our cohort. The number of individuals using opioids and the average dose of opioids in morphine milligram equivalents (MME) from admission to discharge were significantly reduced (p = 0.001 and p = 0.02, respectively). There was a positive correlation between the number of laxatives and frequency of FI at discharge (r = 0.194, p = 0.014), suggesting that an increase in laxative use results in an increased frequency of FI. Finally, there was a significant negative correlation between average dose of opioids (MME) and frequency of BM at discharge, confirming the constipating effect of opioids (r = −0.20, p = 0.009).

Purpose The phase composition and distribution of ethylcellulose (EC) films containing varying amounts of the plasticizer fractionated coconut oil (FCO) were studied using a novel combination of thermal and mapping approaches. Methods The thermal and thermomechanical properties of films containing up to 30% FCO were characterized using modulated temperature differential scanning calorimetry (MTDSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Film surfaces were mapped using atomic force microscopy (AFM; topographic and pulsed force modes) and the composition of specific regions identified using nanothermal probes. Results Clear evidence of distinct conjugate phases was obtained for the 20–30% FCO/EC film systems. We suggest a model whereby the composition of the distinct phases may be estimated via consideration of the glass transition temperatures observed using DSC and DMA. By combining pulsed force AFM and nano-thermal analysis we demonstrate that it is possible to map the two separated phases. In particular, the use of thermal probes allowed identification of the distinct regions via localized thermomechanical analysis, whereby nanoscale probe penetration is measured as a function of temperature. Conclusion The study has indicated that by using thermal and imaging techniques in conjunction it is possible to both identify and map distinct regions in binary films.

Atomic force microscopy and solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance have been used to investigate the effect of water absorption on the nanoscale elastic properties of the biopolyester, cutin, isolated from tomato fruit cuticle. Changes in the humidity and temperature at which fruits are grown or stored can affect the plant surface (cuticle) and modify its susceptibility to pathogenic attack by altering the cuticle’s rheological properties. In this work, atomic force microscopy measurements of the surface mechanical properties of isolated plant cutin have been made as a first step to probing the impact of water uptake from the environment on surface flexibility. A dramatic decrease in surface elastic modulus (from ∼32 to ∼6 MPa) accompanies increases in water content as small as 2 wt %. Complementary solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance measurements reveal enhanced local mobility of the acyl chain segments with increasing water content, even at molecular sites remote from the covalent cross-links that are likely to play a crucial role in cutin’s elastic properties.

A model that predicts the outcome of collisions between droplets and particles in terms of the distribution of the droplet volume post-collision is lacking, in contrast to the case for droplet-droplet interactions. Taking existing models that successfully predict the outcomes (coalescence, stretching or reflexive separation) and post-separation characteristics (sizes, numbers and velocities of the resulting droplets) of droplet-droplet collisions and adapting them to take into account an inextensible, non-deformable particle with varying wettability characteristics, a new model is presented for droplet-particle collisions. The predictions of the new model agree well with experimental observations of droplet-particle collisions in low-viscosity regimes. The model is then applied to the case of collisions between respiratory aerosols generated by breath, speech, cough and sneeze and ambient airborne particulate material (PM) in order to assess the potential contribution of these interactions to the enhanced transmission of pathogens contained in the aerosol, including COVID-19. The results show that under realistic conditions it is possible for aerosol-PM collisions to enrich the pathogen content of smaller (and so more persistent) aerosol fractions, and to transfer pathogens to the surface of PM particles that can travel deep into the respiratory tract. In the context of better knowledge of the size and velocity distributions of respiratory aerosols, this model may be used to predict the extent to which high ambient PM levels may contribute to airborne infection by pathogens such as COVID-19.

Many macromolecules, of natural or synthetic origin, are markedly heterogeneous. This inherent structural variation may strongly influence their properties, yet can be difficult to characterise by standard physical and chemical analyses. If macromolecules within a sample could be analysed individually then the variation within the sample and its bearing on the bulk properties could be deduced.The Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) is the most widely used of the family of techniques known as Scanning Probe Microscopies, which have in common the implementation of a probe which is scanned over the sample of interest to produce images with sub-nanometre resolution in ambient or physiologically relevant conditions. The AFM works by using a sharp tip mounted on a flexible cantilever to trace the topography of a sample's surface, much as one would read Braille.In this work, AFM has been used to characterise the structure of the plant cell wall polysaccharide pectin, conduct preliminary experiments into the feasibility of using AFM immunomicroscopy to reveal the distribution of epitopes along a polymer, and develop methods of improving AFM images of rough surfaces, such as the plant cell wall itself.By measuring individual polymers, a picture of the length and branch distribution of two pectic extracts expected to have differing amounts of branching was constructed. The expected correlation between sugar composition and branch distribution was not found. Further investigation, combining AFM with controlled acid hydrolysis of the pectin, provided evidence for some modifications of the current view of pectin structure. The branches visible in AFM images were found to most closely resemble galacturonic acid in their response to hydrolysis, and with similar justification it is proposed that rhamnogalacturonan I polymers are not found in significant amounts within the polygalacturonic acid backbone.These results demonstrate the ability of AFM to examine the individual components of a heterogeneous sample in order to obtain a more accurate structural description thereof.

The research presented here considers automatic diagnosis support for skin cancer. The role of computer-based diagnosis, and its value within a primary care situation are examined resulting in synthesis of aims, requirements and properties for an effective system—a system based on digital optical images captured and processed using low-cost commercial computer technology.The issues involved in acquisition of lesion boundaries are discussed. The value of accurate and robust boundaries, in terms of both directly obtainable diagnostic features and in enabling lesion property evaluation, is identified. Previous research has proposed the edge focusing process. This work has addressed the improvement, in terms of potential for future development, evaluation and reuse, of this process through porting it to a highly modular form in the Khoros environment. The role of colour analysis and its value in terms of provision of diagnostically useful features is investigated, and the central importance of segmentation is identified. The fundamental properties of effective segmentation of lesion image colours are identified as a need to reflect human perception of colour similarity and a basis on local regions. A new region-based segmentation technique using data transformed to a perception-uniform colour-space is presented and shown to yield promising results. Finally the use of texture information is discussed. The nature and properties of the large-scale texture of skin patterning and its disruption are investigated and an abstracted representation proposed. A new technique is presented and shown to be effective in extracting the qualities of the skin patterning. Methods for analysing this representation of the patterning to quantify the disruption attributable to the lesion are proposed and developed. The combination of these extraction, analysis and disruption evaluation techniques is shown to be effective in relation to both visual assessment of disruption and diagnostic performance.

DADDY, this is the best holiday I have ever had, Baby Round says, happily ensconsed in our cabin at Ascot Holiday Park in Bendigo. Ascot Holiday Park, at 15 Heinz St, White Hills, has a range of cabins and holiday units from 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 stars with our \"holiday unit\" costing $91 a night for two adults and $5.50 for each child, not including linen. Ph: 1800 062 340 or visit www.big4.com.au Splash out: Ascot Holiday Park in Bendigo has many attractions, including an inviting pool and spa.; Photo: Photo

As luck would have it, the Friends of Thomas are running the next day at Maldon, so I sneak the kids out of town for a ride on steam tractor Nicholas, a look at trolley Sebastian and steam locomotive Jeremy. It's for a good cause -- the restored rail line to Castlemaine is being extended -- but I feel I've cheated on Bendigo. Best meals: Shamrock Cafe and Bar, cnr Pall Mall and Mitchell St, Bendigo, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Ph: 5443 0333. The Cafe Tram offers a two-course dinner on Friday nights from 8pm-9.30pm+ for $35, three courses on Saturday nights (8-10.30pm) for $49 and lunches (first Sunday of month) for $30. Ph: 5443 8255. There are plenty of restaurant options. Best thrills: The next Friends of Thomas weekend at the Victorian Goldfields Railway in Maldon is on October 13-14. Making a Nation and Bendigo Interpretive Museum are in the Old Post Office, Pall Mall, Bendigo, with Rosalind Park directly behind that. The Golden Dragon Museum is nearby at 5 Bridge St. The Victoria Hill mine site is in Marong Rd (the A79) heading north from town. Vintage Talking Trams depart the Central Deborah Goldmine at regular intervals with a stop at the historic tram workshops. The Bendigo Ice Skating Stadium is at 60 Hattam St, Golden Square. The Discovery Science and Technology Centre is at 7 Railway Place, and Life Adventure Park is on the corner of Rohs and Strickland roads.

Best beds: Bon Accord B&B, 153 Dawson St, Sale, off the Princes Highway, rooms from $154. Ph: 5144 5555, www.bonaccordb-b.com.au. Sandymount B&B, 25 Sandy Mount Ave, Inverloch, close to the beach and shops, spa suites from $150. Ph: 5674 1325. Best meals: Berry Good Cafe, 315 Fisher Rd, Drouin West, is a good spot for lunch. Ph: 5628 7627. Post Espresso Bar, next to the Sale courthouse in Foster St, serves a mean Gippsland eye fillet. Ph: 5144 3388. The Fishy Pub in Old Waratah Rd, Fish Creek. Ph: 5683 2494. Bistro Blue, 23 A'Beckett St, Inverloch, specialises in dishes featuring local ingredients. Ph: 5674 3339 Best thrills: Gumbuya Park, Princes Highway, Tynong North, costs $7.50 adults, $4 children, family $22. Ph: 5629 2613. PowerWorks in Ridge Rd, Morwell, costs $8.80 adults, $3.85 children, $19.80 families and $5.50 conc. Ph: 5135 3415, www.powerworks.com.au. Fern Gully Nature Walk is in Tarra-Bulga National Park.