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BACKGROUND An important part of human placental development is the extensive modification of maternal vasculature by trophoblasts. Fetal growth retardation (FGR) and preeclampsia (PE) are associated with deficient trophoblastic invasion and modification of the uterine spiral arteries leading to small-caliber vessels of high resistance which impairs placental blood flow, creating a hypoxic environment and subsequent oxidative stress. FGR and pre-eclampsia are important causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality and it is important to identify such ‘at risk’ pregnancies during routine antenatal care. Ultrasonography (USG) and colour-Doppler are readily available tools that may be used for identifying such ‘at risk’ pregnancies. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of 2-D sonographic placental volumetry, umbilical arterial doppler and uterine arterial doppler in predicting adverse fetomaternal outcomes and compare the accuracy of these three tests with each other in terms of sensitivity and specificity. METHODS A total of 100 women were randomly selected from the antenatal clinics, and were subject to serial ultrasounds at 12 - 16 weeks, 20 - 24 weeks, and 28 - 32 weeks. The 2-D sonographic placental volume, umbilical and uterine arterial resistivity index (RI), and pulsatility index (PI) were measured. The pregnancies were followed up till delivery and the measurements were plotted against the actual placental weight and development of FGR and/or pre-eclampsia. RESULTS In pregnancies with FGR or pre-eclampsia, the placental volumes were low, and correspondingly the uterine and umbilical arterial RI and PI were high (increased impedance) as compared to the normal pregnancies. For the prediction of adverse outcomes, a receiver operating curve (ROC) analysis showed that placental volume and umbilical artery RI and PI had high sensitivity in the 1st-trimester, and high specificity in the 2nd-trimester. CONCLUSIONS 2-D sonographic placental volumetry and umbilical arterial Doppler studies may be used as 1st-trimester screening tools to predict adverse fetomaternal outcomes. These patients may be subjected to more intensive follow-up to minimize maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. KEYWORDS Doppler Ultrasonography; Fetal Growth Retardation; Placenta; Pre-eclampsia; Umbilical Arteries; Uterine Artery

Autonomous ships are expected to become operational in the foreseeable future. However, so far, most of the discussions have been centred on automation technology with less emphasis on training of seafarers who shall operate them. Depending on the level of autonomy, it is imperative that these ships will still be operated by humans either onshore or onboard. Thus, it is critical to identify the training needs of operators and the facilities that will be required to deliver them. This paper reviews the current state of knowledge on maritime education and training (MET) of future operators of autonomous and unmanned ships. An extensive review of the literature revealed that currently, there is an absence of a framework for training the future operators of autonomous vessels. Moreover, the exact equipment that will be needed for training is also not known. As the literature on operational requirement of autonomous ships is limited, this paper expanded the review of the literature to industries which have already embraced the autonomous systems and in particular the framework utilised for training the workforce that operates and manage those autonomous systems.

To provide an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduced the International Safety Management (ISM) Code (adopted in 1993 and entered in force on 1st July 1998). The Code, through its guidelines and recommendations, provides seafarers (ship’s crew) the course of action for the safety and quality assurance process on ships. Traditionally a paper-based system, the ISM Code is now being digitalized in every aspect to streamline the processes to improve ship operations. This paper presents findings of a review of existing literature available on the world wide web to highlight areas of the Code that have been impacted by technology and the benefits that are being reaped. However, recent cyber attacks on ships and the maritime industry require a discussion on various implications associated with ships becoming increasingly reliant on technology and the advancing digital world. This paper highlights and explains the related implications and suggests strategies to address them.

This paper presents the results of a research study conducted aiming to educate maritime design students with maritime Human Factors (HF) and Human-Centred Design (HCD) theoretical concepts and to ...

Key global and Australasian bodies have reported research suggesting the accounting profession is one of the most vulnerable to disruption through automation and changed business models. For universities seeking to improve the employability of graduates and professional bodies seeking to support professional members on a successful lifelong career, the research presented in this paper reconfirmed the need to reappraise the capabilities that would enhance professional practice and lead to sustained careers. This report presents the findings from a validation process across Australia and New Zealand that includes 2,074 responses to a survey conducted by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. The report confirms 24 capabilities, including six considered essential requirements for every professional seeking to work in accounting, finance, and related work roles. The findings provide evidence that these capabilities, in contrast to recent reports suggesting employment opportunities for accounting graduates are in decline, can create opportunities for sustainable careers. The validation project and survey results provide unexpected insight into the capabilities of different age groups and professionals at different career stages that are considered important. The paper outlines how this research will not only inform continuing professional education for members but also help refine the design of post-graduate curriculum and continuing professional development.

Past analysis of marine accident investigations has revealed that inadequate risk assessment conducted on board ships lead to maritime accidents. The International Management Code for the Safe Oper...

Conjugated organic frameworks are an interesting class of functional porous organic materials having a π-conjugated backbone with permanent porosity. These materials are potential candidates for optoelectronic applications. Although there are several reports on the structure–property relationship between π-conjugated building blocks and optoelectronic performance, the influence of the linker position is hitherto unknown. We report two novel imine-linked 2D π-conjugated polymers which are positional isomers of each other consisting of pyrene and anthracene units. The polymers exhibited similar optical and electronic properties under ambient conditions. Upon I2 doping, one of the isomers exhibited high radical density and enhanced conductivity due to energetically favoured chemical oxidation. The linker position dramatically affects the optoelectronic performance of these polymers even though they have the same π-conjugated backbone.

Past analysis of accident investigations suggest an absence of or inadequate practices of risk assessment and management on board vessels. Although the International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention (ISM Code) requires that the risk management process must not only be correctly formulated and implemented but also be periodically evaluated in order to verify that these objectives are attained, the correct and effective implementation and application of the process cannot be achieved without active involvement of competent seafarers on board. Due to the limited investigation of seafarers’ competencies in risk management, the reasons for the inadequacies in the process that are leading to accidents were not evident. Hence, using a survey, this paper conducted a pilot study investigating seafarers’ perceptions of competency in the various components of the risk management process conducted on board vessels. The findings of this paper suggest an overall satisfaction with the risk assessment process. However, there is certainly room for improvement as far as seafarers’ performance is concerned. The findings of this paper provided valuable insights into the current training regimes in the area of risk assessment and management paving the way towards enhanced safety procedures on board vessels.

The blowout on the drilling rig ‘Deepwater Horizon’ resulted in human fatalities and significant environmental damage; and drew attention to the vulnerabilities in the safety of the vessels and the seafarers operating the vessels in the offshore sector. One of the reasons of the explosion was attributed to the poor risk assessment and management practices. Risk assessment is one of the central tenets of the ISM Code that establishes safety management objectives and requires safety management system (SMS) to be established by ship operators. It is therefore imperative that in order to meet the objectives of the Code and to ensure personal safety, all seafarers should be conversant with the risk management principles and trained in its practical application. However, based on a theoretical analysis of the regulatory requirements of training as well as analysis of past incidents on offshore vessels, this paper highlighted the challenges faced by the offshore sector in the effective training of its seafarers in the process of risk assessment. In doing so, the regulatory requirements for training and its inherent flaws are discussed. The practices and attitudes of the seafarers towards the process of risk assessment is also critiqued.

Past literature on authentic assessment suggests that it provides a far more reliable and valid indicator of outcomes such as higher student engagement, ability to transfer skills to different contexts, multiple evidence of competence, and student performance. This has appeal in seafarer education and training where both students and employers increasingly perceive traditional assessment methods as failing to consistently generate these outcomes. However, this paper argues that improving different aspects of assessment validity and reliability is essentially required to enhance the outcomes identified above. The paper builds on and extends previous work to investigate and develop a conceptual and practical framework that promotes a holistic approach to authentic assessment that provides greater assurances of validity and reliability throughout all stages of assessment within seafarer programs. It also lays the path to future research directions by establishing the agenda to test the practicality of the framework in the authentic assessment of seafarer students and also investigate the impact of students’ perception of increasing authenticity on performance scores in assessment tasks.

Merchant shipping is moving more than 10 billion tons of ballast water around the world annually, placing human health at risk and causing ecological and environmental damage through the transportation of pathogens and marine aquatic species. The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM Convention) adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to address this issue, is set to enter into force on the 8 September 2017. Once the Convention enters into force, seafarers conducting ballast water management (BWM) operations will need in-depth knowledge of the Convention and be proficient with standards and best practices. Lack of competence will have serious implications for seafarers (e.g. health hazards and financial penalties); and damage to the marine environment. Based on a perception survey of 25 seafarer students enrolled in their final year of training at the Australian Maritime College (AMC), this research investigates the effectiveness of maritime training providers in delivering training for seafarers certified for operational and management levels of competence, to effectively comply with the BWM Convention. The student perceptions indicated that majority of the students are satisfied with elements of BWM training which are being delivered by the AMC.

Doping of organic semiconductors enhances the performance of optoelectronic devices. Although p-type doping is well studied and successfully deployed in optoelectronic devices, air stable ntype doping was still elusive. We succeeded with n-type doping of organic semiconductors using molecular dopant N-DMBI under ambient conditions. Strikingly, n-type doping accounts for a gigantic increase of the photoconductivity of doped thin films. Electrical and optical properties of the n-doped molecular semiconductor were investigated by temperature dependent conductivity, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and flash-photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity (FP-TRMC) measurements. A significant reduction and saturation in activation energy with increasing doping level clearly suggests the formation of an impurity band and enhancement in carrier density. Computational studies reveal the formation of a charge transfer complex mediated by hydrogen abstraction as the rate-determining step for the doping mechanism. The colossal enhancement of photoconductivity induced by n-doping is a significant step toward optoelectronic devices made of molecular semiconductors.

With the growing popularity of football globally, the accuracy of each and every events and technology involved in the game is a concern. Critical situations arise when the referee cannot discriminate a goal or no goal by fine margins due to human visual limitations. Nowadays Video-Assistant Referee (VAR) and other technologies perform accurate decision-making can be implemented in a live match. But the process consumes a lot of time which reduces the fast pace of the game and can cause unnecessary distractions. This study aims to design an automatic goal-line detection system with the help of radio frequency identification (RFID) - Arduino interfacing. RFID incorporates the use of radio waves to extract the information stored in a tag attached to an object. The proposed system uses RFID tags which are fitted on the inside surface of a football. The information embedded in the tags is read by RFID readers, placed behind the goalpost. This technology does not require any additional programming and camera analysis in decision-making, thus making the system faster to help the referees in quick decision-making and maintaining the pace of the game.

The reality of a global gender imbalance in the workforce is undeniable. However, it is even more profound in the traditionally male-dominated maritime industry, where women make up a mere 2% of the workforce. Although the maritime industry has adopted initiatives towards closing the existing gender gap, the integration of women into the maritime industry has been at a sluggish rate due to various impediments. This paper not only traces the issue of the gender imbalance to its historical roots but also highlights the current impediments and challenges unique to the maritime industry towards achieving gender equality in its workforce. Using a review of literature, this paper also brings forward the various initiatives put in place to facilitate the integration of women into the maritime sector and suggests recommendations for the same. The paper acknowledges that women are a growing force and the need to close the gender gap is widely accepted. However, even though many initiatives have led to an i...

Research in the design and development of fully autonomous and unmanned merchant vessels has revealed positive results and expected benefits that support their likely implementation on the high seas in the near future. The benefits mainly derive from the removal of the human element which may reduce associated errors; and provide financial savings on crew salaries and omission of crew accommodation. However, even though the technical concepts for unmanned vessel operation are well established, studies on human interaction with the systems are not as prevalent. This paper highlights the regulatory, legal, safety, human/technology interface and societal concerns posed to the operation of unmanned vessels. This paper argues that the belief in complete reliability and trustworthiness of fully automated ships is unrealistic, and in doing so, questions its commercial viability. This paper concludes that the maritime and seafaring industry require further evidence of the validation of the technology befo...

The very concept of dye and pigment chemistry that was long known to the industrial world underwent a radical revision after the discovery and commercialization of dyes such as mauveine, indigo, and so on. Apart from their conventional role as coloring agents, organic dyes, and pigments have been identified as indispensable sources for high-end technological applications including optical and electronic devices. Simultaneous with the advancement in the supramolecular chemistry of π-conjugated systems and the divergent evolution of organic semiconductor materials, several dyes, and pigments have emerged as potential candidates for contemporary optoelectronic devices. Of all the major pigments, diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) better known as the ‘Ferrari Pigment’ and its derivatives have emerged as a major class of organic functional dyes that find varied applications in fields such as industrial pigments, organic solar cells, organic field–effect transistors, and in bioimaging. Since its discovery in 1974 by Farnum and Mehta, DPP-derived dyes gained rapid attention because of its attractive color, synthetic feasibility, ease of functionalization, and tunable optical and electronic properties. The advancement in supramolecular polymerization of DPP-based small molecules and oligomers with directed morphological and electronic features have led to the development of high performing optoelectronic devices. In this review, we highlight the recent developments in the optoelectronic applications of DPP derivatives specifically engineered to form supramolecular polymers.

Eye melanoma is a rare disease but according to malignancy, it is the most common type of cancer. Just like other types of cancers, it is curable for most of the cases if diagnosed properly but the process of diagnosis is quite challenging and is the most problematic issue in the treatment of eye melanoma. This paper presents an automated eye melanoma detection method using a convolutional neural network (CNN). 170 pre-diagnosed samples are taken from a standard database followed by pre-processing to lower resolution samples and finally fed to the CNN architecture. The proposed work eliminates separate feature extraction as well as the classification for the detection of eye melanoma. Although the proposed method requires a huge computation, a high accuracy rate of 91.76% is achieved outperforming the eye melanoma detection using an artificial neural network (ANN).

With the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention 1995 (STCW’95) moving seafarer training towards outcome-based education (OBE), emphasis has shifted to assessment practices that will allow seafarer students to demonstrate their ability to perform workplace tasks at standards described in the STCW Code. This paper argues that authentic assessment comprising of performance-based tasks applied in real-world and meaningful contexts can provide a holistic approach to competence assessment for seafarers. But, authentic assessment can capture essential aspects of workplace tasks and result in consistency of student performance in different contexts only if they are valid and reliable. Rubrics as assessment tools are known to increase validity and reliability of assessments; however, it can do so only if different aspects of its own validity and reliability have been addressed. A literature review undertaken for this paper has uncovered an absence of academic investigation and empirical study on the different aspects of validity and reliability of authentic assessment through assessment rubrics. Moreover, there exists an even greater absence of global research on authentic assessment in the area of seafarer training. Through an investigation of authentic assessment, this research has uncovered the importance of using valid and reliable rubrics in order to improve not only the assessment process but also the tools and methods used to support the valid, reliable, and authentic assessment of outcomes achieved in the learning process. Future research aims to offer insights into improving the validity and reliability of rubrics and to empirically investigate how they can be used in authentic assessment within the confines of the STCW Code, in particular, to improve seafarer training practices, student engagement, resulting learning outcomes, and employer and regulator satisfaction with the attainment of the standards stipulated in the STCW Code to produce an evidence of competence.

Commercial shipping in the Arctic region presents significant financial incentives through reduced transit times and opportunities for natural resource activities. However, it also presents significant risks for the safe navigation of vessels and increased environmental pollution. This paper describes the factors that are promoting the expansion and inhibition of commercial shipping in the Arctic region. It explains the hazards of Arctic shipping and classifies threats to the environment under oil pollution, aquatic species invasion, marine mammal displacement, and carbon emissions. The costs described relate to underwriter and insurance premiums. The paper also describes the risk-mitigating elements of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code). The paper concludes to highlight the need for a deeper understanding of associated risks by stakeholders before sea routes in the Arctic region are fully commercialised for maritime use.

OBJECTIVES The present investigation aimed at examining if post-cancer treatment with a potentized homeopathic drug, Condurango 30C, which is generally used to treat oesophageal cancer, could also show an ameliorating effect through apoptosis induction on lung cancer induced by benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) in white rats (Rattus norvegicus). METHODS Lung cancer was induced after four months by chronic feeding of BaP to rats through gavage at a dose of 50 mg/kg body weight for one month. After four months, the lung-cancer-bearing rats were treated with Condurango 30C for the next one (5(th)), two (5(th)-6(th)) and three (5(th)-7(th)) months, respectively, and were sacrificed at the corresponding time- points. The ameliorating effect, if any, after Condurango 30C treatment for the various periods was evaluated by using protocols such as histology, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), annexinV-FITC/PI assay, flow cytometry of the apoptosis marker, DNA fragmentation, reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemistry, and western blot analyses of lung tissue samples. RESULTS Striking recovery of lung tissue to a near normal status was noticed after post-cancerous drug treatment, as evidenced by SEM and histology, especially after one and two months of drug treatment. Data from the annexinV-FITC/PI and DNA fragmentation assays revealed that Condurango 30C could induce apoptosis in cancer cells after post-cancer treatment. A critical analysis of signalling cascade, evidenced through a RT-PCR study, demonstrated up-regulation and down-regulation of different pro- and anti-apoptotic genes, respectively, related to a caspase-3-mediated apoptotic pathway, which was especially discernible after one-month and two- month drug treatments. Correspondingly, Western blot and immunohistochemistry studies confirmed the ameliorative potential of Condurango 30C by its ability to down-regulate the elevated epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression, a hallmark of lung cancer. CONCLUSION The overall result validated a positive effect of Condurango 30C in ameliorating lung cancer through caspase-3-mediated apoptosis induction and EGFR down-regulation.

Seafarer training in Australia is severely affected by the scarcity of training berths, which is due to the absence of sufficient berths on ‘blue water’ vessels in a declining Australian fleet. Analysis of responses from global maritime institutes provide evidence to suggest an inconsistency in approach and a global frustration with international regimes that enforce archaic training practices and time serving, which retard efforts to solve the issue of availability of sea time and applied training. Improved collaboration between key stakeholders, harnessing alternate means of training, recognition of prior learning, and innovative management of vessels providing sea time could be combined to reduce the current backlog of seafarers unable to obtain approved certificates of competence due to a lack of mandatory sea time. Issues associated with these alternative approaches will be discussed and the solutions that should be investigated and trialled in Australia identified.

Chemopreventive approach with natural products, particularly plants and plant-derived ones, is receiving increasing attention for their effective role against cancer without any palpable side effects. In this study, efficacy of ethanolic extract of Ruta graveolens (RG) on skin melanoma cells (A375) in vitro and on 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced skin cancer in vivo has been tested in Swiss albino mice.Studies on cell viability, apoptosis and autophagy induction were conducted in vitro. To check apoptosis, assays like alteration in mitochondrial membrane potential, annexin V-fluorescein isothiocyanate/propidium iodide assay and immunoblot were performed. Fluorescence microscopic and immunoblot assays were performed to confirm autophagy induction. The effects of RG were determined by evaluating body weight, tumor incidence, tumor volume and tumor burden in mice. Enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant status was assessed. The role of some relevant signaling proteins was also analyzed.RG caused death of A375 cells through induction of caspase 3-mediated apoptosis and Beclin-1-associated autophagy. Moreover, RG administration (75 mg/kg body weight) which showed no acute or chronic toxicity, showed significant reduction in the skin tumor burden of DMBA-painted mice. RG also demonstrated potent anti-lipid peroxidative and antioxidant functions during the course of skin cancer induction by DMBA.Chemopreventive potential of RG was demonstrated from overall results of this study, indicating its possible use in therapeutic formulation of an effective drug to treat skin cancer.

Lactobacillae are gram positive diverse group of species and have association with nutrient rich niches like humans, animals and plants. Lactobacillus casei is considered as one of the most competent probiotic throughout the world. Its microbiological feature historically well-established but genomic analysis including comparative genomics is recent. Lactobacillus casei Lbs2 strain was isolated from the gut of a healthy north Indian individual and sequenced. We compared the genomes of Lactobacillus casei Lbs2 with 8 other complete genomes of the same species e.g.; LC2W, BL23, BDII, W56, 12A, Zhang, LOCK919, ATCC393 using BRIG (Blast Ring Image Generator), Gene enrichment analysis using Fischer Extract test in R. Lbs2 strain has a number of genes including bile tolerance, stress response re-iterating its probiotic stand. Interestingly, genes coding for transposons, co-enzyme transport and metabolisms are enriched in the Indian Genome. Presence of large number of transposons indicates this genome is undergoing expansion and under adaptive selection pressure. When we compared our genome based on Multilocus Sequence Typing (rMLST), we found this strain is closely similar to Lactobacillus fermentum rather than other L. casei strains. Comparison of Lbs2 strain with other L. casei strains indicates ATCC393 (isolated from daily product) is closer than others.

Wind as renewable energy potential is abundantly available at remote locations. This can be harnessed by using the rugged induction generator. However there is a dynamic requirement of reactive power as the load changes. A DSTATCOM has been proposed in this paper to cater for the dynamic requirement of the reactive power for the Induction generator with the change in load and to stabilize the terminal voltage of the wind generator under fault conditions. The paper simulates the autonomous system consisting of wind turbine, induction generator along with a DSTATCOM on a MATLAB platform and studies the stabilization of the voltage under varying load and different fault conditions.

Objective Preventive measures against skin melanoma like chemotherapy are useful but suffer from chronic side effects and drug resistance. Ethanolic extract of Phytolacca decandra (PD), used in homeopathy for the treatment of various ailments like chronic rheumatism, regular conjunctivitis, psoriasis, and in some skin diseases was tested for its possible anticancer potential. Methods Cytotoxicity of the drug was tested by conducting 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay on both normal (peripheral blood mononuclear cells) and A375 cells. Fluorescence microscopic study of 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride-stained cells was conducted for DNA fragmentation assay, and changes in cellular morphology, if any, were also recorded. Lactate dehydrogenase activity assay was done to evaluate the percentages of apoptosis and necrosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, if any, and expression study of apoptotic genes also were evaluated to pin-point the actual events of apoptosis. Results Results showed that PD administration caused a remarkable reduction in proliferation of A375 cells, without showing much cytotoxicity on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Generation of ROS and DNA damage, which made the cancer cells prone to apoptosis, were found to be enhanced in PD-treated cells. These results were duly supported by the analytical data on expression of different cellular and nuclear proteins, as for example, by down-regulation of Akt and Bcl-2, up-regulation of p53, Bax and caspase 3, and an increase in number of cell deaths by apoptosis in A375 cells. Conclusion Overall results demonstrate anticancer potentials of PD on A375 cells through activation of caspase-mediated signaling and ROS generation.