List of Records in 2008 Higher Education Research Data Collection - UQ eSpace

Aard is specifically up-regulated in Sertoli cells during mouse testis differentiation

2008-02-18T17:25:19Z

Aard (alanine and arginine rich domain) is a gene of unknown function, previously reported to show sexually dimorphic expression in fetal mouse gonads. Here we describe the spatio-temporal expression profile of Aard during gonad development. The period of elevated mRNA expression coincides with early differentiation of the testis and is limited to Sertoli cells of the developing testis cords. Although low levels of Aard transcripts were detected in other tissues by quantitative RT-PCR assays, high levels of Aard expression is specific to the testis in both embryonic and adult mice.

A Bayesian approach to estimate the age-specific prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni and implications for schistosomiasis control

2008-02-18T15:23:21Z

Models that accurately estimate the age-specific infection prevalence of Schistosoma mansoni can be useful for schistosomiasis control programmes, particularly with regard to whether mass drug administration or selected treatment should be employed. We developed a Bayesian formulation of an immigration-death model that has been previously proposed, which used maximum likelihood inference for estimating the age-specific S. mansoni prevalence in a dataset from Egypt. For comparative purposes, we first applied the Bayesian formulation of the immigration-death model to the dataset from Egypt. We further analysed data obtained from a cross-sectional parasitological survey that determined the infection prevalence of S. mansoni among 447 individuals in a village in Cote d'Ivoire. Three consecutive stool samples were collected from each participant and analysed by the Kato-Katz technique. In the Cote d'Ivoire study, the observed S. mansoni infection prevalence was 41.6% and varied with age. The immigration-death model was able to correctly predict 50% of the observed age group-specific point prevalences. The model presented here can be utilized to estimate S. mansoni community infection prevalences, which in turn helps in the strategic planning of schistosomiasis control. (c) 2007 Australian Society for Parasitology Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A behavior genetic investigation of adolescent motherhood and offspring mental health problems

2008-03-03T12:24:32Z

The present study examines the relations between adolescent motherhood and children's behavior, substance use, and internalizing problems in a sample of 1,368 children of 712 female twins from Australia. Adolescent motherhood remained significantly associated with all mental health problems, even when using a quasiexperimental design capable of controlling for genetic and environmental confounds. However, the relation between adolescent motherhood and offspring behavior problems and substance use was partially confounded by family background variables that influence both generations. The results are consistent with a causal relation between adolescent motherhood and offspring mental health problems, and they highlight the usefulness of behavior genetic designs when examining putative environmental risks for the development of psychopathology. The generalizability of these results to the United States, which has a higher adolescent birth rate, is discussed.

A black and white family album: Mother and daughter memoirs of Papua New Guinea 1950s-1970s

Cochrane, Susan — 2008-05-12T14:38:43Z

Abnormal effects of line fault location on transient stability and its mechanism

2008-04-16T17:59:27Z

Abnormal fMRI adaptation to unfamiliar faces in a case of developmental prosopamnesia

2008-02-18T14:27:47Z

In rare cases, damage to the temporal lobe causes a selective impairment in the ability to learn new faces, a condition known as prosopamnesia [1]. Here we present the case of an individual with prosopamnesia in the absence of any acquired structural lesion. "C" shows intact processing of simple and complex non-face objects, but her ability to learn new faces is severely impaired. We used a neural marker of perceptual learning known as repetition suppression to examine functioning within C's fusiform face area (FFA), a region of cortex involved in face perception [2]. For comparison, we examined repetition suppression in the scene-selective parahippocampal place area (PPA) [3]. As expected, normal controls showed significant region-specific attenuation of neural activity across repetitions of each stimulus class. C also showed normal attenuation within the PPA to familiar and unfamiliar scenes, and within the FFA to familiar faces. Critically, however, she failed to show any adaptive change within the FFA for repeated unfamiliar faces, despite a face-specific blood-oxygen-dependent response (BOLD) response in her FFA during viewing of face stimuli. Our findings suggest that in developmental prosopamnesia, the FFA cannot maintain stable representations of new faces for subsequent recall or recognition.

Abnormalities of left atrial function after cardioversion: an atrial strain rate study

2008-02-28T11:37:24Z

Background and objectives: The role of atrial myocardial dysfunction after cardioversion is unclear. In a comparison of patients after successful cardioversion from chronic atrial fibrillation ( CAF) and normal controls, we sought to determine whether Doppler-derived atrial strain rate ( A-sr) could be used to measure global left atrial function and whether A-sr was reduced in patients with CAF. Methods: A-sr was measured from the basal septal, lateral, inferior and anterior atrial walls from the apical four-chamber and two-chamber views in 37 patients with CAF who had been cardioverted to sinus rhythm and followed up for 6 months, and in a cohort of 37 healthy people. Conventional measures of atrial function included peak transmitral A-wave velocity, A-wave velocity time integral, atrial fraction and the left atrial ejection fraction. Doppler tissue imaging was used to estimate atrial contraction velocity ( A' velocity). In addition to amplitude parameters, the time to peak A-sr was measured from aortic valve closure. Results: Immediately after cardioversion, A-sr in the CAF cohort ( baseline) was significantly lower than in controls ( mean ( SD) -0.53 ( 0.31) v -1.6 ( 0.75) s(-1); p < 0.001); the A-sr correlated with A' velocity ( r = 0.63; p < 0.001) in patients. Atrial function improved over time, with maximal change observed in the initial 4 weeks after cardioversion. The time to peak A-sr was increased in the CAF group compared with controls ( 0.55 ( 0.15) v 0.46 ( 0.12) s), but this failed to normalise over time. Conclusion: A-sr is a descriptor of atrial function, which is reduced after cardioversion from CAF and subsequently recovers.

A briefe and short instruction of the art of musicke by Elway Bevin

Collins, D. B. — 2008-05-01T13:25:08Z

Abundance and ecophysiology of Defluviicoccus spp., glycogen-accumulating organisms in full-scale wastewater treatment processes

2008-02-18T16:03:32Z

The activity of glycogen-accumulating organisms (GAOs) in enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) wastewater treatment plants has been proposed as one cause of deterioration of EBPR. Putative GAOs from the Alphaproteobacteria, Defluviicoccus spp. (including D. vanus), were studied in full-scale EBPR plants to determine their distribution, abundance and ecophysiology. Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) demonstrated that Defluviicoccus spp. were generally low in abundance; however, in one plant surveyed, Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus constituted 9 % of all Bacteria. FISH combined with microautoradiography revealed that both Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus were capable of taking up a narrow range of substrates including acetate, propionate, pyruvate and glucose under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Formate, butyrate, ethanol and several other substrates were not taken up. Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus demonstrated a phenotype consistent with the current metabolic model for GAOs - anaerobic assimilation of acetate and reduction to polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) using the glycolytic pathway, and aerobic consumption of PHA. Polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs, 'Candidatus Accumulibacter phosphatis') and other putative GAOs ('Candidatus Competibacter phosphatis') co-existed in two plants with Cluster 2 Defluviicoccus, but in both plants, the latter organisms were more abundant. Thus Ciuster.2 Defluviicoccus can be relatively abundant and could be carbon competitors of PAOs and other GAOs in EBPIR plants.

A C5a receptor antagonist provides greater protection than an NSAID in a skin pouch model of sodium urate induced inflammation

2008-02-18T15:54:28Z

A case for a duty to feed the hungry: GM plants and the third world

Carter, L — 2008-02-18T15:06:45Z

This article is concerned with a discussion of the plausibility of the claim that GM technology has the potential to provide the hungry with sufficient food for subsistence. Following a brief outline of the potential applications of GM in this context, a history of the green revolution and its impact will be discussed in relation to the current developing world agriculture situation. Following a contemporary analysis of malnutrition, the claim that GM technology has the potential to provide the hungry with sufficient nourishment will be discussed within the domain of moral philosophy to determine whether there exists a moral obligation to pursue this end if and only if the technology proves to be relatively safe and effective. By using Peter Singer's duty of moral rescue, I argue that we have a moral duty to assist the third world through the distribution of such GM plants. I conclude the paper by demonstrating that my argument can be supported by applying a version of the Precautionary Principle on the grounds that doing nothing might be worse for the current situation.

A case of non-fluent aphasia and agrammatism

Thompson, C. og Worrall, L. — 2008-04-24T11:18:26Z

A Case Study of the New Cooperative Medical System on Financial Production in a Rural Population

2008-05-01T15:12:35Z

A case study on the effect of speed variation on the growth of wear-type rail corrugation

2008-05-16T12:55:22Z

A caspase-like gene from Heliothis virescens ascovirus (HvAV-3e) is not involved in apoptosis but is essential for virus replication

Asgari, S. — 2008-02-18T15:00:16Z

Ascoviruses (AVs) are double-stranded DNA viruses causing a fatal disease in lepidopteran host larvae. A unique feature of AV infection is cleavage of host cells into membrane bound vesicles containing the virions. A recent study showed that a caspase from Spodoptera frugiperda AV (SfAV) is directly involved in initiation of apoptosis and eventually cell cleavage. Results shown here indicate that Heliothis virescens AV does not induce apoptosis in host cells. HvAV codes for a caspase-like protein but no apoptosis was observed when the gene was expressed in vitro. RNAi studies indicated that the gene is essential for virus replication. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Cautious Case for Cannabis Depenalization

Hall, Wayne — 2008-03-28T16:07:13Z

Accent classification using support vector machines

Pedersen, C. og Diederich, J. — 2008-05-06T10:04:51Z

Accent in speech samples: Support vector machines for classification and rule extraction

Pedersen, C. og Diederich, J. — 2008-05-06T10:14:19Z

Acceptability, Feasibility and Effectiveness of a Computer-Tailored Physical Activity Intervention in Adolescents

2008-02-18T17:30:40Z

Objective: To evaluate acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness of computer-tailored physical activity education among adolescents. Methods: Two classes of 7th graders from 10 randomly selected schools were assigned to the intervention (computer-tailored intervention, n = 139) or control (no-intervention, n = 142) condition. Questionnaires were completed I week before and 3 months after the intervention. The computer-tailored intervention was completed during classes. Results: Students had few problems with the diagnostic questions and with the use of a computer. About half of the students evaluated the advice as interesting and easy to understand and about 40% as personally relevant, easy to use and credible. Half of students evaluated the advice as too long and only 33% reported to have used the advice. The computer-tailored intervention was effective for increasing school related physical activity levels with on average 25 min per week (F = 3.4, P <.05), but not for increasing total physical activity or leisure time physical activity. Conclusions: A 1-h computer-tailored intervention offered during class-time has the potential to increase school related physical activity. Practice implications: Although favourable effects of large scale implementation may be expected, some adaptations that might increase effectiveness should be investigated in the future. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accessing integrated Brassica genetic and genomic data using the BASC server

Love, C. G. og Edwards, D. — 2008-04-24T13:12:59Z

Accidental competency formation: an investigation of behavioral learning in engineering education

Walther, J. og Radcliffe, D.F. — 2008-05-09T11:34:31Z

Accommodating a New Frontier: The context of law enforcement

2008-05-09T10:57:47Z

Accommodating indigenous cultural heritage values in resource assessment: Cape York Peninsula and the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Venn, T. J. og Quiggin, J. C. — 2008-05-04T23:39:17Z

In this paper, we consider the problem of accommodating indigenous cultural heritage values in resource assessment and valuation. We suggest a need for price-based approaches to valuation to be replaced by or complemented with quantitative constraints on the decision space, reflecting the requirement that rights should not be violated.

Accoustic and perceptual cues for compound-phrasal contrasts in Vietnamese

Nguyen, T.T.A. og Ingram, J.C. — 2008-05-02T14:21:50Z

AChBP-targeted alpha-conotoxin correlates distinct binding orientations with nAChR subtype selectivity

2008-02-18T14:54:47Z

Neuronal nAChRs are a diverse family of pentameric ion channels with wide distribution throughout cells of the nervous and immune systems. However, the role of specific subtypes in normal and pathological states remains poorly understood due to the lack of selective probes. Here, we used a binding assay based on acetylcholine-binding protein (AChBP), a homolog of the nicotinic acetylcholine ligand- binding domain, to discover a novel alpha-conotoxin (alpha-TxIA) in the venom of Conus textile. alpha-TxIA bound with high affinity to AChBPs from different species and selectively targeted the alpha(3)beta(2) nAChR subtype. A co-crystal structure of Ac- AChBP with the enhanced potency analog TxIA(A10L), revealed a 201 backbone tilt compared to other AChBP - conotoxin complexes. This reorientation was coordinated by a key salt bridge formed between Arg5 (TxIA) and Asp195 (Ac-AChBP). Mutagenesis studies, biochemical assays and electrophysiological recordings directly correlated the interactions observed in the co-crystal structure to binding affinity at AChBP and different nAChR subtypes. Together, these results establish a new pharmacophore for the design of novel subtype-selective ligands with therapeutic potential in nAChR-related diseases.

A checklist for ecological management of landscapes for conservation

2008-04-14T09:55:36Z

The management of landscapes for biological conservation and ecologically sustainable natural resource use are crucial global issues. Research for over two decades has resulted in a large literature, yet there is little consensus on the applicability or even the existence of general principles or broad considerations that could guide landscape conservation. We assess six major themes in the ecology and conservation of landscapes. We identify 13 important issues that need to be considered in developing approaches to landscape conservation. They include recognizing the importance of landscape mosaics (including the integration of terrestrial and aquatic areas), recognizing interactions between vegetation cover and vegetation configuration, using an appropriate landscape conceptual model, maintaining the capacity to recover from disturbance and managing landscapes in an adaptive framework. These considerations are influenced by landscape context, species assemblages and management goals and do not translate directly into on-the-ground management guidelines but they should be recognized by researchers and resource managers when developing guidelines for specific cases. Two crucial overarching issues are: (i) a clearly articulated vision for landscape conservation and (ii) quantifiable objectives that offer unambiguous signposts for measuring progress

Achievements in forest tree improvement in Australia and New Zealand 6: Genetic improvement and conservation of Araucaria cunninghamii in Queensland

Dieters, Mark og Nikles, D. G. og Keys, M. — 2008-04-09T14:16:27Z

Acid mine drainage at Mount Morgan, Queensland (Australia): Experimental simulation and geochemical modelling of buffering reactions.

2008-04-02T13:35:14Z

Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infection while receiving tigecycline: a cautionary report

2008-05-06T10:25:28Z

A Cluster-Randomized Bovine Intervention Trial against Schistosoma japonicum in the People’s Republic of China: Design and Baseline Results

2008-02-18T15:35:44Z

A cognitive behavioural case formulation framework for treatment planning in anxiety disorders

Boschen, M. J. og Oei, Tian P.S. — 2008-05-01T16:14:11Z

A cognitive behavioral case formulation framework (CBCFF) for anxiety disorders is presented, in which the etiological and maintaining factors for the anxiety disorders are outlined in a single, simple, visual framework. This CBCFF is then used to demonstrate the specific links of different cognitive and behavioural treatment components to aspects of the case formulation. An example is used to illustrate the use of the CBCFF, highlighting its utility with novel presentations for which no manualized treatments exist. Depression and Anxiety 2007.

A combined approach for information flow analysis in fault tolerant hardware

McComb, T. og Wildman, L. — 2008-05-07T11:51:36Z

A Community Psychology View of Environmental Organization Processes

Dean, Julie H. og Bush, Robert A. — 2008-02-18T14:21:46Z

Environmental organizations have a key role in addressing environmental degradation and promoting ecologically and socially sustainable societies. Psychosocial processes underpin their work, however, empirical studies of these processes remain underdeveloped. This paper presents the first stage of a community psychology study involving in-depth interviews with leaders in environmental organizations. Qualitative analysis revealed a framework of five types of psychosocial processes that assist environmental organizations to achieve a range of outcomes, namely: problem analysis; influencing decision-making; inter-organizational relationships; community participation and knowledge transfer. These psychosocial processes were used in substantially different ways depending on the organizations' orientation. Three key orientations towards outcomes were evident: on-ground conservation, developing innovation in specialist areas and transforming wider social institutions. The findings provide a model of the psychosocial processes involved in fostering sustainable futures and exemplify the contribution of community psychology to this critical global issue.

A compact and directive UWB antenna for biomedical applications

Abbosh, A. og Bialkowski, M.E. — 2008-04-30T16:37:49Z

A compact UWB three-way power divider

Abbosh, A.M. — 2008-02-18T14:36:24Z

A three-way power divider with ultra wideband behavior is presented. It has a compact size with an overall dimension of 20 mm * 30 mm. The proposed divider utilizes broadside coupling via multilayer microstrip/slot transitions of elliptical shape. The simulated and measured results show that the proposed device has 4.77 +/- 1dB insertion loss, better than 17 dB return loss, and better than 15 dB isolation across the frequency band 3.1 to 10.6 GHz.

A comparative map viewer integrating genetic maps for Brassica and Arabidopsis

2008-04-28T12:50:35Z

Background: Molecular genetic maps provide a means to link heritable traits with underlying genome sequence variation. Several genetic maps have been constructed for Brassica species, yet to date, there has been no simple means to compare this information or to associate mapped traits with the genome sequence of the related model plant, Arabidopsis. Description: We have developed a comparative genetic map database for the viewing, comparison and analysis of Brassica and Arabidopsis genetic, physical and trait map information. This web- based tool allows users to view and compare genetic and physical maps, search for traits and markers, and compare genetic linkage groups within and between the amphidiploid and diploid Brassica genomes. The inclusion of Arabidopsis data enables comparison between Brassica maps that share no common markers. Analysis of conserved syntenic blocks between Arabidopsis and collated Brassica genetic maps validates the application of this system. This tool is freely available over the internet on http://bioinformatics.pbcbasc.latrobe.edu.au/cmap. Conclusion: This database enables users to interrogate the relationship between Brassica genetic maps and the sequenced genome of A. thaliana, permitting the comparison of genetic linkage groups and mapped traits and the rapid identification of candidate genes.

A Comparative Risk Assessment for South Africa in 2000: Towards Promoting Health and Preventing Disease

2008-02-18T15:12:17Z

A comparative study of renal function in the desert-adapted spiny mouse and the laboratory-adapted C57BL/6 mouse: response to dietary salt load.

2008-04-30T10:52:27Z

A comparison of components of two definitions of the metabolic syndrome related to cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in a cohort study in Thailand

2008-02-18T14:37:17Z

A comparison of early family life events amongst monozygotic twin women with lifetime anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or major depression

2008-03-03T12:30:52Z

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the differential profile of early family life events associated with lifetime anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and major depression (MD). METHOD: Only data from the monozygotic twins (n = 622) were examined from a community sample of female twins who had participated in three waves of data collection. Eating disorder and MD diagnoses were ascertained from the Eating Disorder Examination at Wave 3 and interview at Wave 2 respectively. Early family events were ascertained from self-report measures at Waves 1 and 3. Two case control designs were used, including a comparison of women: (1) who had lifetime AN, BN, MD, and controls, and (2) twin pairs discordant for either AN, BN, or MD (where the unaffected cotwin formed the control group). RESULTS: Across the two types of designs, compared to controls, both AN and BN were associated with more comments from the family about weight and shape when growing up. AN was uniquely associated with higher levels of paternal protection while BN was associated with higher levels of parental expectations. CONCLUSION: While some overlap among early life events was indicated, especially related to parental conflict and criticism, there was evidence to support some degree of nonoverlap among life events associated with AN, BN, and MD.

A comparison of methods for assessing total arterial compliance

2008-03-31T11:14:34Z

A comparison of models for predicting population persistence

Cairns, B. J. og Ross, J. V. og Taimre, T. — 2008-03-27T13:55:57Z

A comparison of pathomolecular markers of fibrosis and morphology in kidney from autopsies of African Americans and whites

2008-02-08T15:06:10Z

African Americans have an increased incidence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) due to hypertension and arteriosclerosis and increased death due to coronary artery disease, compared with whites. The pathogenesis of CKD involves the increased presence and activation of myofibroblasts and macrophages, promotion of tubulointerstitial fibrosis, and effects of tubulointerstitial cell mitosis and apoptosis. We hypothesized that increased risk of hypertensive vascular disease may be identified by renal pathomolecular markers that are associated with progressive CKD. Renal sections were available from 50 autopsies of 33 African Americans (55% males) and 17 whites (76% males) undergoing forensic autopsy for unexpected death. Sclerotic glomeruli, severity of cortical fibrosis, and renal arterioloselerosis, total glomerular number (N-glom), average glomerular volume (V-glom), birth weights, and blood pressure were known. Presence and locality of markers for myofibroblasts (alpha-SMA), macrophages (CD68), collagen, pro-fibrotic transforming growth factor-beta1 were scored in renal autopsies, and tubulointerstitial apoptosis was recorded. The results demonstrated a strong positive correlation between age, cortical fibrosis and alpha-SMA (p < 0.05), and between CD68 and hypertension and coronary artery disease (p < 0.05). The findings confirm the role of myofibroblasts and macrophages in pathogenesis of human CKD. However, the markers showed no significant relationships to V-glom, N-glom, birth weight, or race.

A comparison of sequence kernels for localization prediction of transmembrane proteins

2008-04-24T09:47:33Z

A comparison of service quality attribute weights across service experiences

Dagger, T. og Sweeney, J. — 2008-04-28T16:03:20Z

A comparison of sesquiterpene scaffolds across different populations of the tropical marine sponge Acanthella cavernosa

2008-03-18T14:05:36Z

Specimens of the Indo-Pacific sponge Acanthella cavernosa Dendy collected from locations along the Eastern coastline of Australia have been shown to contain a range of sesquiterpenes including isothiocyanate 1, isocyanide 10, and the isocyanates 15 and 22. These metabolite studies have provided a basis for chemical comparisons between sponge populations from different geographic locations and between individual specimens collected from a single location.

A comparison of the effects of parenteral and oral administration of supplementary vitamin E on plasma vitamin E concentrations in dairy cows at different stages of lactation

2008-04-30T13:45:17Z

A Comparison of the Needs of Hospitality Management Students between Flexible and Traditional Hospitality Management Programs in Australian Universities

Walker, B. og Lee, T. J. — 2008-04-30T09:55:05Z

This paper is to examine the assessment needs of students studying in hospitality management degrees at Australian universities. The paper investigates the concept of flexible delivery, and contextualising flexible assessment. It determines the size and scope of the population of hospitality programs in Australia and the efficient methodological approach. The findings indicated that the programs were only significantly different in the negotiation of the due date of an assessment item. The results revealed that both flexible and traditional programs failed to address the assessment needs of the students when examining the elements of assessment that they would have liked to be able to negotiate. The study suggests that the students should be provided with the option of negotiating the various assessment elements even though they might wish to change the offered alternatives.

A comprehensive analysis of the biogeography of the thelastomatoid pinworms from Australian burrowing cockroaches (Blaberidae : Geoscapheinae, Panesthiinae): no evidence of coevolution

2008-02-18T14:57:58Z

We report 21 thelastomatoid species parasitizing 31 described and 5 undescribed geoscapheine and panesthiine cockroaches, representing all but 1 of the known species of these subfamilies in Australia. The nematodes have 3 distinct patterns of host distribution: dominant, moderate and rare. The 4 dominant species, Cordonicola gibsoni, Leidynemella fusiformis, Travassosinema jaidenae and Aoruroides queenslandensis, are highly prevalent, found in nearly all host species examined, and broadly distributed. The 8 moderate species have lower prevalences but are still widely distributed. Man), of these species are more common in one host subfamily than the other. The remaining 9 rare species have highly restricted host and geographical distributions. Six of the 21 species are exclusive to geoscapheines, 5 to panesthiines and 10 are shared. These patterns suggest that most of the reported thelastomatoid species are generalists rather than specialists, that host-specificity within this group is low and that co-evolutionary speciation has had little, if any, impact on structuring the thelastomatoid fauna of Australian burrowing cockroaches. In a broader context, this study provides the first comprehensive examination of the role of coevolutionary speciation and host specificity in regulating the distribution of pinworms in arthropods.

A comprehensive CFD model of dense medium cyclone performance

2008-03-03T14:49:03Z

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of the dense medium cyclone (DMC) has been developed, using Fluent, by coupling component models for the air-core, the magnetite medium and coal particles. Simulations of turbulent driven flow in a dense medium cyclone with magnetite medium showed that the predicted air-core shape and diameter were close to experimental results measured by gamma ray tomography. Multiphase simulations (air/water/medium) using the large Eddy simulation (LES) turbulence model, together with viscosity corrections according to the feed particle loading factor, gave accurate predictions of axial magnetite segregation, with results close to gamma ray tomography data. Addition of lift forces and viscosity correction improved the radial magnetite segregation predictions especially near the wall. Predicted density profiles are very close to gamma ray tomography data, showing a clear density drop near the wall. At higher feed densities the agreement between the empirical correlations of [Dungilson, M.E., 1998. A model to predict the performance of the dense medium cyclone for low and high density applications, In: Seventh JKMRC Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 67-84; Wood, J.C., 1990. A performance model for coal-washing dense medium cyclones, Ph.D. Thesis, JKMRC, University of Queensland] and the CFD are reasonably good, but the overflow density from CFD is lower than the empirical model predictions and experimental values. It is believed that excessive underflow volumetric flow rates are responsible for under prediction of the overflow density. The partition characteristics of the DMC for particles between 0.5 and 8 mm in diameter were modeled using Lagrangian particle tracking. For the first time, the pivot phenomenon, in which partition curves for different sizes of coal pass through a common pivot point, has been successfully modeled using CFD. The values of E-p predicted by the Lagrangian particle tracking are very close to the experimental values although cut-point predictions deviate slightly. This comprehensive CFD model provides a tool for new DMC design with clear advantages over approaches based on constructing and trialling new designs experimentally. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.