Environmental factors effecting the germination and seedling emergence of two populations of an aggressive agricultural weed; Nassella trichotoma
- Humphries, Talia, Chauhan, Bhagirath, Florentine, Singarayer
- Authors: Humphries, Talia , Chauhan, Bhagirath , Florentine, Singarayer
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 13, no. 7 (2018), p. 1-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. ex Arechav. (Serrated tussock) is an aggressive globally significant weed to agricultural and natural ecosystems. Herbicide resistant populations of this C3 perennial weed have emerged, increasing the need for effective wide-scale cultural control strategies. A thorough seed ecology study on two spatially distinct populations of N. trichotoma was conducted on this weed to identify differences in important environmental factors (drought, salinity, alternating temperature, photoperiod, burial depth, soil pH, artificial seed aging, and radiant heat) which influence seed dormancy. Seeds were collected from two spatially distinct populations; Gnarwarre (38 O 9’ 8.892’’ S, 144 O 7’ 38.784’’ E) and Ingliston (37O 40’ 4.44’’ S, 144 O 18’ 39.24’’ E) in December 2016 and February 2017, respectively. Twenty sterilized seeds were placed into Petri dishes lined with a single Whatman® No. 10 filter paper dampened with the relevant treatments solution and then incubated under the identified optimal alternating temperature and photoperiod regime of 25C/ 15C (light/dark, 12h/12h). For the burial depth treatment, 20 seeds were placed into plastic containers (10cm in diameter and 6cm in depth) and buried to the relevant depth in sterilized soil. All trials were monitored for 30 days and germination was indicated by 5mm exposure of the radicle and emergence was indicated by the exposure of the cotyledon. Each treatment had three replicates for each population, and each treatment was repeated to give a total of six replicates per treatment, per population. Nassella trichotoma was identified to be non-photoblastic, with germination (%) being similar under alternating light and dark and complete darkness conditions. With an increase of osmotic potential and salinity, a significant decline in germination was observed. There was no effect of pH on germination. Exposure to a radiant heat of 120C for 9 minutes resulted in the lowest germination in the Ingliston population (33%) and the Gnarwarre population (60%). In the burial depth treatment, the Ingliston population and the Gnarwarre population had highest emergence of 75% and 80%, respectively at a depth of 1cm. Variation between the two populations was observed for the burial depth treatments; Gnarwarre had greater emergence than Ingliston from the 4cm burial depth, while Ingliston had greater emergence at the soil surface than Gnarwarre. The Gnarwarre population had greater overall germination than Ingliston, which could be attributed to the greater seed mass (0.86mg compared to 0.76mg, respectively). This study identifies that spatial variations in N. trichotoma’s seed ecology are present between spatially distinct populations.
- Authors: Humphries, Talia , Chauhan, Bhagirath , Florentine, Singarayer
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 13, no. 7 (2018), p. 1-25
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Nassella trichotoma (Nees) Hack. ex Arechav. (Serrated tussock) is an aggressive globally significant weed to agricultural and natural ecosystems. Herbicide resistant populations of this C3 perennial weed have emerged, increasing the need for effective wide-scale cultural control strategies. A thorough seed ecology study on two spatially distinct populations of N. trichotoma was conducted on this weed to identify differences in important environmental factors (drought, salinity, alternating temperature, photoperiod, burial depth, soil pH, artificial seed aging, and radiant heat) which influence seed dormancy. Seeds were collected from two spatially distinct populations; Gnarwarre (38 O 9’ 8.892’’ S, 144 O 7’ 38.784’’ E) and Ingliston (37O 40’ 4.44’’ S, 144 O 18’ 39.24’’ E) in December 2016 and February 2017, respectively. Twenty sterilized seeds were placed into Petri dishes lined with a single Whatman® No. 10 filter paper dampened with the relevant treatments solution and then incubated under the identified optimal alternating temperature and photoperiod regime of 25C/ 15C (light/dark, 12h/12h). For the burial depth treatment, 20 seeds were placed into plastic containers (10cm in diameter and 6cm in depth) and buried to the relevant depth in sterilized soil. All trials were monitored for 30 days and germination was indicated by 5mm exposure of the radicle and emergence was indicated by the exposure of the cotyledon. Each treatment had three replicates for each population, and each treatment was repeated to give a total of six replicates per treatment, per population. Nassella trichotoma was identified to be non-photoblastic, with germination (%) being similar under alternating light and dark and complete darkness conditions. With an increase of osmotic potential and salinity, a significant decline in germination was observed. There was no effect of pH on germination. Exposure to a radiant heat of 120C for 9 minutes resulted in the lowest germination in the Ingliston population (33%) and the Gnarwarre population (60%). In the burial depth treatment, the Ingliston population and the Gnarwarre population had highest emergence of 75% and 80%, respectively at a depth of 1cm. Variation between the two populations was observed for the burial depth treatments; Gnarwarre had greater emergence than Ingliston from the 4cm burial depth, while Ingliston had greater emergence at the soil surface than Gnarwarre. The Gnarwarre population had greater overall germination than Ingliston, which could be attributed to the greater seed mass (0.86mg compared to 0.76mg, respectively). This study identifies that spatial variations in N. trichotoma’s seed ecology are present between spatially distinct populations.
Characterization of the gut microbiota of Papua New Guineans using reverse transcription quantitative PCR
- Greenhill, Andrew, Tsuji, Hirokazu, Ogata, Kiyohito, Natsuhara, Kazumi, Morita, Ayako, Soli, Kevin, Larkins, Jo-Ann, Tadokoro, Kiyoshi, Odani, Shingo, Baba, Jun, Naito, Yuichi, Tomitsuka, Eriko, Nomoto, Kriko, Siba, Peter, Horwood, Paul, Umezaki, Masahiro
- Authors: Greenhill, Andrew , Tsuji, Hirokazu , Ogata, Kiyohito , Natsuhara, Kazumi , Morita, Ayako , Soli, Kevin , Larkins, Jo-Ann , Tadokoro, Kiyoshi , Odani, Shingo , Baba, Jun , Naito, Yuichi , Tomitsuka, Eriko , Nomoto, Kriko , Siba, Peter , Horwood, Paul , Umezaki, Masahiro
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 10, no. 2 (2015), p. 1-15
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There has been considerable interest in composition of gut microbiota in recent years, leading to a better understanding of the role the gut microbiota plays in health and disease. Most studies have been limited in their geographical and socioeconomic diversity to high-income settings, and have been conducted using small sample sizes. To date, few analyses have been conducted in low-income settings, where a better understanding of the gut microbiome could lead to the greatest return in terms of health benefits. Here, we have used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction targeting dominant and sub-dominant groups of microorganisms associated with human gut microbiome in 115 people living a subsistence lifestyle in rural areas of Papua New Guinea. Quantification of Clostridium coccoides group, C. leptum subgroup, C. perfringens, Bacteroides fragilis group, Bifidobacterium, Atopobium cluster, Prevotella, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, and Lactobacillus spp. was conducted. Principle coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed two dimensions with Prevotella, clostridia, Atopobium, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus grouping in one dimension, while B. fragilis, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus grouping in the second dimension. Highland people had higher numbers of most groups of bacteria detected, and this is likely a key factor for the differences revealed by PCoA between highland and lowland study participants. Age and sex were not major determinants in microbial population composition. The study demonstrates a gut microbial composition with some similarities to those observed in other low-income settings where traditional diets are consumed, which have previously been suggested to favor energy extraction from a carbohydrate rich diet. © 2015 PLOS ONE.
- Authors: Greenhill, Andrew , Tsuji, Hirokazu , Ogata, Kiyohito , Natsuhara, Kazumi , Morita, Ayako , Soli, Kevin , Larkins, Jo-Ann , Tadokoro, Kiyoshi , Odani, Shingo , Baba, Jun , Naito, Yuichi , Tomitsuka, Eriko , Nomoto, Kriko , Siba, Peter , Horwood, Paul , Umezaki, Masahiro
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 10, no. 2 (2015), p. 1-15
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: There has been considerable interest in composition of gut microbiota in recent years, leading to a better understanding of the role the gut microbiota plays in health and disease. Most studies have been limited in their geographical and socioeconomic diversity to high-income settings, and have been conducted using small sample sizes. To date, few analyses have been conducted in low-income settings, where a better understanding of the gut microbiome could lead to the greatest return in terms of health benefits. Here, we have used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction targeting dominant and sub-dominant groups of microorganisms associated with human gut microbiome in 115 people living a subsistence lifestyle in rural areas of Papua New Guinea. Quantification of Clostridium coccoides group, C. leptum subgroup, C. perfringens, Bacteroides fragilis group, Bifidobacterium, Atopobium cluster, Prevotella, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Staphylococcus, and Lactobacillus spp. was conducted. Principle coordinates analysis (PCoA) revealed two dimensions with Prevotella, clostridia, Atopobium, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus and Staphylococcus grouping in one dimension, while B. fragilis, Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus grouping in the second dimension. Highland people had higher numbers of most groups of bacteria detected, and this is likely a key factor for the differences revealed by PCoA between highland and lowland study participants. Age and sex were not major determinants in microbial population composition. The study demonstrates a gut microbial composition with some similarities to those observed in other low-income settings where traditional diets are consumed, which have previously been suggested to favor energy extraction from a carbohydrate rich diet. © 2015 PLOS ONE.
Symptom checklist-90-revised : a structural examination in relation to family functioning
- Gomez, Rapson, Stavropoulos, Vasileios, Zarate, Daniel, Palikara, Olympia
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Zarate, Daniel , Palikara, Olympia
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 16, no. 3 March (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The accurate assessment of psychopathological behaviours of adolescents and young adults is imperative. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used scales addressing this purpose internationally. Interestingly, associations between the different SCL-90 symptoms and family functioning have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the scale’s factorial structure has often been challenged. To contribute in this area, this study scrutinizes the psychopathological dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a large cohort of high school students (Mean age = 16.16; SD = .911) from Greece. It addresses this aim by: a) using first order and bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory structural equation models and; b) investigating the factors’ associations with family functioning. A total of 2090 public Greek High School students completed the SCL-90-R and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV) covering family functioning, satisfaction and communication. Six different solutions, yielded by separate permutations of CFA, ESEM, and bifactor models, were evaluated. Based on global fit, the clarity, reliabilities and the family functioning links of the dimensions in the models, the ESEM oblique model with the theorized nine factors emerged as the optimum. This model had adequate fit, and symptom dimensions were well defined. Also six of the nine factors demonstrated external associations with family functioning, satisfaction and communication. The clinical assessment benefits of these results are discussed. Copyright: © 2021 Gomez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Stavropoulos, Vasileios , Zarate, Daniel , Palikara, Olympia
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 16, no. 3 March (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The accurate assessment of psychopathological behaviours of adolescents and young adults is imperative. Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) is one of the most comprehensive and widely used scales addressing this purpose internationally. Interestingly, associations between the different SCL-90 symptoms and family functioning have been highlighted. Nevertheless, the scale’s factorial structure has often been challenged. To contribute in this area, this study scrutinizes the psychopathological dimensions of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) in a large cohort of high school students (Mean age = 16.16; SD = .911) from Greece. It addresses this aim by: a) using first order and bi-factor confirmatory factor analysis, and exploratory structural equation models and; b) investigating the factors’ associations with family functioning. A total of 2090 public Greek High School students completed the SCL-90-R and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scale IV (FACES-IV) covering family functioning, satisfaction and communication. Six different solutions, yielded by separate permutations of CFA, ESEM, and bifactor models, were evaluated. Based on global fit, the clarity, reliabilities and the family functioning links of the dimensions in the models, the ESEM oblique model with the theorized nine factors emerged as the optimum. This model had adequate fit, and symptom dimensions were well defined. Also six of the nine factors demonstrated external associations with family functioning, satisfaction and communication. The clinical assessment benefits of these results are discussed. Copyright: © 2021 Gomez et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Belief in conspiracy theories : the predictive role of schizotypy, machiavellianism, and primary psychopathy
- Authors: March, Evita , Springer
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 14, no. 12 (2019), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: A conspiracy theory refers to an alternative explanation of an event involving a conspirator plot organised by powerful people or organisations. Belief in conspiracy theories is related to negative societal outcomes such as poor medical decisions and a decrease in prosocial behaviour. Given these negative outcomes, researchers have explored predictors of belief in conspiracy theories in an attempt to understand and possibly manage these beliefs. In the current study, we explored the utility of personality in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility of the odd beliefs/magical thinking subtype of schizotypy, Machiavellianism, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, primary psychopathy, and secondary psychopathy in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. Participants (N = 230; 44.7% male, 55.3% female) completed an anonymous, confidential online questionnaire which comprised demographics and measures of personality traits and belief in conspiracy theories. The total regression model indicated odd beliefs/magical thinking, trait Machiavellianism, and primary psychopathy were significant, positive predictors of belief in conspiracy theories. No other predictors reached significance. Results of the current study highlight individuals who might be more susceptible to believing conspiracy theories. Specifically, these results indicate that the individual more likely to believe in conspiracy theories may have unusual patterns of thinking and cognitions, be strategic and manipulative, and display interpersonal and affective deficits. © 2019 March, Springer. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Authors: March, Evita , Springer
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 14, no. 12 (2019), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: A conspiracy theory refers to an alternative explanation of an event involving a conspirator plot organised by powerful people or organisations. Belief in conspiracy theories is related to negative societal outcomes such as poor medical decisions and a decrease in prosocial behaviour. Given these negative outcomes, researchers have explored predictors of belief in conspiracy theories in an attempt to understand and possibly manage these beliefs. In the current study, we explored the utility of personality in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. The aim of the current study was to explore the utility of the odd beliefs/magical thinking subtype of schizotypy, Machiavellianism, grandiose narcissism, vulnerable narcissism, primary psychopathy, and secondary psychopathy in predicting belief in conspiracy theories. Participants (N = 230; 44.7% male, 55.3% female) completed an anonymous, confidential online questionnaire which comprised demographics and measures of personality traits and belief in conspiracy theories. The total regression model indicated odd beliefs/magical thinking, trait Machiavellianism, and primary psychopathy were significant, positive predictors of belief in conspiracy theories. No other predictors reached significance. Results of the current study highlight individuals who might be more susceptible to believing conspiracy theories. Specifically, these results indicate that the individual more likely to believe in conspiracy theories may have unusual patterns of thinking and cognitions, be strategic and manipulative, and display interpersonal and affective deficits. © 2019 March, Springer. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
- Dawson, Blake, Barton, Philip, Wallman, James
- Authors: Dawson, Blake , Barton, Philip , Wallman, James
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Forensic Science International Vol. 316, no. (2020), p.
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Non-human vertebrate animals, primarily domestic pigs, have been widely used in forensic science research as analogues for humans due to ethical and logistical constraints. Yet the suitability of pigs to mimic human decomposition and entomological patterns remains largely untested, and explicit comparative research in this area is lacking. We compared the decomposition rates and insect communities found at pig and human remains during summer and winter at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). Pigs decomposed faster than humans, with pigs entering active decay earlier in both summer and winter, and humans undergoing desiccation rather than skeletonisation. There was also a delay in the colonisation of humans by both flies and beetles. Species richness of these necrophagous taxa was between two and five times higher during the first two weeks of decomposition on pigs compared to humans during both summer and winter. Insect species composition was also significantly different between pigs and humans in each season. We interpret our findings to mean that the difference between humans and pigs, such as their mass, diet, medical history, or their microbiomes, might be causing different decomposition processes and altered timing or production of chemical cues for insect colonisation. Although preliminary, our results suggest that pigs might not be accurate substitutes for humans in particular fields of taphonomy and forensic entomology. Our findings also have broader implications for the reliability of forensic studies using pigs as models for humans, and highlight the need to recognise intrinsic differences between animal models and humans. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.
- Description: This work was supported in part by the Australian Research Council ( LE150100015 ), as well as by a SMAH Small Project Grant ( University of Wollongong ).
The composition and stability of the faecal microbiota of merino sheep
- Mamun, Mohammed, Sandeman, Mark, Rayment, Philip, Brook-Carter, Phillip, Scholes, Emily, Kasinadhuni, Naga, Piedrafita, David, Greenhill, Andrew
- Authors: Mamun, Mohammed , Sandeman, Mark , Rayment, Philip , Brook-Carter, Phillip , Scholes, Emily , Kasinadhuni, Naga , Piedrafita, David , Greenhill, Andrew
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Applied Microbiology Vol. 128, no. 1 (2020), p. 280-291
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aims: To determine the composition and temporal stability of the gut (faecal) microbiota of sheep (Ovis aries). Methods and Results: Microbial population dynamics was conducted using ARISA (28 sheep) and 16S rRNA sequencing (11 sheep). Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes were the predominant bacterial phyla, constituting ~80% of the total population. The core faecal bacterial microbiota of sheep consisted of 67 of 136 detected families and 91 of 215 detected species. Predominant microbial taxa included Ruminococcaceae, unassigned families in Bacteroidales and Clostridiales, Verrucomicrobiaceae and Paraprevotellaceae. Diversity indices and core microbiota composition demonstrated the stability of the core microbiota over 2–4 weeks. The core microbiota remained similar over ~5 months. Conclusions: Temporal stability of the sheep microbiota is high over 2–4 weeks in the absence of experimental variables. The core microbiota of Merino sheep shares taxa found in other breeds of sheep and other ruminants. Significance and Impact of the Study: Numerous studies seek to investigate the impact of experimental variables on gut microbiota composition. To do so, knowledge of the innate stability (or instability) of the microbiota over an experimental time course is required, independent of other variables. We have demonstrated high stability of the gut microbiota in sheep over 3–4 weeks, with moderate stability over ~5 months. © 2019 The Society for Applied Microbiology
- Jiang, Shou-yan, Du, Chengbin, Ooi, Ean
- Authors: Jiang, Shou-yan , Du, Chengbin , Ooi, Ean
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Engineering Fracture Mechanics Vol. 222, no. (Dec 2019), p. 25
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, a technique to model strong and weak discontinuities with the scaled boundary finite element method through enrichment is proposed. The main advantage of the method is that the enriched elements, in the spirit of the extended finite element method (XFEM), do not need to physically conform to the geometry of features, e.g. internal interfaces and cracks, and remeshing is unnecessary as the interfaces evolve. All the advantages of the SBFEM and the XFEM are retained. The stress singularity at the crack tip can be captured accurately and the stress intensity factors (SIFs) can be directly computed based on the singular displacement or stress at the crack tip within the framework of the SBFEM. The numerical properties and performance for the proposed method are assessed using several numerical examples. In particular, problems with discontinuities, e.g. voids, inclusions, and cracks are analysed. The results show that the accuracy and convergence rate of the new approach for solving void or inclusion problems are identical to those of the XFEM, but requires less number of degrees-of-freedom than the XFEM. For crack problems, compared with the XFEM with topological enrichment, the developed method is superior.
Aberrant pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A expression in breast cancers prognosticates clinical outcomes
- Prithviraj, Prashanth, Anaka, Matthew, Thompson, Erik, Sharma, Revati, Walkiewicz, Marzena, Tutuka, Candani, Behren, Andreas, Kannourakis, George, Jayachandran, Aparna
- Authors: Prithviraj, Prashanth , Anaka, Matthew , Thompson, Erik , Sharma, Revati , Walkiewicz, Marzena , Tutuka, Candani , Behren, Andreas , Kannourakis, George , Jayachandran, Aparna
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 10, no. 1 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Elevated levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various malignancies, including breast cancers. Breast cancer is one of the most frequent carcinomas and is the second most common cancer type detected in women of child-bearing age. Throughout pregnancy PAPP-A is produced and secreted by the placental syncytiotrophoblast cells; co-incidentally pregnancy-associated breast cancers often have an aggressive clinical course. The components of the PAPP-A/IGF axis was assessed in a panel of breast cancer cell lines. Using neutralising antibodies the impact of PAPP-A/IGF axis on cell motility was evaluated. PAPP-A was expressed in four of the twelve breast cancer cell lines tested. Blocking PAPP-A and IGFBP4 with neutralising antibodies significantly decreased motiliy of MDA-MB-231 cells. Upregulation of PAPP-A expression in breast tumours resulted in a trend towards worse overall survival. Notably, PAPP-A expression also positively correlated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers. In conclusion, these results indicate that PAPP-A plays an important role in breast cancer progression and it may be a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer. © 2020, The Author(s).
- Authors: Prithviraj, Prashanth , Anaka, Matthew , Thompson, Erik , Sharma, Revati , Walkiewicz, Marzena , Tutuka, Candani , Behren, Andreas , Kannourakis, George , Jayachandran, Aparna
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 10, no. 1 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Elevated levels of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) have been implicated in the pathogenesis of various malignancies, including breast cancers. Breast cancer is one of the most frequent carcinomas and is the second most common cancer type detected in women of child-bearing age. Throughout pregnancy PAPP-A is produced and secreted by the placental syncytiotrophoblast cells; co-incidentally pregnancy-associated breast cancers often have an aggressive clinical course. The components of the PAPP-A/IGF axis was assessed in a panel of breast cancer cell lines. Using neutralising antibodies the impact of PAPP-A/IGF axis on cell motility was evaluated. PAPP-A was expressed in four of the twelve breast cancer cell lines tested. Blocking PAPP-A and IGFBP4 with neutralising antibodies significantly decreased motiliy of MDA-MB-231 cells. Upregulation of PAPP-A expression in breast tumours resulted in a trend towards worse overall survival. Notably, PAPP-A expression also positively correlated with epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition markers. In conclusion, these results indicate that PAPP-A plays an important role in breast cancer progression and it may be a promising therapeutic target in breast cancer. © 2020, The Author(s).
Multiple-points fault signature's dynamics modeling for bearing defect frequencies
- Yaqub, Muhammad, Gondal, Iqbal, Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Authors: Yaqub, Muhammad , Gondal, Iqbal , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 2011 International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision (ICCARV); Venice, Italy; 23rd-25th November 2011; published in Proceedings of the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, Mechatronic and Manufacturing Engineering Vol. 5, p. 2548-2553
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Occurrence of a multiple-points fault in machine operations could result in exhibiting complex fault signatures, which could result in lowering fault diagnosis accuracy. In this study, a multiple-points defect model (MPDM) is proposed which can simulate fault signature-s dynamics for n-points bearing faults. Furthermore, this study identifies that in case of multiple-points fault in the rotary machine, the location of the dominant component of defect frequency shifts depending upon the relative location of the fault points which could mislead the fault diagnostic model to inaccurate detections. Analytical and experimental results are presented to characterize and validate the variation in the dominant component of defect frequency. Based on envelop detection analysis, a modification is recommended in the existing fault diagnostic models to consider the multiples of defect frequency rather than only considering the frequency spectrum at the defect frequency in order to incorporate the impact of multiple points fault.
- Authors: Yaqub, Muhammad , Gondal, Iqbal , Kamruzzaman, Joarder
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 2011 International Conference on Control, Automation, Robotics and Vision (ICCARV); Venice, Italy; 23rd-25th November 2011; published in Proceedings of the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, International Journal of Mechanical, Aerospace, Industrial, Mechatronic and Manufacturing Engineering Vol. 5, p. 2548-2553
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Occurrence of a multiple-points fault in machine operations could result in exhibiting complex fault signatures, which could result in lowering fault diagnosis accuracy. In this study, a multiple-points defect model (MPDM) is proposed which can simulate fault signature-s dynamics for n-points bearing faults. Furthermore, this study identifies that in case of multiple-points fault in the rotary machine, the location of the dominant component of defect frequency shifts depending upon the relative location of the fault points which could mislead the fault diagnostic model to inaccurate detections. Analytical and experimental results are presented to characterize and validate the variation in the dominant component of defect frequency. Based on envelop detection analysis, a modification is recommended in the existing fault diagnostic models to consider the multiples of defect frequency rather than only considering the frequency spectrum at the defect frequency in order to incorporate the impact of multiple points fault.
An evaluation of dog-assisted therapy for residents of aged care facilities with dementia
- Travers, Catherine, Perkins, Jacqueline, Rand, Jacqui, Bartlett, Helen, Morton, John
- Authors: Travers, Catherine , Perkins, Jacqueline , Rand, Jacqui , Bartlett, Helen , Morton, John
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Anthrozoös Vol. 26, no. 2 (2013), p. 213-225
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: ABSTRACT Although some research suggests that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities, the intervention has not been adequately investigated. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a randomized controlled trial of dog-assisted therapy versus a human-therapist-only intervention for this population. Fifty-five residents with mild to moderate dementia living in three Australian residential aged care facilities completed an 11-week trial of the interventions. Allocation to the intervention was random and participants completed validated measures of mood, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life (QOL), both prior to and following the intervention. No adverse events were associated with the dog-assisted intervention, and following it participants who had worse baseline depression scores demonstrated significantly improved depression scores relative to participants in the human-therapist-only intervention. Participants in the dog-assisted intervention also showed significant improvements on a measure of QOL in one facility compared with those in the human-therapist-only group (although worse in another facility that had been affected by an outbreak of gastroenteritis). This study provides some evidence that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for some residents of aged care facilities with dementia.
- Authors: Travers, Catherine , Perkins, Jacqueline , Rand, Jacqui , Bartlett, Helen , Morton, John
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Anthrozoös Vol. 26, no. 2 (2013), p. 213-225
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: ABSTRACT Although some research suggests that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities, the intervention has not been adequately investigated. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a randomized controlled trial of dog-assisted therapy versus a human-therapist-only intervention for this population. Fifty-five residents with mild to moderate dementia living in three Australian residential aged care facilities completed an 11-week trial of the interventions. Allocation to the intervention was random and participants completed validated measures of mood, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life (QOL), both prior to and following the intervention. No adverse events were associated with the dog-assisted intervention, and following it participants who had worse baseline depression scores demonstrated significantly improved depression scores relative to participants in the human-therapist-only intervention. Participants in the dog-assisted intervention also showed significant improvements on a measure of QOL in one facility compared with those in the human-therapist-only group (although worse in another facility that had been affected by an outbreak of gastroenteritis). This study provides some evidence that dog-assisted therapy may be beneficial for some residents of aged care facilities with dementia.
An empirical analysis of sediment export dynamics from a constructed landform in the wet tropics
- Yavari, Shahla, McIntyre, Neil, Baumgartl, Thomas
- Authors: Yavari, Shahla , McIntyre, Neil , Baumgartl, Thomas
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 8 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Although plot-scale erosion experiments are numerous, there are few studies on constructed landforms. This limits the understanding of their long-term stability, which is especially important for planning mined land rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the erosion processes in a 30 × 30 m trial plot on a mine waste rock dump in tropical northern Australia. The relationships between rainfall, runoff and suspended and bedload sediment export were assessed at annual, seasonal, inter-event and intra-event timescales. During a five-year study period, 231 rainfall– runoff–sediment export events were examined. The measured bedload and suspended sediments (mainly represented in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU)) showed the dominance of the wet season and heavy rainfall events. The bedload dominated the total mass, although the annual bedload diminished by approximately 75% over the five years, with greater flow energy required over time to mobilise the same bedload. The suspended load was more sustained, though it also exhibited an exhaustion process, with equal rainfall and runoff volumes and intensities, leading to lower NTU values over time. Intra-event NTU dynamics, including runoff-NTU time lags and hysteretic behaviours, were somewhat random from one event to the next, indicating the influence of the antecedent distribution of mobilisable sediments. The value of the results for supporting predictive modelling is discussed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Yavari, Shahla , McIntyre, Neil , Baumgartl, Thomas
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Water (Switzerland) Vol. 13, no. 8 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Although plot-scale erosion experiments are numerous, there are few studies on constructed landforms. This limits the understanding of their long-term stability, which is especially important for planning mined land rehabilitation. The objective of this study was to gain insight into the erosion processes in a 30 × 30 m trial plot on a mine waste rock dump in tropical northern Australia. The relationships between rainfall, runoff and suspended and bedload sediment export were assessed at annual, seasonal, inter-event and intra-event timescales. During a five-year study period, 231 rainfall– runoff–sediment export events were examined. The measured bedload and suspended sediments (mainly represented in nephelometric turbidity units (NTU)) showed the dominance of the wet season and heavy rainfall events. The bedload dominated the total mass, although the annual bedload diminished by approximately 75% over the five years, with greater flow energy required over time to mobilise the same bedload. The suspended load was more sustained, though it also exhibited an exhaustion process, with equal rainfall and runoff volumes and intensities, leading to lower NTU values over time. Intra-event NTU dynamics, including runoff-NTU time lags and hysteretic behaviours, were somewhat random from one event to the next, indicating the influence of the antecedent distribution of mobilisable sediments. The value of the results for supporting predictive modelling is discussed. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
Blood–brain barrier disruption and ventricular enlargement are the earliest neuropathological changes in rats with repeated sub-concussive impacts over 2 weeks
- Hiles-Murison, Bailey, Lavender, Andrew, Hackett, Mark, Armstrong, Joshua, Nesbit, Michael
- Authors: Hiles-Murison, Bailey , Lavender, Andrew , Hackett, Mark , Armstrong, Joshua , Nesbit, Michael
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Repeated sub-concussive impact (e.g. soccer ball heading), a significantly lighter form of mild traumatic brain injury, is increasingly suggested to cumulatively alter brain structure and compromise neurobehavioural function in the long-term. However, the underlying mechanisms whereby repeated long-term sub-concussion induces cerebral structural and neurobehavioural changes are currently unknown. Here, we utilised an established rat model to investigate the effects of repeated sub-concussion on size of lateral ventricles, cerebrovascular blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and biochemical distribution. Following repeated sub-concussion 3 days per week for 2 weeks, the rats showed significantly enlarged lateral ventricles compared with the rats receiving sham-only procedure. The sub-concussive rats also presented significant BBB dysfunction in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal formation, whilst neuromotor function assessed by beamwalk and rotarod tests were comparable to the sham rats. Immunofluorescent and spectroscopic microscopy analyses revealed no significant changes in neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, lipid distribution or protein aggregation, within the hippocampus and cortex. These data collectively indicate that repeated sub-concussion for 2 weeks induce significant ventriculomegaly and BBB disruption, preceding neuromotor deficits. © 2021, The Author(s). *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Andrew Lavender” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Hiles-Murison, Bailey , Lavender, Andrew , Hackett, Mark , Armstrong, Joshua , Nesbit, Michael
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Repeated sub-concussive impact (e.g. soccer ball heading), a significantly lighter form of mild traumatic brain injury, is increasingly suggested to cumulatively alter brain structure and compromise neurobehavioural function in the long-term. However, the underlying mechanisms whereby repeated long-term sub-concussion induces cerebral structural and neurobehavioural changes are currently unknown. Here, we utilised an established rat model to investigate the effects of repeated sub-concussion on size of lateral ventricles, cerebrovascular blood–brain barrier (BBB) integrity, neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, and biochemical distribution. Following repeated sub-concussion 3 days per week for 2 weeks, the rats showed significantly enlarged lateral ventricles compared with the rats receiving sham-only procedure. The sub-concussive rats also presented significant BBB dysfunction in the cerebral cortex and hippocampal formation, whilst neuromotor function assessed by beamwalk and rotarod tests were comparable to the sham rats. Immunofluorescent and spectroscopic microscopy analyses revealed no significant changes in neuroinflammation, oxidative stress, lipid distribution or protein aggregation, within the hippocampus and cortex. These data collectively indicate that repeated sub-concussion for 2 weeks induce significant ventriculomegaly and BBB disruption, preceding neuromotor deficits. © 2021, The Author(s). *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Andrew Lavender” is provided in this record**
Evaluating the holistic costs and benefits of corn production systems in Minnesota, US
- Sandhu, Harpinder, Scialabba, Nadia, Warner, Chris, Behzadnejad, Fatemeh, Keohane, Kieran
- Authors: Sandhu, Harpinder , Scialabba, Nadia , Warner, Chris , Behzadnejad, Fatemeh , Keohane, Kieran
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 10, no. 1 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Global agriculture aims to minimize its impacts on environment and human health while maintaining its productivity. This requires a comprehensive understanding of its benefits and costs to ecosystems and society. Here, we apply a new evaluation framework developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) to assess key benefits and costs on the production side of genetically modified (GM) and organic corn systems in Minnesota, USA. The market value of GM corn is $4.5 billion, and only $31.8 million for organic corn using production data and market prices of 2017. GM corn generates revenue of $1488 per hectare (at $121 per MT), which is significantly lower than the organic corn at $2793 per hectare (at $294 per MT). Using a novel three-stage wellbeing valuation, analysis of the associations between corn production intensity and subjective measures of general health and wellbeing indicates that the total non-financial health cost associated with GM corn is $427.50 per hectare or $1.3 billion annually. We also find that the total annual environmental cost associated with GM corn production is $179 per hectare or $557.65 million within Minnesota. The use of the evaluation framework can help to improve decision making at farm and policy level to develop sustainable agriculture in order to minimize environmental and health related costs to society and economy. © 2020, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Harpinder Sandhu” is provided in this record**
- Description: Global agriculture aims to minimize its impacts on environment and human health while maintaining its productivity. This requires a comprehensive understanding of its benefits and costs to ecosystems and society. Here, we apply a new evaluation framework developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) to assess key benefits and costs on the production side of genetically modified (GM) and organic corn systems in Minnesota, USA. The market value of GM corn is $4.5 billion, and only $31.8 million for organic corn using production data and market prices of 2017. GM corn generates revenue of $1488 per hectare (at $121 per MT), which is significantly lower than the organic corn at $2793 per hectare (at $294 per MT). Using a novel three-stage wellbeing valuation, analysis of the associations between corn production intensity and subjective measures of general health and wellbeing indicates that the total non-financial health cost associated with GM corn is $427.50 per hectare or $1.3 billion annually. We also find that the total annual environmental cost associated with GM corn production is $179 per hectare or $557.65 million within Minnesota. The use of the evaluation framework can help to improve decision making at farm and policy level to develop sustainable agriculture in order to minimize environmental and health related costs to society and economy. © 2020, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “________________” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Sandhu, Harpinder , Scialabba, Nadia , Warner, Chris , Behzadnejad, Fatemeh , Keohane, Kieran
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 10, no. 1 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Global agriculture aims to minimize its impacts on environment and human health while maintaining its productivity. This requires a comprehensive understanding of its benefits and costs to ecosystems and society. Here, we apply a new evaluation framework developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) to assess key benefits and costs on the production side of genetically modified (GM) and organic corn systems in Minnesota, USA. The market value of GM corn is $4.5 billion, and only $31.8 million for organic corn using production data and market prices of 2017. GM corn generates revenue of $1488 per hectare (at $121 per MT), which is significantly lower than the organic corn at $2793 per hectare (at $294 per MT). Using a novel three-stage wellbeing valuation, analysis of the associations between corn production intensity and subjective measures of general health and wellbeing indicates that the total non-financial health cost associated with GM corn is $427.50 per hectare or $1.3 billion annually. We also find that the total annual environmental cost associated with GM corn production is $179 per hectare or $557.65 million within Minnesota. The use of the evaluation framework can help to improve decision making at farm and policy level to develop sustainable agriculture in order to minimize environmental and health related costs to society and economy. © 2020, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Harpinder Sandhu” is provided in this record**
- Description: Global agriculture aims to minimize its impacts on environment and human health while maintaining its productivity. This requires a comprehensive understanding of its benefits and costs to ecosystems and society. Here, we apply a new evaluation framework developed by the Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity for Agriculture and Food (TEEBAgriFood) to assess key benefits and costs on the production side of genetically modified (GM) and organic corn systems in Minnesota, USA. The market value of GM corn is $4.5 billion, and only $31.8 million for organic corn using production data and market prices of 2017. GM corn generates revenue of $1488 per hectare (at $121 per MT), which is significantly lower than the organic corn at $2793 per hectare (at $294 per MT). Using a novel three-stage wellbeing valuation, analysis of the associations between corn production intensity and subjective measures of general health and wellbeing indicates that the total non-financial health cost associated with GM corn is $427.50 per hectare or $1.3 billion annually. We also find that the total annual environmental cost associated with GM corn production is $179 per hectare or $557.65 million within Minnesota. The use of the evaluation framework can help to improve decision making at farm and policy level to develop sustainable agriculture in order to minimize environmental and health related costs to society and economy. © 2020, The Author(s). **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “________________” is provided in this record**
Set-valued orthogonality and nearness
- Barbagallo, Annamaria, Ernst, Octavian, Théra, Michel
- Authors: Barbagallo, Annamaria , Ernst, Octavian , Théra, Michel
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: AAPP Atti della Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti, Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali Vol. 98, no. (2020), p.
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The theory of set-valued mappings has grown with the development of modern variational analysis. It is a key in convex and non-smooth analysis, in game theory, in mathematical economics and in control theory. The concepts of nearness and orthogonality have been known for functions since the pioneering works of Campanato, Birkhoff and James. In a recent paper Barbagallo et al. [J. Math. Anal. Appl., 484 (1), (2020)] a connection between these two concepts has been made. This note is mainly devoted to introduce nearness and orthogonality between set-valued mappings with the goal to study the solvability of generalized equations involving set-valued mappings. © 2020 Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti. All rights reserved.
- Authors: Barbagallo, Annamaria , Ernst, Octavian , Théra, Michel
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: AAPP Atti della Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti, Classe di Scienze Fisiche, Matematiche e Naturali Vol. 98, no. (2020), p.
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DP160100854
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The theory of set-valued mappings has grown with the development of modern variational analysis. It is a key in convex and non-smooth analysis, in game theory, in mathematical economics and in control theory. The concepts of nearness and orthogonality have been known for functions since the pioneering works of Campanato, Birkhoff and James. In a recent paper Barbagallo et al. [J. Math. Anal. Appl., 484 (1), (2020)] a connection between these two concepts has been made. This note is mainly devoted to introduce nearness and orthogonality between set-valued mappings with the goal to study the solvability of generalized equations involving set-valued mappings. © 2020 Accademia Peloritana dei Pericolanti. All rights reserved.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mobility in ten countries and associated perceived risk for all transport modes
- Barbieri, Diego, Lou, Baowen, Passavanti, Marco, Hui, Cang, Lam, Louisa
- Authors: Barbieri, Diego , Lou, Baowen , Passavanti, Marco , Hui, Cang , Lam, Louisa
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 16, no. 2 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The restrictive measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have triggered sudden massive changes to travel behaviors of people all around the world. This study examines the individual mobility patterns for all transport modes (walk, bicycle, motorcycle, car driven alone, car driven in company, bus, subway, tram, train, airplane) before and during the restrictions adopted in ten countries on six continents: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the United States. This cross-country study also aims at understanding the predictors of protective behaviors related to the transport sector and COVID-19. Findings hinge upon an online survey conducted in May 2020 (N = 9,394). The empirical results quantify tremendous disruptions for both commuting and non-commuting travels, highlighting substantial reductions in the frequency of all types of trips and use of all modes. In terms of potential virus spread, airplanes and buses are perceived to be the riskiest transport modes, while avoidance of public transport is consistently found across the countries. According to the Protection Motivation Theory, the study sheds new light on the fact that two indicators, namely income inequality, expressed as Gini index, and the reported number of deaths due to COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants, aggravate respondents’ perceptions. This research indicates that socio-economic inequality and morbidity are not only related to actual health risks, as well documented in the relevant literature, but also to the perceived risks. These findings document the global impact of the COVID-19 crisis as well as provide guidance for transportation practitioners in developing future strategies. © 2021 Barbieri et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Louisa Lam” is provided in this record**
- Authors: Barbieri, Diego , Lou, Baowen , Passavanti, Marco , Hui, Cang , Lam, Louisa
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 16, no. 2 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The restrictive measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have triggered sudden massive changes to travel behaviors of people all around the world. This study examines the individual mobility patterns for all transport modes (walk, bicycle, motorcycle, car driven alone, car driven in company, bus, subway, tram, train, airplane) before and during the restrictions adopted in ten countries on six continents: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the United States. This cross-country study also aims at understanding the predictors of protective behaviors related to the transport sector and COVID-19. Findings hinge upon an online survey conducted in May 2020 (N = 9,394). The empirical results quantify tremendous disruptions for both commuting and non-commuting travels, highlighting substantial reductions in the frequency of all types of trips and use of all modes. In terms of potential virus spread, airplanes and buses are perceived to be the riskiest transport modes, while avoidance of public transport is consistently found across the countries. According to the Protection Motivation Theory, the study sheds new light on the fact that two indicators, namely income inequality, expressed as Gini index, and the reported number of deaths due to COVID-19 per 100,000 inhabitants, aggravate respondents’ perceptions. This research indicates that socio-economic inequality and morbidity are not only related to actual health risks, as well documented in the relevant literature, but also to the perceived risks. These findings document the global impact of the COVID-19 crisis as well as provide guidance for transportation practitioners in developing future strategies. © 2021 Barbieri et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Louisa Lam” is provided in this record**
Plasma lipocalin-2/NGAL is stable over 12 weeks and is not modulated by exercise or dieting
- Nakai, Michael, Prestes, Priscilla, O’Brien, Brendan, Charchar, Fadi, Marques, Francine
- Authors: Nakai, Michael , Prestes, Priscilla , O’Brien, Brendan , Charchar, Fadi , Marques, Francine
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Amongst other immune cells, neutrophils play a key role in systemic inflammation leading to cardiovascular disease and can release inflammatory factors, including lipocalin-2 (LCN2). LCN2 drives cardiac hypertrophy and plays a role in maladaptive remodelling of the heart and has been associated with renal injury. While lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise are known to attenuate low-grade inflammation, their ability to modulate plasma LCN2 levels is unknown. Forty-eight endurance athletes and 52 controls (18–55 years) underwent measurement for various cardiovascular health indicators, along with plasma LCN2 concentration. No significant difference in LCN2 concentration was seen between the two groups. LCN2 was a very weak predictor or absent from models describing blood pressures or predicting athlete status. In another cohort, 57 non-diabetic overweight or obese men and post-menopausal women who fulfilled Adult Treatment Panel III metabolic syndrome criteria were randomly allocated into either a control, modified Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, or DASH and exercise group. Pre- and post-intervention demographic, cardiovascular health indicators, and plasma LCN2 expression were measured in each individual. While BMI fell in intervention groups, LCN2 levels remained unchanged within and between all groups, as illustrated by strong correlations between LCN2 concentrations pre- and 12 weeks post-intervention (r = 0.743, P < 0.0001). This suggests that circulating LCN2 expression are stable over a period of at least 12 weeks and is not modifiable by diet and exercise. © 2021, The Author(s). *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Priscilla Prestes, Brendan O'Brien, Fadi Charchar and Francine Marques” is provided in this record** .
- Authors: Nakai, Michael , Prestes, Priscilla , O’Brien, Brendan , Charchar, Fadi , Marques, Francine
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Amongst other immune cells, neutrophils play a key role in systemic inflammation leading to cardiovascular disease and can release inflammatory factors, including lipocalin-2 (LCN2). LCN2 drives cardiac hypertrophy and plays a role in maladaptive remodelling of the heart and has been associated with renal injury. While lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise are known to attenuate low-grade inflammation, their ability to modulate plasma LCN2 levels is unknown. Forty-eight endurance athletes and 52 controls (18–55 years) underwent measurement for various cardiovascular health indicators, along with plasma LCN2 concentration. No significant difference in LCN2 concentration was seen between the two groups. LCN2 was a very weak predictor or absent from models describing blood pressures or predicting athlete status. In another cohort, 57 non-diabetic overweight or obese men and post-menopausal women who fulfilled Adult Treatment Panel III metabolic syndrome criteria were randomly allocated into either a control, modified Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, or DASH and exercise group. Pre- and post-intervention demographic, cardiovascular health indicators, and plasma LCN2 expression were measured in each individual. While BMI fell in intervention groups, LCN2 levels remained unchanged within and between all groups, as illustrated by strong correlations between LCN2 concentrations pre- and 12 weeks post-intervention (r = 0.743, P < 0.0001). This suggests that circulating LCN2 expression are stable over a period of at least 12 weeks and is not modifiable by diet and exercise. © 2021, The Author(s). *Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Priscilla Prestes, Brendan O'Brien, Fadi Charchar and Francine Marques” is provided in this record** .
- Aziz, Md Abdul, Imteaz, Monzur, Choudhury, Tanveer, Phillips, David
- Authors: Aziz, Md Abdul , Imteaz, Monzur , Choudhury, Tanveer , Phillips, David
- Date: 2013
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australian Journal of Water Resources Vol. 17, no. 1 (2013), p. 77-86
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: During wet weather conditions, sewer overflows to receiving water bodies raise serious environmental, aesthetic and public health problems. These issues trigger the need the most appropriate device/system for a particular installation, especially at unmanned remote locations. A new sewer overflow device consists of a rectangular tank and a sharp crested weir with a series of vertical combs is presented. A series of laboratory tests to determine trapping efficiencies for common sewer solids were conducted for different flow conditions, number of combs layers and spacing of combs. To overcome physical limitations inherent in laboratory studies such as significant cost and time. Artificial neural model was adopted as it has the capacity to accurately predict the outcome of complex, non-linear physical systems with relatively poorly understood physicochemical processes. A series of laboratory tests were conducted with 55 different sets of data. Forty-seven sets of experimental data are used with 60% for training, 20% each for testing and validation of the model. A separate validation data sets were used to judge the overall performance of the trained network. The model can successfully predict the experimental results with more than 90% accuracy with an average absolute percentage error of around 7%. © Institution of Engineers Australia, 2013.
Estimation of parameters for distribution of timber pole failures due to inground decay
- Rahman, Anisur, Chattopadhyay, Gopinath
- Authors: Rahman, Anisur , Chattopadhyay, Gopinath
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: IAPQR Transactions Vol. 45, no. 1-2 (2020), p. 36-48
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Abstract: Timber components are very popular due to its flexibility in use and therefore, widely used in bridges and building constructions, rail tracks and supply electricity throughout the world and in Australia. The main reason of this choice is for their high strength per unit weight, low cost and excellent durability. Reliability of these components is extremely important because a failure of these components may cause loss of money, loss of properties, injuries or even loss of lives. Reliability depends on various factors such as species of the timber, structural dimensions in design, environmental condition, human factors in installation, operations and maintenance. In general, the timber structure failures are due to the loss of load bearing capacity from the decrease in peripheral dimensions at or below ground level and loss of strength of timber fibre affecting bending resistance. Soil factors and related decays reduce the diameter and the strength of timber component affecting the safety in operation and service. Rotting of fibre can be from centre to outward or outward to centre by accelerating fungal and insect (termite) attack affecting reliability, availability, maintainability and safety of infrastructure assets. This paper is on investigating soil factors for modelling in ground decay and estimating parameters for failure distribution of timber poles. Real life data from electricity supply company in Australia have been used for modelling and validation. Results from this investigation can be used in optimal decision in maintenance and replacements for reducing the life cycle costs and risks of in-service failure of timber poles and infrastructure assets in similar environment.
Association between nocturnal activity of the sympathetic nervous system and cognitive dysfunction in obstructive sleep apnoea
- Alomri, Ridwan, Kennedy, Gerard, Wali, Siraj, Alhejaili, Faris, Robinson, Stephen
- Authors: Alomri, Ridwan , Kennedy, Gerard , Wali, Siraj , Alhejaili, Faris , Robinson, Stephen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p. 11990-11990.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with repetitive breathing obstructions during sleep. These episodes of hypoxia and associated arousals from sleep induce physiological stress and nocturnal over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). One consequence of OSA is impairment in a range of cognitive domains. Previous research into cognitive impairment in OSA have focussed on intermittent hypoxia and disrupted sleep, but not nocturnal over-activation of the SNS. Therefore, we investigated whether nocturnal over-activity of the SNS was associated with cognitive impairments in OSA. The extent of nocturnal SNS activation was estimated from heart rate variability (HRV), pulse wave amplitude (PWA) and stress response biomarkers (cortisol and glucose levels). OSA severity was significantly associated with PWA indices and the HRV low frequency/ high frequency ratio (p < 0.05). Morning blood glucose levels were significantly associated with the duration of a blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) < 90% (p < 0.01). PWA and HRV were significantly associated with the time taken to perform a task involving visuospatial functioning (p < 0.05), but not with impairments in sustained attention, reaction time or autobiographical memory. These results suggest that the visuospatial dysfunction observed in people with OSA is associated with increased nocturnal activity of the SNS. © 2021, The Author(s).
- Authors: Alomri, Ridwan , Kennedy, Gerard , Wali, Siraj , Alhejaili, Faris , Robinson, Stephen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 11, no. 1 (2021), p. 11990-11990.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with repetitive breathing obstructions during sleep. These episodes of hypoxia and associated arousals from sleep induce physiological stress and nocturnal over-activation of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS). One consequence of OSA is impairment in a range of cognitive domains. Previous research into cognitive impairment in OSA have focussed on intermittent hypoxia and disrupted sleep, but not nocturnal over-activation of the SNS. Therefore, we investigated whether nocturnal over-activity of the SNS was associated with cognitive impairments in OSA. The extent of nocturnal SNS activation was estimated from heart rate variability (HRV), pulse wave amplitude (PWA) and stress response biomarkers (cortisol and glucose levels). OSA severity was significantly associated with PWA indices and the HRV low frequency/ high frequency ratio (p < 0.05). Morning blood glucose levels were significantly associated with the duration of a blood oxygen saturation (SaO2) < 90% (p < 0.01). PWA and HRV were significantly associated with the time taken to perform a task involving visuospatial functioning (p < 0.05), but not with impairments in sustained attention, reaction time or autobiographical memory. These results suggest that the visuospatial dysfunction observed in people with OSA is associated with increased nocturnal activity of the SNS. © 2021, The Author(s).
Integration of palaeo-and-modern food webs reveal slow changes in a river floodplain wetland ecosystem
- Kattel, Giri, Eyre, Bradley, Gell, Peter
- Authors: Kattel, Giri , Eyre, Bradley , Gell, Peter
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 10, no. 1 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Large rivers, including the Murray River system in southeast Australia, are disturbed by many activities. The arrival of European settlers to Australia by the mid-1800s transformed many floodplain wetlands of the lower Murray River system. River impoundment and flow regulation in the late 1800s and, from the 1930s, resulted in species invasion, and elevated nutrient concentrations causing widespread eutrophication. An integrated palaeoecology, and palaeo-and-modern food web approach, incorporating mixing models, was undertaken to reveal changes in a regulated wetland (i.e. Kings Billabong). The lack of preserved sediment suggests the wetland was naturally intermittent before 1890. After this time, when used as a water retention basin, the wetland experienced net sediment accumulation. Subfossil cladocerans, and δ13C of Daphnia, chironomid, and bulk sediment, all reflected an early productive, likely clear water state and shifts in trophic state following river regulation in the 1930s. Food web mixing models, based on δ13C and δ15N in subfossil and modern Daphnia, fish, and submerged and emergent macrophytes, also indicated a shift in the trophic relationships between fish and Daphnia. By the 1970s, a new state was established but a further significant alteration of nitrogen and carbon sources, and trophic interactions, continued through to the early 2000s. A possible switch from Daphnia as a prey of Australian Smelt could have modified the food web of the wetland by c. 2006. The timing of this change corresponded to the expansion of emergent macrophytes possibly due to landscape level disruptions. The evidence of these changes suggests a need for a broader understanding of the evolution of wetlands for the management of floodplains in the region. © 2020, The Author(s).
- Description: Funding details: National Key Research and Development Program of China Stem Cell and Translational Research, #2016YFC0402900 Funding details: National Key Research and Development Program of China Stem Cell and Translational Research, #2016YFE0201900 Funding details: Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Australian Research Council, ARC;ACES, DP160100248 Funding details: Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Australian Research Council, ARC;ACES, LE0668495
- Authors: Kattel, Giri , Eyre, Bradley , Gell, Peter
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 10, no. 1 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Large rivers, including the Murray River system in southeast Australia, are disturbed by many activities. The arrival of European settlers to Australia by the mid-1800s transformed many floodplain wetlands of the lower Murray River system. River impoundment and flow regulation in the late 1800s and, from the 1930s, resulted in species invasion, and elevated nutrient concentrations causing widespread eutrophication. An integrated palaeoecology, and palaeo-and-modern food web approach, incorporating mixing models, was undertaken to reveal changes in a regulated wetland (i.e. Kings Billabong). The lack of preserved sediment suggests the wetland was naturally intermittent before 1890. After this time, when used as a water retention basin, the wetland experienced net sediment accumulation. Subfossil cladocerans, and δ13C of Daphnia, chironomid, and bulk sediment, all reflected an early productive, likely clear water state and shifts in trophic state following river regulation in the 1930s. Food web mixing models, based on δ13C and δ15N in subfossil and modern Daphnia, fish, and submerged and emergent macrophytes, also indicated a shift in the trophic relationships between fish and Daphnia. By the 1970s, a new state was established but a further significant alteration of nitrogen and carbon sources, and trophic interactions, continued through to the early 2000s. A possible switch from Daphnia as a prey of Australian Smelt could have modified the food web of the wetland by c. 2006. The timing of this change corresponded to the expansion of emergent macrophytes possibly due to landscape level disruptions. The evidence of these changes suggests a need for a broader understanding of the evolution of wetlands for the management of floodplains in the region. © 2020, The Author(s).
- Description: Funding details: National Key Research and Development Program of China Stem Cell and Translational Research, #2016YFC0402900 Funding details: National Key Research and Development Program of China Stem Cell and Translational Research, #2016YFE0201900 Funding details: Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Australian Research Council, ARC;ACES, DP160100248 Funding details: Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, Australian Research Council, ARC;ACES, LE0668495