The rare richardsitas betsch (collembola, symphypleona, sminthuridae) : a new species from Australia with comments on the genus and on the sminthurinae
- Authors: Medeiros, Gleyce , Greenslade, Penelope , Bellini, Bruno
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Insects Vol. 11, no. 8 (2020), p. 1-16
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- Description: Richardsitas Betsch is a small genus of Sminthurinae with only two species described so far, both from Madagascar. It resembles other Sminthurinae with long antennae, especially Temeritas Richards. Here we provide the first record of Richardsitas from Australia, Richardsitas subferoleum sp. nov., which is similar to R. najtae Betsch and R. griveaudi Betsch in males’ large abdomen chaetotaxy and presence of tenent-hairs on tibiotarsi II–III, but lacks mucronal chaeta and has 28 segments on the fourth antennal segment plus a unique pair of sensilla on the second. We also provide an updated genus diagnosis to Richardsitas, a key to its species, a discussion of the affinities of Temeritas and Richardsitas to other Sminthurinae, and an updated key to this subfamily. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Description: This research was supported by UFRN. B.C.B. was granted by CAPES and CNPq (PROTAX II, process #156828/2016-01 and PQ2018, process # 305426/2018-4, respectively); G.S.M. was granted by CAPES (Master scholarship).
Seasonal movement prediction of tropical cyclone over the North Indian Ocean by using atmospheric climate variables in statistical models
- Authors: Wahiduzzaman, Md , Yeasmin, Alea , Luo, Jing-Jia
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Atmospheric Research Vol. 245, no. (2020), p. 1-13
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- Description: In this study, the contribution of atmospheric climate variables to the prediction skill of tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the North Indian Ocean (NIO) has been investigated. Statistical forecast models are developed through generalised linear model (GLM) and generalised additive model (GAM) for tropical cyclone trajectories over the NIO using atmospheric climate variables as predictors. TC from the Joint Typhoon Warning Centre and sets of climate predictor data were analysed for a period of 35-year (1979-2013). The velocity field is predicted by fitting GAM in each month and season. Hindcast validation method is applied to assess the reliability of the model. The skill of the GAM model is compared with GLM and found to be more successful in forecasting TC movement over the NIO region.
- Description: M.Wahiduzzaman has been supported by Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, China postdoctoral fellowship fund. Authors are grateful to three anonymous reviewers for their input which improved the quality of the manuscript.
The consequences of general medication beliefs measured by the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire on medication adherence : A systematic review
- Authors: Shahin, Wejdan , Kennedy, Gerard , Stupans, Ieva
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Pharmacy Vol. 8, no. 3 (2020), p. 1-15
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- Description: (1) Background: Medication adherence is a key determinant of patient health outcomes in chronic illnesses. However, adherence to long-term therapy remains poor. General beliefs about medicine are considered factors influencing medication adherence. It is essential to address the gap in the literature regarding understanding the impact of general beliefs about medicine on medication adherence to promote adherence in chronic illnesses. (2) Methods: PubMed, CINHAL, and EMBASE databases were searched. Studies were included if they examined medication beliefs using the Beliefs about Medicine Questionnaire in one of four chronic illnesses: hypertension, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and/or asthma. (3) Results: From 1799 articles obtained by the search, only 11 met the inclusion criteria. Hypertension and diabetes represented 91% of included studies, while asthma represented 9%. Higher medication adherence was associated with negative general medication beliefs; 65% of the included studies found a negative association between harm beliefs and adherence, while 30% of studies found a negative association with overuse beliefs. (4) Conclusions: This review evaluated the impact of harm and overuse beliefs about medicines on medication adherence, highlighting the gap in literature regarding the impact of harm and overuse beliefs on adherence. Further research is needed to fully identify the association between general beliefs and medication adherence in people with different cultural backgrounds, and to explore these beliefs in patients diagnosed with chronic illnesses, particularly asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Healthcare providers need to be aware of the impact of patients' cultural backgrounds on general medication beliefs and adherence.
Improving torque performance in reciprocating compressors via asymmetric stroke characteristics
- Authors: Sultan, Ibrahim , Phung, Truong
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Book chapter
- Relation: Positive Displacement Machines: Modern Design Innovations and Tools p. 145-162
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Reciprocating compressors enjoy a considerable popularity in industry due to their ability to attain high pressure levels at a range of crankshaft speeds. This chapter is intended to show that it is possible to obtain a considerable improvement in the performance of these compressors by modifying the design of their drives. Instead of the traditional slider-crank mechanism which has been used as a drive since the compressor industry started, it is now possible to replace this drive by more sophisticated ones which feature more flexible stroke designs. The chapter will offer a mathematical model for the workings of reciprocating compressor and demonstrate a candidate drive linkage. An example, presented at the end of the chapter, will demonstrate how the candidate drive linkage is optimized to reduce the torque acting on the compressor crank shaft and hence improve operation and reduce the stresses acting on various components. © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Personality Inventory for DSM-5, Brief Form : Factor structure, reliability, and coefficient of congruence
- Authors: Gomez, Rapson , Watson, Shaun , Stavropoulos, Vasileios
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Personality Disorders-Theory Research and Treatment Vol. 11, no. 1 (2020), p. 69-77
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The Personality Inventory for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Brief Form (PID-5-BF), is a 25-item self-report questionnaire that measures the severity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition-proposed personality pathology constructs of negative affectivity, detachment. antagonism, disinhibition, and psychoticism. The current study used exploratory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling, and confirmatory factor analysis to examine the support for the theoretically proposed 5-factor model. In total, 502 adults (male = 182, female = 320, age = 18-67 years [M = 28.93, SD = 10.95]) provided ratings for the PID-5-BF. For the theorized 5-factor model, there was support for its factor structure, internal consistency reliabilities (Cronbach's. ordinal alpha, and omega) of the factors, and coefficient of congruence of the factors considering a previous Danish study. The findings also supported a strong general factor for a bifactor model involving a general factor alongside the 5 group factors. Together, the findings support the use of the 5 personality pathology constructs and the total PID-5-BF scores in clinical and research settings.
IR monitoring of absorbent composition and degradation during pilot plant operation
- Authors: Puxty, Graeme , Bennett, Robert , Conway, Will , Webster-Gardiner, Mike , Yang, Qi , Pearson, Pauline , Cottrell, Aaron , Huang, Sanger , Feron, Paul , Reynolds, Alicia , Verheyen, Vincent
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research Vol. 59, no. 15 (2020), p. 7080-7086
- Full Text: false
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- Description: The monitoring of the absorbent during the operation of CO2 separation processes is a necessary and challenging task. The most common absorbent used is an aqueous amine solution. Traditional approaches to analysis such as titration and chromatography are time-consuming and only provide limited information. This hinders the ability of process operators to rapidly respond to changes in operating conditions. In this work, a combination of infrared (IR) spectroscopy and principle component regression (PCR) analyses have been demonstrated as a rapid and reliable technique to determine the composition of an absorbent during a pilot plant campaign at a brown coal power station. The concentration of amine, a degradation product, CO2, and water was monitored throughout the campaign by a method that provided results in minutes. The results were verified by independent sample analysis using acid-base titration, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and 13C NMR spectroscopy. It was necessary to use spectral windowing when building the IR-PCR model, but this resulted in a robust and reliable method that has been demonstrated to work in a real-world process environment. © 2019 American Chemical Society.
- Description: The authors wish to acknowledge the financial assistance provided by the Brown Coal Innovation Australia, Ltd., a private member-based company with funding contracts through the Australian National Low Emissions Coal Research and Development, Ltd. (ANLEC R&D) and the Victorian State Government. The work described here was made possible through the PICA project, a collaboration between AGL Loy Yang, IHI, and CSIRO that aims to advance post-combustion CO 2 -capture technology in Australia.
Burden and preparedness amongst informal caregivers of adults with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury
- Authors: Lieshout, Kirsten , Oates, Joanne , Baker, Anne , Unsworth, Carolyn , Cameron, Ian , Schmidt, Julia , Lannin, Natasha
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 17, no. 17 (2020), p. 1-12
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- Description: This study examined the patterns of informal (unpaid) caregiving provided to people after moderate to severe traumatic brain injury (TBI), explore the self-reported burden and preparedness for the caregiving role, and identify factors predictive of caregiver burden and preparedness. A cross-sectional cohort design was used. Informal caregivers completed the Demand and Difficulty subscales of the Caregiving Burden Scale; and the Mutuality, Preparedness, and Global Strain subscales of the Family Care Inventory. Chi-square tests and logistic regression were used to examine the relationships between caregiver and care recipient variables and preparedness for caregiving. Twenty-nine informal caregivers who reported data on themselves and people with a moderate to severe TBI were recruited (referred to as a dyad). Most caregivers were female (n = 21, 72%), lived with the care recipient (n = 20, 69%), and reported high levels of burden on both scales. While most caregivers (n = 21, 72%) felt “pretty well” or “very well” prepared for caregiving, they were least prepared to get help or information from the health system, and to deal with the stress of caregiving. No significant relationships or predictors for caregiver burden or preparedness were identified. While caregivers reported the provision of care as both highly difficult and demanding, further research is required to better understand the reasons for the variability in caregiver experience, and ultimately how to best prepare caregivers for this long-term role. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Description: Data collection for this project was supported by the NSW Lifetime Care and Support Scheme (now iCare Foundation). N.A.L. is supported by a Future Leader Fellowship (Award ID 102055) from the National Heart Foundation of Australia.
What about me? Sense of belonging and depressive symptoms among bisexual women
- Authors: McLaren, Suzanne , Castillo, Paolo
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Bisexuality Vol. 20, no. 2 (2020), p. 166-182
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Depression is a significant mental health issue for bisexual women. While theory and research indicates that sense of belonging is important for mental health, limited research has investigated this in relation to bisexual women belonging to the LGBTQ + community. Existing research indicates that identification and involvement with the LGBTQ + community is not protective for the mental health of bisexual women. The protective nature of the extent to which bisexual women feel valued and needed within the lesbian community has not been examined. The current study examined the relationships between sense of belonging to the lesbian and heterosexual communities and depressive symptoms among bisexual women. A sample of 306 Australian self-identified bisexual women completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the psychological subscale of the Sense of Belonging Instrument. Results indicated that sense of belonging to each community was related to lower levels of depressive symptoms. Further, levels of belonging to each community interacted, indicating that sense of belonging to the lesbian community was protective for bisexual women with lower, but not higher, levels of sense of belonging to the heterosexual community. Results imply that increasing belonging to the lesbian community is important for bisexual women who do not feel they belong in the heterosexual community. The challenge is how to increase sense of belonging of bisexual women in the lesbian community, where they are exposed to negative attitudes about their sexuality. © 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Neural suppression of miRNA-181a in the kidney elevates renin expression and exacerbates hypertension in Schlager mice
- Authors: Jackson, Kristy , Gueguen, Cindy , Lim, Kyungjoon , Eikelis, Nina , Stevenson, Emily , Charchar, Fadi , Lambert, Gavin , Burke, Sandra , Paterson, Madeleine , Marques, Francine , Head, Geoffrey
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Hypertension Research Vol. 43, no. 11 (2020), p. 1152-1164
- Full Text: false
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- Description: BPH/2J mice are a genetic model of hypertension with overactivity of the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and renin–angiotensin system (RAS). BPH/2J display higher renal renin mRNA and low levels of its negative regulator microRNA-181a (miR-181a). We hypothesise that high renal SNS activity may reduce miR-181a expression, which contributes to elevated RAS activity and hypertension in BPH/2J. Our aim was to determine whether in vivo administration of a renal-specific miR-181a mimic or whether renal denervation could increase renal miR-181a abundance to reduce renal renin mRNA, RAS activity and hypertension in BPH/2J mice. Blood pressure (BP) in BPH/2J and normotensive BPN/3J mice was measured via radiotelemetry probes. Mice were administered miR-181a mimic or a negative control (1–25 nmol, i.v., n = 6–10) with BP measured for 48 h after each dose or they underwent renal denervation or sham surgery (n = 7–9). Injection of 5–25 nmol miR-181a mimic reduced BP in BPH/2J mice after 36–48 h (−5.3 ± 1.8, −6.1 ± 1.9 mmHg, respectively, P < 0.016). Treatment resulted in lower renal renin and inflammatory marker (TLR4) mRNA levels in BPH/2J. The mimic abolished the hypotensive effect of blocking the RAS with enalaprilat (P < 0.01). No differences between mimic or vehicle were observed in BPN/3J mice except for a higher level of renal angiotensinogen in the mimic-treated mice. Renal miR-181a levels that were lower in sham BPH/2J mice were greater following renal denervation and were thus similar to those of BPN/3J. Our findings suggest that the reduced renal miR-181a may partially contribute to the elevated BP in BPH/2J mice, through an interaction between the renal sympathetic nerves and miR-181a regulation of the RAS. © 2020, The Japanese Society of Hypertension.
- Description: This work was supported by a grant from the National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC, Project grant 1065714) and in part by the Victorian Government’s OIS Program. Investigators were supported by NHMRC/National Heart Foundation (NHF) Postdoctoral Fellowships (NHMRC APP1091688 to KLJ, NHMRC APP1052659 and NHF PF12M6785 and 101185 to FZM) and NHMRC Research Fellowships (APP1042492 to GWL and APP1002186 to GAH).
TIMP-2 regulates proliferation, invasion and STAT3-mediated cancer stem cell-dependent chemoresistance in ovarian cancer cells
- Authors: Escalona, Ruth , Bilandzic, Maree , Western, Patrick , Kadife, Elif , Kannourakis, George , Findlay, Jock , Ahmed, Nuzhat
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Cancer Vol. 20, no. 1 (2020), p.
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- Description: Background: The metzincin family of metalloproteinases and the tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) are essential proteins required for biological processes during cancer progression. This study aimed to determine the role of TIMP-2 in ovarian cancer progression and chemoresistance by reducing TIMP-2 expression in vitro in Fallopian tube secretory epithelial (FT282) and ovarian cancer (JHOS2 and OVCAR4) cell lines. Methods: FT282, JHOS2 and OVCAR4 cells were transiently transfected with either single or pooled TIMP-2 siRNAs. The expression of different genes after TIMP-2 knock down (T2-KD) or in response to chemotherapy was determined at the mRNA level by quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR) and at the protein level by immunofluorescence. Sensitivity of the cell lines in response to chemotherapy after TIMP-2 knock down was investigated by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) and 5-Ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU) assays. Cell invasion in response to TIMP-2 knockdown was determined by xCELLigence. Results: Sixty to 90 % knock down of TIMP-2 expression was confirmed in FT282, OVCAR4 and JHOS2 cell lines at the mRNA and protein levels. TIMP-2 knock down did not change the mRNA expression of TIMP-1 or TIMP-3. However, a significant downregulation of MMP-2 in T2-KD cells occurred at both the protein and activation levels, compared to Control (Cont; scrambled siRNA) and Parental cells (P, transfection reagent only). In contrast, membrane bound MT1-MMP protein levels were significantly upregulated in T2-KD compared to Cont and P cells. T2-KD cells exhibited enhanced proliferation and increased sensitivity to cisplatin and paclitaxel treatments. Enhanced invasion was observed in the T2-KD-JOSH2 and OVCAR4 cells but not in T2-KD-FT282 cells. Treatment with cisplatin or paclitaxel significantly elevated the expression of TIMP-2 in Cont cells but not in T2-KD cells, consistent with significantly elevated expression of chemoresistance and CSC markers and activation of STAT3. Furthermore, a potent inhibitor of STAT3 activation, Momelotinib, suppressed chemotherapy-induced activation of P-STAT3 in OVCAR4 cells with concomitant reductions in the expression of chemoresistance genes and CSC markers. Conclusions: The above results suggest that TIMP-2 may have a novel role in ovarian cancer proliferation, invasion and chemoresistance. © 2020 The Author(s).
Management of hyperlactation using pseudoephedrine — a case report
- Authors: Russell, Judith , King, Rosemary
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Breastfeeding Review Vol. 28, no. 1 (2020), p. 33-38
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Hyperlactation refers to excessive breastmilk production over and above the infant’s needs. It may cause a range of distressing and uncomfortable symptoms for mother and infant, potentially affecting breastfeeding duration. The majority of cases will resolve through common, supportive management strategies that aim to reduce breastmilk supply through the negative feedback mechanism of milk production. Some herbal and pharmaceutical agents are considered to reduce breastmilk production and may be used to manage hyperlactation. One of these medications, pseudoephedrine, has been reported anecdotally to reduce breastmilk production, but there is a lack of evidence to support its use in this context. This case report details the use of pseudoephedrine as a ‘last resort’ treatment for a mother experiencing hyperlactation which had not responded to the usual management strategies. By titrating the dose according to her milk production, the mother was able to effectively self-manage hyperlactation and maintain an adequate breastmilk supply without any apparent adverse effects to herself or her baby. This suggests that pseudoephedrine has potential for use in the management of severe hyperlactation. However, pseudoephedrine should be used with caution and in conjunction with professional lactation support and supervision. © 2020, Australian Breastfeeding Association. All rights reserved.
Pulmonary deposition of radionucleotide-labeled palivizumab : proof-of-concept study
- Authors: Rajapaksa, Anushi , Do, Lien , Suryawijaya Ong, Darren , Sourial, Magdy , Bischof, Robert
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Frontiers in Pharmacology Vol. 11, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: Objective: Current prevention and/or treatment options for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections are limited as no vaccine is available. Prophylaxis with palivizumab is very expensive and requires multiple intramuscular injections over the RSV season. Here we present proof-of-concept data using nebulized palivizumab delivery as a promising new approach for the prevention or treatment of severe RSV infections, documenting both aerosol characteristics and pulmonary deposition patterns in the lungs of lambs. Design: Prospective animal study. Setting: Biosecurity Control Level 2-designated large animal research facility at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Subjects: Four weaned Border-Leicester/Suffolk lambs at 5 months of age. Interventions: Four lambs were administered aerosolized palivizumab conjugated to Tc-99m, under gaseous anesthesia, using either the commercially available AeroNeb Go® or the investigational HYDRA device, placed in-line with the inspiratory limb of a breathing circuit. Lambs were scanned in a single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT/CT) scanner in the supine position during the administration procedure. Measurements and Main Results: Both the HYDRA and AeroNeb Go® produced palivizumab aerosols in the 1–5 µm range with similar median (geometric standard deviation and range) aerosol droplet diameters for the HYDRA device (1.84 ± 1.40 μm, range = 0.54–5.41μm) and the AeroNeb Go® (3.07 ± 1.56 μm, range = 0.86–10 μm). Aerosolized palivizumab was delivered to the lungs at 88.79–94.13% of the total aerosolized amount for all lambs, with a small proportion localized to either the trachea or stomach. No difference between devices were found. Pulmonary deposition ranged from 6.57 to 9.25% of the total dose of palivizumab loaded in the devices, mostly in the central right lung. Conclusions: Aerosolized palivizumab deposition patterns were similar in all lambs, suggesting a promising approach in the control of severe RSV lung infections. © Copyright © 2020 Rajapaksa, Do, Suryawijaya Ong, Sourial, Veysey, Beare, Hughes, Yang, Bischof, McDonnell, Eu, Yeo, Licciardi and Mulholland. ***Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Robert Bishof” is provided in this record***
- Description: The authors thank Rebecca Sutton for her technical assistance on lamb management, and Kera Pethybridge and Ellie Wright for her technical assistance on nuclear imaging. This study is?supported by a Jack Brockhoff Foundation Early Career Research Grant and a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (GNT1123030) awarded to AR, and the Victorian Government?s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. PL is supported by an NHMRC Career Development Fellowship (GNT1165084).
Financing sustainable development goals : A review of challenges and mitigation strategies
- Authors: Barua, Suborna
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Business Strategy and Development Vol. 3, no. 3 (2020), p. 277-293
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Sustainable development goal (SDG) implementation is still at an early stage globally. Implementation of the SDGs in developing countries particularly appears very complex and challenging. A key challenge encountered by policymakers at the national and international levels is the prevailing huge financing gap. The current level of SDG-related financing and investing is far less than what is needed, and there is a growing concern on how to close this gap. This paper explores the key challenges in SDG financing and potential way-out to mitigate them, particularly in the context of developing countries. The paper reviews the existing literature and practitioner documents, identifies the key challenges, and provides a suggestive mapping of potential strategies to overcome those. The paper argues that given the current level of SDG progress and financing, the world needs immediate action to mobilize adequate financing to achieve the SDGs by the set time line of 2030.
An investigation of Surf Life Saving Australia's Junior Development Program for Nippers
- Authors: Higgerson, Amanda
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
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- Description: The primary aim of Surf Life Saving Australia (SLSA), through their State and Territory bodies is to provide safe coastal environments for Australian beach goers. With over 312 affiliated clubs across Australia, SLSA provides an opportunity for primary school aged children (Nippers) to experience water safety and aquatic education in an open water environment. Nippers in the Under 8-Under 13 years age groups are involved in a participation-based education program known as the Junior Development Program (JDP), which aims to develop skills required for future lifesaving (Giles & Slade, 2012). The overall aim of this research was to identify and explore the barriers and enablers to involvement in SLSA’s JDP from the perspective of the participants, their parents/carers and those involved in the delivery of the program. Utilising a multiphase mixed method design, 341 Nippers from eight surf lifesaving clubs in New South Wales completed a questionnaire and 30 interviews were conducted – 19 with parents/carers from seven of the eight participating lifesaving clubs, and 11 Age Managers from six of the eight clubs. The findings indicated that the Nippers perceived most lifesaving skills were important and were happy/very happy to be learning about safety of themselves and how to assist others in the surf. Most concerns related to unknowns in terms of sea creatures and adverse weather conditions like storms and lightening. Interviewees believed Nipper participation was based on interpersonal and intrapersonal reasons, with socialisation a positive aspect of the program. In line with common fears reported by Nippers, interviewees reported unfavourable environmental conditions, including big surf, cold weather, weed and stingers, as barriers to participation. The findings and opinions from those involved in the JDP provide insights into barriers and enablers to participation in the program, which is intended to provide important guidance for future delivery of the JDP across Australia.
- Description: Masters by Research
Blood and saliva-derived exomes from healthy Caucasian subjects do not display overt evidence of somatic mosaicism
- Authors: Hall, Nathan , Mamrot, Jared , Frampton, Chris , Read, Prue , Steele, Edward , Bischoff, Robert , Lindley, Robyn
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Mutation Research - Fundamental and Molecular Mechanisms of Mutagenesis Vol. 821, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: Somatic mosaicism is a normal occurrence during development in the tissues and organs. As part of establishing a “healthy population “(HP) background or base-line, we investigated whether such mosaicism can be routinely detected in the circulating DNA secured from a rigorously designed healthy human liquid biopsy clinical trial (saliva, blood). We deployed next generation (NG) whole exome sequencing (WES) at median exome coverage rates of 97.2 % (-to-30x) and 70.0 % (-to-100x). We found that somatic mosaicism is not detectable by such standard bulk WES sequencing assays in saliva and blood DNA in 24 normal healthy Caucasians of both sexes from 18 to 60 years of age. We conclude that for circulating DNA using standard WES no novel somatic mutational variants can be detected in protein-coding regions of normal healthy subjects. This implies that the extent within normal tissues of somatic mosaicism must be at a lower level, below the detection threshold, for these circulating DNA WES read depths. © 2020 The Author(s)
A survey dataset to evaluate the changes in mobility and transportation due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa, United States
- Authors: Barbieri, Diego , Lou, Baowen , Passavanti, Marco , Hui, Cang , Lam, Louisa
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Data in Brief Vol. 33, no. (2020), p.
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- Description: COVID-19 pandemic has heavily impacted the global community. To curb the viral transmission, travel restrictions have been enforced across the world. The dataset documents the mobility disruptions and the modal shifts that have occurred as a consequence of the restrictive measures implemented in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the United States. An online questionnaire was distributed during the period from the 11st to the 31st of May 2020, with a total of 9 394 respondents. The first part of the survey has characterized the frequency of use of all transport modes before and during the enforcement of the restrictions, while the second part of the survey has dealt with perceived risks of contracting COVID-19 from different transport modes and perceived effectiveness of travel mitigation measures. Overall, the dataset (stored in a repository publicly available) can be conveniently used to quantify and understand the modal shifts and people's cognitive behavior towards travel due to COVID-19. The collected responses can be further analysed by considering other demographic and socioeconomic covariates. © 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 “Louisa Lam” is provided in this record*
Development of cluster-based energy management scheme for residential usages in the smart grid community
- Authors: Ur Rashid, Md Mamun , Granelli, Fabrizio , Hossain, Md Alamgir , Alam, Md Shafiul , Al-Ismail, Fahad , Shah, Rakibuzzaman
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Electronics (Switzerland) Vol. 9, no. 9 (2020), p. 1-25
- Full Text:
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- Description: Several efforts have been taken to promote clean energy towards a sustainable and green economy. Existing sources of electricity present some complications concerning consumers, utility owners, and the environment. Utility operators encourage household applicants to employ residential energy management (REM) systems. Renewable energy sources (RESs), energy storage systems (ESS), and optimal energy allocation strategies are used to resolve these difficulties. In this paper, the development of a cluster-based energy management scheme for residential consumers of a smart grid community is proposed to reduce energy use and monetary cost. Normally, residential consumers deal with household appliances with various operating time slots depending on consumer preferences. A simulator is designed and developed using C++ software to resolve the residential consumer’s REM problem. The benefits of the RESs, ESS, and optimal energy allocation techniques are analyzed by taking in account three different scenarios. Extensive case studies are carried out to validate the effectiveness of the proposed cluster-based energy management scheme. It is demonstrated that the proposed method can save energy and costs up to 45% and 56% compared to the existing methods. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
The non-smooth and bi-objective team orienteering problem with soft constraints
- Authors: Estrada-Moreno, Alejandro , Ferrer, Albert , Juan, Angel , Panadero, Javier , Bagirov, Adil
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Mathematics Vol. 8, no. 9 (2020), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In the classical team orienteering problem (TOP), a fixed fleet of vehicles is employed, each of them with a limited driving range. The manager has to decide about the subset of customers to visit, as well as the visiting order (routes). Each customer offers a different reward, which is gathered the first time that it is visited. The goal is then to maximize the total reward collected without exceeding the driving range constraint. This paper analyzes a more realistic version of the TOP in which the driving range limitation is considered as a soft constraint: every time that this range is exceeded, a penalty cost is triggered. This cost is modeled as a piece-wise function, which depends on factors such as the distance of the vehicle to the destination depot. As a result, the traditional reward-maximization objective becomes a non-smooth function. In addition, a second objective, regarding the design of balanced routing plans, is considered as well. A mathematical model for this non-smooth and bi-objective TOP is provided, and a biased-randomized algorithm is proposed as a solving approach. © 2020 by the authors.
- Description: This work has been partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness & FEDER (SEV-2015-0563), the Spanish Ministry of Science (PID2019-111100RB-C21, RED2018-102642-T), and the Erasmus+ Program (2019-I-ES01-KA103-062602).
Organizational pathways for social innovation and societal impacts in disability nonprofits
- Authors: Taylor, Rachel , Torugsa, Nuttaneeya , Arundel, Anthony
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Voluntas Vol. 31, no. 5 (2020), p. 995-1012
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: Using data from a sample of 301 Australian disability nonprofit organizations (NPOs), this study applies configurational thinking to identify combinations of organizational capabilities that lead to Nonprofit Social Innovation (NSI)—a new service or process that promotes social inclusion of people with disabilities—and examines whether NSI is a sufficient condition for high societal impacts to be achieved. The conceptualization and components of the NSI framework were developed in our previous research through a two-month researcher-in-residency at disability NPOs. In this study, we employ fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis to identify several “recipes” of capabilities (varying by organizational size and geographical location) for NSI development. The analyses find that high societal impacts from NSI occur when organizations adopt diverse perspectives, and embrace either person-focused approaches or operate in a risk-tolerant environment. These findings provide valuable linkages to managerial practice in nonprofits and advance emerging theoretical understandings of social innovation. © 2019, International Society for Third-Sector Research.
Quality indicators for a community-based wound care centre : an integrative review
- Authors: Seaton, Philippa , Cant, Robyn , Trip, Henrietta
- Date: 2020
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Wound Journal Vol. 17, no. 3 (2020), p. 587-600
- Full Text: false
- Reviewed:
- Description: The purpose of this review was to identify the role and contribution of community-based nurse-led wound care as a service delivery model. Centres increasingly respond proactively to assess and manage wounds at all stages – not only chronic wound care. We conducted an integrative review of literature, searching five databases, 2007–2018. Based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, we systematically approached article selection and all three authors collaborated to chart the study variables, evaluate data, and synthesise results. Eighteen studies were included, representing a range of care models internationally. The findings showed a need for nurse-led clinics to provide evidence-based care using best practice guidelines for all wound types. Wound care practices should be standardised across the particular service and be integrated with higher levels of resources such as investigative services and surgical units. A multi-disciplinary approach was likely to achieve better patient outcomes, while patient-centred care with strong patient engagement was likely to assist patients' compliance with treatment. High-quality community-based wound services should include nursing leadership based on a hub-and-spoke model. This is ideally patient-centred, evidence-based, and underpinned by a commitment to developing innovations in terms of treatment modalities, accessibility, and patient engagement. © 2020 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd
- Description: This study was supported by The Nurse Maude Association, Christchurch, New Zealand, a community‐based nursing service in New Zealand. We acknowledge the contribution of the following Nurse Maude Association staff: Mary‐Anne Stone (MPH), Senior Manager of Research, Innovation and Aged Residential Care. Cathy Hammond (MA–Clinical Nursing), Clinical Nurse Specialist – Specialist Wound Service. Denise Brankin (RN, PGDipHSc), Service Manager, Specialty Nursing Services. Gill Coe (BA), Research Officer.creative