A configural model of expert judgement as a preliminary epidemiological study of injury problems: An application to drowning
- Authors: Morgan, Damian , Ozanne-Smith, Joan
- Date: 2019
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 14, no. 10 (2019), p.
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- Description: Robust epidemiological studies identifying determinants of negative health outcomes require significant research effort. Expert judgement is proposed as an efficient alternative or preliminary research design for risk factor identification associated with unintentional injury. This proposition was tested in a multi-factorial balanced experimental design using specialist judges (N = 18), lifeguards and surfers, to assess the risk contribution to drowning for swimming ability, surf bathing experience, and wave height. All factors provided unique contributions to drowning risk (p < .001). An interaction (p = .02) indicated that occasional surf bathers face a proportionally increased risk of drowning at increased wave heights relative to experienced surf bathers. Although findings were limited by strict criteria, and no gold standard comparison data were available, the study provides new evidence on causal risk factors for a drowning scenario. Countermeasures based on these factors are proposed. Further application of the method may assist in developing new interventions to reduce unintentional injury. © 2019 Morgan, Ozanne-Smith. 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.
A global-scale screening of non-native aquatic organisms to identify potentially invasive species under current and future climate conditions
- Authors: Vilizzi, Lorenzo , Copp, Gordon , Hill, Jeffrey , Adamovich, Boris , Lloyd, Lance
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 788, no. (2021), p.
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- Description: The threat posed by invasive non-native species worldwide requires a global approach to identify which introduced species are likely to pose an elevated risk of impact to native species and ecosystems. To inform policy, stakeholders and management decisions on global threats to aquatic ecosystems, 195 assessors representing 120 risk assessment areas across all six inhabited continents screened 819 non-native species from 15 groups of aquatic organisms (freshwater, brackish, marine plants and animals) using the Aquatic Species Invasiveness Screening Kit. This multi-lingual decision-support tool for the risk screening of aquatic organisms provides assessors with risk scores for a species under current and future climate change conditions that, following a statistically based calibration, permits the accurate classification of species into high-, medium- and low-risk categories under current and predicted climate conditions. The 1730 screenings undertaken encompassed wide geographical areas (regions, political entities, parts thereof, water bodies, river basins, lake drainage basins, and marine regions), which permitted thresholds to be identified for almost all aquatic organismal groups screened as well as for tropical, temperate and continental climate classes, and for tropical and temperate marine ecoregions. In total, 33 species were identified as posing a ‘very high risk’ of being or becoming invasive, and the scores of several of these species under current climate increased under future climate conditions, primarily due to their wide thermal tolerances. The risk thresholds determined for taxonomic groups and climate zones provide a basis against which area-specific or climate-based calibrated thresholds may be interpreted. In turn, the risk rankings help decision-makers identify which species require an immediate ‘rapid’ management action (e.g. eradication, control) to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts, which require a full risk assessment, and which are to be restricted or banned with regard to importation and/or sale as ornamental or aquarium/fishery enhancement. © 2021 The Authors. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Lance Lloyd" is provided in this record**
A literature review of the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on sustainable HRM
- Authors: Liang, Xiaoyan , Zhang, Xiwei , Paulet, Renee , Zheng, Leven
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 14, no. 5 (2022), p.
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- Description: The ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to emerge across all facets of the world of work, including the field of human resource management (HRM). Sustainable HRM, drawing on the triple bottom line elements of the economic, environmental and social pillars of sustainability, provides an ideal basis from which to understand the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and HRM. In this systematic literature review, we analyze peer reviewed articles published in the nexus of the pandemic and sustainable HRM, identifying the dimensions and extent of research in this topical area of study. Our CEDEL model—complicator–exposer–disruptor–enabler– legitimizer—conceptualizes our understanding of the role of COVID-19 in sustainable HRM. This paper provides a framework from which future studies can benefit when investigating the impacts of COVID-19, and a comprehensive identification of future research avenues. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
A novel Y-specific long non-coding RNA associated with cellular lipid accumulation in HepG2 cells and Atherosclerosis-related genes
- Authors: Molina, Elsa , Chew, Guat , Myers, Stephen , Clarence, Elyse , Eales, James , Tomaszewski, Maciej , Charchar, Fadi
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Scientific Reports Vol. 7, no. 1 (2017), p. 1-12
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1009490
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- Description: There is an increasing appreciation for the role of the human Y chromosome in phenotypic differences between the sexes in health and disease. Previous studies have shown that genetic variation within the Y chromosome is associated with cholesterol levels, which is an established risk factor for atherosclerosis, the underlying cause of coronary artery disease (CAD), a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, the exact mechanism and potential genes implicated are still unidentified. To date, Y chromosome-linked long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are poorly characterized and the potential link between these new regulatory RNA molecules and hepatic function in men has not been investigated. Advanced technologies of lncRNA subcellular localization and silencing were used to identify a novel intergenic Y-linked lncRNA, named lnc-KDM5D-4, and investigate its role in fatty liver-associated atherosclerosis. We found that lnc-KDM5D-4 is retained within the nucleus in hepatocytes. Its knockdown leads to changes in genes leading to increased lipid droplets formation in hepatocytes resulting in a downstream effect contributing to the chronic inflammatory process that underpin CAD. Our findings provide the first evidence for the implication of lnc-KDM5D-4 in key processes related to fatty liver and cellular inflammation associated with atherosclerosis and CAD in men.
A review of practical tools for rapid monitoring of membrane bioreactors
- Authors: Scholes, Emily , Verheyen, Vincent , Brook-Carter, Phillip
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Water Research Vol. 102, no. (2016), p. 252-262
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- Description: The production of high quality effluent from membrane bioreactors (MBRs) arguably requires less supervision than conventional activated sludge (CAS) processes. Nevertheless, the use of membranes brings additional issues of activated sludge filterability, cake layer formation and membrane fouling. From a practical standpoint, process engineers and operators require simple tools which offer timely information about the biological health and filterability of the mixed liquor as well as risks of membrane fouling. To this end, a range of analytical tools and biological assays are critically reviewed from this perspective. This review recommends that Capillary Suction Time (CST) analysis along with Total Suspended and Volatile Solids (TSS/VSS) analysis is used daily. For broad characterisation, total carbon and nitrogen analysis offer significant advantages over the commonly used chemical and biological oxygen demand (COD/BOD) analyses. Of the technologies for determining the vitality of the microbial biomass the most robust and reproducible, are the second generation adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) test kits. Extracellular polymer concentrations are best monitored by measurement of turbidity after centrifugation. Taken collectively these tools can be used routinely to ensure timely intervention and smoother operation of MBR systems. © 2016 Elsevier Ltd.
A review of sediment carbon sampling methods in mangroves and their broader impacts on stock estimates for blue carbon ecosystems
- Authors: Fest, Benedikt , Swearer, Stephen , Arndt, Stefan
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Science of the Total Environment Vol. 816, no. (2022), p.
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- Description: Blue carbon ecosystems (BCEs), such as mangroves, tidal marshes, and seagrasses, are attracting interest for their potential to mitigate climate change arising from their high rates of carbon accumulation and the significant carbon stocks in their sediments. However, current sediment carbon sampling methods present a mixture of approaches adopted from paleoenvironmental methods focused on historical reconstruction of carbon accumulation, and from soil science methods developed to provide highly accurate and spatially representative carbon stock measurements. Currently, no international standard method for sediment carbon stock analysis exists. Consequently, current estimates of sediment carbon stock values for BCEs may have large uncertainties due to variable methodology. We reviewed and analysed the methods used 217 studies included in two recent global syntheses of carbon stocks in mangrove forest ecosystems to illustrate a lack of consistency in sediment sampling. We then outline how the choice of study design and field sampling methods can introduce inaccuracies and uncertainties in sediment carbon stock analysis. We conclude with examples of how each of these challenges can be resolved and how greater carbon stock quantification accuracy and higher spatial integration can be achieved for blue carbon ecosystems in the future. © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
A review of the scaled boundary finite element method for two-dimensional linear elastic fracture mechanics
- Authors: Song, Chongmin , Ooi, Ean Tat , Natarajan, Sundararajan
- Date: 2018
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Engineering Fracture Mechanics Vol. 187, no. (2018), p. 45-73
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- Description: The development and the application of the scaled boundary finite element method for fracture analysis is reviewed. In this method, polygonal elements (referred to as subdomains) of arbitrary number of edges are constructed, with the only limitation that the whole boundary is directly visible from the scaling centre. The element solution is semi-analytical. When applied to two-dimensional linear fracture mechanics, any kinds of stress singularities are represented analytically without local refinement, special elements and enrichment functions. The flexibility of polygons to represent arbitrary geometric shapes leads to simple yet efficient remeshing algorithms to model crack propagation. Coupling procedures with the extended finite element method, meshless method and boundary element method to handle changes in the crack morphology have been established. These developments result in an efficient framework for fracture modelling. Examples of applications are provided to demonstrate their feasibility. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd
A scoping review of community-based adult suicide prevention initiatives in rural and regional australia
- Authors: Dabkowski, Elissa , Porter, Joanne , Barbagallo, Michael , Prokopiv, Valerie , Jackson, Megan
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 19, no. 12 (2022), p.
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- Description: The need for continued research into suicide prevention strategies is undeniable, with high global statistics demonstrating the urgency of this public health issue. In Australia, approximately 3000 people end their lives each year, with those living in rural and regional areas identified as having a higher risk of dying by suicide. Due to decreased access and support services in these areas, community-based suicide prevention initiatives provide opportunities to educate and support local communities. A scoping review was conducted to explore the literature pertaining to such programs in rural and/or regional communities in Australia. This review follows the five-stage Arksey and O’Malley (2005) framework and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR) checklist. Nine databases were searched, from which studies were considered eligible if suicide prevention programs were community-based and catered for adults (aged
A study on environmental issues of blasting using advanced support vector machine algorithms
- Authors: Chen, Lihua , Armaghani, Danial , Fakharian, Pouyan , Bhatawdekar, Ramesh , Samui, P. , Khandelwal, Manoj , Khedher, Khaled
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology Vol. 19, no. 7 (2022), p. 6221-6240
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- Description: Air overpressure is a critical negative effect of blasting in construction or production sites and projects. So far, many attempts have been made to prevent or reduce this negative effect on the nearby construction, equipment, or people. While various experiential equations have been proposed to forecast the air overpressure value for determining the blasting area, these models are typically inaccurate and impractical. Due to the recent efforts to predict the air overpressure by employing artificial intelligence techniques, this study developed five support vector machine-based models optimized by some praised optimization techniques, including the moth flame optimization, particle swarm optimization, grey wolf optimization, cuckoo optimization algorithm, and whale optimization algorithm. These algorithms optimize the most important parameters of the support vector machine, including “C” and “gamma”, and improve the performance of this model for air overpressure prediction. The findings showed that the moth flame optimization algorithm is the best optimizer for support vector machine and is suitable for air overpressure prediction. The support vector machine–moth flame optimization model achieved the best R2 (train: 0.9939; test: 0.9941) and comprehensive score (34). On the other hand, the worst model was the support vector machine–particle swarm optimization, which achieved the lowest comprehensive score (13). In addition, all optimization techniques improved the performance of the single support vector machine model. The findings of this study imply that all optimization techniques successfully enhanced the performance of the support vector machine model; however, the moth flame optimization optimizer was the most effective one. The support vector machine–moth flame optimization technique can be employed to solve other mining-related issues. © 2022, Islamic Azad University (IAU). Correction to: A study on environmental issues of blasting using advanced support vector machine algorithms (International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, (2022), 19, 7, (6221-6240), 10.1007/s13762-022-03999-y): The original version of this article unfortunately contains two mistakes. The spelling of the third author's name was incorrect. The correct name is Pouyan Fakharian (P. Fakharian). Another error was in the acknowledgment section. The correct Grant No. is KJQN202103415. © The Author(s) under exclusive licence to Iranian Society of Environmentalists (IRSEN) and Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University 2022
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*
A survey of commercial and industrial demand response flexibility with energy storage systems and renewable energy
- Authors: Yasmin, Roksana , Amin, B.M. Ruhu , Shah, Rakibuzzaman , Barton, Andrew
- Date: 2024
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Sustainability (Switzerland) Vol. 16, no. 2 (2024), p.
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- Description: The transition from traditional fuel-dependent energy systems to renewable energy-based systems has been extensively embraced worldwide. Demand-side flexibility is essential to support the power grid with carbon-free generation (e.g., solar, wind.) in an intermittent nature. As extensive energy consumers, commercial and industrial (C&I) consumers can play a key role by extending their flexibility and participating in demand response. Onsite renewable generation by consumers can reduce the consumption from the grid, while energy storage systems (ESSs) can support variable generation and shift demand by storing energy for later use. Both technologies can increase the flexibility and benefit by integrating with the demand response. However, a lack of knowledge about the applicability of increasing flexibility hinders the active participation of C&I consumers in demand response programs. This survey paper provides an overview of demand response and energy storage systems in this context following a methodology of a step-by-step literature review covering the period from 2013 to 2023. The literature review focuses on the application of energy storage systems and onsite renewable generation integrated with demand response for C&I consumers and is presented with an extensive analysis. This survey also examines the demand response participation and potential of wastewater treatment plants. The extended research on the wastewater treatment plant identifies the potential opportunities of coupling biogas with PV, extracting the thermal energy and onsite hydrogen production. Finally, the survey analysis is summarised, followed by critical recommendations for future research. © 2024 by the authors.
A systematic review of industrial wastewater management : evaluating challenges and enablers
- Authors: Singh, Bikram , Chakraborty, Ayon , Sehgal, Rippin
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Journal of Environmental Management Vol. 348, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: The study provides a systematic literature review (SLR) encompassing industrial wastewater management research from the past decade, examining enablers, challenges, and prevailing practices. Originating from manufacturing, energy production, and diverse industrial processes, industrial wastewater's handling is critical due to its potential to impact the environment and public health. The research aims to comprehend the current state of industrial wastewater management, pinpoint gaps, and outline future research prospects. The SLR methodology involves scouring the Scopus database, yielding an initial pool of 253 articles. Refinement via search code leaves 101 articles, followed by abstract screening that reduces articles to 79, and finally 66 well-focused articles left for thorough full-text examination. Results underscore the significance of regulatory frameworks, technological innovation, and sustainability considerations as cornerstones for effective wastewater management. However, substantial impediments like; inadequate infrastructure, resource constraints and the necessity for stakeholder collaboration still exist. The study highlights emerging research domains, exemplified by advanced technologies like nanotechnology and bioremediation, alongside the pivotal role of circular economy principles in wastewater management. The SLR offers an exhaustive view of contemporary industrial wastewater management, accentuating the imperative of an all-encompassing approach that integrates regulatory, technological, and sustainability facets. Notably, the research identifies gaps and opportunities for forthcoming exploration, advocating for interdisciplinary research and intensified stakeholder collaboration. The study's insights cater to policymakers, practitioners, and researchers, equipping them to address the challenges and capitalize on prospects in industrial wastewater management effectively. © 2023 The Author(s)
A systematic review of wheelchair and mobility scooter containment systems used internationally on public transit buses
- Authors: Unsworth, Carolyn , Timmer, Amanda
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol. 20, no. 20 (2023), p.
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- Description: Despite the daily need for people to travel on public transit buses using their wheeled mobility devices, relatively little information is available regarding the most efficacious, affordable, and independent approaches to assist passengers with keeping their mobility devices in the designated wheelchair access space. A systematic review was undertaken to summarize this literature, place it within a geographical and temporal context, appraise its quality, and establish common themes. Key academic and grey literature transportation databases and government websites searched from 1990 to May 2022 identified 33 documents, which were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) or the Authority, Accuracy, Coverage, Objectivity, Date, Significance (AACODS) tool. Overall, the documents included were of good quality. The literature retrieved focused on the development and testing of the active containment systems favored for use in North America with a contrastingly small examination of the effectiveness of passive or semi-passive containment systems. Almost no literature was retrieved in English from European researchers documenting the use or effectiveness of rearward-facing passive systems. While tip or slide events are relatively rare among mobility device users, the effective use of containment systems is vital to minimize these. Further research is required to support transport policy makers, operators, and bus drivers to identify and correctly implement optimal containment systems to promote safety for all passengers on public buses. © 2023 by the authors.
Aberrant pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A expression in breast cancers prognosticates clinical outcomes
- 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.
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- 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).
Accuracy of heart rate watches: Implications for weight management
- Authors: Wallen, Matthew , Gomersall, Sjaan , Keating, Shelley , Wisløff, Og Ulrik , Coombes, Jeff
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS ONE Vol. 11, no. 5 (2016), p.
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- Description: Background: Wrist-worn monitors claim to provide accurate measures of heart rate and energy expenditure. People wishing to lose weight use these devices to monitor energy balance, however the accuracy of these devices to measure such parameters has not been established. Aim: To determine the accuracy of four wrist-worn devices (Apple Watch, Fitbit Charge HR, Samsung Gear S and Mio Alpha) to measure heart rate and energy expenditure at rest and during exercise. Methods: Twenty-two healthy volunteers (50% female; aged 24 ± 5.6 years) completed ∼1-hr protocols involving supine and seated rest, walking and running on a treadmill and cycling on an ergometer. Data from the devices collected during the protocol were compared with reference methods: electrocardiography (heart rate) and indirect calorimetry (energy expenditure). Results: None of the devices performed significantly better overall, however heart rate was consistently more accurate than energy expenditure across all four devices. Correlations between the devices and reference methods were moderate to strong for heart rate (0.67-0.95 [0.35 to 0.98]) and weak to strong for energy expenditure (0.16-0.86 [-0.25 to 0.95]). All devices underestimated both outcomes compared to reference methods. The percentage error for heart rate was small across the devices (range: 1-9%) but greater for energy expenditure (9-43%). Similarly, limits of agreement were considerably narrower for heart rate (ranging from -27.3 to 13.1 bpm) than energy expenditure (ranging from -266.7 to 65.7 kcals) across devices. Conclusion: These devices accurately measure heart rate. However, estimates of energy expenditure are poor and would have implications for people using these devices for weight loss. © 2016 Wallen 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.
Acute exercise leads to regulation of Telomere-Associated genes and MicroRNA expression in immune Cells
- Authors: Chilton, Warrick , Marques, Francine , West, Jenny , Kannourakis, George , Berzins, Stuart , O'Brien, Brendan , Charchar, Fadi
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PloS One Vol. 9, no. 4 (2014), p. e92088
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- Description: Telomeres are specialized nucleoprotein structures that protect chromosomal ends from degradation. These structures progressively shorten during cellular division and can signal replicative senescence below a critical length. Telomere length is predominantly maintained by the enzyme telomerase. Significant decreases in telomere length and telomerase activity are associated with a host of chronic diseases; conversely their maintenance underpins the optimal function of the adaptive immune system. Habitual physical activity is associated with longer leukocyte telomere length; however, the precise mechanisms are unclear. Potential hypotheses include regulation of telomeric gene transcription and/or microRNAs (miRNAs). We investigated the acute exercise-induced response of telomeric genes and miRNAs in twenty-two healthy males (mean age = 24.1±1.55 years). Participants undertook 30 minutes of treadmill running at 80% of peak oxygen uptake. Blood samples were taken before exercise, immediately post-exercise and 60 minutes post-exercise. Total RNA from white blood cells was submitted to miRNA arrays and telomere extension mRNA array. Results were individually validated in white blood cells and sorted T cell lymphocyte subsets using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR). Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) mRNA (P = 0.001) and sirtuin-6 (SIRT6) (P<0.05) mRNA expression were upregulated in white blood cells after exercise. Fifty-six miRNAs were also differentially regulated post-exercise (FDR <0.05). In silico analysis identified four miRNAs (miR-186, miR-181, miR-15a and miR-96) that potentially targeted telomeric gene mRNA. The four miRNAs exhibited significant upregulation 60 minutes post-exercise (P<0.001). Telomeric repeat binding factor 2, interacting protein (TERF2IP) was identified as a potential binding target for miR-186 and miR-96 and demonstrated concomitant downregulation (P<0.01) at the corresponding time point. Intense cardiorespiratory exercise was sufficient to differentially regulate key telomeric genes and miRNAs in white blood cells. These results may provide a mechanistic insight into telomere homeostasis and improved immune function and physical health. Funding NHMRC
Adaptation of quadtree meshes in the scaled boundary finite element method for crack propagation modelling
- Authors: Ooi, Ean Tat , Man, Hou , Natarajan, Sundararajan , Song, Chongmin
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Engineering Fracture Mechanics Vol. 144, no. (2015), p. 101-117
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- Description: A crack propagation modelling technique combining the scaled boundary finite element method and quadtree meshes is developed. This technique automatically satisfies the compatibility requirement between adjacent quadtree cells irrespective of the presence of hanging nodes. The quadtree structure facilitates efficient data storage and rapid computations. Only a single cell is required to accurately model the stress field near crack tips. Crack growth is modelled by splitting the cells in the mesh into two. The resulting polygons are directly modelled by the scaled boundary formulation with minimal changes to the mesh. Four numerical examples demonstrate the salient features of the technique. © 2015.
African women’s experience of domestic violence and help-seeking behaviour in Melbourne, Australia
- Authors: Kuyini, Ahmed , Kor, Deng , Diu, Joyce , David, Ruffina , Yoa, Tut
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Australasian Review of African Studies Vol. 43, no. 2 (2022), p. 59-86
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- Description: This study explored African refugee background women’s experience of domestic violence and help-seeking behaviour. The women were part of a domestic violence prevention and intervention project run by a local community organisation. Underpinned by help-seeking frameworks such as Theory of Planned Behaviour, data were gathered via two focus group interviews with seventeen women in Melbourne, Australia. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The results showed that participants experienced different forms of violence. Many did not seek help early, and help-seeking was constrained by cultural considerations and children in the relationship. Implications are discussed in relation to formal and informal support or interventions. © 2022, Australasian Review of African Studies. All Rights Reserved.
Air pollution perception in ten countries during the COVID-19 pandemic
- Authors: Lou, Baowen , Barbieri, Diego , Passavanti, Marco , Hui, Cang , Gupta, Akshay , Hoff, Inge , Lessa, Daniela , Sikka, Gaurav , Chang, Kevin , Fang, Kevin , Lam, Louisa , Maharaj, Brij , Ghasemi, Navid , Qiao, Yaning , Adomako, Solomon , Foroutan Mirhosseini, Ali , Naik, Bhaven , Banerjee, Arunabha , Wang, Fusong , Tucker, Andrew , Liu, Zhuangzhuanga , Wijayaratna, Kasunt , Naseri, Sahra , Yu, Lei , Chen, Hao , Shu, Benan , Goswami, Shubham , Peprah, Prince , Hessami, Amir , Abbas, Montasir , Agarwal, Nithin
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Ambio Vol. 51, no. 3 (2022), p. 531-545
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- Description: As largely documented in the literature, the stark restrictions enforced worldwide in 2020 to curb the COVID-19 pandemic also curtailed the production of air pollutants to some extent. This study investigates the perception of the air pollution as assessed by individuals located in ten countries: Australia, Brazil, China, Ghana, India, Iran, Italy, Norway, South Africa and the USA. The perceptions towards air quality were evaluated by employing an online survey administered in May 2020. Participants (N = 9394) in the ten countries expressed their opinions according to a Likert-scale response. A reduction in pollutant concentration was clearly perceived, albeit to a different extent, by all populations. The survey participants located in India and Italy perceived the largest drop in the air pollution concentration; conversely, the smallest variation was perceived among Chinese and Norwegian respondents. Among all the demographic indicators considered, only gender proved to be statistically significant. © 2021, The Author(s).
Alcohol advertising in sport and non-sport tv in Australia, during children's viewing times
- Authors: O'Brien, Kerry , Carr, Sherilene , Ferris, Jason , Room, Robin , Miller, Peter , Livingston, Michael , Kypri, Kypros , Lynott, Dermot
- Date: 2015
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: PLoS One Vol. 10, no. 8 (2015), p. e0134889
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- Description: Estimate the amount of alcohol advertising in sport vs. non-sport programming in Australian free-to-air TV and identify children's viewing audience composition at different times of the day. Alcohol advertising and TV viewing audience data were purchased for free-to-air sport and non-sport TV in Australia for 2012. We counted alcohol advertisements in sport and non-sport TV in daytime (6 am-8.29 pm) and evening periods (8.30 pm-11.59 pm) and estimated viewing audiences for children and young adults (0-4 years, 5-13 years, 14-17 years, 18-29 years). During the daytime, most of the alcohol advertising (87%) was on sport TV. In the evening, most alcohol advertising (86%) was in non-sport TV. There was little difference in the mean number of children (0-17 years) viewing TV in the evening (N = 273,989), compared with the daytime (N = 235,233). In programs containing alcohol advertising, sport TV had a greater mean number of alcohol adverts per hour (mean 1.74, SD = 1.1) than non-sport TV (mean 1.35, SD = .94). Alcohol advertising during the daytime, when large numbers of children are watching TV, is predominantly in free-to-air sport TV. By permitting day-time advertising in sport programs and in any programs from 8.30 pm when many children are still watching TV, current regulations are not protecting children from exposure to alcohol advertising.