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Half of land use carbon emissions in Southeast Asia can be mitigated through peat swamp forest and mangrove conservation and restoration
Full text linkSoutheast Asia (SEA) contributes approximately one-third of global land-use change carbon emissions, a substantial yet highly uncertain part of which is from anthropogenically-modified peat swamp forests (PSFs) and mangroves. Here, we report that between 2001–2022 land-use change impacting PSFs and mangroves in SEA generate approximately 691.8±97.2 teragrams of CO2 equivalent emissions annually (TgCO2eyr−1) or 48% of region’s land-use change emissions, and carbon removal through secondary regrowth of −16.3 ± 2.0 TgCO2eyr−1. Indonesia (73%), Malaysia (14%), Myanmar (7%), and Vietnam (2%) combined accounted for over 90% of regional emissions from these sources. Consequently, great potential exists for emissions reduction through PSFs and mangroves conservation. Moreover, restoring degraded PSFs and mangroves could provide an additional annual mitigation potential of 94.4 ± 7.4 TgCO2eyr−1. Although peatlands and mangroves occupy only 5.4% of SEA land area, restoring and protecting these carbon-dense ecosystems can contribute substantially to climate change mitigation, while maintaining valuable ecosystem services, livelihoods and biodiversity
The challenges of using fish cells for cultivated seafood production
No full textContinuing population growth is increasing nutritional demand and applying pressure to the world’s finite resources. The current food systems struggle with sustainability, especially regarding protein sources. To address this, organisations have invested in developing novel sources of protein, such as lab-grown cultivated foods. Most of these efforts have focussed on the cultivated meat industry but neglect the emerging cultivated seafood industry. Arguably, seafood has a greater impact on protein availability and sustainability and should be a priority. Nonetheless, several technical barriers exist to produce cultivated seafood, and include a lack of established cell lines and specialised cell growth medium, that is affordable and sustainable. In addition, the application of this technology is difficult, due to public perception, ethical considerations, taste and food safety hurdles. Herein, we review the barriers that must be overcome by research institutions, companies, and stakeholders so that products can be introduced to the mainstream consumer market
Sequestration of dead-end undecaprenyl phosphate-linked oligosaccharide intermediate
Full text linkMost Gram-negative bacteria synthesize a plethora of cell surface polysaccharides that play key roles in immune evasion, cell envelope structural integrity and host–pathogen interactions. In the predominant polysaccharide Wzx/Wzy-dependent pathway, synthesis is divided between the cytoplasmic and periplasmic faces of the membrane. Initially, an oligosaccharide composed of 3–8 sugars is synthesized on a membrane-embedded lipid carrier, undecaprenyl pyrophosphate, within the cytoplasmic face of the membrane. This lipid-linked oligosaccharide is then translocated to the periplasmic face by the Wzx flippase, where it is polymerized into a repeat-unit polysaccharide. Structural alterations to the O-antigen repeating oligosaccharide significantly reduce polysaccharide yield and lead to cell death or morphological abnormalities. These effects are attributed to the substrate recognition function of the Wzx flippase, which we postulated to act as a gatekeeper to ensure that only complete substrates are translocated to the periplasmic face. Here, we labelled Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium group B1 with [14C] d-galactose. Our results showed that strains unable to synthesize the full O-antigen repeat unit accumulate significantly higher levels of Und-P-linked material (~10-fold). Importantly, this sequestration is alleviated by membrane disruption which opens the lipid-linked oligosaccharide at the cytosolic face to periplasmic ligation to support accumulation occurs at the cytosolic face of the membrane
Walking training decreases cardiovascular load after walking to maximal intermittent claudication in patients with peripheral artery disease
No full textPURPOSE: This study investigated whether: 1) walking training (WT) changes cardiovascular load after walking until maximal intermittent claudication (IC) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD); and 2) acute and chronic cardiovascular responses to walking were related to each other.
METHODS: A randomized, controlled, parallel-group design was employed. Thirty-two men with PAD and IC were randomly assigned to one of two groups: WT (n=16) or control (CO, n=16) twice a week for 12 weeks. The WT group completed 15, 2-min bouts of walking at moderate intensity interspersed with 2-min upright resting intervals per session. The CO group completed 30 minutes of stretching per session. At Baseline and after 12 weeks, both groups underwent a progressive walking session to maximal IC (3.2 km/h, 2% increase in grade every 2 min). Systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product (RPP) were measured pre- and post-walking. Data were analyzed by three-way mixed ANOVAs. Pearson correlations were used to explore the association between the acute and chronic responses.
RESULTS: WT significantly reduced pre- and post-walking systolic BP (p0.05).
CONCLUSION: In patients with PAD, WT decreased cardiovascular load assessed before and after walking to maximal IC. Furthermore, the acute and chronic cardiovascular responses to walking were not associated. Thus, WT may reduce the risk of immediate post-walking cardiac events in susceptible patients
Distress Tolerance as a Risk Factor for Specific Internet‑Use Disorders
Full text linkExisting research on distress tolerance has focused on non-technological addictions and general Internet addiction; however, none explored its association with specific Internet-use addictions. This study aimed to investigate whether distress tolerance could be a risk factor for three specific Internet-use disorders: Internet gaming disorder (IGD), problematic social media use (PSMU), and problematic pornography use (PPU) guided by the interaction of person-affect-cognitionexecution (I-PACE) model. As emotional regulation and distress tolerance are related but distinct constructs, emotional regulation was controlled in the current study. It was hypothesized lower distress tolerance would predict higher severity in IGD (H1), PSMU (H2), and PPU (H3) after controlling for demographics (i.e., age and gender) and emotional regulation. Upon ethics approval from the university’s human research ethics committee, 151 participants (62.9% females; mean age = 27.35, SD = 6.41) were recruited. Participants completed scales on distress tolerance, emotional regulation, IGD, PSMU, and PPU. Hierarchical multiple regression was conducted thrice for each outcome variable, with demographics entered in Model 1, emotional regulation subscales entered in Model 2, and distress tolerance subscales entered in Model 3. Results revealed lower distress tolerance significantly predicted higher severity in IGD above and beyond demographics and emotional regulation, but not for PSMU and PPU. This suggests distress tolerance may be a more relevant risk factor for IGD than PPU and PSMU. Limitations pertain to lack of comprehensiveness measuring psychological distress. Longitudinal studies are recommended for future research
ChatGPT in Deep Time: Technology and Temporality in Kate Mildenhall's The Hummingbird Effect
No full textIn the last decade, developments in the fields of machine learning and natural language processing have resulted in the production of increasingly complex text generation programs like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude. These programs, often referred to as large language models (LLMs), are driven by complex layers of algorithms that are trained upon enormous sets of textual data to create statistical models that can output text which closely resembles the human writing they have been trained upon. While the outputs of LLMs are growing more and more sophisticated, the algorithms they are built on inherently lack direct access to embodied experience and have no understanding of what it means to operate in human time. As a result, LLMs struggle with temporality when producing narratives and their texts often exhibit temporal disorder and lack progression and causality. Several recent novels have experimented with incorporating text generated by LLMs, including Kate Mildenhall’s The Hummingbird Effect (2023), in which she weaves conversations with a language model, generated through experimentation with ChatGPT, amongst multiple interconnected timelines. Mildenhall uses these conversations—and the novel as a whole—to explore temporality, connectedness, and the potential of new innovations to impact the world. These explorations with the experience of time are framed by the deep time perspective of an ever-present river. This paper examines how the narrative structure of The Hummingbird Effect incorporates machine-generated text to investigate human understanding of time in the twenty-first century, and the ways in which technology impacts literary temporality
Advocating for patient safety: Power dynamics in nurse advocacy practice in Australia—An integrative review
Full text linkIntroduction: Nurses play a vital role in advocating for patient safety, yet their ability to fulfil this role is influenced by the power dynamics within healthcare systems. Understanding the relationship between power and nurse advocacy in Australia is essential to fostering a supportive environment for effective advocacy.
Aim: This integrative literature review aims to identify and examine the relationship between power and the advocacy role of nurses in Australia.
Methods: The review followed an integrative literature review design, guided by the approach outlined by Toronto and Remington. A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases such as Medline, CINAHL, Emcare, Scopus, ProQuest Health & Medicine, and Informit. The search terms used were ‘nurse OR nursing OR nurses’ AND ‘advocacy OR whistleblowing’ AND ‘Australia.’ A total of 2507 articles were retrieved, and 26 studies met the inclusion criteria, comprising 18 qualitative studies, one quantitative study, one mixed-method study, one review of existing literature, and four editorial commentaries. The search was completed in May 2023.
Findings: The findings suggest that enhancing nurses’ advocacy for patient safety requires a multifaceted approach. This includes empowering nurses through professional development and leadership opportunities, fostering a culture of patient safety, and engaging in political action to advocate for policies that support advocacy efforts and patient safety. This approach aims to advance patient well-being and elevate the professional standing of nurses within the healthcare system.
Discussion: Power dynamics significantly shape nurse advocacy practices. Nurses with greater personal power are more likely to advocate confidently, while those with less power may be hesitant. Healthcare organisations can either support or hinder advocacy efforts, with unsupportive systems creating barriers and fostering a culture of silence. Whistleblowing, as a form of advocacy for patient safety, is also affected by organisational culture and power structures.
Conclusion: Power dynamics play a critical role in determining how effectively nurses can advocate for patient safety. Empowering nurses and addressing organisational barriers are crucial for promoting advocacy in healthcare. This review highlights the need for healthcare systems to cultivate environments that support and facilitate nurse advocacy
Exploring the feasibility of collecting music and wellbeing data to examine intentional listening using a mobile-ESM application
Full text linkThis brief report describes a small-scale feasibility study investigating the use of mobile Experience Sampling Methodology (ESM) for collecting data on intentionality in music listening for well-being. Sixteen university students used the MuPsych app (Randall and Rickard, 2012) for a 2-week pilot study (resulting in 263 music listening episode responses), with seven participating in semi-structured follow-up interviews. Data was collected at baseline and then triggered by mobile music listening episodes at 0, 5 and 20 min. Baseline measures were of wellbeing; and listening episode data included music choice, purpose, context, and mood. After assigning listeners to languishing, moderate, or flourishing wellbeing categories, differences became apparent in participants’ experiences of listening to music. Several challenges to feasibility were experienced in self-selection and biased reporting by participants as well as technological limitations of data collection techniques. Recommendations for future ESM studies of everyday music listening are offered
The Silent Stakeholders: A Reflexive Thematic Analysis of Student Perspectives of School Choice & Satisfaction in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific
Full text linkThis study examines student perspectives on school choice and satisfaction in private Christian schools across Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific. Using reflexive thematic analysis of focus group data from 192 students, the research explores student influence in school selection and its relationship to educational satisfaction. Findings reveal that students had minimal input in choosing their schools, with parental decisions primarily driven by faith alignment. Factors contributing to satisfaction included cultural alignment with personal faith, positive peer relationships, and constructive interactions with teachers. The study highlights the complex interplay between student agency, parental influence, and satisfaction in school choice
Linking childhood allostatic load, early adversity and the emergence of mental health symptoms in early adulthood: Analysis of the ALSPAC longitudinal birth cohort
Full text linkBackground: It has been well-established that the allostatic load (AL) index, a cumulative score of multi-system dysregulation in response to chronic stress, is significantly increased at the time of a psychiatric diagnosis. However, no studies have investigated if there is an association between the AL index in childhood and the later development of mental health symptoms in young adults. Methods: Using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a population cohort from Bristol, United Kingdom, we investigated the AL index at age 9 years and the risks for mental health symptoms at age 24 years. We used multinomial logistic regression analysis to investigate the association between AL threshold (categorised into bottom third: AL index ≤ 7, middle third: AL index = 7.1–9.9, and top third: AL index ≥ 10) and mental health symptoms while adjusting for sex, the age of mother at delivery, and social class. We used a relative risk ratio (RRR) and 95 % confidence interval(CI) for each variable. We further investigated the association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and mental health symptoms. Results: We identified a significant association between sex and mental health symptoms, with more females (59 % vs 41 %) showing mental health symptoms than males. We found no direct association between the AL index at age 9 and the later development of mental health symptoms. However, an RRR analysis showed that individuals in the middle and the top third of the AL index had an RRR of 1.99 and 2.20, respectively, to develop mental health symptoms if they were females. We found that individuals who experienced ACE had a much higher risk of developing mental health symptoms as young adults, with the adjusted RRR of 5.39 (95 % CI: 3.00;9.67), 6.79 (95 % CI: 2.55; 18.1), and 2.10 (95 % CI: 0.37;11.8) for neglect, physical and sexual abuse, respectively, in individuals with mood disorder symptoms. The adjusted RRR for neglect and physical and sexual abuse in individuals with psychotic symptoms was 0.99 (95 % CI: 0.37; 2.59), 2.92 (95 % CI: 0.35; 24.4), and 10.5 (95 % CI: 0.99; 112), respectively. Conclusion: Although the AL index in childhood was not directly associated with the later development of psychotic and mood disorder symptoms in this cohort, females in the higher tertiles of the AL index measured at 9 years of age had an elevated risk of mental health symptoms as young adults. In line with previous work, a strong association was identified between childhood adversity and mental health symptoms in young adulthood. These results highlight the importance of considering the impact of early stress on biological embedding and the later emergence of mental health problems, especially in females