University of the Sunshine Coast
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The geographic distribution of reef and oceanic manta rays (Mobula alfredi and Mobula birostris) in Australian coastal waters
No full textThe known distribution of manta rays in Australian waters is patchy, with records primarily centred around tourism hotspots. We collated 11,614 records of M. alfredi from photo‐ID databases (n= 10,715), aerial surveys (n= 378) and online reports (n= 521). The study confirms an uninterrupted coastal distribution from north of 26°S and 31°S on the west and east coasts respectively. More southerly M. alfredi records relate to warm‐water events with a southernmost extent at 34°S. Coastal sightings of M. birostris were rare (n= 32), likely reflecting a preference for offshore waters, but encompass a wider latitudinal extent than M. alfredi of 10‐40°S
Hippocampal plasticity underpins long-term cognitive gains from resistance exercise in MCI
No full textDementia affects 47 million individuals worldwide, and assuming the status quo is projected to rise to 150 million by 2050. Prevention of age-related cognitive impairment in older persons with lifestyle interventions continues to garner evidence but whether this can combat underlying neurodegeneration is unknown. The Study of Mental Activity and Resistance Training (SMART) trial has previously reported within-training findings; the aim of this study was to investigate the long-term neurostructural and cognitive impact of resistance exercise in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). For the first time we show that hippocampal subareas particularly susceptible to volume loss in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) are protected by resistance exercise for up to one year after training. One hundred MCI participants were randomised to one of four training groups: (1) Combined high intensity progressive resistance and computerised cognitive training (PRT+CCT), (2) PRT+Sham CCT, (3) CCT+Sham PRT, (4) Sham physical+sham cognitive training (SHAM+SHAM). Physical, neuropsychological and MRI assessments were carried out at baseline, 6 months (directly after training) and 18 months from baseline (12 months after intervention cessation). Here we report neuro-structural and functional changes over the 18-month trial period and the association with global cognitive and executive function measures. PRT but not CCT or PRT+CCT led to global long-term cognitive improvements above SHAM intervention at 18-month follow-up. Furthermore, hippocampal subfields susceptible to atrophy in AD were protected by PRT revealing an elimination of long-term atrophy in the left subiculum, and attenuation of atrophy in left CA1 and dentate gyrus when compared to SHAM+SHAM (p=0.023, p=0.020 and p=0.027). These neuroprotective effects mediated a significant portion of long-term cognitive benefits. By contrast, within-training posterior cingulate plasticity decayed after training cessation and was unrelated to long term cognitive benefits. Neither general physical activity levels nor fitness change over the 18-month period mediated hippocampal trajectory, demonstrating that enduring hippocampal subfield plasticity is not a simple reflection of post-training changes in fitness or physical activity participation. Notably, resting-state fMRI analysis revealed that both the hippocampus and posterior cingulate participate in a functional network that continued to be upregulated following intervention cessation. Multiple structural mechanisms may contribute to the long-term global cognitive benefit of resistance exercise, developing along different time courses but functionally linked. For the first time we show that 6 months of high intensity resistance exercise is capable of not only promoting better cognition in those with MCI, but also protecting AD-vulnerable hippocampal subfields from degeneration for at least 12 months post-intervention. These findings emphasise the therapeutic potential of resistance exercise; however, future work will need to establish just how long-lived these outcomes are and whether they are sufficient to delay dementia
Home-grown community activism in Yarloop
No full textSocial workers are called upon to shift from a human-centric bias to an ecological ethical sensibility by embracing love as integral to their justice mission and by extending the idea of social justice to include environmental and species justice. This book presents the love ethic model as a way to do eco-justice work using public campaigns, research, community arts practice and other nonviolent, direct action strategies. The model is premised on an active and ongoing commitment to the eco-values of love, eco-justice and nonviolence for the purpose of upholding the public interest. The love ethic model is informed by the stories of eco-activists who used nonviolent actions to address ecological issues such as: pollution; degradation of the environment; exploitation of farm animals; mining industry overriding First Nation Peoples’ land rights; and human health and social costs related to the natural resource industries, private land developments and government infrastructure projects. Informed by practice insights by activists from a range of eco-justice concerns, this innovative book provides new directions in social work and environmental studies involving transformational change leadership and dialogical group work between interest groups. It should be considered essential reading for social work students, researchers and practitioners as well as eco-activists more generally. [Book Synopsis
Conclusion: new directions in leadership and group work
No full textSocial workers are called upon to shift from a human-centric bias to an ecological ethical sensibility by embracing love as integral to their justice mission and by extending the idea of social justice to include environmental and species justice. This book presents the love ethic model as a way to do eco-justice work using public campaigns, research, community arts practice and other nonviolent, direct action strategies. The model is premised on an active and ongoing commitment to the eco-values of love, eco-justice and nonviolence for the purpose of upholding the public interest. The love ethic model is informed by the stories of eco-activists who used nonviolent actions to address ecological issues such as: pollution; degradation of the environment; exploitation of farm animals; mining industry overriding First Nation Peoples’ land rights; and human health and social costs related to the natural resource industries, private land developments and government infrastructure projects. Informed by practice insights by activists from a range of eco-justice concerns, this innovative book provides new directions in social work and environmental studies involving transformational change leadership and dialogical group work between interest groups. It should be considered essential reading for social work students, researchers and practitioners as well as eco-activists more generally. [Book Synopsis
The characteristics of Catholic schools: Comparative perspectives from the United States and Queensland, Australia
No full textThe faith-based identity of Catholic schools is increasingly problematic in a secularised society where the numbers of teachers belonging to religious orders are diminishing rapidly. Teachers’ views regarding the characteristics of Catholic schools are an important aspect of the identity of such schools. The authors locate Catholic schools in the United States, Queensland and Australia in their respective contexts and compare teachers’ ratings of the importance of 11 given characteristics of Catholic schools as seen by 3,389 teachers in US Catholic schools and 2,287 teachers in Queensland Catholic schools. When the mean ratings for each jurisdiction were statistically correlated, US teachers were much more likely to rate these given characteristics as essential, and the resulting χ² and associated Odds Ratio values indicated very statistically significant jurisdictional differences. Some tentative explanations are suggested including the differing political contexts, the conditions of teachers’ employment and the support structures for the spiritual and faith formation of teachers in the respective jurisdictions
Facilitating Student Learning and Engagement in Higher Education through Assessment Rubrics
No full textDespite significant reforms in the past decade in relation to criteria- and standards-based assessment in tertiary education contexts, assessment remains the most significantly criticised aspect of the student tertiary experience and a major driver of student engagement. The key tool in this experience is the rubric, also known as the criteria sheet or the 'Guide to Making Judgments'. This book discusses the significance of assessment rubrics in tertiary education. Assessment rubrics impact the student experience in multiple ways: as a guide to students and assessors prior to grading; at the point of grading by the assessor; when moderating during the post-grading process; in providing an additional guide to students in the assessment planning stage; and as a feedback mechanism to students once results are released. This book explains how the rubric reflects key principles of assessment. It explores different models of rubrics used in tertiary contexts, and provides data from students and academics on the efficacy of these various models as the key tool when marking, moderating and providing feedback. It also details exemplars of rubrics used in academic disciplines, and discusses how higher education teachers use exemplars and how they integrate exemplars with criteria and rubrics. It captures the student voice by explaining how students use rubrics for self-assessment and self-regulation purposes. A key inclusion is the importance of sessional staff input into the creation of assessment rubrics prior to the grading, moderating and feedback processes. [Book Synopsis
Sports nutrition for the recreational athlete
No full textBACKGROUND: Recreational sports participation provides many potential health benefits. However, some athletes experience medical problems associated with, or exacerbated by, a mismanagement of the relationship between their diet and sporting endeavours.
OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to highlight recent developments in clinical sports nutrition, with a focus on providing evidence-based advice and resources for the management of common medical presentations.
DISCUSSION: A low dietary energy intake relative to exercise energy demands (ie low energy availability) may result in an array of medical issues. An evidence-based framework for advice on sports supplements is available
Active Drag as a Criterion for Evidence-based Classification in Para Swimming
No full textIntroduction: Paralympic classification should provide athletes with an equitable starting point for competition by minimising the impact their impairment has on the outcome of the event. As swimming is an event conducted in water, the ability to overcome drag (active and passive) is an important performance determinant. It is plausible that the ability to do this is affected by type and severity of physical impairment, but the current World Para Swimming classification system does not objectively account for this component. The aim of this study was to quantify active and passive drag in Para swimmers and evaluate the strength of association between these measures and type of physical impairment, swimming performance and sport class.
Methods: Seventy-two highly-trained Para swimmers from sport classes S1 to S10 and fourteen highly-trained non-disabled swimmers were towed by a motorised winch whilst the towing force was recorded. Passive drag was measured with the arms held by the side; active drag was determined during freestyle swimming using an assisted towing method.
Results: Active and passive drag were higher in Para swimmers with central motor and neuromuscular impairments than for non-disabled swimmers and were associated with severity of swim-specific impairment (sport class) and maximal freestyle performance in these swimmers (r = -.40 to -.50, p ≤ .02). Para swimmers with anthropometric impairments showed similar active and passive drag to non-disabled swimmers, and between swimmers from different sport classes.
Conclusion: Para swimmers with central motor and neuromuscular impairments are predisposed to high active drag during freestyle swimming that impacts on their performance. It is recommended that drag measures be considered in revised classification for these swimmers, but not for those with anthropometric impairments
Sustainability: Nutrition and Dietetic Students’ Perceptions
No full textOpportunities exist for nutrition and dietetic (N&D) professionals to contribute to sustainable development and support actions towards the attainment of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SGD’s). Students undertaking higher education are well-placed to develop skills and capabilities in creative and critical problem solving for sustainability. However, there is limited literature exploring nutrition and dietetic students’ perceptions of sustainability that would help to inform an e ective and constructively aligned embedding of sustainability content and active learning opportunities into curriculum. This descriptive cohort study design utilised a 17-question online survey to explore 95 Australian N&D undergraduate students’ self-reported familiarity with and perceived importance of sustainability and related concepts, and view of sustainability for future practice. Participants reported being more familiar with the term environmental sustainability and related concepts than economic or social sustainability. Varying levels of familiarity of 42 sustainability related concepts within economic resilience, environmental integrity, social development and cross-cutting issues were reported. Most participants (82%, n = 78) reported sustainability was very important in general (82%, n = 78), and for professional practice (63%, n = 60). Over half of the participants identified government led initiatives to address the future of society (65%, n = 71). Our study highlights the complexity of sustainability in a discipline specific context and the need for understanding students’ perceptions of sustainability to inform N&D curriculum design
