University of the Sunshine Coast
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Coronary artery bypass grafting is associated with immunoparalysis of monocytes and dendritic cells
No full textCoronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) triggers a systemic inflammatory response that may contribute to adverse outcomes. Dendritic cells (DC) and monocytes are immunoregulatory cells potentially affected by CABG, contributing to an altered immune state. This study investigated changes in DC and monocyte responses in CABG patients at 5 time-points: admission, peri-operative, ICU, day 3 and day 5. Whole blood from 49 CABG patients was used in an ex vivo whole blood culture model to prospectively assess DC and monocyte responses. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was added in parallel to model responses to an infectious complication. Co-stimulatory and adhesion molecule expression and intracellular mediator production was measured by flow cytometry. CABG modulated monocyte and DC responses. In addition, DC and monocytes were immunoparalysed, evidenced by failure of co-stimulatory and adhesion molecules (eg HLA-DR), and intracellular mediators (eg IL-6) to respond to LPS stimulation. DC and monocyte modulation was associated with prolonged ICU length of stay and post-operative atrial fibrillation. DC and monocyte cytokine production did not recover by day 5 post-surgery. This study provides evidence that CABG modulates DC and monocyte responses. Using an ex vivo model to assess immune competency of CABG patients may help identify biomarkers to predict adverse outcomes
Using photo elicitation to understand first-year student experiences: Student metaphors of life, university and learning
No full textThe transition from school to university is challenging and a greater knowledge of the first-year student experience will enable staff to better support their students. University- and government-run student surveys fail to capture the depth and breadth of the first-year experience and so qualitative research is needed to get a more nuanced and holistic understanding of students’ lives. The study described in this article used a photo elicitation method. We asked students to choose four images that represented their first year at university. The data – the chosen photographs and the students’ explanations of their choices – were thematically analysed, focusing in particular on the diverse metaphors students used to depict three dimensions of their experiences: life, university and learning. The findings highlight the dual nature of the transition to university – learning to be a university student and learning to be an adult – as well as the challenges and stresses of that process. The lack of agency that students felt is evident. The students likened their journey to a rollercoaster and talked of not being able to keep up with the fast-moving curriculum. They depicted themselves as passive acquirers of knowledge. The findings offer new ways for staff to understand the challenges that potentially disrupt student engagement in the first year. Both students and staff could benefit from recognising the metaphors in their thinking and, potentially, seeking new metaphors that might reveal different and more positive ways of experiencing the first year in higher education
Participatory music-making and well-being within immigrant cultural practice: exploratory case studies in South East Queensland, Australia
No full textMusic participation is a way of life for many cultures and is an activity that is often passed on generationally. It can become especially important as a leisure activity for maintenance of self- and national identity for people who have migrated to countries of contrasting cultures, such as Australia. This article describes exploratory, qualitative research into the ways in which participatory music-making within communities from immigrant backgrounds in Brisbane, Australia may influence aspects of participants’ wellbeing. The sample for this research included three broadly-defined cultural groups living in the region: people of Baltic origin; people from Latin American and Caribbean backgrounds; and ‘newly arrived’ immigrants and refugees. Interviews with individuals have been analysed to explore the ways in which this involvement might affect mental, social, and emotional wellbeing. Our qualitative analyses demonstrated that beyond these aspects, factors of subjective wellbeing, both hedonic and eudaimonic, were apparent. This article aims to provoke discussions on the divergent ways in which immigrant communities utilise music-making practices to foster different types of wellbeing and the importance of maintaining diversity through cultural practices
Human milk oligosaccharides profiles and associations with maternal nutritional factors: A scoping review protocol
No full textReview question: Is there a relationship between maternal nutritional factors and the profile of bioactive oligosaccharides in human milk
Dam(n) seawalls: a case of climate change maladaptaion in Fiji
No full textCoastal communities in Pacific Island Countries are particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts including sea-level rise, coastal erosion, tidal inundation, and the intensification of storm surge activity. In response, adaptation projects across the region have attempted to reduce exposure and overall vulnerability to these coastal pressures. This paper explores what happens once these projects reach communities: are effective and sustainable outcomes achieved, or can the implementation of adaptation projects lead to unintended negative outcomes and result in maladaptation? This paper investigates this issue in relation to two seawall projects implemented in communities on Vanua Levu Island, Fiji. We found that the seawalls have not been successful in achieving their primary aim of safeguarding communities against coastal pressures and have instead resulted in unanticipated negative outcomes for land and livelihood security. Of primary concern is the way that seawalls trap water along their landward sides—acting more like a dam—because of the ineffective design and construction of the seawalls and associated infrastructure. This paper concludes with a call to think more long-term about site-specific adaptation measures that actively involve and are driven by local perspectives in the planning, implementation, and maintenance process
Five times sit-to-stand following stroke: Relationship with strength and balance
No full textBackground:
Rising from a chair is an important functional measure after stroke. Originally developed as a measure of lower-limb strength, the five times sit-to-stand test has shown associations with other measures of impairment, such as balance ability. We aimed to compare strength and balance in their relationship with the five times sit-to-stand test following stroke.
Methods:
Sixty-one participants following stroke were recruited from two hospitals in this cross-sectional observational study. Participants underwent assessment of the five times sit-to-stand (measured with a stopwatch), bilateral lower-limb muscle strength of seven individual muscle groups (hand-held dynamometry), and standing balance (computerised posturography). Partial correlations (controlling for body mass and height) were used to examine bivariate associations. Regression models with partial F-tests (including pertinent covariates) compared the contribution of strength (both limbs) and balance to five times sit-to-stand time.
Results:
The strength of the majority of lower-limb muscle groups (6/7) on the paretic side had a significant (P < 0.05) partial correlation with five times sit-to-stand time (r = -0.34 to -0.47) as did all balance measures (r = -0.27 to -0.56). In our regression models, knee extensor strength, total path length, and anteroposterior path velocity provided the largest contribution to five times sit-to-stand over covariates amongst strength and balance measures (R2 = 16.6 to 17.9 %). Partial F-tests revealed that both lower-limb strength and balance contribute to five times sit-to-stand time independent of each other. A regression model containing knee extensor strength and anteroposterior path velocity accounted for 25.5 % of the variance in five times sit-to-stand time over covariates.
Conclusions:
The strength of the knee extensor muscle group along with measures of standing balance ability (total path length and anteroposterior path velocity) both independently contribute to five times sit-to-stand time. Further research is required to examine how other important impairments post stroke impact five times sit-to-stand performance
The demoralisation of nurses and medical doctors working in the emergency department: A qualitative descriptive study
No full textAim: To explore emergency department clinicians (nurses and medical doctors) perceptions of stressors and coping strategies in their work environment. Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was adopted. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with medical and nursing personnel working in one Australian emergency department. A thematic inductive approach was used for analysis. Findings: Four key themes emerged regarding perceptions of and factors that influenced stressors around the emergency department working environment: i) workload and departmental activity, ii) lack of support; iii) inadequate resourcing; and iv) a mis-match between societal, organisational and staff expectations. The overlap between these themes is such that an overarching theme of ‘demoralisation in the workforce’ can be described. Staff reported both problem- and emotion-focussed coping strategies with varying levels of self-perceived effectiveness. The foci of solutions proposed by participants typically addressed the source of the stressors. Conclusion: Exposure to occupational stressors remains problematic for emergency department clinicians. Continued exposure can, in some instances, result in demoralisation of the workforce. Immediate attention to causes and effects of occupational stress and demoralisation is warranted. Implementing tailored strategies has the potential to ameliorate effects of occupational stressors
Strength, motor competence and physical activity in very preterm and term‐born preschool age children
No full textPreschool age children born VP had poorer outcomes than FT children within all ICF‐CY domains. Differences in VP and FT children's PA levels emerge in early childhood, which suggests enhanced surveillance and promotion of PA in VP populations is warranted at preschool age. Future research should continue to investigate PA participation in VP populations at preschool age, and should begin to examine potentially modifiable predictors of low PA levels in VP children to identify opportunities for early intervention