University of the Sunshine Coast
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Role of nanoscale metastable phases in strengthening advanced Ti alloys
No full textNo abstract available
Improvement of human pancreatic islet quality after co-culture with human adipose-derived stem cells
No full textThe aim of this study was to investigate whether co-culture of human islets with adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) can improve islet quality and to evaluate which factors play a role in the protective effect of ASCs against islet dysfunction. Islets and ASCs were cultured in three experimental groups for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h: 1) indirect co-culture of islets with ASC monolayer (Islets/ASCs); 2) islets alone; and 3) ASCs alone. Co-culture with ASCs improved islet viability and function in all culture time-points analyzed. VEGFA, HGF, IL6, IL8, IL10, CCL2, IL1B, and TNF protein levels were increased in supernatants of islet/ASC group compared to islets alone, mainly after 24 h. Moreover, VEGFA, IL6, CCL2, HIF1A, XIAP, CHOP, and NFKBIA genes were differentially expressed in islets from the co-culture condition compared to islets alone. In conclusion, co-culture of islets with ASCs promotes improvements in islet quality
Exploring the dimensions of driving instruction through naturalistic observation of formal practical lessons with Learner drivers
No full textHigher-order driving skills (HO-DS) are deficient in young drivers who are over-represented in road crash fatalities and serious injuries. Teaching HO-DS has strong theoretical support in reducing crash risk. This study contributes to the dearth of literature regarding on-road driver training that can develop these skills. Higher-order driving instruction (HO-DI) is explored in formal on-road driving lessons (in Queensland, Australia) via naturalistic observation. Fifteen instructors and 96 learner drivers aged 16–19 years were recruited, with 110 lessons observed. An HO-DI coding taxonomy informed by the Goals for Driver Education (24) was used for content analysis using an a priori approach, comprising eight HO-DI codes: driving plan (formerly driving route), vehicle control and maneuvering, mastery of traffic situations, surveillance, situational risk (formerly environmental variables), personal risk (formerly knowledge of risk), car function (formerly car knowledge), and distraction. Thirty-nine sub-themes were identified within the codes allowing a deeper understanding of instruction, including missed (unseen) and untaken (seen but not actioned) HO-DI opportunities. The findings inform recommendations for the development of best practice HO-DI. This study has implications for the driver training industry with potential for reducing the crash risk of young novice drivers
The perils of perfect performance; considering the effects of introducing autonomous vehicles on rates of car vs cyclist conflict
No full textHow humans will adapt and respond to the introduction of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is uncertain. This study used an agent-based model to explore how AVs, human-operated vehicles, and cyclists might interact based on the introduction of flawlessly performing AVs. Results showed that, although no conflicts occurred between cyclists and AVs, those among human-operated cars and cyclists increased with the introduction of AVs due to cyclists' adjusted expectations of the behaviour and capability of cars (both human-operated and autonomous). Similarly, when human-operated cars were replaced with AVs over time, cyclist conflict rates did not follow a linear reduction consistent with the replacement rate but decreased more slowly in the early stages of replacement prior to 50% substitution. It is concluded that, although flawlessly performing AVs might reduce total conflicts, the introduction of AVs into a transport system could create new sources of error that offset some of their proposed safety benefits.Practitioner Statement: Ergonomics is an applied science that studies interactions between humans and other elements of a system, including non-human agents. Agent-Based Modelling (ABM) provides an approach for exploring dynamic and emergent interactions between agents. In this article we demonstrate ABM through an analysis of how cyclists and pedestrians might interact with Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) in future road transport systems
Methods matter: exploring the ‘too much, too soon’ theory, part 1: causal questions in sports injury research
No full textBackground: It is widely accepted that athletes sustain sports injury if they train ‘too much, too soon’. However, not all athletes are built the same; some can tolerate more training than others. It is for this reason that prescribing the same training programme to all athletes to reduce injury risk is not optimal from a coaching perspective. Rather, athletes require individualised training plans. In acknowledgement of athlete diversity, it is therefore essential to ask the right causal research question in studies examining sports injury aetiology.
Purpose: In this first part of a British Journal of Sports Medicine educational series, we present four different causal research questions related to the ‘too much, too soon’ theory and critically discuss their relevance to sports injury prevention.
Content: If it is true that there is no ‘one size fits all’ training programme, then we need to consider by how much training can vary depending on individual athlete characteristics. To provide an evidence-base for subgroup-specific recommendations, a stronger emphasis on the following questions is needed: (1) How much training is ‘too much’ before athletes with different characteristics sustain sports-related injury? and (2) Does the risk of sports injury differ among athletes with a certain characteristic (eg, high experience) compared with athletes with other characteristics (eg, low experience) depending on how much training they perform?
Conclusion: We recommend that sports injury researchers aiming to examine the ‘too much, too soon’ theory should carefully consider how they, assisted by coaches, athletes and clinicians, pose their causal research question. In the light of the limitations of population-based prevention that intends to provide all athletes with the same advice, we argue that a stronger emphasis on research questions targeting subgroups of athletes is needed. In doing so, researchers may assist athletes, clinicians and coaches to understand what training advice/programme works best, for whom and under what circumstances
Examining the roles of metacognitive beliefs and maladaptive aspects of perfectionism in depression and anxiety
No full textBackground:
Metacognition and perfectionism are factors found to be associated with both anxiety and depression. A common component that underlies these factors is the influence of perseverance, or the tendency to continue a behaviour or thought even if it is no longer productive.
Aims:
This study aimed to investigate the relationships between metacognitive beliefs with maladaptive aspects of perfectionism (i.e. perseverance behaviours), and their relation to anxiety and depression.
Method:
Participants (n = 1033) completed six self-report questionnaires measuring metacognitive beliefs about rumination and worry, perseverance, anxiety and depression. Data were analysed using correlational testing, and structural equation modelling.
Results:
Results of structural equation modelling revealed that positive metacognitive beliefs about repetitive negative thinking increased the likelihood to perceive the thinking as uncontrollable, and that perseverance behaviours were predicted by all metacognitive beliefs. Furthermore, examination of partial correlations revealed that both negative metacognitive beliefs about repetitive negative thinking and perseverance behaviours predicted anxiety and depression; however, negative metacognitive beliefs were the strongest predictor, in both cases.
Conclusions:
The results provided support for current metacognitive models, in that the interpretation of cognitive perseveration sequentially influences psychopathology, but also provided insight into the inclusion of perseveration behaviours. Furthermore, the findings may also have value in a clinical setting, as targeting metacognitive beliefs in the presence of perseverance type behaviours may prove beneficial for treatment
Pharmacological interventions for the treatment of psychological distress in patients with asthma: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textObjective: To evaluate the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological interventions for the treatment of psychological distress in people with asthma.
Data sources: Electronic searches were performed in Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PubMed/Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, Health Technology Assessment Database and Web of Science (inception to April 2019).
Study selections: Included studies were randomized controlled trials (RCT) or controlled clinical trials investigating the effect of pharmacological interventions for psychological distress in people with asthma. Records were screened and data extracted by two independent authors into standardized pilot-tested extraction templates. Data was analyzed according to standard Cochrane methodology and entered into Review Manager Software version 5.3.
Results: From 5,689 studies, six RCTs (n = 215) met inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review, of which four studies were included in the meta-analysis. A meta-analysis of four studies (n = 158) indicated no evidence of an effect for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (Citalopram or Escitalopram) on reduction of psychological distress in adult patients with asthma. Similarly, antiepileptic medication (Levetiracetam) was no better than placebo in the treatment of psychological distress in people with asthma. Adverse events were poorly reported across all studies but were slightly increased among intervention participants compared to control participants.
Conclusions: There was great heterogeneity between studies and overall poor methodological quality providing insufficient evidence to make recommendations for or against the use of pharmacotherapy in asthma patients with psychological distress. Further confirmatory trials are warranted to make recommendations for clinical practice
Exploring the influence of family on adolescents’ seafood consumption choices
No full textSeafood in the adolescent diet has many benefits, yet a number of adolescents do not consume the recommended levels. Despite this the consumption of seafood by younger consumers has received scant attention in the extant literature. Previous studies on adolescents’ food‐related behaviour tend to focus on general choice mechanisms or perceptions of food and mainly relate to fruit and vegetable intake. The present study seeks to address this gap through investigating the impact of family upon the consumption of seafood by younger consumers through exploring adolescents’ attitudes and behaviour in regard to eating seafood. Utilizing an exploratory qualitative methodology, seven focus groups of adolescents aged 13–19 years were conducted at two schools in South West England. Discussions covered a range of issues related to adolescent seafood consumption. The use of thematic content analysis found that the family, and parents in particular, exert high levels of influence over adolescents’ consumption of seafood both at home and when dining out. The parent who does the shopping and cooking has the greatest role. Sibling preferences and dietary choices also influence whether seafood is served in the home. Of value to researchers and management are the insights gleaned into the influences on adolescents’ attitudes towards and behaviour in regard to eating seafood. In particular, encouraging seafood consumption will rely upon interventions aimed at both parents and children and need to take into account adolescents’ diet and lifestyle preferences, while also acknowledging the influence of peers and the school food environment
Genotype by environment interaction for survival and harvest body weight between recirculating tank system and pond culture in Penaeus monodon
No full textGenetic improvement of tiger prawn Penaeus monodon is challenging due to difficulties in breeding and rearing of this species in captive environments. To date, there have been very limited quantitative genetic studies in this species, especially genotype by environment (G × E) interaction between diverse farming systems (e.g., tank vs. pond). Therefore, the present study ran the long-term captive selection program for tiger prawn and obtained an in-depth pedigree of five generations (including base population and first generation) for genetic assessment of the environment impacts on two economically important traits in this species (i.e., survival and body weight at harvest). Originally, we evaluated the G × E interaction effect on survival and harvest weight between Biosecure Recirculating System (RAS) at the breeding nucleus and outdoor commercial ponds. Quantitative genetic analysis within mixed model methodology framework was carried out on 57,435 individual prawns (phenotype data from three latest generations, G2-G4) to examine possible effects of rearing environments on genetic parameters (heritability and correlations) for survival and body weight at harvest. The heritability (h2) for body weight was moderate (0.31–0.49) and differed slightly between the three testing environments. There were also significant heritable genetic variations of survival (h2 = 0.37–0.77) across the environments studied. The common full-sib effects accounted for 16 to 21% of total phenotypic variation for body weight and 11 to 18% for survival. Genetic correlations between body weight and survival were positive (0.23–0.46) in this population of tiger prawn. To examine the G × E interaction effect on survival and harvest body weight, the trait expressions in each environment were treated as separate traits and bi-variate models were used to estimate genetic correlations between homologous characters. An important finding of this study was that the between-environment genetic correlations for both body weight and survival were medium to high (0.56–0.70) between outdoor ponds; however, the estimates were low to moderate (0.17–0.31) between indoor RAS in the nucleus and outdoor ponds under field conditions. In summary, the moderate heritability for body weight and survival suggest that long-term response to selection can be achieved in this population of tiger prawn, and that the effects of rearing environments should be taken into consideration when conducting genetic improvement programs for this species, specifically the management of candidate parents to produce the next generation for selection
Late-dropping macadamia nuts have reduced shelf life
No full textThe quality of tree nuts can be influenced by their harvest time, cultivar and seasonal growing conditions. Some macadamia cultivars retain mature nuts in the tree for several months before fruit abscission and this can result in variations in harvest time. It is not known how the variations in harvest time affect the quality and shelf life of macadamia cultivars. We investigated how harvest time and cultivar influence the quality and shelf life of macadamia kernels. We tested the shelf life of kernels using two techniques: (1) a long-term shelf-life method; and (2) a short-term accelerated-aging method that assessed oxidative stability based on hexanal concentrations. Cultivars HAES 344 (344) and Hidden Valley A16 (A16) were harvested in May and late-abscising nuts of cultivar A16 were also harvested in September. Peroxide values, free fatty acid levels and fatty acid composition of kernels in the long-term experiment were measured after 0, 6, 12, 15 and 18 months of storage at 25 °C. Kernels in the short-term accelerated aging experiment were incubated at 45 °C, and hexanal concentrations were measured before incubation and after 6, 12 and 18 days. Kernels from late-abscising nuts (September) had much higher free fatty acid levels after 18 months of storage than kernels from early-harvested nuts (May). Cultivar A16 (September) kernels had significantly higher hexanal concentrations than cultivar 344 (May) and A16 (September) kernels at 12 and 18 days of incubation. The accelerated aging technique could detect differences in oxidative stability between different batches. Nuts harvested in September had shorter shelf life by about 3–6 months than those harvested in May, based on both predicted shelf life and actual time taken to reach acceptable-quality limits. Therefore, we recommend harvesting macadamia nuts as soon as possible after maturity to minimise quality losses