University of the Sunshine Coast
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Quantitative comparison of Cone Penetration Testing (CPT) tip resistance data with Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) amplitude data
No full textBoth cone penetration test (CPT) tip resistance data and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) amplitude data vary at the interface of snow layers of different density. Therefore, relationships between these data should be observable, enabling spatial extrapolation of CPT tip resistance values using GPR. Quantitative analysis of GPR amplitude data occurs in pavement analysis, but these techniques have not been applied to snow. GPR sounding using a commercially available ground-coupled 400 MHz antenna was conducted in the immediate vicinity of numerous CPT holes in Antarctic firn. Comparison between CPT tip resistance and GPR amplitude data reveals that extrapolation of point CPT resistance data is possible over large spatial areas by tracking GPR horizons that equate with CPT resistance value. In addition, GPR amplitude and polarity can reveal information about relative snowpack density. GPR can be used efficaciously with CPT snow resistance data, enabling efficient extrapolation of snow physical properties across large areas. Complementary use of GPR with CPT can enhance site investigation procedures for the development of polar infrastructure
Evaluation of two genetic lines of Pacific White leg shrimp Liptopenaeus vannamei selected in tank and pond environments
No full textRunning multiple breeding programs for the same species requires a high level of investment and management; hence, to date there have not been any attempts to develop specialised genetic lines for different environments in any aquaculture species. This study made the first attempt to conduct a comprehensive genetic evaluation of the breeding programs for improved growth in two Liptopenaeus vannamei lines selected in both tank and pond environments over three generations from 2014 to 2017. The pedigree included 95,696 shrimp individuals (offspring of 352 common sires and 423 dams). Genetic analysis was carried out separately for each line and environment, using restricted maximum likelihood and mixed model approaches. The estimates of heritability for body weight were comparable between the lines (Line 1 was selected in tank and Line 2 in pond). In each line, the estimates of heritability for body weight were environment-dependent. The common full-sib effects (c2) were large in both tank and pond environments (ranging from 16 to 21% across traits). There were, however, no significant differences in the c2 estimates between the two lines and between the two environments. The between-environment genetic correlations, as a measure of genotype by environment interaction, were low in both lines. Genetic gain measured as estimated breeding values (EBVs) was greater in Line 2 (selected in pond) than Line 1 (selected in tank); the gain expressed in genetic standard deviation unit (SDA) for body weight was 3.27 SDA in pond vs. 1.70 SDA in tank in the latest generation (2017). It is concluded that selection in pond achieved greater genetic gain than selection in tank when their descendants were tested in both environments (i.e., tank and pond)
Teaching democracy in the social work and human service classroom: Inspiration from Myles Horton and the Highlander Folk School
No full textThe Routledge Handbook of Critical Pedagogies for Social Work traverses new territory by providing a cutting-edge overview of the work of classic and contemporary theorists, in a way that expands their application and utility in social work education and practice; thus, providing a bridge between critical theory, philosophy, and social work. Each chapter showcases the work of a specific critical educational, philosophical and/or social theorist including: Henry Giroux, Michel Foucault, Cornelius Castoriadis, Herbert Marcuse, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Joan Tronto, Iris Marion Young, Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci and many others to elucidate the ways in which their key pedagogic concepts can be applied to specific aspects of social work education and practice. The text exhibits a range of research-based approaches to educating social work practitioners as agents of social change. It provides a robust and much needed, alternative paradigm to the technique-driven ‘conservative revolution’ currently being fostered by neoliberalism in both social work education and practice. The volume will be instructive for social work educators who aim to teach for social change, by assisting students to develop counter-hegemonic practices of resistance and agency, and reflecting on the pedagogic role of social work practice more widely. The volume holds relevance for both postgraduate and undergraduate/qualifying social work and human services courses around the world. [Book Synopsis
Critical social work education as democratic Paideia: Inspiration from Cornelius Castoriadis to educate for democracy and autonomy
No full textThe Routledge Handbook of Critical Pedagogies for Social Work traverses new territory by providing a cutting-edge overview of the work of classic and contemporary theorists, in a way that expands their application and utility in social work education and practice; thus, providing a bridge between critical theory, philosophy, and social work. Each chapter showcases the work of a specific critical educational, philosophical and/or social theorist including: Henry Giroux, Michel Foucault, Cornelius Castoriadis, Herbert Marcuse, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Joan Tronto, Iris Marion Young, Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci and many others to elucidate the ways in which their key pedagogic concepts can be applied to specific aspects of social work education and practice. The text exhibits a range of research-based approaches to educating social work practitioners as agents of social change. It provides a robust and much needed, alternative paradigm to the technique-driven ‘conservative revolution’ currently being fostered by neoliberalism in both social work education and practice. The volume will be instructive for social work educators who aim to teach for social change, by assisting students to develop counter-hegemonic practices of resistance and agency, and reflecting on the pedagogic role of social work practice more widely. The volume holds relevance for both postgraduate and undergraduate/qualifying social work and human services courses around the world. [Book Synopsis
Incorporating binder type into asphalt fatigue life characterisation of airport pavement surfaces
No full textMost airport pavement design tools include a failure criterion for predicting bottom-up asphalt fatigue cracking. However, in practice bottom-up cracking is rarely observed in airport pavement surfaces and many designers question the efficacy of the common asphalt fatigue failure criteria. Where asphalt fatigue is considered, asphalt mixtures are characterised primarily by mixture stiffness and the volume of bituminous binder, while the type of binder (unmodified, acid modified, plastomeric or elastomeric) is not directly considered. By comparing the stiffness and fatigue lives of asphalt mixtures produced with four different aggregate sources and four different binder types, the importance of binder type on the relationship between mixture stiffness and laboratory fatigue life is clear. Further work is recommended to incorporate parameters representing the type of binder into mechanistic-empirical pavement design failure criteria for asphalt fatigue
Complexity in the beautiful game: implications for football research and practice
No full textLike many other sports, football is increasingly being described as a complex system. To date, however, there has been little explanation of complexity beyond the team level, and no formal examination of the extent to which the known characteristics of complex systems are present in football. This commentary reviews known characteristics of complex systems and discusses the extent to which football match, club, and league sub-systems exhibit them. It is argued that all three football sub-systems do indeed exhibit the characteristics of complexity, and as such it is concluded that football can be described as a complex system. The implications for future football research and practice are discussed. Applications of complex systems modelling techniques are encouraged, both to model football systems and to identify how different systemic variables interact to influence performance. A paradigm shift away from reductionism toward holism in football research is advocated
Comparative genomic analysis identifies X-factor (haemin)-independent Haemophilus haemolyticus: a formal re-classification of 'Haemophilus intermedius'
No full textThe heterogeneous and highly recombinogenic genus Haemophilus comprises several species, some of which are pathogenic to humans. All share an absolute requirement for blood-derived factors during growth. Certain species, such as the pathogen Haemophilus influenzae and the commensal Haemophilus haemolyticus, are thought to require both haemin (X-factor) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD, V-factor), whereas others, such as the informally classified 'Haemophilus intermedius subsp. intermedius', and Haemophilus parainfluenzae, only require V-factor. These differing growth requirements are commonly used for species differentiation, although a number of studies are now revealing issues with this approach. Here, we perform large-scale phylogenomics of 240 Haemophilus spp. genomes, including five 'H. intermedius' genomes generated in the current study, to reveal that strains of the 'H. intermedius' group are in fact haemin-independent H. haemolyticus (hiHh). Closer examination of these hiHh strains revealed that they encode an intact haemin biosynthesis pathway, unlike haemin-dependent H. haemolyticus and H. influenzae, which lack most haemin biosynthesis genes. Our results suggest that the common ancestor of modern-day H. haemolyticus and H. influenzae lost key haemin biosynthesis loci, likely as a consequence of specialized adaptation to otorhinolaryngeal and respiratory niches during their divergence from H. parainfluenzae. Genetic similarity analysis demonstrated that the haemin biosynthesis loci acquired in the hiHh lineage were likely laterally transferred from a H. parainfluenzae ancestor, and that this event probably occurred only once in hiHh. This study further challenges the validity of phenotypic methods for differentiating among Haemophilus species, and highlights the need for whole-genome sequencing for accurate characterization of species within this taxonomically challenging genus
Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy: Challenging the Status Quo?
No full textHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cardiovascular genetic disorder. While our mechanistic understanding has been informed by elegant gene discovery studies that led to the term “disease of the sarcomere”, more recent investigations have challenged the single-gene hypothesis. Multimodality imaging has allowed better phenotyping to facilitate early diagnosis, identify treatable phenocopies, and guide management. While HCM remains an important cause of sudden death, recent studies have reported a substantial cumulative burden of heart failure and atrial fibrillation in middle-aged and older individuals. Nonetheless, improvements in risk stratification have allowed early intervention to transition HCM from being a common cause of sudden death in the young to a treatable chronic disease
Access and outcomes of general practitioner obstetrician (rural generalist)‐supported birthing units in Queensland
No full textObjective:
To describe characteristics and outcomes of women birthing within GP‐obstetrician (rural generalist) supported rural (level 3) obstetric units in Queensland.
Design:
Retrospective descriptive study.
Setting:
21 GP‐obstetrician supported birthing units in Queensland.
Participants:
Women (n = 3111) birthing from January 2017 to December 2017.
Main outcome measures:
Patient, pregnancy and labour characteristics and key maternal and neonatal outcomes routinely recorded in the Queensland Perinatal Data Collection and Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection were compared to Queensland public hospital aggregate data.
Results:
Women birthing in rural maternity units were significantly more likely to be Aboriginal or Torrs Strait Islander (16% v 9%), < 20 years old (7% v 4%), term deliveries (96% v 91%), achieve spontaneous onset of labour (67% v 51%), and birth (71% v 60%) (p<0.001) compared with all Queensland public hospitals. They were significantly less likely to be nulliparous (36% v 40%), use pharmacological analgesia (65% v 69%), or have continuous electronic fetal monitoring in labour (54% v 66%) (p<0.001). Neonatal outcomes were comparable; with no significant difference in stillbirth rate between rural units and all Queensland public hospitals (4.8 v 7.3 per 1000 births). Precipitate delivery was the most common labour complication (36% v 33%) (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
GP‐obstetrician (rural generalist) supported rural birthing units in Queensland provide important access for low and medium risk women to deliver locally, with strong indicators of quality and safety
Tree Species Identification via 1H NMR Fingerprinting of Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Wood Extractives
No full textSix tree species were examined using 1H NMR spectroscopy of sap extracted by supercritical CO2. A metabolomic approach was developed to evaluate the sap extracted from sapwood of Norway spruce (Picea abies), Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis), radiata pine (Pinus radiata), macrocarpa (Cupressus macrocarpa), and two Eucalyptus species—shining gum and mountain ash (Eucalyptus nitens and Eucalyptus regnans. The sap extraction patterns in the different species were visualised using 1H magnetic resonance imaging. In softwoods with distinct annual rings, water was first removed from the latewood bands, and then gradually from the earlywood bands. In the case of the hardwood species an almost random water redistribution, rather than water expulsion, was observed. Analysis of the principal component analysis loading plots showed that the significant differences in the sap between each species were due to the carbohydrate region. Key discriminators were identified as pinitol, sucrose, glucose, and fructose