University of the Sunshine Coast
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Strength Testing After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Prospective Cohort Study Investigating Overlap of Tests
No full textThe purpose of the present study was to determine whether overlap (redundancy) exists between individual tests in a comprehensive strength testing protocol used after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. If overlap is present, one or more components of the protocol could potentially be omitted to make the testing protocol more efficient, but without compromising the usefulness of the testing. Sixty-nine patients (46M, 23F; mean age 28Y) were strength tested at 6 and 12 months after ACL reconstruction as part of a prospective cohort study. The following knee flexor and extensor strength tests were performed: isokinetic concentric strength at 60°/s and 180°/s, isokinetic eccentric strength at 60°/s, and isometric knee flexor strength at 60° flexion. Peak and average torque values were extracted and the ratio between the operated and non-operated limb calculated as a limb symmetry index. Overlap of strength tests was investigated by fitting a linear regression model to the data with an R2 threshold of 0.56 used as an indication of overlap. Overlap between peak and mean torque was present for extensor and flexor concentric and eccentric measurements at 12 months and for concentric measurements at 6 months. Peak torque measurements were therefore used for subsequent analysis. Concentric extensor peak torque at 60°/s and 180°/s showed overlap at 6 months (R2 = 0.73) but not at 12 months (R2 = 0.37). No other overlap was identified. In conclusion, there is little room for omission of individual strength testing protocol components due to the lack of overlap between tests. Isometric, eccentric and concentric tests may all provide unique information and all therefore should be considered for inclusion
Dingo singing: the howl of the advocate
No full textWorld Heritage protected areas are increasingly valuable for civil society. Sectors of broader society can feel invested in such areas and engage in forms of conservation advocacy that challenge traditional formal management. Advocacy is found wherever management decisions are negotiated or contested, revealing sharp divides in positions. But there are also opportunities for partnerships in advocacy. Identifying the narrative details of advocacy positions is crucial but complicated when the parties being represented are non-human animals, plant species or broader environments: they depend on the advocate’s voice as they cannot speak in any literal sense. Thus advocates discussed in this paper are those representing scientific decision-frames: managers and scientists. Both groups frequently draw on empirical research, giving primacy to the proof of scientific voice. In this research we presented methods to build interdisciplinary literacy to move beyond traditional categorical analysis. Semantic mapping was applied to identify narrative themes as the basis for close textual analysis in a specific case study: advocacy on behalf of the K’gari-Fraser Island dingo. We differentiated three critical pillars of wisdom – Indigenous, local and scientific – but here only considered the advocacy positions within the scientific knowledge decision-making community. Thus, we compared positions taken by the formal management community (government managers) with positions taken in the scientific research community (academic researchers). Narrative themes in advocacy agendas and metaphorical strategies taken to frame positions identify differences and common ground for the two groups. Management advocacy was premised on limits to human–dingo interaction while science advocacy called for dingo welfare. The synergy was tourists, defined as the greatest threat to dingo welfare and viability. This common ground provides an effective starting point to support dingo interests. Identifying options and constraints in advocacy positions is crucial for the future of dingoes on K’gari, but also for all people who engage with World Heritage values. Implicitly, this paper defends the place of advocacy in scientific discussion. By exploring potential options for negotiation, conservation outcomes that support contested iconic species in a World Heritage context are more likely
Molecular aspects of eye development and regeneration in the Australian redclaw crayfish, Cherax quadricarinatus
No full textThe compound eye evolved over 500 million years ago and enables mosaic vision in most arthropod species. The molecular regulation of the development of the compound eye has been primarily studied in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. However, due to the nature of holometabolous insects halting growth after their terminal metamorphosis into the adult form, they lack the capacity to regenerate. Crustaceans, unlike holometabolous insects, continue to grow during adulthood, achieved through regular shedding of their exoskeleton, in a cyclic process known as molting. This therefore offers crustaceans as a highly suitable model to study ocular regeneration in the adult arthropod eye. We have assessed the regenerative capacity of the retinal section of the Cherax quadricarinatus (red-claw crayfish) eye, following ablation and successive post-metamorphic molts. This work then provides a transcriptomic description of the outer, pigmented retinal tissue (the ommatidia and lamina ganglionaris) and the basal, non-pigmented neuroendocrine ocular tissue (the X-organ Sinus Gland complex, hemiellipsoid body and optic nerve). Using comparative analysis, we identified all the transcripts in the C. quadricarinatus ocular transcriptome that are known to function in compound eye development in D. melanogaster. Differentially and uniquely transcribed genes of the retina are described, suggesting proposed mechanisms that may regulate ocular regeneration in decapod Crustacea. This research exemplifies the application C. quadricarinatus holds as an optimal model to study the regulation of ocular regeneration. Further in-depth transcriptomic analyses are now required, sampled throughout the regeneration process to better define the regulatory mechanism
Exploring the extent to which simulation-based education addresses contemporary patient safety priorities: A scoping review
No full textBackground There is unprecedented increase in use of simulation-based education in healthcare settings. The key driver is improving quality and safety in healthcare. To date, there is limited understanding of the degree to which this goal has been achieved. Aim This scoping review aimed to explore the extent to which simulation-based education in healthcare has addressed and impacted contemporary patient safety priorities. Methods Systematic searches of literature (2007–2016) were based on each of 10 patient safety priorities articulated in Australia’s National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards and New Zealand’s Health, Quality and Safety Indicators and markers. Included primary studies evaluated transferability to practice and/or behavioural change and improved patient outcomes, based on Kirkpatrick’s training evaluation model Level 3 and Level 4. Findings Fifteen papers met inclusion criteria. Studies aligned with four of ten National Safety and Quality Health Service Standards: (3). Preventing and controlling healthcare associated infections; (4). Medication safety; (6). Clinical handover; (9). Recognising and responding to clinical deterioration. The studies were indicative of potential for simulation-based education to have a significant impact on patient safety. Discussion Studies that qualify as translational science, demonstrating changes in clinician behaviours and improved patient outcomes, are emerging. Little evidence from Australian and New Zealand contexts suggests that outcomes of simulation-based education in this region are not commensurate with the significant government investments. Conclusion Translational studies, despite being difficult to design and conduct, should form part of a thematic, sustained and cumulative program of simulation-based research to identify translational science
Combining participatory action research and appreciative inquiry to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary continuing education program for a regional health workforce
No full textObjective. Continuing education (CE) is essential for a healthcare workforce, but in regional areas of Australia there are challenges to providing and accessing relevant, reliable and low-cost opportunities. The aim of the present study was to collaborate with the local regional healthcare workforce to design, deliver and evaluate an interdisciplinary CE (ICE) program.Methods. A participatory action research (PAR) model combined with an appreciative inquiry (AI) framework was used to design, deliver and evaluate an ICE program. A focus group of 11 health professionals developed an initial program. Evaluation data from 410 program participants were analysed using AI.Results. The ICE program addressed the CE barriers for the regional healthcare workforce because the locally derived content was delivered at a reasonable cost and in a convenient location. Program participants identified that they most valued shared experiences and opportunities enabling them to acquire and confirm relevant knowledge.Conclusion. ICE programs enhance interdisciplinary collaboration. However, attendance constraints for regional healthcare workforce include location, cost, workplace and personal factors. Through community engagement, resource sharing and cooperation, a local university and the interdisciplinary focus group members successfully designed and delivered the local education and research nexus program to address a CE problem for a regional healthcare workforce.What is known about the topic? Participation in CE is mandatory for most health professionals. However, various barriers exist for regional health workers to attending CE. Innovative programs, such as webinars and travelling workshops, address some of the issues but create others. Bringing various health workers together for the simultaneous education of multiple disciplines is beneficial. Collectively, this is called ICE.What does this paper add? Using PAR combined with AI to design an ICE program will focus attention on the enablers of the program and meet the diverse educational needs of the healthcare workforce in regional areas. Engaging regional health professionals with a local university to design and deliver CE is one way to increase access to quality, cost-effective education.What are the implications for practitioners? Regional healthcare workers' CE needs are more likely to be met when education programs are designed by them and developed for them. ICE raises awareness of the roles of multiple healthcare disciplines. Learning together strengthens healthcare networks by bolstering relationships through a greater understanding of each other's roles. Enriching communication between local health workers has the potential to enhance patient care
Effects of the muscular ideal on appearance-related attentional biases in men
No full textLimited research has investigated appearance-related attentional biases in men. This study examined the effects of priming on attentional biases in men and whether the biases were associated with body image. The dot-probe task (DPT), a commonly used reaction time-based measure, was adapted to include images between each trial of the task to test the effects of these images on attentional biases for appearance-related word stimuli. Men (N = 60) completed body image questionnaires online and attended a laboratory session, completing either (a) an appearance-cued DPT, containing images representing the muscular ideal; (b) a neutral-cued DPT, containing images of forests; or (c) a DPT with time delay in place of an image. Attentional biases for positive- and negative-appearance words did not differ for men who completed the three DPT versions. However, for men who completed the appearance-cued DPT, attentional biases for positive-appearance words correlated with a range of state experiences, including greater levels of muscularity and appearance dissatisfaction and poorer confidence and mood. The results suggest that men may experience poorer body image outcomes by automatically attending to the positive attributes of media depictions of the muscular ideal. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved
Can image labels be used to reduce the impact of the muscular ideal in men?
No full textExposure to idealized media imagery has the potential to produce body dissatisfaction in men. The use of labels noting the unrealistic nature of idealized imagery has generally been unsuccessful for women. This is the first study to test whether information labels can be used successfully for men. Adult men (N = 154) were exposed to either active or posed idealized imagery containing an information label pointing to the high levels of exercise required to achieve the muscularity of the model or the same images without labels. Men completed pre- and posttest measures of appearance satisfaction and body functionality satisfaction and posttest ratings in comparison with the images. Results showed that the effects of the labels depended on the style of image and level of social comparison. Labels could simultaneously have positive benefits (to muscle satisfaction and attractiveness), no effects (to fitness and upper-body satisfaction), and harmful effects (to size and shape satisfaction, strength satisfaction, and attractiveness). Men’s response to labels may be less straightforward than the relationships observed in women
Responses of labile soil organic carbon and nitrogen pools to long-term prescribed burning regimes in a wet sclerophyll forest of southeast Queensland, Australia
No full textSoil labile organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools play a central role in nutrient cycling, while fire is a key driver of biogeochemical cycle, shaping ecosystem structure and functioning. However, how soil labile organic C and N responds to the long-term repeated prescribed fire is largely unknown. In this study, a prescribed fire field experiment in a wet sclerophyll forest established in 1972 in southeast Queensland was used to evaluate the long-term impacts of different fire frequency regimes on labile organic C and N measured by different extraction methods. The fire frequency regimes included long unburnt (NB), burnt every two years (2yrB) and burnt every four years (4yrB). Results revealed that the 2yrB treatment had significantly lower C and N concentrations in hot water and K2SO4 extracts and in density fractions (LFD1.6) compared with the NB treatment. Concentrations of carbohydrate-C in hot water extracts and acid soluble and insoluble organic matter-C in cold-water extracts followed a similar trend. The maximum reduction was observed for carbohydrate C (72%) and the hot water extractable N (54%) in the 2yrB treatment compared with the NB treatment, showing these parameters are most sensitive indicators. However, there was no significant difference in most of the above parameters between the 4yrB and the NB treatments, indicating that less frequent fire (4yrB) allows the ecosystem to have sufficient time to recover from fire disturbance and may be a sustainable practice for fire management in this wet sclerophyll forest ecosystem
Review: a comprehensive summary of a decade development of the recombinase polymerase amplification
No full textNucleic acid amplification has permeated every field in the life sciences since the introduction of the classic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method in 1983. Yet, despite its fundamental reach, PCR has been constrained within the walls of a laboratory, due to its requirement for a sophisticated thermocycling machine, limiting external application in low-resource settings. New isothermal amplification strategies are seeking to break through traditional laboratory boundaries by providing nucleic acid replication at constant temperatures. Of these methods, recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is one of the fastest developing, experiencing rapid uptake and market, even though it was introduced comparatively late. Critically, RPA's technology potentiates highly accessible and sensitive nucleic acid amplification outside of laboratory, and even self-testing. Here we provide a comprehensive review of the equipment-free simplicity of RPA over its first decade of development. Our review includes key knowledge of RPA technology, such as its reaction components, mechanism, sensitivities and specificities, and distinctive detection methods. The review also provides know-how for developing RPA assays, and information about commercially available RPA reaction kits and accessories. We summarise critical RPA experimental tips and issues available through data mining the published literature, to assist researchers in mastering the RPA reaction. We also outline influential hotspots of RPA development, and conclude with outlooks for future development and implications for eclipsing PCR and further revolutionising the life sciences.Correction: Analyst, 2020, 145, 1950-1960 http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/c9an90127
Risk of second primary cancer in survivors of in situ melanoma
No full textInvasive melanoma survivors have an increased risk of developing second primary cancers, however, similar risks associated with in situ melanoma haven’t been established.
We evaluated 43,829 first primary in situ melanoma survivors diagnosed from 1982-2012 in Queensland, Australia. Risk of second non-melanoma primary cancers was estimated from standardized incidence ratios with 95% confidence intervals.
A total of 4,917 (11.3%) in situ melanoma survivors developed a second primary cancer. No net increased risk compared with the general population was found. In those aged <50 years, risk was increased by 13% for all cancers combined. In situ melanoma survivors had significantly increased risks of developing lip, brain, and thyroid cancers, and decreased risks of head and neck, lung, bladder, and colorectal cancers. Male in situ melanoma survivors had a significantly increased risk of prostate cancer; female survivors had an increased risk of thyroid cancer and lymphoid leukaemia, and a decreased risk of gynaecological cancers.
Findings indicate in situ melanoma may predict the diagnosis of certain second primary cancers. This altered risk may be due to biological, behavioural or genetic factors, or increased medical surveillance, and requires further investigation, particularly among people aged under 50 years