University of the Sunshine Coast
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Biodegradable Thermogels
No full textBiodegradable thermogels are a promising class of stimuli-responsive polymers. This book summarizes recent developments in thermogel research with a focus on synthesis and self-assembly mechanisms, gel biodegradability, and applications for drug delivery, cell encapsulation and tissue engineering
Contrasting effects of mangroves and armoured shorelines on fish assemblages in tropical estuarine seascapes
No full textCoastal seascapes are composed of a diversity of habitats that are linked in space and time by the movement of organisms. The context and configuration of coastal ecosystems shapes many important properties of animal assemblages, but potential seascape effects of natural and artificial habitats on nearby habitats are typically considered in isolation. We test whether, and how, the seascape context of natural and urban habitats modified fish assemblages across estuaries. Fish were sampled with underwater videos in five habitat types (mangroves, rock bars, log snags, unvegetated sediments, armoured shorelines) in 17 estuaries in eastern Australia. Different habitats supported distinct fish assemblages, but the spatial context of mangroves and armoured shorelines had pervasive ecological effects that extended across entire estuaries. In most estuarine habitats, fish diversity and abundance was greatest when they were in close proximity of mangroves, and decreased due to the proximity of armoured shorelines. Many cities are centred on estuaries, and urban expansion is often associated with the fragmentation of mangrove forests. Our findings emphasize that these transformations of urban estuarine landscapes are likely to propagate to broader ecological impacts detectable in multiple habitats beyond mangrove forests
Identifying camper "shades of green" segments at an environmental festival
No full textThis research investigates the environmental and camping behaviours and attitudes among campers at The Planting festival. The annual Planting festival is held over a long weekend in Autumn in Woodfordia, Queensland, Australia. The Planting festival draws attention to the ill effects of industrial practices on our planet, encouraging environmental healing endeavours that promote a symbiotic human-nature relationship. Many festivalgoers camp at this event and our research objective was to identify different groups of campers based on variations in their environmental and camping behaviours and attitudes. A cluster analysis of 215 festival campers revealed four groups—true believers, camper conservers, camper consumers and the unenthused. These four “shades of green” camper segments contribute to the sparse knowledge in tourism about camping in general and specifically at environmental festivals. Practically, these “shades of green” camper segments can inform event and program development
Remaining connected in the face of cyberbullying: Why social connectedness is important for mental health
No full textIt is well documented that cyberbullying can lead to adverse mental health outcomes. Separate research shows that higher levels of social connectedness may result in more positive mental health outcomes, however, the relationship between social connectedness and mental health in the face of cyberbullying is not yet fully understood. An online survey of 229 adolescents (aged 12–17 years) was conducted, and we examined experiences of cyberbullying, levels of social connectedness, depression, anxiety, and stress. Structural equation modeling suggested that social connectedness may act as a protective buffer against the negative mental health outcomes associated with cybervictimization. This paper highlights the fact that social connectedness plays an important role for young people, the more frequently they are victimized. The implications of these findings are far reaching and suggest that understanding the role of social connectedness may be crucial to interventions that seek to mitigate the effects of cyberbullying
Disordered eating in female physique athletes
No full textDespite a significant increase in participation rates of physique sports in recent years, little is known about the modern day female physique athlete. The extreme physique traits of successful female physique athletes suggest this population may be particularly at risk of developing negative body image perceptions and disordered eating (DE) practices, the implications of which include reduced metabolic rate, impaired menstrual function and bone health, reduced immunological response, impaired protein metabolism and compromised cardiovascular and psychological health. The aim of this research was to determine if female physique athletes were at risk of DE and explore possible associated risk factors. It was hypothesized that there would be a high prevalence of athletes at risk of DE. Adult (≥18yrs) female physique athletes (n=348) were recruited from Australian and International bodybuilding federations, as well as through personal trainers and bodybuilding coaches using snowballing techniques. Athletes competing in either bikini, fitness, figure, and/or bodybuilding divisions of drug tested physique sport federations were eligible. Athletes without competition experience were excluded. Eligible participants completed an online survey based on validated questionnaires, including the Drive for Thinness, Body Dissatisfaction, and Bulimia subscales of the Eating Disordered Inventory (EDI), Pathogenic Weight Control Measures (PWCM), and the Cognitive Restraint subscale of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-CDR). Additional demographic information was collected, including self-reported stature and body mass, competitive physique sport experience, level of success, when they last competed and when they intend to compete again in physique competition, amount of weight lost leading up to competition, current physique training goals, and sources of nutritional information. Disordered eating was categorized as clinical disordered eating (EDI-DT ≥15, EDI-BD ≥14, EDI-B ≥5) or subclinical disordered eating (EDI-DT ≥7, EDI-BD ≥9). A TFEQ-CDR score ≥9 indicated subclinical disordered eating, however approximately half of participants (48.9%) scored above the cut off-value for TFEQ-CDR, inferring dietary restraint is likely to be integral to the sport. Therefore the prevalence rate of DE was calculated factoring only the subclinical and clinical cut-offs for the EDI subscales. In the current study a weight loss of ≥10kg in the past 6 months and exercising for ≥60 minutes per day to lose or control weight were considered to be likely necessary to achieve the extreme physique traits of athletes competing in this sport. Consequently, only binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and laxative use were considered as the most concerning PWCM. Approximately half of the participants were identified with DE (46.6%), with 27.3% having clinical DE and 19.3% having subclinical DE. Furthermore, approximately half (48.9%) of participants engaged in at least one of the most concerning PWCM (binge eating, laxative use, and self-induced vomiting) within the past three months, with a smaller proportion (5.2%) of athletes engaging in all three PWCM. Weak but significant correlations were found between some EDI subscales and reason for sport participation, BMI and body composition goals. Drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction were positively associated with PWCM use. The most frequently reported source of dietary information was from coaches (87.1%), with a trend for higher prevalence of binge eating behavior in these participants. To our knowledge this is the only study that has investigated a large sample of female physique athletes across multiple divisions. The incidence of females competing in physique competitions are increasing and the sport may not only attract individuals with low self-esteem and body image, but also those who have an underlying predisposition to developing an eating disorder. Indeed, a high proportion of female physique athletes were identified with disordered eating, with a minority of athletes engaging in harmful PWCM. Given this, education programs targeting federations, coaches and physique athletes should focus on the identification, prevention and management of DE, and encourage the support of multidisciplinary teams (i.e. sports physicians, registered dietitians, psychologists, qualified strength and conditioning coaches) in the management of physique athletes. The use of the Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) Clinical Assessment Tool can help identify athletes with RED-S for targeted treatment.Submitted in the fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Masters of Sports Nutrition by Research, University of the Sunshine Coast, 2019
Rainfall-runoff modelling using hydrological connectivity index and artificial neural network approach
No full textThe input selection process for data-driven rainfall-runoff models is critical because input vectors determine the structure of the model and, hence, can influence model results. Here, hydro-geomorphic and biophysical time series inputs, including Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Index of Connectivity (IC; a type of hydrological connectivity index), in addition to climatic and hydrologic inputs were assessed. Selected inputs were used to develop Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) in the Haughton River catchment and the Calliope River catchment, Queensland, Australia. Results show that incorporating IC as a hydro-geomorphic parameter and remote sensing NDVI as a biophysical parameter, together with rainfall and runoff as hydro-climatic parameters, can improve ANN model performance compared to ANN models using only hydro-climatic parameters. Comparisons amongst different input patterns showed that IC inputs can contribute to further improvement in model performance, than NDVI inputs. Overall, ANN model simulations showed that using IC along with hydro-climatic inputs noticeably improved model performance in both catchments, especially in the Calliope catchment. This improvement is indicated by a slight increase (9.77% and 11.25%) in the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and noticeable decrease (24.43% and 37.89%) in the root mean squared error of monthly runoff from Haughton River and Calliope River, respectively. Here, we demonstrate the significant effect of hydro-geomorphic and biophysical time series inputs for estimating monthly runoff using ANN data-driven models, which are valuable for water resources planning and management
Personal ultraviolet Radiation exposure in a cohort of Chinese mother and child pairs: the Chinese families and children study
No full textBackground:
Few studies in China have examined personal ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure using polysulfone dosimetry.
Methods:
In this study, 93 mother and adolescent child pairs (N = 186) from two locations in China, one rural (higher latitude) and one urban (lower latitude), completed 3 days of personal UVR dosimetry and a sun/clothing diary, as part of a larger pilot study.
Results:
The average daily ambient UVR in each location as measured by dosimetry was 20.24 Minimal Erythemal Doses (MED) in the rural location and 20.53 MED in the urban location. Rural mothers had more average daily time outdoors than urban mothers (5.5 h, compared with 1.5 h, in urban mothers) and a much higher daily average personal UVR exposure (4.50 MED, compared with 0.78 MED in urban mothers). Amongst adolescents, rural males had the highest average daily personal UVR exposure, followed by rural females, urban females and urban males (average 2.16, 1.05, 0.81, and 0.48 MED, respectively).
Conclusions:
Although based on small numbers, our findings show the importance of geographic location, age, work/school responsibilities, and sex of the adolescents in determining personal UVR exposure in China. These results suggest that latitude of residence may not be a good proxy for personal UVR exposure in all circumstances
Impacts of Fsh, Igf1, and high temperature on the expression of genes involved in steroidogenesis, cell communication, and apoptosis in isolated coho salmon previtellogenic ovarian follicles
No full textIn salmonids, exposure to elevatedtemperature impairsoogenesis. As such, there is a need to understand the molecular mechanisms that underpin this process, and develop mitigation strategies that maintain or rescue reproductive development inbroodstock.In thisstudy, follicle stimulating hormone (Fsh)and/or insulin-like growth factor1(Igf1) treatment were assessed for their ability to promotereproductive functionat 14 and 22 °C in ovarian follicles from coho salmon in vitro. Maintenance at 22°C resulted in the downregulation of fsh receptor, 17α-hydroxylase/C17,20-lyaseand p450 aromatase a(cyp19a1a), and connexin 34.3(cx34.3).While combined treatment with Fsh and Igf1stimulated the expression of cyp19a1aat 14 °C, thistreatment was not effective at 22 °C. Upregulation of cx34.3 occurred inresponse to treatments that contained Igf1regardless of temperature, and there is evidence to suggest that apoptosis was inhibited to some extent at 22 °C following combined treatment with Fsh and Igf1. This studydemonstratesthe thermal impairmentof key reproductive genes, and highlights the potential for novel hormone treatments to rescue oogenesis in salmonids