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E‐cigarette use and the relationship to smoking among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non‐Indigenous Australian Secondary Students, 2017
Get PDFObjective: Estimate the prevalence of e-cigarette use (vaping) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adolescents and explore the relationship between vaping and tobacco use.
Methods: N=18,199 students aged 12–17 years (n=1,097 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) participating in the 2017 Australian Secondary Students’ Alcohol and Drug (ASSAD) Survey self-reported their e-cigarette and lifetime, past month and past week smoking behaviours.
Results: Twenty-two per cent of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (14% all) reported having ever used e-cigarettes. Significantly greater odds of e-cigarette use among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students was observed overall, but not among regular (past month/week) smokers. There were significant associations between e-cigarette use and any level of smoking for all students (p<0.001), with no variation by Indigenous status. While e-cigarette use was more common among smokers, 28% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ever-vapers (35% all ever-vapers) were never smokers.
Conclusions: There is substantial prevalence of e-cigarette ever-use among Australian secondary students, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and a strong relationship with tobacco use.
Implications for public health: Policies facilitating e-cigarette access must not undercut tobacco control efforts for adolescents, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to experience higher smoking rates
Mathematical problem solving: What does it mean to primary teachers?
No full textThe importance of learning mathematical problem solving is an expectation articulated in both the national and Western Australian curricula. What defines a problem and what problem solving skills and abilities are desirable, teachable and evaluable lies in the hands of the teacher. The curricula describes mathematical problem solving as creating an environment where students are able to make choices, interpret, formulate, model and investigate problem situations, and communicate solutions effectively in unfamiliar or meaningful situations. Do teachers view their role as a guide or are they holding a map pointing out the possible routes and interesting sights along the way and letting their students decide their own path?
Through the lens of practising Western Australian teachers, their concept of what constitutes mathematical problem solving is the focus of this presentation and is part of the initial findings of a research project that investigated how Western Australian primary teachers plan for and implement mathematical problem solving in their classrooms. Considering teachers' understanding of this mathematical proficiency may provide an avenue to enhance pre-service training, ongoing professional development and ultimately provide our students with an approach that suits their needs
Development of the Australian hospital patient experience question set for parents
No full textBackground
The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care developed the Australian Hospital Patient Experience Question Set to ask adult patients about their experience of inpatient care. This question set was not validated for paediatric care.
Aim
To adapt and validate the Australian Hospital Patient Experience Question Set for parents and carers of children who received inpatient care.
Methods
Interviews with fourteen parents and carers were conducted. Content analysis was used to revise the question set and to identify experience specific to children and parents. The Question Set was revised, including three new questions to reflect parent experience. Content validity of each new question was assessed. Data was split and construct validity assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (n=1500).
Findings
Two main qualitative categories of care included ‘parent experience’ and ‘children being heard’. Emotional support was an integral aspect of parent experience. The revised question set (13-question, one-factor model of good fit) demonstrated construct validity (n=500: Root Mean Square Error of Approximation=0.042, Confirmatory Fit Index=0.997, Tucker Lewis Index=0.996, Composite reliability=0.962).
Discussion
This study adds empirical support for a common measurement framework for experience of care in children's health services. Parents spoke of the value of having a parent and a child reported survey. The next step is for children to report on their own experience.
Conclusion
The revised (parent-reported) question set provides a validated tool which reflects the unique experience of parents and facilitates consistent monitoring and improvement of patient experience in a paediatric inpatient setting
In COVID-19 health messaging, loss framing increases anxiety with Little-to-No concomitant benefits: Experimental evidence from 84 countries
No full textThe COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in terms of potential losses (e.g., “If you do not practice these steps, you can endanger yourself and others”) or potential gains (e.g., “If you practice these steps, you can protect yourself and others”)? Collecting data in 48 languages from 15,929 participants in 84 countries, we experimentally tested the effects of message framing on COVID-19-related judgments, intentions, and feelings. Loss- (vs. gain-) framed messages increased self-reported anxiety among participants cross-nationally with little-to-no impact on policy attitudes, behavioral intentions, or information seeking relevant to pandemic risks. These results were consistent across 84 countries, three variations of the message framing wording, and 560 data processing and analytic choices. Thus, results provide an empirical answer to a global communication question and highlight the emotional toll of loss-framed messages. Critically, this work demonstrates the importance of considering unintended affective consequences when evaluating nudge-style interventions
Asymmetric wall ingrowth deposition in Arabidopsis phloem parenchyma transfer cells is tightly associated with sieve elements
Get PDFIn Arabidopsis, polarized deposition of wall ingrowths in phloem parenchyma (PP) transfer cells (TCs) occurs adjacent to cells of the sieve element/companion cell (SE/CC) complex. However, the spatial relationships between these different cell types in minor veins, where phloem loading occurs, are poorly understood. PP TC development and wall ingrowth localization were compared with those of other phloem cells in leaves of Col-0 and the transgenic lines AtSUC2::AtSTP9-GFP (green fluorescent protein) and AtSWEET11::AtSWEET11-GFP that identify CCs and PP cells, respectively. The development of PP TCs in minor veins, indicated by deposition of wall ingrowths, proceeded basipetally in leaves. However, not all PP cells develop wall ingrowths, and higher levels of deposition occur in abaxial- compared with adaxial-positioned PP TCs. Furthermore, the deposition of wall ingrowths was exclusively initiated on and preferentially covered the PP TC/SE interface, rather than the PP TC/CC interface, and only occurred in PP cells that were adjacent to SEs. Collectively, these results demonstrate a tight association between SEs and wall ingrowth deposition in PP TCs and suggest the existence of two subtypes of PP cells in leaf minor veins. Compared with PP cells, PP TCs showed more abundant accumulation of AtSWEET11–GFP, indicating functional differences in phloem loading between PP and PP TCs
Evaluation of a probe hybridization quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay for Cryptosporidium serpentis in eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi)
Get PDFA probe-hybridization quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay specific for Cryptosporidium serpentis (qPCR) has been developed and shown to be extremely sensitive in the laboratory, but clinical sensitivity and specificity for this test are lacking. To approximate the sensitivity and specificity of the C. serpentis qPCR, the medical records from a captive snake colony were reviewed, and between November 2015 and June 2021, 63 eastern indigo snakes (Drymarchon couperi) were necropsied. Of these 63 snakes, 11 had qPCR performed on gastric biopsies collected at the time of necropsy, 8 had qPCR performed on samples collected by gastric swab within 35 days of necropsy, and 34 had qPCR performed on samples collected by cloacal swab within 84 days of necropsy. The qPCR results were then compared to the post-mortem histological findings, where all three sampling techniques had a 100% specificity. The sensitivity was highest in samples collected at necropsy (100%, CI: 63.06 – 100%) followed by the ante-mortem testing: gastric swab (87.50%, CI: 42.13 – 99.64%) and cloacal swab (66.67%, CI: 44.68 – 84.37%)
Assessment of cross-cultural measurement invariance of the NIH toolbox fluid cognition measures between Jamaicans and African-Americans
No full textThe NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery (NIHTB-CB) was developed as a common-metric, computerized cognitive screener for research. Although extensively normed and validated in Americans of different ethnicities, there is little data on how generalizable such results would be when used outside of the United States. The objective of this study was to assess measurement invariance (MI) of the NIHTB-CB across Jamaican and African-American samples and determine appropriateness of comparisons across groups. Multi-group confirmatory factor analyses using a single-factor model were conducted using five tests of fluid cognitive abilities from the NIHTB-CB, which assess working memory, episodic memory, processing speed, and executive function. MI was tested sequentially for configural, metric and scalar invariance. 125 Jamaican and 154 American adults of African descent were included. The Jamaican mean age was 31.6 ± 8.6 years (57% males) compared to 43.5 ± 15.5 years (25% males) for the African-American group. The Jamaicans had on average 11.3 ± 2.7 years of education compared to 13.9 ± 2.6 years for the African-Americans. We found metric and configural invariance across both samples but not scalar invariance. These findings suggest that the single factor emerging from the NIHTB-CB measures the same construct, i.e. fluid cognitive ability, in both groups and hence the battery is appropriate for assessments within cultures. However, lack of scalar invariance indicates that direct cross-cultural comparisons of performance levels should be interpreted with caution, also suggesting that U.S. normative standards are not generalizable to the Jamaican population
BSA‑seq and genetic mapping identified candidate genes for branching habit in peanut
No full textLateral branch angel (LBA) is an important plant architecture trait of peanut, which plays key role in lodging, peg soil penetration and pod yield. However, there are few reports of fine mapping and quantitative trait loci (QTLs)/cloned genes for LBA in peanut. In this project, a mapping population was constructed using a spreading variety Tifrunner and the erect variety Fuhuasheng. Through bulked segregant analysis sequencing (BSA-seq), a major gene related to LBA, named as AhLBA1, was preliminarily mapped at the region of Chr.15: 150-160 Mb. Then, using traditional QTL approach, AhLBA1 was narrowed to a 1.12 cM region, corresponding to a 136.65-kb physical interval of the reference genome. Of the nine genes housed in this region, three of them were involved in hormone metabolism and regulation, including one “F-box protein” and two “2-oxoglutarate (2OG) and Fe(II)-dependent oxygenase (2OG oxygenase)” encoding genes. In addition, we found that the level of some classes of cytokinin (CK), auxin and ethylene showed significant differences between spreading and erect peanuts at the junction of main stem and lateral branch. These findings will aid further elucidation of the genetic mechanism of LBA in peanut and facilitating marker-assisted selection (MAS) in the future breeding program
Research needs for optimising wastewater-based epidemiology monitoring for public health protection
Get PDFWastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is an unobtrusive method used to observe patterns in illicit drug use, poliovirus, and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The pandemic and need for surveillance measures have led to the rapid acceleration of WBE research and development globally. With the infrastructure available to monitor SARS-CoV-2 from wastewater in 58 countries globally, there is potential to expand targets and applications for public health protection, such as other viral pathogens, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), pharmaceutical consumption, or exposure to chemical pollutants. Some applications have been explored in academic research but are not used to inform public health decision-making. We reflect on the current knowledge of WBE for these applications and identify barriers and opportunities for expanding beyond SARS-CoV-2. This paper critically reviews the applications of WBE for public health and identifies the important research gaps for WBE to be a useful tool in public health. It considers possible uses for pathogenic viruses, AMR, and chemicals. It summarises the current evidence on the following: (1) the presence of markers in stool and urine; (2) environmental factors influencing persistence of markers in wastewater; (3) methods for sample collection and storage; (4) prospective methods for detection and quantification; (5) reducing uncertainties; and (6) further considerations for public health use
The economy of pets
Get PDFIn recent years there has been an increase in the expenditure by owners on their pets' care. There is currently limited knowledge as to what motivates pet owners to spend money on veterinary care in Australia. In this study, the spending habits of Australian pet owners and motivations for the increase in spending were investigated to determine if there was a link between behaviour that could signify a close bond between the pet and the owner and spending on veterinary care. To address these themes a survey was design to determine the demographics of owners, their pets, their attachment to their pet and their spending on veterinary care.
Of the 104 pet owners that responded to this study most respondents were owners of dogs (80) while the remainder owned cats (24). It was found that pet owners were motivated to spend more on their pets based on the severity of their pet’s condition and attachment behaviours they displayed towards their pet. This research also revealed that many respondents view their pets as their friends or family members. Interestingly, pet insurance status was not found to affect the spending habits of owners however, it shows that the motivation to spend seems to be driven predominately by female pet owners. This study presents the motivating factors behind veterinary expenditure through the lens of Australian pet owners. It also contributes to the continued study of the relationship between attachment theory and pet ownership further supporting the concept that attachment theory can be applied to people and their pets. The research also provides firsthand feedback provided by Australian pet owners about the financial impacts of pet ownership