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The effects of functional electrical stimulation cycling on muscle spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury: a systematic review
No full textObjectives: To evaluate the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES) cycling on muscle spasticity in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) and provide recommendations for optimal FES cycling parameters to treat muscle spasticity.
Method: In this systematic review, database searches of CINAHL, MEDLINE (Ovid), PEDro, PubMed, and Scopus were conducted to identify relevant studies published up to June 2023. Studies were screened for eligibility. Those that included an FES cycling intervention, an outcome measure of spasticity, and were available in full-text English were included. Two independent reviewers extracted the data and appraised the literature via the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool (CCAT).
Results: Of the 1782 studies identified, 16 satisfied the criteria for this review. Two-hundred and three participants were included, aged 7 to 80 years old. Ten studies identified a reduction in spasticity following FES cycling via objective or subjective outcome measures. Methodological quality was variable, with CCAT scores ranging from 19/40 (48%) to 35/40 (88%). National Health and Medical Research Council hierarchy levels ranged from II to IV.
Conclusion: Evidence for the effectiveness of FES cycling to reduce muscle spasticity remains inconclusive. Long-term effects on spasticity were evident in moderate- to high-quality studies where FES cycling was conducted for 60 minutes, three times per week for 16 weeks. Additional research with larger sample sizes is warranted to confirm these findings. Further clarification of the optimal parameters of FES frequency, amplitude, and pulse width to reduce spasticity is required
Assessment of dinoflagellate diversity using DNA metabarcoding reveals toxic dinoflagellate species in Australian coastal waters
No full textHarmful algal blooms (HABs) present severe risks to marine ecosystems, wildlife, human health and economies globally. This study investigates the diversity and abundance of the primary HAB group—dinoflagellates—in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia, a region notable for its ecological uniqueness and high susceptibility to HABs. By employing DNA metabarcoding targeting the 18S rRNA V8-V9 regions, we aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of dinoflagellate communities across various substrates and locations, identifying both toxic and non-toxic species. Our findings revealed 66 distinct genera, including known toxin producers such as Alexandrium, Gambierdiscus, Karenia and Prorocentrum, with some toxic species detected in Australian waters for the first time. Additionally, we assessed the abundance of these toxic species and examined the influence of environmental factors on their occurrence. This study emphasises the importance of ongoing monitoring and ecological assessments to manage HAB impacts in vulnerable coastal areas such as Hervey Bay
The challenges of using fish cells for cultivated seafood production
No full textContinuing population growth is increasing nutritional demand and applying pressure to the world’s finite resources. The current food systems struggle with sustainability, especially regarding protein sources. To address this, organisations have invested in developing novel sources of protein, such as lab-grown cultivated foods. Most of these efforts have focussed on the cultivated meat industry but neglect the emerging cultivated seafood industry. Arguably, seafood has a greater impact on protein availability and sustainability and should be a priority. Nonetheless, several technical barriers exist to produce cultivated seafood, and include a lack of established cell lines and specialised cell growth medium, that is affordable and sustainable. In addition, the application of this technology is difficult, due to public perception, ethical considerations, taste and food safety hurdles. Herein, we review the barriers that must be overcome by research institutions, companies, and stakeholders so that products can be introduced to the mainstream consumer market
Exploring the Vulnerability of ECG-Based Authentication Systems Through A Dictionary Attack Approach
No full textElectrocardiogram (ECG)-based authentication has gained popularity recently, but its security measures have not been thoroughly explored. In this paper, we explore dictionary attacks against ECG authentication systems. We attempt to spoof the victim’s ECG model without prior knowledge of the victim’s ECG information. We investigated the feasibility of identifying a “master” collection of ECG signals that may coincide with ECG verification templates saved by authenticated users. Our experiments in four different ECG verification schemes show that these master ECG signals can effectively impersonate the ECG verification profiles of a wide range of users. These findings highlight significant vulnerabilities in current ECG-based authentication systems and can be used to strengthen ECG-based authentication systems
Hindrances to Tighter Interprofessional Collaboration in Singapore: A Qualitative Study on Primary and Secondary School Counsellors
No full textInterprofessional collaboration (IPC) is defined as the process by which professionals from different roles coordinate their efforts to provide a smooth, coherent delivery of services. In this study the current literature on the Singapore context through the perspectives of school counsellors was highlighted. This study aims to enhance understanding of the nature of IPC and identify factors that hinder and facilitate IPC. A qualitative study design was employed, conducting face-to-face and online semi-structured interviews with 10 school counsellors who are working/had worked in mainstream primary and secondary schools in Singapore. Reflective thematic analysis was utilised for data analysis. Three main themes relating to the nature of IPC emerged: (1) School Counsellors Recognised the Essentiality of IPC, (2) Evolving Relationships, and (3) Adapting to Multifaceted and Dynamic Situations. Subthemes related to factors influencing IPC. The three main themes contributed to the overarching theme, Struggles of Engaging in IPC, that school counsellors faced, whereby their strong desire to collaborate was hindered by barriers faced. Implications to research and practise are discussed
Compilation of riverine water quality data from the Great Barrier Reef catchment area, northeastern Australia
No full textThis manuscript describes the collation of available water quality data from the freshwater reaches of surface streams within the Great Barrier Reef catchment area, northeastern Australia. This compilation represents one of the most comprehensive online datasets for historical tropical and subtropical freshwater quality around the world. We document the criteria for selection of the data and associated publications as well as the processes of data cleaning used to produce a qualitative assessment of the datasets. The final compilation includes 41 individual datasets that collectively report 466 sites and contain over 26,000 discrete water quality sample records totaling more than 350,000 unique water quality results. Finally, we outline the nuances of the data that end users need to take into account when combining them for spatial and temporal analyses. The dataset ensures that these valuable water quality data collected over the past four decades are preserved for the next generations of researchers, practitioners, management agencies and policy makers
Ubuntu philosophy, values, and principles: An opportunity to do social work differently
No full textSummary:
Rising immigration and increasing cultural diversity globally highlight the need to decolonize social work and challenge the hegemony of Western-centric cultural and epistemological foundations. This article explores how Ubuntu philosophy can serve as a global decolonizing framework in social work education and practice. Using a reflective conceptual analysis process, we explored Ubuntu as an alternative paradigm for social work educators, researchers, practitioners, and students. Ubuntu's core values—relationality, collective responsibility, communal accountability, social justice, recognition, and reciprocity—offer a unique framework that sets it apart from other philosophies.
Findings:
We propose embracing Ubuntu’s core principles to enrich social work knowledge, theories, and practice, decolonizing and addressing gaps left by Western approaches. We argue that integrating the core values of Ubuntu philosophy can significantly enhance social work practices.
Applications:
This article contributes to ongoing discussions on decolonization and the importance of epistemological diversity in redefining social work and exploring new ways of practice
Lessons from the implementation of the Australian 2016 prostate specific antigen testing clinical practice guidelines: a descriptive study
No full textIntroduction: In 2025, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australia, regardless of gender, and is the second most common cause of cancer death despite the opportunities for cure. In 2016, Australian Clinical Practice Guidelines for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) testing were published to improve early detection and management of prostate cancer. This study reports on a public consultation into the implementation and impact of these guidelines on prostate cancer diagnosis and outcomes.
Methods: Thematic analysis of responses from a public consultation conducted in accordance with best-practice guideline development processes. A national Call for Submissions, using a coordinated public notification strategy, was made, inviting consumers with an interest in PSA testing for prostate cancer to share their experiences via an online platform. Seven questions were posed to all respondents.
Results: Consumers described the 2016 Guidelines as ineffective based on negative message framing, lack of uptake of the guidelines by key primary care groups, and low community awareness. Although a small number of men reported that they were able to access early detection and subsequent curative treatment, the majority of men reported missed opportunities for testing, resulting in diagnoses with late-stage disease. Suggestions for future successful implementation included a consumer companion to the guidelines, regular guideline review, a national education and awareness program, and targeted education for health professionals.
Conclusions: Australia's future response to the growing burden of prostate cancer rests on key stakeholders across the health system to ensure alignment and compliance with updated Guidelines. Effective implementation of such guidelines in the future requires a well-resourced education and awareness program for both the lay and clinician communities, and consistency in adoption and practice across key medical groups
Able But Unwilling: Intelligence is Associated with Earlier Puberty and Yet Slower Reproduction
No full textPurpose: Research using system integrity theory (SIT) has shown that more intelligent men have higher-quality semen, which is puzzling because although reproductive capability should predict fertility, more intelligent men have fewer children. The current research addresses this puzzle by highlighting the distinct obligate and facultative outcomes that emerge when SIT is integrated with life history theory (LHT) and evolutionary novelty theory (ENT). Specifically, we propose that SIT accounts for more rigidly obligate physiological traits whereas LHT encompasses both obligate traits and flexibly facultative behaviors and, thus, permits the ENT-driven expectation that brighter individuals would act in evolutionarily novel ways—e.g., slower reproduction despite possessing capacities for faster reproduction.
Methods: We examined this logic using another obligate reproductive trait: the timing of puberty. Based on our proposed synthesis of SIT, LHT, and ENT, we tested the prediction that more intelligent people would experience puberty earlier and yet have sex later, engage in less sexual activity, and have fewer children using two nationally representative and generationally distinct samples from the NCDS and Add Health.
Results: Data across both samples confirmed that higher intelligence predicted earlier puberty and indicators of slower reproduction over and above several potential confounds, thus constituting a robust validation of our propositions.
Conclusions: Findings are discussed with regards to the importance of considering the interplay between obligate and facultative traits, particularly when opposing directions might occur due to evolutionarily novel preferences associated with intelligence, as well as in the context of evolutionary mismatch in modern settings. Future directions inspired by this novel synthesis are offered
Genetic parameters and genotype by environment interaction for harvest traits of Malabar red snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus)
No full textMalabar red snapper (Lutjanus malabaricus) is a tropical fish farmed in Singapore and Southeast Asia. Currently, eggs are produced in open net cages without controlled breeding, and no breeding program exists. The industry needs access to high-quality eggs from genetically improved stocks, highlighting the importance of developing a breeding program. However, fundamental genetic information, such as heritability and genetic correlations, is needed before implementing such a program. In this study, 2547 Malabar red snappers were genotyped using a custom Axiom 70k Red Snapper SNP array across three different rearing sites in Singapore. The body weight (BW), total length (TL), body depth (BD), Fulton's condition factor (K), body shape index (BSI) and skin redness (CIELAB *a values; Cla) of the fish were collected at harvest when fish were 18 months old. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) of all fish samples were 635.1 ± 222.7 g (BW), 327.0 ± 39.4 mm (TL), 115.2 ± 14.4 mm (BD), 1.76 ± 0.23 (K), 3.63 ± 0.24 (BSI) and 4.6 ± 2.9 (Cla). Heritabilities (h2), genetic correlations (rg) and genotype by environment interactions (GxE interaction) were estimated using BLUPF90 with an animal mixed model using the genomic relationship matrix (GRM). Heritabilities were observed to be moderate for BW (0.29 ± 0.03), TL (0.30 ± 0.03), BD (0.39 ± 0.05), K (0.21 ± 0.03) and BSI (0.21 ± 0.03), but low for Cla (0.04 ± 0.02). High genetic correlations were present among both growth (BW, TL and BD, rg ≥ 0.90) and body-shape traits (K and BSI, rg = 0.91), but lower for comparisons between growth (BW and BD) and body-shape traits (K and BSI) (0.21 ± 0.10 to 0.43 ± 0.09). These results indicate that both harvest growth traits and body shape of Malabar red snapper could be improved via selective breeding programs, although selection of fast growers might not maximize the genetic gain for K and BSI. In contrast, the low h2 of red colouration suggested that environmental factors (e.g. dietary carotenoids) rather than genetic effects may be primarily responsible for the phenotypic variation observed in skin redness. Moderate GxE interactions were observed for BW (0.45 ± 0.25 to 0.60 ± 0.27), TL (0.31 ± 0.24 to 0.57 ± 0.27), BD (0.40 ± 0.24), K (0.36 ± 0.25 to 0.73 ± 0.91) and BSI (0.73 ± 0.26) among the three rearing sites, suggesting that a single breeding program may not deliver equal genetic gains for all farms alike, and that genomic selection algorithms should be trained on the rearing site where animals are to be farmed. In conclusion, the present study provided valuable information for the design of future selective breeding programs for Malabar red snapper