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The influence of perceptions and demographic factors on local support for protected areas
No full textLocal support for protected areas (PAs) is necessary for their long-term success and is important for participatory conservation and sustainable management of PAs. However, the support for PAs depends on several factors such as perceived benefits and costs from PAs, and demographic factors. We carried out 845 household surveys in two PAs of Nepal in the Himalayas and in a lowland area (Terai). Overall, local people were supportive of PAs and had high conservation awareness. Decision-tree analyses revealed that perceptions of benefits strongly influenced the support for PAs. Among socio-demographic variables, spatial location, ethnicity, and education status influenced the support for PAs. We recommend focusing on mitigating or reducing costs that arise from the management of PAs while also providing benefits to local people. This should be prioritized for distant communities that provided the least support for PAs
Factors That Influence Digital Health Implementation in Rural, Regional, and Remote Australia: An Overview of Reviews and Recommended Strategies
No full textIntroduction: Digital transformation can enhance health and healthcare delivery; however, its application in rural, regional, and remote (RRR) areas presents considerable, underexplored challenges. While the benefits of digital health for underserved areas are evident, we must understand and address the challenges to fully realise its impact.
Objective: To synthesise the evidence for factors influencing the implementation of digital health in RRR Australia and recommend implementation strategies to address barriers.
Design: An overview of existing reviews was conducted to identify relevant systematic and scoping reviews. Review quality was assessed using the AMSTAR-2 tool. Barriers and enablers to implementation were mapped using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), and strategies to address barriers were identified based on the Expert Recommendations for Implementation Change (ERIC).
Findings: Three reviews met the inclusion criteria; each was focused on telehealth and remote monitoring technologies. Influencing factors were identified across five CFIR domains, encompassing 16 barrier and 12 enabler constructs. While gaps in evidence on health outcomes were noted, the benefits of implementation, such as improved access to services, reduced travel, and enhanced patient satisfaction, were highlighted. The recommended implementation strategies involved tailoring interventions to local needs, fostering local leadership and advocacy, planning and structuring implementation, and mobilising resources.
Conclusion: This study identified key influencing factors and recommended implementation strategies to mitigate barriers. These strategies, if employed, could facilitate the successful implementation of digital health in RRR Australia
Integrating religion and spirituality with psychotherapy in a religiously diverse nation—A mixed methods study on client attitudes and experiences in Singapore
No full textObjectives: This study aimed to investigate clients’ perspectives on the integration of religion/spirituality (R/S) with psychotherapy in Singapore, a religiously diverse nation. It was hypothesized that clients would report R/S integration to have a positive impact (H1), initiate R/S discussions (H2), and their R/S and perception of the religious context would be associated with their attitudes towards R/S integrated psychotherapy (H3). A cross-sectional mixed-methods design was employed.
Methods: Participants were 275 Singapore psychotherapy clients (52.3% male, 46.9% female, 8% non-binary/third gender). Mean age was 34.93 years (SD = 9.95). Participants completed a questionnaire comprised of demographical items, psychotherapy experiences, various R/S-related measures and qualitative questions on considerations and opinions on R/S integrated psychotherapy.
Results: Clients reported that R/S integrated psychotherapy (RSIP) had a positive impact and that they were the main initiator. Considering R/S as supportive during adversity and perceptions of the religious context were associated with attitudes towards integration. Unexpectedly, R/S diversity appeared to have a facilitatory effect on RSIP. Qualitative findings revealed client’s experiences and perspectives, including their expectations towards therapists.
Conclusions: These findings highlight the importance of therapists’ R/S competency. In R/S diverse contexts, therapists may require greater sensitivity, openness, and the ability to work with clients holding diverse R/S beliefs
Help-seeking for emotional support in the perinatal period: A behaviour sequence analysis
No full textBackground: The perinatal period is associated with an increased risk of maternal psychological distress. Following childbirth, mothers often seek emotional support from
informal sources before accessing formal services. However, there is limited research on the temporal dynamics of maternal help-seeking behaviours. Thus, this exploratory study aims to 1) map the behavioural pathways that perinatal women follow when seeking emotional support and 2) evaluate the outcomes of these interactions.
Methods: Australian mothers (n = 138 to date), 18+ years of age, who are pregnant or who have previously given birth were invited to complete an online questionnaire or phone interview. Participants were prompted to provide a detailed timeline of a memorable episode in their most recent perinatal period where they sought emotional support from at least one person, group, or organisation. Prompts pertained to the source(s) of support, mode of contact, nature of the support(s) provided (e.g., informational, practical) and perceived satisfaction with each interaction.
Results: Data collection and analysis are still underway. Behaviour Sequence Analysis (1) will be used to map pathways between help-seeking behaviours in a flow diagram. Furthermore, a content analysis will be conducted to analyse the outcomes of the help-seeking interactions.
Conclusions: Project findings are anticipated to elucidate perinatal mothers’ patterns of emotional help-seeking and how the provision of supports (mode, nature and perceived satisfaction) influences further help-seeking behaviours. Implications may pertain to the development of perinatal support interventions and guidelines for formal service providers
Exposure to low doses of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis reveals variation in resistance in the Critically Endangered southern corroboree frog
No full textEmerging infectious diseases, such as chytridiomycosis caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), pose a significant extinction threat to amphibians, including the Critically Endangered southern corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree). Understanding phenotypic variation in Bd susceptibility is important for developing and applying novel conservation strategies, such as selective breeding, to enhance disease resistance and support population recovery. In one of the largest experimental Bd challenge studies to date, we exposed 972 juvenile P. corroboree bred to represent the extant genetic diversity of the species, encompassing all 15 historical populations. Across three replicate experiments, survival rates ranged from 44 % to 74 %, with frogs from one zoo exhibiting higher mortality. Notably, 21–47 % of Bd-exposed frogs remained uninfected, suggesting significant phenotypic variation in disease resistance in this population. Among infected frogs, disease progression varied, with most reaching terminal stages within 69 days (range: 33–97 days), though a few individuals maintained stable infection loads without developing clinical chytridiomycosis. Experimental factors, such as age, size, and body condition, did not consistently predict survival or infection rates across experiments. While younger and smaller frogs were generally more susceptible, the effects of these factors varied across replicates, highlighting the importance of large sample sizes and repeated experiments to capture phenotypic variation in susceptibility. These findings suggest that a subset of P. corroboree may possess the capacity to resist or tolerate low-dose Bd exposure, offering potential for selective breeding programs to improve conservation outcomes. The dataset generated from this study will be instrumental in guiding breeding strategies that strengthen conservation efforts for this critically endangered, iconic amphibian
Improving lipid utilization and growth through lecithin inclusion in diets for giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus)
No full textGiant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) is a culturally and economically significant farmed fish species in Asia and an emerging aquaculture species in Australia. However, the historical reliance on ‘trash fish’ as feed has hindered the development of species-specific formulated diets. Preliminary findings suggest that methionine and choline influence lipid metabolism, highlighting the need to re-evaluate dietary lipid levels for optimal growth. Building on these findings, this study examined how dietary lipid levels and phospholipid (lecithin) inclusion interact to influence lipid metabolism and growth performance in E. lanceolatus. Six isoproteic diets (44.47 ± 0.05 % protein) were formulated with 10 % or 15 % lipid and 0, 0.5 %, or 1 % lecithin inclusion. The results showed that increasing lipid content from 10 % to 15 %, combined with 1 % lecithin inclusion, enhanced weight gain by 12.14 %. This growth-promoting effect was associated with elevated circulating triglycerides and altered cholesterol and glucose levels, suggesting improved lipid transport and utilization. In contract, no growth improvement was observed with 0 % or 0.5 % lecithin inclusion. These findings demonstrate the critical role of lecithin in optimizing lipid metabolism and growth performance in juvenile E. lanceolatus, providing a foundation for sustainable, species-specific diet formulations
Walking training decreases cardiovascular load after walking to maximal intermittent claudication in patients with peripheral artery disease
No full textPURPOSE: This study investigated whether: 1) walking training (WT) changes cardiovascular load after walking until maximal intermittent claudication (IC) in patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD); and 2) acute and chronic cardiovascular responses to walking were related to each other.
METHODS: A randomized, controlled, parallel-group design was employed. Thirty-two men with PAD and IC were randomly assigned to one of two groups: WT (n=16) or control (CO, n=16) twice a week for 12 weeks. The WT group completed 15, 2-min bouts of walking at moderate intensity interspersed with 2-min upright resting intervals per session. The CO group completed 30 minutes of stretching per session. At Baseline and after 12 weeks, both groups underwent a progressive walking session to maximal IC (3.2 km/h, 2% increase in grade every 2 min). Systolic blood pressure (BP), diastolic BP, heart rate (HR), and rate pressure product (RPP) were measured pre- and post-walking. Data were analyzed by three-way mixed ANOVAs. Pearson correlations were used to explore the association between the acute and chronic responses.
RESULTS: WT significantly reduced pre- and post-walking systolic BP (p0.05).
CONCLUSION: In patients with PAD, WT decreased cardiovascular load assessed before and after walking to maximal IC. Furthermore, the acute and chronic cardiovascular responses to walking were not associated. Thus, WT may reduce the risk of immediate post-walking cardiac events in susceptible patients
Beyond decolonising doctoral education: Alternatives for doctoral scholars
No full textHigher education institutions, doctoral scholars and advisors are increasingly turning to decolonising theories as way to interrogate dominant knowledge production practices. While this theoretical paradigm enables scholars to ask questions around who has benefited from research, the scholarship is constrained by conceptual limitations often left unexamined. This chapter examines the decolonising doctoral education movement, mapping the opportunities and limitations for those wanting to engage with colonialism’s aftermath, and outlines alternatives for doctoral students wanting to move beyond decolonising paradigms. By engaging with a broader range of theoretical tools, we argue that possibilities exist for doctoral students to contribute to a scholarship that can navigate the legacy of colonial knowledge production without becoming trapped by or trying to escape these legacies
Navigating Challenges and Charting Solutions of Water Issues in Southeast Asia
No full text[Extract] Water-related challenges are intensifying worldwide. Issues such as water scarcity, pollution, and flooding are becoming more severe, often driven by unsustainable development, population growth, and extreme weather events. South-
east Asia faces such challenges of burgeoning population and rapidly changing environmental conditions, with additional regional complexities due to its unique confluence of environmental, social, and economic factors. Water has long shaped the
cultural uniqueness of this region, from the ancient water temples in Indonesia and Cambodia as agricultural centers of water to state-of-the-art water reclamation plants today serving water-stressed Singapore. Correspondingly, solutions to the
region’s current water challenges must be interdisciplinary and tailored to the region’s specific contexts
The mental health impact of climate change on Pacific Islanders: A systematic review focused on sea level rise and extreme weather events
No full textObjective: This systematic review investigates the impact of climate change on the mental health of Pacific Island Nations (PINs), with a focus on identifying culturally tailored interventions and appropriate research methodologies to address these impacts.
Method: A systematic review of peer-reviewed literature up to May 18, 2024, was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) protocol and the Population, Interest Area, and Context (PICo) framework. Empirical studies on the impact of climate change on mental health in PINs were evaluated by using the Quality Assessment Tool for Studies with Diverse Designs (QATSDD).
Results: Six studies from the Solomon Islands, Cook Islands, and Tuvalu were identified, indicating significant mental health impacts from sea level rise (SLR) and extreme weather events with compounding and mitigating effects across diverse groups. The Skills for Life Adjustment and Resilience (SOLAR) program was highlighted as a promising culturally adapted intervention.
Conclusion: Climate change significantly impacts mental health, particularly in PIN communities facing SLR and Extreme Weather Events (EWE). Culturally sensitive interventions, local knowledge, and further research are vital to mitigate these effects and support well-being