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Effectiveness of five personal shark-bite deterrents for surfers
Get PDFThis is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.The number of shark-human interactions and shark bites per capita has been increasing since the 1980s, leading to a rise in measures developed to mitigate the risk of shark bites. Yet many of the products commercially available for personal protection have not been scientifically tested, potentially providing an exaggerated sense of security to the people using them. We tested five personal shark deterrents developed for surfers (Shark Shield Pty Ltd [Ocean Guardian] Freedom+ Surf, Rpela, SharkBanz bracelet, SharkBanz surf leash, and Chillax Wax) by comparing the percentage of baits taken, distance to the bait, number of passes, and whether a shark reaction could be observed. We did a total of 297 successful trials at the Neptune Islands Group Marine Park in South Australia, during which 44 different white sharks (Carcharodon carcharias) interacted with the bait, making a total of 1413 passes. The effectiveness of the deterrents was variable, with the Freedom+ Surf affecting shark behaviour the most and reducing the percentage of bait taken from 96% (relative to the control board) to 40%. The mean distance of sharks to the board increased from 1.6 ± 0.1 m (control board) to 2.6 ± 0.1 m when the Freedom Surf+ was active. The other deterrents had limited or no measurable effect on white shark behaviour. Based on our power analyses, the smallest effect size that could be reliably detected was ∼15%, which for the first time provides information about the effect size that a deterrent study like ours can reliably detect. Our study shows that deterrents based on similar principles—overwhelming a shark’s electroreceptors (the ampullae of Lorenzini) with electrical pulses—differ in their efficacy, reinforcing the need to test each product independently. Our results will allow private and government agencies and the public to make informed decisions about the use and suitability of these five products.The following grant information was disclosed by the authors:
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries Shark Management Strategy (SMS)
Competitive Annual Grants Program.
Government of South Australia.
Ocean Guardian Pty Ltd.
Neiser Foundation
Comparison of nutrient profiling models for assessing the nutritional quality of foods: a validation study
Get PDFThis is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Nutrient profiling (NP) is a method for evaluating the healthfulness of foods. Although many NP models exist, most have not been validated. This study aimed to examine the content and construct/convergent validity of five models from different regions: Australia/New Zealand (FSANZ), France (Nutri-Score), Canada (HCST), Europe (EURO) and Americas (PAHO). Using data from the 2013 UofT Food Label Information Program (n15342 foods/beverages), construct/convergent validity was assessed by comparing the classifications of foods determined by each model to a previously validated model, which served as the reference (Ofcom). The parameters assessed included associations (Cochran–Armitage trend test), agreement (κ statistic) and discordant classifications (McNemar’s test). Analyses were conducted across all foods and by food category. On the basis of the nutrients/components considered by each model, all models exhibited moderate content validity. Although positive associations were observed between each model and Ofcom (all Ptrend<0·001), agreement with Ofcom was ‘near perfect’ for FSANZ (κ=0·89) and Nutri-Score (κ=0·83), ‘moderate’ for EURO (κ=0·54) and ‘fair’ for PAHO (κ=0·28) and HCST (κ=0·26). There were discordant classifications with Ofcom for 5·3 % (FSANZ), 8·3 % (Nutri-Score), 22·0 % (EURO), 33·4 % (PAHO) and 37·0 % (HCST) of foods (all P<0·001). Construct/convergent validity was confirmed between FSANZ and Nutri-Score v. Ofcom, and to a lesser extent between EURO v. Ofcom. Numerous incongruencies with Ofcom were identified for HCST and PAHO, which highlights the importance of examining classifications across food categories, the level at which differences between models become apparent. These results may be informative for regulators seeking to adapt and validate existing models for use in country-specific applications.This work was supported by the Burroughs Wellcome Fund –
Innovation in Regulatory Science (T. P. and M. R. L., grant no.
1014187); Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Postdoctoral
Fellowship (M.-E. L., no. MFE-140953); Ontario Graduate
Scholarship Indigenous Scholar Award (C. M.); CIHR Frederick
Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarship (C. M.);
Mitacs Elevate Postdoctoral Fellowship (M. A., no. IT09168);
Endeavour Research Fellowship (K. M. D.); Foundation for High
Blood Pressure Research Early Career Research Transition Grant (K. M. D.); and Earle W. McHenry Research Chair unrestricted
research grant from the University of Toronto (M. R. L.)
What are we missing? Advantages of more than one viewpoint to estimate fish assemblages using baited video
Get PDFPublished by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted
use, provided the original author and source are credited.Counting errors can bias assessments of species abundance
and richness, which can affect assessments of stock structure,
population structure and monitoring programmes. Many
methods for studying ecology use fixed viewpoints (e.g. camera
traps, underwater video), but there is little known about
how this biases the data obtained. In the marine realm, most
studies using baited underwater video, a common method for
monitoring fish and nekton, have previously only assessed
fishes using a single bait-facing viewpoint. To investigate
the biases stemming from using fixed viewpoints, we added
cameras to cover 360° views around the units. We found
similar species richness for all observed viewpoints but the
bait-facing viewpoint recorded the highest fish abundance.
Sightings of infrequently seen and shy species increased with
the additional cameras and the extra viewpoints allowed the
abundance estimates of highly abundant schooling species to
be up to 60% higher. We specifically recommend the use of
additional cameras for studies focusing on shyer species or
those particularly interested in increasing the sensitivity of the
method by avoiding saturation in highly abundant species.
Studies may also benefit from using additional cameras to focus
observation on the downstream viewpoint.Funding for this project was provided by the Holsworth Wildlife Endowment Fund and DEWNR
The Intention of Men Who Have Sex With Men to Participate in Voluntary Counseling and HIV Testing and Access Free Condoms in Indonesia
Get PDFThis is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.This study aimed to identify factors that influenced the intention of men who have sex with men (MSM) to participate
in voluntary counseling and HIV testing (VCT) and in accessing free condoms. A qualitative inquiry using one-on-one
in-depth interviews was conducted with MSM participants who were recruited using a purposive sampling technique.
Data analysis was guided by a framework analysis for qualitative data by Ritchie and Spencer, and the Theory of Planned
Behavior (TPB) framework was used to analyze the data. The findings were grouped into three themes—namely, (a)
attitude encompassing knowledge about HIV/AIDS and HIV/AIDS services and the belief about the positive outcomes
of the services; (b) subjective norms including support from MSM peers and family members and motivation to comply
with the support; and (c) perceived behavioral control, which is associated with resource availability and having
confidence and positive intention to participate in VCT and willingness to access free condoms. Findings indicated that
personal, community, and structural factors were predictors to intention to accessing services. Interventions targeting
large numbers of MSM population and further studies to understand what needs to be done by nongovernmental
organizations and governmental institutions to halt the spread of HIV infections among MSM populations and increase
their intention to use HIV/AIDS services are also recommended.The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article
PPARγ is reduced in the airways of non-CF bronchiectasis subjects and is inversely correlated with the presence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Get PDFThis is an open
access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License, which
permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original
author and source are credited.Background
Chronic airway inflammation in conditions such as cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-CF bronchiectasis is characterised by a predominant neutrophilic inflammatory response, commonly due to the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa. We hypothesised that down-regulation of the anti-inflammatory nuclear transcription regulator peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ in non-CF bronchiectasis subjects may explain why this exuberant neutrophilic inflammation is able to persist unchecked in the inflamed airway.
Methods
PPARγ gene expression was assessed in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) of 35 macrolide naïve non-CF bronchiectasis subjects and compared with that in 20 healthy controls. Human RNA was extracted from pelleted BAL and PPARγ expression was determined by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR. Bacterial DNA was extracted from paired induced sputum and total bacterial load was determined by 16S rRNA qPCR. Quantification of individual bacterial species was achieved by qPCR.
Results
PPARγ expression was lower in subjects with non-CF bronchiectasis compared with healthy control subjects (control: 1.00, IQR 0.55–1.44, n = 20 vs. Bronchiectasis: 0.49, IQR 0.12–0.89; n = 35; p<0.001, Mann-Whitney U test). This lower PPARγ expression correlated negatively with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (r = -0.53, n = 31; p = 0.002). No significant association was seen between PPARγ and total bacterial levels or levels Haemophilus influenzae.
Conclusion
PPARγ is expressed in low levels in the airways of non-CF bronchiectasis subjects, despite an aggressive inflammatory response. This low level PPARγ expression is particularly associated with the presence of high levels of P. aeruginosa, and may represent an intrinsic link with this bacterial pathogen.GR is supported by a Matthew Flinders
Research Fellowship, and the study was funded by
Mater Respiratory Research Trust Fund, Mater
Foundation Betty McGrath Clinical Research
Fellowship (LDB)
Aspirin associated with risk reduction of secondary primary cancer for patients with head and neck cancer: A population-based analysis
Get PDFThis is an open access
article distributed under the terms of the Creative
Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in
any medium, provided the original author and
source are credited.As reported by the Taiwan Cancer Registry in 2013 squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck cancer (HNSCC) was the sixth most frequently diagnosed cancer and the 5th most common cause of cancer related death and its incidence and mortality rate is still rising. The co-occurrence of HNSCC and secondary primary cancer (SPC) and the chemopreventive effect of aspirin on certain malignancies had been reported. Therefore we conducted this national study to investigate the use of aspirin associated with risk reduction of secondary primary cancer for patients with head and neck cancer in Taiwan. We searched the Registry for Catastrophic Illness in the National Health Insurance Research Database (NHIRD) for 18,234 patients (3,576 aspirin users and 14,667 non-aspirin users) diagnosed with HNSCC during 2000–2005. The SPC incidence density during follow-up in 2000–2011 was compared between the groups. For HNSCC patients, aspirin use after diagnosis was significantly associated with SPC risk reduction by 25% (adjusted HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.63–0.89; p = 0.001) after multivariate analysis. In the subgroup analysis, we found that esophageal cancer and stomach cancer incidence were significantly reduced after aspirin use (adjusted HR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.41–0.90; p = 0.01 for esophageal cancer; adjusted HR, 0.27; 95% CI, 0.08–0.87; p = 0.03 for stomach cancer). Aspirin use for 1–3 years was associated with SPC risk reduction by 35% (adjusted HR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.49–0.87; p = 0.003). SPC risk reduction extended continuously for more than 3 years of follow up (adjusted HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.53–0.98; p = 0.030). Our data shows aspirin use was associated with reduced SPC incidence for HNSCC patients, attributed mainly to reduced risk of esophageal and stomach cancer.This work was funded by: 1. Taiwan
Ministry of Health and Welfare Clinical Trial and
Research Center of Excellence (MOHW105-TDU-B-
212-133019); 2. Taiwan Ministry of Science and
Technology (MOST105-2314-B-038-038); 3. China
Medical University Hospital, Academia Sinica
Taiwan Biobank Stroke Biosignature Project
(BM10501010037); 4. NRPB Stroke Clinical Trial Consortium (MOST 104-2325-B-039-005)
Gratitude, resignation and the desire for dignity: lived experience of food charity recipients and their recommendations for improvement, Perth, Western Australia
Get PDFThis is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/),
which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Objective: The present study explored recipients’ perceptions of food charity and
their suggested improvements in inner-city Perth, Western Australia.
Design: In-depth interviews were conducted with charitable food service (CFS)
recipients. Transcripts were thematically analysed using a phenomenological
approach.
Setting: Interviews were conducted at two CFS in inner-city Perth.
Subjects: Fourteen adults.
Results: The recipients’ journeys to a reliance on CFS were varied and
multifactorial, with poverty, medical issues and homelessness common. The
length of time recipients had relied on food charity ranged from 8 months to over
40 years. Most were ‘grateful yet resigned’, appreciative of any food and resigned
to the poor quality, monotony and their unmet individual preferences. They
wanted healthier food, more variety and better quality. Accessing services was
described as a ‘full-time job’ fraught with unreliable information and transport
difficulties. They called for improved information and assistance with transport.
‘Eroded dignity’ resulted from being fed without any choice and queuing for food
in public places, often in a volatile environment. ‘Food memories and inclusion’
reflected a desire for commensality. Recipients suggested services offer choice and
promote independence, focusing on their needs both physical and social.
Conclusions: Although grateful, long-term CFS recipients described what
constitutes a voluntary failure. Their service improvement recommendations can
help meet their nutritional and social needs. A successful CFS provides a food
service that prioritises nutritious, good-quality food and individual need, while
promoting dignity and social inclusion, challenging in the current Australian
context.This work was supported by Healthway, the
Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation, who
funded Curtin University to undertake this Special Research
Initiative entitled ‘Charitable Food Services and the Needs
of Homeless and Disadvantaged People’ (grant number
24266)
Prognostic value of myocardial deformation imaging by cardiac magnetic resonance feature-tracking in patients with a first ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction
Get PDFThis manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (May 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policyAim
Scarce data are available whether cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) assessment of myocardial deformation provides independent and incremental prognostic information in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). The aim of the present study was to investigate the prognostic utility of CMR feature-tracking derived left ventricular (LV) global circumferential strain (GCS) in STEMI patients.
Methods
A total of 180 patients (mean age 60 ± 12 years, 72% male) admitted because of a first STEMI were included. CMR with late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) imaging was performed to assess LV function, infarct size, and microvascular obstruction. The feature-tracking analysis was applied to cine-CMR short-axis images to assess LV GCS. Patients were followed-up for a median of 95 months. The outcome event was a composite endpoint including cardiovascular death, aborted sudden cardiac death, and hospitalization for heart failure.
Results
During follow-up, 40 (22%) patients experienced at least 1 event. After adjustment for other clinical and CMR imaging characteristics, LV GCS remained significantly and independently associated with the outcome event (HR 1.16 per %; 95% CI 1.07–1.25; p < 0.001). A significant increase of global χ2 was observed when adding LV GCS to a model including clinical and non-contrast CMR variables (χ2 change = 8.2; p = 0.004) and to a model including clinical, non-contrast and LGE variables (χ2 change = 4.8; p = 0.028).
Conclusion
LV GCS assessed by CMR feature-tracking can predict a worse long-term prognosis in patients admitted with a first STEMI. More importantly, the predictive ability of LV GCS is incremental to other clinical and CMR variables.The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose
Sleep duration and risk-taking in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFThis manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (March 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policyRisk-taking is associated with increased morbidity and mortality among adolescents, with insufficient sleep a potential factor contributing to heightened risk-taking propensity in this age group. A systematic review of the evidence examining the relationship between sleep duration and risk-taking in adolescents was conducted using PsycINFO, PubMed, Medline, Scopus, and CINAHL databases. These searches identified 26 studies including 579,380 participants, 24 of which were appropriate for meta-analysis. Pooled results indicated that insufficient sleep was associated with 1.43 [1.26, 1.62] times greater odds of risk-taking. This relationship was witnessed across diverse categories of risk-taking, including alcohol use, drug use, smoking, violent/delinquent behaviour, transport risk-taking/road safety, sexual risk-taking and trait risk-taking. Risk of bias analysis showed that the quality of the included studies was mixed. Further, few studies utilized either longitudinal or experimental designs, thus limiting causal conclusions. These findings highlight the importance of further research to examine the causal relationship between sleep duration and risk-taking and to elucidate the mechanisms that underpin this relationship
What is the impact on the role of Practice Nurse of the trial of Health Care Homes and the shift to bundle payments?
No full textThis abstract was prepared for the inaugural 'HDR Student Conference', Flinders University, November 2018. Copyright © the authorUsing a case study approach, my PhD will examine the impact of the Australian Federal Government's trial of Health Care Homes (HCH) (2018-2019) on the role of practice nurses using Alford's (1975) structural interest theory as the analytical lens. HCH is the most recent in a raft of reforms instigated by the Federal government over the last two decades in an attempt streamline care coordination and re-orientate general practice towards population focused multidisciplinary care of the chronically ill. Underlying the study are three assumptions. Firstly, the Federal government has attempted to reform general practice through a series of policy initiatives, none of which have fully achieved policy objectives. One example has been the funding of primary care organisations such as Divisions of General Practice, Medical Locals and Primary Health Care Networks. This has been coupled with the introduction of specific Medical Benefit Schedule items to encourage GPs to enhance and care of patients with chronic conditions; e.g. enhanced primary care packages which later became chronic disease management. The second assumption argues that these two policy directions have impacted on the professional status and position of practice nurses, mostly contributing to an expanded and enhanced role. The third assumption aligns with Alford's theory that various structural interests obstruct health reform. While Alfords theory has been aligned to a number of reforms, few have examined the impact on the role of the practice nurse as the three structural interest groups work to ensure the reforms meet their interests