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The microbiome of diabetic foot ulcers : comparison of sampling methods and the effects of debridement
No full textBacterial burden in diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) can influence the non-healing of wounds. This study compared methods for sampling DFUs and concluded that the standardised non-invasive Levine swab method provides adequate coverage of DFU microbiomes. Many more bacterial genera were identified using 16s rRNA sequencing compared to traditional culture techniques. The microbiome of DFUs was investigated pre and post debridement, a clinical procedure used to clean the ulcer bed. Post debridement effects of sharp, ultrasound and surgical single session debridements were compared and produced some significant decreases in bacterial abundance and increases in diversity, but a range of pathogens remained in most wounds. Serial debridement was more effective than a single debridement session. Efficacious treatment requires a greater knowledge of the complex changes in microbial communities in DFUs
Utilizing a hospital based setting to increase organ donor registrations
No full textBackground:
Shortages of organs for transplantation is a concern for many countries. In Australia’s “opt-in” system, people register their donation decision on the Australian Organ Donor Register (AODR) in their own time, yet less than 30% of the population have done so. Consent registrations are honored by the next-of-kin in 90% of cases, so increasing registrations will increase donated organs for transplantation. This study investigated the efficacy of offering an immediate registration opportunity in 2 hospitals, and the role that beliefs about organ donation play in registration behavior. Methods:
An immediate registration opportunity was offered at a public and private hospital in NSW, Australia. Participants (N = 168) categorized as medical/healthcare (e.g. doctor, nurse) and nonhealthcare (e.g. teacher, chef) completed a measure of beliefs about organ donation, were encouraged to discuss their fears and concerns about organ donation, and given an immediate opportunity to register on the AODR. Results:
81.5% of medical/ healthcare participants who were eligible registered, and 71.5% of all eligible participants registered on the spot. Beliefs about the negative consequences of donation and concerns over the medical care given to potential donors predicted (non) registration. Medical/healthcare participants reported lower levels of fears and concerns than nonhealthcare participants. Although both groups reported strong positive beliefs about donation, these did not predict registration. Conclusions:
Offering an immediate registration opportunity in 2 hospitals notably increased the number of registrations on the Australian Organ Donor Register, suggesting this is a strategy that could potentially increase registrations in opt-in donation systems
Site/sight/insight: becoming a socioecological learner through collaborative artmaking practices
No full textThe implications of Neoliberalism on African economies, health outcomes and wellbeing: a conceptual argument
No full textNot only did the 2015 Ebola Outbreak in West African countries leave the whole of the sub-Saharan region with a sense of uncertainty and panic, it was also a stress test to Africa’s and the wider world’s capacity to respond to and mitigate humanitarian crises in the twenty-first century. One plausible conclusion drawn from the spread and impact of the pandemic is that the pace of health infrastructure development in sub-Saharan Africa has lagged behind its population and economic growth posted in the last decade (2003–2013). An exhaustive audit of health infrastructure and remedial measures is, therefore, critical in navigating Africa to sustainable growth and development in the next decade. For the next charge of growth and development to not only be robust but also more sustainable and resilient to major emergencies (such as Ebola), there is a need to edify the state of healthcare across the continent to ensure the optimisation of the human resource and to redress the gap aggravated by loss of human-hours due to poor health
Physiological changes in post-hatchling green turtles (Chelonia mydas) following short-term fasting: implications for release protocols
No full textRelocation of sea turtle nests and the retention of post-hatchlings for head-starting programs are both commonly used to improve conservation outcomes and facilitate eco-tourism ventures. Currently, there is little literature surrounding the husbandry protocols required during these programs to optimize post-release outcomes. To assess the impact of varied feeding regimes on exercise performance, (which will hereafter be referred to as ‘fitness’), 40 10-month-old captive post-hatchling green turtles (Chelonia mydas) were divided into four groups of 10 and fasted for either 3, 9, 10 or 15 h. The animals were then subjected to a fitness test via repetitive use of the ‘righting reflex’ on land. Health assessments were conducted prior to the fitness test, including; heart rate, haematocrit (Hct), heterophil to lymphocyte ratio and the measurement of 11 biochemical analytes, including pH, partial pressures of carbon dioxide (PvCO2) and oxygen (PvO2), lactate, bicarbonate (HCO3−), sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl−), ionized calcium (iCa2+), glucose and urea. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons and significant differences among groups were demonstrated for temperature, pH, HCO3−, iCa2+, urea and lactate. To investigate physiological relationships between analytes, correlation coefficients were calculated between fitness and glucose, fitness and lactate, glucose and lactate, pH and iCa2+, pH and K+, pH and PvCO2, pH and HCO3− and Hct and K+. Following correction for multiple comparisons, significant relationships were seen between pH and iCa2+ and pH and HCO3−. Post-hatchling turtles appear to enter a catabolic state when exposed to short-term fasting. While this did not have a direct impact on fitness, the production of an intense energetic output from a catabolic state may induce a physiological debt. This study suggests that handling that induces a physical response should be minimized and animals should be fed within 10 h of release
Exploring the leadership styles of event managers and variation in their attitudes towards volunteer training
No full textGiven highly dynamic organisational environments, effective leadership is crucial for growth and organisational success. This thesis explored leadership styles of event managers in Australia and their attitudes towards training event volunteers. Guided by the Full Range of Leadership Theory (FRLT), mixed methods were employed to explore event managers from events across the eastern seaboard of Australia. While findings revealed that the majority of participants predominantly displayed transformational leadership styles, a flexible approach to leadership within events was found to be necessary. Other extraneous factors imposed upon event managers often necessitates them to adapt their natural leadership style to emergent circumstances
Exploring the feasibility, sustainability and the benefits of the GrACE + GAIT exercise programme in the residential aged care setting
No full textBackground The feasibility and benefits of a 24-week targeted progressive supervised resistance and weight-bearing exercise programme (Group Aged Care Exercise + GAIT (GrACE + GAIT)) in the residential aged care (RAC) setting was investigated as very little peer-reviewed research has been conducted in relation to exercise programmes of this duration in this cohort. Methods A quasi-experimental study design consisting of two groups (control and exercise) explored a 24-week targeted progressive supervised resistance and weightbearing exercise programme (GrACE + GAIT) in two RAC facilities in Northern New South Wales, Australia. A total of 42 adults consented to participate from a total of 68 eligible residents (61.7%). The primary outcome measures were feasibility and sustainability of the exercise programme via intervention uptake, session adherence, attrition, acceptability and adverse events. Secondary measures included gait speed and the spatio-temporal parameters of gait, handgrip muscle strength and sit to stand performance. Results Twenty-three residents participated in the exercise intervention (mean (SD) 85.4 (8.1) years, 15 females) and 19 in the control group (87.4 (6.6) years 13 females). Exercise adherence was 79.3%, with 65% of exercise participants attending ≥70% of the sessions; 100% of those originally enrolled completed the programme and strongly agreed with the programme acceptability. Zero exercise-related adverse events were reported. ANCOVA results indicated that post-intervention gait speed significantly increased (p \u3c 0.001) with an 18.8% increase in gait speed (m/s). Discussion The GrACE + GAIT programme was shown to be feasible and significantly improve adults living in RAC facilities gait speed, handgrip strength and sit to stand performance. These results suggest that the GrACE + GAIT programme is suitable for use in the RAC sector and that it has the potential to reduce disability and improve function and quality of life of the residents
Property, values, and the empirics of place
No full textDiverse property patterns yield unique ‘maps’ of community and place. This paper explores the grounded implications such maps reveal; to canvass the ways in which bespoke private, public and common land patterns inform the values and sense of place of material communities. To measure property values to geographic space is an amorphous and difficult task, akin to catching the early morning mist in your hands. Drawing on cartographic tools as well as emerging property theory, this paper proffers several benchmarks by which property’s diverse values may be measured in situ. It then applies these potential indicators to ‘worlded’ place; three communities in regional New South Wales, Australia. These case studies illustrate how property lines and commensurate property values may (or may not) correspond, and their implications for a community’s sense of self. They also suggest that property’s many narratives, both dominant and subordinate, are capable of empirical (albeit imaginative) mapping to place
Exploring theoretical engagement in empirical tour guiding research and scholarship 1980–2016: a critical review
No full textThis paper critically reviews the theoretical engagement of empirically-based tour guiding literature published in the tourism literature from 1980 to 2016, as a driver for future high-quality, rigorous research. An analysis of 140 empirical studies on tour guides and tour guiding during this period provides a foundation for identifying patterns, trends and gaps in relation to theory engagement. Engagement with theory has increased, particularly since 2010, however the trend is not consistent across variables such as study location and type/genre of tour guiding. The geographical location of tour guiding research is uneven with research predominantly undertaken in Western countries and Asia. A third of all empirically-based tour guiding journal papers were published in four high ranking, high impact tourism journals, and engagement with theory was generally greater for those studies published in high-ranked journals. An important finding is that theory is being used by tour guiding scholars to inform their research, but the testing, refinement and building of new theory is limited. A model depicting five key relationships that have been studied using theory in the tour guiding literature is presented. This model assists in identifying research gaps and opportunities for future research in this field of study
Limiting the rise in core temperature during a rugby sevens warm-up with an ice vest
No full textPurpose: Determine how a cooling vest worn during a warm-up could influence selected performance [counter movement jump (CMJ)], physical (GPS metrics) and psycho-physiological (body temperature and perceptual) variables.Methods: In a randomized crossover design, twelve elite male World Rugby Sevens Series athletes completed an outdoor (WBGT: 23-27°C) match-specific externally-valid 30 min warm-up wearing a phase change cooling vest (VEST) and without (CONTROL), on separate occasions 7 days apart. CMJ was assessed before and after the warm-up, with GPS indices and heart rate monitored during the warm-ups, whilst core temperature (Tc; ingestible telemetric pill; n = 6) was recorded throughout the experimental period. Measures of thermal sensation (TS) and comfort (TC) were obtained pre- and post-warm-ups, with rating of perceived exertion (RPE) taken post-warm-ups.Results: Athletes in VEST had a lower ΔTc [mean (SD) VEST 1.3°C (0.1°C); CONTROL 2.0°C (0.2°C)] from pre-warm-up to post-warm-up [effect size (ES) ± 90% confidence limit; -1.54; ±0.62] and Tc peak [mean (SD) VEST 37.8°C (0.3°C); CONTROL 38.5°C (0.3°C)] at the end of the warm-up (-1.59; ±0.64) compared to CONTROL. Athletes in VEST demonstrated a decrease in ΔTS (-1.59; ±0.72) and ΔTC (-1.63; ±0.73) pre- to post-warm-up, with a lower RPE post warm-up (-1.01; ±0.46), compared to CONTROL. Changes in CMJ and GPS indices were trivial between conditions (ES \u3c 0.2).Conclusions: Wearing the vest prior-to and during a warm-up can elicit favorable alterations in physiological (Tc) and perceptual (TS, TC and RPE) warm-up responses, without compromising the utilized warm-up characteristics or physical performance measures