50716 research outputs found
Sort by
Sustainable Food Security and Nutritional Challenges
No full textFood security is an immensely complex issue connected to global food production and supply systems. One of the key challenges is to provide sufficient, safe, and nutritionally balanced food for everyone on the planet. It is closely linked to many factors including population growth, poverty, economic stability, and environmental sustainability. Currently, the world population is growing at an unprecedented rate, placing immense pressure on food production systems. Thus, meeting the increasing demand for food presents a significant challenge for the current global agriculture and food systems. The World Food Program reported that over 345 million people faced high levels of food insecurity in 2023. Additionally, 2 billion people are living with micronutrient deficiencies (such as vitamin A, iron, and iodine). Over time, a severely restricted food intake can cause malnutrition and reduce the lifespan. On the other hand, nearly 2 billion adults worldwide are overweight or obese. Global emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic and war zones have complicated the situation and resulted in increased hunger, lower immunity, increased infectious disease, and increased rates of early mortality. Furthermore, climate changes are disrupting traditional growing seasons, increasing the frequency of extreme weather events, and posing a serious threat to crop yields. This scenario warrants adaptation of sustainable and resilient agriculture and food systems is crucial for improved and sustainable food security
An invasive pathogen generally contracts species to their niche cores, not margins
No full textQuantifying how species' distributions contract in response to threats can reveal pathways of decline and the role of environmental conditions in moderating threat impacts. Two general patterns of niche contraction have been described: ecological marginalization, where species contract away from threat impacts to peripheral, sub-optimal areas of their niche, and; contraction to the core, where species contract toward their niche center where their fitness and capacity to withstand threat impacts is highest. Recent work has described widespread ecological marginalization in declining mammal species, for which land use change and overexploitation are key threats. Different threatening processes could result in contrasting patterns of niche contraction, although this has not been well-studied. Here, we examine patterns of realized niche contraction in Australian frog species impacted by the emergence of chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, a pathogen that has driven catastrophic amphibian declines globally. We quantified changes in species' environmental niche space following chytrid emergence and documented a pattern of contraction toward the niche core in declining species. We develop and apply a novel approach to show that these niche contractions are driven by losses in a subset of niche space, suggesting population extinctions due to chytrid are driven by factors shaping both pathogen fitness (threat impact) and host fitness (threat tolerance). Species declines have been concentrated in high elevation areas with cooler temperatures, which are more physiologically suitable for the pathogen and constrain the resilience of frog hosts at both individual and population levels. Given the contrast between our results and widespread ecological marginalization in mammals, we propose that while a given threat may result in common patterns of decline among affected species, patterns of decline may vary considerably between threatening processes and among taxa.</p
Community cleaner air spaces during landscape fire events:What do we know?
No full textThis commentary summarises current evidence, guidelines, and research and policy gaps in relation to the implementation and use of community cleaner air spaces (CCASs). CCASs may be established by jurisdictional health authorities or local governments during periods of severe and prolonged poor air quality, usually as a result of landscape fire smoke, with the aim of reducing smoke exposure across communities. We found very limited published evidence evaluating their establishment, use, effectiveness (both for reducing exposures and improving health outcomes) and their reach into higher-risk populations. Few guidelines exist to assist government agencies to set up a CCAS and effectively communicate their benefits to the community. In a warming world, with increasing risks of landscape fires, urgent research is needed to evaluate this potentially useful climate adaptation response and translate this evidence into policy and action
Dispossession cycles and resistance: Historical continuums in the deportation of First Nations peoples
No full textThis article surveys the historical and contemporary context of Indigenous peoples’ entanglement in systems of criminal justice and migration control. Government attempts to remove First Nations peoples from Australia under visa cancellation provisions present a striking contemporary development in border control. Despite the High Court of Australia’s ruling that ‘Aboriginal Australians’ cannot be ‘aliens’ and therefore subject to visa cancellation provisions, Indigenous peoples continue to be targeted for exclusion and subject to the gaze of border control authorities. We use documentary research and draw on two case studies to explore the historical use of deportation to target First Nations peoples. We identify previous attempts to achieve law reform to rectify past injustices and prevent Indigenous peoples from being caught up in migration laws aimed at excluding non-citizens. We review the extensive literature on Love v Commonwealthand analyse the expanded visa cancellation provisions that have resulted in increased numbers of people being targeted for removal, and removed, from Australia. When analysed against the long shadow of colonisation, we argue that these applications of criminal and migration law represent a continuation of attempted exclusion and dispossession that has been, and continues to be, actively resisted by Indigenous peoples. In analysing the cyclical nature of dispossession and its resistance, the complex interaction of criminal and migration law can be seen to have created novel impacts for First Nations peoples in Australia
The effects of L-theanine consumption on sleep outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
No full textSummary This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of L-theanine, a non-proteinogenic amino acid found in tea, on sleep outcomes. Literature searches were conducted in five electronic databases (APA PsycINFO, CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science), and one register (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from inception until September 2024. Randomised controlled trials investigating the effects of L-theanine supplementation on sleep quality in humans of all ages and health status were included. Nineteen articles (N = 897 participants) were selected and 18 included in the meta-analysis. L-theanine was shown to significantly improve subjective sleep onset latency (SMD = 0.15, 95% CI [0.01, 0.29], p = 0.04; n = 10 studies), subjective daytime dysfunction (SMD = 0.33, 95% CI [0.16, 0.49], p < 0.001; n = 9 studies), and overall subjective sleep quality score (SMD = 0.43, 95% CI [0.04, 0.83], p = 0.03; n = 12 studies). The findings indicate the potential use of L-theanine in the management of sleep disturbances; however, the lack of studies on “pure” L-theanine warrants further investigation. Future studies are needed to determine the adequate dose and duration of L-theanine supplementation for improving and maintaining sleep quality in healthy and clinical populations
Season and Flow Drive Productivity of a Regulated River
Get PDFFlow regimes of river ecosystems worldwide have undergone substantial changes because of water resource development, altering the way in which organic matter is generated and cycled throughout entire river catchments. Flow–ecology studies have focused on structural variables measured at small spatial scales. This creates a challenging mismatch when applying adaptive flow management for ecosystem functioning at a catchment or regional scale. Here, we sought to inform flow management by evaluating the drivers of ecosystem metabolism in a regulated river and assessing our ability to predict metabolism at unmonitored locations. We estimated rates of ecosystem metabolism from high-frequency monitoring of dissolved oxygen concentration at eight sites on the Lachlan River of Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin. We then applied a spatio-temporal stream network model to predict metabolism at unmonitored locations using only remotely sensed and gauging station predictor variables. Gross primary productivity (GPP) was higher at sites with lower mean annual discharge, and strong seasonal patterns in rates of productivity tended to be disrupted by rising flows. Similarly, ecosystem respiration (ER) was higher at sites with lower mean annual discharge and lower annual flow variation, but increased slightly in response to higher daily flows. Predictions at validation sites were generally accurate, albeit with substantial site-to-site variation. Our results suggest that flow changes may have altered metabolic rates from conditions prior to water abstraction and dam construction. These findings will assist in managing flows for ecosystem function outcomes and support extrapolation from monitored sites to the broad scales required for evaluating catchment-scale outcomes of river management.</p
Provenancing ancient materials with lead isotopes:overlap uncovered
Get PDFLead isotope analysis has been used to provenance metals such as lead, silver and bronze for many decades. Different approaches to interpret lead isotope ratios were proposed, and various limitations of the method have been discussed and addressed. Overlap in composition between different possible ore sources is always mentioned as a major limitation in lead isotope studies. However, it has never been comprehensively studied using a multivariate statistical approach. In this paper, the kernel density estimation (KDE) approach previously proposed by the authors is applied to calculate overlap between possible ore source regions. Firstly, the copper and lead ores of the same regions are compared, to assess if they are consistent and thus can be combined to increase sample size for provenance studies. Secondly, the pair-wise overlap between all the mining regions is calculated to determine if the distinction can actually be made between those ore fields. The use of one-dimensional KDE’s is very effective for calculation and assessment of the overlap between ore sources. This study argues that merging the lead and copper ore data might increase the reliability of a region’s KDE’s in most cases, but the overlap should be assessed beforehand. Furthermore, the study provides useful tools to verify for every pair of possible ore sources if it is theoretically possible to discriminate between them, and to what extent.</p
Innovations in X-ray tube design and instrumentation for conventional radiological applications:a scoping review
No full textThis scoping review explores the advancements in diagnostic X-ray tube technology and instrumentation for radiological applications over the past decade. A PRISMA-ScR-guided search strategy was employed across three electronic databases, focusing on studies published between 2014 and 2024. The search criteria included the beam-shaping capability, beam quality characteristics, and radiation dose analysis reported in studies on novel X-ray tube designs for operation at diagnostic ionizing X-ray beam energies. Data extraction followed a comprehensive process aligned with PRISMA-ScR. The initial search identified 4,563 studies, 80 of which were selected for full-text assessment. The reviewed literature focuses on the advancements in conventional radiography, computed tomography, and mammography. The key areas of investigation included the development of multisource X-ray systems, optimization of focal spot characteristics, and enhancement of the beam quality through advanced filtration techniques. These advancements contribute to improved imaging performance, reduced patient radiation exposure, and enhanced diagnostic accuracy in clinical practice.</p
Consumer Experience of an Australian Multidisciplinary Long COVID Clinic That Incorporates Personalised Exercise Prescription:A Qualitative Analysis
No full textBACKGROUND: In Australia, Long COVID is prevalent in 5%-10% of COVID-19 cases. Few multidisciplinary services exist to support recovery from Long COVID. OBJECTIVE: To understand the consumer experience and acceptability of a novel Australian Long COVID Recovery Clinic, which incorporates personalised exercise prescription including respiratory and peripheral strengthening and carefully monitored cardiovascular training. DESIGN: Qualitative study; semi-structured interviews conducted by a researcher external to the clinic delivery. SETTING, PARTICIPANTS: A convenience sample of participants who have completed the Long COVID Recovery Clinic. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Major themes were identified by inductive thematic analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen participants were interviewed. 14/15 (93%) participants described the clinic model as acceptable or highly acceptable. Five core themes were identified, including (1) encouraging staff and light-filled facilities support recovery; (2) supervised exercise and pacing improve confidence with exercise; (3) peer support and group therapy augments recovery; (4) other services augment Long COVID recovery, and (5) importance of GP involvement in connection with clinic participation. Suggestions for improvement included extending the duration of the clinic programme beyond 2 months, reducing wait times by increasing staffing levels and adjusting the clinic schedule to broaden access options. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of participants found that the Long COVID Recovery Clinic, which incorporates both supervised exercise and pacing, is acceptable and would recommend it to others. From the consumer perspective, the Long COVID Recovery Clinic aids recovery alongside GP management through a combination of peer support and an individually tailored programme. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: A consumer was a highly valued member of our research team. She has been involved in study design, analysis, and interpretation. She has also been involved in editing the manuscript and provided advice to ensure the language used in the manuscript is sensitive to a consumer audience. As our consumer meets the authorship guidelines, we have included her as an author in this manuscript. We also intend to include our consumers in the dissemination of these results when published (e.g., social media). TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, ACTRN12622000719730.</p
Global, regional, and national prevalence of adult overweight and obesity, 1990–2021, with forecasts to 2050:a forecasting study for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Get PDFBackground: Overweight and obesity is a global epidemic. Forecasting future trajectories of the epidemic is crucial for providing an evidence base for policy change. In this study, we examine the historical trends of the global, regional, and national prevalence of adult overweight and obesity from 1990 to 2021 and forecast the future trajectories to 2050. Methods: Leveraging established methodology from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study, we estimated the prevalence of overweight and obesity among individuals aged 25 years and older by age and sex for 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2050. Retrospective and current prevalence trends were derived based on both self-reported and measured anthropometric data extracted from 1350 unique sources, which include survey microdata and reports, as well as published literature. Specific adjustment was applied to correct for self-report bias. Spatiotemporal Gaussian process regression models were used to synthesise data, leveraging both spatial and temporal correlation in epidemiological trends, to optimise the comparability of results across time and geographies. To generate forecast estimates, we used forecasts of the Socio-demographic Index and temporal correlation patterns presented as annualised rate of change to inform future trajectories. We considered a reference scenario assuming the continuation of historical trends. Findings: Rates of overweight and obesity increased at the global and regional levels, and in all nations, between 1990 and 2021. In 2021, an estimated 1·00 billion (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 0·989–1·01) adult males and 1·11 billion (1·10–1·12) adult females had overweight and obesity. China had the largest population of adults with overweight and obesity (402 million [397–407] individuals), followed by India (180 million [167–194]) and the USA (172 million [169–174]). The highest age-standardised prevalence of overweight and obesity was observed in countries in Oceania and north Africa and the Middle East, with many of these countries reporting prevalence of more than 80% in adults. Compared with 1990, the global prevalence of obesity had increased by 155·1% (149·8–160·3) in males and 104·9% (95% UI 100·9–108·8) in females. The most rapid rise in obesity prevalence was observed in the north Africa and the Middle East super-region, where age-standardised prevalence rates in males more than tripled and in females more than doubled. Assuming the continuation of historical trends, by 2050, we forecast that the total number of adults living with overweight and obesity will reach 3·80 billion (95% UI 3·39–4·04), over half of the likely global adult population at that time. While China, India, and the USA will continue to constitute a large proportion of the global population with overweight and obesity, the number in the sub-Saharan Africa super-region is forecasted to increase by 254·8% (234·4–269·5). In Nigeria specifically, the number of adults with overweight and obesity is forecasted to rise to 141 million (121–162) by 2050, making it the country with the fourth-largest population with overweight and obesity. Interpretation: No country to date has successfully curbed the rising rates of adult overweight and obesity. Without immediate and effective intervention, overweight and obesity will continue to increase globally. Particularly in Asia and Africa, driven by growing populations, the number of individuals with overweight and obesity is forecast to rise substantially. These regions will face a considerable increase in obesity-related disease burden. Merely acknowledging obesity as a global health issue would be negligent on the part of global health and public health practitioners; more aggressive and targeted measures are required to address this crisis, as obesity is one of the foremost avertible risks to health now and in the future and poses an unparalleled threat of premature disease and death at local, national, and global levels. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.</p