19683 research outputs found
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Erythroblast enucleation at a glance
No full textErythroid enucleation, the penultimate step in mammalian erythroid terminal differentiation, is a unique cellular process by which red blood cells (erythrocytes) remove their nucleus and accompanying nuclear material. This complex, multi-stage event begins with chromatin compaction and cell cycle arrest and ends with generation of two daughter cells: a pyrenocyte, which contains the expelled nucleus, and an anucleate reticulocyte, which matures into an erythrocyte. Although enucleation has been compared to asymmetric cell division (ACD), many mechanistic hallmarks of ACD appear to be absent. Instead, enucleation appears to rely on mechanisms borrowed from cell migration, endosomal trafficking and apoptosis, as well as unique cellular interactions within the microenvironment. In this Cell Science at a Glance article and the accompanying poster, we summarise current insights into the morphological features and genetic drivers regulating the key intracellular events that culminate in erythroid enucleation and engulfment of pyrenocytes by macrophages within the bone marrow microenvironment.</p
Enfacement illusions: Filling a knowledge gap in eating disorder risk assessment, prevention, and intervention?
No full textBody image disturbance (BID) is central to eating disorders (EDs), yet the role of self-face perception has received limited empirical attention despite rising sociocultural pressures emphasizing facial appearance through technologies such as social media. Emerging evidence suggests impairments in self-face recognition accuracy and distorted perceptions of facial appearance among individuals with EDs. Enfacement illusions, involving the experimental induction of perceived ownership over another's face, offer a novel paradigm to comprehensively investigate the perceptual multisensory integration processes underlying self-face perception disturbances in ED populations. Such an approach may hold promise for elucidating core pathological mechanisms contributing to BID and ED psychopathology. We discuss how rigorous investigation of self-face perception through the enfacement illusion paradigm represents an innovative direction of research and/or clinical application that may advance etiological models of EDs and possibly inform interventions targeting the potentially multidimensional nature of body and facial image disturbances characterizing EDs. Public Significance Statement: Body image disturbance is central to eating disorders (EDs), yet, the role of face-related disturbances remains critically under-investigated. After summarizing findings on face-related disturbances in EDs we propose how enfacement illusions (i.e., the experimental induction of ownership over another's face) may elucidate self-face perception disturbances in EDs, and their underlying mechanisms. Enfacement illusions may also offer an intervention to potentially address multifaceted face and body image disturbances characterizing EDs.</p
Exemplar: OER-powered academic promotion application
No full textAn example of how OER projects can be used as supporting evidence for academic promotion applications. For the examples most relevant to this, please see:Supporting Evidence document: Appendix 5 and 6Academic Promotion Application: section titled Scholarship of Learning & Teaching </p
Women's Experiences of Gender-Based Interpersonal Violence in Sport: A Qualitative Meta-Synthesis
No full textViolence against women in sport is pervasive. Prevalence rates of interpersonal violence range from 26% to 74% across psychological, physical, and sexual violence. This review synthesizes adult women’s experiences of gender-based interpersonal violence in sport. A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted. Five databases were searched, including CINAHL, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO, and Sociological Abstracts. In total, 1,617 records were retrieved and screened. Twenty-five records representing 24 studies were eligible for inclusion. Following a meta-ethnographic approach, both authors synthesized first- (participants) and second-(researcher) order constructs to create a new interpretation (third-order construct) beyond the individual studies reviewed. A feminist socio-ecological lens was applied. Five themes were constructed: women’s safety work, the normalization of abusive behaviors in the sports context, sport family violence, organizational impotence and hostility, and women’s status in a patriarchal system. Women’s experiences of abuse are mapped within and across the individual, relational, organizational, and cultural levels of the socio-ecological model, with (lack of) power being a central factor within each level as well as flowing between the levels. A fifth socio-ecological level was developed pertaining to the unique context of sport—that of the sport family. This sits between the relational and organizational levels of the model and covers both intense familial relationships and patriarchal familial organizational structures in sport that facilitate and silence the abuse. Sporting bodies must co-design interventions encompassing all socio-ecological levels to address gender-based violence in sport
Modified fungal diversity in dense clay subsoils after deep-banding organic substrate
No full textContext: Deep-banded nutrient rich amendments can overcome crop productivity constraints of Australian dense clay subsoils. However, knowledge on essential microbial community in field trials is limited. Methods: We examined subsoils that had been deep-ripped 2 years earlier with various types of amendments (organic, a blend of organic and inorganic, and purely inorganic). Subsoil samples (15–25 cm) were collected encompassing the amendment band (0 cm), as well as at increasing distances from it (14 and 28 cm). Bacterial 16S rRNA, fungal ITS amplicon sequencing, and SOM/TOC measurements on amendment band samples were done to assess microbial communities. Key results: While no variations were detected in bacterial communities across treatments, soils enriched with organic substrates diverged significantly in fungal diversity compared to the control, concentrated primarily within the amendment bands. Fungal response to these organic amendments was primarily dominated by an enrichment of filamentous saprotrophic fungi. Conclusion: Changes in fungal diversity and the enrichment of saprotrophic fungi is primarily attributed to the introduction of organic substrates into the subsoil. However, despite the absence of SOM/TOC differences between treatments, SOM/TOC levels were initially expected to rise in response to organic amendments. Consequently, variations in fungal communities may have initially arisen from heightened SOM/TOC levels but persisted even as these levels returned to baseline, suggesting a lasting legacy effect. Implications A single application of deep-banded organic amendments was effective in enriching agriculturally significant fungi within dense clay subsoils after 2 years. This can further aid crop productivity by fostering soil structural improvements and optimising nutrient cycling, even after the organic amendments are undetectable.</p
Consumers lived experiences and satisfaction with sub-acute mental health residential services
No full textPurpose: Sub-acute recovery-oriented facilities offer short-term residential support for people living with mental illness. They are generally highly regarded by consumers, with emerging evidence indicating that these services may support recovery. The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between personal recovery and consumers’ satisfaction with sub-acute residential services, and consumers’ views about service features that aid recovery. Methods: Consumers at 19 adult Prevention and Recovery Care Services in Victoria, Australia, were invited to complete measures containing sociodemographic information and measures on personal recovery and wellbeing. After going home, participants were invited to complete measures on service satisfaction and experience. Results: Total and intrapersonal scores on the personal recovery measure increased significantly between Time 1 and Time 2, indicating marked improvement. Personal recovery and satisfaction measures were moderately to strongly correlated. Thematically analysed open-ended responses revealed themes of feeling connected, finding meaning and purpose, and self-empowerment as important aspects of these services, with some recommendations for improvements. Conclusion: Sub-acute residential mental health care may support individuals’ personal recovery; consumer satisfaction indicates these services also offer an acceptable and supportive environment for the provision of recovery-oriented care. Further exploring consumers’ experiences of sub-acute residential services is essential to understand their effectiveness, opportunities for improvement and intended impacts on personal recovery.</p
Experiences of COVID-19 in an Australian community cohort of adults with epilepsy
No full textA number of studies have been conducted on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on people with epilepsy (PWE), some showing increased seizures, poorer psychosocial states, and reductions in Quality of Life (QoL). During the latter stages of COVID-19, well before the UN declared an end to the state of emergency, our study was conducted in Australia of a sample of women and men ≥ 18 years. The study was based on Wave 6 of the Australian Epilepsy Longitudinal Study (AELS). It used mixed methods. Two main scales were used in the study, the QOLIE-31 for QoL and the MOS-8 for social support. The quantitative component of the study looked at QoL in relation to COVID-19 and found no QoL differences in those who contracted the virus. However, there was significantly lower QoL in those having difficulties in seeing a GP, for those with limited access to healthcare, and for those who had problems in gaining ASMs (anti-seizure medicines) and/or other medicines and being unvaccinated. Being younger and living in rental accommodation were most likely significant contributing factors. Those not being vaccinated were less than the proportion in the whole national population., The qualitative component focussed on reasons for being vaccinated or not. Overall, the responses to the question “Were you vaccinated?” demonstrated that people made informed decisions on vaccinations, taking into account their own health as well as protecting family and public health considerations.</p
Hepatic Retinol Dehydrogenase 11 Dampens Stress Associated with the Maintenance of Cellular Cholesterol Levels
No full textObjective: Dysregulation of hepatic cholesterol metabolism can contribute to elevated circulating cholesterol levels, which is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Cholesterol homeostasis in mammalian cells is tightly regulated by an integrated network of transcriptional and post-transcriptional signalling pathways. Whilst prior studies have identified many of the central regulators of these pathways, the extended supporting networks remain to be fully elucidated. Methods: Here, we leveraged an integrated discovery platform, combining multi-omics data from 107 strains of mice to investigate these supporting networks. We identified retinol dehydrogenase 11 (RDH11; also known as SCALD) as a novel protein associated with cholesterol metabolism. Prior studies have suggested that RDH11 may be regulated by alterations in cellular cholesterol status, but its specific roles in this pathway are mostly unknown. Results: Here, we show that mice fed a Western diet (high fat, high cholesterol) exhibited a significant reduction in hepatic Rdh11 mRNA expression. Conversely, mice treated with a statin (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-coenzyme A reductase (HMGCR) inhibitor) exhibited a 2-fold increase in hepatic Rdh11 mRNA expression. Studies in human and mouse hepatocytes demonstrated that RDH11 expression was regulated by altered cellular cholesterol conditions in a manner consistent with SREBP2 target genes HMGCR and LDLR. Modulation of RDH11 in vitro and in vivo demonstrated modulation of pathways associated with cholesterol metabolism, inflammation and cellular stress. Finally, RDH11 silencing in mouse liver was associated with a reduction in hepatic cardiolipin abundance and a concomitant reduction in the abundance of proteins of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Conclusion: Taken together, these findings suggest that RDH11 likely plays a role in protecting cells against the cellular toxicity that can arise as a by-product of endogenous cellular cholesterol synthesis.</p
Do patients’ preferences and expectations match clinical guidelines? A survey of individuals seeking private primary care for a musculoskeletal disorder
No full textBACKGROUND: Physiotherapists often inconsistently adhere to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) when managing musculoskeletal disorders (MSKDs), potentially due to discrepancies between patient-valued interventions and guideline recommendations. Since patients' expectations are important predictors of outcome, this disparity between CPGs recommendations and patient preferences could be problematic for the effective care of MSKDs.
OBJECTIVES: To assess patients' expectations and preferences for the interventions used in their MSKD management and to establish correspondence rates between patients' preferences and recommendations from CPGs. DESIGN: Survey.
METHOD: This cross-sectional descriptive study included a survey on sociodemographics, preferences, and expectations towards interventions for their MSKD, acceptable cost of care, number of treatment sessions required, and their involvement in their MSKD management.
RESULTS: One hundred and fifty participants (94 women and 56 men; mean age: 51 ± 17) responded to the survey. Eighty percent of respondents expected their involvement in their MSKD management to be equal to or superior than that of the physiotherapist. Sixty-nine percent of respondents expected to receive exercises, and 67% expected to receive education. Based on preference ratings, 95% of respondents chose recommended interventions, 57% chose interventions with uncertain levels of recommendation, and 48% chose interventions not recommended by CPGs.
CONCLUSION: Less than 70% of participants expected to receive education and exercises, the two most frequently recommended interventions by CPGs. On the other hand, the majority of respondents indicated that their involvement should be equal to or superior than that of the physiotherapist. This aligns with CPGs, which advocate for active and self-management strategies.</p
