19683 research outputs found
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Effects of exercise modality combined with moderate hypoxia on blood glucose regulation in adults with overweight
No full textPurpose: This study aimed to investigate the combined effects of moderate hypoxia with three different exercise modes on glucose regulation in healthy overweight adults. Methods: Thirteen overweight males (age: 31 ± 4 years; body fat 26.3 ± 3.2%) completed three exercise trials in a randomized crossover design involving 60 min cycling exercise at 90% lactate threshold (LOW), sprint interval training (20 × 4 s all-out; SIT) and lower limb functional bodyweight exercises (8 sets of 4 × 20 s; FEX) under moderate hypoxia (FiO2 = 16.5%). Post-exercise oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed following each trial. Heart rate, oxygen saturation (SpO2), physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES), and perceptual measures were recorded during each exercise session. Venous blood was collected pre-, immediately post-, and 24 h post-exercise and analysed for plasma glucose and insulin, incremental area under curve (iAUC), and circulating microRNA expression (c-miRs-486-5p, -126-5p, and -21-5p). Interstitial glucose concentrations were measured using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Results: Post-exercise OGTT iAUC for plasma glucose and insulin concentration were lower in SIT and LOW vs. control (p < 0.05) while post-exercise interstitial glucose iAUC and c-miRs were not different between exercise modes. Heart rate was greater in SIT vs. LOW and FEX, and FEX vs. LOW (p < 0.05), SpO2 was lower in SIT, while PACES was not different between exercise modes. Perceptual measures were greater in SIT vs. LOW and FEX. Conclusion: Acute SIT and LOW under moderate hypoxia improved post-exercise plasma insulin compared to FEX exercises. Considering SIT was also time-efficient, well tolerated, and enjoyable for participants, this may be the preferred exercise modality for improving glucose regulation in adult males with overweight when combined with moderate hypoxia
Venereal diseases, public health and sanitary measures in the mid-nineteenth-century Madras Presidency
No full textThis article discusses the colonial policies around public health, sanitary measures and control of venereal diseases in the Madras Presidency in the 1860s and 1870s, and describes how these policies shaped urban development of Madras. It investigates how British colonial measures to curtail venereal diseases concurred with concerns about ‘public health’ in the 1860s and 1870s in the Madras Presidency and the city of Madras. It questions the extent to which British ‘public health’ policies encompassed the Indian population. Although there is a recent increase in scholarly interest in studying the medical and sanitary history of the Madras Presidency, very few historians have focused on the ways in which colonial morality influenced town-planning and sanitary policies in the area. Earlier, scholars believed that segregation was key to maintaining public health in colonial cities; however, recent scholarship has questioned the notions of ‘dual city’ by highlighting the blurred lines. This article also investigates how far the colonial administration successfully segregated the European population from the Indian population and the Indian labouring and service-providing poor from the non-labouring poor.</p
Male and female atria exhibit distinct acute electrophysiological responses to sex steroids
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Strengthening Agricultural Resilience in Western Province: Developing methods for strengths-based livelihoods
No full textNo description supplied</p
Development and validation of a plasmalogen score as an independent modifiable marker of metabolic health: population based observational studies and a placebo-controlled cross-over study
No full textBackground: Decreased levels of circulating ethanolamine plasmalogens [PE(P)], and a concurrent increase in phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) are consistently reported in various cardiometabolic conditions. Here we devised, a plasmalogen score (Pls Score) that mirrors a metabolic signal that encompasses the levels of PE(P) and PE and captures the natural variation in circulating plasmalogens and perturbations in their metabolism associated with disease, diet, and lifestyle. Methods: We utilised, plasma lipidomes from the Australian Obesity, Diabetes and Lifestyle study (AusDiab; n = 10,339, 55% women) a nationwide cohort, to devise the Pls Score and validated this in the Busselton Health Study (BHS; n = 4,492, 56% women, serum lipidome) and in a placebo-controlled crossover trial involving Shark Liver Oil (SLO) supplementation (n = 10, 100% men). We examined the association of the Pls Score with cardiometabolic risk factors, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality (over 17 years). Findings: In a model, adjusted for age, sex and BMI, individuals in the top quintile of the Pls Score (Q5) relative to Q1 had an OR of 0.31 (95% CI 0.21–0.43), 0.39 (95% CI 0.25–0.61) and 0.42 (95% CI 0.30–0.57) for prevalent T2DM, incident T2DM and prevalent cardiovascular disease respectively, and a 34% lower mortality risk (HR = 0.66; 95% CI 0.56–0.78). Significant associations between diet and lifestyle habits and Pls Score exist and these were validated through dietary supplementation of SLO that resulted in a marked change in the Pls Score. Interpretation: The Pls Score as a measure that captures the natural variation in circulating plasmalogens, was not only inversely related to cardiometabolic risk and all-cause mortality but also associate with diet and lifestyle. Our results support the potential utility of the Pls Score as a biomarker for metabolic health and its responsiveness to dietary interventions. Further research is warranted to explore the underlying mechanisms and optimise the practical implementation of the Pls Score in clinical and population settings. Funding: National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC grant 233200), National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (Project grant APP1101320), Health Promotion Foundation of Western Australia, and National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia Senior Research Fellowship (#1042095)
Identification and characterisation of Mansonella perstans in the Volta Region of Ghana
No full textMansonella spp. have been reported to have a wide global distribution. Despite the distribution and co-occurrence with other filarial parasites like Wuchereria bancrofti, Onchocerca volvulus and Loa loa, it is given little attention. There are few surveillance programmes for assessing the distribution of mansonellosis, due to the associated mild to no symptoms experienced by infected people. However, addressing this infection is critical to the onchocerciasis control program as current rapid diagnostic tools targeting O. volvulus have the tendency to cross react with Mansonella species. In this study we identified and character-ised M. perstans from five sites in two districts in the Volta Region of Ghana and compared them to samples from other regions. Night blood smears and filter blood blots were obtained from individuals as part of a study on lymphatic filariasis. The Giemsa-stained smears were screened by microscopy for the presence of filarial parasites. Genomic DNA was extracted from blood blots from 39 individuals that were positive for M. perstans and Nested PCR targeting the internal spacer 1 (ITS-1) was conducted. Of these, 30 were sequenced and 24 sequences were kept for further analysis. Phylogenetic analysis of 194 nucleotide positions showed no differences in the samples collected. The similarities suggests that there could be one species in this area. However, more robust studies with larger sample sizes are required to draw such conclusions. We also observed a clustering of the samples from Ghana with reference sequences from Africa and Brazil, suggesting they could be related. This study draws further attention to a neglected infection, presents the first characterisation of M. perstans in Ghana and calls for more population-based studies across different geographical zones to ascertain species variations and disease distribution
Development of Efficient Image Processing Techniques for Diverse Applications
No full textA thesis in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the Department of Engineering, School of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
The Effects of Repeated Influenza Exposure and HLA Polymorphisms on the CD8<sup>+</sup> T Cell Response
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the La Trobe Institute for Molecular Science, Department of Biochemistry and Chemistry, School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Parched: an artist research residency about drought in regional Victoria
No full textJacqueline Millner reveals what artist residencies can tell us about the lived culture of drought.</p
Mathematics Anxiety and Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Mixed Methods Study
No full textBackground: Sound mathematical skills are paramount for effective nursing practice and patient safety. Objectives: To explore the factors that influence nursing student anxiety when engaging with mathematics-related activities in nursing education. Design: A concurrent mixed methods employing cross-sectional online survey and focus group interviews. Setting: One undergraduate nursing course at an Australian university. Participants: Bachelor of Nursing students from across academic years. Methods: An online survey comprising closed- and open-ended questions to assess mathematics anxiety and self-efficacy and associated factors affecting its application to practice. Focus group interviews to explore anxieties related to mathematics and students' approaches to nursing mathematics. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data using inductive content analysis. Results: A total of 202 nursing students commenced the survey, of which 135 were fully completed, while 17 students participated in focus groups. Less than half were school leavers. Around three-quarters reported some level of fear of mathematics, while many lacked confidence, fear of making errors and/or harming patients and negative childhood experiences of mathematics. Survey items demonstrated extensive variation in perceptions. Conclusions: The complexity and diversity of anxieties presents key challenges for nurse academics seeking to educate competent, safe students. Teaching approaches should be varied and consideration of having specialist mathematics teachers and learning psychologists on teaching teams to ensure student success. </p