179 research outputs found
Cultural Differences in Heart Rate Variability and Stress Response
No full textIt is well established that cultural values influence stress, however, very little research has investigated the psychophysiological underpinnings of these processes. The current study investigated whether differences due to individualist and collectivist culture traits (i.e., independence, interdependence) exist in psychophysiological processing (i.e., heart rate variability) and during the stress response. Aim 1 investigated whether there was a difference in resting heart rate and resting heart rate variability measurements between individualist and collectivist orientations. It was hypothesized that collectivists would display a decrease in heart rate variability measurements compared to their individualistic counterparts. Aim 2 investigated if there was a difference in the heart rate variability measurements between individualists and collectivists during an acute stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test. It was hypothesized that, when presented with an acute stressor, collectivists would display a decrease in heart rate variability. A sample of 28 healthy adults were included in these analyses. Participants completed the Self-Construal Scale (SCS) and were categorized into collectivist (N=11) or individualist (N=14) groups based on their scores. Beats-per-minute recordings were taken during a ten-minute baseline period prior to completion of the stressor and taken throughout the duration of the stressor. A significant difference was found between collectivist and individualist orientations at rest (i.e., during baseline measurements) for average heart rate and average R-R interval, with collectivists having higher heart rates but smaller R-R intervals as compared to individualists. A significant difference was also found between collectivist and individualist orientations for average heart rate and average R-R intervals during the acute stressor, however, there was no interaction between collectivistic/individualistic orientation and stress. These results suggest that cultural constructs of individualism and collectivism may affect heart rate and R-R intervals during resting and stressed conditions. This work highlights the importance of better understanding the effect of culture on psychophysiological processes within an individual
iPSC ‐derived microglia carrying the TREM2 R47H /+ mutation are proinflammatory and promote synapse loss
No full textGenetic findings have highlighted key roles for microglia in the pathology of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease (AD). A number of mutations in the microglial protein triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM2) have been associated with increased risk for developing AD, most notably the R47H/+ substitution. We employed gene editing and stem cell models to gain insight into the effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation on human-induced pluripotent stem cell-derived microglia. We found transcriptional changes affecting numerous cellular processes, with R47H/+ cells exhibiting a proinflammatory gene expression signature. TREM2 R47H/+ also caused impairments in microglial movement and the uptake of multiple substrates, as well as rendering microglia hyperresponsive to inflammatory stimuli. We developed an in vitro laser-induced injury model in neuron–microglia cocultures, finding an impaired injury response by TREM2 R47H/+ microglia. Furthermore, mouse brains transplanted with TREM2 R47H/+ microglia exhibited reduced synaptic density, with upregulation of multiple complement cascade components in TREM2 R47H/+ microglia suggesting inappropriate synaptic pruning as one potential mechanism. These findings identify a number of potentially detrimental effects of the TREM2 R47H/+ mutation on microglial gene expression and function likely to underlie its association with AD.The Robert A. and Renee E. Belfer Family FoundationJPB FoundationCure Alzheimer's FundHuman Frontier Science Progra
Clinician perspectives of telehealth (Douglass et al., 2023)
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this study was to describe clinicians’ attitudes and beliefs about telehealth prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and establish a baseline measure for change.
Method: This study is a qualitative systematic review and meta-synthesis, using the Enhanced Transparency in Reporting the Synthesis of Qualitative Research guideline. Seven databases were searched. Studies were included if they used interviews or focus groups, included at least one or more rehabilitation professions in the sample, and addressed attitudes toward telehealth as a service delivery model.
Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Data were extracted and coded by the first author using thematic synthesis. Six primary themes were formed: (a) constant comparison of telehealth with in-person guides attitude and acceptance, (b) telehealth presents barriers and opportunities for communication, (c) lack of telehealth education and training impacts clinician confidence, (d) the flexibility of telehealth changes service delivery options and access for patients, (e) the telehealth environment creates challenges with safety and engagement, and (f) technical components and support are influential to the telehealth delivery process.
Discussion: This study provides evidence that clinician perceptions of telehealth are similar across disciplines within rehabilitation and other allied health fields. Views were generally positive. However, less experienced clinicians were more likely to have reservations about telehealth, indicating a need for more education and training. Clinical, research, and educational implications are discussed. It is recommended that these themes be utilized to support methods for increasing clinician acceptance of telehealth and achieving sustainable telehealth programs. The overall strength of the recommendation is moderate.
Supplemental Material S1. Study characteristics.
Supplemental Material S2. Search strategies.
Supplemental Material S3. Meta-synthesis themes.
Douglass, H., Lowman, J., & Causey-Upton, R. (2023). Clinician perspectives of telehealth pre-COVID-19: A systematic review and qualitative meta-synthesis. Perspectives of the ASHA Special Interest Groups. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1044/2022_PERSP-22-00074
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Effects of size at birth on health, growth and developmental outcomes in children up to age 18: an umbrella review
No full textBackground Size at birth, an indicator of intrauterine growth, has been studied extensively in relation to subsequent health, growth and developmental outcomes. Our umbrella review synthesises evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the effects of size at birth on subsequent health, growth and development in children and adolescents up to age 18, and identifies gaps. Methods We searched five databases from inception to mid-July 2021 to identify eligible systematic reviews and meta-analyses. For each meta-analysis, we extracted data on the exposures and outcomes measured and the strength of the association. Findings We screened 16 641 articles and identified 302 systematic reviews. The literature operationalised size at birth (birth weight and/or gestation) in 12 ways. There were 1041 meta-analyses of associations between size at birth and 67 outcomes. Thirteen outcomes had no meta-analysis. Small size at birth was examined for 50 outcomes and was associated with over half of these (32 of 50); continuous/post-term/large size at birth was examined for 35 outcomes and was consistently associated with 11 of the 35 outcomes. Seventy-three meta-analyses (in 11 reviews) compared risks by size for gestational age (GA), stratified by preterm and term. Prematurity mechanisms were the key aetiologies linked to mortality and cognitive development, while intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), manifesting as small for GA, was primarily linked to underweight and stunting. Interpretation Future reviews should use methodologically sound comparators to further understand aetiological mechanisms linking IUGR and prematurity to subsequent outcomes. Future research should focus on understudied exposures (large size at birth and size at birth stratified by gestation), gaps in outcomes (specifically those without reviews or meta-analysis and stratified by age group of children) and neglected populations. © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023
A database of Holocene nearshore marine mollusc shell geochemistry from the Northeast Pacific
No full textWe compiled a database of previously published oxygen and carbon isotope data from archaeological, archival, and modern marine molluscs from the North American coast of the Northeast Pacific (32oN to 50oN). This database includes oxygen and carbon isotope data from over 550 modern, archaeological, and sub-fossil shells from 8880 years before present (BP) to the present, from which there are 4,845 total δ¹³C and 5,071 total δ¹⁸O measurements. Database includes the following parameters: paper of original publication, publication year, unique shell identification, unique subsample identification, sample number (given by original authors), subsample number (given by original author), number of subsamples per shell (added here), age in years before present, species, source (midden or modern), latitude, longitude, calculated sea surface temperature (only if published by original authors), tidal height, life mode, habitat, archaeological trinomial (when applicable), oxygen isotope value, and carbon isotope value. Shell dating and sampling strategies vary among studies (1-118 samples per shell) and vary significantly by journal discipline. Data are from various bivalves and gastropod species, with Mytilus spp. being the most commonly analyzed taxon. This novel database can be used to investigate changes in nearshore sea surface conditions including warm-cool oscillations, heat waves, and upwelling intensity, and provides nearshore calcite δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values that can be compared to the vast collections of offshore foraminifera calcite δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O data from marine sediment cores. By utilizing previously published geochemical data from midden and museum shells rather than sampling new specimens, future scientific research can reduce or omit the alteration or destruction of culturally valued specimens and sites
Evaluation of subcutaneous proleukin (Interleukin-2) in a randomized international trial (ESPRIT): Geographical and gender differences in the baseline characteristics of participants
No full textBackground: ESPRIT, is a phase III, open-label, randomized, international clinical trial evaluating the effects of subcutaneous recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2) plus antiretroviral therapy (ART) versus ART alone on HIV-disease progression and death in HIV-1-infected individuals with CD4+ T-cells ≥300 cells/μL. Objectives: To describe the baseline characteristics of participants randomized to ESPRIT overall and by geographic location. Method: Baseline characteristics of randomized participants were summarized by region. Results: 4,150 patients were enrolled in ESPRIT from 254 sites in 25 countries. 41%, 27%, 16%, 11%, and 5% were enrolled in Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Australia, respectively. The median age was 40 years, 81% were men, and 76%, 11%, and 9% were Caucasian, Asian, and African American or African, respectively. 44% of women enrolled (n = 769) were enrolled in Thailand and Argentina. Overall, 55% and 38% of the cohort acquired HIV through male homosexual and heterosexual contact, respectively. 25% had a prior history of AIDS-defining illness; Pneumocystis jirovecii pneumonia, M. tuberculosis, and esophageal candida were most commonly reported. Median nadir and baseline CD4+ T-cell counts were 199 and 458 cells/μL, respectively. 6% and 13% were hepatitis B or C virus coinfected, respectively. Median duration of antiretroviral therapy (ART) was 4.2 years; the longest median duration was in Australia (5.2 years) and the shortest was in Asia (2.3 years). 17%, 13%, and 69% of participants began ART before 1995, between 1996 and 1997, and from 1998 onward, respectively. 86% used ART from two or more ART classes, with 49% using a protease inhibitor-based regimen and 46% using a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-based regimen. 78% had plasma HIV RNA below detection (<500 cp/mL). Conclusion: ESPRIT has enrolled a diverse population of HIV-infected individuals including large populations of women and patients of African-American/African and Asian ethnicity often underrepresented in HIV research. As a consequence, the results of the study may have wide global applicability
AusTraits: a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora
No full textINTRODUCTION
AusTraits is a transformative database, containing measurements on the traits of Australia’s plant species, standardised from hundreds of disconnected primary sources. So far, data have been assembled from 283 distinct sources, describing 446 plant traits and 28639 taxa. A full list of sources is provided below.
To handle the harmonising of diverse data sources, we use a reproducible workflow to implement the various changes required for each source to reformat it suitable for incorporation in AusTraits. Such changes include restructuring datasets, renaming variables, changing variable units, changing taxon names. While this repository contains the harmonised data, the raw data and code used to build the resource are also available at https://github.com/traitecoevo/austraits.build.
CONTRIBUTORS
The project is jointly led by Dr Daniel Falster (UNSW Sydney), Dr Rachael Gallagher (Macquarie University), and Elizabeth Wenk (UNSW Sydney) with input from 318 contributors from over 136 institutions.
The following people and institutions have have contributed to building this resource.
Data contributors (individuals): Mark Adams, Collin W. Ahrens, Matthew Alfonzetti, Sophia Amini, Tara Angevin, Deborah Apgaua, Stefan Arndt, Julian Ash, Owen Atkin, Joe Atkinson, Tony Auld, Andrew Baker, Maria von Balthazar, Anthony Bean, Chris Blackman, Keith Bloomfield, Tara Boreham, David Bowman, Ross Bradstock, Jason Bragg, Willi A. Brand, Amber Briggs, John Brock, Tim Brodribb, Genevieve Buckton, Geoff Burrows, Don Butler, Elizabeth Caldwell, James Camac, Raymond Carpenter, Jane A. Catford, Gregory Cawthray, Lucas Cernusak, Gregory Chandler, Alex Chapman, David Cheal, Alex Cheesman, Si-Chong Chen, Robert Chinnock, Brendan Choat, Peter Clarke, Derek Clayton, Steven Clemants, Harold Trevor Clifford, Brook Clinton, Peta Clode, Michelle Cochrane, Helen Coleman, Bronwyn Collins, Alessandro Conti, Wendy Cooper, William Cooper, William Cornwell, Meredith Cosgrove, Ian Cowie, Lyn Craven, Michael Crisp, Erika Cross, Kristine Crous, Saul Cunningham, Timothy Curran, Ellen Curtis, Ian Davidson, Matthew Daws, Jane L. DeGabriel, Matthew Denton, Ning Dong, Pengzhen Du, Honglang Duan, David Duncan, Richard P. Duncan, Marco Duretto, John M. Dwyer, Derek Eamus, Cheryl Edwards, Judy Egan, Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, John Evans, Susan Everingham, Chris Fahey, Daniel Falster, Claire Farrell, Jennifer Firn, Carlos Fonseca, Paul Irwin Forster, John Foster, Ben French, Tony French, Allison Frith, Doug Frood, Anne Fuchs, Jennifer Funk, Rachael Gallagher, Ronald Gardiner, Sonya Geange, Oula Ghannoum, Malcolm Gill, Sean Gleason, Ethel Goble-Garratt, Carl Gosper, Emma Gray, Philip K Groom, Saskia Grootemaat, Caroline Gross, Peter Grubb, Greg Guerin, Chris Guinane, Lydia Guja, Amy Hahs, TJ Hall, Monique Hallet, Matthew Tom Harrison, Tammy Haslehurst, Foteini Hassiotou, Patrick Hayes, Martin Henery, John Herbohn, Dieter Hochuli, Peter Hocking, Jocelyn Howell, Jing Hu, Guomin Huang, Lesley Hughes, Kate Hughes, John Huisman, Jugo Ilic, Muhammad Islam, Ashika Jagdish, Daniel Jin, Gregory Jordan, Enrique Jurado, John Kanowski, Sabine Kasel, Ian Kealley, Greg Keighery, Jürgen Kellermann, Belinda Kenny, James Kirkpatrick, Kirsten Knox, Michele Kohout, Robert Kooyman, Martyna Kotowska, Luka Kovac, Kaely Kreger, John Kuo, Hoa Ran Lai, Etienne Laliberte, Hans Lambers, Martin Lambert, Byron Lamont, Dana Lanceman, Robert Lanfear, Frank van Langevelde, Daniel C. Laughlin, Bree-Anne Laugier-Kitchener, Susan Laurance, Michael Lawes, Claire Laws, James Lawson, Emma Laxton, Caroline Lehmann, Andrea Leigh, Michelle Leishman, Tanja Lenz, Brendan Lepschi, James Lewis, Felix Lim, Liz Lindsay, Udayangani Liu, Daniel Montoya Londono, Janice Lord, Christiane Ludwig, Ian Lunt, Christopher Lusk, Catriona Macinnis-Ng, Mary Maconochie, Hannah MacPherson, Susana Magallon, Anthony Manea, Karen Marais, Andrea Lopez Martinez, Bruce Maslin, Riah Mason, Margaret Mayfield, Richard Mazanec, James McCarthy, Kate McClenahan, Elissa McFarlane, Trevor Meers, Marlien van der Merwe, Daniel Metcalfe, Per Milberg, Karel Mokany, Angela Moles, Ben D. Moore, Nicholas Moore, John Morgan, Huw Morgan, William Morris, Annette Muir, Samantha Munroe, Peter Myerscough, Des Nelson, Dominic Neyland, Aine Nicholson, Dean Nicolle, Adrienne Nicotra, Ule Niinemets, Tom North, Andrew O'Reilly-Nugent, Odhran S. O'Sullivan, Brad Oberle, Mike Olsen, Yusuke Onoda, Mark Ooi, Corinna Orscheg, Colin P. Osborne, Jacob McC. Overton, Grazyna Paczkowska, Paula Peeters, Burak Pekin, Caio Guilherme Pereira, George Perry, Aaron Phillips, Catherine Pickering, Melinda Pickup, Loren Pollitt, Laura Pollock, Rob Polmear, Pieter Poot, Hugh Possingham, Jeff R. Powell, Sally A. Power, Iain Colin Prentice, Aina Price, Lynda Prior, Suzanne Prober, Thomas Pyne, R.J.Williams, Jennifer Read, Victoria Reynolds, Barbara Rice, Anna Richards, Ben Richardson, Jessica L. Rigg, Bryan Roberts, Michael Roderick, Julieta A. Rosell, Maurizio Rossetto, Barbara Rye, Paul D. Rymer, Miguel de Salas, Anna Salomaa, Michael Sams, Gordon Sanson, Herve Sauquet, Susanne Schmidt, Juerg Schoenenberger, Ernst-Detlef Schulze, Waltraud Schulze, Inge Schulze, Andrew John Scott, Kerrie Sendall, Alison Shapcott, Veronica Shaw, Luke Shoo, Steven Sinclair, Anne Sjostrom, Renee Smith, Benjamin Smith, Santiago Soliveres, Fiona Soper, Ben Sparrow, Amanda Spooner, Rachel Standish, Timothy Staples, Ruby Stephens, George Stewart, Jan Suda, Christopher Szota, Catherine Tait, Guy Taseski, Elizabeth Tasker, Daniel Taylor, Freya Thomas, Ian Thompson, David Tissue, Mark G. Tjoelker, Yue Phin David Jeremiah-Seok Tng, Hellmut R. Toelken, Felix de Tombeur, Kyle Tomlinson, Malcolm Trudgen, Neil C. Turner, Erik Veneklaas, Susanna Venn, Peter Vesk, Carolyn Vlasveld, Maria Vorontsova, Charles Warren, Nigel Warwick, Lasantha K. Weerasinghe, Jessie Wells, W.E Westman, Mark Westoby, Matthew White, Erica Williams, Nick Williams, Kathryn Willis, Jarrah Wills, J. Bastow Wilson, Peter Wilson, Ian Wright, Colin Yates, Jian Yen, Amy Zanne, Graham Zemunik, Kasia Zieminska.
Data contributors (institutions): Australian National Botanic Garden, Brisbane Rainforest Action and Information Network, Kew Botanic Gardens, National Herbarium of NSW, Northern Territory Herbarium, Queensland Herbarium, Western Australian Herbarium, South Australian Herbarium, State Herbarium of South Australia, Tasmanian Herbarium
Data processing: Daniel Falster, Elizabeth Wenk, Caitlan Baxter, Sam Andrew, James Lawson, Stuart Allen
Project initiation and data compilation: Rachael Gallagher, Ian Wright
Funding: This work was supported by fellowship grants from Australian Research Council to Falster (FT160100113), Gallagher (DE170100208) and Wright (FT100100910), a grant from Macquarie University to Gallagher, and investment from the Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC), via their "Transformative data collections" (https://doi.org/10.47486/TD044) and "Data Partnerships" (https://doi.org/10.47486/DP720) programs. The ARDC is enabled by National Collaborative Research Investment Strategy (NCRIS).
ACCESSING AND USE OF DATA
The compiled AusTraits database is released under an open source licence (CC-BY), enabling re-use by the community. A requirement of use is that users cite the AusTraits resource paper, which includes all contributors as co-authors:
Falster, Gallagher et al (2021) AusTraits, a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. Scientific Data (in press)
Falster, Gallagher et al (2021) AusTraits: a curated plant trait database for the Australian flora. bioRxiv 2021.01.04.425314, http://doi.org/10.1101/2021.01.04.425314
In addition, we encourage users you to cite the original data sources, wherever possible.
Under this license data may be redistributed, provided the attribution is maintained.
CONTRIBUTING
We envision AusTraits as an on-going collaborative community resource that:
Increases our collective understanding the Australian flora; and
Facilitates accumulating and sharing of trait data;
Builds a sense of community among contributors and users; and
Aspires to fully transparent and reproducible research of highest standard.
As a community resource, we are very keen for people to contribute. Here are some of the ways you can contribute:
Reporting Errors: If you notice a possible error in AusTraits, please post an issue on GitHub .
Refining documentation: We welcome additions and edits that make using the existing data or adding new data easier for the community.
Contributing new data: We gladly accept new data contributions to AusTraits. For full instructions on preparing data for inclusion in AusTraits, please got to https://github.com/traitecoevo/austraits.build.
STRUCTURE OF AUSTRAITS DATA
The compiled AusTraits database has the following main components:
austraits
├── traits
├── sites
├── contexts
├── methods
├── excluded_data
├── taxanomic_updates
├── taxa
├── definitions
├── contributors
├── sources
└── build_info
These elements include all the data and contextual information submitted with each contributed datasets.
Full details on each of these components and columns therein are contained within the document `dictionary.html`
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