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Suboptimal Health Pregnant Women Are Associated With Increased Oxidative Stress And Unbalanced Pro- And Antiangiogenic Growth Mediators: A Cross-Sectional Study In A Ghanaian Population, Enoch Odame Anto, Peter Roberts, David Anthony Coall, Eric Adua, Cornelius Archer Turpin, Augustine Tawiah, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang Dec 2019

Suboptimal Health Pregnant Women Are Associated With Increased Oxidative Stress And Unbalanced Pro- And Antiangiogenic Growth Mediators: A Cross-Sectional Study In A Ghanaian Population, Enoch Odame Anto, Peter Roberts, David Anthony Coall, Eric Adua, Cornelius Archer Turpin, Augustine Tawiah, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Optimal oxidative stress (OS) is important throughout pregnancy; however, an increased OS may alter placental angiogenesis culminating in an imbalanced of angiogenic growth mediators (AGMs). Suboptimal Health Status (SHS), a physical state between health and disease, may be associated with increased OS and unbalanced AGMs. In this study, we explored the association between SHS, biomarkers of OS (BOS) and AGMs among normotensive pregnant women (NTN-PW) in a Ghanaian Suboptimal Health Cohort Study (GHOACS). This comparative GHOACS recruited 593 NTN-PW from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Ghana. SHS was measured using a Suboptimal Health Status Questionnaire-25 (SHSQ-25). Along with the subjective …


What Temporal Resolution Is Required For Remote Sensing Of Regional Aerosol Concentrations Using The Himawari-8 Geostationary Satellite, Miles Sowden, Ute Mueller, David Blake Nov 2019

What Temporal Resolution Is Required For Remote Sensing Of Regional Aerosol Concentrations Using The Himawari-8 Geostationary Satellite, Miles Sowden, Ute Mueller, David Blake

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few studies have directly addressed the question of what temporal resolution is required for air quality studies using geostationary remote sensing data. If timescales are too large, there is a risk that events affecting air quality may be missed; and if too small, there is a possibility that large data files may be processed frequently, at significant computing cost and potentially without concomitant improvements in the monitoring of air quality. The problem is particularly significant in sparsely populated regional areas such as the Pilbara in Western Australia, where air quality issues arising from a range of events, dispersed over a …


Integration Of Suboptimal Health Status Evaluation As A Criterion For Prediction Of Preeclampsia Is Strongly Recommended For Healthcare Management In Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study In A Ghanaian Population, Enoch Odame Anto, Peter Roberts, David Coall, Cornelius Archer Turpin, Eric Adua, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang Sep 2019

Integration Of Suboptimal Health Status Evaluation As A Criterion For Prediction Of Preeclampsia Is Strongly Recommended For Healthcare Management In Pregnancy: A Prospective Cohort Study In A Ghanaian Population, Enoch Odame Anto, Peter Roberts, David Coall, Cornelius Archer Turpin, Eric Adua, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Normotensive pregnancy may develop into preeclampsia (PE) and other adverse pregnancy complications (APCs), for which the causes are still unknown. Suboptimal health status (SHS), a physical state between health and disease, might contribute to the development and progression of PE. By integration of a routine health measure in this Ghanaian Suboptimal Health Cohort Study, we explored the usefulness of a 25-question item SHS questionnaire (SHSQ-25) for early screening and prediction of normotensive pregnant women (NTN-PW) likely to develop PE. Methods: We assessed the overall health status among a cohort of 593 NTN-PW at baseline (10–20 weeks gestation) and followed …


Weight Management Merits Attention In Women With Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Study On The Association Of Anthropometric Indices With Hormonal Imbalance In A Ghanaian Population, William K. B. A. Owiredu, Peter Ntim Ofori, Cornelius Archer Turpin, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel Acheampong, Enoch Odame Anto, Eddie-Williams Owiredu, Evans Asamoah Adu Aug 2019

Weight Management Merits Attention In Women With Infertility: A Cross-Sectional Study On The Association Of Anthropometric Indices With Hormonal Imbalance In A Ghanaian Population, William K. B. A. Owiredu, Peter Ntim Ofori, Cornelius Archer Turpin, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel Acheampong, Enoch Odame Anto, Eddie-Williams Owiredu, Evans Asamoah Adu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

OBJECTIVE: This study determined the association of anthropometric indices with hormonal imbalance among infertile women in a Ghanaian population.

RESULTS: Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels (18.47 vs. 8.67, p-value = 0.002), and luteinizing hormone (LH) (12.43 vs. 8.01, p-value = 0.044) were higher in women with primary infertility compared with women presenting with secondary infertility. Waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) showed significant negative partial correlation with prolactin in both primary and secondary infertile women. Also a significant negative partial correlation was observed between BMI and prolactin in secondary infertile women only. Waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) showed a positive association …


Reliability Of Squat Kinetics In Well-Trained Rugby Players: Implications For Monitoring Training, Brendyn B. Appleby, Stuart J. Cormack, Robert U. Newton Jul 2019

Reliability Of Squat Kinetics In Well-Trained Rugby Players: Implications For Monitoring Training, Brendyn B. Appleby, Stuart J. Cormack, Robert U. Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this study was to determine the within-session reliability in kinetic variables of the squat in well-trained athletes during a typical resistance training protocol. Fifteen subjects completed 2 testing sessions. Session 1 was establishment of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) squat, and session 2 involved 2 sets of 2 maximal effort repetitions of the squat at 70, 80, and 90% of 1RM with 3D motion analysis and ground reaction force (GRF) measurement using 2 in-ground triaxial force plates. Reliability was calculated using typical error ± 90% confidence limits, expressed as the coefficient of variation and intraclass correlation coefficient. The …


Kinetics And Kinematics Of The Squat And Step-Up In Well-Trained Rugby Players, Brendyn B. Appleby, Robert U. Newton, Stuart J. Cormack Jul 2019

Kinetics And Kinematics Of The Squat And Step-Up In Well-Trained Rugby Players, Brendyn B. Appleby, Robert U. Newton, Stuart J. Cormack

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this study was to compare and contrast the kinetics and kinematics of squat and step-up performance in well-trained athletes. Triaxial ground reaction force (GRF) and 3D kinematic data were collected in 4 maximal effort repetitions each at 70, 80, and 90% of 1 repetition maximum (1RM) of squat and step-up. The difference in concentric phase kinetics and kinematics between the squat and step-up was compared using effect sizes (ES ± 90% confidence limits [CLs]) classified as: less than 0.2 as trivial; 0.2-0.6 as small; 0.6-1.2 as moderate; and 1.2-2.0 as large. Where the 90% CL crossed negative …


Reducing Aerodynamic Drag By Adopting A Novel Road-Cycling Sprint Position, Paul F. J. Merkes, Paolo Menaspa, Chris R. Abbiss Jul 2019

Reducing Aerodynamic Drag By Adopting A Novel Road-Cycling Sprint Position, Paul F. J. Merkes, Paolo Menaspa, Chris R. Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

To assess the influence of seated, standing, and forward-standing cycling sprint positions on aerodynamic drag (CdA) and the reproducibility of a field test of CdA calculated in these different positions.

Methods:

A total of 11 recreational male road cyclists rode 250 m in 2 directions at around 25, 32, and 40 km·h.

Results:

A main effect of position showed that the average CdA of the 2 d was lower for the forward-standing position (0.295 [0.059]) compared with both the seated (0.363 [0.071], P = .018) and standing positions (0.372 [0.077], P = .037). Seated and standing positions did …


Pt Nanoparticles Decorated Heterostructured G-C3n4/Bi2moo6 Microplates With Highly Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities Under Visible Light, Z. Jia, F. Lyu, Laichang Zhang, S. Zeng, Shunxing Liang, Y. Y. Li, J. Lu May 2019

Pt Nanoparticles Decorated Heterostructured G-C3n4/Bi2moo6 Microplates With Highly Enhanced Photocatalytic Activities Under Visible Light, Z. Jia, F. Lyu, Laichang Zhang, S. Zeng, Shunxing Liang, Y. Y. Li, J. Lu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Exploring an efficient and photostable heterostructured photocatalyst is a pivotal scientific topic for worldwide energy and environmental concerns. Herein, we reported that Pt decorated g-C3N4/Bi2MoO6 heterostructured composites with enhanced photocatalytic performance under visible light were simply synthesized by one-step hydrothermal method for methylene blue (MB) dye degradation. Results revealed that the synthetic Pt decorated g-C3N4/Bi2MoO6 composites with Bi2MoO6 contents of 20 wt.% (Pt@CN/20%BMO) presented the highest photocatalytic activity, exhibiting 7 and 18 times higher reactivity than the pure g-C3N4 and …


Predominant Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes In Kumasi: A 4-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study At A Teaching Hospital In Ghana, Max Efui Annani-Akollor, Otchere Addai-Mensah, Linda Ahenkorah Fondjo, Lorraine Sallah, Eddie-Williams Owiredu, Emmanuel Acheampong, Solomon Akamugri May 2019

Predominant Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes In Kumasi: A 4-Year Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study At A Teaching Hospital In Ghana, Max Efui Annani-Akollor, Otchere Addai-Mensah, Linda Ahenkorah Fondjo, Lorraine Sallah, Eddie-Williams Owiredu, Emmanuel Acheampong, Solomon Akamugri

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background and objectives: Diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM) has been associated with several microvascular and macrovascular complications. However, studies regarding the predominant complications of T2DM in Ghana have not been conducted. This study evaluated the prevalence and predominant complications of T2DM and assessed the sociodemographic factors associated with the development of diabetes-related complications in Kumasi, Ghana. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Kumasi, Ghana. A total of 1600 Ghanaian T2DM adults were included in this study. Patients’ clinical data from 2012 to 2016 were retrieved from the hospital’s archive. Results: …


Effectiveness Of An Adult Food Literacy Program, Andrea Begley, Ellen Paynter, Lucy M. Butcher, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal Apr 2019

Effectiveness Of An Adult Food Literacy Program, Andrea Begley, Ellen Paynter, Lucy M. Butcher, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Nutrition education programs aim to improve food literacy domains covering the planning and management, selection, preparation and cooking and eating of healthy food. Reviews indicate programs are effective but acknowledge challenges with evaluation of community focused delivery. Food Sensations® for Adults (FSA) is a free four-week nutrition and cooking program targeted at low-to-middle income Western Australians who would like to improve their food literacy. The aim of this research was assess how effective FSA is in changing food literacy and selected dietary behaviours. Statistical analysis identified a significant increase in postprogram scores for domains of planning and management, selection …


Application Of The Clayff And The Dreiding Force Fields For Modeling Of Alkylated Quartz Surfaces, Aleksandr Abramov, Stefan Iglauer Apr 2019

Application Of The Clayff And The Dreiding Force Fields For Modeling Of Alkylated Quartz Surfaces, Aleksandr Abramov, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To extend applicability and to overcome limitations of combining rules for nonbond potential parameters, in this study, CLAYFF and DREIDING force fields are coupled at the level of atomic site charges to model quartz surfaces with chemisorpt hydrocarbons. Density functional theory and Bader charge analysis are applied to calculate charges of atoms of the OC bond connecting a quartz crystal and an alkyl group. The study demonstrates that the hydrogen atom of the quartz surface hydroxyl group can be removed and its charge can be redistributed among the oxygen and carbon atoms of the OC bond in a manner consistent …


Alternative Methods Of Determining Hamstrings-To-Quadriceps Ratios: A Comprehensive Review, Cassio V. Ruas, Ronei S. Pinto, Gregory Haff, Camila D. Lima, Matheus D. Pinto, Lee E. Brown Mar 2019

Alternative Methods Of Determining Hamstrings-To-Quadriceps Ratios: A Comprehensive Review, Cassio V. Ruas, Ronei S. Pinto, Gregory Haff, Camila D. Lima, Matheus D. Pinto, Lee E. Brown

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The hamstrings-to-quadriceps muscle strength ratio calculated by peak torque has been used as an important tool to detect muscle imbalance, monitor knee joint stability, describe muscle strength properties and functionality, and for lower extremity injury prevention and rehabilitation. However, this ratio does not consider other neuromuscular variables that can also influence the antagonist to agonist muscle relationship, such as torque produced at multiple angles of range of motion, explosive strength, muscle size, muscle fatigue, or muscle activation. The aim of this study was to comprehensively review alternative methods of determining the hamstrings-to-quadriceps ratio. These include ratios calculated by angle-specific torque, …


Wettability Of Fully Hydroxylated And Alkylated (001) Α-Quartz Surface In Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere, Aleksandr Abramov, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer Mar 2019

Wettability Of Fully Hydroxylated And Alkylated (001) Α-Quartz Surface In Carbon Dioxide Atmosphere, Aleksandr Abramov, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Wettability of alkylated quartz surfaces is of primary importance in several technological applications, including the development of oil and gas reservoirs and carbon geo-sequestration. It is intuitively understood and experimentally confirmed that hydroxylated quartz surfaces are hydrophilic. By gradually saturating a hydroxylated (001) α-quartz surface with pentyl groups, we show using molecular dynamics simulations that the surface can also exhibit extreme hydrophobicity. Within a range of surface pentyl group density from 0.29 to 3.18/nm2, the contact angle of a water droplet under 10 MPa pressure of carbon dioxide at 300 K changes from 10–20 to 180°. This study …


Examining The Association Between Food Literacy And Food Insecurity, Andrea Begley, Ellen Paynter, Lucy M. Butcher, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal Feb 2019

Examining The Association Between Food Literacy And Food Insecurity, Andrea Begley, Ellen Paynter, Lucy M. Butcher, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Poor food literacy behaviours may contribute to food insecurity in developed countries. The aim of this research was to describe the apparent prevalence of food insecurity in adults at enrolment in a food literacy program and to examine the relationship between food insecurity and a range of independent variables. Individuals attending the Food Sensations® for Adults program in Western Australia from May 2016 to April 2018 completed a pre-program questionnaire (n = 1433) indicating if they had run out of money for food in the past month (food insecurity indicator), frequency of food literacy behaviours, selected dietary behaviours, and …


Treatment Fidelity In Aphasia Randomised Controlled Trials, Emily Brogan, Natalie Ciccone, Erin Godecke Feb 2019

Treatment Fidelity In Aphasia Randomised Controlled Trials, Emily Brogan, Natalie Ciccone, Erin Godecke

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Treatment fidelity is at the heart of evidence-based practice and treatment fidelity processes help to determine the ‘active ingredients’ of a treatment. Hinckley and Douglas in 2013 reviewed treatment fidelity processes in published aphasia trials and found 14% of aphasia treatment studies reported treatment fidelity. This led the authors to call for journals to make treatment fidelity reporting mandatory.

Aims: To review the implementation and reporting of treatment fidelity processes in recent aphasia RCTs to update on practices since 2012.

Methods and Procedures: Aphasia RCTs published between 2012 and 2017 were sourced from online databases speechBITE, …


Factors Associated With Midwives' Job Satisfaction And Intention To Stay In The Profession: An Integrative Review, Dianne Bloxsome, Deborah Ireson, Gemma Doleman, Sara Bayes Feb 2019

Factors Associated With Midwives' Job Satisfaction And Intention To Stay In The Profession: An Integrative Review, Dianne Bloxsome, Deborah Ireson, Gemma Doleman, Sara Bayes

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To conduct an integrative review of the factors associated with why midwives stay in midwifery.

BACKGROUND: Midwifery retention and attrition are globally acknowledged as an issue. However, little is known as to why midwives stay in midwifery as the focus has previously focussed on why they leave.

DESIGN: A structured six-step integrative review approach was used, and this involved the development of a search strategy, study selection and critical appraisal, data abstraction and synthesis, interpretation of findings and recommendations for future practice.

METHODS: The review was conducted using the databases MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsychInfo. Included studies were …


A Paleolithic Diet Lowers Resistant Starch Intake But Does Not Affect Serum Trimethylamine-N-Oxide Concentrations In Healthy Women, Angela Genoni, Johnny Lo, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Mary C. Boyce, Claus T. Christophersen, Anthony Bird, Amanda Devine Feb 2019

A Paleolithic Diet Lowers Resistant Starch Intake But Does Not Affect Serum Trimethylamine-N-Oxide Concentrations In Healthy Women, Angela Genoni, Johnny Lo, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Mary C. Boyce, Claus T. Christophersen, Anthony Bird, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Paleolithic diet excludes two major sources of fibre, grains and legumes. However, it is not known whether this results in changes to resistant starch (RS) consumption. Serum trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is produced mainly from colonic fermentation and hepatic conversion of animal protein and is implicated in CVD, but changes in RS intake may alter concentrations. We aimed to determine whether intake of RS and serum concentrations of TMAO varied in response to either the Paleolithic or the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) diets and whether this was related to changes in food group consumption. A total of thirty-nine women …


Locus‐Specific Concordance Of Genomic Alterations Between Tissue And Plasma Circulating Tumor Dna In Metastatic Melanoma, Leslie Calapre, Tindaro Giardina, Cleo Robinson, Anna L. Reid, Zeyad Al-Ogaili, Michelle R. Pereira, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Lydia Warburton, Nicholas K. Hayward, Muhammad A. Khattak, Tarek M. Meniawy, Michael Millward, Benhur Amanuel, Melanie R. Ziman, Elin S. Gray Feb 2019

Locus‐Specific Concordance Of Genomic Alterations Between Tissue And Plasma Circulating Tumor Dna In Metastatic Melanoma, Leslie Calapre, Tindaro Giardina, Cleo Robinson, Anna L. Reid, Zeyad Al-Ogaili, Michelle R. Pereira, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Lydia Warburton, Nicholas K. Hayward, Muhammad A. Khattak, Tarek M. Meniawy, Michael Millward, Benhur Amanuel, Melanie R. Ziman, Elin S. Gray

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) may serve as a surrogate to tissue biopsy for noninvasive identification of mutations across multiple genetic loci and for disease monitoring in melanoma. In this study, we compared the mutation profiles of tumor biopsies and plasma ctDNA from metastatic melanoma patients using custom sequencing panels targeting 30 melanoma-associated genes. Somatic mutations were identified in 20 of 24 melanoma biopsies, and 16 of 20 (70%) matched-patient plasmas had detectable ctDNA. In a subgroup of seven patients for whom matching tumor tissue and plasma were sequenced, 80% of the mutations found in tumor tissue were also detected in …


High-Rise Apartments And Urban Mental Health—Historical And Contemporary Views, Danica-Lea Larcombe, Eddie Van Etten, Alan Logan, Susan L. Prescott, Pierre Horwitz Jan 2019

High-Rise Apartments And Urban Mental Health—Historical And Contemporary Views, Danica-Lea Larcombe, Eddie Van Etten, Alan Logan, Susan L. Prescott, Pierre Horwitz

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

High-rise apartment buildings have long been associated with the poor mental health of their residents. The aims of this paper are to examine whether this connection is necessarily so, by reviewing the evidence relating to the relationships between high-rise living and social wellbeing, occupant’s stress levels, and the influence they have on mental health. From selected literature, psychological stress and poor mental health outcomes of the populations that live in high-rise apartments are indeed apparent, and this is particularly so for apartments in poor neighbourhoods. Yet many apartments in developed cities are in affluent areas (particularly those with views of …


Sero-Prevalence Of Hepatitis B And C Viral Co-Infections Among Hiv-1 Infected Art-Naïve Individuals In Kumasi, Ghana, Richard Boateng, Mohamed Mutocheluh, Albert Dompreh, Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah, Enoch Odame Anto, Michael Owusu, Patrick Williams Narkwa Jan 2019

Sero-Prevalence Of Hepatitis B And C Viral Co-Infections Among Hiv-1 Infected Art-Naïve Individuals In Kumasi, Ghana, Richard Boateng, Mohamed Mutocheluh, Albert Dompreh, Dorcas Obiri-Yeboah, Enoch Odame Anto, Michael Owusu, Patrick Williams Narkwa

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

The study assessed the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) co-infection paradigm among the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients attending a tertiary hospital in Ghana. Also, the immunological and virological characterisation of these viruses, prior to antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation was investigated.

Method

A total of 400 HIV infected (HIV type-1) treatment naïve subjects ≥18 years were enrolled and tested for HBsAg and anti-HCV. Hepatitis B virus serological profile was performed on samples that were HBV positive. CD4+ T-cell count and HIV-1 RNA viral loads were determined using BD FacsCalibur analyzer (USA) and COBAS AmpliPrep/COBAS …


A Numerical Study Of Axisymmetric Wave Propagation In Buried Fluid-Filled Pipes For Optimizing The Vibro-Acoustic Technique When Locating Gas Pipelines, Ying Liu, Daryoush Habibi, Douglas Chai, Xiuming Wang, Hao Chen Jan 2019

A Numerical Study Of Axisymmetric Wave Propagation In Buried Fluid-Filled Pipes For Optimizing The Vibro-Acoustic Technique When Locating Gas Pipelines, Ying Liu, Daryoush Habibi, Douglas Chai, Xiuming Wang, Hao Chen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Buried pipeline systems play a vital role in energy storage and transportation, especially for fluid energies like water and gas. The ability to locate buried pipes is of great importance since it is fundamental for leakage detection, pipeline maintenance, and pipeline repair. The vibro-acoustic locating method, as one of the most effective detection technologies, has been studied by many researchers. However, previous studies have mainly focused on vibro-acoustic propagation in buried water pipes. Limited research has been conducted on buried gas pipes. In this paper, the behavior of gas-dominated wave motion will be investigated and compared against water-dominated wave motion …


Engaging Adolescent Kyrgyzstani Efl Students In Digital Storytelling Projects About Astronomy, Nadezhda Chubko, Julia E. Morris, David H. Mckinnon, Eileen V. Slater, Geoffrey W. Lummis Jan 2019

Engaging Adolescent Kyrgyzstani Efl Students In Digital Storytelling Projects About Astronomy, Nadezhda Chubko, Julia E. Morris, David H. Mckinnon, Eileen V. Slater, Geoffrey W. Lummis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This research is based on the Journey through Space and Time (JTST) educational astronomy project for primary and junior high school science curricula in Australia, which seeks to improve students' astronomy content knowledge through science inquiry. The focus of the current project is on the learning needs of students for whom the language of instruction is a foreign or second language (EFL/ESL). This article reports the results of a pilot case study conducted in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan in December 2017. The research employed a Type II Case Study design. Data were collected through video and audio recordings of classroom interactions. The …


Elucidating The Surface Geometric Design Of Hydrophobic Australian Eucalyptus Leaves: Experimental And Modeling Studies, Hua Guo, Zonghan Xie, Jeremy Shaw, Kingsley Dixon, Zhong-Tao Jiang, Chun-Yang Yin, Xuemei Liu Jan 2019

Elucidating The Surface Geometric Design Of Hydrophobic Australian Eucalyptus Leaves: Experimental And Modeling Studies, Hua Guo, Zonghan Xie, Jeremy Shaw, Kingsley Dixon, Zhong-Tao Jiang, Chun-Yang Yin, Xuemei Liu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Three Australian native Eucalyptus species, i.e., Eucalyptus woodwardii, Eucalyptus pachyphylla and Eucalyptus dolorosa, were investigated, for the first time, with respect to the hydrophobicity of their leaves. It is well established that these leaves exhibit exceptionally high water repellency, in addition to an extraordinary ability to retain water, albeit their specific wetting mechanisms are still poorly understood. To identify the critical factors underlying this phenomenon, the surface topography of these leaves was subjected to micro-examination (SEM). Micro- and nanometer scale surface roughness was revealed, resembling that of the quintessential “lotus effect”. Surface free energy analysis was performed on two models …


Investigating The Relationships Between Hypothalamic Volume And Measures Of Circadian Rhythm And Habitual Sleep In Premanifest Huntington's Disease, Danielle M. Bartlett, Juan F. Domínguez D, Alvaro Reyes, Pauline Zaenker, Kirk W. Feindel, Robert U. Newton, Anthony J. Hannan, James A. Slater, Peter R. Eastwood, Alpar S. Lazar, Mel Ziman, Travis Cruickshank Jan 2019

Investigating The Relationships Between Hypothalamic Volume And Measures Of Circadian Rhythm And Habitual Sleep In Premanifest Huntington's Disease, Danielle M. Bartlett, Juan F. Domínguez D, Alvaro Reyes, Pauline Zaenker, Kirk W. Feindel, Robert U. Newton, Anthony J. Hannan, James A. Slater, Peter R. Eastwood, Alpar S. Lazar, Mel Ziman, Travis Cruickshank

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective

Pathological changes within the hypothalamus have been proposed to mediate circadian rhythm and habitual sleep disturbances in individuals with Huntington’s disease (HD). However, investigations examining the relationships between hypothalamic volume and circadian rhythm and habitual sleep in individuals with HD are sparse. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the relationships between hypothalamic pathology and circadian rhythm and habitual sleep disturbances in individuals with premanifest HD.

Methods

Thirty-two individuals with premanifest HD and twenty-nine healthy age- and gender-matched controls participated in this dual-site, cross-sectional study. Magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed to evaluate hypothalamic volume. Circadian rhythm and habitual sleep …


The State Of Dancingness: Staying With Leaving, Jo Pollitt Jan 2019

The State Of Dancingness: Staying With Leaving, Jo Pollitt

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Borrowing from Cixous’ ‘State of Drawingness’ (1993), this article proposes a ‘State of Dancingness’ as method of inhabiting the practice of writing as dancing. Understanding the dancing body as a place of virtuosic attention, the practice of writing is activated as a ‘continuation’ of dancing; neither as creative response or description but as frame for housing (staging) emergent content. The work proposes that the dancer begin on the page from the vantage and experience of entering the stage as solo improvising performer. These words come with this body tucked and pressing inside them. Pressing. The State of Dancingness …


The Use Of A Functional Test Battery As A Noninvasive Method Of Fatigue Assessment, Steven Hughes, Dale W. Chapman, G. Gregory Haff, Sophia Nimphius Jan 2019

The Use Of A Functional Test Battery As A Noninvasive Method Of Fatigue Assessment, Steven Hughes, Dale W. Chapman, G. Gregory Haff, Sophia Nimphius

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

To assess whether a battery of performance markers, both individually and as group, would be sensitive to fatigue, a within group random cross-over design compared multiple variables during seated control and fatigue (repeated sprint cycling) conditions. Thirty-two physically active participants completed a neuromuscular fatigue questionnaire, Stroop task, postural sway, squat jump, countermovement jump, isometric mid-thigh pull and 10 s maximal sprint cycle (Sprintmax) before and after each condition (15 min, 1 h, 24 h and 48 h). In comparison to control, larger neuromuscular fatigue questionnaire total score decrements were observed 15 min (5.20 ± 4.6), 1 h (3.33 ± 3.9) …


Deformation And Strength Characteristics Of Laves Phases In Titanium Alloys, Chirag D. Rabadia, Y. J. Liu, Liang-Yu Chen, Syed F. Jawed, L. Q. Wang, Hongqi Sun, Laichang Zhang Jan 2019

Deformation And Strength Characteristics Of Laves Phases In Titanium Alloys, Chirag D. Rabadia, Y. J. Liu, Liang-Yu Chen, Syed F. Jawed, L. Q. Wang, Hongqi Sun, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The superior reinforcement nature of Laves phases make them suitable for high-strength applications. Therefore, investigations on the deformation and strength characteristics of Laves phases are useful in development of an improved Laves phase-reinforced alloy. In this work, the Vickers micro-indentation method is used to evaluate and compare the deformation and strength characteristics of a hexagonal close-packed Laves phase (C14-type) in Ti-35Zr-5Fe-6Mn (wt%) and a face-centered cubic Laves phase (C15-type) in Ti-33Zr-7Fe-4Cr (wt%), considering the same volume fraction of Laves phase (~7.0%) in these alloys. Moreover, the effects of higher volume fraction of Laves phase (19.4%) on indentation-based deformation features are …


Development Of An In-Field Method For The Detection Of Barium In Various Water Samples Using Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, Samantha Ridgway, Magdalena Wajrak Jan 2019

Development Of An In-Field Method For The Detection Of Barium In Various Water Samples Using Differential Pulse Anodic Stripping Voltammetry, Samantha Ridgway, Magdalena Wajrak

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This work presents a reliable, cost-effective, rapid and in-field voltammetric method for the detection of barium. The optimized method consists of an ultrathin mercury film deposited in situ on a glassy carbon electrode in dilute potassium chloride without deoxygenation, using differential pulse anodic stripping voltammetry (DP-ASV). Application of the method allowed for the quantitative determination of barium concentration in a variety of waters and brake pad dust samples. Comparative analysis of sample results from DP-ASV with inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS) showed a mean percent difference of 1.8%.


The Nexus Between Social Impacts And Adaptation Strategies Of Workers To Occupational Heat Stress: A Conceptual Framework, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Eddie John Van Etten, Jacques Oosthuizen, Samuel Adams, Kwasi Frimpong Jan 2019

The Nexus Between Social Impacts And Adaptation Strategies Of Workers To Occupational Heat Stress: A Conceptual Framework, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Eddie John Van Etten, Jacques Oosthuizen, Samuel Adams, Kwasi Frimpong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Adverse effects of occupational heat stress in the context of the changing climate on working populations are subtle but considerably harmful. However, social dimensions and impacts of climate change–related occupational heat concerns on workers’ safety and health, productivity and well-being are often overlooked or relegated as minor issues in social impact analyses of occupational heat exposure due to climate change. This paper offers a conceptual framework based on an appraisal and synthesis of the literature on social impacts of climate change–related occupational heat exposure on workers’ safety and health, productivity and social welfare and the quest to localise and achieve …


Exploring Iso31000 Risk Management During Dynamic Fire And Emergency Operations In Western Australia, Greg Penney Jan 2019

Exploring Iso31000 Risk Management During Dynamic Fire And Emergency Operations In Western Australia, Greg Penney

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Firefighting remains an inherently dangerous occupation with serious injuries and fatalities reported globally. The Australasian Fire Authorities Council adopt ISO31000 as the standard of risk management for all firefighting and mitigation operations. However, previous studies have reported that decisions made by incident controllers during dynamic emergencies are typically reactionary and only partially compliant with the ISO31000 process. This paper describes research using new qualitative and quantitative data that support incident controllers in managing risk during dynamic fire and emergency situations, in accordance with ISO31000. The research was completed through two studies. The first study explored risk attitudes of serving fire …