Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Revisiting The Link Between Low Verbal Intelligence And Ideology, Peter Leeson, Patrick Heaven, Joseph Ciarrochi

joseph Ciarrochi

We address a series of criticisms, raised by Woodley (2011), of our paper “Cognitive ability, right-wing authoritarianism, and social dominance orientation: A five-year longitudinal study amongst adolescents” (Heaven, Ciarrochi, & Leeson, 2011). We argue that, while Woodley (2011) presents some interesting points, his criticisms do not alter our initial interpretation that verbal intelligence influences the individual's ideological perspective. We also argue that the use of RWA and SDO in our paper is not problematic given that these variables are treated as ideological constructs and not measures of personality. We further challenge the assumption that our reported relationship between low IQ …

Adolescents Who Need Help The Most Are The Least Likely To Seek It: The Realtionship Between Low Emotional Competence And Low Intention To Seek Help, Joseph Ciarrochi, Frank Deane, Coralie Wilson, Debra Rickwood

joseph Ciarrochi

It has been found that university students who were the least skilled at managing their emotions also had the lowest intention of seeking help from a variety of nonprofessional sources (e.g. family and friends). The present study sought to extend these findings by focusing on adolescents, examining a larger number of emotional competencies, and exploring the possibility that social support explains the relationship between emotional competence and help-seeking. A total of 137 adolescents (aged 16-18) completed an anonymous survey that assessed social support, emotional competencies, and intention to seek help from a variety of professional and nonprofessional sources. As expected, …

Reactions Of Small Carbon-Bearing Radicals With Unsaturated Hydrocarbons: Product Detection And Low Temperature Kinetics, Adam Trevitt, Fabien Goulay, Stephen Leone

Adam Trevitt

We report on results from two experimental techniques concerned with the reactions of small carbon based radicals (CN and CH) with unsaturated hydrocarbons. First, low temperature (100-300K) kinetic studies using a pulse Laval nozzle technique probe the reactions of the CN radical with benzene and toluene. The CN + benzene is found to be a fast, barrierless reaction. But in the case of toluene, two reaction pathways are in competition, one of which back dissociates to the reactants. The implications for the atmosphere of Titan are discussed. Product detection studies undertaken at the Advanced Light Source (ALS) using synchrotron coupled …

A Food-Based Dietary Strategy Lowers Blood Pressure In A Low Socio-Economic Setting: A Randomised Study In South Africa, Karen E. Charlton, Naomi Levitt, Krisela Steyn, Deborah Jonathan, Nomonde Gwebushe, Nasheeta Peer, Katja Rossouw, Theresa Gogela, Carl J. Lombard

Karen E. Charlton

Objective To assess the impact of a food-based intervention on blood pressure (BP) in free-living South African men and women aged 50–75 years, with drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertension. Methods A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken in eighty drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertensive subjects randomised to an intervention (n 40) or control (n 40) arm. The intervention was 8-week provision of six food items with a modified cation content (salt replacement (SOLO™), bread, margarine, stock cubes, soup mix and a flavour enhancer) and 500 ml of maas (fermented milk)/d. The control diet provided the same quantities of the targeted foods but of standard commercial …

Emulsion-Coaxial Electrospinning: Designing Novel Architectures For Sustained Release Of Highly Soluble Low Molecular Weight Drugs, Lucie Viry, Simon E. Moulton, Tony Romeo, Courtney Suhr, Damia Mawad, Mark Cook, Gordon G. Wallace

Gordon Wallace

In drug therapy, most therapeutic drugs are of low molecular weight and could freely diffuse in the biological milieu depending on the administration route applied. The main reason for the development of polymeric drug carriers is to obtain desired effects such as sustained therapy, local and controlled release, prolonged activity and reduction of side effects. Alternatively, polymeric carriers can be made bioerodible in order to be eliminated by natural ways after a certain time of therapy. Core-shell fibres from coaxial spinneret or emulsion electrospinning are good candidates for the development of such devices; however difficulties remain especially in controlling the …

A Randomized Controlled Trial Investigating The Effects Of A Low-Glycemic Index Diet On Pregnancy Outcomes In Gestational Diabetes Mellitus, Jennie Brand-Miller, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Peter Petocz, Tania Markovic, Nimalie Perera, Deborah Foote, Glynis Ross

Jimmy Chun Yu Louie

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is rising. There is little evidence to demonstrate the effectiveness of one dietary therapy over another. We aimed to investigate the effect of a low-glycemic index (LGI) versus a conventional high-fiber diet on pregnancy outcomes, neonatal anthropometry, and maternal metabolic profile in GDM.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Ninety-nine women (age 26-42 years; mean ± SD prepregnancy BMI 24 ± 5 kg/m²) diagnosed with GDM at 20-32 weeks' gestation were randomized to follow either an LGI (n = 50; target glycemic index [GI] ~50) or a high-fiber moderate-GI diet (HF) (n = 49; target …

Aripiprazole Differentially Affects Mesolimbic And Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Transmission: Implications For Long-Term Drug Efficacy And Low Extrapyramidal Side-Effects, Xu-Feng Huang, Chao Deng, Mei Han

Xu-Feng Huang

Aripiprazole has been used effectively to treat schizophrenia in the clinic ; however, its mechanisms ofaction are not clear. This study examined how short- and long-term aripiprazole treatment affects dopaminergic transmission in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways. For comparison, the effects of haloperidol and olanzapine treatment were also examined. Aripiprazole significantly increased D2 receptor mRNA expression and decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) after 1- and 12-wk treatment, but had no effect in substantia nigra (SN) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Aripiprazole also decreased dopamine transporter (DAT) binding density in NAc (for 1- and 12- wk …

Serum Levels Of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Are Low In Chinese Men With Metabolic Syndrome, Whereas Serum Levels Of Saturated Fatty Acids, Zinc And Magnesium Are High, Yinghua Yu, Z. Cai, Jusheng Zheng, J-Z Chen, Xu Zhang, Xu-Feng Huang, Duo Li

Xu-Feng Huang

The purpose of this study was to examine the hypothesis that serum levels of phospholipid (PL) fatty acids (FA) and minerals are associated with the components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in the Chinese population and the profiles of changes may differ from patients with MetS from Western countries. The levels of serum PL, FA, and minerals were examined in 201 subjects (52 with MetS and 149 healthy controls without any MetS components) in China. The saturated FA proportion in serum was significantly higher, whereas the proportion of total polyunsaturated FA (PUFA), n-3 and n-6 PUFA (22:6n-3: −16%, P = .006; …

Energy-Restricted Pair-Feeding Normalizes Low Levels Of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor/Tyrosine Kinase B Mrna Expression In The Hippocampus, But Not Ventromedial Hypothalamic Nucleus, In Diet-Induced Obese Mice, Xu-Feng Huang, Qing Wang, Yinghua Yu

Xu-Feng Huang

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its receptor tyrosine kinase B (TrkB) are closely associated with the regulation of energy homeostasis, but their roles in diet-induced obesity have not been explored. Using dietary interventions, this study examined regional changes of BDNF and TrkB mRNA expression in different brain regions of diet-induced obese (DIO) and resistant (DR) mice in response to high-fat (HF), energy-restricted pair-feeding and low fat (LF) diets. Using in situ hybridization, DIO mice had significantly decreased levels of BDNF mRNA expression (¿32% to ¿37%) and TrkB (¿21% to ¿23%) in the hippocampus compared to DR mice on an HF …

The Effect Of A Low Glycemic Index Diet During Pregnancy On Obstetric Outcomes, Robert G. Moses, M J. Luebcke, Warren S. Davis, K J. Coleman, Linda C. Tapsell, Peter Petocz, Jennie C. Brand-Miller

L. C. Tapsell

Abstract presented at The 2006 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Nutrition Society of Australia, 29 November - 2 December, Sydney, Australia

Feasibility Studies Of Low-Fat Diet To Prevent Or Retard Breast Cancer, P Greenwald, C Clifford, R Butrum, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

No abstract provided.

Reaction Of The C2h Radical With 1-Butyne (C4h6): Low Temperature Kinetics And Isomer-Specific Product Detection, Satchin Soorkia, Adam J. Trevitt, Talitha M. Selby, David L. Osborn, Craig A. Taatjes, Kevin R. Wilson, Stephen R. Leone

Adam Trevitt

No abstract provided.

Reactions Of The Cn Radical With Benzene And Toluene: Product Detection And Low-Temperature Kinetics, Adam J. Trevitt, Fabien Goulay, Craig A. Taatjes, David L. Osborn, Stephen R. Leone

Adam Trevitt

Low-temperature rate coefficients are measured for the CN + benzene and CN + toluene reactions using the pulsed Laval nozzle expansion technique coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection. The CN + benzene reaction rate coefficient at 105, 165, and 295 K is found to be relatively constant over this temperature range, (3.9−4.9) × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. These rapid kinetics, along with the observed negligible temperature dependence, are consistent with a barrierless reaction entrance channel and reaction efficiencies approaching unity. The CN + toluene reaction is measured to have a rate coefficient of 1.3 × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at 105 …

Emulsion-Coaxial Electrospinning: Designing Novel Architectures For Sustained Release Of Highly Soluble Low Molecular Weight Drugs, Lucie Viry, Simon E. Moulton, Tony Romeo, Courtney Suhr, Damia Mawad, Mark Cook, Gordon G. Wallace

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

In drug therapy, most therapeutic drugs are of low molecular weight and could freely diffuse in the biological milieu depending on the administration route applied. The main reason for the development of polymeric drug carriers is to obtain desired effects such as sustained therapy, local and controlled release, prolonged activity and reduction of side effects. Alternatively, polymeric carriers can be made bioerodible in order to be eliminated by natural ways after a certain time of therapy. Core-shell fibres from coaxial spinneret or emulsion electrospinning are good candidates for the development of such devices; however difficulties remain especially in controlling the …

Remote Sensing Of Co2 And Ch4 Using Solar Absorption Spectrometry With A Low Resolution Spectrometer, C Petri, T Warneke, N Jones, T Ridder, J Messerschmidt, T Weinzierl, M Geibel, J Notholt

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Throughout the last few years solar absorption Fourier Transform Spectrometry (FTS) has been further developed to measure the total columns of CO2 and CH4. The observations are performed at high spectral resolution, typically at 0.02 cm(-1). The precision currently achieved is generally better than 0.25%. However, these high resolution instruments are quite large and need a dedicated room or container for installation. We performed these observations using a smaller commercial interferometer at its maximum possible resolution of 0.11 cm(-1). The measurements have been performed at Bremen and have been compared to observations using our high resolution instrument also situated at …

The Interaction Of Body Armor, Low-Intensity Exercise, And Hot-Humid Conditions On Physiological Strain And Cognitive Function, Joanne N. Caldwell, Lian Engelen, Charles Van Der Henst, Mark J. Patterson, Nigel A.S Taylor

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: This project was aimed at evaluating the impact of combat armor on physiological and cognitive functions during low-intensity exercise in hot-humid conditions (36°C and 60% relative humidity). Methods: Nine males participated in three trials (2.5 hours), walking at two speeds and wearing different protective equipment: control (combat uniform and cloth hat); torso armor with uniform and cloth hat; and full armor (uniform, torso armor, and helmet). Results: As time progressed, core temperatures increased and deviated signifi cantly among trials, rising at 0.37°C h −1 (control), 0.41°C h −1 (torso armor), and 0.51°C h −1 (full armor). Heart rates also …

Soils Of Low Elevation Coral Structures, John Morrison

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The small islands of the South Pacific region, like many other parts of the world, arc (~\I\j riencing population growth and, more particularly, the movement of people into )11,1I1!1 urban centres. Most Pacific cities, especially the capitals of regional countries, arc locili ",I in naturally protected coastal waterways. This is a historical situation, arising from III,' need to provide protected deep-water harbours for ships, the main form of internaliol\,d travel and trade. These waters are protected by offshore barrier reefs, by islands or by ril(,1 ine deltas. However, these protective mechanisms also have the effect of limiting mix!II): of near-shore …

Effects Of High And Low Breast Support On Breast Kinematics And Kinetics During Treadmill Running, Deirdre Mcghee, Julie R. Steele, William J. Zealey

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Results: The mean vertical component of the peak bra/breast spring force during treadmill running was greatest during the downward breast trajectory and was approximately 30% less in the high breast support condition (13 N ± 7 N) compared to the low support condition (17 N ± 10 N). This force reduction was accompanied by a 300% decrease in breast and bra discomfort. Conclusion: Wearing a well-fitted supportive sports bra is recommended for females with large breasts to reduce the breast forces and, in tum, exercise induced breast and bra discomfort during physical activity such as treadmill running.

Reactions Of The Cn Radical With Benzene And Toluene: Product Detection And Low-Temperature Kinetics, Adam J. Trevitt, Fabien Goulay, Craig A. Taatjes, David L. Osborn, Stephen R. Leone

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Low-temperature rate coefficients are measured for the CN + benzene and CN + toluene reactions using the pulsed Laval nozzle expansion technique coupled with laser-induced fluorescence detection. The CN + benzene reaction rate coefficient at 105, 165, and 295 K is found to be relatively constant over this temperature range, (3.9−4.9) × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1. These rapid kinetics, along with the observed negligible temperature dependence, are consistent with a barrierless reaction entrance channel and reaction efficiencies approaching unity. The CN + toluene reaction is measured to have a rate coefficient of 1.3 × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1 at 105 …

Reaction Of The C2h Radical With 1-Butyne (C4h6): Low Temperature Kinetics And Isomer-Specific Product Detection, Satchin Soorkia, Adam J. Trevitt, Talitha M. Selby, David L. Osborn, Craig A. Taatjes, Kevin R. Wilson, Stephen R. Leone

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Effects Of Early Developmental Stress On Adult Physiology And Behavior, Michael James Frederick

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Events during early development can have long-term effects on physiology and behavior. While extreme developmental stress is known to be associated with a variety of behavioral problems, it is less well understood how milder stress may affect behavior, personality, and reproductive success. This research project assessed a variety of behavioral dimensions in a college age sample, while assessing early development using size at birth, fluctuating asymmetry, and retrospective surveys. Maternal stress during pregnancy was found to reduce adolescent growth spurts and adult handgrip strength in the offspring. In males, lower birth weights were associated with higher scores of impulsivity and …

Aripiprazole Differentially Affects Mesolimbic And Nigrostriatal Dopaminergic Transmission: Implications For Long-Term Drug Efficacy And Low Extrapyramidal Side-Effects, Xu-Feng Huang, Chao Deng, Mei Han

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aripiprazole has been used effectively to treat schizophrenia in the clinic ; however, its mechanisms ofaction are not clear. This study examined how short- and long-term aripiprazole treatment affects dopaminergic transmission in mesolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways. For comparison, the effects of haloperidol and olanzapine treatment were also examined. Aripiprazole significantly increased D2 receptor mRNA expression and decreased tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) mRNA expression in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) after 1- and 12-wk treatment, but had no effect in substantia nigra (SN) and nucleus accumbens (NAc). Aripiprazole also decreased dopamine transporter (DAT) binding density in NAc (for 1- and 12- wk …

Multiresonator-Based Chipless Rfid System For Low-Cost Item Tracking, Stevan Preradovic, Isaac Balbin, Nemai Karmakar, Gerhard F. Swiegers

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A fully passive printable chipless RFID system is presented. The chipless tag uses the amplitude and phase of the spectral signature of a multiresonator circuit and provides I : 1 correspondence of data bits. The tag comprises of a microstrip spiral multiresonator and cross-polarized transmitting and receiving microstrip ultra-wideband disc loaded monopole antennas. The reader antenna is a log periodic dipole antenna with average 5.5-dBi gain. Firstly, a 6-bit chipless tag is designed to encode 000000 and 010101 IDs. Finally, a 35-bit chipless tag based on the same principle is presented. The tag has potentials for low-cost item tagging such …

Nmr Study Of Complexes Between Low Molecular Mass Inhibitors And The West Nile Virus Ns2b-Ns3 Protease, X Su, Kiyoshi Ozawa, Hiromasa Yagi, S P. Lim, D Wen, D Ekonomiuk, D Huang, T Keller, S Sonntag, A Caflisch, S G. Vasudevan, G Otting

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

The two-component NS2B-NS3 protease of West Nile virus is essential for its replication and presents an attractive target for drug development. Here, we describe protocols for the high-yield expression of stable isotope-labelled samples in vivo and in vitro. We also describe the use of NMR spectroscopy to determine the binding mode of new low molecular mass inhibitors of the West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 protease which were discovered using high-throughput in vitro screening. Binding to the substrate-binding sites S1 and S3 is confirmed by intermolecular NOEs and comparison with the binding mode of a previously identified low molecular mass inhibitor. Our …

Automatic Reaction To A Chemical Event Detected By A Low-Cost Wireless Chemical Sensing Network, Stephen Beirne, King Tong Lau, Brian Corcoran, Dermot Diamond

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A test-scale wireless chemical sensor network (WCSN) has been deployed within a controlled Environmental Chamber (EC). The combined signals from the WCSN were used to initiate a controllable response to the detected chemical event. When a particular sensor response pattern was obtained, a purging cycle was initiated. Sensor data were continuously checked against user-defined action limits, to determine if a chemical event had occurred. An acidic contaminant was used to demonstrate the response of the sensor network. Once the acid plume was simultaneously detected by a number of wireless chemical sensor nodes, an automatic response action, which was the purging …

A Food-Based Dietary Strategy Lowers Blood Pressure In A Low Socio-Economic Setting: A Randomised Study In South Africa, Karen E. Charlton, Naomi Levitt, Krisela Steyn, Deborah Jonathan, Nomonde Gwebushe, Nasheeta Peer, Katja Rossouw, Theresa Gogela, Carl J. Lombard

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To assess the impact of a food-based intervention on blood pressure (BP) in free-living South African men and women aged 50–75 years, with drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertension.

Methods A double-blind controlled trial was undertaken in eighty drug-treated mild-to-moderate hypertensive subjects randomised to an intervention (n 40) or control (n 40) arm. The intervention was 8-week provision of six food items with a modified cation content (salt replacement (SOLO™), bread, margarine, stock cubes, soup mix and a flavour enhancer) and 500 ml of maas (fermented milk)/d. The control diet provided the same quantities of the targeted foods but of …

Evaluation Of A Low Cost Wireless Chemical Sensor Network For Environmental Monitoring, Jer Hayes, Stephen Beirne, King-Tong Lau, Dermot Diamond

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

We present work on the development and testing of a low-cost wireless chemical sensor network (WCSN) for monitoring irritant/toxic gases in the environment. The WCSN used in this work takes advantage of recent advances in low power wireless communication platforms and uses colorimetric sensors to detect the presence of certain target gases. This sensor network adopts a star configuration and performs one way RF communications from individual sensor nodes to the base-station. Each node in the network is composed of a multiple sensor platform that measures light intensity, temperature and motion. The light sensor was used as the chemical sensing …

Chemical Event Tracking Using A Low-Cost Wireless Chemical Sensing Network, Stephen T. Beirne, B Corcoran, K T Lau, D Diamond

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

A recently developed low-cost light emitting diode (LED) chemical sensing technique is integrated with a Mica2Dot wireless communications platform to form a deployable wireless chemical event indicator network. The operation of the colorimetric sensing node has been evaluated to determine its reproducibility and limit of detection for an acidic airborne contaminant. A test-scale network of five similar chemical sensing nodes is deployed in a star communication topology at fixed points within a custom built Environmental Sensing Chamber (ESC). Presented data sets collected from the deployed wireless chemical sensor network (WCSN) show that during an acidic event scenario it is possible …

Prevalence Of Low Serum Folate And Vitamin B12 In An Older Australian Population, Victoria M. Flood, Wayne T. Smith, Karen L. Webb, Elena Rochtchina, Valerie Anderson, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine the prevalence of low serum folate and vitamin B12, in association with elevated serum homocysteine, in a representative sample of older Australians. Methods: During 1997-2000, 3,508 persons aged 50+ years were examined in a population-based cohort study conducted in two postcodes, west of Sydney, Australia. Of these, 2,901 participants (82.7%) provided fasting blood for estimates of serum folate, vitamin B12 and total homocysteine. Results: Low serum B12 (<185 pmol>/L) was found in 22.9% of participants and low serum folate (<6.8 nmol/L) in 2.3% of participants. Among those people with very low serum vitamin B12 (<125 pmol/L) and low serum folate, 51% had elevated homocysteine. Conclusions: Low serum levels of vitamin B12 and elevated serum homocysteine are relatively frequent in older Australians. Implications: Appropriate public health action should be considered to reduce the prevalence of low serum vitamin B12 and elevated homocysteine in older Australians.

Low-Dose/High-Concentration Localized Botulinum Toxin A Improves Upper Limb Movement And Function In Children With Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy, Kevin Lowe, Iona Novak, Anne Cusick

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The objective was to determine the effects of low-dose, highconcentration, dual localized botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) injections on upper limb movement quality and function. Study design was an evaluator-blinded, randomized, controlled trial. Forty-two children (31 males, 11 females; range 2–8y, mean 4y [SD 1.6]) with hemiplegic cerebral palsy (Gross Motor Function Classification System level I)participated. All received occupational therapy. The treatment group (n=21) received one injection series (mean muscles injected 6 [SD 1.05]; total dose 82–220 units, mean 139 [SD 37.48]; dilution 100 units/0.5ml). Primary outcome of Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST) at 6 months was not significant …