Digital Commons Network^™

Dietary Patterns Associated With Alzheimer's Disease And Related Chronic Disease Risk: A Review, Samantha L. Gardener, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Jennifer Keogh, Suzanne Mathieson, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2013

The world’s population is growing older due to improved healthcare and nutrition. As a result, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) prevalence is rapidly increasing. The focus of the current research climate is shifting from understanding AD pathology and diagnosis to primary prevention and intervention strategies. Diet represents one potential intervention strategy accessible to all. Accumulating evidence suggests diet plays a major role in risk and development of AD and AD-related chronic diseases of the periphery like cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes. This paper reviews studies that have explored the relationship between “a priori” dietary patterns, AD and AD-related chronic disease risk. The …

Millennial Scale Impact On The Marine Biogeochemical Cycle Of Mercury From Early Mining On The Iberian Peninsula, Oscar Serrano Gras, A. Martinez-Cortizas, M. A. Mateo, H. Biester, R. Bindler

Research outputs 2013

The high-resolution mercury record of a Posidonia oceanica mat in the northwest Mediterranean provides an unprecedented testimony of changes in environmental mercury (Hg) loading to the coastal marine environment over the past 4315 yr BP. The period reconstructed made it possible to establish tentative preanthropogenic background Hg levels for the area (6.8!1.5 ng g–1 in bulk sediments). A small, but significant, anthropogenic Hg increase was identifiable by ~2500 yr BP, in agreement with the beginning of intense mining in Spain. Changes in the record suggest four major periods of anthropogenic Hg pollution inputs to the Mediterranean: first, during the Roman …

Meta-Analysis Reveals Complex Marine Biological Responses To The Interactive Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Warming, Ben P. Harvey, Dylan Gwynn-Jones, Philippa J. Moore

Research outputs 2013

Ocean acidification and warming are considered two of the greatest threats to marine biodiversity, yet the combined effect of these stressors on marine organisms remains largely unclear. Using a meta-analytical approach, we assessed the biological responses of marine organisms to the effects of ocean acidification and warming in isolation and combination. As expected biological responses varied across taxonomic groups, life-history stages, and trophic levels, but importantly, combining stressors generally exhibited a stronger biological (either positive or negative) effect. Using a subset of orthogonal studies, we show that four of five of the biological responses measured (calcification, photosynthesis, reproduction, and survival, …

Neither Heavy Nor Light Load Resistance Exercise Acutely Exacerbates Lymphedema In Breast Cancer Survivor, Prue Cormie, Daniel A. Galvao, Nigel A. Spry, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2013

Resistance exercise has great potential to aid in the management of breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL), but little is known regarding the acute response of performing resistance exercises with the affected limb. Purpose. To examine the acute impact of upper body resistance exercise on the amount of swelling and severity of symptoms in women with BCRL and to compare these effects between resistance exercise involving high and low loads (heavier vs lighter weights). Methods. Seventeen women aged 61 ± 9 years with mild to severe BCRL participated in this study. Participants completed a high load (6-8 repetition maximum) and low load …

A Necrotic Stimulus Is Required To Maximize Matrix-Mediated Myogenesis In Mice, Drew Kuraitis, Maria Grazia Berardinelli, Erik J. Suuronen, Antonio Musaro

Research outputs 2013

Biomaterials that are similar to skeletal muscle extracellular matrix have been shown to augment regeneration in ischemic muscle. In this study, treatment with a collagen-based matrix stimulated molecular myogenesis in an mdx murine model of necrosis. Matrix-treated animals ran ≥ 40% further, demonstrating functional regeneration, and expressed increased levels of myogenic transcripts. By contrast, matrix treatment was unable to induce transcriptional or functional changes in an MLC/SOD1G93A atrophic mouse model. In vitro, satellite cells were cultured under standard conditions, on matrix, in the presence of myocyte debris (to simulate a necrotic-like environment) or with both matrix and necrotic stimuli. Exposure …

Developing Social Skills Through Music: The Impact Of General Classroom Music In An Australian Lower Socio-Economic Area Primary School, John N. Heyworth

Research outputs 2013

Ideas about the physical and psychological healing effects of music date back to the classical Greek period. There is also substantial research concerning the educative influences of music on the human mind. Developmental deficiencies among low socio-economic student populations have often been associated with a reduced sense of self-esteem, responsibility, and ability to form relationships or engage in successful communication. This article describes a pro-active, constructivist approach to music education in a school largely attended by socially and economically disadvantaged students in Australia, and explores the influence of music on social learning. The strategic use of group music lessons in …

The Genetic Contribution Of Cidea Polymorphisms, Haplotypes And Loci Interaction To Obesity In A Han Chinese Population, Jingjing Wu, Ling Zhang, Jie Zhang, Ying Dai, Lili Bian, Manshu Song, Alyce C. Russell, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2013

To investigate the association of tag-SNPs and haplotype structures of the CIDEA gene with obesity in a Han Chinese population. Five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs1154588/V115F, rs4796955/SNP1, rs8092502/SNP2, rs12962340/SNP3 and rs7230480/SNP4) in the CIDEA gene were genotyped in a case-control study. Genotyping was performed using the sequenom matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry iPLEX platform. There were significant differences between the obese and control groups in genotype distributions of V115F (P>0.001), SNP1 (P = 0.006) and SNP2 (P = 0.005). Carriers of V115F-TT, SNP1-GG and SNP2-CC genotypes had a 2.84-fold (95 % CI 1.73-4.66), 2.19-fold (95 % CI 1.09-4.38) …

Pine As Fast Food: Foraging Ecology Of An Endangered Cockatoo In A Forestry Landscape, William Stock, Hugh Finn, Jackson Parker, Ken Dods

Research outputs 2013

Pine plantations near Perth, Western Australia have provided an important food source for endangered Carnaby’s Cockatoos (Calyptorhynchus latirostris) since the 1940s. Plans to harvest these plantations without re-planting will remove this food source by 2031 or earlier. To assess the impact of pine removal, we studied the ecological association between Carnaby’s Cockatoos and pine using behavioural, nutritional, and phenological data. Pine plantations provided high densities of seed (158 025 seeds ha21) over a large area (c. 15 000 ha). Carnaby’s Cockatoos fed throughout these plantations and removed almost the entire annual crop of pine cones. Peak cockatoo abundance coincided with …

Reversibility Of Membrane N-Glycome Of Hela Cells Upon Treatment With Epigenetic Inhibitors, Tomislav Horvat, Martina Dezeljin, Irma Redzic, Darko Barisic, Maja H. Bosnar, Gordan Lauc

Research outputs 2013

Glycans are essential regulators of protein function and are now in the focus of research in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. There are numerous modes of regulating their biosynthesis, including epigenetic mechanisms implicated in the expression of glyco-genes. Since N-glycans located at the cell membrane define intercellular communication as well as a cellular response to a given environment, we developed a method to preferentially analyze this fraction of glycans. The method is based on incorporation of living cells into polyacrylamide gels, partial denaturation of membrane proteins with 3 M urea and subsequent release of N-glycans with PNGase F followed by …

Trkb Receptor Signalling: Implications In Neurodegenerative, Psychiatric And Proliferative Disorders, Vivek K. Gupta, Yuyi You, Veer Gupta, Alexander Klistorner, Stuart L. Graham

Research outputs 2013

The Trk family of receptors play a wide variety of roles in physiological and disease processes in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Amongst these the TrkB receptor in particular has attracted major attention due to its critical role in signalling for brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and neurotrophin-4 (NT4). TrkB signalling is indispensable for the survival, development and synaptic plasticity of several subtypes of neurons in the nervous system. Substantial evidence has emerged over the last decade about the involvement of aberrant TrkB signalling and its compromise in various neuropsychiatric and degenerative conditions. Unusual changes in TrkB signalling …

Loci Associated With N-Glycosylation Of Human Immunoglobulin G Show Pleiotropy With Autoimmune Diseases And Haematological Cancers, Gordan Lauc, Jennifer E. Huffman, Maja Pucic, Lina Zgaga, Barbara Adamczyk, Ana Muzinic, Mislav Novokmet, Ozren Polasek, Olga Gornik, Jasminka Kristic, Toma Keser, Veronique Vitart, Blanca Scheijen, Hae-Won Uh, Mariam Molokhia, Alan L. Patrick, Paul Mckeigue, Ivana Kolcic, Ivan K. Lukic, Olivia Swann, Frank N. Van Leeuwen, L. R. Ruhaak, Jeanine J. Houwing-Duistermaat, P. E. Slagboom, Marian Beekman, Anton J.M. De Craen, Andre M. Deelder, Qiang Zeng, Wei Wang, Nicholas D. Hastie, Ulf Gyllensten, James F. Wilson, Manfred Wuhrer, Alan F. Wright, Pauline M. Rudd, Caroline Hayward, Yurii Aulchenko, Harry Campbell, Igor Rudan

Research outputs 2013

Glycosylation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) influences IgG effector function by modulating binding to Fc receptors. To identify genetic loci associated with IgG glycosylation, we quantitated N-linked IgG glycans using two approaches. After isolating IgG from human plasma, we performed 77 quantitative measurements of N-glycosylation using ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) in 2,247 individuals from four European discovery populations. In parallel, we measured IgG N-glycans using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS) in a replication cohort of 1,848 Europeans. Meta-analysis of genome-wide association study (GWAS) results identified 9 genome-wide significant loci (P,2.2761029) in the discovery analysis and two of the same loci (B4GALT1 and …

Pathology Associated With Aav Mediated Expression Of Beta Amyloid Or C100 In Adult Mouse Hippocampus And Cerebellum, Eleanor S. Drummond, Jill Muhling, Ralph Martins, Linda K. Wijaya, Erich M. Ehlert, Alan R. Harvey

Research outputs 2013

Accumulation of beta amyloid (Ab) in the brain is a primary feature of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) but the exact molecular mechanisms by which Ab exerts its toxic actions are not yet entirely clear. We documented pathological changes 3 and 6 months after localised injection of recombinant, bi-cistronic adeno-associated viral vectors (rAAV2) expressing human Ab40- GFP, Ab42-GFP, C100-GFP or C100V717F-GFP into the hippocampus and cerebellum of 8 week old male mice. Injection of all rAAV2 vectors resulted in wide-spread transduction within the hippocampus and cerebellum, as shown by expression of transgene mRNA and GFP protein. Despite the lack of accumulation of …

The Guinea Pig As A Model For Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (Ad): The Impact Of Cholesterol Intake On Expression Of Ad-Related Genes, Mathew Sharman, Seyyed H.M. Nik, Mengqi Chen, Daniel Ong, Linda K. Wijaya, Simon Laws, Kevin Taddei, Morgan Newman, Michael Lardelli, Ralph Martins, Guiseppe Verdile

Research outputs 2013

We investigated the guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, as a model for Alzheimer’s disease (AD), both in terms of the conservation of genes involved in AD and the regulatory responses of these to a known AD risk factor - high cholesterol intake. Unlike rats and mice, guinea pigs possess an Ab peptide sequence identical to human Ab. Consistent with the commonality between cardiovascular and AD risk factors in humans, we saw that a high cholesterol diet leads to up-regulation of BACE1 (b-secretase) transcription and down-regulation of ADAM10 (a-secretase) transcription which should increase release of Ab from APP. Significantly, guinea pigs possess …

Environmental And Conservation Volunteering As Workplace Integrated Learning For University Students, Rowena H. Scott, Eddie Van Etten

Research outputs 2013

This research paper introduces the concept and practice of tertiary sciences students doing environmental volunteering, also known as conservation volunteering, as a core part of their course. First year Natural Sciences students at Edith Cowan University do five days environmental volunteer work with community groups as a practicum, currently known as Workplace Integrated Learning (WIL). Initial research data displays the number of volunteer hours done by students in various types of activities, locations and organisations. Preliminary quantitative evaluations and qualitative comments demonstrate students’ positive attitudes and outcomes from their volunteering experiences. Definitions and classifications of volunteering and WIL from current …

What Bothers Australian Kids Online? Children Comment On Bullies, Porn And Violence, Lelia Green, Danielle Brady, Donell Holloway, Elisabeth Staksrud, Kjartan Ólafsson

Research outputs 2013

This briefing on what bothers Australian kids online builds upon a short report from the EU Kids Online network: In their own words: What bothers children online? Based upon research across 25 European nations, with 25,142 children (aged 9-16) and the parent or caregiver most involved in supporting the child’s internet use, the In their own words report addresses children’s answers to the question: ‘What things on the internet would bother people about your age?’ Children had not been asked about troubling content at this stage in the research, so their open-ended answers to this question represent the issues and …

Variability In The Carbon Storage Of Seagrass Habitats And Its Implications For Global Estimates Of Blue Carbon Ecosystem Service, Paul Lavery, Miguel-Angel Mateo, Oscar Serrano, Mohammad Rozaimi

Research outputs 2013

The recent focus on carbon trading has intensified interest in ‘Blue Carbon’–carbon sequestered by coastal vegetated ecosystems, particularly seagrasses. Most information on seagrass carbon storage is derived from studies of a single species, Posidonia oceanica, from the Mediterranean Sea. We surveyed 17 Australian seagrass habitats to assess the variability in their sedimentary organic carbon (Corg) stocks. The habitats encompassed 10 species, in mono-specific or mixed meadows, depositional to exposed habitats and temperate to tropical habitats. There was an 18-fold difference in the Corg stock (1.09– 20.14 mg Corg cm23 for a temperate Posidonia sinuosa and a temperate, estuarine P. australis …

The Contribution Of Work-Integrated Learning To Undergraduate Employability Skill Outcomes, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2013

WIL has attracted considerable attention as an instrument for enhancing professional practice and developing work-readiness in new graduates. It is widely considered as a point of difference in developing graduate employability by enhancing skill outcomes, such as team-work, communication, self-management and problem solving, employment prospects and student understanding of the world-of-work. This paper investigates the role of WIL in improving undergraduate employability skills; gauging its impact on a range of skills; and identifying variations in outcomes for certain demographic, study background and placement characteristics using survey data from 131 WIL students in an Australian university. Results indicate a significant improvement …

The Acceleration Of Aging And Alzheimer’S Disease Through The Biological Mechanisms Behind Obesity And Type Ii Diabetes, Ian J. Martins, Wei Ling F. Lim, Andrea C. Wilson, Simon M. Laws, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2013

The incidence of diabetes is predicted to increase to 21% by 2050. Currently, one third of US adults are obese and over 11% of these individuals have diabetes. Due to the growing need for therapeutic intervention to control and/or stabilize this increase in the incidence of diabetes in Western communities, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the association between obesity and Type 2 diabetes has become increasingly important to diabetes research. The increased cell senescence associated with diabetes has been associated with the limited ability of cells to divide, with indication of telomere shortening and genomic instability of the cells. Obese …

Increased Risk For Obesity And Diabetes With Neurodegeneration In Developing Countries [Journal Article], Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2013

The incidence of global obesity and Type 2 diabetes has increased and is predicted to rise to 30% of the global population. Diet and lifestyle factors are incapable to resolve the increased incidence for obesity and diabetes in various populations of the world. Developing countries have come to the forefront because of the higher diabetic epidemic. The urbanization may possibly provide an explanation for the global diabetic epidemic. In Western countries the metabolic syndrome and non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have reached 30 % of the population and now at present NAFLD afflicts 20% of developing populations. Western diets …

Exploring Ways To Improve Online Health News Stories, Trevor A. Cullen

Research outputs 2013

For a long time, reporting health consisted largely of statistics on the number of deaths and cases of disease, or reporting on epidemiological data that affects people we do not know. While this is important for health officials, it is of little interest to audiences who are increasingly demanding information that is useful to their daily lives. And conserving one’s health is perhaps the most useful of all topics. Many have now added the internet to their personal health toolbox, helping them to gain a better understanding of an illness or medical condition. But how accurate and balanced is the …

Identity On The Line: The Meaning Of Aboriginal And Non-Aboriginal Youth Hanging Out On The Streets And Train Stations In The South-East Corridor Of Perth, Andrew Guilfoyle, Sasha Botsis

Research outputs 2013

Executive Summary

We performed a critical analysis on data originally collected from young people, service providers, and parents, contained in Save the Children’s Photovoice and Participatory Action Research projects.

We employed an interpretative phenomenological approach with thematic analysis examining participants’ ascribed meaning, personal experiences, and observations of youth ‘hanging out’ on the streets or trains in the South-East corridor of Perth.

Criminology and Identity themes emerged, and we drew attention to the merits of a positive, holistic view of youth, growing up in today’s society; for the development of social programs, future interventions, and participatory action research.

We identify several …

Information Behavior And Japanese Students: How Can An Understanding Of The Research Process Lead To Better Information Literacy?, Yusuke Ishimura

Research outputs 2013

Academic librarians are striving to better serve international students as this emerging population grows on university campuses. Past studies of international students generally focus on linguistic and cultural differences in relation to information literacy skills development. However, it is necessary to go beyond these factors to better serve the population. By using a framework based in information behavior research, the present study investigates the factors that mediate students' behavior and information literacy skills. Practical recommendations based on the findings of an in-depth qualitative study of students' research process are provided.

Roles Of Compressive Residual Stress In Enhancing The Corrosion Resistance Of Nano Nitride Composite Coatings On Steel, Xiaoli Zhao, Paul Munroe, Daryoush Habibi, Zonghan Xie

Research outputs 2013

Nanocomposite coatings were synthesized, and subsequently annealed, in an attempt to understand the influence of residual stress upon their resistance to corrosion under acidic attack. Pitting corrosion, originating from microscopic coating defects, was commonly identified in the coatings subject to annealing. Finite element analysis was used to map the residual stress distribution adjacent to these defects and quantify resulting geometrical changes. The results show that with the presence of compressive residual stress in the coatings, corrosion-initiated cracking along weak interfaces was suppressed, and structural integrity maintained. Moreover, compressive residual stress helped constrict pre-existing structural defects in columnar-structured coatings and, in …

Investigation Of Mercury Use, Release, Deposition, And Exposures In The Tampa Bay Area, Ryan Algernon Michael

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

I investigate the links between mercury use, release, deposition, and population exposure in Tampa Bay, with the focus of identifying levers for reducing population mercury exposures. To achieve this, I investigated the trends in mercury use and release by products and processes in the Tampa Bay area using a Material Flow Analysis. Analysis of USEPA National Emissions Inventory data over time (1999 - 2008) identified relevant air source emission categories, and explored and compared state and regional trends in mercury emissions. To understand source contributions to wet deposited mercury in the Tampa Bay area, I analyzed trends in mercury deposition …

Evaluating Habitat Vulnerability And Sustainability Of Urban Seagrass Resources To Sea Level Rise, Cynthia A. Meyer

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The seagrass resource provides essential ecosystem functions for many marine species. This research evaluated the vulnerability and sustainability of the seagrass resource in an urbanized area to the effects of sea level rise. The assessment required analysis of information regarding the biogeography of the seagrass resource, and developing a method to model the spatial extent of the suitable habitat for seagrass, and applying the model to predict the implications of simulated sea level rise scenarios on the seagrass resource.

Examining the biogeography of the seagrass resource required the development of a seagrass monitoring and assessment field survey and a comprehensive …

A Case Study Of Jamaican Children's Lived Play Experiences, Carol Ann Long

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Although research on children's play is abundant and considerable advances have been made in young children's play, the majority of these studies have been based in western developed countries and written from adults' perspectives rather than with children. Additionally, very little research has been done on children's play with active participants from smaller developing countries. The voices of society's youngest members have been lost or are only marginally represented.

The purpose of this qualitative research is to explore, understand, and describe young Jamaican children's lived play experiences as related through their eyes. The theoretical frameworks used to guide this study …

Constructing A Healthcare Assets Map In Rural Appalachia: An Analysis Of Healthcare Services And Perceived Health Threats, Catherine Myers

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Using data gathered over the course of two months through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with health providers (n=19) and community members (n=20), this research analyzes patient access to health care resources and describes community members' and health care providers' perceptions of pressing health concerns in their area. The results of this research show the types of health care resources in the county, the similarities and differences between health providers' and community members' perceptions, and how the unique characteristics of this community influence health care access and health disparity.

Efficacy Of A Dissonance-Based Intervention For Self-Objectification: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Jessie Erin Menzel

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Self-objectification is the process by which women take on a third-person perspective in evaluating their physical appearance and sexual attributes. Objectification theory states that self-objectification may lead to negative mental health outcomes in women; a growing body of cross-sectional and experimental research supports the connection between self-objectification and the experience of shame, disordered eating, depression, and sexual dysfunction. This study sought to evaluate an intervention designed to reduce self-objectification behaviors and beliefs in order to prevent the development of disordered eating, depression, and sexual dysfunction. An efficacious prevention program using cognitive dissonance induction was adapted to target self-objectification. The efficacy …

Social Determinants Of Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Perinatal Morbidity: Social Origins Of Perinatal Health Study, Abraham A. Salinas-Miranda

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

BACKGROUND: The social causation of preterm birth remains elusive, without an adequate explanatory framework. Thus, this study proposed and evaluated a conceptual model of the social determinants of perinatal health for the understanding of perinatal health disparities.

METHODS: A prospective cohort study was conducted with pregnant women between 20 and 35 weeks gestation who were participating in two Healthy Start programs in Central Florida, from July 2011-August 2013. Perinatal health was operationalized based on gestational age, birth weight, and healthy start infant risk screen score. The predictors were: early life adversity, social position, maternal health-related quality of life, maternal stress, …

Use Of Services By Female Survivors Of Intimate Partner Violence: In Their Own Words, Michele M. Scordato

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

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