Digital Commons Network^™

Plugging The Rabbit Hole: The Supreme Court's Decision In Alice, Steven Swan

Utah Law Review

The two-step analysis in Mayo is insufficient to objectively analyze and make consistent determinations on patent eligibility. The effects of Alice are prime exhibits of this conclusion. Uncertainty and confusion in the realm of patents and software technology have risen to such a level that there is a telling impact on the economy and perhaps far greater devastation to the economy on the horizon. At the same time, the patent prosecution process has become increasingly expensive and difficult for both the client and drafting attorney provided the sheer number of Section rejections that are challenging to overcome. Consequently, this Note …

The Effects Of Testosterone Supplementation On Cognitive Functioning In Older Men, Eka Wahjoepramono, Prita Asih, Vilia Aniwiyanti, Kevin Taddei, Satvinder Dhaliwal, Stephanie Fuller, Jonathan Foster, Malcolm Carruthers, Giuseppe Verdile, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Reduction in testosterone levels in men during aging is associated with cognitive decline and risk of dementia. Animal studies have shown benefits for testosterone supplementation in improving cognition and reducing Alzheimer’s disease pathology. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study of men with subjective memory complaint and low testosterone levels, we investigated whether testosterone treatment significantly improved performance on various measures of cognitive functioning. Forty-four men were administered a battery of neuropsychological tests to establish the baseline prior to being randomly divided into two groups. The first group (Group A) received 24 weeks of testosterone treatment (T treatment) followed by 4 …

Assessing And Selecting Culturally Diverse Literature For The Classroom, Helen Adam, Laurie Harper

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Articulated within the Australian Curriculum (AC) and the Early Years Learning Framework for Australia (EYLF) are strong principles of diversity and intercultural awareness. These principles place a responsibility on educators to make curriculum decisions that reflect inclusive goals and practices. It is important that all children have access to authentic and accurate representations and role models related to their cultural backgrounds and everyday lives, in order to gain benefits associated with developing a positive sense of identity and belonging (Gollnick and Chinn, 2006; Jones Diaz and Harvey, 2002; Morgan, 2009) with additional benefits to their academic and intellectual progress (Department …

Heat-Mediated Reduction Of Apoptosis In Uvb-Damaged Keratinocytes In Vitro And In Human Skin Ex Vivo, Leslie Calapre, Elin S. Gray, Sandrine Kurdykowski, Anthony David, Prue Hart, Pascal Descargues, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

UV radiation induces significant DNA damage in keratinocytes and is a known risk factor for skin carcinogenesis. However, it has been reported previously that repeated and simultaneous exposure to UV and heat stress increases the rate of cutaneous tumour formation in mice. Since constant exposure to high temperatures and UV are often experienced in the environment, the effects of exposure to UV and heat needs to be clearly addressed in human epidermal cells.

Methods:

In this study, we determined the effects of repeated UVB exposure 1kJ/m2 followed by heat (39°C) to human keratinocytes. Normal human ex vivo skin models …

Women Business Owners’ Start-Up Motivations And Network Content, Jalleh Sharafizad, Alan Coetzer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how women small business owners’ (SBOs) business start-up motivations influence their network content.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 women SBOs who were recruited through purposeful sampling methods. Interview data on their start-up motivations were used to categorise them into three types: classic, forced and work-family. The interviews explored the network contents of the three categories of participants.

Findings

There were many similarities between network contents of classic and forced SBOs, as both groups had started their business for financial reasons rather than family reasons. All the participants’ networks contained …

Aβ-Related Memory Decline In Apoe Ε4 Noncarriers: Implications For Alzheimer Disease, Yen Ying Lim, Simon Laws, Victor Villemagne, Robert Pietrzak, Tenielle Porter, David Ames, Christoher Fowler, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Peter Snyder, Ralph Martins, Olivier Salvado, Pierrick Bourgeat, Christopher Rowe, Colin Masters, Paul Maruff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

As the absence of Aβ-related memory decline in APOE ϵ4 noncarriers may be due to the relative brevity of previous studies, we aimed to characterize Aβ-related cognitive decline over 72 months in APOE ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers who were cognitively normal (CN).

Methods:

CN older adults (n 423) underwent Aβ imaging and APOE genotyping. Participants completed comprehensive neuropsychological testing at baseline 18-, 36-, 54-, and 72-month assessments.

Results:

Relative to Aβ- CN ϵ4 noncarriers, both Aβ+ CN ϵ4 carriers and noncarriers showed significantly increased decline in measures of memory, language, and executive function as well as higher rates of …

Sources, Incidence And Effects Of Non-Physical Workplace Violence Against Nurses In Ghana, Issac Boafo, Peter Hancock, Eyal Gringart

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim

To document the incidence, sources and effects of workplace verbal abuse and sexual harassment against Ghanaian nurses.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghana from 2013–2014 which surveyed 592 professional nurses and midwives working in public hospitals in Ghana using the health sector violence questionnaire.

Results

The majority of participants were females (80%). The average age of participants was 31·76 years and the average number of years practising as nurse was 7·38. Twelve per cent of the participants experienced at least one incident of sexual harassment and 52·2% were exposed to verbal abuse. The majority of perpetrators of …

Acute Inflammatory Response To Low-, Moderate-, And High-Load Resistance Exercise In Women With Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema, Prue Cormie, Benjamin Singh, Sandi Hayes, Jonathan M. Peake, Daniel A. Galvao, Dennis Taaffe, Nigel Spry, Kazunori Nosaka, Bruce Cornish, Kathryn H. Schmitz, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Resistance exercise is emerging as a potential adjunct therapy to aid in the management of breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL). However, the mechanisms underlying the relationships between the acute and long-term benefits of resistance exercise on BCRL are not well understood.

Purpose

To examine the acute inflammatory response to upper-body resistance exercise in women with BCRL and to compare these effects between resistance exercises involving low, moderate, and high loads. The impact on lymphedema status and associated symptoms was also compared.

Methods.

A total of 21 women, 62 ± 10 years old, with BCRL participated in the study. Participants completed …

Reducing The Risk Of Invasive Forest Pests And Pathogens: Combining Legislation, Targeted Management And Public Awareness, Maartje J. Klapwijk, Anna J. M. Hopkins, Louise Eriksson, Maria Pettersson, Martin Schroeder, Ake Lindlow, Jonas Ronnberg, E Carina H. Keskitalo, Marc Kenis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Intensifying global trade will result in increased numbers of plant pest and pathogen species inadvertently being transported along with cargo. This paper examines current mechanisms for prevention and management of potential introductions of forest insect pests and pathogens in the European Union (EU). Current European legislation has not been found sufficient in preventing invasion, establishment and spread of pest and pathogen species within the EU. Costs associated with future invasions are difficult to estimate but past invasions have led to negative economic impacts in the invaded country. The challenge is combining free trade and free movement of products (within the …

Metabolomics Enables Precision Medicine: “A White Paper, Community Perspective”, Richard D. Beger, Warwick B. Dunn, Michael A. Schmidt, Steven S. Cross, Jennifer A. Kirwan, Marta S. Cascante, Lorraine Brennan, David S. Wishart, Matej Orešič, Thomas Hankemeier, David Broadhurst, Andrew N. Lane, Karsten Suhre, Gabi Kastenmüller, Susan J. Sumner, Ines Thiele, Oliver E. Fiehn, Rima Kaddurah- Daouk

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:Background to metabolomics:

Metabolomics is the comprehensive study of the metabolome, the repertoire of biochemicals (or small molecules) present in cells, tissues, and body fluids. The study of metabolism at the global or “-omics” level is a rapidly growing field that has the potential to have a profound impact upon medical practice. At the center of metabolomics, is the concept that a person’s metabolic state provides a close representation of that individual’s overall health status. This metabolic state reflects what has been encoded by the genome, and modified by diet, environmental factors, and the gut microbiome. The metabolic profile provides …

Can Changing The Timing Of Outdoor Air Intake Reduce Indoor Concentrations Of Traffic-Related Pollutants In Schools?, Morgan Macneill, Nina A. Dobbin, Mélissa St-Jean, Lance A. Wallace, Leonora Marro, T. Shin, Hongyu You, Ryan H. Kulka, Ryan W. Allen, Amanda J. Wheeler

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Traffic emissions have been associated with a wide range of adverse health effects. Many schools are situated close to major roads, and as children spend much of their day in school, methods to reduce traffic-related air pollutant concentrations in the school environment are warranted. One promising method to reduce pollutant concentrations in schools is to alter the timing of the ventilation so that high ventilation time periods do not correspond to rush hour traffic. Health Canada, in collaboration with the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, tested the effect of this action by collecting traffic-related air pollution data from four schools in …

'Face' And Psychological Processes Of Laid-Off Workers In Transitional China, Bingxin Wang, Kenneth M. Greenwood

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

The objective was to explore the psychological experiences of laid-off workers in contemporary transitional China and to formulate a theoretical model of these.

Methods:

In-depth interviews of 26 laid-off workers were conducted and analysed using grounded theory techniques.

Results:

Four themes underline the psychological processes of these laid-off workers - feeling of loss, feeling of physical pain, feeling of fatalism, and final acceptance. These are characterized by Chinese culture and its philosophy - feeling of loss is dominated by their loss of face (diu mianzi), physical pain is a somatization of their mental painfulness, their fatalism is traced back …

Faster Movement Speed Results In Greater Tendon Strain During The Loaded Squat Exercise, Jacob E. Earp, Robert U. Newton, Prue Cormie, Anthony J. Blazevich

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

Tendon dynamics influence movement performance and provide the stimulus for long-term tendon adaptation. As tendon strain increases with load magnitude and decreases with loading rate, changes in movement speed during exercise should influence tendon strain.

Methods:

Ten resistance-trained men [squat one repetition maximum (1RM) to body mass ratio: 1.65 ± 0.12] performed parallel-depth back squat lifts with 60% of 1RM load at three different speeds: slow fixed-tempo (TS: 2-s eccentric, 1-s pause, 2-s concentric), volitional-speed without a pause (VS) and maximum-speed jump (JS). In each condition joint kinetics, quadriceps tendon length (L_T), patellar tendon force (F_{T …}

The Influence Of The Sex Of And Prior Relationship Between The Perpetrator And Victim On Perceptions Of Stalking: A Qualitative Analysis, Jeff Bath, Adrian J. Scott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The sex of and prior relationship between the perpetrator and victim have been shown to influence perceptions of stalking. To explore the ways in which shared assumptions around these factors interact to shape perceptions of stalking, this study analyses the deliberations of mock juries as they attempt to reach a unanimous verdict on a hypothetical stalking case summary. Twelve mock juries comprising between five and six ‘jurors’ (n = 64) were presented with one of three versions of a case summary (stranger, acquaintance, and ex-partner) describing a man stalking a woman or a woman stalking a man. Thematic analysis shows …

Validation Of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Variants Identified By Genome-Wide Association Studies In Northern Han Chinese, Ping Rao, Yong Zhou, Siqi Ge, Anxin Wang, Xinwei Yu, Mohamed Ali Alzain, Andrea K. Veronica, Jing Qiu, Manshu Song, Jie Zhang, Hao Wang, Honghong Fang, Qing Gao, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

More than 60 genetic susceptibility loci associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been established in populations of Asian and European ancestry. Given ethnic differences and environmental factors, validation of the effects of genetic risk variants with reported associations identified by Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWASs) is essential. The study aims at evaluating the associations of T2DM with 29 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 19 candidate genes derived from GWASs in a northern Han Chinese population.

Method:

In this case-control study, 461 T2DM-diagnosed patients and 434 controls were recruited at the Jidong oil field hospital (Hebei, China) from January …

Responses Of Marine Organisms To Climate Change Across Oceans, Elvira S. Poloczanska, Michael T. Burrows, Christipher J. Brown, Jorge G. Molinos, Benjamin S. Halpern, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Carrie V. Kappel, Philippa J. Moore, Anthony Richardson, David S. Schoeman, William J. Sydeman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Climate change is driving changes in the physical and chemical properties of the ocean that have consequences for marine ecosystems. Here, we review evidence for the responses of marine life to recent climate change across ocean regions, from tropical seas to polar oceans. We consider observed changes in calcification rates, demography, abundance, distribution, and phenology of marine species. We draw on a database of observed climate change impacts on marine species, supplemented with evidence in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We discuss factors that limit or facilitate species' responses, such as fishing pressure, the …

Neuroendocrine And Neurotrophic Signaling In Huntington's Disease: Implications For Pathogenic Mechanisms And Treatment Strategies, Danielle Bartlett, Travis M. Cruickshank, Anthony J. Hannan, Peter R. Eastwood, Alpár S. Lázár, Mel R. Ziman Dr

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Huntington's disease (HD) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease caused by an extended polyglutamine tract in the huntingtin protein. Circadian, sleep and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis disturbances are observed in HD as early as 15 years before clinical disease onset. Disturbances in these key processes result in increased cortisol and altered melatonin release which may negatively impact on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) expression and contribute to documented neuropathological and clinical disease features. This review describes the normal interactions between neurotrophic factors, the HPA-axis and circadian rhythm, as indicated by levels of BDNF, cortisol and melatonin, and the alterations in these intricately balanced …

Developing And Evaluating Complex Interventions: Enhancing The Role Of Qualitative Research, Lisa Whitehead, Marie Crowe, Carol Bugge, Kirsten Coppell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The use of qualitative research methods alongside randomized controlled trials of health-care interventions have the potential to contribute to the development and evaluation of both complex and other health interventions. Qualitative evaluations of interventions are rarely reported but can provide insight into the intervention process, and the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention, to improve and adapt interventions.

Setting Research Priorities To Improve Global Newborn Health And Prevent Stillbirths By 2025, Sachiyo Yoshida, Jose Martines, Joy E. Lawn, Stephen Wall, Joao Paulo Souza, Igor Rudan, Simon Cousens, Peter Aaby, Ishag Adam, Ramesh Kant Adhikari, Namasivayam Ambalavanan, Shams El Arifeen, Dhana Raj Aryal, Sk Asiruddin, Abdullah Baqui, Aluisio J.D. Barros, Christine S. Benn, Vineet Bhandari, Shinjini Bhatnagar, Sohinee Bhattacharya, Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Robert E. Black, Hannah Blencowe, Carl Bose, Justin Brown, Christoph Buehrer, Wally Carlo, Jose Guilherme Cecatti, Po-Yin Cheung, Robert Clark, Tim Colbourn, Agustin Conde-Agudelo, Erica Corbett, Andrew E. Czeizel, Abhik Das, Louise Tina Day, Carolyn Deal, Ashok Deorari, Ugur Dilmen, Mike English, Cyril Engmann, Fabian Esamai, Caroline Fall, Donna M. Ferriero, Peter Gisore, Tabish Hazir, Rosemary D. Higgins, Caroline S.E. Homer, Dewan E. Hoque, Lorentz Irgens, Mohammad T. Islam, Joseph De Graft-Johnson, Martias Alice Joshua, William Keenan, Soofia Khatoon, Helle Kieler, Michael S. Kramer, Eve M. Lackritz, Tina Lavender, Laurensia Lawintono, Richard Luhanga, David Marsh, Douglas Mcmillan, Patrick J. Mcnamara, Ben Willem J. Mol, Elizabeth Molyneux, Gelasius K. Mukasa, Miriam Mutabazi, Luis Carlos Nacul, Margaret Nakakeeto, Indira Narayanan, Bolajoko Olusanya, David Osrin, Vinod Paul, Christian Poets, Uma M. Reddy, Mathuram Santosham, Rubayet Sayed, Natalia E. Schlabritz-Loutsevitch, Nalini Singhal, Mary Alice Smith, Peter G. Smith, Sajid Soofi, Catherine Y. Spong, Shahin Sultana, Antoinette Tshefu, Frank Van Bel, Lauren Vestewig Gray, Peter Waiswa, Wei Wang, Sarah L.A. Williams, Linda Wright, Anita Zaidi, Yanfeng Zhang, Nanbert Zhong, Isabel Zuniga, Rajiv Bahl

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

In 2013, an estimated 2.8 million newborns died and 2.7 million were stillborn. A much greater number suffer from long term impairment associated with preterm birth, intrauterine growth restriction, congenital anomalies, and perinatal or infectious causes. With the approaching deadline for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in 2015, there was a need to set the new research priorities on newborns and stillbirth with a focus not only on survival but also on health, growth and development. We therefore carried out a systematic exercise to set newborn health research priorities for 2013–2025.

Methods

We used adapted Child …

Designing Journalism Capstone Units That Demonstrate Student Skills, Trevor Cullen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There are considerable differences in the structure, content, and delivery of tertiary journalism degrees in Australia as identified in a 2014 Office for Learning and Teaching (OLT) Innovation and Development Project report on graduate qualities and journalism curriculum renewal. To address this situation, the author argues for journalism capstone units, designed by both journalism educators and news editors, to include a series of agreed criteria and standards to guide journalism educators, and for journalism students to demonstrate not only a broad knowledge base together with research and communication skills but also entrepreneurial skills to help them adapt to new media …

Anti-Aging Genes Improve Appetite Regulation And Reverse Cell Senescence And Apoptosis In Global Populations, Ian James Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Appetite regulation by nutritional intervention is required early in life that involves the anti-aging gene Sirtuin 1 (Sirt 1) with Sirt 1 maintenance of other cellular anti-aging genes involved in cell circadian rhythm, senescence and apoptosis. Interests in anti-aging therapy with appetite regulation improve an individual’s survival to metabolic disease induced by gene-environment interactions by maintenance of the anti-aging genes connected to the metabolism of bacterial lipopolysaccharides, drugs and xenobiotics. Interventions to the aging process involve early calorie restriction with appetite regulation connected to appropriate genetic mechanisms that involve mitochondrial biogenesis and DNA repair in neurons. In the aging process …

Metabolic Responses To High Pco2 Conditions At A Co2 Vent Site In Juveniles Of A Marine Isopod Species Assemblage, Lucy M. Turner, Elena Ricevuto, Gallucci A Massa, Maurizio Lorenti, Maria Cristina Gambi, Piero Calosi

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Among Older Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Mc Chung, Rcm Jones, Sa Harding, J Campbell

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Erratum To: Permanent Draft Genome Of Thermithiobacillus Tepidarius Dsm 3134T, A Moderately Thermophilic, Obligately Chemolithoautotrophic Member Of The Acidithiobacillia [Stand Genomic Sci., 11, (2016) (74)], Doi:10.1186/S40793-016-0188-0, Rich Boden, Lee P. Hutt, Marcel Huntemann, Alicia Clum, Manoj Pillay, Krishnaveni Palaniappan, Neha Varghese, Natalia Mikhailova, Dimitrios Stamatis, Tatiparthi Reddy, Chew Yee Ngan, Chris Daum, Nicole Shapiro, Victor Markowitz, Natalia Ivanova, Tanja Woyke, Nikos Kyrpides

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

The errors and associated corrections described in this document concerning the original manuscript were accountable to the production department handling this manuscript, and thus are no fault of the authors of this paper. Additionally, the online manuscript has now been updated with these corrections accordingly. In the original publication of this article [1], the title was displayed incorrectly as "Permanent draft genome of Thermithiobaclillus tepidarius DSM 3134T, a moderately thermophilic, obligately chemolithoautotrophic member of the Acidithiobacillia". The genus name "Thermithiobacillus" was misspelt as "Thermithiobaclillus". This has now been corrected in the original article.

Making A Difference: A Qualitative Study Of An Inter-Professional Social Engagement Project, R Ayres, S Stevens, De Bere S Regan

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Social Stories In Mainstream Schools For Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial, David Marshall, Barry Wright, Victoria Allgar, Joy Adamson, Christine Williams, Hannah Ainsworth, Liz Cook, Danielle Varley, Lisa Hackney, Paul Dempster, Shehzad Ali, Dominic Trepel, Moore D Collingridge, Elizabeth Littlewood, Dean Mcmillan

Peninsula Medical School

ObjectivesTo assess the feasibility of recruitment, retention, outcome measures and intervention training/delivery among teachers, parents and children. To calculate a sample size estimation for full trial.DesignA single-centre, unblinded, cluster feasibility randomised controlled trial examining Social Stories delivered within a school environment compared with an attentional control.Setting37 primary schools in York, UK.Participants50 participants were recruited and a cluster randomisation approach by school was examined. Participants were randomised into the treatment group (n=23) or a waiting list control group (n=27).Outcome measuresAcceptability and feasibility of the trial, intervention and of measurements required to assess outcomes in a definitive trial.ResultsAn assessment of the questionnaire …

Has The ‘Fast-Track’ Referral System Affected The Route Of Presentation And/Or Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Colorectal Cancer?, Luke Thornton, Harriet Reader, Stevan Stojkovic, Victoria Allgar, Nick Woodcock

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

A Core Curriculum For Sociology In Uk Undergraduate Medical Education, T Collett, L Brooks, S Forrest, J Harden, M Kelly, K Kendall, Stewart S Macbride, M Sbaiti, F Stevenson

Peninsula Medical School

No abstract provided.

Can’T Count Or Won’T Count? Embedding Quantitative Methods In Substantive Sociology Curricula: A Quasi-Experiment, Malcolm Williams, Luke Sloan, Sin Yi Cheung, Carole Sutton, Sebastian Stevens, Libby Runham

Peninsula Medical School

This paper reports on a quasi-experiment in which quantitative methods (QM) are embedded within a substantive sociology module. Through measuring student attitudes before and after the intervention alongside control group comparisons, we illustrate the impact that embedding has on the student experience. Our findings are complex and even contradictory. Whilst the experimental group were less likely to be distrustful of statistics and appreciate how QM inform social research, they were also less confident about their statistical abilities, suggesting that through ‘doing’ quantitative sociology the experimental group are exposed to the intricacies of method and their optimism about their own abilities …

A Qualitative Study Of Diverse Providers' Behaviour In Response To Commissioners, Patients And Innovators In England: Research Protocol, Rod Sheaff, Joyce Halliday, Mark Exworthy, Pauline Allen, Russell Mannion, Sheena Asthana, Alex Gibson, Jonathan Clark

Peninsula Medical School

Introduction: The variety of organisations providing National Health Service (NHS)-funded services in England is growing. Besides NHS hospitals and general practitioners (GPs), they include corporations, social enterprises, voluntary organisations and others. The degree to which these organisational types vary, however, in the ways they manage and provide services and in the outcomes for service quality, patient experience and innovation, remains unclear. This research will help those who commission NHS services select among the different types of organisation for different tasks. Research questions: The main research questions are how organisationally diverse NHS-funded service providers vary in their responsiveness to patient choice, …