Digital Commons Network^™

Vegetable And Fruit Intake And Fracture-Related Hospitalisations: A Prospective Study Of Older Women, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joshua R. Lewis, Amanda Devine, Richard J. Woodman, Wai H. Lim, Germaine Wong, Kun Zhu, Catherine P. Bondonno, Natalie C. Ward, Richard L. Prince

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The importance of vegetable and fruit intakes for the prevention of fracture in older women is not well understood. Few studies have explored vegetable and fruit intakes separately, or the associations of specific types of vegetables and fruits with fracture hospitalisations. The objective of this study was to examine the associations of vegetable and fruit intakes, separately, and specific types of vegetables and fruits with fracture-related hospitalisations in a prospective cohort of women aged ≥70 years. Vegetable and fruit intakes were assessed at baseline (1998) in 1468 women using a food frequency questionnaire. The incidence of fracture-related hospitalisations over 14.5 …

Older Australians Can Achieve High Adherence To The Mediterranean Diet During A 6 Month Randomised Intervention; Results From The Medley Study, Courtney Davis, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Janet Bryan, Manohar Garg, Richard Woodman, Karen Murphy

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Adherence to a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is thought to be achievable in non-Mediterranean regions, but this has yet to be investigated. We aimed to determine if an older Australian population could adhere to a MedDiet for six months. We conducted a randomised, parallel dietary intervention trial with two dietary arms: the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) group and the habitual diet (HabDiet) control group. A 15-point Mediterranean diet adherence score and food and nutrient intakes were estimated from three-day weighed food records collected at baseline, two and four months. Erythrocyte fatty acids, serum carotenoids and urinary metabolites were assessed at baseline, three …

Effects Of Cluster Sets And Rest-Redistribution On Mechanical Responses To Back Squats In Trained Men, James J. Tufano, Jenny A. Colon, Sophia Nimphius, Lee E. Brown, Alex Petkovic, Justin Frick, Greg Haff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Eight resistance-trained men completed three protocols separated by 48-96 hours. Each protocol included 36 repetitions with the same rest duration, but the frequency and length of rest periods differed. The cluster sets of four (CS4) protocol included 30 s of rest after the 4th, 8th, 16th, 20th, 28th, and 32nd repetition in addition to 120 s of rest after the 12th and 24th repetition. For the other two protocols, the total 420 s rest time of CS4 was redistributed to include nine sets of four repetitions (RR4) with 52.5 s of rest after every four repetitions, or 36 sets of …

Seagrass Halophila Ovalis Is Affected By Light Quality Across Different Life History Stages, Simone Strydom, Kathryn Mcmahon, Gary A. Kendrick, John Stratton, Paul Lavery

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Seagrass meadows provide crucial ecosystem services to the coastal zone but are threatened globally. Seagrass loss to date has mainly been attributed to anthropogenic activities that reduce light quantity (amount of photosynthetic photon flux density), such as dredging, flooding and eutrophication. However, light quality (wavelengths of light within the visible spectrum) is also altered by these anthropogenic stressors. This study addressed the effect of light quality changes on seagrasses. Aquarium-based experiments were conducted to determine whether the seagrass Halophila ovalis (R.Br.) Hook f. responds to different light quality treatments. Separate experiments were performed in which adults, seeds or seedlings were …

Sirt1 Activation Mediates Heat-Induced Survival Of Uvb Damaged Keratinocytes, Leslie Calapre, Elin S. Gray, Sandrine Kurdykowski, Anthony David, Pascal Descargues, Mel R. Ziman Dr

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Exposure to heat stress after UVB irradiation induces a reduction of apoptosis, resulting in survival of DNA damaged human keratinocytes. This heat-mediated evasion of apoptosis appears to be mediated by activation of SIRT1 and inactivation of p53 signalling. In this study, we assessed the role of SIRT1 in the inactivation of p53 signalling and impairment of DNA damage response in UVB plus heat exposed keratinocytes.

Results

Activation of SIRT1 after multiple UVB plus heat exposures resulted in increased p53 deacetylation at K382, which is known to affect its binding to specific target genes. Accordingly, we noted decreased apoptosis and …

Investigating The Relationship Between Instructors’ Use Of Active Learning Strategies And Students’ Conceptual Understanding And Affective Changes In Introductory Biology: A Comparison Of Two Active-Learning Environments, Lacy M. Cleveland, Jeffrey T. Olimpo, Sue Dechenne-Peters

Biology: Faculty Publications

In response to calls for reform in undergraduate biology education, we conducted research examining how varying active-learning strategies impacted students’ conceptual understanding, attitudes, and motivation in two sections of a large-lecture introductory cell and molecular biology course. Using a quasi-experimental design, we collected quantitative data to compare participants’ conceptual understanding, attitudes, and motivation in the biological sciences across two contexts that employed different active-learning strategies and that were facilitated by unique instructors. Students participated in either graphic organizer/worksheet activities or clicker-based case studies. After controlling for demographic and presemester affective differences, we found that students in both active-learning environments displayed …

Hopeful Monsters - In Defense Of Quests To Rediscover Long-Lost Species, David M. Watson, Robert A. Davis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Wild goose chase, snipe hunt, fool’s errand—these retorts typify responses of many biologists to news that someone is searching for a species considered extinct. Although these ventures can damage reputations and may offer false hope regarding the finality of extinction, genuine conservation gains often result, even for those quests that prove unsuccessful. As well as enhanced protection for regions where rediscovered species persist and new information of direct management relevance for co-occurring species, well-planned searches for long-lost species represent valuable engagement opportunities to raise awareness in the wider community about biodiversity conservation and science generally. Indeed, we suggest that “Lazarus …

Pso Algorithm For An Optimal Power Controller In A Microgrid, Waleed Al-Saedi, Stefan Lachowicz, Daryoush Habibi, Octavian Bass

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper presents the Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm to improve the quality of the power supply in a microgrid. This algorithm is proposed for a real-time selftuning method that used in a power controller for an inverter based Distributed Generation (DG) unit. In such system, the voltage and frequency are the main control objectives, particularly when the microgrid is islanded or during load change. In this work, the PSO algorithm is implemented to find the optimal controller parameters to satisfy the control objectives. The results show high performance of the applied PSO algorithm of regulating the microgrid voltage and …

Effect Of Four Weeks Detraining On Strength, Power, And Sensorimotor Ability Of Adolescent Surfers, Tai T. Tran, Lina Lundgren, Josh Secomb, Oliver R. Farley, Greg Haff, Sophia Nimphius, Robert Newton, Lee Brown, Jeremy Sheppard

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Surfing is a high skill sport that requires a considerable amount of time in a variety of ocean conditions to help develop the fundamental techniques.

Objective:

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of four weeks of detraining on strength, power, and sensorimotor ability in adolescent surfers.

Methods:

Nineteen adolescent surfers (13.8 A 1.7 y, 53.6 A 10.8 kg and 165.1 A 8.9 cm) participated in four weeks of detraining (surfing participation maintained but resistance training ceased) following seven weeks of periodized resistance training. Maximal isometric strength, power, and sensorimotor ability pre-test results were determined from …

The Skin Microbiome: Impact Of Modern Environments On Skin Ecology, Barrier Integrity, And Systemic Immune Programming, Susan Prescott, Danica-Lea Larcombe, Alan Logan, Christina West, Wesley Burks, Luis Caraballo, Michael Levin, Eddie Van Etten, Pierre Horwitz, Anita Kozyrskyj, Dianne Campbell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Skin barrier structure and function is essential to human health. Hitherto unrecognized functions of epidermal keratinocytes show that the skin plays an important role in adapting whole-body physiology to changing environments, including the capacity to produce a wide variety of hormones, neurotransmitters and cytokine that can potentially influence whole-body states, and quite possibly, even emotions. Skin microbiota play an integral role in the maturation and homeostatic regulation of keratinocytes and host immune networks with systemic implications. As our primary interface with the external environment, the biodiversity of skin habitats is heavily influenced by the biodiversity of the ecosystems in which …

Impact Of Family-Friendly Prison Policies On Health, Justice And Child Protection Outcomes For Incarcerated Mothers And Their Dependent Children: A Cohort Study Protocol, Helen Myers, Leonie Segal, Derek Lopez, Ian W. Li, David B. Preen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction

Female imprisonment has numerous health and social sequelae for both women prisoners and their children. Examples of comprehensive family-friendly prison policies that seek to improve the health and social functioning of women prisoners and their children exist but have not been evaluated. This study will determine the impact of exposure to a family-friendly prison environment on health, child protection and justice outcomes for incarcerated mothers and their dependent children.

Methods and analysis

A longitudinal retrospective cohort design will be used to compare outcomes for mothers incarcerated at Boronia Pre-release Centre, a women’s prison with a dedicated family-friendly environment, and …

Fretting Wear Behaviors Of Aluminum Cable Steel Reinforced (Acsr) Conductors In High-Voltage Transmission Line, Xingchi Ma, Lei Gao, Junxi Zhang, Laichang Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This work reports the fretting wear behavior of aluminum cable steel reinforced (ACSR) conductors for use in high-voltage transmission line. Fretting wear tests of Al wires were conducted on a servo-controlled fatigue testing machine with self-made assistant apparatus, and their fretting process characteristics, friction force, wear damage, and wear surface morphology were detailed analyzed. The results show that the running regime of Al wires changes from a gross slip regime to a mixed regime more quickly as increasing contact load. With increasing amplitudes, gross slip regimes are more dominant under contact loads of lower than 30 N. The maximum friction …

Effects Of A 4-Week High-Intensity Interval Training On Pacing During 5-Km Running Trial, R. Silva, M. Damasceno, R. Cruz, M. D. Silva-Cavalcante, A. E. Lima-Silva, D. J. Bishop, R. Beretuzzi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study analyzed the influence of a 4-week high-intensity interval training on the pacing strategy adopted by runners during a 5-km running trial. Sixteen male recreational long-distance runners were randomly assigned to a control group (CON, n = 8) or a high-intensity interval training group (HIIT, n = 8). The HIIT group performed high-intensity interval-training twice per week, while the CON group maintained their regular training program. Before and after the training period, the runners performed an incremental exercise test to exhaustion to measure the onset of blood lactate accumulation, maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), and peak treadmill speed (PTS). A …

Female Undergraduate's Perceptions Of Intrusive Behavior In 12 Countries, Lorraine Sheridan, Adrian J. Scott, John Archer, Karl Roberts

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The present study examines young women's (N = 1,734) perceptions of the unacceptability of 47 intrusive activities enacted by men. Female undergraduate psychology students from 12 countries (Armenia, Australia, England, Egypt, Finland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Scotland, Trinidad) indicated which of 47 intrusive activities they considered to be unacceptable. Responses were compared with parasite-stress values, a measure of global gender equality and Hofstede's dimensions of national cultures. There was no unanimous agreement on any of the items, even for those relating to forced sexual violence. Cluster analysis yielded four clusters: “Aggression and surveillance” (most agreement that the constituent items …

The Acceptance Of Apologies In The Corrective Process: Implications For Research And Practice, James Strickland, Alfred Allan, Maria M. Allan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Apology scholars and researchers in psychology, law, and justice commonly conceptualise the corrective process that follows wrongful behaviour as an apology-followed-by-forgiveness sequence. In this paper, however, we suggest on the basis of our analysis of the research literature that a more suitable conceptualisation of the corrective process is one that includes the acceptance of an apology as an additional discrete step that is distinct from forgiveness. We begin with a brief discussion of the psychological view of apologies as a process of negotiation between offending and offended parties, and how psychologists conceive peoples’ responses to apologies. We also review the …

Considerations On The Assessment And Use Of Cycling Performance Metrics And Their Integration In The Athlete's Biological Passport, Paolo Mensaspa, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Over the past few decades the possibility to capture real-time data from road cyclists has drastically improved. Given the increasing pressure for improved transparency and openness, there has been an increase in publication of cyclists' physiological and performance data. Recently, it has been suggested that the use of such performance biometrics may be used to strengthen the sensitivity and applicability of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP) and aid in the fight against doping. This is an interesting concept which has merit, although there are several important factors that need to be considered. These factors include accuracy of the data collected …

Effects Of Ocean Warming And Acidification On Rhodolith/Maërl Beds, Sophie Martin, Jason M. Hall-Spencer

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.

The City As A Refuge For Insect Pollinators, Damon M. Hall, Gerardo R. Camilo, Rebecca K. Tonietto, Jeff Ollerton, Karin Ahrné, Mike Arduser, John S. Ascher, Katherine C.R. Baldock, Robert Fowler, Gordon Frankie, Dave Goulson, Bengt Gunnarsson, Mick E. Hanley, Janet I. Jackson, Gail Langellotto, David Lowenstein, Emily S. Minor, Stacy M. Philpott, Simon G. Potts, Muzafar H. Sirohi, Edward M. Spevak, Graham N. Stone, Caragh G. Threlfall

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Research on urban insect pollinators is changing views on the biological value and ecological importance of cities. The abundance and diversity of native bee species in urban landscapes that are absent in nearby rural lands evidence the biological value and ecological importance of cities and have implications for biodiversity conservation. Lagging behind this revised image of the city are urban conservation programs that historically have invested in education and outreach rather than programs designed to achieve high-priority species conservation results. We synthesized research on urban bee species diversity and abundance to determine how urban conservation could be repositioned to better …

Adaptive Behaviour In Evolving Robots, Jônata Tyska Carvalho

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, the evolution of adaptive behaviour in artificial agents is studied. More specifically, two types of adaptive behaviours are studied: articulated and cognitive ones. Chapter 1 presents a general introduction together with a brief presentation of the research area of this thesis, its main goals and a brief overview of the experimental studies done, the results and conclusions obtained. On chapter 2, I briefly present some promising methods that automatically generate robot controllers and/or body plans and potentially could help in the development of adaptive robots. Among these methods I present in details evolutionary robotics, a method inspired …

Regulation Of Core Body Temperature And The Immune System Determines Species Longevity, Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The anti-aging gene Sirtuin 1 has now major relevance to genetics and the fields of pharmacology, toxicology, neuroscience, immunology, biochemistry and cell/molecular biology. Advances in anti-aging therapy are now essential to prevent mitochondrial apoptosis to promote longevity with the prevention of accelerated ageing. Calorie restriction that maintains the anti-aging gens changes the core body temperature and promotes species longevity. Stress and calorie consumption are sensitive to Sirt 1 function with relevance heat shock protein 70 metabolism and mitochondrial biogenesis. Sirt 1 regulation of the circadian rhythm mediates melatonin effects on core body temperature regulation and immune responses. Diet and fat …

‘The Charity Model Is Broken’: Crowdfunding As A Way To Democratise, Diversify And Grow Funding For Social Change?, Debbie Rodan, Jane Mummery, Cathy Henkel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Crowdfunding has become a billion dollar business for the digital platforms that enable it. Although crowdfunding has been used for over a decade to fund a variety of artistic or entrepreneurial individual and collective projects, more recently there has been an uptake by individuals and groups wishing to effect social change. Indeed, there have been arguments that crowdfunding’s capacity to tap into personal networks and ‘like-minded’ people – via social media networks, email and the internet – is reformatting funding for social change. Insofar as crowdfunding means that there are no gatekeepers such as government or corporate policy-makers able to …

Addressing Calcium Carbonate Cycling In Blue Carbon Accounting, Peter I. Macreadie, Oscar Serrano, Damien T. Maher, Carlos M. Duarte, John Beardall

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Scientific Significance Statement

There is considerable interest in measuring the capacity of the world's ecosystems to trap and store excess atmospheric carbon dioxide to mitigate human‐induced climate change. Blue carbon describes the carbon storage potential of vegetated coastal ecosystems including tidal marshes, mangroves, and seagrasses. Efforts are now underway to include blue carbon in global carbon offset schemes by managing these ecosystems to enhance carbon sequestration by focusing on their effect on organic carbon processing. However, it is unclear what role inorganic carbon processing in blue carbon ecosystems plays in their overall carbon sequestration. Here, we argue that there are …

Dynamical Systems Theory For Transparent Symbolic Computation In Neuronal Networks, Giovanni Sirio Carmantini

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

In this thesis, we explore the interface between symbolic and dynamical system computation, with particular regard to dynamical system models of neuronal networks. In doing so, we adhere to a definition of computation as the physical realization of a formal system, where we say that a dynamical system performs a computation if a correspondence can be found between its dynamics on a vectorial space and the formal system’s dynamics on a symbolic space. Guided by this definition, we characterize computation in a range of neuronal network models. We first present a constructive mapping between a range of formal systems and …

Disturbance Is An Important Driver Of Clonal Richness In Tropical Seagrasses, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Richard D. Evans, Kor Jent Van Dijk, Udhi E. Hernawan, Gary A. Kendrick, Paul S. Lavery, Ryan J. Lowe, Marji L. Puotinen, Michelle Waycott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clonality is common in many aquatic plant species, including seagrasses, where populations are maintained through a combination of asexual and sexual reproduction. One common measure used to describe the clonal structure of populations is clonal richness. Clonal richness is strongly dependent on the biological characteristics of the species, and how these interact with the environment but can also reflect evolutionary scale processes especially at the edge of species ranges. However, little is known about the spatial patterns and drivers of clonal richness in tropical seagrasses. This study assessed the spatial patterns of clonal richness in meadows of three tropical seagrass …

An Investigation Into Spike-Based Neuromorphic Approaches For Artificial Olfactory Systems, Anup Vanarse, Adam Osseiran, Alexander Rassau

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The implementation of neuromorphic methods has delivered promising results for vision and auditory sensors. These methods focus on mimicking the neuro-biological architecture to generate and process spike-based information with minimal power consumption. With increasing interest in developing low-power and robust chemical sensors, the application of neuromorphic engineering concepts for electronic noses has provided an impetus for research focusing on improving these instruments. While conventional e-noses apply computationally expensive and power-consuming data-processing strategies, neuromorphic olfactory sensors implement the biological olfaction principles found in humans and insects to simplify the handling of multivariate sensory data by generating and processing spike-based information. Over …

Reflections On Teaching Over A Decade In A Christian Institution Of Higher Education, Sandra F. Mclendon

International Christian Community of Teacher Educators Journal

After many years in public education followed by 10 years of preparing teachers in a faith-based institution, this essay shares insights into what it means to cultivate and maintain a Christian ethic of care, toward self and others. This story of God’s faithfulness in my life is reflected outward through multiple lenses of care.

Behavioural Monitoring Via Network Communications, Gaseb Alotibi

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics Theses

It is commonly acknowledged that using Internet applications is an integral part of an individual’s everyday life, with more than three billion users now using Internet services across the world; and this number is growing every year. Unfortunately, with this rise in Internet use comes an increasing rise in cyber-related crime. Whilst significant effort has been expended on protecting systems from outside attack, only more recently have researchers sought to develop countermeasures against insider attack. However, for an organisation, the detection of an attack is merely the start of a process that requires them to investigate and attribute the attack …

A Marine Heat Wave Drives Massive Losses From The World’S Largest Seagrass Carbon Stocks, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Oscar Serrano, Pere Masqué, Paul Lavery, Ute A. Mueller, Gary A, Kendrick, Mohammad Rozaimi, Alba Esteban, James W, Fourqurean, Núrià N. Marbà, Miquel-Angel Mateo, Kathy Murray, Michael Rule, Carlos M. Duarte

Research Datasets

The database compiles published data (in Arias-Ortiz et al., 2018) on biogeochemical characteristics (density, organic carbon, stable carbon isotopes and sediment grain size) of soils underneath seagrass meadows in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Pb-210 concentrations of the first 20 cm are included along with C-14 raw ages. The dataset compiles data for a total of 49 cores, 25 - 300 cm-long (11 cores with Pb-210 and C-14 data).

Depression, Treatment Response To Tnfi, And Economic Outcomes Among Working-Age Adults With Rheumatoid Arthritis, Arijita Deb

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Depression is one of the most frequently occurring conditions in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients and understanding depression as a comorbidity in RA is very important. The link between RA and depression is very complex and influenced by a multitude of factors such as shared pathophysiologic pathways of inflammation, RA-related treatment response, as well as the patient's demographic and socio-economic factors, and general difficulties in coping with the disease. Depression can increase the clinical, humanistic, and economic burden among RA patients. Growing evidence now suggests that depression is a systemic inflammatory condition and may exert a negative influence on the treatment …

Evaluation Of Salt Marsh Restoration By Means Of Self-Regulating Tidal Gate – Avon Estuary, South Devon, Uk, Gerd Masselink, Mick E. Hanley, Anissa C. Halwyn, Will Blake, Ken Kingston, Thomas Newton, Mike Williams

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

No abstract provided.