Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Earth Is (Mostly) Flat: Apportionment Of The Flux Of Continental Sediment Over Millennial Time Scales, Jane K. Willenbring, Alexandru T. Codilean, Brandon Mcelroy

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We use a new compilation of global denudation estimates from cosmogenic nuclides to calculate the apportionment and the sum of all sediment produced on Earth by extrapolation of a statistically significant correlation between denudation rates and basin slopes to watersheds without denudation rate data. This robust relationship can explain approximately half of the variance in denudation from quartz-bearing topography drained by rivers using only mean slopes as the predictive tool and matches a similar fit for large river basins. At slopes >200 m/km, topography controls denudation rates. Controls on denudation in landscapes where average slopes are 10 mm/k.y. We use …

High Muscle Mitochondrial Volume And Aerobic Capacity In A Small Marsupial (Sminthopsis Crassicaudata) Reveals Flexible Links Between Energy-Use Levels In Mammals, Terence Dawson, Koa Webster, Enhua Lee, William A. Buttemer

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We investigated the muscle structure–function relationships that underlie the aerobic capacity of an insectivorous, small (~15 g) marsupial, Sminthopsis crassicaudata (Family: Dasyuridae), to obtain further insight into energy use patterns in marsupials relative to those in placentals, their sister clade within the Theria (advanced mammals). Disparate hopping marsupials (Suborder Macropodiformes), a kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and a rat-kangaroo (Bettongia penicillata), show aerobic capabilities as high as those of ‘athletic’ placentals. Equivalent muscle mitochondrial volumes and cardiovascular features support these capabilities. We examined S. crassicaudata to determine whether highly developed aerobic capabilities occur elsewhere in marsupials, rather than being restricted to the …

2-Cyanoethyl N,N,N',N'-Tetraisopropylphosphorodiamidite, Jichao Zhang

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

2-Cyanoethyl N,N,N′,N′-tetraisopropylphosphorodiamidite is a colorless viscous liquid, which is soluble in most organic solvents. It is a widely used phosphitylating reagent for the preparation of various phosphorylated biomolecules, such as nucleoside carbohydrate conjugates, phospholipids and glycopeptides. In particular, this reagent is highly effective for automated solid-phase DNA/RNA oligonucleotide synthesis. 2-Cyanoethyl N,N,N′,N′-tetraisopropylphosphorodiamidite has shown great utility in the coupling of nucleobases or carbohydrates via their phosphotriesters in the presence of activators such as 1H-tetrazole, in moderate yields under mild conditions. Additionally, 2-cyanoethyl N,N,N′,N′-tetraisopropylphosphorodiamidite is cheaper and more stable than 2- cyanoethyl N,N-diisopropylchlorophosphorodiamidite, the other commonly used phosphinylating reagent. 2-Cyanoethyl N,N,N′,N′-tetraisopropylphosphorodiamidite is …

Automated Surface Sampling Of Lipids From Worn Contact Lenses Coupled With Tandem Mass Spectrometry, Simon H. Brown, Liam H. Huxtable, Mark D. P Willcox, Stephen J. Blanksby, Todd W. Mitchell

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The deposition of biological material (biofouling) onto polymeric contact lenses is thought to be a major contributor to lens discomfort and hence discontinuation of wear. We describe a method to characterize lipid deposits directly from worn contact lenses utilizing liquid extraction surface analysis coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LESA-MS/MS). This technique effected facile and reproducible extraction of lipids from the contact lens surfaces and identified lipid molecular species representing all major classes present in human tear film. Our data show that LESA-MS/MS is a rapid and comprehensive technique for the characterization of lipid-related biofouling on polymer surfaces.

"It Could Probably Help Someone Else But Not Me": A Feasibility Study Of A Snack Programme Offered To Meals On Wheels Clients, K E. Charlton, K Walton, L Moon, K Smith, A T. Mcmahon, F Ralph, M Stuckey, F Manning, J Krassie

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objectives Community-based services, such as Meals on Wheels (MOW), allow older adults to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Many MOW recipients experience decreased appetite that limits intake at mealtimes. This pilot study aimed to determine the feasibility of providing high protein high energy snacks to improve nutrient intakes of MOW clients in a regional centre of New South Wales, Australia.

Participants A convenience sample of 12 MOW clients.

Intervention Participants received snacks five times a week, in addition to their usual MOW order, for four weeks.

Measurements Nutritional status was assessed using the Mini Nutritional Assessment …

Mechanism Of Secondary Currents In Open Channel Flows, Shu-Qing Yang, Soon Keat Tan, Xi-Kun Wang

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This paper describes the conditions for initiation and maintenance of secondary currents in open channel flows. By analyzing the Reynolds equation in the wall-normal and wall-tangent directions, this study reveals that, like other types of vortices, the secondary currents are originated in the near-boundary region, and the magnitude (or strength) of secondary flow is proportional to the lateral gradient of near-wall velocity. The near-wall secondary flow always moves from the region with lower velocity (or lower boundary shear stress) to the location with higher velocity (or higher boundary shear stress). Subsequently, the near-boundary secondary flow creeps into the main flow …

Dietary Intake Of Fish And Pufa, And Clinical Depressive And Anxiety Disorders In Women, Felice N. Jacka, Julie A. Pascoe, Lana J. Williams, Barbara J. Meyer, Rebecca Digger, Michael Berk

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Fish and PUFA consumption are thought to play a role in mental health; however, many studies do not take into account multiple sources of PUFA. The present study analysed data from a sample of 935 randomly selected, population-based women aged 20-93 years. A validated and comprehensive dietary questionnaire ascertained the consumption of n-3 and n-6 PUFA. Another assessed fish and energy intake and provided data for a dietary quality score. The General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) measured psychological symptoms and a clinical interview (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR Research Version, Non-patient edition) assessed depressive and anxiety disorders. Median dietary intakes of …

The Small Heat-Shock Protein Αb-Crystallin Uses Different Mechanisms Of Chaperone Action To Prevent The Amorphous Versus Fibrillar Aggregation Of Α-Lactalbumin, Melissa Kulig, Heath Ecroyd

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Stress conditions can destabilize proteins, promoting them to unfold and adopt intermediately folded states. Partially folded protein intermediates are unstable and prone to aggregation down off-folding pathways leading to the formation of either amorphous or amyloid fibril aggregates. The sHsp (small heat-shock protein) αB-crystallin acts as a molecular chaperone to prevent both amorphous and fibrillar protein aggregation; however, the precise molecular mechanisms behind its chaperone action are incompletely understood. To investigate whether the chaperone activity of αB-crystallin is dependent upon the form of aggregation (amorphous compared with fibrillar), bovine α-lactalbumin was developed as a model target protein that could be …

Earthly Indifference And Human Difference - Book Review, Lesley Head

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Inspired by, but also in reaction to the flattened topologies of Latourian relationality, Clark puts forward the notion of radical asymmetry. 'This is the bottom line of human being: we are utterly dependent on an earth and a cosmos that is, to a large degree, indifferent to us' (p. 50). With their disciplinary connection to the physical and natural sciences, geographers arguably need this lesson less than other social scientists. We should have learned it well from geologists who, spending their working lives in deepest time, tend to have a less anthropocentric perspective than others (perhaps accounting for their disproportionate …

Translocation Of The Eastern Bristlebird 2: Applying Principles To Two Case Studies, Jack Baker, David Bain, Jean Clarke, Kris French

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The Eastern Bristlebird (Dasyornis brachypterus) is an endangered endemic passerine of south-eastern Australia. The re-establishment of extirpated populations through translocation was identified as a key action in New South Wales to address the threats to this species associated with habitat fragmentation and widespread and frequent fire. At Jervis Bay during 2003-2005, 50 birds were translocated from Bherwerre Peninsula to Beecroft Peninsula. In the Illawarra in 2008, 50 birds were translocated from Barren Grounds Nature Reserve to Cataract. At Jervis Bay, monitoring indicated that after 7 years, (i) there was no detectable impact on the source population from the removal of …

Simulation Study Of Ion Pairing In Concentrated Aqueous Salt Solutions With A Polarizable Force Field, Yun Luo, Wei Jiang, Haibo Yu, Alexander D. Mackerrell, Benoit Roux

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The accuracy of empirical force fields is critical for meaningful molecular dynamics simulations of concentrated ionic solutions. Current models are typically developed on the basis of single ion properties such as the monohydrate energy in the gas phase, or the absolute hydration free energy at infinite dilution. However, the failure of these models to represent accurately the properties of concentrated solutions cannot be excluded. Here, these issues are illustrated for a polarizable potential based on classical Drude oscillators. To model accurately concentrated ionic solutions, the parameters of the potential functions are optimized to reproduce osmotic pressure data. The sodium-chloride potential …

Polymorphic Male Color Morphs Visualized With Steroids In Monomorphic Females: A Tool For Designing Analysis Of Sex-Limited Trait Inheritance, Mats M. Olsson, Mo Healey, Mark Wilson, Michael Tobler

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In diploid animals, males and females share most of the genome (except sex-specific elements, such as sex chromosome genes), yet despite sharing the underlying genes that hard-wire traits, males and females may differ in their phenotypes when traits are controlled by proximate mechanisms, such as hormones. In color polymorphic species where coloration is only expressed in one sex, the design of studies of the inheritance of color and coevolved morph-specific traits (e.g. territorial vs sneaker strategies, skewed energetic investment in territorial defense vs sperm production, etc.) is compromised as the expression of morph-coding genes is only visualized in one sex. …

Influence Of Plantlet Age And Different Soilless Culture On Acclimatization Of Stemona Curtisii Hook.F., Jiraporn Palee, Srisulak Dheeranupattana, Araya Jatisatienr, Sunanta Wangkarn, Pitchaya Mungkornasawakul, Stephen Pyne, Alison Ung, Thanapat Sastraruji

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The aim of this experiment was to study the optimal age of Stemona curtisii plantlets for acclimatization. The in vitro shoots of S. curtisii were cultured on Murashige and Skoog solid medium supplemented with 1 mg L-1 naphthalene acetic acid to induce roots. Then, the plantlets from in vitro culture of 4, 8 and 12 week-old were transferred into the soil and their survival rate during the acclimatization process in the greenhouse was investigated. It was found that the 8 week-old plantlets had the highest survival rate of 80%. However, to enhance the survival rate of these plantlets, a soilless …

Gender Differences In Cognitive Function Of Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia, Mei Han, Xu-Feng Huang, Da Chun Chen, Mei Hong Xiu, Li Hui, Haibo Liu, Thomas R. Kosten, Xiang Yang Zhang

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Schizophrenic patients have cognitive impairments, but gender differences in these cognitive deficits have had limited study. This study assessed cognitive functioning in 471 subjects including 122 male and 78 female schizophrenic patients and 141 male and 130 female healthy controls. We found that immediate memory, language, delayed memory and total RBANS scores were significantly decreased in schizophrenia compared with healthy controls for both genders. Male patients had significant lower immediate memory, delayed memory and total RBANS scores than female patients, and healthy controls showed a similar gender difference. The RBANS showed modest correlations with PANSS scores, duration of illness and …

Schizophrenia And Resilience: What Does It Mean?, Susan Liersch, Lorna Moxham, Peter Caputi, Janette Curtis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

A doctoral research examined the meaning of resilience for someone who is living with schizophrenia. What it didn't examine was what makes people with schizophrenia resilient.

Dairy Consumption And Diet Quality In A Sample Of Australian Children, Anna M. Rangan, Victoria M. Flood, Gareth Denyer, Karen Webb, Guy B. Marks, Timothy P. Gill

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective: To examine the association between intake of dairy products and indicators of diet quality among a sample of Australian children. Methods: Three 24-hour recalls were collected from 222 children aged 8–10 years living in western Sydney. Analysis of covariance was used to examine differences in mean intakes of foods and nutrients among 3 dairy consumption groups (<1 serve, 1–2 serves, ≥2 serves per day). The percentage of children meeting healthy eating guidelines for foods and estimated average requirements (EAR) for nutrients was also assessed. Results: Higher dairy consumption was associated with higher intakes of energy, protein, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, zinc, vitamin A, riboflavin, and niacin as well as foods from the bread and cereal group but lower intakes of mono- and polyunsaturated fats, foods from the meat and alternatives group, and energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods. Children who consumed ≥2 serves of dairy products per day (38%) were more likely to meet food and nutrient recommendations. Body mass index z-score and waist circumference were not associated with dairy consumption. Milk intake was inversely associated with the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, and children who did not meet their minimum dairy serve recommendations consumed higher quantities of sugar-sweetened beverages than milk. Conclusions: Adequate dairy consumption was associated with diets of higher nutritional quality but also higher intakes of energy, suggesting a potential benefit from shifting consumption from regular-fat to reduced-fat dairy products in line with current national recommendations.

Characterization Of Cleavage Events In The Multifunctional Cilium Adhesin Mhp684 (P146) Reveals A Mechanism By Which Mycoplasma Hyopneumoniae Regulates Surface Topography, Daniel Bogema, Ania T. Deutscher, Lauren K. Woolley, Lisa M. Seymour, Benjamin B. A Raymond, Jessica L. Tacchi, Matthew P. Padula, Nicholas E. Dixon, F Chris Minion, Cheryl Jenkins, Mark J. Walker, Steven P. Djordjevic

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes enormous economic losses to swine production worldwide by colonizing the ciliated epithelium in the porcine respiratory tract, resulting in widespread damage to the mucociliary escalator, prolonged inflammation, reduced weight gain, and secondary infections. Protein Mhp684 (P146) comprises 1,317 amino acids, and while the N-terminal 400 residues display significant sequence identity to the archetype cilium adhesin P97, the remainder of the molecule is novel and displays unusual motifs. Proteome analysis shows that P146 preprotein is endogenously cleaved into three major fragments identified here as P50P146, P40P146, and P85P146 that reside on the cell surface. Liquid chromatography with tandem …

Physiological Employment Standards For Firefighters: Report 2: The Physiological Demands Of Performing Physically Demanding Fire-Fighting Duties, Nigel A.S. Taylor, Hugh Fullagar, John A. Sampson, Daniel Steven Lee, Sean Notley, Simon Burley, Herbert Groeller

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The aim of this research was to facilitate the identification of capable and robust recruits for Fire & Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW), such that it could sustain the capability of its workforce, whilst simultaneously minimising the risk of injury to both firefighters and members of the community.

Strength Gain At Little Cost? Feasibility Of 'Low Load' Eccentric Cycling As A Tool For Strength Gain In Sedentary Men, Michael Lewis, Gregory Peoples, Herb Groeller, Marc Brown

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Symptomatic reporting is a common issue in exercise rehabilitation. When traditional concentric aerobic exercise is used as an exercise stimulus, dyspnoea and fatigue are often reported by elderly5 and by cohorts with cardiorespiratory pathology3. Among the unique attributes of eccentric aerobic exercise is lower metabolic and cardiovascular demand for a given workload 1 ,2. This makes eccentric aerobic exercise more suitable for long-term adherence in rehabilitation. Although, extremely 'high load' eccentric cycling interventions have shown improvements in strength measurements4, no 'low load' eccentric cycling studies have been performed to determine if strength adaptations are feasible. Therefore, this study determined if …

Goal Setting In Cardiac Rehabilitation: Implications For Clinical Practice, Ritin Fernandez, Rohan Rajaratnam, Kasey Evans, Anau Speizer

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background: Effective goal setting is a vital component of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs. Objective: The objectives of this study were to investigate the types of goals set by patients attending a CR program in a tertiary teaching hospital and the compatibility of the goals set with the patient's risk factor profile. Methods: A descriptive, cross sectional, retrospective audit of the medical records of patients who attended the CR program in a tertiary teaching hospital in Sydney NSW between January 2007 and December 2009 was undertaken. The medical records of 355 patients who attended CR within the stipulated time frame were …

Study Of The Relationship Between Infrared Stimulated Luminescence And Blue Light Stimulated Luminescence For Potassium-Feldspar From Sediments, Zhijun Gong, Bo Li, Sheng-Hua Li

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In luminescence measurements of potassium-feldspar (K-feldspar), both infrared (IR) and blue light (BL) can be used as stimulation sources. Component analysis suggests that the blue light stimulated luminescence (BLSL) measured at 60 °C from K-feldspar can be fitted using three components, namely fast, medium and slow. In order to explore the relationship between the origin of the infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal and the different components of the BLSL, five sets of experiments were conducted, namely post-IR BLSL (pIR-BLSL), post-BL IRSL (pBL-IRSL), pulse annealing tests, dose response and laboratory fading rate tests. It is observed that most of the IRSL …

Bypass Of A Protein Barrier By A Replicative Dna Helicase, Hasan Yardimci, Xindan Wang, Anna B. Loveland, Inger Tappin, David Z. Rudner, Jerard Hurwitz, Antoine M. Van Oijen, Johannes C. Walter

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Replicative DNA helicases generally unwind DNA as a single hexamer that encircles and translocates along one strand of the duplex while excluding the complementary strand (known as steric exclusion). By contrast, large T antigen, the replicative DNA helicase of the simian virus 40 (SV40), is reported to function as a pair of stacked hexamers that pumps double-stranded DNA through its central channel while laterally extruding single-stranded DNA. Here we use single-molecule and ensemble assays to show that large T antigen assembled on the SV40 origin unwinds DNA efficiently as a single hexamer that translocates on single-stranded DNA in the 3′-to-5′ …

Single-Molecule Analysis Of Dna Replication In Xenopus Egg Extracts, Hasan Yardimci, Anna B. Loveland, Antoine M. Van Oijen, Johannes C. Walter

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The recent advent in single-molecule imaging and manipulation methods has made a significant impact on the understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying many essential cellular processes. Single-molecule techniques such as electron microscopy and DNA fiber assays have been employed to study the duplication of genome in eukaryotes. Here, we describe a single-molecule assay that allows replication of DNA attached to the functionalized surface of a microfluidic flow cell in a soluble Xenopus leavis egg extract replication system and subsequent visualization of replication products via fluorescence microscopy. We also explain a method for detection of replication proteins, through fluorescently labeled antibodies, on …

Stone Tool-Use Experiments To Determine The Function Of Grinding Stones And Denticulate Sickles, Richard Fullagar, Li Liu, Sheahan Bestel, Duncan Jones, Wei Ge, Anthony Wilson, Shaodong Zhai

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Within a broader study of early Chinese agriculture, stone tool-use experiments were undertaken to document usewear on sandstone and tuff implements used to process Quercus acorns, Avena oats and Setaria millet. In other experiments, we examined usewear on denticulate slate sickles used to harvest Quercus acorns, Poaceae grass and Typha reeds. Results support other studies that indicate different patterns of abrasive smoothing, striation formation and polish development together provide a basis for distinguishing some of these tasks. This research is aimed to establish a database for functional analysis of grinding stones and sickles from the early Neolithic Peiligang culture. Controlled …

Assessing Reef Island Response To Environmental Conditions On The Gbr, Sarah Hamylton, Marjetta Puotinen

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Reef island cays form through the deposition of sediment as a result of wave trains converging across reef platforms and, at the regional scale, are influenced by a range of oceanographic and physical environmental factors. Preliminary results of a spatial modeling exercise applied to 103 reef islands are presented, demonstrating that variation in island area and volume can be accurately expressed as a function of latitudinal and cross-shelf gradients in regional oceanographic factors (exposure to incident waves, tidal range and the frequency of tropical cyclones) and local physical factors (position on the shelf, area of supporting reef platform, area of …

Developmental Perturbation Induced By Maternal Asthma During Pregnancy: The Short- And Long-Term Impacts On Offspring, Vicki L. Clifton, Michael Davies, Vivienne Moore, Ian M. R Wright, Zainab Ali, Nicolette A. Hodyl

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Maternal asthma is a common disease to complicate human pregnancy. Epidemiological studies have identified that asthma during pregnancy increases the risk of a number of poor outcomes for the neonate including growth restriction, lower birthweight, preterm delivery, neonatal resuscitation, and stillbirth. Asthma therefore represents a significant health burden to society and could have an impact on the lifelong health of the children of women with asthma. Our research has identified that maternal asthma in pregnancy induces placental dysfunction and developmental perturbation in the fetus in a sex specific manner. These alterations in development could increase the risk of metabolic disease …

Assessing Competence During Professional Experience Placements For Undergraduate Nursing Students: A Systematic Review, Sharon Bourgeois, Denise Blanchard, Katherine Nelson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Review Objectives To identify and synthesise the best available evidence about the meaningfulness of assessments of competence during the professional experience placement for undergraduate nursing students, with the overarching aim to make recommendations concerning strategies and initiatives that support assessment of competence for undergraduate nursing programs.

Review Questions What are undergraduate nurses‟ experiences of the clinical assessment of competence? What are registered nurses‟/health care professionals experiences of the clinical assessment of competence?

Membrane Lipids In Human Lenses And Age, J R. Hughes, J M. Deeley, J -A Seng, S R. Ellis, Stephen J. Blanksby, F Leisch, Roger J. W Truscott, T W. Mitchell

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of paper that presented at the XX Biennial Meeting of the International society for Eye Research, 21-25 July, Berlin.

Reply To Murray-Wallace Et Al. (2013): Comments On A Paper By Slee Et Al. (2012). A Reassessment Of Last Interglacial Deposits At Mary Ann Bay, Tasmania, P D. Mcintosh, D M. Price, S Grove, A J. Slee

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We note that Murray-Wallace et al. (2013), in their comments above and in their original articles (see references in Slee et al. 2012), provide no detailed stratigraphic column or location for their observations or photographs so it is difficult to relate some of their arguments and observations to our described section. Before sampling, we examined the Mary Ann Bay exposure. At the eastern end of the site (Slee et al., 2012, Figure 2) were slumped deposits with concentrations of reworked shells in greater quantity than were found in undisturbed parts of the section. We avoided these areas when sampling and …

Cross-Sectional Survey Of Older Patients’ Views Regarding Multidisciplinary Care For Chronic Conditions In General Practice, Andrew Bonney, Christopher Magee, Russell W. Pearson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The ageing population and increasing prevalence of chronic illness have contributed to the need for significant primary care reform, including increased use of multidisciplinary care and task substitution. This cross-sectional study explores conditions under which older patients would accept having health professionals other than their general practitioner (GP) involved in their care for chronic disease management (CDM). Ten practices were randomly sampled from a contiguous major city and inner regional area. Questionnaires were distributed to consecutive patients aged 60 years and over in each practice. Agency theory was used to inform analyses. Statistical analysis was undertaken using Wald’s test, growth …