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Stevens M, Cruwys T, Olive L, Rice S. Understanding and Improving Athlete Mental Health: A Social Identity Approach. Sports Med 2024; 54:837-853. [PMID: 38407748 PMCID: PMC11052891 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-024-01996-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Understanding and positively influencing athlete mental health have become key goals for researchers and sporting stakeholders (e.g. coaches, support staff, clubs and governing bodies). In this article, we outline a novel perspective for tackling these challenges, drawing on an influential theory of group processes. This social identity approach can, we argue, help explain when and why the characteristics and demands of sport, which is typically a collective endeavour, pose a threat to athlete mental health and provide a guiding framework for efforts to protect and enhance athlete mental health. Here, we seek to illustrate the value of a social identity analysis of athlete mental health through three key points that speak to its analytical and practical value. Specifically, we propose: (1) that social identities can act as psychological resources that support athlete mental health, (2) that social identities are critical to athlete mental health during and after sporting transitions and (3) that leadership informed by a social identity approach can facilitate athlete mental health. With a view to maximising the value of our analysis both for those working with athletes and for researchers, we also identify practical steps that relevant stakeholders could take to support athlete mental health, and key avenues for future research to further test our propositions and advance understanding. Our analysis provides a new lens through which all those invested in understanding and supporting athlete mental health can approach these challenges, and a foundation for novel solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Stevens
- School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Tegan Cruwys
- School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Lisa Olive
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
- IMPACT Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3220, Australia
| | - Simon Rice
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Elite Sports and Mental Health, Orygen, 35 Poplar Road, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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2
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Lung S, Wang K, Pedersen NRH, Setzpfandt F, Sukhorukov AA. Robust Classical and Quantum Polarimetry with a Single Nanostructured Metagrating. ACS Photonics 2024; 11:1060-1067. [PMID: 38523750 PMCID: PMC10958599 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c01287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
We formulate a new conceptual approach for one-shot complete polarization state measurement with nanostructured metasurfaces applicable to classical light and multiphoton quantum states by drawing on the principles of generalized quantum measurements based on positive operator-valued measures. Accurate polarization reconstruction from a combination of photon counts or correlations from several diffraction orders is robust with respect to even strong fabrication inaccuracies, requiring only a single classical calibration of the metasurface transmission. Furthermore, this approach operates with a single metagrating without interleaving, allowing for a reduction in metasurface size while preserving high transmission efficiency and output beam quality. We theoretically obtained original metasurface designs, fabricated the metasurface from amorphous silicon nanostructures deposited on glass, and experimentally confirmed accurate polarization reconstruction of laser beams. We also anticipate robust operation under changes in environmental conditions, opening new possibilities for space-based imaging and satellite optics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaun Lung
- Abbe
Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller
Universität, Albert-Einstein-Straße 15, Jena 07745, Germany
- ARC
Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS),
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of
Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| | - Kai Wang
- Department
of Physics, McGill University, 3600 rue University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2T8, Canada
| | - Nicolas R. H. Pedersen
- Abbe
Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller
Universität, Albert-Einstein-Straße 15, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Frank Setzpfandt
- Abbe
Center of Photonics, Friedrich-Schiller
Universität, Albert-Einstein-Straße 15, Jena 07745, Germany
- Fraunhofer
Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering, Jena 07745, Germany
| | - Andrey A. Sukhorukov
- ARC
Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems (TMOS),
Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of
Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
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3
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Wei S, Li Z, Murugappan K, Li Z, Lysevych M, Vora K, Tan HH, Jagadish C, Karawdeniya BI, Nolan CJ, Tricoli A, Fu L. Nanowire Array Breath Acetone Sensor for Diabetes Monitoring. Adv Sci (Weinh) 2024:e2309481. [PMID: 38477429 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202309481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024]
Abstract
Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening acute complication of diabetes characterized by the accumulation of ketone bodies in the blood. Breath acetone, a ketone, directly correlates with blood ketones. Therefore, monitoring breath acetone can significantly enhance the safety and efficacy of diabetes care. In this work, the design and fabrication of an InP/Pt/chitosan nanowire array-based chemiresistive acetone sensor is reported. By incorporation of chitosan as a surface-functional layer and a Pt Schottky contact for efficient charge transfer processes and photovoltaic effect, self-powered, highly selective acetone sensing is achieved. The sensor has exhibited an ultra-wide acetone detection range from sub-ppb to >100 000 ppm level at room temperature, covering those in the exhaled breath from healthy individuals (300-800 ppb) to people at high risk of DKA (>75 ppm). The nanowire sensor has also been successfully integrated into a handheld breath testing prototype, the Ketowhistle, which can successfully detect different ranges of acetone concentrations in simulated breath samples. The Ketowhistle demonstrates the immediate potential for non-invasive ketone monitoring for people living with diabetes, in particular for DKA prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiyu Wei
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Zhe Li
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Krishnan Murugappan
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Mineral Resources, Private Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC, 3169, Australia
- Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Research School of Chemistry, College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Ziyuan Li
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Mykhaylo Lysevych
- Australian National Fabrication Facility, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Kaushal Vora
- Australian National Fabrication Facility, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Hark Hoe Tan
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Chennupati Jagadish
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Buddini I Karawdeniya
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - Christopher J Nolan
- School of Medicine and Psychology, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
- Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, The Canberra Hospital, Garran, ACT, 2605, Australia
| | - Antonio Tricoli
- Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Research School of Chemistry, College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
- Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, 2006, Australia
| | - Lan Fu
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Transformative Meta-Optical Systems, Department of Electronic Materials Engineering, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
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Suomi A, Lucas N, Dowling N, Delfabbro P. Gambling Harm Experienced by Children Exposed to Parental Gambling: An Online Survey of Australians. J Gambl Stud 2024; 40:181-200. [PMID: 37149814 PMCID: PMC10904496 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-023-10211-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Although child wellbeing is known to be negatively affected by gambling, relatively little is known about the specific harms experienced by children exposed to parental gambling problems. The current study aimed to better understand gambling harm directly attributed to regular parental gambling in key areas of child wellbeing: financial, psychological, interpersonal wellbeing and intergenerational transmission of problem gambling. Using data from a national survey of Australian adults exposed to parental gambling under the age of 18 (n = 211), the results show that parental gambling was related significant levels of financial harm, abuse, neglect as well as relational and psychological problems as a direct result of parental gambling. The likelihood of experiencing gambling harms was positively associated with parental problem gambling severity. Harmful impacts of parental gambling as a child were also associated with a range of psychological problems in adulthood including depression, anxiety, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and intimate partner violence victimisation. Parental problem gambling severity was negatively associated with own lifetime gambling problems, suggesting a specific pattern of intergenerational transmission of problem gambling in children of regular, or heavy, gamblers. This research highlights the need for more supports for families with children in which at least one parent gambles regularly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aino Suomi
- Centre for Gambling Research, ANU Centre for Social Research and Methods, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Nina Lucas
- Institute of Child Protection Studies, Australian Catholic University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Nicki Dowling
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia
| | - Paul Delfabbro
- School of Psychology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Yu DS, Outram MA, Smith A, McCombe CL, Khambalkar PB, Rima SA, Sun X, Ma L, Ericsson DJ, Jones DA, Williams SJ. The structural repertoire of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici effectors revealed by experimental and computational studies. eLife 2024; 12:RP89280. [PMID: 38411527 PMCID: PMC10942635 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Plant pathogens secrete proteins, known as effectors, that function in the apoplast or inside plant cells to promote virulence. Effector recognition by cell-surface or cytosolic receptors results in the activation of defence pathways and plant immunity. Despite their importance, our general understanding of fungal effector function and recognition by immunity receptors remains poor. One complication often associated with effectors is their high sequence diversity and lack of identifiable sequence motifs precluding prediction of structure or function. In recent years, several studies have demonstrated that fungal effectors can be grouped into structural classes, despite significant sequence variation and existence across taxonomic groups. Using protein X-ray crystallography, we identify a new structural class of effectors hidden within the secreted in xylem (SIX) effectors from Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. lycopersici (Fol). The recognised effectors Avr1 (SIX4) and Avr3 (SIX1) represent the founding members of the Fol dual-domain (FOLD) effector class, with members containing two distinct domains. Using AlphaFold2, we predicted the full SIX effector repertoire of Fol and show that SIX6 and SIX13 are also FOLD effectors, which we validated experimentally for SIX6. Based on structural prediction and comparisons, we show that FOLD effectors are present within three divisions of fungi and are expanded in pathogens and symbionts. Further structural comparisons demonstrate that Fol secretes effectors that adopt a limited number of structural folds during infection of tomato. This analysis also revealed a structural relationship between transcriptionally co-regulated effector pairs. We make use of the Avr1 structure to understand its recognition by the I receptor, which leads to disease resistance in tomato. This study represents an important advance in our understanding of Fol-tomato, and by extension plant-fungal interactions, which will assist in the development of novel control and engineering strategies to combat plant pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel S Yu
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Megan A Outram
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Ashley Smith
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Carl L McCombe
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Pravin B Khambalkar
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Sharmin A Rima
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Xizhe Sun
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
- Key Laboratory of Hebei Province for Plant Physiology and Molecular Pathology, College of Life Sciences, Hebei Agriculture UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Lisong Ma
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
- State Key Laboratory of North China Crop Improvement and Regulation, College of Horticulture, Hebei Agricultural UniversityBaodingChina
| | - Daniel J Ericsson
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
- The Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation, Australian SynchrotronClaytonAustralia
| | - David A Jones
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
| | - Simon J Williams
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraAustralia
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6
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Franco NF, Lau NS, Liu WM, Rahim A, Fadia M, Chua YJ, Jain A, Yip D, Gananadha S. Outcomes of patients with gallbladder cancer presenting with acute cholecystitis. Langenbecks Arch Surg 2024; 409:73. [PMID: 38393412 PMCID: PMC10891216 DOI: 10.1007/s00423-024-03261-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
The main purpose of this study is to explore the outcomes of patients found to have gallbladder cancer during investigation and diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. The incidence of primary gallbladder cancer co-existing in acute cholecystitis is not well defined in the literature, with anecdotal reports suggesting that they experience worse outcomes than patients with gallbladder cancer found incidentally. METHODS A retrospective review of all patients with gallbladder cancer managed at the Canberra Health Service between 1998 and May 2022 were identified and reviewed. RESULTS A total of 65 patients were diagnosed with primary gallbladder cancer during the study period with a mean age of 70.4 years (SD 11.4, range 59-81.8 years) and a female preponderance (74% versus 26%) with a ratio of 2.8. Twenty (31%) patients presented with acute calculus cholecystitis and were found to have a primary gallbladder cancer. This group of patients were older and predominantly female, but the difference was not statistically significant. The overall 5-year survival in the cohort was 20% (stage 1 63%, stage 2 23%, stage 3 16%, and stage 4 0%). There was no statistically significant difference in survival between those who presented with acute cholecystitis vs other presentations. CONCLUSIONS A third of the patients with gallbladder cancer presented with acute cholecystitis. There was no statistically significant difference in survival in those with bile spillage during cholecystectomy as well those presenting with acute cholecystitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nunzio F Franco
- Department of Surgery, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia.
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Ngee-Soon Lau
- Department of Surgery, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Wai M Liu
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Research School of Finance, Actuarial studies and Statistics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Aadil Rahim
- Department of Surgery, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Mitali Fadia
- Department of Anatomical Pathology, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Yu Jo Chua
- Department of Medical Oncology, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Ankit Jain
- Department of Medical Oncology, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Desmond Yip
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Department of Medical Oncology, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
| | - Sivakumar Gananadha
- Department of Surgery, Canberra Health Services, Canberra, Australia
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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7
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Featherstone LA, McGaughran A. The effect of missing data on evolutionary analysis of sequence capture bycatch, with application to an agricultural pest. Mol Genet Genomics 2024; 299:11. [PMID: 38381254 PMCID: PMC10881687 DOI: 10.1007/s00438-024-02097-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Sequence capture is a genomic technique that selectively enriches target sequences before high throughput next-generation sequencing, to generate specific sequences of interest. Off-target or 'bycatch' data are often discarded from capture experiments, but can be leveraged to address evolutionary questions under some circumstances. Here, we investigated the effects of missing data on a variety of evolutionary analyses using bycatch from an exon capture experiment on the global pest moth, Helicoverpa armigera. We added > 200 new samples from across Australia in the form of mitogenomes obtained as bycatch from targeted sequence capture, and combined these into an additional larger dataset to total > 1000 mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) sequences across the species' global distribution. Using discriminant analysis of principal components and Bayesian coalescent analyses, we showed that mitogenomes assembled from bycatch with up to 75% missing data were able to return evolutionary inferences consistent with higher coverage datasets and the broader literature surrounding H. armigera. For example, low-coverage sequences broadly supported the delineation of two H. armigera subspecies and also provided new insights into the potential for geographic turnover among these subspecies. However, we also identified key effects of dataset coverage and composition on our results. Thus, low-coverage bycatch data can offer valuable information for population genetic and phylodynamic analyses, but caution is required to ensure the reduced information does not introduce confounding factors, such as sampling biases, that drive inference. We encourage more researchers to consider maximizing the potential of the targeted sequence approach by examining evolutionary questions with their off-target bycatch where possible-especially in cases where no previous mitochondrial data exists-but recommend stratifying data at different genome coverage thresholds to separate sampling effects from genuine genomic signals, and to understand their implications for evolutionary research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo A Featherstone
- Research School of Biology, Division of Ecology and Evolution, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
- Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3000, Australia
| | - Angela McGaughran
- Research School of Biology, Division of Ecology and Evolution, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
- Te Aka Mātuatua, School of Science, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand.
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Zeng D, Ford B, Doležel J, Karafiátová M, Hayden MJ, Rathjen TM, George TS, Brown LK, Ryan PR, Pettolino FA, Mathesius U, Delhaize E. A conditional mutation in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) gene regulating root morphology. Theor Appl Genet 2024; 137:48. [PMID: 38345612 PMCID: PMC10861616 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-024-04555-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Characterisation and genetic mapping of a key gene defining root morphology in bread wheat. Root morphology is central to plants for the efficient uptake up of soil water and mineral nutrients. Here we describe a conditional mutant of hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) that when grown in soil with high Ca2+ develops a larger rhizosheath accompanied with shorter roots than the wild type. In wheat, rhizosheath size is a reliable surrogate for root hair length and this was verified in the mutant which possessed longer root hairs than the wild type when grown in high Ca2+ soil. We named the mutant Stumpy and showed it to be due to a single semi-dominant mutation. The short root phenotype at high Ca2+ was due to reduced cellular elongation which might also explain the long root hair phenotype. Analysis of root cell walls showed that the polysaccharide composition of Stumpy roots is remodelled when grown at non-permissive (high) Ca2+ concentrations. The mutation mapped to chromosome 7B and sequencing of the 7B chromosomes in both wild type and Stumpy identified a candidate gene underlying the Stumpy mutation. As part of the process to determine whether the candidate gene was causative, we identified wheat lines in a Cadenza TILLING population with large rhizosheaths but accompanied with normal root length. This finding illustrates the potential of manipulating the gene to disconnect root length from root hair length as a means of developing wheat lines with improved efficiency of nutrient and water uptake. The Stumpy mutant will be valuable for understanding the mechanisms that regulate root morphology in wheat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deying Zeng
- Department of Biological Science, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610101, China
| | - Brett Ford
- Grains Research and Development Corporation, Barton, ACT, 2600, Australia
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Jaroslav Doležel
- Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslava Karafiátová
- Centre of Plant Structural and Functional Genomics, Institute of Experimental Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Olomouc, Czech Republic
| | - Mathew J Hayden
- Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions, Agriculture Victoria Research, AgriBio, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
- School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia
| | - Tina M Rathjen
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | | | - Lawrie K Brown
- James Hutton Institute, Invergowrie, Dundee, DD2 5DA, UK
| | - Peter R Ryan
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, PO Box 1700, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | | | - Ulrike Mathesius
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Emmanuel Delhaize
- Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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Kim J, John AT, Li H, Huang CY, Chi Y, Anandan PR, Murugappan K, Tang J, Lin CH, Hu L, Kalantar-Zadeh K, Tricoli A, Chu D, Wu T. High-Performance Optoelectronic Gas Sensing Based on All-Inorganic Mixed-Halide Perovskite Nanocrystals with Halide Engineering. Small Methods 2024; 8:e2300417. [PMID: 37330645 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202300417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Gas sensors are of great interest to portable and miniaturized sensing technologies with applications ranging from air quality monitoring to explosive detection and medical diagnostics, but the existing chemiresistive NO2 sensors still suffer from issues such as poor sensitivity, high operating temperature, and slow recovery. Herein, a high-performance NO2 sensors based on all-inorganic perovskite nanocrystals (PNCs) is reported, achieving room temperature operation with ultra-fast response and recovery time. After tailoring the halide composition, superior sensitivity of ≈67 at 8 ppm NO2 is obtained in CsPbI2 Br PNC sensors with a detection level down to 2 ppb, which outperforms other nanomaterial-based NO2 sensors. Furthermore, the remarkable optoelectronic properties of such PNCs enable dual-mode operation, i.e., chemiresistive and chemioptical sensing, presenting a new and versatile platform for advancing high-performance, point-of-care NO2 detection technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiyun Kim
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Alishba T John
- Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering Chemistry, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Hanchen Li
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Chien-Yu Huang
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Yuan Chi
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Pradeep Raja Anandan
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Krishnan Murugappan
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Mineral Resources, Clayton South, Victoria, 3169, Australia
| | - Jianbo Tang
- School of Chemical Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Chun-Ho Lin
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Long Hu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2019, Australia
| | - Kourosh Kalantar-Zadeh
- School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Antonio Tricoli
- Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, Research School of Electrical, Energy and Materials Engineering Chemistry, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University (ANU), Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
- Nanotechnology Research Laboratory, School of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2006, Australia
| | - Dewei Chu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Tom Wu
- School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 999077, P. R. China
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10
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Wyche NJ, Edwards M, Goodhew SC. An updating-based working memory load alters the dynamics of eye movements but not their spatial extent during free viewing of natural scenes. Atten Percept Psychophys 2024; 86:503-524. [PMID: 37468789 PMCID: PMC10805812 DOI: 10.3758/s13414-023-02741-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between spatial deployments of attention and working memory load is an important topic of study, with clear implications for real-world tasks such as driving. Previous research has generally shown that attentional breadth broadens under higher load, while exploratory eye-movement behaviour also appears to change with increasing load. However, relatively little research has compared the effects of working memory load on different kinds of spatial deployment, especially in conditions that require updating of the contents of working memory rather than simple retrieval. The present study undertook such a comparison by measuring participants' attentional breadth (via an undirected Navon task) and their exploratory eye-movement behaviour (a free-viewing recall task) under low and high updating working memory loads. While spatial aspects of task performance (attentional breadth, and peripheral extent of image exploration in the free-viewing task) were unaffected by the load manipulation, the exploratory dynamics of the free-viewing task (including fixation durations and scan-path lengths) changed under increasing load. These findings suggest that temporal dynamics, rather than the spatial extent of exploration, are the primary mechanism affected by working memory load during the spatial deployment of attention. Further, individual differences in exploratory behaviour were observed on the free-viewing task: all metrics were highly correlated across working memory load blocks. These findings suggest a need for further investigation of individual differences in eye-movement behaviour; potential factors associated with these individual differences, including working memory capacity and persistence versus flexibility orientations, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Wyche
- Research School of Psychology (Building 39), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
| | - Mark Edwards
- Research School of Psychology (Building 39), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Stephanie C Goodhew
- Research School of Psychology (Building 39), The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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11
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Thomson S. Administrative law as a determinant of public health. Can J Public Health 2024; 115:168-172. [PMID: 37930629 PMCID: PMC10853139 DOI: 10.17269/s41997-023-00826-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Administrative law comprises the rules, values, and processes by which government and regulatory decision-making is subject to administrative monitoring, review, and accountability. It impacts public health in two ways: through the design, powers, and processes of institutions that enforce administrative law; and through the substantive rules of administrative law. Yet despite its fundamental regulation of the way in which public health decisions are made, insufficient research has been conducted on administrative law as a determinant of public health. Administrative law and public health operate as siloed academic disciplines with very little cross-disciplinary collaboration, engagement, or understanding. This results in major, untapped research opportunities exploring how administrative law could contribute to an optimized model of planetary health in both higher income and lower-middle income countries. Put simply, a holistic, global view of the determinants of public health must take due account of the accountability rules and controls that regulate how public health, and other, decisions are made. This commentary is a call to action to better understand how administrative law mechanisms, such as judicial review, administrative tribunals, ombudsmen, information commissioners, public auditors, and human rights monitors, can be designed or redesigned to better promote sustainable public health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Thomson
- ANU College of Law, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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12
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Buss W, Hasemer H, Ferguson S, Borevitz J. Stabilisation of soil organic matter with rock dust partially counteracted by plants. Glob Chang Biol 2024; 30:e17052. [PMID: 37994295 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 10/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Soil application of Ca- and Mg-rich silicates can capture and store atmospheric carbon dioxide as inorganic carbon but could also have the potential to stabilise soil organic matter (SOM). Synergies between these two processes have not been investigated. Here, we apply finely ground silicate rock mining residues (basalt and granite blend) to a loamy sand in a pot trial at a rate of 4% (equivalent to 50 t ha-1 ) and investigate the effects of a wheat plant and two watering regimes on soil carbon sequestration over the course of 6 months. Rock dust addition increased soil pH, electric conductivity, inorganic carbon content and soil-exchangeable Ca and Mg contents, as expected for weathering. However, it decreased exchangeable levels of micronutrients Mn and Zn, likely related to the elevated soil pH. Importantly, it increased mineral-associated organic matter by 22% due to the supply of secondary minerals and associated sites for SOM sorption. Additionally, in the nonplanted treatments, rock supply of Ca and Mg increased soil microaggregation that subsequently stabilised labile particulate organic matter as organic matter occluded in aggregates by 46%. Plants, however, reduced soil-exchangeable Mg and Ca contents and hence counteracted the silicate rock effect on microaggregates and carbon within. We suggest this cation loss might be attributed to plant exudates released to solubilise micronutrients and hence neutralise plant deficiencies. The effect of enhanced silicate rock weathering on SOM stabilisation could substantially boost its carbon sequestration potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wolfram Buss
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Heath Hasemer
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Scott Ferguson
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Justin Borevitz
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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13
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Raja DC, Samarawickrema I, Menon SK, Singh R, Mehta A, Tuan LQ, Pandurangi U, Jain S, Callans DJ, Marchlinski FE, Abhayaratna WP, Sanders P, Pathak RK. Characteristics of the phenotype of mixed cardiomyopathy in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillators. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2024; 67:129-137. [PMID: 37273034 PMCID: PMC10770238 DOI: 10.1007/s10840-023-01577-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND OR PURPOSE The prognosis of m ixed cardiomyopathy (CMP) in patients with implanted cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs) has not been investigated. We aim to study the demographic, clinical, device therapies and survival characteristics of mixed CMP in a cohort of patients implanted with a defibrillator. METHODS The term mixed CMP was used to categorise patients with impaired left ventricular ejection fraction attributed to documented non-ischemic triggers with concomitant moderate coronary artery disease. This is a single center observational cohort of 526 patients with a mean follow-up of 8.7 ± 3.5 years. RESULTS There were 42.5% patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM), 26.9% with non-ischemic cardiomyopathy (NICM) and 30.6% with mixed CMP. Mixed CMP, compared to NICM, was associated with higher mean age (69.1 ± 9.6 years), atrial fibrillation (55.3%) and greater incidence of comorbidities. The proportion of patients with mixed CMP receiving device shocks was 23.6%, compared to 18.4% in NICM and 27% in ICM. The VT cycle length recorded in mixed CMP (281.6 ± 43.1 ms) was comparable with ICM (282.5 ± 44 ms; p = 0.9) and lesser than NICM (297.7 ± 48.7 ms; p = 0.1). All-cause mortality in mixed CMP (21.1%) was similar to ICM (20.1%; p = 0.8) and higher than NICM (15.6%; p = 0.2). The Kaplan-Meier curves revealed hazards of 1.57 (95% CI: 0.91, 2.68) for mixed CMP compared to NICM. CONCLUSION In a cohort of patients with ICD, the group with mixed CMP represents a phenotype predominantly comprised of the elderly with a higher incidence of comorbidities. Mixed CMP resembles ICM in terms of number of device shocks and VT cycle length. Trends of long-term prognosis of patients with mixed CMP are worse than NICM and similar to ICM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deep Chandh Raja
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Australian Capital Territory, Acton, 2601, Australia
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Cardiology, Canberra Health Services, Yamba Drive, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, Australia
| | - Indira Samarawickrema
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia
- University of Canberra, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Sarat Krishna Menon
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia
- University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
| | - Rikvin Singh
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Australian Capital Territory, Acton, 2601, Australia
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Cardiology, Canberra Health Services, Yamba Drive, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, Australia
| | - Abhinav Mehta
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Australian Capital Territory, Acton, 2601, Australia
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia
| | - Lukah Q Tuan
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia
| | | | - Sanjiv Jain
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Cardiology, Canberra Health Services, Yamba Drive, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, Australia
| | - David J Callans
- Electrophysiology Section, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Francis E Marchlinski
- Electrophysiology Section, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Walter P Abhayaratna
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Australian Capital Territory, Acton, 2601, Australia
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Centre for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Rajeev K Pathak
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Australian Capital Territory, Acton, 2601, Australia.
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, Suite 14, 2 Garran Place, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, 2605, Australia.
- Cardiac Electrophysiology Unit, Department of Cardiology, Canberra Health Services, Yamba Drive, Australian Capital Territory, Garran, Australia.
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14
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Yarbakhsh E, van der Sterren A, Bowles D. Screening and Treatment for Co-occurring Gambling and Substance Use: A Scoping Review. J Gambl Stud 2023; 39:1699-1721. [PMID: 37493839 PMCID: PMC10628029 DOI: 10.1007/s10899-023-10240-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/04/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023]
Abstract
There is a high prevalence of gambling harms co-occurring with substance use harms. Where harms are co-occurring, they may be experienced as more severe. However, there is little evidence that services are systematically screening for such co-occurring harms in treatment-seeking populations. Furthermore, treatment modalities remain relatively under-developed, with treatment usually addressing only one source of harm.This scoping review looks at the current literature on screening and therapeutic interventions for co-occurring gambling and substance use harms to understand how co-occurring harms may be managed in a treatment setting. It draws together available data on the intersections of substance use harms and gambling related harms, in a treatment context.This research identifies a range of potentially useful validated tools for clinicians in substance use treatment settings to screen for gambling harms. For workers in gambling treatment settings who are seeking validated tools to screen for co-occurring substance use harms, the literature provides less guidance.The validated toolbox of therapeutic interventions for those experiencing co-occurring substance use and gambling harms is relatively sparse. Psychosocial interventions appear to offer the best outcomes on gambling measures for those experiencing co-occurring substance use harms. Further research is needed to establish the benefits of different combinations of treatment and treatment types in achieving reductions across both substance use and gambling harms, when these harms are experienced concurrently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Yarbakhsh
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association, ACT (ATODA), Canberra, Australia.
- College of Arts and Social Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Anke van der Sterren
- Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Association, ACT (ATODA), Canberra, Australia
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Devin Bowles
- ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS), Canberra, Australia
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15
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Akter S, Hulugalle NR, Jasonsmith J, Strong CL. Changes in soil microbial communities after exposure to neonicotinoids: A systematic review. Environ Microbiol Rep 2023; 15:431-444. [PMID: 37574328 PMCID: PMC10667664 DOI: 10.1111/1758-2229.13193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Neonicotinoids are a group of nicotine-related chemicals widely used as insecticides in agriculture. Several studies have shown measurable quantities of neonicotinoids in the environment but little is known regarding their impact on soil microbial populations. The purpose of this systematic review was to clarify the effects of neonicotinoids on soil microbiology and to highlight any knowledge gaps. A formal systematic review was performed following PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses) guidelines using keywords in PubMed, SCOPUS and Web of Science. This resulted in 29 peer-reviewed articles, whose findings diverged widely because of variable methodologies. Field-based studies were few (28%). Imidacloprid was the most widely used (66%) and soil microbial communities were most sensitive to it. Spray formulations were used in 83% of the studies and seed treatments in the rest. Diversity indices were the most frequently reported soil microbial parameter (62%). About 45% of the studies found that neonicotinoids had adverse impacts on soil microbial community structure, composition, diversity, functioning, enzymatic activity and nitrogen transformation. Interactions with soil physicochemical properties were poorly addressed in all studies. The need for more research, particularly field-based research on the effects of neonicotinoids on soil microorganisms was highlighted by this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharmin Akter
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of ScienceAustralian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
- Soil Resource Development InstituteMinistry of AgricultureDhakaBangladesh
| | - Nilantha R. Hulugalle
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of ScienceAustralian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Julia Jasonsmith
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of ScienceAustralian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Craig L. Strong
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of ScienceAustralian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
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16
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Raja DC, Samarawickrema I, Srinivasan JR, Menon S, Das SK, Jain S, Tuan LQ, Desjardins B, Marchlinski FE, Abhayaratna WP, Sanders P, Pathak RK. Correlation of myocardial strain by CMR-feature tracking with substrate abnormalities detected by electro-anatomical mapping in patients with nonischemic cardiomyopathy. J Interv Card Electrophysiol 2023; 66:2113-2123. [PMID: 37129791 PMCID: PMC10694091 DOI: 10.1007/s10840-023-01553-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) detected by cardiac MRI (CMR) has low correlation with low voltage zones (LVZs) detected by electroanatomical mapping (EAM). We aim to study correlation of myocardial strain by CMR- Feature Tracking (FT) alongside LGE with LVZs detected by EAM. METHODS Nineteen consecutive CMRs of patients with EAM were analyzed offline by CMR-FT. Peak value of circumferential strain (CS), longitudinal strain (LS), and LGE was measured in each segment of the left ventricle (17-segment model). The percentage of myocardial segments with CS and LS > -17% was determined. Percentage area of LGE-scar was calculated. Global and segment-wise bipolar and unipolar voltage was collected. Percentage area of bipolar LVZ (<1.5 mV) and unipolar LVZ (<8.3 mV) was calculated. RESULTS Mean age was 62±11 years. Mean LVEF was 37±13%. Mean global CS was -11.8±5%. Mean global LS was -11.2±4%. LGE-scar was noted in 74% of the patients. Mean percentage area of LGE-scar was 5%. There was significant correlation between percentage abnormality detected by LS with percentage bipolar LVZ (r = +0.5, p = 0.03) and combined percentage CS+LS abnormality with percentage unipolar LVZ (r = +0.5, p = 0.02). Per-unit increase in CS increased the percentage area of unipolar LVZ by 2.09 (p = 0.07) and per-unit increase in LS increased the percentage area of unipolar LVZ by 2.49 (p = 0.06). The concordance rates between CS and LS to localize segments with bipolar/unipolar LVZ were 79% and 95% compared to 63% with LGE. CONCLUSIONS Myocardial strain detected by CMR-FT has a better correlation with electrical low voltage zones than the conventional LGE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deep Chandh Raja
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Acton, 2601, ACT, Australia
- Canberra Health Services, 2 Garran place, Garran, Canberra, 2605, Australia
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, 2 Garran Place, Garran, 2605, Australia
| | | | | | - SaratKrishna Menon
- University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, 2 Garran Place, Garran, 2605, Australia
| | - Souvik Kumar Das
- Canberra Health Services, 2 Garran place, Garran, Canberra, 2605, Australia
| | - Sanjiv Jain
- Canberra Health Services, 2 Garran place, Garran, Canberra, 2605, Australia
| | - Lukah Q Tuan
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Acton, 2601, ACT, Australia
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, 2 Garran Place, Garran, 2605, Australia
| | - Benoit Desjardins
- Electrophysiology Section, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Francis E Marchlinski
- Electrophysiology Section, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA
| | - Walter P Abhayaratna
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Acton, 2601, ACT, Australia
- Canberra Health Services, 2 Garran place, Garran, Canberra, 2605, Australia
| | - Prashanthan Sanders
- Center for Heart Rhythm Disorders, University of Adelaide and Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Rajeev K Pathak
- ANU School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, 54 Mills Road, Acton, 2601, ACT, Australia.
- Canberra Health Services, 2 Garran place, Garran, Canberra, 2605, Australia.
- Canberra Heart Rhythm, 2 Garran Place, Garran, 2605, Australia.
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17
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Chapman M, Komesaroff P. Radicalizing Hope. J Bioeth Inq 2023; 20:651-656. [PMID: 37676562 PMCID: PMC10942879 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-023-10291-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
The race against COVID-19 has been intense and painful and many of us are now looking for a way to move on. We may try to seize a degree of comfort and security by convincing ourselves that we are among the "fittest"-that is, among those who have managed to survive-who can now hope for a "new-normal" time, relatively unscathed. But this isn't what we should be hoping for. Our world, and ourselves, will never be free of COVID-19 or its insidious effects. COVID-19, like climate change, is a threat multiplier and the challenges it has raised are now indelibly engraved in our vulnerable, interconnected lives. Rather than vainly hoping for a return to an imaginary, erstwhile "normal" what we need is something more fundamental: a new version of hope that embraces a courage to learn what we need to do, to enable us to live a future to which we aspire. Perhaps counter-intuitively, we need to accept that the COVID-19 experience has already changed us deeply and hope that we can learn from this and from the future changes that the pandemic will give rise to. We need to radicalize our responses to the challenges, enabling ourselves to learn new lessons about old but increasingly pertinent topics, such as the realities of human fragility, and inter-connection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Chapman
- Department of Palliative Care, Canberra Health Services, Garran ACT, Canberra, Australia.
- Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
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18
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White J. D11 and small angle neutron scattering: a paradigm of ILL. Eur Phys J E Soft Matter 2023; 46:112. [PMID: 37957527 PMCID: PMC10643372 DOI: 10.1140/epje/s10189-023-00362-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper describes some of the early events in the 50 year success of D11. That, and the Institut Laue Langevin are linked by an attitude that embraces both instrument renewal and new areas of science. The neutron sources proved to be reliable and serviceable, the neutron guides and guide hall have been a great benefit, and the user concept has led to a strengthening international community of diverse and good science and to new instruments clamouring for funding in a growing facility. Designs were perfected and the second wind (Deuxième Souffle) funded the outflow from which a second strong phase has evolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- John White
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, 2603, Australia.
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19
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Ramireddy T, Wrogemann JM, Haneke L, Sultana I, Kremer F, Ian Chen Y, Winter M, Placke T, Glushenkov AM. Evaluating a Dual-Ion Battery with an Antimony-Carbon Composite Anode. ChemSusChem 2023; 16:e202300445. [PMID: 37606900 DOI: 10.1002/cssc.202300445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
Dual-ion batteries (DIBs) are attracting attention due to their high operating voltage and promise in stationary energy storage applications. Among various anode materials, elements that alloy and dealloy with lithium are assumed to be prospective in bringing higher capacities and increasing the energy density of DIBs. In this work, antimony in the form of a composite with carbon (Sb-C) is evaluated as an anode material for DIB full cells for the first time. The behaviour of graphite||Sb-C cells is assessed in highly concentrated electrolytes in the absence and presence of an electrolyte additive (1 % vinylene carbonate) and in two cell voltage windows (2-4.5 V and 2-4.8 V). Sb-C full cells possess maximum estimated specific energies of 290 Wh/kg (based on electrode masses) and 154 Wh/kg (based on the combined mass of electrodes and active salt). The work expands the knowledge on the operation of DIBs with non-graphitic anodes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thrinathreddy Ramireddy
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Jens Matthies Wrogemann
- MEET Battery Research Center, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 46, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Lukas Haneke
- MEET Battery Research Center, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 46, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Irin Sultana
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
- School of Materials and Energy, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong 51006, P. R. China
| | - Felipe Kremer
- Centre for Advanced Microscopy, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Ying Ian Chen
- Institute for Frontier Materials, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Martin Winter
- MEET Battery Research Center, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 46, Münster, 48149, Germany
- Helmholtz Institute Münster, IEK-12, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Corrensstraße 46, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Tobias Placke
- MEET Battery Research Center, University of Münster, Corrensstraße 46, Münster, 48149, Germany
| | - Alexey M Glushenkov
- Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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20
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Zeil J. Views from 'crabworld': the spatial distribution of light in a tropical mudflat. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2023; 209:859-876. [PMID: 37460846 PMCID: PMC10643439 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01653-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Natural scene analysis has been extensively used to understand how the invariant structure of the visual environment may have shaped biological image processing strategies. This paper deals with four crucial, but hitherto largely neglected aspects of natural scenes: (1) the viewpoint of specific animals; (2) the fact that image statistics are not independent of the position within the visual field; (3) the influence of the direction of illumination on luminance, spectral and polarization contrast in a scene; and (4) the biologically relevant information content of natural scenes. To address these issues, I recorded the spatial distribution of light in a tropical mudflat with a spectrographic imager equipped with a polarizing filter in an attempt to describe quantitatively the visual environment of fiddler crabs. The environment viewed by the crabs has a distinct structure. Depending on the position of the sun, the luminance, the spectral composition, and the polarization characteristics of horizontal light distribution are not uniform. This is true for both skylight and for reflections from the mudflat surface. The high-contrast feature of the line of horizon dominates the vertical distribution of light and is a discontinuity in terms of luminance, spectral distribution and of image statistics. On a clear day, skylight intensity increases towards the horizon due to multiple scattering, and its spectral composition increasingly resembles that of sunlight. Sky-substratum contrast is highest at short wavelengths. I discuss the consequences of this extreme example of the topography of vision for extracting biologically relevant information from natural scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen Zeil
- Research School of Biology, Australian National University, P.O. Box 475, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia.
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Furbank R, Kelly S, von Caemmerer S. Photosynthesis and food security: the evolving story of C 4 rice. Photosynth Res 2023; 158:121-130. [PMID: 37067631 PMCID: PMC10108777 DOI: 10.1007/s11120-023-01014-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Traditional "Green Revolution" cereal breeding strategies to improve yield are now reaching a plateau in our principal global food crop rice. Photosynthesis has now become a major target of international consortia to increase yield potential. Synthetic biology is being used across multiple large projects to improve photosynthetic efficiency. This review follows the genesis and progress of one of the first of these consortia projects, now in its 13th year; the Bill and Melinda Gates funded C4 Rice Project. This project seeks to install the biochemical and anatomical attributes necessary to support C4 photosynthesis in the C3 crop rice. Here we address the advances made thus far in installing the biochemical pathway and some of the key targets yet to be reached.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Furbank
- Division of Plant Science, Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia.
| | - Steven Kelly
- Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Susanne von Caemmerer
- Division of Plant Science, Centre of Excellence for Translational Photosynthesis, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Acton, ACT, Australia
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22
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Wan H, Zhang Y, Wu L, Zhou G, Pan L, Fernie AR, Ruan YL. Evolution of cytosolic and organellar invertases empowered the colonization and thriving of land plants. Plant Physiol 2023; 193:1227-1243. [PMID: 37429000 PMCID: PMC10661998 DOI: 10.1093/plphys/kiad401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
The molecular innovation underpinning efficient carbon and energy metabolism during evolution of land plants remains largely unknown. Invertase-mediated sucrose cleavage into hexoses is central to fuel growth. Why some cytoplasmic invertases (CINs) function in the cytosol, whereas others operate in chloroplasts and mitochondria, is puzzling. We attempted to shed light on this question from an evolutionary perspective. Our analyses indicated that plant CINs originated from a putatively orthologous ancestral gene in cyanobacteria and formed the plastidic CIN (α1 clade) through endosymbiotic gene transfer, while its duplication in algae with a loss of its signal peptide produced the β clade CINs in the cytosol. The mitochondrial CINs (α2) were derived from duplication of the plastidic CINs and coevolved with vascular plants. Importantly, the copy number of mitochondrial and plastidic CINs increased upon the emergence of seed plants, corresponding with the rise of respiratory, photosynthetic, and growth rates. The cytosolic CIN (β subfamily) kept expanding from algae to gymnosperm, indicating its role in supporting the increase in carbon use efficiency during evolution. Affinity purification mass spectrometry identified a cohort of proteins interacting with α1 and 2 CINs, which points to their roles in plastid and mitochondrial glycolysis, oxidative stress tolerance, and the maintenance of subcellular sugar homeostasis. Collectively, the findings indicate evolutionary roles of α1 and α2 CINs in chloroplasts and mitochondria for achieving high photosynthetic and respiratory rates, respectively, which, together with the expanding of cytosolic CINs, likely underpin the colonization of land plants through fueling rapid growth and biomass production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjian Wan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Vegetables, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Youjun Zhang
- Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany
| | - Limin Wu
- Food and Agriculture, CSIRO, ACT, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Guozhi Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Vegetables, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Luzhao Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Managing Biotic and Chemical Threats to the Quality and Safety of Agro-Products, Institute of Vegetables, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou 310021, China
| | - Alisdair R Fernie
- Center for Plant Systems Biology and Biotechnology, Plovdiv 4000, Bulgaria
- Department of Molecular Physiology, Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Potsdam-Golm 14476, Germany
| | - Yong-Ling Ruan
- State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas and College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
- Division of Plant Sciences, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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23
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Pasalich DS, Aquilina B, Hassall A, Goulter N, Xyrakis N, Khoo A. Childhood Experiences of Alternative Care and Callousness/Unemotionality: A Conceptual Model, Scoping Review, and Research Agenda. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2023; 26:789-804. [PMID: 37436541 PMCID: PMC10465668 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00445-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Individuals with experiences of alternative care (AC; i.e., out-of-home care and institutional care) are at high risk for various mental health and relational problems stemming from exposure to serious attachment disruptions, loss, and complex trauma. Yet, despite the interpersonal context of their significant adversities, surprisingly there is scant research explicitly focusing on callousness/unemotionality (e.g., lack of guilt, callous disregard for others) in this population. This paper provides the first conceptual model for, and systematic scoping review of, callousness/unemotionality in children and young people with experiences of AC. In a comprehensive search of nine databases, 22 articles involving samples of participants in AC or with histories of AC, were identified for inclusion. The pattern of findings revealed that callous-unemotional and psychopathic traits are elevated in children and young people with AC experiences, and positively associated with AC. Moreover, results showed associations between these traits and various psychosocial correlates, most consistently with externalizing and internalizing problems and attachment-related problems. Only two intervention studies were located, one of which found benefits of training and supporting foster caregivers for reducing callous-unemotional traits. These findings are discussed with respect to gaps in the literature, future research directions, and trauma-informed practice to assess and treat callousness/unemotionality in children and young people with experiences of AC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dave S Pasalich
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia.
| | - Benjamin Aquilina
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
| | - Alison Hassall
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
| | - Natalie Goulter
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Nakiya Xyrakis
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
| | - Anderson Khoo
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Building 39, Science Rd, ACT 2601, Canberra, Australia
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24
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Platow MJ, Knight CG, Van Rooy D, Augoustinos M, Bar-Tal D, Spears R. "We're tolerant and they're prejudiced": Same-sex marriage supporters' and opponents' perceptions of supportive and oppositional claims. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286063. [PMID: 37643176 PMCID: PMC10464972 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The current research examined the proposition that debates over same-sex marriage are characterized, at least in part, by conflicting understandings about what is and is not prejudiced, normative and true. Toward this end, Australians' (N = 415) prejudice judgements of supportive and oppositional statements toward same-sex marriage were measured and analysed with analyses of variance. Unsurprisingly, same-sex marriage supporters perceived a supportive statement as unprejudiced, tolerant, truthful, in pursuit of individual liberty, and normative; oppositional statements were seen in precisely the opposite manner. Same-sex marriage opponents, however, disagreed, instead judging an oppositional statement as unprejudiced, tolerant, truthful, in pursuit of individual liberty, and normative; it was a supportive statement that was seen as relatively prejudiced. These effects remained even after controlling for independent expressions of in-group favouritism. The current data align with a collective naïve realism perspective, in which group members see their own views as veridical and those of disagreeing others as biased. We argue that prejudice-reduction efforts must be instantiated to facilitate a common in-group identity between supporters and opponents to enable consensus over facts and, ultimately, what is and is not prejudice. Without this consensus, each side of the political debate may simply hurl the pejorative label of "prejudice" against the other, with likely little opportunity for social influence and social change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Platow
- School of Medicine and Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Clinton G. Knight
- College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Dirk Van Rooy
- Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Martha Augoustinos
- School of Psychology, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Daniel Bar-Tal
- School of Education, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Russell Spears
- Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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25
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Wild KH, Roe JH, Schwanz L, Rodgers E, Dissanayake DSB, Georges A, Sarre SD, Noble DWA. Metabolic consequences of sex reversal in two lizard species: a test of the like-genotype and like-phenotype hypotheses. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245657. [PMID: 37309620 PMCID: PMC10357012 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Vertebrate sex is typically determined genetically, but in many ectotherms sex can be determined by genes (genetic sex determination, GSD), temperature (temperature-dependent sex determination, TSD), or interactions between genes and temperature during development. TSD may involve GSD systems with either male or female heterogamety (XX/XY or ZZ/ZW) where temperature overrides chromosomal sex determination to cause a mismatch between genetic sex and phenotypic sex (sex reversal). In these temperature-sensitive lineages, phylogenetic investigations point to recurrent evolutionary shifts between genotypic and temperature-dependent sex determination. These evolutionary transitions in sex determination can occur rapidly if selection favours the reversed sex over the concordant phenotypic sex. To investigate the consequences of sex reversal on offspring phenotypes, we measured two energy-driven traits (metabolism and growth) and 6 month survival in two species of reptile with different patterns of temperature-induced sex reversal. Male sex reversal occurs in Bassiana duperreyi when chromosomal females (female XX) develop male phenotypes (maleSR XX), while female sex reversal occurs in Pogona vitticeps when chromosomal males (male ZZ) develop female phenotypes (femaleSR ZZ). We show metabolism in maleSR XX was like that of male XY; that is, reflective of phenotypic sex and lower than genotypic sex. In contrast, for Pogona vitticeps, femaleSR ZZ metabolism was intermediate between male ZZ and female ZW metabolic rate. For both species, our data indicate that differences in metabolism become more apparent as individuals become larger. Our findings provide some evidence for an energetic advantage from sex reversal in both species but do not exclude energetic processes as a constraint on the distribution of sex reversal in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristoffer H. Wild
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, AUS
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, AUS
| | - John H. Roe
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina Pembroke, Pembroke, NC 28372-1510, USA
| | - Lisa Schwanz
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Essie Rodgers
- Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems, Harry Butler Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
| | - Duminda S. B. Dissanayake
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, AUS
| | - Arthur Georges
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, AUS
| | - Stephen D. Sarre
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617, AUS
| | - Daniel W. A. Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, AUS
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Sabeti F, Rai BB, van Kleef JP, Rohan EMF, Carle CF, Barry RC, Essex RW, Nolan CJ, Maddess T. Objective perimetry identifies regional functional progression and recovery in mild Diabetic Macular Oedema. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0287319. [PMID: 37319294 PMCID: PMC10270604 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0287319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Retinal function beyond foveal vision is not routinely examined in the clinical screening and management of diabetic retinopathy although growing evidence suggests it may precede structural changes. In this study we compare optical coherence tomography (OCT) based macular structure with function measured objectively with the ObjectiveFIELD Analyzer (OFA), and with Matrix perimetry. We did that longitudinally in Type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients with mild Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO) with good vision and a similar number of T2D patients without DMO, to evaluate changes in retinal function more peripherally over the natural course of retinopathy. METHODS Both eyes of 16 T2D patients (65.0 ± 10.1, 10 females), 10 with baseline DMO, were followed for up longitudinally for 27 months providing 94 data sets. Vasculopathy was assessed by fundus photography. Retinopathy was graded using to Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) guidelines. Posterior-pole OCT quantified a 64-region/eye thickness grid. Retinal function was measured with 10-2 Matrix perimetry, and the FDA-cleared OFA. Two multifocal pupillographic objective perimetry (mfPOP) variants presented 44 stimuli/eye within either the central 30° or 60° of the visual field, providing sensitivities and delays for each test-region. OCT, Matrix and 30° OFA data were mapped to a common 44 region/eye grid allowing change over time to be compared at the same retinal regions. RESULTS In eyes that presented with DMO at baseline, mean retinal thickness reduced from 237 ± 25 μm to 234.2 ± 26.7 μm, while the initially non-DMO eyes significantly increased their mean thickness from 250.7 ± 24.4 μm to 255.7 ± 20.6 μm (both p<0.05). Eyes that reduced in retinal thickness over time recovered to more normal OFA sensitivities and delays (all p<0.021). Matrix perimetry quantified fewer regions that changed significantly over the 27 months, mostly presenting in the central 8 degrees. CONCLUSIONS Changes in retinal function measured by OFA possibly offer greater power to monitor DMO over time than Matrix perimetry data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faran Sabeti
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Faculty of Health, School of Optometry, University of Canberra, Bruce, Canberra, Australia
| | - Bhim B. Rai
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Josh P. van Kleef
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Emilie M. F. Rohan
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Corinne F. Carle
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Richard C. Barry
- The Canberra Hospital, ACT Health, Garran, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Blink Eye Clinic, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Rohan W. Essex
- The Canberra Hospital, ACT Health, Garran, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christopher J. Nolan
- The Canberra Hospital, ACT Health, Garran, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- ANU Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Ted Maddess
- The John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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27
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Rai BB, Rai D, Maddess T. Profile of Patients Treated with Intravitreal Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Injections in Bhutan. Clin Ophthalmol 2023; 17:1565-1573. [PMID: 37288001 PMCID: PMC10243486 DOI: 10.2147/opth.s414621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Ocular vascular diseases are common causes of visual impairment and blindness, for which anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) is the first-line therapy. Current study describes the profile of patients receiving intravitreal anti-VEGF injections (IVI), and gender variation in Bhutan. The study was designed to inform national health policy. Study Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods We reviewed the surgical registers of the vitreoretinal (VR) units across Bhutan over three years. Patient demography, clinical findings, diagnostic tests performed, and diagnoses or indications for IVI were logged. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results Despite limited availability of anti-VEGF, a total of 381 patients received IVI in operating theatres as mandated by the national guidelines. The majority of patients were males (230, 60.4%, p = 0.004). The mean age was 65.2 ± 13.5 years (range 13 years to 90 years), and a median of 69 years. The majority of the treated eyes (117, 30.7%) had BCVA <3/60 to light perception (PL), and another 51 eyes (13.4%) had < 6/60 to 3/60. The most common indication for IVI was neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) (168 cases, 42.2%), followed by retinal vein occlusion (RVO) (132 cases, 34.6%), diabetic macular oedema (DMO) and retinopathy (DR) (50 cases, 13.1%), and myopic choroidal neovascular membrane (11 cases, 0.03%). Conclusion Limited human resources for managing VR diseases in Bhutan are compounded by economic and geographic challenges. With increasing VR diseases such as nAMD and myopia and complications of systemic diseases such as DR, DMO and RVO, there is a need to improve VR services. Currently, anti-VEGF is procured only for a pooled patients requiring IVI, and patients are lost due to longer waiting periods. Bhutan needs to assess if females are reporting less or are not receiving treatment due to cultural barriers and social stigma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bhim Bahadur Rai
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- Department of Ophthalmology, JDW National Referral Hospital, Thimphu, Bhutan
| | - Deepa Rai
- Warrigal Aged Care Facility, Calwell, ACT, Australia
| | - Ted Maddess
- John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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Nugraha U, Resosudarmo BP, Nasrudin R. Examining the impact of urban compactness on work and social life disruption during COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Jakarta, Indonesia. Lett Spat Resour Sci 2023; 16:26. [PMID: 37275467 PMCID: PMC10227402 DOI: 10.1007/s12076-023-00347-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit urban areas particularly hard, yet there is a lack of research on the hypothesis that living in more compact cities can provide better support for work and social conditions during the pandemic. This study addresses this gap by examining whether city compactness can mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the work and social life of urban residents in Jakarta, Indonesia. The study uses a household phone survey combined with publicly available urban form data. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, supplemented with a matching technique to address potential selection bias, is employed. The results suggest that living in more compact locations can reduce the disruption to work and social life associated with COVID-19 in urban communities. This positive effect is particularly experienced by males, non-migrants, and individuals from wealthy families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Usep Nugraha
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
- Statistics Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
| | - Budy P. Resosudarmo
- Arndt-Corden Department of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Rus’an Nasrudin
- Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia
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29
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Barron A. Applications of Microct Imaging to Archaeobotanical Research. J Archaeol Method Theory 2023:1-36. [PMID: 37359278 PMCID: PMC10225294 DOI: 10.1007/s10816-023-09610-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
The potential applications of microCT scanning in the field of archaeobotany are only just beginning to be explored. The imaging technique can extract new archaeobotanical information from existing archaeobotanical collections as well as create new archaeobotanical assemblages within ancient ceramics and other artefact types. The technique could aid in answering archaeobotanical questions about the early histories of some of the world's most important food crops from geographical regions with amongst the poorest rates of archaeobotanical preservation and where ancient plant exploitation remains poorly understood. This paper reviews current uses of microCT imaging in the investigation of archaeobotanical questions, as well as in cognate fields of geosciences, geoarchaeology, botany and palaeobotany. The technique has to date been used in a small number of novel methodological studies to extract internal anatomical morphologies and three-dimensional quantitative data from a range of food crops, which includes sexually-propagated cereals and legumes, and asexually-propagated underground storage organs (USOs). The large three-dimensional, digital datasets produced by microCT scanning have been shown to aid in taxonomic identification of archaeobotanical specimens, as well as robustly assess domestication status. In the future, as scanning technology, computer processing power and data storage capacities continue to improve, the possible applications of microCT scanning to archaeobotanical studies will only increase with the development of machine and deep learning networks enabling the automation of analyses of large archaeobotanical assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleese Barron
- School of Archaeology and Anthropology, Australian National University, Banks Building, Canberra, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
- Department of Materials Physics, Research School of Physics, Australian National University, Canberra, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
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30
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De Deckker P, Hancock GJ, Olley JM, Stanley S, Hope G. The effect of the introduction of livestock on the erosion of alpine soils: a comparison of five dating techniques applied to sediments of the Australian alpine Blue Lake. J Paleolimnol 2023; 70:1-17. [PMID: 37361252 PMCID: PMC10164618 DOI: 10.1007/s10933-023-00284-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023]
Abstract
210Pb and 137Cs dating of bulk sediments obtained from the alpine Blue Lake, located in the Snowy Mountains of southeastern Australia, was applied here to date recent lacustrine sediments. In addition, the presence of Pinus pollen (a taxon introduced in Australia about 150 years ago) down to a sediment depth of 56 cm in the core is used to obtain a chronology for the upper part of the core. Accelerated Mass Spectrometry radiocarbon dates obtained from organic muds from the same core do not agree with the chronology constructed using the three other dating techniques. In addition, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating of single quartz grains, from sediment-core samples collected from the same lake, was applied to date recent lacustrine sediments. The optical age of 185 ± 20 years for a sample at 60-62 cm depth, and 470 ± 50 years at 116-118 cm depth are well over 1000 years younger than the ages inferred from radiocarbon dates. We therefore infer that the 'old' radiocarbon ages result from carbon stored for considerable time within the catchment prior to its transport and deposition on the lake floor. As plant decomposition occurs at much slower rates in high altitude environments, these results bring into question the veracity of previously published radiocarbon dates from Blue Lake and alpine lake sediments in general. The deposition ages inferred from the 210Pb-137Cs and OSL dating, and the first appearance of Pinus pollen, indicate that for the 100-year period after European settlement (from the mid 1800s to early 1900s) the sediment-accumulation rate increased by a factor of about 2, from 0.19 ± 0.01 cm yr-1 to 0.35 ± 0.02 cm yr-1. In the 1900s the accumulation rate increased further to 0.60 cm yr-1. The accumulation rate was particularly rapid in the 20-year period from 1940-1960, reaching a rate 18 times higher than the pre-European rate in the mid-1950s. The increase in sedimentation rate is attributed to changes in land use resulting from European activities in the lake catchment, primarily through sheep and cattle grazing in the Blue Lake catchment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick De Deckker
- Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Gary J. Hancock
- Formerly of CSIRO Land and Water, PO Box 1666, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Jon M. Olley
- Formerly of CSIRO Land and Water, PO Box 1666, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
- School of Environment and Science - Forensics and Archaeology, Griffith University, Nathan, Qld 4111 Australia
| | - Shawn Stanley
- Formerly of Department of Geology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
- Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, New York, NY 10017 USA
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31
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Schneider L, Fisher JA, Diéguez MC, Fostier AH, Guimaraes JRD, Leaner JJ, Mason R. A synthesis of mercury research in the Southern Hemisphere, part 1: Natural processes. Ambio 2023; 52:897-917. [PMID: 36943620 PMCID: PMC10073387 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-023-01832-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies demonstrate a short 3-6-month atmospheric lifetime for mercury (Hg). This implies Hg emissions are predominantly deposited within the same hemisphere in which they are emitted, thus placing increasing importance on considering Hg sources, sinks and impacts from a hemispheric perspective. In the absence of comprehensive Hg data from the Southern Hemisphere (SH), estimates and inventories for the SH have been drawn from data collected in the NH, with the assumption that the NH data are broadly applicable. In this paper, we centre the uniqueness of the SH in the context of natural biogeochemical Hg cycling, with focus on the midlatitudes and tropics. Due to its uniqueness, Antarctica warrants an exclusive review of its contribution to the biogeochemical cycling of Hg and is therefore excluded from this review. We identify and describe five key natural differences between the hemispheres that affect the biogeochemical cycling of Hg: biome heterogeneity, vegetation type, ocean area, methylation hotspot zones and occurence of volcanic activities. We review the current state of knowledge of SH Hg cycling within the context of each difference, as well as the key gaps that impede our understanding of natural Hg cycling in the SH. The differences demonstrate the limitations in using NH data to infer Hg processes and emissions in the SH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa Schneider
- School of Culture, History and Language. Australian National University, Coombs Bld 9 Fellows Rd, Acton. Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Jenny A. Fisher
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong, NSW 2522 Australia
| | - María C. Diéguez
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medioambiente (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas-Universidad Nacional del Comahue), 1250 San Carlos de Bariloche (8400), Quintral Argentina
| | - Anne-Hélène Fostier
- Instituto de Química/Unicamp, Rua Josué de Castro, s/n – Cidade Universitária, Campinas, SP 13083-970 Brazil
| | - Jean R. D. Guimaraes
- Lab. de Traçadores, Inst. de Biofísica, Bloco G, CCS (Centro de Ciências da Saúde), Av. Carlos Chagas Filho 373, Rio de Janeiro, Ilha do Fundão CEP 21941-902 Brazil
| | - Joy J. Leaner
- Department of Environmental Affairs and Development Planning, Western Cape Government, 1 Dorp Street, Western Cape, Cape Town, 8001 South Africa
| | - Robert Mason
- Department of Marine Sciences, University of Connecticut, 1080 Shennecossett Road, Groton, CT 06340 USA
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Robertson AM, Cruwys T, Stevens M, Platow MJ. Aspirational leaders help us change: Ingroup prototypicality enables effective group psychotherapy leadership. Br J Clin Psychol 2023; 62:243-259. [PMID: 36458503 PMCID: PMC10947317 DOI: 10.1111/bjc.12406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Research suggests that leaders are effective when they are ingroup prototypical (represent the identity of the group they seek to lead). However, it is unclear whether leaders should represent the group's current identity ("who we are") or aspired identity ("who we want to be"). This study investigated which of these forms of prototypicality best predicted leadership effectiveness in group psychotherapy. DESIGN Longitudinal study. METHODS 519 questionnaire responses were obtained from 112 women attending a four-session body acceptance program. Focal measures included participant ratings of how often they thought their psychotherapy leaders and fellow group members would (a) engage in dieting thoughts and behaviours and (b) approve of dieting. Given the program's body acceptance focus, leader prototypicality was conceptualized as the difference between participants' perceptions of how often their leaders, versus group members, would diet at the start of therapy. Leadership effectiveness was conceptualized as reductions in perceived group approval of dieting across therapy. Two therapeutic outcomes were considered: body satisfaction and dieting intentions. RESULTS A mixed-effects repeated measures analysis indicated that group approval of dieting decreased more rapidly when participants perceived their leaders to be aspirational (thought that group leaders dieted less frequently than group members) than when they perceived them to be exemplary (thought that group leaders dieted as frequently as group members). Changes in group approval of dieting mediated the relationship between leader prototypicality and improved therapeutic outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that group psychotherapy leaders may increase their effectiveness by striving to embody their group's aspired identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alysia M. Robertson
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Tegan Cruwys
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Mark Stevens
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
| | - Michael J. Platow
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National UniversityCanberraACTAustralia
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Vardon M, Lucas P, Bass S, Agarwala M, Bassi AM, Coyle D, Dvarskas A, Farrell CA, Greenfield O, King S, Lok M, Obst C, O’Callaghan B, Portela R, Siikamäki J. From COVID-19 to Green Recovery with natural capital accounting. Ambio 2023; 52:15-29. [PMID: 35882751 PMCID: PMC9325666 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01757-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and related social and economic emergencies induced massive public spending and increased global debt. Economic recovery is now an opportunity to rebuild natural capital alongside financial, physical, social and human capital, for long-term societal benefit. Yet, current decision-making is dominated by economic imperatives and information systems that do not consider society's dependence on natural capital and the ecosystem services it provides. New international standards for natural capital accounting (NCA) are now available to integrate environmental information into government decision-making. By revealing the effects of policies that influence natural capital, NCA supports identification, implementation and monitoring of Green Recovery pathways, including where environment and economy are most positively interlinked.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Vardon
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200 Australia
| | - Paul Lucas
- PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, P.O. Box 30314, 2500 GH Den Hague, The Netherlands
| | - Steve Bass
- IIED, 235 High Holborn, London, WC1V 7DN UK
| | | | - Andrea M. Bassi
- KnowlEdge Srl, via San Giovanni Battista 2, 21057 Olgiate Olona (VA), Italy
| | - Diane Coyle
- 320 Alison Richard Building, 7 West Rd, Cambridge, CB3 9DT UK
| | | | | | | | | | - Martin Lok
- Bezuidenhoutseweg 2, 2594 AV Den Haag, Netherlands
| | - Carl Obst
- 219 Rathmines St, Fairfield, VIC 3078 Australia
| | | | | | - Juha Siikamäki
- IUCN, 1630 Connecticut Avenue NW Suite 300, Washington, DC 20009 USA
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Wang STL, Parkinson A, Butler D, Law HD, Fanning V, Desborough J. Real price of health-experiences of out-of-pocket costs in Australia: protocol for a systematic review. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e065932. [PMID: 36600422 PMCID: PMC9772657 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-065932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Australians have substantial out-of-pocket (OOP) health costs compared with other developed nations, even with universal health insurance coverage. This can significantly affect access to care and subsequent well-being, especially for priority populations including those on lower incomes or with multimorbidity and chronic illness. While it is known that high OOP healthcare costs may contribute to poorer health outcomes, it is not clear exactly how these expenses are experienced by people with chronic illnesses. Understanding this may provide critical insights into the burden of OOP costs among this population group and may highlight policy gaps. METHOD AND ANALYSIS A systematic review of qualitative studies will be conducted using Pubmed, CINAHL Complete (EBSCO), Cochrane Library, PsycINFO (Ovid) and EconLit from date of inception to June 2022. Primary outcomes will include people's experiences of OOP costs such as their preferences, priorities, trade-offs and other decision-making considerations. Study selection will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and methodological appraisal of included studies will be assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme. A narrative synthesis will be conducted for all included studies. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval was not required given this is a systematic review that does not include human recruitment or participation. The study's findings will be disseminated through conferences and symposia and shared with consumers, policymakers and service providers, and published in a peer-reviewed journal. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42022337538.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley Ting-Li Wang
- School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Anne Parkinson
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Danielle Butler
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Hsei Di Law
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Vanessa Fanning
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| | - Jane Desborough
- National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University College of Health and Medicine, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia
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Murugappan K, Sundaramoorthy U, Damry AM, Nisbet DR, Jackson CJ, Tricoli A. Electrodetection of Small Molecules by Conformation-Mediated Signal Enhancement. JACS Au 2022; 2:2481-2490. [PMID: 36465535 PMCID: PMC9709943 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Electrochemical biosensors allow the rapid, selective, and sensitive transduction of critical biological parameters into measurable signals. However, current electrochemical biosensors often fail to selectively and sensitively detect small molecules because of their small size and low molecular complexity. We have developed an electrochemical biosensing platform that harnesses the analyte-dependent conformational change of highly selective solute-binding proteins to amplify the redox signal generated by analyte binding. Using this platform, we constructed and characterized two biosensors that can sense leucine and glycine, respectively. We show that these biosensors can selectively and sensitively detect their targets over a wide range of concentrations-up to 7 orders of magnitude-and that the selectivity of these sensors can be readily altered by switching the bioreceptor's binding domain. Our work represents a new paradigm for the design of a family of modular electrochemical biosensors, where access to electrode surfaces can be controlled by protein conformational changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishnan Murugappan
- Nanotechnology
Research Laboratory, Research School of Chemistry, College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
- CSIRO,
Mineral Resources, Private
Bag 10, Clayton South, VIC3169, Australia
| | | | - Adam M. Damry
- Research
School of Chemistry, The Australian National
University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
- Department
of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ONK1N 6N5, Canada
| | - David R. Nisbet
- Laboratory
of Advanced Biomaterials, Research School of Chemistry and the John
Curtin School of Medical Research, The Australian
National University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
- The Graeme
Clark Institute, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
- Department
of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Information
Technology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC3010, Australia
| | - Colin J. Jackson
- Research
School of Chemistry, The Australian National
University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and
Protein Science, Research School of Chemistry, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence in Synthetic Biology, Research
School of Chemistry, The Australian National
University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
| | - Antonio Tricoli
- Nanotechnology
Research Laboratory, Research School of Chemistry, College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT2601, Australia
- Nanotechnology
Research Laboratory, Faculty of Engineering, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW2006, Australia
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Smith KJ, Evans MJ, Gordon IJ, Pierson JC, Stratford S, Manning AD. Mini Safe Havens for population recovery and reintroductions 'beyond-the-fence'. Biodivers Conserv 2022; 32:203-225. [PMID: 36405571 PMCID: PMC9652606 DOI: 10.1007/s10531-022-02495-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED In response to the ongoing decline of fauna worldwide, there has been growing interest in the rewilding of whole ecosystems outside of fenced sanctuaries or offshore islands. This interest will inevitably result in attempts to restore species where eliminating threats from predators and competitors is extremely challenging or impossible, or reintroductions of predators that will increase predation risk for extant prey (i.e., coexistence conservation). We propose 'Mini Safe Havens' (MSHs) as a potential tool for managing these threats. Mini Safe Havens are refuges that are permanently permeable to the focal species; allowing the emigration of individuals while maintaining gene flow through the boundary. Crucial to the effectiveness of the approach is the ongoing maintenance and monitoring required to preserve a low-to-zero risk of key threats within the MSH; facilitating in-situ learning and adaptation by focal species to these threats, at a rate and intensity of exposure determined by the animals themselves. We trialled the MSH approach for a pilot reintroduction of the Australian native New Holland mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae), in the context of a trophic rewilding project to address potential naïveté to a reintroduced native mammalian predator. We found that mice released into a MSH maintained their weight and continued to use the release site beyond 17 months (525 days) post-release. In contrast, individuals in temporary soft-release enclosures tended to lose weight and became undetectable approximately 1-month post-release. We discuss the broad applicability of MSHs for population recovery and reintroductions 'beyond-the-fence' and recommend avenues for further refinement of the approach. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10531-022-02495-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kiarrah J. Smith
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Maldwyn J. Evans
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- Department of Ecosystem Studies, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Iain J. Gordon
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- The James Hutton Institute, Dundee, DD2 5DA UK
- Central Queensland University, Townsville, QLD 4810 Australia
- Land and Water, CSIRO, Townsville, QLD 4810 Australia
- Lead, Protected Places Mission, National Environmental Science Program, Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, Cairns, QLD 4870 Australia
| | - Jennifer C. Pierson
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
- Australian Wildlife Conservancy, Subiaco East, WA 6008 Australia
- Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT 2617 Australia
| | | | - Adrian D. Manning
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
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Normyle A, Doran B, Vardon M, Mathews D, Melbourne J, Althor G. An Indigenous perspective on ecosystem accounting: Challenges and opportunities revealed by an Australian case study. Ambio 2022; 51:2227-2239. [PMID: 35622234 PMCID: PMC9481838 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-022-01746-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The System of Environmental-Economic Accounting Ecosystem Accounting (SEEA-EA) is widely promoted in environmental and economic policy and management. Unfortunately, the SEEA-EA has not substantively addressed the aspects of accounting that may be of interest to, or used by, Indigenous peoples. We investigate an Indigenous perspective on the potential of the SEEA-EA to support cultural and environmental management through collaborative workshops with managers of Nyamba Buru Yawuru, the Prescribed Body Corporate representing the Yawuru Traditional Owners in Western Australia. Our discussions highlight that while the SEEA-EA may be a valuable tool for empowering Indigenous people and supporting the management of their lands and seas, there are areas where the SEEA-EA needs to be broadened to better reflect cultural values, and the services to ecosystems provided by Indigenous peoples. Embedding Indigenous perspectives into the SEEA-EA would mean that it is of greater use to Indigenous peoples and their representative organisations and ensure that these values are better recognised in the policymaking of government.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Normyle
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Building 141 Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Bruce Doran
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Building 141 Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Michael Vardon
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Building 141 Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Dean Mathews
- Nyamba Buru Yawuru, 55 Reid Rd, Broome, WA 6726 Australia
| | | | - Glenn Althor
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, The Australian National University, Building 141 Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
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Lazzari E, Baffour B, Chambers GM. Residential proximity to a fertility clinic is independently associated with likelihood of women having ART and IUI treatment. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:2662-2671. [PMID: 36112009 PMCID: PMC9627258 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deac205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Is geographic proximity to a fertility clinic associated with the likelihood of women of reproductive age undertaking different forms of medically assisted fertility treatment? SUMMARY ANSWER After adjusting for socioeconomic status (SES) and other confounders including a proxy for the need for infertility treatment, women who lived within 15 km of a fertility clinic were 21% more likely to undergo ART treatment and 68% more likely to undergo IUI treatment than those who lived further than 60 km away. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY In most countries, patients living outside of metropolitan areas are more likely to be more socio-economically disadvantaged and to have less equitable access to healthcare. However, how a woman's residential proximity to fertility clinics predicts utilization of high-cost/high-technology treatment (ART) and low-cost/low-technology treatment (IUI) is limited, and whether socio-economic disadvantage explains much of the hypothesized lower utilization is unknown. Australia's universal insurance scheme provides supportive reimbursement for almost all ART and IUI treatment regardless of age or number of cycles, providing a unique setting to investigate disparities in access to infertility treatment. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION National population-based observation study of ART and IUI treatment utilization by women across socio-economic gradients and Australian residential locations between August 2015 and December 2017. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Universal insurance claims information on female patients who underwent ART or IUI were provided by Services Australia, comprising 67 670 female patients who accessed 162 795 ART treatments, and 10 211 female patients who accessed 19 615 IUI treatments over a 29-month period. Incidence rates by SES and proximity to fertility clinics were calculated to describe the number of women undergoing at least one ART or IUI treatment cycle per 1000 women of reproductive age (25-44). Treatment frequencies were calculated to describe the average number of ART or IUI treatment cycles per woman of reproductive age who had undergone at least one ART or IUI treatment during the study period. Poisson regression analyses were used to estimate the independent effect on accessibility to infertility treatment by geographic proximity (based on small area locations) to the closest fertility clinic after adjusting for SES, childbearing delay, remoteness area, and marital status. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE On average, 19.1 women per 1000 women of reproductive age underwent at least one fresh or frozen ART cycle, with an average 2.3 ART cycles each, while 3.0 women per 1000 women of reproductive age received at least one IUI cycle, with an average of 1.6 IUI cycles each. After adjusting for SES and other confounders including a proxy for the need for infertility treatment, women who lived within 15 km of a fertility clinic were 21% more likely to undergo ART treatment and 68% more likely to undergo IUI than those who lived over 60 km away. Regardless of geographic location, there was a steady and independent gradient in access to ART treatment based on increasing SES, with women residing in the most advantaged residential quartile having a 37% higher rate of receiving ART treatment compared to those in the most disadvantaged quartile. The negative effect of social disadvantage on ART use became more pronounced as distance from a fertility clinic grew, indicating that the barriers to access to ART care caused by distance were further compounded by the level of socioeconomic advantage of the women's residential location. In contrast, socioeconomic status did not modify the likelihood of using IUI over and above the distance from a fertility clinic. In relation to IUI treatment, differences in utilization by SES disappeared after adjusting for geographic proximity to a fertility clinic, childbearing delay, remoteness area, and marital status. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Information is aggregated by small geographic areas and it therefore may not reflect individual characteristics. Australia provides partial but comparably supportive reimbursement for both ART and IUI through its universal healthcare system and thus the results may not be fully generalizable to other settings. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Residential proximity to a fertility clinic is a persistent barrier to accessing ART and IUI treatment, regardless of SES, even in countries characterized by supportive public funding, such as Australia. SES is less of a barrier to accessing IUI than ART, presumably driven by the lower cost and fewer clinic visits required with IUI treatment. Safe and effective fertility treatment should be available to all women regardless of where they live. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This work was supported by the Australian National University Research scholarship and by the Higher Degree Research Fee Merit Scholarship. The authors have no conflict of interest. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ester Lazzari
- Department of Demography, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Bernard Baffour
- School of Demography, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Georgina M Chambers
- National Perinatal Epidemiology and Statistics Unit (NPESU), Centre or Big Data Research in Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Women’s and Children’s Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Cleary E, Hetzel MW, Clements ACA. A review of malaria epidemiology and control in Papua New Guinea 1900 to 2021: Progress made and future directions. Front Epidemiol 2022; 2:980795. [PMID: 38455277 PMCID: PMC10910954 DOI: 10.3389/fepid.2022.980795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2024]
Abstract
The research and control of malaria has a long history in Papua New Guinea, sometimes resulting in substantial changes to the distribution of infection and transmission dynamics in the country. There have been four major periods of malaria control in PNG, with the current control programme having commenced in 2004. Each previous control programme was successful in reducing malaria burden in the country, but multiple factors led to programme failures and eventual breakdown. A comprehensive review of the literature dating from 1900 to 2021 was undertaken to summarize control strategies, epidemiology, vector ecology and environmental drivers of malaria transmission in PNG. Evaluations of historical control programs reveal poor planning and communication, and difficulty in sustaining financial investment once malaria burden had decreased as common themes in the breakdown of previous programs. Success of current and future malaria control programs in PNG is contingent on adequate planning and management of control programs, effective communication and engagement with at-risk populations, and cohesive targeted approaches to sub-national and national control and elimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eimear Cleary
- Research School of Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- WorldPop, School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Manuel W. Hetzel
- Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Allschwil, Switzerland
- University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Archie C. A. Clements
- Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
- Telethon Kids Institute, Perth, WA, Australia
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Roy S, Gupta S, Tourky R. The Impact of Long-Term Orientation Traits on Pandemic Fatigue Behavior: Evidence from the Columbian Exchange. J Econ Growth (Boston) 2022; 28:1-42. [PMID: 36320344 PMCID: PMC9612631 DOI: 10.1007/s10887-022-09218-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Leveraging exogenous variation in time preferences, we measure the causal effects of culturally embodied long-term orientation traits on voluntary social distancing behavior, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations, and mortality outcomes in 2020 in the United States. We establish that long-term orientation traits with bio-geographical origins causally reduce measures of COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalization, inpatient bed utilization, and age-specific excess deaths. Mobility indicators measuring voluntary decisions to socially distance, comprising measures of visitors/visits to recreational locations, and mobility proxy measuring duration of hours away from home show that a lower prevalence of long-term orientation traits explains persistent resistance to social distancing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10887-022-09218-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sutanuka Roy
- Research School of Economics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Sudhir Gupta
- Research School of Economics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Rabee Tourky
- Research School of Economics, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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Tran TA, Rigg J, Taylor D, Miller MA, Pittock J, Le PT. Social Memory in the Mekong's Changing Floodscapes: Narratives of Agrarian Communities' Adaptation. Hum Ecol Interdiscip J 2022; 50:879-893. [PMID: 36213593 PMCID: PMC9531210 DOI: 10.1007/s10745-022-00362-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Rural adaptation encompasses place-based perceptions, behaviors, livelihoods, and traditional ways of life associated with local environments. These perceptions, norms, and practices are disturbed by coupled environment-development externalities. This study employs the Vietnamese Mekong floodplains as an exemplary case to illustrate how floods impact agrarian communities and how they have experienced flood alterations driven by hydropower development and climate change in recent years. Drawing on thematic and narrative analyses of qualitative data (focus group discussions and interviews) collected in three agrarian communities in the Vietnamese Mekong floodplains, sources drawn from various news outlets, and academic materials, we argue that disrupted flood environments in the floodplains have triggered affective flood reminiscences, catalysing shifts to incremental and transformative adaptation to achieve resilience. We build a nuanced understanding of how social memory helps to enhance human-environment relationships in response to highly complex hydrological dynamics in the delta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thong Anh Tran
- Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Faculty of Science, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Fulbright School of Public Policy and Management, Fulbright University Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
| | - Jonathan Rigg
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - David Taylor
- Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Michelle Ann Miller
- Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jamie Pittock
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, College of Science, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Phong Thanh Le
- Climate Change Institute, An Giang University, VNU-HCM, Long Xuyen City, An Giang Vietnam
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Day G, Day C. The supply-side climate policy of decreasing fossil fuel tax profiles: can subsidized reserves induce a green paradox? Clim Change 2022; 173:27. [PMID: 36035973 PMCID: PMC9395873 DOI: 10.1007/s10584-022-03389-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Fossil fuel producers develop too many reserves for combustion due to subsidies for upfront development costs. The conventional wisdom is that downward-sloping tax profiles avoid green paradox outcomes by reducing present extraction. This paper shows that accounting for subsidized reserves development can induce green paradox outcomes for downward-sloping income tax profiles. A theoretical model linking reserves development and extraction with climate change damages is developed to explore conditions for the weak and strong green paradox outcomes of higher present extraction and cumulative damages. We find that the weak green paradox arises under higher and flatter income tax profiles. The strong green paradox is an ambiguous outcome without subsidized reserves development. Quantitative examples demonstrate the effect of downward-sloping tax profiles on crude oil extraction and how the strong green paradox arises when delayed emissions are less relevant for damages. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10584-022-03389-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garth Day
- Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Creina Day
- Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
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Lindenmayer DB, Woinarski J, Legge S, Maron M, Garnett ST, Lavery T, Dielenberg J, Wintle BA. Eight things you should never do in a monitoring program: an Australian perspective. Environ Monit Assess 2022; 194:701. [PMID: 35995962 PMCID: PMC9395441 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10348-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Monitoring is critical to gauge the effect of environmental management interventions as well as to measure the effects of human disturbances such as climate change. Recognition of the critical need for monitoring means that, at irregular intervals, recommendations are made for new government-instigated programs or to revamp existing ones. Using insights from past well-intentioned (but sadly also often failed) attempts to establish and maintain government-instigated monitoring programs in Australia, we outline eight things that should never be done in environmental monitoring programs (if they aim to be useful). These are the following: (1) Never commence a new environmental management initiative without also committing to a monitoring program. (2) Never start a monitoring program without clear questions. (3) Never implement a monitoring program without first doing a proper experimental design. (4) Never ignore the importance of matching the purpose and objectives of a monitoring program to the design of that program. (5) Never change the way you monitor something without ensuring new methods can be calibrated with the old ones. (6) Never try to monitor everything. (7) Never collect data without planning to curate and report on it. (8) If possible, avoid starting a monitoring program without the necessary resources secured. To balance our "nevers", we provide a checklist of actions that will increase the chances a monitoring program will actually measure the effectiveness of environmental management. Scientists and resource management practitioners need to be part of a stronger narrative for, and key participants in, well-designed, implemented, and maintained government-led monitoring programs. We argue that monitoring programs should be mandated in threatened species conservation programs and all new environmental management initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- David B Lindenmayer
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia.
| | - John Woinarski
- Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Sarah Legge
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Martine Maron
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia
| | - Stephen T Garnett
- Research Institute of Environment and Livelihoods, Charles Darwin University, Northern Territory, Australia
| | - Tyrone Lavery
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory, Canberra, Australia
| | - Jaana Dielenberg
- Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Brendan A Wintle
- School of Ecosystem and Forest Science, University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
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Robins L, van Kerkhoff L, Rochmayanto Y, Sakuntaladewi N, Agrawal S. Knowledge systems approaches for enhancing project impacts in complex settings: community fire management and peatland restoration in Indonesia. Reg Environ Change 2022; 22:100. [PMID: 35911586 PMCID: PMC9326962 DOI: 10.1007/s10113-022-01960-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge systems approaches for enhancing the impact of research are well established and tend to focus on the ways in which researchers can adapt their engagement with stakeholders to achieve a better "fit" between research and action agendas. Yet, these approaches are often based on explicit or implicit assumptions of a skilled and willing research team, and stable and well-defined stakeholders, who have consistent and reasonably well-defined needs. This paper discusses how knowledge systems approaches were developed and deployed in the first phase of the Gambut Kita (Our Peatland) project on community fire management and peatland restoration in Indonesia (2017-2021). This was a complex project with a large multi-disciplinary team situated across dynamic institutions in Indonesia and Australia, and addressing a politically controversial topic. To capture the diverse experience of the researchers, and to focus on the needs of stakeholders, we developed a sequence of whole-of-project approaches comprising the following: (i) stakeholder mapping exercises at three nested scales combining stakeholder analysis, knowledge systems mapping and impact pathways analysis; (ii) a project coordinating committee of high-level Indonesian policy-makers and policy-influencers; (iii) a stakeholder engagement forum and (iv) online policy dialogues. We demonstrate its effects through the case of developing an Indonesian Peat Fire Danger Rating System (Peat FDRS), as a core project deliverable. Over 4 years, these structured stakeholder engagement processes gave rise to a Peat FDRS Stakeholder Engagement Network (a multi-institutional working group), which is making significant progress in navigating the complexity inherent in realising an accurate Indonesian Peat FDRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Robins
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Building 141, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Lorrae van Kerkhoff
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Building 141, Linnaeus Way, Canberra, ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Yanto Rochmayanto
- National Research and Innovation Agency (formerly Forest Research and Development Center, Ministry of Environment and Forestry), Bogor, Indonesia
| | - Niken Sakuntaladewi
- National Research and Innovation Agency (formerly Forest Research and Development Center, Ministry of Environment and Forestry), Bogor, Indonesia
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Hamilton SH, Merritt WS, Carter L, Chakraborty A, Cosijn M, Lim-Camacho L, Mishra R, Syme G, Das M, Ray D. Affecting behavioural change through empowerment: conceptual insights from theory and agricultural case studies in South Asia. Reg Environ Change 2022; 22:85. [PMID: 35761800 PMCID: PMC9218702 DOI: 10.1007/s10113-022-01939-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Affecting behavioural change is a common underlying goal across environmental and agricultural sciences, from climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation, water management, to crop diversification. However, many projects fail to drive or sustain change despite sound science and good intentions. This paper draws on existing theories of behavioural change to construct a conceptual framework that explores pathways to initiate and sustain change through the lens of empowerment, self-efficacy and agency. The framework is demonstrated with case studies from a project in India and Bangladesh that examined social inclusion of marginalised and poor farmers in the context of intensifying agriculture. The framework and case studies highlight that a number of conditions are needed to affect meaningful change including that target beneficiaries are suitably motivated, believe in their own capability and power to enact change and have access to the necessary resources. We propose the framework as a tool to help project teams explore the underlying elements of the process of change when designing, implementing and assessing agricultural or environmental projects and interventions. We contend that behavioural and social change needs to be explicitly fostered in such endeavours to achieve better and longer-term outcomes for the people and environment. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10113-022-01939-7.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena H. Hamilton
- Institute for Water Futures, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT Australia
- Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) Land & Water, Canberra, ACT Australia
| | - Wendy S. Merritt
- Institute for Water Futures, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT Australia
| | | | - Arnab Chakraborty
- Professional Assistance for Development Action (PRADAN), Kolkata, India
| | | | | | - Rajeshwar Mishra
- Centre for Development of Human Initiatives (CDHI), Jalpaiguri, India
| | - Geoff Syme
- College of Sciences and Engineering, University of Tasmania, Sandy Bay, Hobart, Australia
- CSIRO Land & Water, Hobart, Australia
| | | | - Dhananjay Ray
- Centre for Development of Human Initiatives (CDHI), Jalpaiguri, India
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46
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Brusse C, Handfield T, Zollman KJS. Explaining costly religious practices: credibility enhancing displays and signaling theories. Synthese 2022; 200:249. [PMID: 35673405 PMCID: PMC9163007 DOI: 10.1007/s11229-022-03742-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper examines and contrasts two closely related evolutionary explanations in human behaviour: signalling theory, and the theory of Credibility Enhancing Displays (CREDs). Both have been proposed to explain costly, dangerous, or otherwise 'extravagant' social behaviours, especially in the context of religious belief and practice, and each have spawned significant lines of empirical research. However, the relationship between these two theoretical frameworks is unclear, and research which engages both of them (especially in systematic comparison) is largely absent. In this paper we seek to address this gap at the theoretical level, examining the core differences between the two approaches and prospects and conditions for future empirical testing. We clarify the dynamical and mechanistic bases of signalling and CREDs as explanatory models and contrast the previous uses to which they have been put in the human sciences. Because of idiosyncrasies regarding those uses (especially with signalling), several commonly supposed differences and comparative advantages are actually misleading and not in fact generalisable. We also show that signalling and CREDs theories as explanatory models are not interchangeable (or reducible to one another), because of deep structural differences. As we illustrate, the proposed causal networks of each theory are distinct, with important differences in the endogeneity of various phenomena within each model and their explanatory targets. As a result, they can be seen as complementary rather than in competition. We conclude by surveying the current state of the literature and identifying the differential predictions which could underpin more comprehensive empirical comparison in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carl Brusse
- Department of Philosophy and Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, NSW 2006 Australia
- School of Philosophy, RSSS, The Australian National University, Acton, ACT 2601 Australia
| | | | - Kevin J. S. Zollman
- Department of Philosophy, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890 USA
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Jiang W, Duan J, Doublier M, Clark A, Schofield A, Brodie RC, Goodwin J. Application of multiscale magnetotelluric data to mineral exploration: an example from the east Tennant region, Northern Australia. Geophys J Int 2022; 229:1628-1645. [PMID: 35190731 PMCID: PMC8853729 DOI: 10.1093/gji/ggac029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The footprint of a mineral system is potentially detectable at a range of scales and lithospheric depths, reflecting the size and distribution of its components. Magnetotellurics is one of a few techniques that can provide multiscale data sets to image and understand mineral systems. We have used long-period data from the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) as a first-order reconnaissance survey to resolve large-scale lithospheric architecture for mapping areas of mineral potential in northern Australia. The 3-D resistivity model reveals a broad conductivity anomaly extending from the Tennant Creek district to the Murphy Province in the lower crust and upper mantle, representing a potential fertile source region for mineral systems. Results from a higher-resolution infill magnetotelluric survey reveal two prominent conductors in an otherwise resistive host whose combined responses result in the lithospheric-scale conductivity anomaly mapped in the AusLAMP model. Integration of the conductivity structure with deep seismic reflection data reveals a favourable crustal architecture linking the lower, fertile source regions with potential depositional sites in the upper crust. The enhanced conductivity likely resulted from the remnant (metallic) material deposited when fluids were present during the 'ancient' tectonic events. This observation strongly suggests that the deep-penetrating major faults potentially acted as pathways for transporting metalliferous fluids to the upper crust where they could form mineral deposits. This result and its integration with other geophysical and geochronological data sets suggest high prospectivity for major mineral deposits in the vicinity of these major faults, that is, Gulunguru Fault and Lamb Fault. In addition to these insights, interpretation of high-frequency magnetotelluric data acquired during the infill survey helps to characterize cover and assist with selecting targets for stratigraphic drilling which, in turn, can validate the models and improve our understanding of basement geology, cover sequences and mineral potential. This study demonstrates that integration of geophysical data from multiscale surveys is an effective approach to scale reduction during mineral exploration in covered terranes with limited geological knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jingming Duan
- Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2600, Australia
| | - Michael Doublier
- Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2600, Australia
- Centre for Exploration Targeting, School of Earth and Environment, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley 6009, WA, Australia
| | - Andrew Clark
- Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2600, Australia
| | - Anthony Schofield
- Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2600, Australia
| | - Ross C Brodie
- Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2600, Australia
| | - James Goodwin
- Geoscience Australia, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 2600, Australia
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Russell B, William L, Chapman M. An Ethical Framework for Visitation of Inpatients Receiving Palliative Care in the COVID-19 Context. J Bioeth Inq 2022; 19:191-202. [PMID: 35175512 PMCID: PMC8853187 DOI: 10.1007/s11673-022-10173-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Human connection is universally important, particularly in the context of serious illness and at the end of life. The presence of close family and friends has many benefits when death is close. Hospital visitation restrictions during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic therefore warrant careful consideration to ensure equity, proportionality, and the minimization of harm. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Palliative Medicine COVID-19 Special Interest Group utilized the relevant ethical and public health principles, together with the existing disease outbreak literature and evolving COVID-19 knowledge, to generate a practical framework of visiting restrictions for inpatients receiving palliative and end-of-life care. Expert advice from an Infectious Diseases physician ensured relevance to community transmission dynamics. Three graded levels of visitor restrictions for inpatient settings are proposed, defining an appropriate level of minimum access. These depend upon the level of community transmission of COVID-19, the demand on health services, the potential COVID-19 status of the patient and visitors, and the imminence of the patient's death. This framework represents a cohesive, considered, proportionate, and ethically robust approach to improve equity and consistency for inpatients receiving palliative care during the COVID-19 pandemic and may serve as a template for future disease outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bethany Russell
- Palliative Nexus Research Group, University of Melbourne & St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital, 41 Victoria Pde, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
- Department of Palliative Care, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne, St Vincent’s Hospital, 41 Victoria Pde, Fitzroy, Victoria 3065 Australia
| | - Leeroy William
- Supportive & Palliative Care Unit, Eastern Health, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Eastern Clinical School, Faculty of Medicine, Nursing & Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
- Public Health Palliative Care Unit, La Trobe University, Wantirna Health, 251 Mountain Highway, Wantirna, 3152 Australia
| | - Michael Chapman
- ANU Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
- Department of Palliative Care, Canberra Hospital, PO Box 11, Woden, ACT 2606 Australia
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Ilschner S, Neeman T, Parker M, Phillips C. Communicating Endometriosis Pain in France and Australia: An Interview Study. Front Glob Womens Health 2022; 3:765762. [PMID: 35400132 PMCID: PMC8984272 DOI: 10.3389/fgwh.2022.765762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Endometriosis is characterized by persistent, fluctuating pain associated with menstruation, a biological function which is socially invisible. The degree and quality of pain cannot easily be measured, observed, or documented. Difficulties in communicating pain pose particular challenges when seeking diagnosis and support from health professionals. In this paper we explore the experiences and characterization of pain by thirteen Australian and thirteen French women with endometriosis. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews using a life-history approach to illness symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. We explore the experiences of women with endometriosis in two phases: from onset of symptoms to seeking advice from a clinician, and from first consulting a clinician to receiving a diagnosis. On average, initial pain symptoms were identified 2.1 years before consulting a health practitioner, after which women reported pain symptoms 8.5 years prior to diagnosis; that is, the time between consulting a clinician and receiving a diagnosis was almost four times the period between experiencing symptoms and consulting a doctor. Pain was often “made real” to doctors by findings consistent with endometriosis on ultrasound and MRI, mostly used in France, or laparoscopy, the predominant diagnostic tool in Australia. No woman described her practitioner using standardized pain assessment tools. Thus, the validation of pain relies largely on disease visibility and the clinician-classified degree of severity rather than self-reported grades of pain or impact on activities of daily living. The invisible and enigmatic pain of this chronic women's disease remains difficult to communicate to doctors, and the recognition of severe pain is often key to timely diagnostic procedures. Clinicians need to be more proactive about severe pain related to menstruation, taking into consideration women's individual circumstances, and maintain a high index of suspicion of underlying endometriosis as a condition characterized primarily by pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Ilschner
- Australian National University Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- *Correspondence: Susanne Ilschner
| | - Teresa Neeman
- College of Science, Biology Data Science Institute, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Melissa Parker
- Canberra Endometriosis Centre, The Canberra Hospital, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christine Phillips
- Australian National University Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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50
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Williamson R, Banwell C, Calear AL, LaBond C, Leach LS, Olsen A, Walsh EI, Zulfiqar T, Sutherland S, Phillips C. Bushfire Smoke in Our Eyes: Community Perceptions and Responses to an Intense Smoke Event in Canberra, Australia. Front Public Health 2022; 10:793312. [PMID: 35284396 PMCID: PMC8907569 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.793312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The 2019–20 bushfires that raged in eastern Australia were an overwhelming natural disaster leading to lives lost or upended, and communities destroyed. For almost a month, Canberra, Australia's capital city in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT), was obscured by smoke from fires which threatened the outer suburbs. While smoke itself is experientially different from many natural disasters, it nevertheless poses a significant public health threat. As the impact of extended bushfire smoke in an urban setting is relatively unexplored we aimed to capture the individual and community-level experiences of the event and their importance for community and social functioning. We responded rapidly by conducting semi-structured interviews with a range of Canberra residents who, due to their personal or social circumstances, were potentially vulnerable to the effects of the smoke. Three major themes emerging from the narratives depicted disruption to daily life, physical and psychological effects, and shifting social connectedness. This study highlighted the ambiguous yet impactful nature of a bushfire smoke event, and identified four simple key messages that may be critically relevant to policy making in preparation for similar smoke events in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Williamson
- The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Cathy Banwell
- The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
- *Correspondence: Cathy Banwell
| | - Alison L. Calear
- Centre for Mental Health Research, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christine LaBond
- The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Liana S. Leach
- The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Anna Olsen
- Australian National University (ANU) Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Erin I. Walsh
- Population Health Exchange (PHXchange), Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Tehzeeb Zulfiqar
- Australian National University (ANU) Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Stewart Sutherland
- The National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Research School of Population Health, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Christine Phillips
- Australian National University (ANU) Medical School, College of Health and Medicine, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
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