Simulation of long train dynamics with the consideration of wheel-rail contact

Cole, CR ORCiD: 0000-0001-8840-7136; Spiryagin, M ORCiD: 0000-0003-1197-898X; Wu, Q ORCiD: 0000-0001-9407-5617Classical train simulation is the domain of low Degree-of-Freedom simulators such as Longitudinal Train Simulators. These systems execute quickly, at faster than real-time rates and provide accurate results for a limited application space. For the computationally fast computer reason they are not only used in engineering analysis but have also been integrated into onboard vehicle computers for live train state information. With computer power ever increasing, most recently from the explosion of multi-core computing, the constraints of the past are no longer as restrictive. Through the use of parallel computing, multibody vehicle simulation modelling of wheel-rail contact has been introduced into the train simulation field. Current implementations of this hybridized approach still run significantly slower than real-time. This paper investigates the issues surrounding the use of this simulation methodology in hard real-time systems such as those required for real-time train simulation in onboard vehicle computers and provides some approaches for further computational enhancement. The initial findings demonstrate the benefit of a parallel scheme for multi-body train simulation

Infection of western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) with Australian arboviruses associated with human infection.

Taylor-Robinson, AW ORCiD: 0000-0001-7342-8348More than 75 arboviruses (arthropod-borne viruses) have been identified in Australia. While Alfuy virus (ALFV), Barmah Forest virus (BFV), Edge Hill virus (EHV), Kokobera virus (KOKV), Murray Valley encephalitis virus (MVEV), Sindbis virus (SINV), Ross River virus (RRV), Stratford virus (STRV), and West Nile virus strain Kunjin (KUNV) have been associated with human infection, there remains a paucity of data regarding their respective transmission cycles and any potential nonhuman vertebrate hosts. It is likely that these viruses are maintained in zoonotic cycles involving native animals rather than solely by human-to-human transmission. A serosurvey (n = 100) was undertaken to determine the prevalence of neutralizing antibodies against a panel of Australian arboviruses in western gray kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) obtained from 11 locations in the midwest to southwest of Western Australia. Neutralizing antibodies against RRV were detected in 25%, against BFV in 14%, and antibodies to both viruses in 34% of serum samples. The prevalence of antibodies against these two viruses was the same in males and females, but higher in adult than in subadult kangaroos (p < 0.05). Twenty-one percent of samples had neutralizing antibodies against any one or more of the flaviviruses ALFV, EHV, KOKV, MVEV, and STRV. No neutralizing antibodies against SINV and KUNV were detected. If this sample of kangaroo sera was representative of the broader Australian population of macropods, it suggests that they are common hosts for RRV and BFV. The absence or low seroprevalence of antibodies against the remaining arboviruses suggests that they are not prevalent in the region or that kangaroos are not commonly infected with them. The detection of neutralizing antibodies to MVEV requires further investigation as this virus has not been identified previously so far south in Western Australia

Insufficient sleep in young athletes? Causes, consequences, and potential treatments

Fox, J ORCiD: 0000-0001-8367-5297; Sargent, C ORCiD: 0000-0001-5340-4701; Scanlan, AT ORCiD: 0000-0002-0750-8697; Stanton, R ORCiD: 0000-0002-6684-5087Sleep is essential in the preparation for, and the recovery from, training and competition. Despite being important for all individuals, young athletes are considered an at-risk group for reduced sleep duration and quality. The purpose of this review is to synthesise current literature relating to sleep duration and quality in young (14–25 years) athletes. Specifically, typical sleep and wake patterns, factors affecting sleep and wake patterns, and the consequences of altered sleep and wake patterns in young athletes are discussed. Scheduling training and competition in the afternoon or evening appears to result in reduced sleep duration due to less time in bed. Evidence suggests that young athletes who obtain less than 8 h of sleep per night are at a higher risk of musculoskeletal injury. An increase in sleep duration above habitual nightly sleep may be associated with favourable performance in young athletes; however, the associations between sleep quality and performance- and health-related outcomes remain unclear. © 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Tourism and on-site humour: A perspective article

Pabel, A ORCiD: 0000-0003-1409-5496Purpose: This paper aims to outline major theoretical concepts relating to the tourism-humour relationship and provide commentary on opportunities for further research in this area. Design/methodology/approach: Papers for this perspective research were sourced by conducting a systematic review which critically appraised relevant research on this topic to provide evidence on humour and its current use in tourism settings. Findings: Humour has received attention from many academic tribes and disciplines; however, investigations in the context of tourism are only in its early stages. Research limitations/implications: The paper is based on a select number of peer-reviewed literature studies on the topic of tourism and humour. Practical implications: The paper outlines some of the challenges that tourism operators face regarding authenticity, i.e. when the delivery of scripted humour is performed in such a way that it is considered spontaneous and meaningful. Originality/value: The paper provides a brief overview of how humour is currently used in tourism settings and recommends future research opportunities to guide further studies into this topic

Efficacy of a multi-component m-health weight-loss intervention in overweight and obese adults: A randomised controlled trial

Vandelanotte, CL ORCiD: 0000-0002-4445-8094Background: This study compared the efficacy of two multi-component m-health interventions with a wait-list control group on body weight (primary outcome), and secondary outcomes of cardiovascular risk factors, lifestyle behaviours, and mental health. Methods: Three-arm randomised controlled trial (Enhanced: physical activity, diet, sleep, Traditional: physical activity, diet, Control) with assessments conducted at baseline, 6 and 12 months. Participants (n = 116) were overweight or obese adults aged 19–65 (M = 44.5 [SD = 10.5]). The 6-month intervention was delivered via a smartphone app providing educational materials, goal-setting, self-monitoring and feedback, and also included one face-to-face dietary consultation, a Fitbit and scales. The trial was prospectively registered and conducted between May 2017 and September 2018. Group differences on primary and secondary outcomes were examined between the Pooled Intervention groups (Pooled Intervention = Enhanced and Traditional) and Control groups, and then between Enhanced and Traditional groups. Results: Nineteen participants (16.4%) formally withdrew from the trial. Compared with the Control group, average body weight of the Pooled Intervention group did not differ at 6 (between-group difference = −0.92, (95% CI −3.33, 1.48)) or 12 months (0.00, (95% CI −2.62, 2.62)). Compared with the Control group, the Pooled Intervention group significantly increased resistance training (OR = 7.83, (95% CI 1.08, 56.63)) and reduced energy intake at 6 months (−1037.03, (−2028.84, −45.22)), and improved insomnia symptoms at 12 months (−2.59, (−4.79, −0.39)). Compared with the Traditional group, the Enhanced group had increased waist circumferences (2.69, (0.20, 5.18)) and sedentary time at 6 months (105.66, (30.83, 180.48)), and improved bed time variability at 12 months (−1.08, (−1.86, −0.29)). No other significant differences were observed between groups. Conclusions: Relative to Controls, the Pooled Intervention groups did not differ on body weight but improved resistance training, and reduced energy intake and insomnia symptom severity. No additional weight loss was apparent when targeting improvements in physical activity, diet and sleep in combination compared with physical activity and diet. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Exploring the potential to improve the gut microbiome of broiler chickens using selenium nanoparticle supplements

Gangadoo, S ORCiD: 0000-0002-7803-8899The poultry industry has rapidly grown in the last few years with a focus in improving growth and productivity of broiler chickens, with performance assessed on measures such as feed conversion ratio, body weight gain and good immunity. The incorporation of antibiotics and feed additives in poultry diets, have been implemented for years to ensure the maintenance of poultry health with a focus on the control and reduction of zoonotic pathogens. In the last few years, however, key issues surrounding the antimicrobial resistance of antibiotics have urged for alternative supplementations. Nanoparticles (NPs) of silver and other metals have been heavily used in the poultry industry to improve the growth and performance of birds. Whilst successful, metal NPs exhibited higher toxicity at the higher surface to volume ratio, especially with the use of silver. This study proposes the use of NPs of essential metals and natural compounds to safely deliver nutrients, resulting in positive impacts on health and productivity with little to no toxic effects. Selenium is an essential mineral, required for the proper functioning of the immunity and is an important element in the first cell line of defence in the body. The work described in this thesis explores the ability of selenium NPs to improve the health and growth of broiler chickens by modulating their gut microbiome and metabolome, without the toxic effects observed with silver. Selenium NPs were synthesised using a simple chemical reduction method and a full characterisation was performed, assessing the physicochemical properties of the NP. Selenium NPs were then compared in an animal trial against two commonly used selenium additives in the poultry industry, sodium selenite (inorganic selenium) and selenomethionine (organic selenium). The performance of the birds was assessed based on body weight gain, the gut microbial composition and metabolite production. The toxicity of NPs was further investigated by quantifying selenium concentration in various tissues, along with a detailed histopathological assessment. Results show selenium NPs completely altered the gut microbial ecology at high concentration, with a strong correlation observed between Faecalibacterium prausnitzii abundance and increasing concentration of selenium NPs. Selenium NPs additionally increased villus height/crypt ratio associated with enhanced absorption in the small intestine and an overall increase of healthy colonic metabolites. Finally, an in vitro study demonstrated the ability of selenium NPs to reduce emerging pathogenic Enterococcus cecorum species. This thesis demonstrates the prospective ability of selenium NPs as alternatives to antibiotics and bulk supplementation, resulting in an improvement of health and performance of broiler chickens in the poultry industry

Application of cluster analysis in food science and technology

Chandra, SS ORCiD: 0000-0002-4257-5860; Chapman, JM ORCiD: 0000-0002-9850-0403; Power, A ORCiD: 0000-0002-7119-8486This chapter discusses the relevance of cluster analysis for food science. Food science and any associated technologies are continually evolving due to the large amounts of data either generated by instrumental methods or available in databases. Cluster analysis seeks to discover the number and the composition of the groups in the dataset. Principal component analysis (PCA) is used as a tool capable of providing an overview of the complexity that exists in multivariate datasets. PCA employs a mathematical procedure that transforms a set of possibly correlated response variables into a new set of non-correlated variables, called principal components. PCA can be performed on either a data matrix or a correlation matrix depending on the type of variables being measured. However, in a case where the original variables are nearly non-correlated, nothing can be gained by using a PCA analysis instead of classical statistics

The regulation of financial planning in Australia: Current practice, issues and empirical analysis

Mcinnes, AN ORCiD: 0000-0001-5526-7501This book investigates the legitimacy of the current Australian Financial Services Licensee-Authorised Representative (AFSL-AR) licensing model, as specified in the Commonwealth Corporations Act 2001. The book rectifies the deficiency in scholarly attention to this matter by developing a new conceptualised framework for the financial planning discipline. It takes into account theories in agency, legislation, legitimacy and the independent individual regulatory regimes in other professions; thereafter integrating this framework with the financial planning theory to examine the legitimacy, or what was found to be the illegitimacy of licensing advisers via multiple third party conflicted commercially oriented licensees. This book makes a very useful reference to understanding financial planning licencing model in Australia

The variable impacts of extreme weather events on fruit production in subtropical Australia

Akbar, DH ORCiD: 0000-0002-2269-5056; Kinnear, SH ORCiD: 0000-0002-2734-8547The frequency and severity of extreme weather events (EWEs) has recently been increased in coastal subtropical regions in Australia. These EWEs particularly affect agricultural production through disruptions to the entire agricultural supply chain. Central Queensland (CQ) is a large sub-tropical region in Australia and has been frequently affected by various types of EWEs, particularly since 1999. This study examines the impact of EWEs on the production of three tropical fruits (i.e., pineapple, mango and lychee) in CQ. Meteorological and fruit production data were collected from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology and Australian Bureau of Statistics respectively. An Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression model was used to identify the relationship(s) between EWEs and the production volumes of the three selected fruits. This study found that EWEs moderately affected mango, lychee and pineapple production. A significant relationship was also observed between the fruit production volume and population growth of CQ as well as that of the broader state of Queensland. However, the results should be interpreted with caution given that this case study was limited to localised flood data, rather than using comprehensive modelling of regional rainfall and other variables, which would better reflect the geography and climate of the fruit production areas. The results derived from this study would be beneficial for tropical fruit industries worldwide, as they make plans to response to increasingly extreme weather; with a key finding being the important of understanding not only the occurrence, but also the seasonality of EWEs and comparing this with the growing and harvesting periods for global fruit production

Practical nutrition knowledge mediates the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and diet quality in adults: A cross-sectional analysis

Vandelanotte, CL ORCiD: 0000-0002-4445-8094Purpose: To investigate the direct and indirect effects of sociodemographic/health factors on diet quality through practical nutrition knowledge (PNK) about how to compose a balanced meal. Design: A cross-sectional study using data from an online survey of the 10 000 Steps cohort (data collected November-December 2016). Setting: Australia. Participants: Adults (n = 8161). Response rate was 16.7%. Measures: Self-reported lifestyle, health, and sociodemographic characteristics, including diet quality and PNK. Analysis: The PROCESS macro for SPSS was used to conduct the mediation analyses. Results: Better diet quality was associated with being female, older, more highly educated, and having a lower body mass index. Mediation analysis showed that PNK significantly mediated the associations between sex (a*b = 0.54, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.39-0.70) and education (vocational education: a*b = 0.22, 95% CI = 0.12-0.35, university: a*b = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.35-0.64), and diet quality. Practical nutrition knowledge suppressed the association between age and diet quality (a*b = −0.03, 95% CI = −0.04 to −0.03). Conclusion: Variations in diet quality between sociodemographic groups were partially explained by differences in PNK, suggesting that focusing public health efforts on increasing this specific knowledge type might be promising. © The Author(s) 2019