Cycling to Work in Sydney: Analysis of Journey-To-Work Census Data from 2001 and 2011.

Increasing the number of commuters who use bicycles to get to work is an essential element of sustainable transport systems in the world’s most livable cities. These analyses examine whether there have been changes in levels of cycling in Sydney between the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Census, and extends an earlier analysis of data from the 1996 Census. Data on the journey to work were purchased from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Use of a bicycle on any part of the journey to work was coded as ‘bicycle used’. Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Sydney area were coded as inner Sydney if they were within 10 kilometers of Central Station in Sydney, outer Sydney for the remaining Sydney LGAs and the rest as the Greater Metropolitan Region including the LGAs of Newcastle and Wollongong

Walking to Work in Sydney: Analysis of Journey-to-work Census Data from 2001 and 2011

Walking is the most popular physical activity in Australia, and it is safe and suitable for a broad range of people. Walking to work is one way to incorporate physical activity into the daily routine, and is therefore likely to be both regular and sustained. These analyses examine the levels of walking to work in Sydney between the 2001, 2006 and 2011 Census. Data on the journey to work were purchased from the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Local Government Areas (LGAs) in the Sydney area were coded as inner Sydney if they were within 10 kilometres of Central Station in Sydney, outer Sydney for the remaining Sydney LGAs and the rest as the Greater Metropolitan Region including the LGAs of Newcastle and Wollongong

Affective brain–computer music interfacing

We aim to develop and evaluate an affective brain–computer music interface (aBCMI) for modulating the affective states of its users. Approach. An aBCMI is constructed to detect a userʼs current affective state and attempt to modulate it in order to achieve specific objectives (for example, making the user calmer or happier) by playing music which is generated according to a specific affective target by an algorithmic music composition system and a casebased reasoning system. The system is trained and tested in a longitudinal study on a population of eight healthy participants, with each participant returning for multiple sessions. Main results. The final online aBCMI is able to detect its users current affective states with classification accuracies of up to 65% (3 class, p < 0.01) and modulate its userʼs affective states significantly above chance level (p < 0.05). Significance. Our system represents one of the first demonstrations of an online aBCMI that is able to accurately detect and respond to userʼs affective states. Possible applications include use in music therapy and entertainmen

Note d'archivio sul ciborio quattrocentesco della basilica di San Pietro

La pubblicazione di una nota d'archivio inedita permette di confermare l'attribuzione a Paolo Romano - già supposta, ma solamente sulla base della critica stilistica - della paternità artistica dell'ultimo ciborio dell'antica basilica vaticana. La contestualizzazione di questa informazione e di altre già edite consente di evidenziare il sostegno economico prestato dal capitolo vaticano alla realizzazione dell'opera, i modi del suo finanziamento e il ruolo di supervisione svolto da uno dei due vicari della basilica per conto di papa Paolo II, primo committente. Viene poi posto l'accento su alcuni passaggi del testamento di Paolo Romano - da lungo tempo pubblicato, ma poco conosciuto - che impongono nuove riflessioni riguardo al profilo intellettuale di Paolo e ai suoi rapporti con il clero della basilica vaticana. Di questi rapporti si seguono infine e tracce nella documentazione dell'archivio capitolare di San Pietr

A Qualitative Study of Older People&apos;s Experience of Cycling in Sydney, Australia

Introduction. Cycling can be an enjoyable way to meet physical activity recommendations and is suitable for older people; however cycling participation by older Australians is low. This qualitative study explored motivators, enablers, and barriers to cycling among older people through an age-targeted cycling promotion program. Methods. Seventeen adults who aged 50-75 years participated in a 12-week cycling promotion program which included a cycling skills course, mentor, and resource pack. Semistructured interviews at the beginning and end of the program explored motivators, enablers, and barriers to cycling. Results. Fitness and recreation were the primary motivators for cycling. The biggest barrier was fear of cars and traffic, and the cycling skills course was the most important enabler for improving participants&apos; confidence. Reported outcomes from cycling included improved quality of life (better mental health, social benefit, and empowerment) and improved physical health. Conclusions. A simple cycling program increased cycling participation among older people. This work confirms the importance of improving confidence in this age group through a skills course, mentors, and maps and highlights additional strategies for promoting cycling, such as ongoing improvement to infrastructure and advertising

Joy, Exercise, Enjoyment, Getting out: A Qualitative Study of Older People's Experience of Cycling in Sydney, Australia

Introduction. Cycling can be an enjoyable way to meet physical activity recommendations and is suitable for older people; however cycling participation by older Australians is low. This qualitative study explored motivators, enablers, and barriers to cycling among older people through an age-targeted cycling promotion program. Methods. Seventeen adults who aged 50–75 years participated in a 12-week cycling promotion program which included a cycling skills course, mentor, and resource pack. Semistructured interviews at the beginning and end of the program explored motivators, enablers, and barriers to cycling. Results. Fitness and recreation were the primary motivators for cycling. The biggest barrier was fear of cars and traffic, and the cycling skills course was the most important enabler for improving participants’ confidence. Reported outcomes from cycling included improved quality of life (better mental health, social benefit, and empowerment) and improved physical health. Conclusions. A simple cycling program increased cycling participation among older people. This work confirms the importance of improving confidence in this age group through a skills course, mentors, and maps and highlights additional strategies for promoting cycling, such as ongoing improvement to infrastructure and advertising

Applied public health research in New South Wales

Public health research is most valuable when it is academically rigorous and achieves public health consequence. Research that meets both these criteria is critical to ensure future public health challenges are met and opportunities realized. This thesis presents five studies that achieve a public health impact by applying academic thinking to real-world situations. In each study I identify gaps in public health knowledge, and use research to improve practice.In the first study I investigate risk factors for dental caries in rural or remote communities with a high proportion of Aboriginal people, particularly focusing on water fluoridation. Concession card status, childs age and tooth brushing frequency are highly significant predictors of caries, and Aboriginal status is also important. Critically, water fluoridation is less strongly associated with caries, suggesting that fluoridation is only part of the solution to improving oral health in these disadvantaged areas.The next group of three studies focus on increasing population-based physical activity. The first of this group qualitatively explores the motivators, enablers, and barriers to cycling among older people. The next analyses census data to examine temporal trends in active travel to work and associations between socio-economic status and active travel at a local level. The final study in this group is an evaluation of the pilot Liverpool Hospital Travelpass Initiative to assess the impact of offering an interest free loan to staff to purchase public transport tickets. Findings from these studies have been used to improve existing programs, advocate for cycling and public transport and add new insight to the body of knowledge on active travel.For the final study, I monitor an outbreak of Enterovirus 71 using an enhanced surveillance system, and demonstrate that routinely collected emergency department data can provide a useful indication of Enterovirus 71 activity in the community. These projects contribute to public health practice in New South Wales by using applied research to address a knowledge gap. I examine the public health impact of each project through the theme of applied research and reflect on the reasons why some projects have been more successful than others in changing practice

Experimental Simulation of Meteorite Ablation during Earth Entry Using a Plasma Wind Tunnel

International audienceThree different types of rocks were tested in a high enthalpy air plasma flow. Two terrestrial rocks, basalt and argillite, and an ordinary chondrite, with a 10 mm diameter cylindrical shape were tested in order to observe decomposition, potential fragmentation, and spectral signature. The goal was to simulate meteoroid ablation to interpret meteor observation and compare these observations with ground based measurements. The test flow with a local mass‐specific enthalpy of 70 MJ kg(‐1) results in a surface heat flux at the meteorite fragment surface of approximately 16MW m(‐2). The stagnation pressure is 24 hPa, which corresponds to a flight condition in the upper atmosphere around 80 km assuming an entry velocity of 10 km s(‐1). Five different diagnostic methods were applied simultaneously to characterize the meteorite fragmentation and destruction in the ground test: short exposure photography, regular video, high‐speed imaging with 10 kHz frame rate, thermography, and Echelle emission spectroscopy. This is the first time that comprehensive testing of various meteorite fragments under the same flow condition was conducted. The data sets indeed show typical meteorite ablation behavior. The cylindrically shaped fragments melt and evaporate within about 4 s. The spectral data allow the identification of the material from the spectra which is of particular importance for future spectroscopic meteor observations. For the tested ordinary chondrite sample a comparison to an observed meteor spectra shows good agreement. The present data show that this testing methodology reproduces the ablation phenomena of meteoritic material alongside the corresponding spectral signatures

Distribution of ataxin-7 in normal human brain and retina

International audienceSpinocerebellar ataxia 7 (SCA7) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the expansion of a CAG repeat encoding a polyglutamine tract in the protein ataxin-7. We developed antibodies directed against two different parts of the ataxin-7 protein and studied its distribution in brain and peripheral tissue from healthy subjects. Normal ataxin-7 was widely expressed in brain, retina and peripheral tissues, including striated muscle, testis and thyroid gland. In the brain, expression of ataxin-7 was not limited to areas in which neurones degenerate, and the level of expression was not related to the severity of neuronal loss. Immunoreactivity was low in some vulnerable populations of neurones, such as Purkinje cells. In neurones, ataxin-7 was found in the cell bodies and in processes. Nuclear labelling was also observed in some neurones, but was not related to the distribution of intranuclear inclusions observed in an SCA7 patient. In this patient, the proportion of neurones with nuclear labelling was higher, on average, in regions with neuronal loss. Double immunolabelling coupled with confocal microscopy showed that ataxin-7 colocalized with BiP, a marker of the endoplasmic reticulum, but not with markers of mitochondria or the trans-Golgi network