A Radionuclide Study of the Clyde Sea Area

This thesis presents the sampling and analytical procedures developed and the results obtained in a survey of the concentrations of 134Cs, 137Cs, 226Ra and 228Ra in the waters and sediments of the northern section of the Clyde Sea Area. The suitability of these nuclides as tracers of coastal marine processes is discussed and the results are applied to the estimation of water residence times and mixing rates and to the patterns of sedimentation in the area. 226Ra concentrations are determined both by preconcentration from 60 l samples and by direct analyses of 20 l samples, emanation and a counting of 222 Rn being used in both cases. 228Ra assay is performed by non-quantitative extraction of radium from more than 1000 l of sea water onto manganese dioxide impregnated acrylic fibre. The 228 Ra/ Ra activity ratio of the extracted radium is determined and the Ra concentration derived by comparison with the previously 226 determined Ra concentration. 134 Cs and 137 Cs concentrations are measured by extraction of caesium from 101 samples of sea water onto the inorganic ion exchanger potassium hexocyanocobalt (11) ferrate (11) (KCFC). Radiocaesium determination is achieved by direct gamma-ray spectrometric analysis of the ion exchange column. The dominant input of radiocaesium to the Clyde Sea Area is demonstrated to be the effluent from the Windscale nuclear fuel reprocessing facility in Cumbria. Matching of maxima in 137Cs concentrations with the Windscale output and with reported values for the North Channel indicates a water transit time of about 3 months for movement from the North Channel to the northern parts of the Clyde Sea Area. Caesium mass budget calculations indicate a mean water residence time of about 3.9 months for the area and homogeneous vertical profiles imply rapid vertical mixing. About 23% of the 137Cs discharged from Windscale is estimated to pass through the the Clyde Sea Area with 0.08% to 0.4% being retained in the sediments. Loch Goil is the only part of the region to exhibit a long residence time and radiocaesium data indicate that deep water renewal occurs by exchange with Loch Long water at a depth of about 20m. The transient development of a strong pycnocline below 20m leads to entrainment of the deep water and consequently increased residence times. Typical 226Ra concentrations are demonstrated to be in the range 100 - 160 dpm/1000 l while 226Ra/226Ra ratios are normally about 1.5. This enrichment relative to Atlantic concentrations is attributed to diffusion from sediments since river input is shown to supply only 226 about 1% of the Ra in the area. Despite the fact that diffusion of radium from sediments is the major input, the biological silicate cycle is demonstrated to exert a controlling influence on the Ra concentrations in Loch Goil. The complex behaviour of radium thus demonstrated means that evaluation of water mixing processes is virtually impassible on the basis of radium measurements alone. Both radium and radiocaesiurn are shown to exhibit conservative behaviour over the salinity range 0 to 32%. encountered in the estuary. Re226 and 134Cs/137Cs analyses of sediment cores reveal that neither radium nor radiocaesium can be used to establish a sediment chronology in this environment but that both can be used to indicate patterns of sediment accumulation with mixing depths of 4cm and more than 10cm being defined for Loch Goil and Gareloch respectively. The 134Cs/137Cs ratio is also shown to be very useful in assessing the efficiency of recovery of surface sediment. The enrichment of 137Cs in Gareloch sediment relative to ambient water concentrations is found to be about 3 times greater than that for Loch Goil. A difference in particulate flux is postulated as a possible reason for this variation. Anomalously high Ra concentrations are reported for the top 10cm of Loch Goil, with no obvious cause being apparent from the available information

Reliability of an assessment used in formal accommodation services: Implications for adults with an intellectual disability

Background: The Revised Irrabeena Core Skills Assessment (RICSA) is used in formal accommodation services and evaluates the functional skills of adults with an intellectual disability. The assessment is used to inform training for skills development. This study focused on establishing evidence for interrater reliability of the RICSA. Method: The RICSA was completed by 101 staff members on 30 adults living in group homes. Interviews were conducted with 9 staff members in order to identify potential issues that may affect the reliability of the assessment. Interrater reliability was analysed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and thematic analysis was conducted from the interview data. Results: The ICC values ranged from .63 to .73 across the 5 main domains of the RICSA. Conclusions: The agreement found may be regarded as unsatisfactory given that the use of the RICSA is to inform skills training for people with an intellectual disability

The impact of services that offer individualised funds, shared management, person-centred relationships, and self-direction on the lived experiences of consumers with mental illness

BackgroundMental health service providers across Australia, including Western Australia (WA), have begun to offer individualised funds, shared management, person-centred and self-directed (SPS) services. No research exists on the impact of SPS services on the lived experiences of these particular consumers. This study explored the impact of a SPS service offered for the first time in WA to consumers with mental illness. MethodsData on sixteen consumers' lived experiences were analysed using an abbreviated grounded theory approach. These data developed by the consumers, Guides (staff) and an independent evaluator had been collected in the past prior to the commencement of the study. ResultsThree over-arching categories, and related subcategories, emerged indicating that 1) access to individualised funds enabled practical and psychological benefits to consumers; 2) consistent contact in shared management and person-centred relationships enhanced the provision of timely and meaningful staff support to consumers; and 3) high quality shared management and person-centred relationships with staff and the opportunity to self-direct enabled consumers' change and growth. ConclusionsSPS services enhanced consumers' lived experiences and enabled staff to provide and consumers to experience timely access to recovery resources, consistent contact, and responsive and high quality support, and self-direction of services. In this, consumers changed, grew and achieved desired recovery experiences. The overall impact of the SPS service seemed to be founded on the goodness of fit between person characteristics of staff and consumers, which enabled rich support that provided for corrective emotional experiences. This enabled them to build meaningful and hopeful lives where they started to live with, and beyond, their mental illness

Attendees’ Perceptions of, Motivation for and Outcomes, Following an Adult Group Aural Rehabilitation Program

"Article Copyright 2012 The Authors." "Published edition Copyright 2012 Australian Academic Press. Published version of the paper reproduced here with permission from the publisher."The aim of this grounded theory (GT) study was to gain insight into adult participants’ perceptions of a group aural rehabilitation (AR) program. The partici-pant group for this in-depth interview-based study were 8 female and 2 male adults with acquired hearing losses who had completed an introductory group AR course conducted by South Australian organisation Hearing Solutions (now Guide Dogs of South Australia and Northern Territory Hearing Services) in the prior 12 months. Semistructured interviews were carried out and analysed using GT methodology. The core category (Empowerment through improved self-image) describes the overall main benefit the partici-pants reported from attending the course. Six descriptive categories were found that underpinned the core category: Improved understanding of communication strategies, Improved social relation-ships, Course satisfaction, Personal validation from social interaction, Decreased emotional isolation, and Improved self-confidence. An additional three descriptive categories were discovered that related to factors that motivated people to attend the course: Motivation for change, Hearing difficulties, and Negative self-perceptions of hearing loss. The current study provides a model for understanding how these factors may interrelate, and highlights the importance of motivation and group interaction in obtaining positive outcomes in A

Volunteers in corrections : reality or rhetoric ?

Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1977 .B935. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 40-07, page: . Thesis (M.S.W.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1977

Investigation of endoplasmic reticulum stress and protein aggregates in C9ORF72 mutant induced pluripotent stem cell-derived spinal motor neurons

Introduction: Protein aggregations are pathological hallmarks of motor neuron disease (MND) and have been shown to cause activation of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress sensors. ER stress-induced pathways can lead to multiple outcomes including degradation of protein aggregates or cell death. Using RNAseq data from C9ORF72 mutants as a starting point we sought to investigate the relationship between ER stress and protein aggregation in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) derived spinal motor neurons (sMNs). Methods: iPSCs were differentiated into sMNs from subjects with the C9ORF72 repeat expansion, TARDBPG298S and TARDBPM337V mutations with CRISPR/Cas9 gene-corrected controls. Previously obtained RNAseq data from C9ORF72 mutants was subject to GO analysis with candidates validated by qPCR. ER stress pathways were assessed by PCR for XBP1 splicing and Western blotting for ATF6 and PERK in untreated and tunicamycin-treated sMNs at three weeks post platedown. A survival assay following tunicamycin treatment was performed on three-week-old sMNs. TDP-43 pathology has been characterised by Western blotting and immunocytochemistry (ICC) and dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins by ICC. Results: RNAseq data from C9ORF72 mutant sMNs was enriched for genes involved in protein homeostasis. HSPB8, a protein implicated in clearing TDP-43 aggregations, was confirmed to be upregulated in C9ORF72 mutant sMNs. TDP-43 pathology, however, was not present in these cells. DPR protein aggregates are present in C9ORF72 mutants at this time but there was no evidence of ER stress activation. Treatment of C9ORF72 mutants with tunicamycin, however, activates an ER stress response determined by increased PERK and ATF6 splicing to an extent greater than that seen in controls. Treatment with tunicamycin was not associated with a survival deficit. For comparison, TARDBP mutants were investigated which display TDP- 43 pathology and ER stress evidenced by ATF6 splicing. Conclusion: There is early evidence for differences in ER stress in both C9ORF72 and TARDBP mutants. DPR proteins may disrupt cellular protein homeostasis in a manner distinct from that of TDP-43 pathology and are an early feature of disease in C9ORF72 mutants. These findings have implications for understanding the pathogenesis of MND and drug screening. Additional Chapter: In the absence of a gene-corrected control for TARDBPM337V a strategy for CRISPR/Cas9 mediated gene-correction of the M337V mutation is presented

A systematic review and meta-analysis of psychosocial interventions for 6–12-year-old children who have been forcibly displaced

Background: Children who have been forcibly displaced are likely to experience psychosocial challenges given they may be dealing with past trauma and challenges of adapting to their new environment. Effective psychosocial interventions are needed to promote psychosocial wellbeing. Literature identifies the ages of 6–12 years (middle childhood), as key to addressing psychosocial development. To date, systematic reviews identifying effective psychosocial interventions for children have focused on adolescents. Aim: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to: 1) identify psychosocial interventions conducted in middle childhood with forcibly displaced children; 2) summarize the characteristics of the included interventions; 3) identify the methodological quality of the studies; and 4) identify effectiveness of the interventions. Method: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across four databases and supplementary literature. Study design was classified according to the National Health and Medical Research Council Hierarchy of Evidence. Methodological quality was assessed using the QualSyst appraisal checklist. Intervention approaches were classified into activity codes using the ‘Who is Where When doing What’ (4Ws) tool. Intervention effects were explored through meta-analysis. Results: Nineteen studies with 2386 children met the eligibility criteria. A total of 19 intervention approaches were identified. The interventions found to be most promising were Narrative Exposure Therapy for children and adolescents (KidNET), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Child-Centred Play Therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, and creative interventions. Unstructured play or education alone did not produce a beneficial intervention effect. Conclusions: Middle childhood presents a unique opportunity to address psychosocial wellbeing with forcibly displaced children. While psychological-based activities in this review demonstrated effectiveness for symptom reduction, future intervention options should expand to include strengths- and resilience-based. Further research evaluating the effectiveness of psychosocial intervention for forcibly displaced children is required using randomised control designs, greater sample sizes, and longitudinal data

Health promotion challenges for young adults living with intellectual disability and type 1 diabetes

Background: Self-management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) can be challenging for people with intellectual disability. Often, parents provide health support due to lack of appropriate services outside the home. The study aim was to identify barriers and facilitators to T1DM self-management for young adults with intellectual disability and the implications for health promotion. Methods: Five male participants with intellectual disability, aged 17–26 years, and seven parents were interviewed between October 2017 and February 2019. Interview data were descriptively analysed. Findings: Two categories for barriers and facilitators were identified: 1) Diabetes self-management is complex (carbohydrate counting, blood glucose level monitoring, insulin therapy); 2) support for diabetes care (reliance on parents and carers, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, mainstream diabetes service support). Conclusions: Parents are critical for the support of people with intellectual disability and T1DM in the absence of disability staff with appropriate health skills

Desacetyl-α-melanocyte stimulating hormone and α-melanocyte stimulating hormone are required to regulate energy balance.

OBJECTIVE: Regulation of energy balance depends on pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC)-derived peptides and melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R). Alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (α-MSH) is the predicted natural POMC-derived peptide that regulates energy balance. Desacetyl-α-MSH, the precursor for α-MSH, is present in brain and blood. Desacetyl-α-MSH is considered to be unimportant for regulating energy balance despite being more potent (compared with α-MSH) at activating the appetite-regulating MC4R in vitro. Thus, the physiological role for desacetyl-α-MSH is still unclear. METHODS: We created a novel mouse model to determine whether desacetyl-α-MSH plays a role in regulating energy balance. We engineered a knock in targeted QKQR mutation in the POMC protein cleavage site that blocks the production of both desacetyl-α-MSH and α-MSH from adrenocorticotropin (ACTH1-39). RESULTS: The mutant ACTH1-39 (ACTHQKQR) functions similar to native ACTH1-39 (ACTHKKRR) at the melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R) in vivo and MC4R in vitro. Male and female homozygous mutant ACTH1-39 (Pomctm1/tm1) mice develop the characteristic melanocortin obesity phenotype. Replacement of either desacetyl-α-MSH or α-MSH over 14 days into Pomctm1/tm1 mouse brain significantly reverses excess body weight and fat mass gained compared to wild type (WT) (Pomcwt/wt) mice. Here, we identify both desacetyl-α-MSH and α-MSH peptides as regulators of energy balance and highlight a previously unappreciated physiological role for desacetyl-α-MSH. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these data we propose that there is potential to exploit the naturally occurring POMC-derived peptides to treat obesity but this relies on first understanding the specific function(s) for desacetyl-α-MSH and α-MSH

Bootstrapping artificial evolution to design robots for autonomous fabrication

A long-term vision of evolutionary robotics is a technology enabling the evolution of entire autonomous robotic ecosystems that live and work for long periods in challenging and dynamic environments without the need for direct human oversight. Evolutionary Robotics has been widely used due to its capability of creating unique robot designs in simulation. Recent work has shown that it is possible to autonomously construct evolved designs in the physical domain, however this brings new challenges: the autonomous manufacture and assembly process introduces new constraints that are not apparent in simulation. To tackle this, we introduce a new method for producing a repertoire of diverse but manufacturable robots. This repertoire is used to seed an evolutionary loop that subsequently evolves robot designs and controllers capable of solving a maze-navigation task. We show that compared to random initialisation, seeding with a diverse and manufacturable population speeds up convergence and on some tasks, increases performance, while maintaining manufacturability