28 years of vegetation change (1978 – 2006) in a calcareous coastal dune system

Changes in vegetation structure and composition over a 28 year period (1978–2006) following removal of human-induced disturbances, were examined in a calcareous coastal dune system in Point Nepean National Park (380 19’S, 1440 41’E) in south-eastern Victoria, Australia. In the early 1980s human habitation of Point Nepean was abandoned and disturbance regimes such as burning, slashing and land clearing were altered or removed, providing an opportunity to study the recovery of disturbed coastal vegetation. Broad-scale and community-level vegetation changes were assessed by comparing quadrat and GIS mapping data from 1978 with data collected in 2006. Results indicate a change in broad vegetation patterns; shrubland vegetation has replaced hind dune grasslands and disturbed areas and there has been a decrease in exposed coastal areas (such as blowouts, dunes and cliffs), and an increase in woody native species and highly invasive woody weeds. The changes highlight the importance of incorporating vegetation states in planning management actions in dynamic coastal vegetation

Techniques and issues in breath and clinical sample headspace analysis for disease diagnosis

Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from breath or clinical samples for disease diagnosis is an attractive proposition because it is noninvasive and rapid. There are numerous studies showing its potential, yet there are barriers to its development. Sampling and sample handling is difficult, and when coupled with a variety of analytical instrumentation, the same samples can give different results. Background air and the environment a person has been exposed to can greatly affect the VOCs emitted by the body; however, this is not an easy problem to solve. This review investigates the use of VOCs in disease diagnosis, the analytical techniques employed and the problems associated with sample handling and standardization. It then suggests the barriers to future development

A Comparison of Physical Activity and Dietary Behaviours of British Pakistani and White British Girls Aged 9 to 11 Years Living on Teesside

Introduction South Asian minority groups in the UK are at greater risk of heart disease and diabetes than the general White population. Physical activity and diet may play an important role in the onset of these diseases. Previous studies suggest levels of physical activity may be particularly low in British Pakistani girls. This mixed-method study aimed to test hypotheses that British Pakistani girls would be less active and more sedentary and would consume a greater proportion of energy from fat than White British girls. It also explored activity and dietary behaviours in the two groups. Methods Eighty-two British Pakistani and 82 White British girls, aged 9 to 11 years, were recruited from seven primary schools on Teesside, North-east England. Accelerometry was used to collect objective measurements of physical activity and sedentary time for four days. Three previous day physical activity recalls were used to determine participation in sport and exercise, outdoor play, screen-time and active modes of school transport. Food records and three previous day multiple-pass diet recalls were used to determine intake of energy and macro-nutrients and to characterise dietary habits. Parental interviews explored familial influences on children’s physical activity and dietary behaviour. Results British Pakistani girls accumulated: 148 (95% CI: 95, 201) fewer counts per minute per day; 19 (95% CI: 11, 26) fewer minutes in moderate-to vigorous physical activity and 5% (95% CI: 3, 7) more sedentary time, compared with White British girls. According to activity recalls British Pakistani girls accumulated: 14 (95% CI: 0.4, 28) fewer minutes per day in sport and exercise; 24 (95% CI: 13, 37) fewer minutes in outdoor play and 4 (95% CI: 0.1, 8.3) fewer minutes in active modes of school transport. There was no significant difference in screen time. British Pakistani girls gained an additional 1.7 (95% CI: 0.4, 3.3) per cent of their overall energy intake from fat, compared with White British girls. According to dietary recalls a greater proportion of British Pakistani girls consumed fast-food as an evening meal (p=0.034) and were more likely to consume food that had been deep fried (p=0.04) or shallow fried (p<0.001) during cooking. Conclusion The lower levels of physical activity and higher amounts of sedentary time, coupled with the higher intake of total fat found in British Pakistani compared with White British girls, may be associated with the increased cardiometabolic risk found in these populations, both in childhood and later in life

Comparative Effectiveness of Step-up Therapies in Children with Asthma Prescribed Inhaled Corticosteroids : A Historical Cohort Study

This work was supported by the Respiratory Effectiveness Group. Acknowledgments We thank the Respiratory Effectiveness Group for funding this work, Annie Burden for assistance with statistics, and Simon Van Rysewyk and Lisa Law for assistance with medical writing.Peer reviewedPostprin

Relationship Between Incentive Program Costs, Incentive Payments, and Profitability

The lack of profitability among primary care businesses can have harmful impacts on business operations. Primary care businesses owners must remain profitable to remain in business and provide quality health care to patients. Grounded in Freeman’s stakeholder theory, the purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between incentive program costs, incentive payments, and profitability. Data were collected from 73 primary care physician business owners in the Inland Empire region of southern California. The multiple linear regression analysis results indicated the model was able to significantly predict profitability, F(2,70) = 1343.6, p \u3c.001, R2 = .975. Incentive payments (t = 51.837, p \u3c .001, = .928) was the only statistically significant predictor. Key recommendations include educating primary care physicians on the potential financial benefits of full participation in the commercial line of business pay-for-performance incentive programs and creating a campaign to bring in patients for wellness visits. The implications for positive social change include the potential for an additional revenue stream for primary care physician business owners, which could support more clinics, increasing patient access. Patients having better access to healthcare could positively affect the health and wellness of individuals in local communities

The use of SIFT-MS in profiling the faecal volatile metabolome in horses with colic: a pilot study

SIFT-MS is used for the first time in profiling the volatile organic profile in faecal headspace in two groups of horses admitted to an equine hospital, one group with acute intestinal disease (colic) affecting the large colon, plus a control group of similarly managed horses admitted for non-gastrointestinal/metabolic reasons (e.g. acute orthopaedic injury). Compounds in faecal headspace which show statistically significant concentration differences between the groups are acetone and methanol. In addition, some ions at various m/z values show significantly different ion counts between the groups. Further information may be gleaned by using multivariate statistics in evaluating the differences between the two horse groups. Principal components analysis (PCA) and orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) were evaluated for reducing the dimensionality of the SIFT-MS data, and OPLS-DA was found to be best at discriminating between the groups, particularly with SIFT-MS data acquired using the H3O+ precursor ion. Analysis of these data also show the significance of ammonia as a discriminating ion. These results show that SIFT-MS may potentially be used on the headspace of horse faecal samples for detecting altered microbial fermentation associated with acute intestinal disease of the colon

Do young children recognize the sound system of their native language? [abstract]

Abstract only availableChildren must learn the phonological rules of their language (what sounds are allowable). For example, a word cannot begin with [zw] in English, but it can in German (e.g., zwiebel). English-speaking adults all know that zwiebel would not be a permissible word in English, but it is unclear when young language-users become aware of these rules. This study taught monolingual English-learning children words that did or did not adhere to the rules of English phonology to assess when children become sensitive to their native phonology. Twenty-eight children came to the laboratory every two months from twelve to thirty months of age. They were taught six novel words for objects and six novel words for actions. Half of each type of word conformed to English phonological rules and half violated them. The experimenter taught the object names by showing children each object and labeling it six times (e.g., See my wug!). The experimenter then demonstrated an action using the object and labeled the action six times (e.g., I can svit it!). Following presentation of the novel words, children were shown each object and action and asked for their labels. These sessions were videotaped, and the experimenter phonetically transcribed how children produced each word. Two analyses will be presented. First, I will compare the age at which children learn words that conform to native phonology with words that violate native phonology to see if children learn words that conform to their native phonology more quickly. Second, I will examine the accuracy of word production to determine whether children make more errors on words that contain non-native phonology and if the errors cause those words to conform to English rules. The results of this study will contribute to our understanding of when children learn the phonology of their native language.School of Health Professions Undergraduate Research Mentorship Progra