Speaker emotion can affect ambiguity production

Does speaker emotion affect degree of ambiguity in referring expressions? We used referential communication tasks preceded by mood induction to examine whether positive emotional valence may be linked to ambiguity of referring expressions. In Experiment 1, participants had to identify sequences of objects with homophonic labels (e.g., the animal bat, a baseball bat) for hypothetical addressees. This required modification of the homophones. Happy speakers were less likely to modify the second homophone to repair a temporary ambiguity (i.e., they were less likely to say … first cover the bat, then cover the baseball bat …). In Experiment 2, participants had to identify one of two identical objects in an object array, which required a modifying relative clause (the shark that's underneath the shoe). Happy speakers omitted the modifying relative clause twice as often as neutral speakers (e.g., by saying Put the shark underneath the sheep), thereby rendering the entire utterance ambiguous in the context of two sharks. The findings suggest that one consequence of positive mood appears to be more ambiguity in speech. This effect is hypothesised to be due to a less effortful processing style favouring an egocentric bias impacting perspective taking or monitoring of alignment of utterances with an addressee's perspective

Improving Efficiency: An Evaluation Of Sydney Buses

This paper evaluates Sydney Buses route 333 “Bondi Bendy” prepay only service, launched in October 2006. This new bus service, operating between Bondi Beach and Sydney’s CBD, was introduced to provide greater capacity along one of Sydney’s busiest corridors. The first few months of operation have proved to be a success, attracting increased patronage and positive responses from customers. The performance of the service has been assessed using the triple bottom line framework: people, profit and planet. Benefits to customers include faster boarding times, travel times and savings on fares, while bus operators experience safety improvements. The service, using new articulated buses, has significantly increased patronage on the corridor, which maximises business efficiency. The impact on the environment is minimised by the increased capacity articulated buses, providing opportunities for reduced congestion and pollution. Current key challenges involve refining the stopping pattern, improving communication and increasing off peak patronage. Addressing these issues requires further analysis of the existing route and the continued implementation and revision of the communications plan. The initial success of the 333 has created opportunities for additional prepay only bus services in Sydney and encourages future innovation in the public transport industry.Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Improving Efficiency: An Evaluation Of Sydney Buses

This paper evaluates Sydney Buses route 333 “Bondi Bendy” prepay only service, launched in October 2006. This new bus service, operating between Bondi Beach and Sydney’s CBD, was introduced to provide greater capacity along one of Sydney’s busiest corridors. The first few months of operation have proved to be a success, attracting increased patronage and positive responses from customers. The performance of the service has been assessed using the triple bottom line framework: people, profit and planet. Benefits to customers include faster boarding times, travel times and savings on fares, while bus operators experience safety improvements. The service, using new articulated buses, has significantly increased patronage on the corridor, which maximises business efficiency. The impact on the environment is minimised by the increased capacity articulated buses, providing opportunities for reduced congestion and pollution. Current key challenges involve refining the stopping pattern, improving communication and increasing off peak patronage. Addressing these issues requires further analysis of the existing route and the continued implementation and revision of the communications plan. The initial success of the 333 has created opportunities for additional prepay only bus services in Sydney and encourages future innovation in the public transport industry.Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies. Faculty of Economics and Business. The University of Sydne

Measures of fidelity of delivery and engagement in self-management interventions: A systematic review of measures

BACKGROUND: Self-management interventions are increasingly being developed and researched to improve long-term condition outcomes. To understand and interpret findings, it is essential that fidelity of intervention delivery and participant engagement are measured and reported. Before developing fidelity checklists to assess treatment fidelity of interventions, current recommendations suggest that a synthesis of fidelity measures reported in the literature is completed. Therefore, here we aim to identify what the current measures of fidelity of intervention delivery and engagement for self-management interventions for long-term conditions are and whether there is treatment fidelity. METHODS: Four databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL Plus and ScienceDirect) and the journal implementation science were systematically searched to identify published reports from inception to December 2020 for experimental studies measuring fidelity of intervention delivery and/or participant engagement in self-management interventions for long-term conditions. Data on fidelity of delivery and engagement measures and the findings were extracted and synthesised. RESULTS: Thirty-nine articles were identified as eligible, with 25 studies measuring fidelity of delivery, 19 reporting engagement and 5 measuring both. For fidelity of delivery, measures included structured checklists, participant completed measures and researcher observations/notes. These were completed by researchers, participants and intervention leaders. Often there was little information around the development of these measures, particularly when the measure had been developed by the researchers, rather than building on others work. Eighteen of 25 studies reported there was fidelity of intervention delivery. For engagement, measures included data analytics, participant completed measures and researcher observations. Ten out of 19 studies reported participants were engaged with the intervention. CONCLUSION: In complex self-management interventions, it is essential to assess whether treatment fidelity of each core component of interventions is delivered, as outlined in the protocol, to understand which components are having an effect. Treatment fidelity checklists comparing what was planned to be delivered, with what was delivered should be developed with pre-defined cut-offs for when fidelity has been achieved. Similarly, when measuring engagement, while data analytics continue to rise with the increase in digital interventions, clear cut-offs for participant use and content engaged with to be considered an engagement participant need to be pre-determined

Reporting dose in complex self-management support interventions for long-term conditions: is it defined by researchers and received by participants? A systematic review

BACKGROUND: The minimum clinically effective dose, and whether this is received in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of complex self-management interventions in long-term conditions (LTCs), can be unclear. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist states that dose should be clearly reported to ensure validity and reliable implementation. OBJECTIVES: To identify whether the expected minimum clinically effective dose, and the dose participants received is reported within research articles and if reporting has improved since the TIDieR checklist was published. METHODS: Four databases were systematically searched (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, AMED and CINAHL) to identify published reports between 2008 and 2022 for RCTs investigating complex self-management interventions in LTCs. Data on reporting of dose were extracted and synthesised from the eligible articles. RESULTS: 94 articles covering various LTCs including diabetes, stroke and arthritis were included. Most complex interventions involved behaviour change combined with education and/or exercise. The maximum dose was usually reported (n=90; 97.8%), but the expected minimum clinically effective dose and the dose received were reported in only 28 (30.4%) and 62 (67.4%) articles, respectively. Reporting of the expected minimum clinically effective dose and the dose participants received did not improve following the publication of the TIDieR checklist in 2014. CONCLUSIONS: Interpreting results and implementing effective complex self-management interventions is difficult when researchers' reporting of dose is not in line with guidelines. If trial findings indicate benefit from the intervention, clear reporting of dose ensures reliable implementation to standard care. If the results are non-significant, detailed reporting enables better interpretation of results, that is, differentiating between poor implementation and lack of effectiveness. This ensures quality of interventions and validity and generalisability of trial findings. Therefore, wider adoption of reporting the TIDieR checklist dose aspects is strongly recommended. Alternatively, customised guidelines for reporting dose in complex self-management interventions could be developed. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42020180988

Commitment, conscience or compromise : the changing financial basis and evolving role of Christian health services in developing countries

This research investigates the changes in the operations of CHSs (Christian health services) in developing countries, particularly their funding bases, relationships with their respective governments, and the extent to which these have resulted in changes to the socioeconomic characteristics of their users. Three main areas of study are woven together: the history of medical mission, health service management and its response to the pressures of the last half-century, and the role of non-state providers in a comprehensive health care system. Evidence was assembled from interviews with officials of twelve UK based mission organisations, a survey of CHSs in thirteen countries, and case studies of CHS provision in Malawi and India based mainly on extensive interviews with selected stakeholders. The research confirmed that funds received by CHSs from mission organisations have declined and are now more often in the form of project funding. CHSs have, for the most part, continued to provide services for the poor in a variety of ways: first, by providing low cost services; second, by developing hi-tech tertiary services, the profits from which subsidise services for the poor; and third, by working more collaboratively with governments, for which they receive varying degrees of financial and other support.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Real-time measurement of phloem turgor pressure in Hevea brasiliensis with a modified cell pressure probe

Background: Although the pressure flow theory is widely accepted for the transport of photoassimilates in phloem sieve elements, it still requires strong experimental validation. One reason for that is the lack of a precise method for measuring the real-time phloem turgor pressure from the sink tissues, especially in tree trunks. Results: Taking the merits of Hevea brasiliensis, a novel phloem turgor pressure probe based on the state of the art cell pressure probe was developed. Our field measurements showed that the phloem turgor pressure probe can sensitively measure the real-time variation of phloem turgor pressure in H. brasiliensis but the calculation of phloem turgor pressure with xylem tension, xylem sap osmotic potential and phloem sap osmotic potential will under-estimate it. The measured phloem turgor pressure gradient in H. brasiliensis is contrary to the M&uuml;nch theory. The phloem turgor pressure of H. brasiliensis varied from 8-12 bar as a consequence of water withdrawal from transpiration. Tapping could result in a sharp decrease of phloem turgor pressure followed by a recovery from 8-45 min after the tapping. The recovery of phloem turgor pressure after tapping and its change with xylem sap flow suggest the importance of phloem water relationship in the phloem turgor pressure regulation. Conclusion: The phloem turgor pressure probe is a reliable technique for measuring the real-time variation of phloem turgor pressures in H. brasiliensis. The technique could probably be extended to the accurate measurement of phloem turgor pressure in other woody plants which is essential to test the M&uuml;nch theory and to investigate the phloem water relationship and turgor pressure regulation. <br /

Defining plant resistance against Phytophthora Cinnamomi and application of resistance to revegetation

Phytophthora cinnamomi is a soil borne plant pathogen that causes devastating disease in many Australian ecosystems and threatens the survival of native flora. Compared with the number of plant species that are susceptible to P. cinnamomi, only a few species are known to be resistant and control of this pathogen by chemicals is difficult and undesirable in natural systems. The major aim of our research is therefore to characterise natural resistance and determine which signalling pathways and defence responses are involved. Our examination of resistance is being approached at several levels, one of which is through the use of the model plant, Arabidopsis. Previously, Arabidopsis had been shown to display ecotypic variation in responses to P. cinnamomi and we are exploring this further in conjunction with the analysis of a bank of Arabidopsis defence pathway mutants for their responses to the pathogen. These experiments will provide a fundamental basis for further analysis of the defence responses of native plants. Native species (susceptible and resistant) are being assessed for their responses to P. cinnamomi at morphological, biochemical and molecular levels. This research also involves field-based studies of plants under challenge at various sites throughout Victoria, Australia. The focus of this field-based research is to assess the responses of individual species to P. cinnamomi in the natural environment with the goal of identifying individuals within susceptible species that display \u27resistance\u27. Understanding how plants are able to resist this pathogen will enable strategies to be developed to enhance species survival and to restore structure and biodiversity to the ecosystems under threat.<br /

Regulation of HbPIP2;3, a latex-abundant water transporter, is associated with latex dilution and yield in the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis Muell. Arg.)

Rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) latex, the source of natural rubber, is synthesised in the cytoplasm of laticifers. Efficient water inflow into laticifers is crucial for latex flow and production since it is the determinant of the total solid content of latex and its fluidity after tapping. As the mature laticifer vessel rings are devoid of plasmodesmata, water exchange between laticifers and surrounding cells is believed to be governed by plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs). To identify the most important PIP aquaporin in the water balance of laticifers, the transcriptional profiles of ten-latex-expressed PIPs were analysed. One of the most abundant transcripts, designated HbPIP2;3, was characterised in this study. When tested in Xenopus laevis oocytes HbPIP2;3 showed a high efficiency in increasing plasmalemma water conductance. Expression analysis indicated that the HbPIP2;3 gene was preferentially expressed in latex, and the transcripts were up-regulated by both wounding and exogenously applied Ethrel (a commonly-used ethylene releaser). Although regular tapping up-regulated the expression of HbPIP2;3 during the first few tappings of the virginal rubber trees, the transcriptional kinetics of HbPIP2;3 to Ethrel stimulation in the regularly tapped tree exhibited a similar pattern to that of the previously reported HbPIP2;1 in the virginal rubber trees. Furthermore, the mRNA level of HbPIP2;3 was associated with clonal yield potential and the Ethrel stimulation response. Together, these results have revealed the central regulatory role of HbPIP2;3 in laticifer water balance and ethylene stimulation of latex production in Hevea

Plant-pathogen interactions: toward development of next-generation disease-resistant plants

Briskly evolving phytopathogens are dire threats to our food supplies and threaten global food security. From the recent advances made toward high-throughput sequencing technologies, understanding of pathogenesis and effector biology, and plant innate immunity, translation of these means into new control tools is being introduced to develop durable disease resistance. Effectoromics as a powerful genetic tool for uncovering effector-target genes, both susceptibility genes and executor resistance genes in effector-assisted breeding, open up new avenues to improve resistance. TALENs (Transcription Activator-Like Effector Nucleases), engineered nucleases and CRISPR (Clustered Regulatory Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats)/Cas9 systems are breakthrough and powerful techniques for genome editing, providing efficient mechanisms for targeted crop protection strategies in disease resistance programs. In this review, major advances in plant disease management to confer durable disease resistance and novel strategies for boosting plant innate immunity are highlighted