Measuring oral fatty acid thresholds, fat perception, fatty food liking, and papillae density in humans

Oral chemoreception of fatty acids and the association with diet and fatty food preferences may enable the identification of mechanisms involved with the development of obesity and why dietary changes may be difficult for many individuals

Design of a valid simulation for researching physical, physiological and cognitive performance in volunteer firefighters during bushfire deployment.

Every year, Australian firefighters protect our nation from the devastation of bushfire. Understanding the impact of consecutive long shifts in hot, smoky conditions is essential for making decisions during campaign fires. At present, the evidence-base for such decisions is limited to laboratory studies with little relevance to bushfire suppression or field research where the impact of environmental and workload stressors cannot be measured. To counter these limitations, we have developed a three-day simulation that mimics the work and environment of campaign bushfire suppression. Construction of the simulation involved three stages; 1) data collection and analysis; 2) design and development; and 3) trial and refinement. The frequency, intensity, duration and type of physical work performed on the fireground is well documented and a modified applied cognitive task analysis, using experienced firefighters was used as a framework to describe in detail the non-physical aspects of the work. The design and development of the simulation incorporated the physical and non-physical aspects of the work into simulated tasks. Finally, experienced firefighters participated in trials of the simulation and reviewed digital recordings to ensure that the simulation accurately represented campaign bushfire suppression work. The outcome of this project is a valid, realistic, and reliable simulation of the physiological, physical and cognitive aspects of a volunteer firefighter on a three-day bushfire deployment.<br /

How the chance of missing the alarm during an on-call shift affects pre-bed anxiety, sleep and next day cognitive performance

© 2018 Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (September 2018) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policy.This study investigated how the likelihood of missing an alarm affects pre-bed anxiety, sleep and next day cognitive performance during on-call shifts. Participants (n=24) completed one adaptation night, one control night and two on-call nights in a time-isolated sleep laboratory. On one of the on-call nights, participants were informed that they would be woken by a loud alarm that they would definitely not be able to sleep through (low likelihood of missing the alarm). On the other on-call night, participants were informed that they would be woken by a quiet alarm that they may sleep through (high likelihood of missing the alarm). The two on-call nights were counterbalanced. Pre-bed anxiety was measured using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory x-1, while sleep macro- and micro-architecture was examined via routine polysomnography and power spectral analyses respectively. Following each sleep, cognitive performance was assessed four times (0930, 1200, 1430, 1700) using the 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT). Results indicated that while pre-bed anxiety was similarly increased during both high and low likelihood of missing the on-call alarm conditions compared with control, only in the high likelihood condition was total sleep time shorter and sleep efficiency lower compared with the control condition. However, more wake after sleep onset was found in the low likelihood condition compared with control. PVT data indicate that response times (mean reciprocal and mean fastest 10% of reaction time) were fastest in the low likelihood condition, indicating better performance when compared with both other conditions. However, there were significantly more lapses in the low likelihood condition compared with control. No significant EEG power spectral differences were observed. As such, it appears that there are detrimental effects of both on-call conditions on anxiety, sleep and performance, with sleep poorest when the likelihood of missing the alarm is high. The adverse impacts on sleep and performance outcomes while on-call may be mitigated by the implementation of workplace systems to reduce the likelihood of missing alarms (e.g., having two available options for contacting on-call workers).This study was funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery grant (DP 150104497). Funding for Madeline Sprajcer’s PhD scholarship was provided by this grant. Dr Grace Vincent is supported by an Early Career Fellowship at Central Queensland University

"Awake, smoky, and hot": providing an evidence-base for managing the risks associated with occupational stressors encountered by wildland firefighters

To curtail the spread of wildfire, firefighters are often required to work long hours in hot, smoky conditions with little rest between consecutive shifts. In isolation, heat, smoke, and sleep disruption can have a detrimental impact on cognitive and physical abilities. Far less is known, however, about the combined impact that heat, smoke, and sleep disruption can have on firefighters’ performance during wildfire suppression or on human performance in general. The available literature, though scant, suggests that audio and visual tracking may be degraded after sustained heat exposure following one night of sleep deprivation. Exposure to heat and carbon monoxide, in contrast, appears to have only limited impact on cognitive performance, even after physical exercise. Heat and carbon monoxide exposure does, however, increase physiological exertion to a given work or exercise bout. To the authors’ knowledge, there are no published studies that have explored the impacts of heat exposure following sleep disruption on physical work performance, sleep disruption and smoke exposure on physical or cognitive work, or the combined impacts of sleep disruption, smoke and heat exposure on cognitive or physical work. While more integrative research is needed, the current review provides a summary of the available evidence and an indication of the degree of confidence agencies can have in the research. This will allow both the scientific community and agencies to make informed recommendations regarding the management of wildland firefighters’ health and safety on the fireground

Effects on polysomnographic and qEEG sleep outcomes of multiple nights on-call in a laboratory environment

Objectives: Disturbed and/or shortened sleep is reported by individuals engaged in on-call working arrangements, as a result of either overnight calls or stress. Given the known adverse impact of sleep disruption on cognitive performance, and the safety- and time-critical nature of on-call work, changes to sleep in on-call workers may have significant impacts. As such, this laboratory study aimed to investigate the impact of being on-call on sleep over consecutive nights. It was expected that additional nights on-call would result in more disturbed sleep

The effects of anticipating a high-stress task on sleep and performance during simulated on-call work

Ferguson, SA ORCiD: 0000-0002-9682-7971; Jay, SM ORCiD: 0000-0002-1447-7008; Sprajcer, MA ORCiD: 0000-0002-4966-871X; Vincent, GE ORCiD: 0000-0002-7036-7823On-call work is used to manage around the clock working requirements in a variety of industries. Often, tasks that must be performed while on-call are highly important, difficult and/or stressful by nature and, as such, may impact the level of anxiety that is experienced by on-call workers. Heightened anxiety is associated with poor sleep, which affects next-day cognitive performance. Twenty-four male participants (20-35 years old) spent an adaptation, a control and two counterbalanced on-call nights in a time-isolated sleep laboratory. On one of the on-call nights they were told that they would be required to do a speech upon waking (high-stress condition), whereas on the other night they were instructed that they would be required to read to themselves (low-stress condition). Pre-bed anxiety was measured by the State Trait Anxiety Inventory form x-1, and polysomnography and quantitative electroencephalogram analyses were used to investigate sleep. Performance was assessed across each day using the 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (09:30 hours, 12:00 hours, 14:30 hours, 17:00 hours). The results indicated that participants experienced no significant changes in pre-bed anxiety or sleep between conditions. However, performance on the psychomotor vigilance task was best in the high-stress condition, possibly as a result of heightened physiological arousal caused by performing the stressful task that morning. This suggests that performing a high-stress task may be protective of cognitive performance to some degree when sleep is not disrupted.Associated Grant Code:DP 15010449

Are Individuals with Low Trait Anxiety Better Suited to On-Call Work?

Research has indicated that individuals with certain traits may be better suited to shiftwork and non-standard working arrangements. However, no research has investigated how individual differences impact on-call outcomes. As such, this study investigated the impact of trait anxiety on sleep and performance outcomes on-call. Seventy male participants (20&ndash;35 years) completed an adaptation night, a control night, and two on-call nights in a laboratory. Trait anxiety was determined using the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) X-2, and participants completed the STAI X-1 prior to bed each night to assess state anxiety. Sleep was measured using polysomnography and quantitative electroencephalographic analysis. Performance was assessed using a 10-min psychomotor vigilance task (PVT) performed each day at 0930, 1200, 1430 and 1700 h. Data pooled from three separate but inter-related studies was used for these analyses. Results indicated that the effects of trait anxiety on state anxiety, sleep and performance outcomes on-call were generally limited. These findings suggest that on-call outcomes are not negatively affected by higher levels of trait anxiety

Sleeping together: understanding the association between relationship type, sexual activity, and sleep

Objective: Insufficient sleep, and particularly difficulties initiating sleep, are prevalent in the community. Treatment for poor sleep typically consists of pharmacological intervention, or cognitive behavioural therapies - which can be both costly and time-consuming. Evidence suggests that sexual activities may positively impact sleep. However, little is known about relationship types, sexual activities, and perceived sleep outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the association between relationship type (e.g., having a regular, occasional, or casual partner), sexual activity and satisfaction, and perceived sleep outcomes, to identify potential strategies to improve sleep. Methods: Seven-hundred and seventy-eight participants aged 18 years and over (442 females, 336 males; mean age 34.5 ± 11.4 years) responded to a cross-sectional online anonymous survey at their convenience. Participants were asked about their sleep, sexual activity and satisfaction, and relationship type. Results: Results from multiple regression analyses with age and gender covariates revealed that shorter sleep latencies were associated with regular relationships (p = 0.030), greater emotional satisfaction with sexual activity (p = 0.029), and increased frequency of orgasm (p < 0.001). Men reported a greater frequency of orgasm than women (p < 0.001). Discussion: Findings indicate that relationship type may be associated with improved sleep outcomes, including sleep latency. Relationship type should therefore be taken into consideration by clinicians when developing treatment plans for individuals with poor sleep

Uncertain call likelihood negatively affects sleep and next day cognitive performance while on-call in a laboratory environment

On-call working arrangements are employed in a number of industries to manage unpredictable events, and often involve tasks that are safety- or time-critical. This study investigated the effects of call likelihood during an overnight on-call shift on self-reported pre-bed anxiety, sleep and next-day cognitive performance. A four-night laboratory-based protocol was employed, with an adaptation, a control and two counterbalanced on-call nights. On one on-call night, participants were instructed that they would definitely be called during the night, while on the other on-call night they were told they may be called. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form x-1 was used to investigate pre-bed anxiety, and sleep was assessed using polysomnography and power spectral analysis of the sleep electroencephalographic analysis. Cognitive performance was assessed four times daily using a 10-min psychomotor vigilance task. Participants felt more anxious before bed when they were definitely going to be called, compared with the control and maybe conditions. Conversely, participants experienced significantly less non-rapid eye movement and stage two sleep and poorer cognitive performance when told they may be called. Further, participants had significantly more rapid eye movement sleep in the maybe condition, which may be an adaptive response to the stress associated with this on-call condition. It appears that self-reported anxiety may not be linked with sleep outcomes while on-call. However, this research indicates that it is important to take call likelihood into consideration when constructing rosters and risk management systems for on-call workers