Relationship between Barthel index with physical tests in adults with intellectual disabilities

We usually find low levels of fitness condition affect other aspects of living for people with ID like dependency in carrying out activivities of daily living. Therefore we find high levels of dependency in activities of daily living due to poor fitness condition. The aim of the study is to explore the criterion validity of the Barthel index with a physical fitness test. An observational cross-sectional study was conducted. Data from the Barthel index and a physical fitness test were measured in 122 adults with intellectual disability. The data were analysed to find out the relationship between four categories of the physical fitness test and the Barthel index. It needs to be stressed that the correlations between the Barthel index and leg, abdominal and arm strength can confirm that these physical test are predictive of the Barthel index. The correlations between the balance variables as functional reach and single-leg stance with eyes open shown relationships with Barthel Index. We found important correlations between the physical fitness test and the Barthel index, so we can affirm that some physical fitness features are predictor variables of the Barthel index.

Relationship of a variant in the NTRK1 gene to white matter microstructure in young adults

The NTRK1 gene (also known as TRKA) encodes a high-affinity receptor for NGF, a neurotrophin involved in nervous system development and myelination. NTRK1 has been implicated in neurological function via links between the T allele at rs6336 (NTRK1-T) and schizophrenia risk. A variant in the neurotrophin gene, BDNF, was previously associated with white matter integrity in young adults, highlighting the importantce of neurotrophins to white matter development. We hypothesized that NTRK1-T would relate to lower fractional anisotropy in healthy adults. We scanned 391 healthy adult human twins and their siblings (mean age: 23.6 ± 2.2 years; 31 NTRK1-T carriers, 360 non-carriers) using 105-gradient diffusion tensor imaging at 4 tesla. We evaluated in brain white matter how NTRK1-T and NTRK1 rs4661063 allele A (rs4661063-A, which is in moderate linkage disequilibrium with rs6336) related to voxelwise fractional anisotropy-acommondiffusion tensor imaging measure of white matter microstructure. We used mixed-model regression to control for family relatedness, age, and sex. The sample was split in half to test reproducibility of results. The false discovery rate method corrected for voxelwise multiple comparisons. NTRK1-T and rs4661063-A correlated with lower white matter fractional anisotropy, independent of age and sex (multiple-comparisons corrected: false discovery rate critical p=0.038 forNTRK1-Tand0.013 for rs4661063-A). In each half-sample, theNTRK1-T effectwasreplicated in the cingulum, corpus callosum, superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, superior corona radiata, and uncinate fasciculus. Our results suggest that NTRK1-T is important for developing white matter microstructure.

A functional MRI study of the relationship between naming treatment outcomes and resting state functional connectivity in post-stroke aphasia

Background: The majority of studies investigating the neural mechanisms underlying treatment in people with aphasia have examined task-based brain activity. However, the use of resting-state fMRI may provide another method of examining the brain mechanisms responsible for treatment-induced recovery, and allows for investigation into connectivity within complex functional networks Methods: Eight people with aphasia underwent 12 treatment sessions that aimed to improve object naming. Half the sessions employed a phonologically-based task, and half the sessions employed a semantic-based task, with resting-state fMRI conducted pre- and post-treatment. Brain regions in which the amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (ALFF) correlated with treatment outcomes were used as seeds for functional connectivity (FC) analysis. FC maps were compared from pre- to post-treatment, as well as with a group of 12 healthy older controls Results: Pre-treatment ALFF in the right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) correlated with greater outcomes for the phonological treatment, with a shift to the left MTG and supramarginal gyrus, as well as the right inferior frontal gyrus, post-treatment. When compared to controls, participants with aphasia showed both normalization and up-regulation of connectivity within language networks post-treatment, predominantly in the left hemisphere Conclusions: The results provide preliminary evidence that treatments for naming impairments affect the FC of language networks, and may aid in understanding the neural mechanisms underlying the rehabilitation of language post-stroke.

Conceptualizing and measuring brand relationship quality

Many consumer markets are now characterized by a high degree of market saturation and an increasing level of competition, in particular from retailer brands. Furthermore, consumers face an ever increasing level of product variety. For instance, about 30,000 new products in the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) market have been launched in Germany in a single year representing about 600 products per week. The increasing number of consumer brands thus has led to a form of “brand inflation” in FMCG markets. In addition, the role of consumers in the marketplace has changed as well. Consumers are more price sensitive, they have higher expectations with regard to product quality and customer service, and they rely rather on word-of-mouth communication than on traditional advertising. In addition, it appears that consumers have become more critical with regard to the perception of brands. High levels of price competition have led to a decreasing level of brand awareness and increased switching intentions of brands. As a consequence, the role of customer loyalty has become an increasingly important topic for businesses in consumer markets.

Investigation of the relationship between BMI and prostate motion in radiation therapy treatment for prostate cancer

This thesis studied the influence of patient obesity on prostate motion during radiation therapy treatment delivery, an important consideration in the accurate treatment of prostate cancer. The study highlighted the importance of daily image guidance to correct for prostate motion, increasing radiation dose to the prostate while decreasing radiation dose to surrounding healthy tissues, thereby increasing patient quality of life.

Relationship between living alone and food and nutrient intake

The increase in the number of individuals living alone has implications for nutrition and health outcomes. This review aimed to investigate whether there is a difference in food and nutrient intake between adults living alone and those living with others. Eight electronic databases were searched, using terms related to living alone, nutrition, food, and socioeconomic factors. Forty-one papers met the inclusion criteria, and data of interest were extracted. Results varied but suggested that, compared with persons who do not live alone, persons who live alone have a lower diversity of food intake, a lower consumption of some core foods groups (fruit, vegetables, and fish) and a higher likelihood of having an unhealthy dietary pattern. Associations between living alone and nutrient intake were unclear. Men living alone were more often observed to be at greater risk of undesirable intakes than women. The findings of this review suggest that living alone could negatively affect some aspects of food intake and contribute to the relationship between living alone and poor health outcomes, although associations could vary between socioeconomic groups. Further research is required to help to elucidate these findings.

Environmental dynamism as a moderator of the relationship between bricolage and firm performance

Many firms initially face significant resource constraints during attempts to develop and grow (Shepherd et al., 2000). One promising theory that explicitly links to ways entrepreneurial firms respond to resource constraints is bricolage (Lévi-Strauss, 1966). Bricolage is defined as “making do by applying combinations of the resources at hand to new problems and opportunities” (Baker & Nelson, 2005, p. 333). Bricolage aligns with notions of resourcefulness: using what’s on hand, through making do, and recombining resources for new or novel purposes. Through a bias for action and a refusal to enact limitations on the resources that are available to create solutions, bricoleurs can tackle unexpected complex challenges, take advantage of opportunities, and go where most other firms won’t, in their attempts at firm development. Bricolage studies have previously not empirically examined the impact of bricolage on firm performance. Our work contributes to the emerging behavioral theory of bricolage by offering the first empirical test evaluating the impact of bricolage on early stage firm performance (i.e. venture emergence in nascent firms and sales in young firms). Using new product development (NPD) theories of speed of development, co-creation and innovativeness, we theorise that bricolage has a positive effect on early stage firm performance. We then introduce environmental dynamism as a moderator which influences this relationship.

The relationship between appetite and food preferences in British and Australian children

Background: Appetitive traits and food preferences are key determinants of children’s eating patterns but it is unclear how these behaviours relate to one another. This study explores relationships between appetitive traits and preferences for fruits and vegetables, and energy dense, nutrient poor (noncore) foods in two distinct samples of Australian and British preschool children. Methods: This study reports secondary analyses of data from families participating in the British GEMINI cohort study (n=1044) and the control arm of the Australian NOURISH RCT (n=167). Food preferences were assessed by parent-completed questionnaire when children were aged 3-4 years and grouped into three categories; vegetables, fruits and noncore foods. Appetitive traits; enjoyment of food, food responsiveness, satiety responsiveness, slowness in eating, and food fussiness were measured using the Children’s Eating Behaviour Questionnaire when children were 16 months (GEMINI) or 3-4 years (NOURISH). Relationships between appetitive traits and food preferences were explored using adjusted linear regression analyses that controlled for demographic and anthropometric covariates. Results: Vegetable liking was positively associated with enjoyment of food (GEMINI; β=0.20 ± 0.03, p<0.001, NOURISH; β=0.43 ± 0.07, p<0.001) and negatively related to satiety responsiveness (GEMINI; β=-0.19 ± 0.03, p<0.001, NOURISH; β=-0.34 ± 0.08, p<0.001), slowness in eating (GEMINI; β=-0.10 ± 0.03, p=0.002, NOURISH; β=-0.30 ± 0.08, p<0.001) and food fussiness (GEMINI; β=-0.30 ± 0.03, p<0.001, NOURISH; β=-0.60 ± 0.06, p<0.001). Fruit liking was positively associated with enjoyment of food (GEMINI; β=0.18 ± 0.03, p<0.001, NOURISH; β=0.36 ± 0.08, p<0.001), and negatively associated with satiety responsiveness (GEMINI; β=-0.13 ± 0.03, p<0.001, NOURISH; β=-0.24 ± 0.08, p=0.003), food fussiness (GEMINI; β=-0.26 ± 0.03, p<0.001, NOURISH; β=-0.51 ± 0.07, p<0.001) and slowness in eating (GEMINI only; β=-0.09 ± 0.03, p=0.005). Food responsiveness was unrelated to liking for fruits or vegetables in either sample but was positively associated with noncore food preference (GEMINI; β=0.10 ± 0.03, p=0.001, NOURISH; β=0.21 ± 0.08, p=0.010). Conclusion: Appetitive traits linked with lower obesity risk were related to lower liking for fruits and vegetables, while food responsiveness, a trait linked with greater risk of overweight, was uniquely associated with higher liking for noncore foods.

The relationship between number of fruits, vegetables, and noncore foods tried at age 14 months and food preferences, dietary intake patterns, fussy eating behavior, and weight status at age 3.7 years

Objective We examined whether exposure to a greater number of fruits, vegetables, and noncore foods (ie, nutrient poor and high in saturated fats, added sugars, or added salt) at age 14 months was related to children’s preference for and intake of these foods as well as maternal-reported food fussiness and measured child weight status at age 3.7 years. Methods This study reports secondary analyses of longitudinal data from mothers and children (n=340) participating in the NOURISH randomized controlled trial. Exposure was quantified as the number of food items (n=55) tried by a child from specified lists at age 14 months. At age 3.7 years, food preferences, intake patterns, and fussiness (also at age 14 months) were assessed using maternal-completed, established questionnaires. Child weight and length/height were measured by study staff at both age points. Multivariable linear regression models were tested to predict food preferences, intake patterns, fussy eating, and body mass index z score at age 3.7 years adjusting for a range of maternal and child covariates. Results Having tried a greater number of vegetables, fruits, and noncore foods at age 14 months predicted corresponding preferences and higher intakes at age 3.7 years but did not predict child body mass index z score. Adjusting for fussiness at age 14 months, having tried more vegetables at age 14 months was associated with lower fussiness at age 3.7 years. Conclusions These prospective analyses support the hypothesis that early taste and texture experiences influence subsequent food preferences and acceptance. These findings indicate introduction to a variety of fruits and vegetables and limited noncore food exposure from an early age are important strategies to improve later diet quality.

Organisational belongingness mediates the relationship between sources of stress and post-trauma outcomes in fire-fighters

Previous research with emergency service workers has examined the relationship between operational and organisational stress and negative indicators of mental health, and generally found that organisational stress is more strongly related to pathology than operational stress. The current study aimed to create and test a model predicting both posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and posttraumatic growth (PTG) simultaneously in a sample of fire-fighters (N = 250). The results found that the model demonstrated good fit for the data. In contrast to previous research operational stress was directly related to PTSD symptoms, while organisational stress was not. Organisational stress was indirectly related to PTG, through the mediating role of organisational belongingness. This research identified organisational belongingness as a good target for psychosocial interventions aimed at promoting positive adaptation following the experience of trauma in emergency services.

An alternative approach to describing agility in sports through establishment of a relationship between velocity and radius of curvature

Agility is an essential part of many athletic activities. Currently, agility drill duration is the sole criterion used for evaluation of agility performance. The relationship between drill duration and factors such as acceleration, deceleration and change of direction, however, has not been fully explored. This paper provides a mathematical description of the relationship between velocity and radius of curvatures in an agility drill through implementation of a power law (PL). Two groups of skilled and unskilled participants performed a cyclic forward/backward shuttle agility test. Kinematic data was recorded using motion capture system at a sampling rate of 200 Hz. The logarithmic relationship between tangential velocity and radius of curvature of participant trajectories in both groups was established using the PL. The slope of the regression line was found to be 0.26 and 0.36, for the skilled and unskilled groups, respectively. The magnitudes of regression line slope for both groups were approximately 0.3 which is close to the expected 1/3 value. Results are an indication of how the PL could be implemented in an agility drill thus opening the way for establishment of a more representative measure of agility performance instead of drill duration.

Evaluation of the relationship between Chlamydia pecorum sequence types and disease using a species-specific multi-locus sequence typing scheme (MLST)

Chlamydia pecorum is globally associated with several ovine diseases including keratoconjunctivitis and polyarthritis. The exact relationship between the variety of C. pecorum strains reported and the diseases described in sheep remains unclear, challenging efforts to accurately diagnose and manage infected flocks. In the present study, we applied C. pecorum multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to C. pecorum positive samples collected from sympatric flocks of Australian sheep presenting with conjunctivitis, conjunctivitis with polyarthritis, or polyarthritis only and with no clinical disease (NCD) in order to elucidate the exact relationships between the infecting strains and the range of diseases. Using Bayesian phylogenetic and cluster analyses on 62 C. pecorum positive ocular, vaginal and rectal swab samples from sheep presenting with a range of diseases and in a comparison to C. pecorum sequence types (STs) from other hosts, one ST (ST 23) was recognised as a globally distributed strain associated with ovine and bovine diseases such as polyarthritis and encephalomyelitis. A second ST (ST 69) presently only described in Australian animals, was detected in association with ovine as well as koala chlamydial infections. The majority of vaginal and rectal C. pecorum STs from animals with NCD and/or anatomical sites with no clinical signs of disease in diseased animals, clustered together in a separate group, by both analyses. Furthermore, 8/13 detected STs were novel. This study provides a platform for strain selection for further research into the pathogenic potential of C. pecorum in animals and highlights targets for potential strain-specific diagnostic test development.

The relationship between parents' and their adolescent children's mental health and mental illness

Depression and anxiety disorders are high-prevalence disorders with a significant impact globally and high social and economic costs. Promotion of mental health and the prevention of depression and anxiety disorders are key health priorities internationally. It is now understood that mental health and mental illness are not two ends of one spectrum but two separate, related spectrums. The relationship between mental illness in parents and the development of mental illness in their children has been well documented however this relationship has not yet been examined from a mental health perspective. A number of mental health protective factors (also known as flourishing factors) have been shown to have a preventative effect on the development of depression and anxiety disorders, however whether parents’ mental health protective factors may have any effect on children’s depression and anxiety disorder outcomes remains unknown.

Cloning and gastrointestinal expression of rat hephaestin: Relationship to other iron transport proteins

The membrane-bound ceruloplasmin homolog hephaestin plays a critical role in intestinal iron absorption. The aims of this study were to clone the rat hephaestin gene and to examine its expression in the gastrointestinal tract in relation to other genes encoding iron transport proteins. The rat hephaestin gene was isolated from intestinal mRNA and was found to encode a protein 96% identical to mouse hephaestin. Analysis by ribonuclease protection assay and Western blotting showed that hephaestin was expressed at high levels throughout the small intestine and colon. Immunofluorescence localized the hephaestin protein to the mature villus enterocytes with little or no expression in the crypts. Variations in iron status had a small but nonsignificant effect on hephaestin expression in the duodenum. The high sequence conservation between rat and mouse hephaestin is consistent with this protein playing a central role in intestinal iron absorption, although its precise function remains to be determined.

Crowdfunding and independent screen content production in Australia: A direct economic relationship between producer and audience

This thesis examines the significance of crowdfunding for Australian filmmakers and provides an empirical basis to current claims about the role of crowdfunding in the film production and policy sectors. It has found that crowdfunding is a small but growing source of supplementary finance which is opening up new possibilities for Australian independent screen content producers. This project also highlights the discussion within Australian film policy circles that is opening the way for crowdfunding to potentially become a larger and more formalised component of current and emerging policy initiatives.