The influence of antioxidant supplementation on markers of inflammation and the relationship to oxidative stress after exercise

Interest in the relationship between inflammation and oxidative stress has increased dramatically in recent years, not only within the clinical setting but also in the fields of exercise biochemistry and immunology. Inflammation and oxidative stress share a common role in the etiology of a variety of chronic diseases. During exercise, inflammation and oxidative stress are linked via muscle metabolism and muscle damage. Because oxidative stress and inflammation have traditionally been associated with fatigue and impaired recovery from exercise, research has focused on nutritional strategies aimed at reducing these effects. In this review, we have evaluated the findings of studies involving antioxidant supplementation on alterations in markers of inflammation (e.g., cytokines, C-reactive protein and cortisol). This review focuses predominantly on the role of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species generated from muscle metabolism and muscle damage during exercise and on the modulatory effects of antioxidant supplements. Furthermore, we have analyzed the influence of factors such as the dose, timing, supplementation period and bioavailability of antioxidant nutrients.

Influence of high-intensity interval training on adaptations in well-trained cyclists

The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of 3 different high-intensity interval training regimens on the first and second ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2), anaerobic capacity (ANC), and plasma volume (PV) in well-trained endurance cyclists. Before and after 2 and 4 weeks of training, 38 well-trained cyclists (VO2peak = 64.5 +/- 5.2 ml[middle dot]kg-1[middle dot]min-1) performed (a) a progressive cycle test to measure VO2peak, peak power output (PPO), VT1, and VT2; (b) a time to exhaustion test (Tmax) at their VO2peak power output (Pmax); and (c) a 40-km time-trial (TT40). Subjects were assigned to 1 of 4 training groups (group 1: n = 8, 8 3 60% Tmax at Pmax, 1:2 work-recovery ratio; group 2: n = 9, 8 x 60% Tmax at Pmax, recovery at 65% maximum heart rate; group 3: n = 10, 12 x 30 seconds at 175% PPO, 4.5-minute recovery; control group: n = 11). The TT40 performance, VO2peak, VT1,VT2, and ANC were all significantly increased in groups 1, 2, and 3 (p < 0.05) but not in the control group. However, PV did not change in response to the 4-week training program. Changes in TT40 performance were modestly related to the changes in VO2peak, VT1, VT2, and ANC (r = 0.41, 0.34, 0.42, and 0.40, respectively; all p < 0.05). In conclusion, the improvements in TT40 performance were related to significant increases in VO2peak, VT1,VT2, and ANC but were not accompanied by significant changes in PV. Thus, peripheral adaptations rather than central adaptations are likely responsible for the improved performances witnessed in well-trained endurance athletes following various forms of high-intensity interval training programs.

A catchment modelling approach integrating surface and groundwater processes, land use and distribution of nutrients : Elimbah Creek, southeast Queensland

As the world’s population is growing, so is the demand for agricultural products. However, natural nitrogen (N) fixation and phosphorus (P) availability cannot sustain the rising agricultural production, thus, the application of N and P fertilisers as additional nutrient sources is common. It is those anthropogenic activities that can contribute high amounts of organic and inorganic nutrients to both surface and groundwaters resulting in degradation of water quality and a possible reduction of aquatic life. In addition, runoff and sewage from urban and residential areas can contain high amounts of inorganic and organic nutrients which may also affect water quality. For example, blooms of the cyanobacterium Lyngbya majuscula along the coastline of southeast Queensland are an indicator of at least short term decreases of water quality. Although Australian catchments, including those with intensive forms of land use, show in general a low export of nutrients compared to North American and European catchments, certain land use practices may still have a detrimental effect on the coastal environment. Numerous studies are reported on nutrient cycling and associated processes on a catchment scale in the Northern Hemisphere. Comparable studies in Australia, in particular in subtropical regions are, however, limited and there is a paucity in the data, in particular for inorganic and organic forms of nitrogen and phosphorus; these nutrients are important limiting factors in surface waters to promote algal blooms. Therefore, the monitoring of N and P and understanding the sources and pathways of these nutrients within a catchment is important in coastal zone management. Although Australia is the driest continent, in subtropical regions such as southeast Queensland, rainfall patterns have a significant effect on runoff and thus the nutrient cycle at a catchment scale. Increasingly, these rainfall patterns are becoming variable. The monitoring of these climatic conditions and the hydrological response of agricultural catchments is therefore also important to reduce the anthropogenic effects on surface and groundwater quality. This study consists of an integrated hydrological–hydrochemical approach that assesses N and P in an environment with multiple land uses. The main aim is to determine the nutrient cycle within a representative coastal catchment in southeast Queensland, the Elimbah Creek catchment. In particular, the investigation confirms the influence associated with forestry and agriculture on N and P forms, sources, distribution and fate in the surface and groundwaters of this subtropical setting. In addition, the study determines whether N and P are subject to transport into the adjacent estuary and thus into the marine environment; also considered is the effect of local topography, soils and geology on N and P sources and distribution. The thesis is structured on four components individually reported. The first paper determines the controls of catchment settings and processes on stream water, riverbank sediment, and shallow groundwater N and P concentrations, in particular during the extended dry conditions that were encountered during the study. Temporal and spatial factors such as seasonal changes, soil character, land use and catchment morphology are considered as well as their effect on controls over distributions of N and P in surface waters and associated groundwater. A total number of 30 surface and 13 shallow groundwater sampling sites were established throughout the catchment to represent dominant soil types and the land use upstream of each sampling location. Sampling comprises five rounds and was conducted over one year between October 2008 and November 2009. Surface water and groundwater samples were analysed for all major dissolved inorganic forms of N and for total N. Phosphorus was determined in the form of dissolved reactive P (predominantly orthophosphate) and total P. In addition, extracts of stream bank sediments and soil grab samples were analysed for these N and P species. Findings show that major storm events, in particular after long periods of drought conditions, are the driving force of N cycling. This is expressed by higher inorganic N concentrations in the agricultural subcatchment compared to the forested subcatchment. Nitrate N is the dominant inorganic form of N in both the surface and groundwaters and values are significantly higher in the groundwaters. Concentrations in the surface water range from 0.03 to 0.34 mg N L..1; organic N concentrations are considerably higher (average range: 0.33 to 0.85 mg N L..1), in particular in the forested subcatchment. Average NO3-N in the groundwater has a range of 0.39 to 2.08 mg N L..1, and organic N averages between 0.07 and 0.3 mg N L..1. The stream bank sediments are dominated by organic N (range: 0.53 to 0.65 mg N L..1), and the dominant inorganic form of N is NH4-N with values ranging between 0.38 and 0.41 mg N L..1. Topography and soils, however, were not to have a significant effect on N and P concentrations in waters. Detectable phosphorus in the surface and groundwaters of the catchment is limited to several locations typically in the proximity of areas with intensive animal use; in soil and sediments, P is negligible. In the second paper, the stable isotopes of N (14N/15N) and H2O (16O/18O and 2H/H) in surface and groundwaters are used to identify sources of dissolved inorganic and organic N in these waters, and to determine their pathways within the catchment; specific emphasis is placed on the relation of forestry and agriculture. Forestry is predominantly concentrated in the northern subcatchment (Beerburrum Creek) while agriculture is mainly found in the southern subcatchment (Six Mile Creek). Results show that agriculture (horticulture, crops, grazing) is the main source of inorganic N in the surface waters of the agricultural subcatchment, and their isotopic signature shows a close link to evaporation processes that may occur during water storage in farm dams that are used for irrigation. Groundwaters are subject to denitrification processes that may result in reduced dissolved inorganic N concentrations. Soil organic matter delivers most of the inorganic N to the surface water in the forested subcatchment. Here, precipitation and subsequently runoff is the main source of the surface waters. Groundwater in this area is affected by agricultural processes. The findings also show that the catchment can attenuate the effects of anthropogenic land use on surface water quality. Riparian strips of natural remnant vegetation, commonly 50 to 100 m in width, act as buffer zones along the drainage lines in the catchment and remove inorganic N from the soil water before it enters the creek. These riparian buffer zones are common in most agricultural catchments of southeast Queensland and are indicated to reduce the impact of agriculture on stream water quality and subsequently on the estuary and marine environments. This reduction is expressed by a significant decrease in DIN concentrations from 1.6 mg N L..1 to 0.09 mg N L..1, and a decrease in the �15N signatures from upstream surface water locations downstream to the outlet of the agricultural subcatchment. Further testing is, however, necessary to confirm these processes. Most importantly, the amount of N that is transported to the adjacent estuary is shown to be negligible. The third and fourth components of the thesis use a hydrological catchment model approach to determine the water balance of the Elimbah Creek catchment. The model is then used to simulate the effects of land use on the water balance and nutrient loads of the study area. The tool that is used is the internationally widely applied Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT). Knowledge about the water cycle of a catchment is imperative in nutrient studies as processes such as rainfall, surface runoff, soil infiltration and routing of water through the drainage system are the driving forces of the catchment nutrient cycle. Long-term information about discharge volumes of the creeks and rivers do, however, not exist for a number of agricultural catchments in southeast Queensland, and such information is necessary to calibrate and validate numerical models. Therefore, a two-step modelling approach was used to calibrate and validate parameters values from a near-by gauged reference catchment as starting values for the ungauged Elimbah Creek catchment. Transposing monthly calibrated and validated parameter values from the reference catchment to the ungauged catchment significantly improved model performance showing that the hydrological model of the catchment of interest is a strong predictor of the water water balance. The model efficiency coefficient EF shows that 94% of the simulated discharge matches the observed flow whereas only 54% of the observed streamflow was simulated by the SWAT model prior to using the validated values from the reference catchment. In addition, the hydrological model confirmed that total surface runoff contributes the majority of flow to the surface water in the catchment (65%). Only a small proportion of the water in the creek is contributed by total base-flow (35%). This finding supports the results of the stable isotopes 16O/18O and 2H/H, which show the main source of water in the creeks is either from local precipitation or irrigation waters delivered by surface runoff; a contribution from the groundwater (baseflow) to the creeks could not be identified using 16O/18O and 2H/H. In addition, the SWAT model calculated that around 68% of the rainfall occurring in the catchment is lost through evapotranspiration reflecting the prevailing long-term drought conditions that were observed prior and during the study. Stream discharge from the forested subcatchment was an order of magnitude lower than discharge from the agricultural Six Mile Creek subcatchment. A change in land use from forestry to agriculture did not significantly change the catchment water balance, however, nutrient loads increased considerably. Conversely, a simulated change from agriculture to forestry resulted in a significant decrease of nitrogen loads. The findings of the thesis and the approach used are shown to be of value to catchment water quality monitoring on a wider scale, in particular the implications of mixed land use on nutrient forms, distributions and concentrations. The study confirms that in the tropics and subtropics the water balance is affected by extended dry periods and seasonal rainfall with intensive storm events. In particular, the comprehensive data set of inorganic and organic N and P forms in the surface and groundwaters of this subtropical setting acquired during the one year sampling program may be used in similar catchment hydrological studies where these detailed information is missing. Also, the study concludes that riparian buffer zones along the catchment drainage system attenuate the transport of nitrogen from agricultural sources in the surface water. Concentrations of N decreased from upstream to downstream locations and were negligible at the outlet of the catchment.

Examining the influence of participant performance factors on contractor satisfaction : a structural equation model

Participant performance is critical to the success of projects. At the same time, enhancing the satisfaction of participants not only helps in problem solving but also improves their motivation and cooperation. However, previous research related to participant satisfaction is primarily concerned with clients and customers and relatively little attention has been paid to contractors. This paper investigates how the performance of project participants affects contractor project satisfaction in terms of the client's clarity of objectives (OC) and promptness of payments (PP), designer carefulness (DC), construction risk management (RM), the effectiveness their contribution (EW) and mutual respect and trust (RT). With 125 valid responses from contractors in Malaysia, a contractor satisfaction model is developed based on structural equation modelling. The results demonstrate the necessity for dividing abstract satisfaction into two dimensions, comprising economic-related satisfaction (ES) and production-related satisfaction (PS), with DC, OC, PP and RM having significant effects on ES, while DC, OC, EW and RM influence PS. In addition, the model tests the indirect effects of these performance variables on ES and PS. In particular, OC indirectly affects ES and PS through mediation of RM and DC respectively. The results also provide opportunities for improving contractor satisfaction and supplementing the contractor selection criteria for clients.

Influence of drying conditions on the moisture diffusion during single stage and two stage fluidized bed drying of bovine intestine for pet food

Bovine intestine samples were heat pump fluidized bed dried at atmospheric pressure and at temperatures below and above the material freezing points equipped with a continuous monitoring system. The investigation of the drying characteristics has been conducted in the temperature range -10~25oC and the airflow in the range 1.5~2.5 m/s. Some experiments were conducted as a single temperature drying experiments and others as two stage drying experiments employing two temperatures. An Arrhenius-type equation was used to interpret the influence of the drying air parameters on the effective diffusivity, calculated with the method of slopes in terms of energy activation, and this was found to be sensitivity of the temperature. The effective diffusion coefficient of moisture transfer was determined by Fickian method using uni-dimensional moisture movement in both moisture, removal by evaporation and combined sublimation and evaporation. Correlations expressing the effective moisture diffusivity and drying temperature are reported.

Tracing the influence of non-narrative film and expanded cinema sound on experimental music

This study surveys and interrogates key conceptual frameworks and artistic practises that flow through the distinct but interconnected traditions of non-narrative film and experimental music, and examines how these are articulated in my own creative sound practise.

The influence of temperature and introduction point on the detection of Rhyzopertha dominica in stored grain

The presence of insect pests in grain storages throughout the supply chain is a significant problem for farmers, grain handlers, and distributors world-wide. Insect monitoring and sampling programmes are used in the stored grains industry for the detection and estimation of pest populations. At the low pest densities dictated by economic and commercial requirements, the accuracy of both detection and abundance estimates can be influenced by variations in the spatial structure of pest populations over short distances. Geostatistical analysis of Rhyzopertha dominica populations in 2 and 3 dimensions showed that insect numbers were positively correlated over short (0.5 cm) distances, and negatively correlated over longer (.10 cm) distances. At 35 C, insects were located significantly further from the grain surface than at 25 and 30 C. Dispersion metrics showed statistically significant aggregation in all cases. The observed heterogeneous spatial distribution of R. dominica may also be influenced by factors such as the site of initial infestation and disturbance during handling. To account for these additional factors, I significantly extended a simulation model that incorporates both pest growth and movement through a typical stored-grain supply chain. By incorporating the effects of abundance, initial infestation site, grain handling, and treatment on pest spatial distribution, I developed a supply chain model incorporating estimates of pest spatial distribution. This was used to examine several scenarios representative of grain movement through a supply chain, and determine the influence of infestation location and grain disturbance on the sampling intensity required to detect pest infestations at various infestation rates. This study has investigated the effects of temperature, infestation point, and grain handling on the spatial distribution and detection of R. dominica. The proportion of grain infested was found to be dependent upon abundance, initial pest location, and grain handling. Simulation modelling indicated that accounting for these factors when developing sampling strategies for stored grain has the potential to significantly reduce sampling costs while simultaneously improving detection rate, resulting in reduced storage and pest management cost while improving grain quality.

Quality Assessment Matrix : A Collaborative Evaluation Using Multiple Lines of Evidence

Welcome to the Quality assessment matrix. This matrix is designed for highly qualified discipline experts to evaluate their course, major or unit in a systematic manner. The primary purpose of the Quality assessment matrix is to provide a tool that a group of academic staff at universities can collaboratively review the assessment within a course, major or unit annually. The annual review will result in you being read for an external curricula review at any point in time. This tool is designed for use in a workshop format with one, two or more academic staff, and will lead to an action plan for implementation.

The beliefs which influence young males to speed and strategies to slow them down : informing the content of anti-speeding messages

Young male drivers are over-represented in road-related fatalities. Speeding represents a pervasive and significant contributor to road trauma. Anti-speeding messages represent a long-standing strategy aimed at discouraging drivers from speeding. These messages, however, have not always achieved their persuasive objectives which may be due, in part, to them not always targeting the most salient beliefs underpinning the speeding behavior of particular driver groups. The current study elicited key beliefs underpinning speeding behavior as well as strategies used to avoid speeding, using a well-validated belief-based model, the Theory of Planned Behavior and in-depth qualitative methods. To obtain the most comprehensive understanding about the salient beliefs and strategies of young male drivers, how such beliefs and strategies compared with those of drivers of varying ages and gender, was also explored. Overall, 75 males and females (aged 17-25 or 30-55 years) participated in group discussions. The findings revealed beliefs that were particularly relevant to young males and that would likely represent key foci for developing message content. For instance, the need to feel in control and the desire to experience positive affect when driving were salient advantages; while infringements were a salient disadvantage and, in particular, the loss of points and the implications associated with potential licence loss as opposed to the monetary (fine) loss (behavioral beliefs). For normative influences, young males appeared to hold notable misperceptions (compared with other drivers, such as young females); for instance, young males believed that females/girlfriends were impressed by their speeding. In the case of control beliefs, the findings revealed low perceptions of control with respect to being able to not speed and a belief that something “extraordinary” would need to happen for a young male driver to lose control of their vehicle while speeding. The practical implications of the findings, in terms of providing suggestions for devising the content of anti-speeding messages, are discussed.

Influence of ventilation and filtration on indoor particle concentrations in urban office buildings

This study aimed to quantify the efficiency of deep bag and electrostatic filters, and assess the influence of ventilation systems using these filters on indoor fine (<2.5 µm) and ultrafine particle concentrations in commercial office buildings. Measurements and modelling were conducted for different indoor and outdoor particle source scenarios at three office buildings in Brisbane, Australia. Overall, the in-situ efficiency, measured for particles in size ranges 6 to 3000 nm, of the deep bag filters ranged from 26.3 to 46.9% for the three buildings, while the in-situ efficiency of the electrostatic filter in one building was 60.2%. The highest PN and PM2.5 concentrations in one of the office buildings (up to 131% and 31% higher than the other two buildings, respectively) were due to the proximity of the building’s HVAC air intakes to a nearby bus-only roadway, as well as its higher outdoor ventilation rate. The lowest PN and PM2.5 concentrations (up to 57% and 24% lower than the other two buildings, respectively) were measured in a building that utilised both outdoor and mixing air filters in its HVAC system. Indoor PN concentrations were strongly influenced by outdoor levels and were significantly higher during rush-hours (up to 41%) and nucleation events (up to 57%), compared to working-hours, for all three buildings. This is the first time that the influence of new particle formation on indoor particle concentrations has been identified and quantified. A dynamic model for indoor PN concentration, which performed adequately in this study also revealed that using mixing/outdoor air filters can significantly reduce indoor particle concentration in buildings where indoor air was strongly influenced by outdoor particle levels. This work provides a scientific basis for the selection and location of appropriate filters and outdoor air intakes, during the design of new, or upgrade of existing, building HVAC systems. The results also serve to provide a better understanding of indoor particle dynamics and behaviours under different ventilation and particle source scenarios, and highlight effective methods to reduce exposure to particles in commercial office buildings.

An isoviscous, isothermal model investigating the influence of hydrostatic recesses on a spring-supported tilting pad thrust bearing

Tilting-pad hydrodynamic thrust bearings are used in hydroelectric power stations around the world, reliably supporting turbines weighing hundreds of tonnes, over decades of service. Newer designs incorporate hydrostatic recesses machined into the sector-shaped pads to enhance oil film thickness at low rotational speeds. External pressurisation practically eliminates wear and enhances service life and reliability. It follows that older generating plants, lacking such assistance, stand to benefit from being retrofitted with hydrostatic lubrication systems. The design process is not trivial however. The need to increase the groove size to permit spontaneous lifting of the turbine under hydrostatic pressure, conflicts with the need to preserve performance of the original plane pad design. A haphazardly designed recess can induce a significant rise in bearing temperature concomitant with reduced mechanical efficiency and risk of thermal damage. In this work, a numerical study of a sector-shaped pad is undertaken to demonstrate how recess size and shape can affect the performance of a typical bearing.

Equity in estate litigation : setting aside inter vivos transactions post mortem on the grounds of undue influence and unconscionable bargains

Where the value of an estate of a deceased person has been diminished by intervivos transfers of property, equitable doctrines provide powerful tools for practitioners advising those who are seeking to claim benefits under wills (or an intestacy) and those seeking further and better provision from the deceased estate.

Influence of synthesis route on the catalytic properties of La1−xSrxMnO3

Lanthanum Strontium Manganate (LSM) powders were synthesized by six different routes, namely solid state reaction, drip pyrolysis, citrate, sol-gel, carbonate and oxalate co-precipitation. The LSM samples, produced by firing to 1000 °C for 5 h were then characterized by way of XRD, TPD's of oxygen, TPR and catalytic activity for a simple oxidation reaction, that of carbon monoxide to carbon dioxide. It was found that although the six samples had similar compositions and surface areas they performed quite differently during catalytic characterization. These observed differences correlated more closely to the mode of synthesis, than to the physical properties of the powders, or their impurity levels, indicating that the surface structures created by the different syntheses perform very differently under catalysis conditions. Co-precipitation and drip pyrolysis produced structures that were most efficient at facilitating oxidation type reactions.

Serine protease inhibition and mitochondrial dysfunction associated with cisplatin resistance in human tumor cell lines: targets for therapy

Indicators of mitochondrial function were studied in two different cell culture models of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum-II (CDDP) resistance: the intrinsically resistant human ovarian cancer cell line CI-80-13S, and resistant clones (HeLa-S1a and HeLa-S1b) generated by stable expression of the serine protease inhibitor—plasminogen activator inhibitor type-2 (PAI-2), in the human cervical cancer cell line HeLa. In both models, CDDP resistance was associated with sensitivity to killing by adriamycin, etoposide, auranofin, bis[1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane]gold(I) chloride {[Au(DPPE)2]Cl}, CdCl2 and the mitochondrial inhibitors rhodamine-123 (Rhl23), dequalinium chloride (DeCH), tetraphenylphosphonium (TPP), and ethidium bromide (EtBr) and with lower constitutive levels of ATP. Unlike the HeLa clones, CI-80-13S cells were additionally sensitive to chloramphenicol, 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium ion (MPP+), rotenone, thenoyltrifluoroacetone (TTFA), and antimycin A, and showed poor reduction of 1-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), suggesting a deficiency in NADH dehydrogenase and/or succinate dehydrogenase activities. Total platinum uptake and DNA-bound platinum were slightly lower in CI-80-13S than in sensitive cells. The HeLa-S1a and HeLa-S1b clones, on the other hand, showed poor reduction of triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC), indicative of low cytochrome c oxidase activity. Total platinum uptake by HeLa-S1a was similar to HeLa, but DNA-bound platinum was much lower than for the parent cell line. The mitochondria of CI-80-13S and HeLa-S1a showed altered morphology and were fewer in number than those of JAM and HeLa. In both models, CDDP resistance was associated with less platinum accumulation and with mitochondrial and membrane defects, brought about one case with expression of a protease inhibitor which is implicated in tumor progression. Such markers may identify tumors suitable for treatment with gold phosphine complexes or other mitochondrial inhibitors.