Changes in inflammatory mediators following eccentric exercise of the elbow flexors

The aims of this study were to examine the plasma concentrations of inflammatory mediators including cytokines induced by a single bout of eccentric exercise and again 4 weeks later by a second bout of eccentric exercise of the same muscle group. Ten untrained male subjects performed two bouts of the eccentric exercise involving the elbow flexors (6 sets of 5 repetitions) separated by four weeks. Changes in muscle soreness, swelling, and function following exercise were compared between the bouts. Blood was sampled before, immediately after, 1 h, 3 h, 6 h, 24 h (1 d), 48 h (2 d), 72 h (3 d), 96 h (4 d) following exercise bout to measure plasma creatine kinase (CK) activity, plasma concentrations of myoglobin (Mb), interleukin (IL)-1beta, IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra), IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p40, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), myeloperoxidase (MPO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), heat shock protein (HSP) 60 and 70. After the first bout, muscle soreness increased significantly, and there was also significant increase in upper arm circumference; muscle function decreased and plasma CK activity and Mb concentration increased significantly. These changes were significantly smaller after the second bout compared to the first bout, indicating muscle adaptation to the repeated bouts of the eccentric exercise. Despite the evidence of greater muscle damage after the first bout, the changes in cytokines and other inflammatory mediators were quite minor, and considerably smaller than that following endurance exercise. These results suggest that eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage is not associated with the significant release of cytokines into the systemic circulation. After the first bout, plasma G-CSF concentration showed a small but significant increase, whereas TNF-alpha and IL-8 showed significant decreases compared to the pre-exercise values. After the second bout, there was a significant increase in IL-10, and a significant decrease in IL-8. In conclusion, although there was evidence of severe muscle damage after the eccentric exercise, this muscle damage was not accompanied by any large changes in plasma cytokine concentrations. The minor changes in systemic cytokine concentration found in this study might reflect more rapid clearance from the circulation, or a lack of any significant metabolic or oxidative demands during this particular mode of exercise. In relation to the adaptation to the muscle damage, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 might work as one of the underlying mechanisms of action.

Factors affecting timely completion of a PhD : a complex systems approach

Completing a PhD on time is a complex process, influenced by many interacting factors. In this paper we take a Bayesian Network approach to analyzing the factors perceived to be important in achieving this aim. Focusing on a single research group in Mathematical Sciences, we develop a conceptual model to describe the factors considered to be important to students and then quantify the network based on five individual perspectives: the students, a supervisor and a university research students centre manager. The resultant network comprised 37 factors and 40 connections, with an overall probability of timely completion of between 0.6 and 0.8. Across all participants, the four factors that were considered to most directly influence timely completion were personal aspects, the research environment, the research project, and incoming skills.

Factors influencing sustainability outcomes of housing in subtropical Australia

Purpose: The challenges of providing housing that sustains its inhabitants socially, economically and environmentally, and is inherently sustainable for the planet as a whole, requires a holistic systems approach that considers the product, the supply chain and the market, as well as the inter-dependencies within and between each of these process points. The purpose of the research is to identify factors that impact the sustainability performance outcomes of residential dwellings and the diffusion of sustainable housing into the mainstream housing market. Design/methodology/approach: This research represents a snapshot in time: a recording of the experiences of seven Australian families who are “early adopters” of leading edge sustainable homes within a specific sustainable urban development in subtropical Queensland. The research adopts a qualitative approach to compare the goals and expectations of these families with the actual sustainability aspects incorporated into their homes and lifestyles. Findings: The results show that the “product” – a sustainable house – is difficult to define; that sustainability outcomes were strongly influenced by individual concerns and the contextual urban environment; and that economic comparisons with “standard” housing are challenging. Research limitations/implications: This qualitative study is based on seven families (13 individuals) in an Ecovillage in southeast Queensland. Although the findings make a significant contribution to knowledge, they may not be generalisable to the wider population. Originality/value: The experiences of these early adopter families suggest that the housing market and regulators play critical roles, through actions and language, in limiting or enhancing the diffusion of sustainable housing into the market.

Decision making guidelines for sustainable construction of industrialised building systems

The construction industry has an obligation to respond to sustainability expectations of our society. Solutions that integrate innovative, intelligent and sustainability deliverables are vital for us to meet new and emerging challenges. Industrialised Building Systems (IBS), or known otherwise as prefabrication, employs a combination of ready-made components in the construction of buildings. They promote quality of production, enhance simplification of construction processes and minimise waste. The unique characteristics of this construction method respond well to sustainability. Despite the promises however, IBS has yet to be effectively implemented in Malaysia. There are often misconceptions among key stakeholders about IBS applications. The existing rating schemes fail to assess IBS against sustainability measures. To ensure the capture of full sustainability potential in buildings developed, the critical factors and action plans agreeable to all participants in the development processes need to be identified. Through questionnaire survey, eighteen critical factors relevant to IBS sustainability were identified and encapsulated into a conceptual framework to coordinate a systematic IBS decision making approach. Five categories were used to separate the critical factors into: ecological performance; economic value; social equity and culture; technical quality; and implementation and enforcement. This categorisation extends the "Triple Bottom Lines" to include social, economic, environmental and institutional dimensions. Semi-structured interviews help identify strategies of actions and solutions of potential problems through a SWOT analysis framework. These tools help the decision-makers maximise the opportunities by using available strengths, avoid weaknesses, and diagnose possible threats in the examined issues. The recommendations formed an integrated action plan to present information on what and how to improve sustainability through tackling each critical factor during IBS development. It can be used as part of the project briefing documents for IBS designers. For validation and finalisation the research deliverables, three case studies were conducted. The research fills a current gap by responding to IBS project scenarios in developing countries. It also provides a balanced view for designers to better understand sustainability potential and prioritize attentions to manage sustainability issues in IBS applications.

Critical factors for sustainable reconstruction of post natural disasters

While scientists are still debating the level of climate change impact to new weather patterns, there have been some devastating natural disasters worldwide in the last decade. From cyclones to earthquakes and from Tsunamis to landslides, these disasters occur with formidable forces and crushing effects. As one of the most important arrangements to erase the negative influence of natural disasters and help with the recovery and redevelopment of the hit area, reconstruction is of utmost importance in light of sustainable objectives. However, current reconstruction practice confronts quite a lot of criticisms for focusing on providing short-term necessities. How to conduct the post disaster reconstruction in a long-term perspective and achieve sustainable development is thereby a highlight for industry practice and research. This paper introduced an on-going research project which is aimed at establishing an operational framework for improving sustainability performance of post disaster reconstruction by identifying critical sustainable factors and exploring their internal relationships. The research reported in this paper is part of the project. After a comprehensive literature review, 17 potential critical sustainability factors for post disaster reconstruction were identified. Preliminary examination and discussion of the factors was conducted.

Factors influencing the impact of primary and secondary prevention strategies for cervical cancer among Queensland women

Since the introduction of the National Human Papillomavirus Vaccine Program (NHPVP) in 2007, few studies have assessed women's knowledge, beliefs and attitudes towards cervical screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in Australia. It is imperative to ascertain this, as substantial changes are anticipated to the National Cervical Screening Program (NCSP) through a process called 'the Renewal', to ensure any changes that are introduced will be acceptable and well understood by women. The objectives of this study were to describe Queensland women's current knowledge of cervical cancer/screening and HPV, their beliefs and attitudes towards Pap smears and the HPV vaccine and seek their advice on effective methods for communicating changes to the NCSP in their communities. This research was a descriptive-exploratory study that incorporated a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods within the context of the Health Belief Model (HBM). A computer-assisted telephone interview (CATI) survey of 1002 Queensland women was conducted in Phase 1 of the study. During Phase 2 of the study, 23 focus groups were conducted throughout Queensland to gather in-depth information about women's knowledge, awareness and acceptance about cervical cancer prevention strategies. This study found high levels of awareness of HPV (over 60%) and the HPV vaccine (over 86%) amongst Queensland women. However, it also identified considerable uncertainty amongst participants about perceived susceptibility to cervical cancer, especially, the link between cervical cancer, HPV and sexual activity. Women also had limited understanding of the benefit of the Pap smear as a preventative strategy, with many women thinking the main purpose of the Pap smear was for the early detection of cancer. Despite high awareness of HPV, women participating in this study also had significant knowledge deficits about their susceptibility to HPV and the severity of HPV infection. Queensland women had high levels of awareness of the HPV vaccine, which was most commonly via the media. High acceptance of the HPV vaccine was found amongst participants although awareness of the full benefits of vaccination was not evident with little acknowledgement that the quadrivalent vaccine used in the NHPVP would also prevent genital warts. Extensive barriers to having Pap smears, including physical and psychological discomfort, were identified and the most common barriers to vaccination were concerns about side effects and a lack of information upon which to make a decision about consent. Women described enablers for screening participation, such as reminder systems and practitioner characteristics, and expressed positive views towards self collected testing as an enabler, particularly for women who did not attend screening. As this study was conducted with Queensland women it may therefore not be representative of women from other parts of Australia and as participants were more likely to report they were regular screeners than Queensland women overall, these results may not be representative of women least likely to participate in cervical screening. The use of self-reported cervical screening history may also have led to over-reporting of screening status and previous abnormalities by participants. This study reveals significant gaps in Queensland women's knowledge that require effective communication strategies to address. Recommendations from this study highlight the need for increased community education to raise awareness about primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention strategies, training of cervical screening providers in sensitive examination techniques, a reduction in costs associated with screening, the exploration of alternative service models and communication plans that incorporate methods women trust and recommend for disseminating information about changes to the NCSP. This study is the first large study to explore women's perceptions of the Pap smear and barriers to screening, their knowledge about HPV and their attitudes towards the HPV vaccine in Queensland, since the introduction of the NHPVP. It highlights considerable uncertainty about many aspects of cervical cancer and primary and secondary prevention strategies available in Australia and identified many barriers to cervical screening and concerns about HPV vaccination. These knowledge gaps and barriers need to be taken into account and addressed within the context of anticipated changes to the NCSP to ensure benefits are maximised for women in future primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention strategies in the Australian context.

Public acceptance towards congestion charge : a case study of Brisbane

This paper investigates public acceptance towards congestion charge in Australia by taking Brisbane as a case study. Public acceptance to congestion charge has often been investigated in the literature. However, few were in the context of an Australian city. This paper fills the gap. A face-to-face survey was conducted to solicit public opinions on the congestion charge, should a congestion charge scheme be implemented in the Brisbane City area. The survey data were analysed to pinpoint important factors relevant to people’s attitudes towards congestion charge and to measure their relationships. Main findings from our analysis are: (1) the residents’ attitudes towards congestion charge differ by genders and by user groups of transport modes; (2) for each of the three groups (i.e., the auto users, the transit riders, and the whole participants), a positive and stable correlation was found between a participant’s attitude towards congestion charge and the effectiveness of congestion charge on reducing traffic congestion. A negative and stable correlation was also found for all three groups between a participant’s attitude towards congestion charge and congestion charge’s negative impact on the attractiveness of working in the city; (3) the auto users tended to be more sceptical about the service capacity of existing transit systems in coping with extra passengers induced by the implementation of congestion charge; and (4) for people with high income, introducing the congestion charge may have no impact on their travelling to the city.

Bcl-2 genes and growth factors in the pathology of ischaemic acute renal failure

For the past decade, an attempt has been made by many research groups to define the roles of the growing number of Bcl-2 gene family proteins in the apoptotic process. The Bcl-2 family consists of pro-apoptotic (or cell death) and anti-apoptotic (or cell survival) genes and it is the balance in expression between these gene lineages that may determine the death or survival of a cell. The majority of studies have analysed the role/s of the Bcl-2 genes in cancer development. Equally important is their role in normal tissue development, homeostasis and non-cancer disease states. Bcl-2 is crucial for normal development in the kidney, with a deficiency in Bcl-2 producing such malformation that renal failure and death result. As a corollary, its role in renal disease states in the adult has been sought. Ischaemia is one of the most common causes of both acute and chronic renal failure. The section of the kidney that is most susceptible to ischaemic damage is the outer zone of the outer medulla. Within this zone the proximal tubules are most sensitive and often die by necrosis or desquamate. In the distal nephron, apoptosis is the more common form of cell death. Recent results from our laboratory have indicated that ischaemia-induced acute renal failure is associated with up-regulation of two anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 proteins (Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL) in the damaged distal tubule and occasional up-regulation of Bax in the proximal tubule. The distal tubule is a known reservoir for several growth factors important to renal growth and repair, such as insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). One of the likely possibilities for the anti-cell death action of the Bcl-2 genes is that the protected distal cells may be able to produce growth factors that have a further reparative or protective role via an autocrine mechanism in the distal segment and a paracrine mechanism in the proximal cells. Both EGF and IGF-1 are also up-regulated in the surviving distal tubules and are detected in the surviving proximal tubules, where these growth factors are not usually synthesized. As a result, we have been using in vitro methods to test: (i) the relative sensitivities of renal distal and proximal epithelial cell populations to injury caused by mechanisms known to act in ischaemia-reperfusion; (ii) whether a Bcl-2 anti-apoptotic mechanism acts in these cells; and (iii) whether an autocrine and/or paracrine growth factor mechanism is initiated. The following review discusses the background to these studies as well as some of our preliminary results.

Critical success factors for the implementation of a knowledge management system in a knowledge-based engineering firm

This research identifies factors that are crucial to the success of a knowledge management system (KMS) implementation in a prominent Australian engineering consultancy firm. The study employs the Delphi method to solicit the opinions of experienced market leaders in the Australian construction industry, and then benchmarks the organisational profile of the consultancy firm against the Delphi findings. From this comparative case study, recommendations are made pertaining to the organisational and cultural changes required within the consultancy firm in order to improve its readiness to successfully implement a KMS.

Factors affecting the extraction of absorbed dose information in a 3D polymer gel dosimeter by X ray computed tomography (IAEA-CN-96/122P)

Two sources of uncertainty in the X ray computed tomography imaging of polymer gel dosimeters are investigated in the paper.The first cause is a change in postirradiation density, which is proportional to the computed tomography signal and is associated with a volume change. The second cause of uncertainty is reconstruction noise.A simple technique that increases the residual signal to noise ratio by almost two orders of magnitude is examined.

Critical factors affecting the implementation of sustainable housing in Australia

Improved public awareness of the environment and available technologies will continue to highlight the importance of sustainable housing in the coming years. Despite this potential, the majority of new housing development in Australia is still “project homes” with few tangible sustainability measures. Stakeholders tend to have different perceptions and priorities on sustainability. To promote the uptake of sustainable housing products, a study of the critical issues affecting the implementation of sustainable housing is necessary. This research investigates multiple factors that may influence key stakeholders’ decision-making towards sustainable housing adoption. Drawing insights from combined questionnaire and interview studies, 12 critical factors and their interrelationships are identified based on professional views in the Australian housing industry. The mutual influences, or driving force and dependency, of these factors are further investigated via Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) to distinguish those requiring prominent and immediate attention. A hierarchical model is developed to help key stakeholders prioritise actions when implementing sustainable housing.

Systematic integration of human factors in the specification of requirements for new railway technologies

Engineering design processes are necessary to attain the requisite standards of integrity for high-assurance safety-related systems. Additionally, human factors design initiatives can provide critical insights that parameterise their development. Unfortunately, the popular perception of human factors as a “forced marriage” between engineering and psychology often provokes views where the ‘human factor’ is perceived as a threat to systems design. Some popular performance-based standards for developing safety-related systems advocate identifying and managing human factors throughout the system lifecycle. However, they also have a tendency to fall short in their guidance on the application of human factors methods and tools, let alone how the outputs generated can be integrated in to various stages of the design process. This case study describes a project that converged engineering with human factors to develop a safety argument for new low-cost railway level crossing technology for system-wide implementation in Australia. The paper enjoins the perspectives of a software engineer and cognitive psychologist and their involvement in the project over two years of collaborative work to develop a safety argument for low-cost level crossing technology. Safety and reliability requirements were informed by applying human factors analytical tools that supported the evaluation and quantification of human reliability where users interfaced with the technology. The project team was confronted with significant challenges in cross-disciplinary engagement, particularly with the complexities of dealing with incongruences in disciplinary language. They were also encouraged to think ‘outside the box’ as to how users of a system interpreted system states and ehaviour. Importantly, some of these states, while considered safe within the boundary of the constituent systems that implemented safety-related functions, could actually lead the users to engage in deviant behaviour. Psychology explained how user compliance could be eroded to levels that effectively undermined levels of risk reduction afforded by systems. Linking the engineering and psychology disciplines intuitively, overall safety performance was improved by introducing technical requirements and making design decisions that minimized the system states and behaviours that led to user deviancy. As a commentary on the utility of transdisciplinary collaboration for technical specification, the processes used to bridge the two disciplines are conceptualised in a graphical model.

Legislative impact on the mortgagee’s exercise of power of sale : the need for rationalisation

Throughout Australia, regulation of the power of sale is highly inconsistent. In response to the uncertain nature of the mortgagee’s duty at common law, many legislatures have intervened. As a result, there has been a proliferation of statutory formula conferring varying degrees of protection on mortgagors. The differences in approach indicate a lack of consensus as to the best method of regulation. This article exposes the extent of the inconsistency and provides a comparative assessment of the various provisions with reference to the policy concerns that underpin legislative intervention. The article identifies a number of deficiencies associated with existing provisions and concludes that mortgagees and mortgagors alike would benefit from improved clarity and consistency. To that end, the article proposes a model provision that seeks to address the deficiencies identified.

Seasonal factors influencing the failure of buried water reticulation pipes

While the use of environmental factors in the analysis and prediction of failures of buried reticulation pipes in cold environments has been the focus of extensive work, the same cannot be said for failures occurring on pipes in other (non-freezing) environments. A novel analysis of pipe failures in such an environment is the subject of this paper. An exploratory statistical analysis was undertaken, identifying a peak in failure rates during mid to late summer. This peak was found to correspond to a peak in the rate of circumferential failures, whilst the rate of longitudinal failures remained constant. Investigation into the effect of climate on failure rates revealed that the peak in failure rates occurs due to differential soil movement as the result of shrinkage in expansive soils.

Factors influencing the provision of end-of-life care in critical care settings : development and testing of a survey instrument

Aim. To develop and psychometrically test a survey instrument to identify the factors influencing the provision of end-of-life care by critical care nurses. Background. Following a decision to withdraw life-sustaining treatment, critical care nurses remain with the patient and their family providing end-of-life care. Identification of factors influencing the provision of this care can give evidence to inform practice development and support nurses. Design. A cross-sectional survey of critical care nurses. Method. An online survey was developed, reviewed by an expert panel and pilot tested to obtain preliminary evidence of its reliability and validity. In May 2011, a convenience sample of critical care nurses (n = 392, response rate 25%) completed the survey. The analytical approach to data obtained from the 58 items measured on a Likert scale included exploratory factor analysis and descriptive statistics. Results. Exploratory factor analysis identified eight factors influencing the provision of end-of-life care: emotional support for nurses, palliative values, patient and family preferences, resources, organizational support, care planning, knowledge and preparedness. Internal consistency of each latent construct was deemed satisfactory. The results of descriptive statistics revealed a strong commitment to the inclusion of families in end-of-life care and the value of this care in the critical care setting. Conclusion. This paper reports preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of a new survey instrument. The findings may inform practice development opportunities to support critical care nurses in the provision of endof- life care and improve the care that patients and their families receive.