The development and preliminary testing of an instrument for assessing fatigue self-management outcomes in patients with advanced cancer

Background: Fatigue is one of the most distressing and commonly experienced symptoms in patients with advanced cancer. Although the self-management (SM) of cancer-related symptoms has received increasing attention, no research instrument assessing fatigue SM outcomes for patients with advanced cancer is available. Objectives: to describe the development and preliminary testing of an interviewer administered instrument for assessing the frequency, and perceived levels of effectiveness and self-efficacy associated with fatigue SM behaviors in patients with advanced cancer. Methods: The development and testing of the Self-efficacy in Managing Symptoms Scale- Fatigue Subscale for Patients with Advanced Cancer (SMSFS-A) involved a number of procedures: item-generation using a comprehensive literature review and semi-structured interviews, content validity evaluation using expert panel reviews, and face validity and test-retest reliability evaluation using pilot testing. Results: Initially, 23 items (22 specific behaviors with one global item) were generated from the literature review and semi-structured interviews. After two rounds of expert panel review, the final scale was reduced to 17 items (16 behaviors with one global item). Participants in the pilot test (n=10) confirmed that the questions in this scale were clear and easy to understand. Bland-Altman analysis showed agreement of results over a one-week interval. Conclusions: The SMSFS-A items were generated using multiple sources. This tool demonstrated preliminary validity and reliability. Implications for practice: The SMSFS-A has the potential to be used for clinical and research purposes. Nurses can use this instrument for collecting data to inform the initiation of appropriate fatigue SM support for this population.

Studying the diurnal and seasonal acclimation of photosystem Ii using chlorophyll-a fluorescence

A small fraction of the energy absorbed in the light reactions of photosynthesis is re-emitted as chlorophyll-a fluorescence. Chlorophyll-a fluorescence and photochemistry compete for excitation energy in photosystem II (PSII). Therefore, changes in the photochemical capacity can be detected through analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence. Chlorophyll fluorescence techniques have been widely used to follow the diurnal (fast), and the seasonal (slow) acclimation in the energy partitioning between photochemical and non-photochemical processes in PSII. Energy partitioning in PSII estimated through chlorophyll fluorescence can be used as a proxy of the plant physiological status, and measured at different spatial and temporal scales. However, a number of technical and theoretical limitations still limit the use of chlorophyll fluorescence data for the study of the acclimation of PSII. The aim of this Thesis was to study the diurnal and seasonal acclimation of PSII in field conditions through the development and testing of new chlorophyll fluorescence-based tools, overcoming these limitations. A new model capable of following the fast acclimation of PSII to rapid fluctuations in light intensity was developed. The model was used to study the rapid acclimation in the electron transport rate under fluctuating light. Additionally, new chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were developed for estimating the seasonal acclimation in the sustained rate constant of thermal energy dissipation and photochemistry. The parameters were used to quantitatively evaluate the effect of light and temperature on the seasonal acclimation of PSII. The results indicated that light environment not only affected the degree but also the kinetics of response of the acclimation to temperature, which was attributed to differences in the structural organization of PSII during seasonal acclimation. Furthermore, zeaxanthin-facilitated thermal dissipation appeared to be the main mechanisms modulating the fraction of absorbed energy being dissipated thermally during winter in field Scots pine. Finally, the integration between diurnal and seasonal acclimation mechanisms was studied using a recently developed instrument MONI-PAM (Walz GmbH, Germany) capable of continuously monitoring the energy partitioning in PSII.

Design and testing of stand-specific bucking instructions for use on modern cut-to-length harvesters

This study addresses three important issues in tree bucking optimization in the context of cut-to-length harvesting. (1) Would the fit between the log demand and log output distributions be better if the price and/or demand matrices controlling the bucking decisions on modern cut-to-length harvesters were adjusted to the unique conditions of each individual stand? (2) In what ways can we generate stand and product specific price and demand matrices? (3) What alternatives do we have to measure the fit between the log demand and log output distributions, and what would be an ideal goodness-of-fit measure? Three iterative search systems were developed for seeking stand-specific price and demand matrix sets: (1) A fuzzy logic control system for calibrating the price matrix of one log product for one stand at a time (the stand-level one-product approach); (2) a genetic algorithm system for adjusting the price matrices of one log product in parallel for several stands (the forest-level one-product approach); and (3) a genetic algorithm system for dividing the overall demand matrix of each of the several log products into stand-specific sub-demands simultaneously for several stands and products (the forest-level multi-product approach). The stem material used for testing the performance of the stand-specific price and demand matrices against that of the reference matrices was comprised of 9 155 Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) sawlog stems gathered by harvesters from 15 mature spruce-dominated stands in southern Finland. The reference price and demand matrices were either direct copies or slightly modified versions of those used by two Finnish sawmilling companies. Two types of stand-specific bucking matrices were compiled for each log product. One was from the harvester-collected stem profiles and the other was from the pre-harvest inventory data. Four goodness-of-fit measures were analyzed for their appropriateness in determining the similarity between the log demand and log output distributions: (1) the apportionment degree (index), (2) the chi-square statistic, (3) Laspeyres quantity index, and (4) the price-weighted apportionment degree. The study confirmed that any improvement in the fit between the log demand and log output distributions can only be realized at the expense of log volumes produced. Stand-level pre-control of price matrices was found to be advantageous, provided the control is done with perfect stem data. Forest-level pre-control of price matrices resulted in no improvement in the cumulative apportionment degree. Cutting stands under the control of stand-specific demand matrices yielded a better total fit between the demand and output matrices at the forest level than was obtained by cutting each stand with non-stand-specific reference matrices. The theoretical and experimental analyses suggest that none of the three alternative goodness-of-fit measures clearly outperforms the traditional apportionment degree measure. Keywords: harvesting, tree bucking optimization, simulation, fuzzy control, genetic algorithms, goodness-of-fit

Testing the efficacy of low volume herbicide applications on Chromolaena odorata

Siam Weed (Chromoleana odorata) is the target of an eradication program in north Queensland; however some infestations occur on ground inaccessible to high volume, ground based herbicide spray equipment. Four foliar herbicides were applied to dense infestations of mature Siam Weed in March 2009, near Townsville, north Queensland. Low volume, high concentration solutions containing 40 g L-1 a.i. glyphosate, 1.2 g L-1 a.i metsulfuron-methyl, 10 g L-1 a.i. fluroxypyr + 0.7 g L-1 a.i. aminopyralid and 15 g L-1 a.i. triclopyr + 5 g L-1 a.i. picloram + 0.4 g L-1 a.i. aminopyralid were applied using a 5 L backpack and hand gun (or splatter gun). Relatively small amounts (approximately 24-28 mL) of the high concentration solutions were applied to each bush and assessments of the replicated treated and untreated control plots were conducted 76, 207 and 356 days after treatment. These assessments demonstrated that the fluroxypyr and triclopyr based herbicides controlled 96 to 100% of plants. The metsulfuron-methyl and glyphosate based herbicides controlled 40 and 57% of plants respectively 12 months after treatment, when 3% of untreated control plants were dead. The trial demonstrated that this application method and either of two herbicides provides an additional tool for controlling Siam weed in remote areas, which are inaccessible to traditional higher volume foliar herbicide applications. Lower volume herbicide solutions reduce the volume of water and thus the effort needed to effectively treat less accessible infestations.

A simple correction for multiple testing for single-nucleotide polymorphisms in linkage disequilibrium with each other

In this report, we describe a simple correction for multiple testing of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with each other, on the basis of the spectral decomposition (SpD) of matrices of pairwise LD between SNPs. This method provides a useful alternative to more computationally intensive permutation tests. Additionally, output from SNPSpD includes eigenvalues, principal-component coefficients, and factor "loadings" after varimax rotation, enabling the selection of a subset of SNPs that optimize the information in a genomic region.

Synthetic studies towards bioactive frondosins: rapid framework access and diversity creation

A very concise and diversity-oriented approach to rapidly access frondosin-related frameworks from commercially available building blocks is outlined.

Grain dormancy QTL identified in a doubled haploid barley population derived from two non-dormant parents

Grain dormancy provides protection against pre-harvest sprouting (PHS) in cereals. Composite interval mapping and association analyses were performed to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) contributing grain dormancy in a doubled haploid (DH) barley population (ND24260 x Flagship) consisting of 321 lines genotyped with DArT markers. Harvest-ripe grain collected from three field experiments was germinated over a 7-day period to determine a weighted germination index for each line. DH lines displaying moderate to high levels of grain dormancy were identified; however, both parental lines were non-dormant and displayed rapid germination within the first two days of testing. Genetic analysis identified two QTL on chromosome 5H that were expressed consistently in each of the three environments. One QTL (donated by Flagship) was located close to the centromeric region of chromosome 5H (qSDFlag), accounting for up to 15% of the phenotypic variation. A second QTL with a larger effect (from ND24260) was detected on chromosome 5HL (qSDND), accounting for up to 35% of the phenotypic variation. qSDFlag and qSDND displayed an epistatic interaction and DH lines that had the highest levels of grain dormancy carried both genes. We demonstrate that qSDND in the ND24260 9 Flagship DH population is positioned proximal and independent to the well-characterised SD2 region that is associated with both high levels of dormancy and inferior malt quality. This indicates that it should be possible to develop cultivars that combine acceptable malting quality and adequate levels of grain dormancy for protection against PHS by utilizing these alternate QTL.

Strong resistance to phosphine in the rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae): its characterisation, a rapid assay for diagnosis and its distribution in Australia

BACKGROUND: The recent development of very high resistance to phosphine in rusty grain beetle, Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens), seriously threatens stored-grain biosecurity. The aim was to characterise this resistance, to develop a rapid bioassay for its diagnosis to support pest management and to document the distribution of resistance in Australia in 20072011. RESULTS: Bioassays of purified laboratory reference strains and field-collected samples revealed three phenotypes: susceptible, weakly resistant and strongly resistant. With resistance factors of > 1000 x , resistance to phosphine expressed by the strong resistance phenotype was higher than reported for any stored-product insect species. The new time-to-knockdown assay rapidly and accurately diagnosed each resistance phenotype within 6 h. Although less frequent in western Australia, weak resistance was detected throughout all grain production regions. Strong resistance occurred predominantly in central storages in eastern Australia. CONCLUSION: Resistance to phosphine in the rusty grain beetle is expressed through two identifiable phenotypes: weak and strong. Strong resistance requires urgent changes to current fumigation dosages. The development of a rapid assay for diagnosis of resistance enables the provision of same-day advice to expedite resistance management decisions. (c) 2012 Commonwealth of Australia. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Rapid increase in scrub typhus incidence in Mainland China, 2006-2014

Scrub typhus is a vector-borne disease, which has recently reemerged in China. In this study, we describe the distribution and incidence of scrub typhus cases in China from 2006 to 2014 and quantify differences in scrub typhus cases with respect to sex, age, and occupation. The results of our study indicate that the annual incidence of scrub typhus has increased during the study period. The number of cases peaked in 2014, which was 12.8 times greater than the number of cases reported in 2006. Most (77.97%) of the cases were reported in five provinces (Guangdong, Yunnan, Anhui, Fujian, and Shandong). Our study also demonstrates that the incidence rate of scrub typhus was significantly higher in females compared to males (P < 0.001) and was highest in the 60–69 year age group, and that farmers had a higher incidence rate than non farmers (P < 0.001). Different seasonal trends were identified in the number of reported cases between the northern and southern provinces of China. These findings not only demonstrate that China has experienced a large increase in scrub typhus incidence, but also document an expansion in the geographic distribution throughout the country.

Mechanical testing of internal fixation devices: A theoretical and practical examination of current methods

Successful healing of long bone fractures is dependent on the mechanical environment created within the fracture, which in turn is dependent on the fixation strategy. Recent literature reports have suggested that locked plating devices are too stiff to reliably promote healing. However, in vitro testing of these devices has been inconsistent in both method of constraint and reported outcomes, making comparisons between studies and the assessment of construct stiffness problematic. Each of the methods previously used in the literature were assessed for their effect on the bending of the sample and concordant stiffness. The choice of outcome measures used in in vitro fracture studies was also assessed. Mechanical testing was conducted on seven hole locked plated constructs in each method for comparison. Based on the assessment of each method the use of spherical bearings, ball joints or similar is suggested at both ends of the sample. The use of near and far cortex movement was found to be more comprehensive and more accurate than traditional centrally calculated inter fragmentary movement values; stiffness was found to be highly susceptible to the accuracy of deformation measurements and constraint method, and should only be used as a within study comparison method. The reported stiffness values of locked plate constructs from in vitro mechanical testing is highly susceptible to testing constraints and output measures, with many standard techniques overestimating the stiffness of the construct. This raises the need for further investigation into the actual mechanical behaviour within the fracture gap of these devices.

Design and flight testing of a bio-inspired plume tracking algorithm for unmanned serial vehicles

There is an increased interest on the use of UAVs for environmental research such as tracking bush fires, volcanic eruptions, chemical accidents or pollution sources. The aim of this paper is to describe the theory and results of a bio-inspired plume tracking algorithm. A method for generating sparse plumes in a virtual environment was also developed. Results indicated the ability of the algorithms to track plumes in 2D and 3D. The system has been tested with hardware in the loop (HIL) simulations and in flight using a CO2 gas sensor mounted to a multi-rotor UAV. The UAV is controlled by the plume tracking algorithm running on the ground control station (GCS).

Rapid phenotyping for adult-plant resistance to stripe rust in wheat

Stripe or yellow rust (YR) is a significant problem in wheat crops worldwide. The deployment of adult-plant resistance (APR) genes in wheat cultivars is considered a sustainable management strategy, as these genes confer partial resistance that is usually non-race specific. Screening for APR typically involves assessment of adult plants in the field, where expression may be influenced by environmental factors. We report a high-throughput screening method for YR APR that can be used to assess fixed lines or segregating populations grown under controlled environmental conditions (CEC). Inoculation of 3-week-old wheat plants from lines with known APR responses to YR, when grown under constant light and temperature, provided disease responses typical of adult plants. Two F-2 populations ('H45' x 'ST93' and 'Wyalkatchem' x 'ST93') segregating for APR were assessed under both CEC and field conditions. These populations showed similar variation in disease response and lines assessed in both environments attained similar rankings. Phenotypic screening using CEC and continuous light provides an opportunity to accelerate the development of new wheat cultivars with durable resistance.