ORCID Profile
0000-0002-8919-4360
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Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1987
DOI: 10.1071/WR9870139
Abstract: Densities of red-necked wallabies Macropus rufogriseus banksianus and eastern grey kangaroos M. giganteus at Wallaby Creek were estimated from dung-pellet counts, and these estimates were compared with the actual densities, known from censuses of in idually recognisable animals. Rates of pellet accumulation were measured by clearing and re-surveying permanently marked plots. Trials measured the rates at which pellets disappeared, and defaecation rates were measured in a concurrent study. Pellets disappeared quickly during warm, moist conditions (and at rates which varied with habitat), but survived well in cold, dry conditions. Winter is considered to be the most appropriate season to run dung-pellet surveys in this or similar environments. Dung-pellet surveys estimated red-necked wallaby density with consistent accuracy, regardless of whether counts of in idual pellets or counts of pellet groups were used. Counts of in idual pellets underestimated grey kangaroo density, but counts of pellet groups returned more accurate estimates. Inaccuracies in previous estimates of macropodid density derived from dung-pellet surveys appear to have been due to the inappropriateness of defaecation rates measured on captive animals.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1994
DOI: 10.1071/WR9940249
Abstract: The Tasmanian bettong (Bettongia gaimardi) feeds by digging for the fruit-bodies of hypogeous ectomycorrhizal fungi in dry sclerophyll forest. This study examined variations in the density of food-diggings of B. gaimardi in relation to vegetation patterns in a 150-ha study area. Density of B. gaimardi diggings was highest in Eucalyptus tenuiramus [E. tenuiramis] forest with a high density of mature stems and little ground vegetation this type of vegetation was found on soils of low fertility. Density of diggings also increased towards the dry end of a moisture gradient characterized by a transition from E. amygdalina to E. obliqua, and increased with the density of Acacia dealbata stems. High densities of A. dealbata probably indicate recent burning. Analysis of the fine-scale distribution of diggings showed that diggings were clustered around Eucalyptus and Acacia stems, but showed no pattern in relation to density of ground vegetation.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 1995
DOI: 10.1071/WR9950741
Abstract: The northern hairy-nosed wombat, one of the most endangered large mammals known, occurs only in Epping Forest National Park, central Queensland. The results of a 3-stage trapping programme, carried out between 1985 and 1993, were used to estimate population size by means of three separate modelling approaches: minimum number alive (MNA), mark-recapture, and trapping effort. Trapping procedure varied among sessions, and each estimator was applied to sessions only where its use was appropriate. The population-size estimate for 1985-86 was 67 (trap effort) with MNA of 58 for 1988-89 it was 62 (Jolly-Seber mark-recapture estimate), with MNA of 48 and upper 95% confidence limit of 77 and for 1993 it was 65 (Chao mark-recapture and trap effort), with MNA of 43 and upper 95% confidence limit of 186 (Chao mark-recapture). No population trends were observed, although variability in estimates and wide confidence intervals meant that power to do so was limited. Trapping affected the health and behaviour of wombats. Animals that were trapped twice within 10 nights lost an average of 0.62 kg (P = 0.006) between captures. Wombats that were trapped twice within the first four nights of traps being set on a burrow showed less weight loss than those trapped for the second time after 5-7 nights (0.23 kg v. 1.54 kg). The effects of trapping appeared to remain with animals for some time, since animals trapped twice more than 30 nights apart and within six months weighed an average of 0.5 kg less (P = 0.013) on second capture. When areas were trapped twice in succession with a 3-week gap, population-size estimates were lower for the second period of trapping. Thus, some wombats may have temporarily left areas disturbed by trapping. The deleterious impact of trapping may be reduced by restricting trapping to periods of four nights. Trapping effectiveness may be increased by minimising disturbance immediately before trapping and by moving traps between periods of trapping.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 27-08-2019
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-019-48861-3
Abstract: Acute exercise generally benefits memory but little research has examined how exercise affects metacognition (knowledge of memory performance). We show that a single bout of exercise can influence metacognition in paired-associate learning. Participants completed 30-min of moderate-intensity exercise before or after studying a series of word pairs ( cloud - ivory ), and completed cued-recall ( cloud -? Experiments 1 & 2) and recognition memory tests ( cloud -? spoon ivory drill choir Experiment 2). Participants made judgments of learning prior to cued-recall tests (JOLs predicted likelihood of recalling the second word of each pair when shown the first) and feeling-of-knowing judgments prior to recognition tests (FOK predicted likelihood of recognizing the second word from four alternatives). Compared to no-exercise control conditions, exercise before encoding enhanced cued-recall in Experiment 1 but not Experiment 2 and did not affect recognition. Exercise after encoding did not influence memory. In conditions where exercise did not benefit memory, it increased JOLs and FOK judgments relative to accuracy (Experiments 1 & 2) and impaired the relative accuracy of JOLs (ability to distinguish remembered from non-remembered items Experiment 2). Acute exercise seems to signal likely remembering this has implications for understanding the effects of exercise on metacognition, and for incorporating exercise into study routines.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.DIABRES.2021.109178
Abstract: Diabetes is an established risk factor for dementia. This study aimed to examine the relationship between various cognitive domains, brain oxidative stress and markers of diabetes in older adults at risk for dementia. Older adults at risk for dementia underwent comprehensive neuropsychological and medical assessment. At risk was defined as those with subjective and/or objective cognitive impairment. Pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes were defined using American Diabetes Association definitions for fasting blood glucose and HbA1c. Brain oxidative stress as indicated by glutathione (GSH) was assessed via magnetic resonance spectroscopy in the anterior cingulate cortex. One-hundred and forty-seven older adults completed a neuropsychological assessment and fasting blood s le with 63 also undergoing magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Those with pre-diabetes/diabetes according to FBG had impaired memory retention, set-shifting and response inhibition, compared to those with normal blood glucose. In contrast, there were no significant differences in any cognitive outcome using the HbA1c definition. Increasing glucose and HbA1c levels were associated with reduced GSH concentration in the anterior cingulate. This study demonstrates that in older adults at risk for dementia, having pre-diabetes or diabetes is associated with impaired memory and executive dysfunction. It also highlights the potential role of oxidative stress as a pathophysiological mechanism that may underpin the link between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction.
Publisher: Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health)
Date: 27-01-2021
Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 27-02-2023
DOI: 10.3390/NU15051189
Abstract: Mediterranean diet interventions have demonstrated positive effects in the prevention and management of several chronic conditions in older adults. Understanding the effective components of behavioural interventions is essential for long-term health behaviour change and translating evidence-based interventions into practice. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the current Mediterranean diet interventions for older adults (≥55 years) and describe the behaviour change techniques used as part of the interventions. A scoping review systematically searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO from inception until August 2022. Eligible studies were randomized and non-randomized experimental studies involving a Mediterranean or anti-inflammatory diet intervention in older adults (average age 55 years). Screening was conducted independently by two authors, with discrepancies being resolved by the senior author. Behaviour change techniques were assessed using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (version 1), which details 93 hierarchical techniques grouped into 16 categories. From 2385 articles, 31 studies were included in the final synthesis. Ten behaviour change taxonomy groupings and 19 techniques were reported across the 31 interventions. The mean number of techniques used was 5, with a range from 2 to 9. Common techniques included instruction on how to perform the behaviour (n = 31), social support (n = 24), providing information from a credible source (n = 16), information about health consequences (n = 15), and adding objects to the environment (n = 12). Although behaviour change techniques are commonly reported across interventions, the use of the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy for intervention development is rare, and more than 80% of the available techniques are not being utilised. Integrating behaviour change techniques in the development and reporting of nutrition interventions for older adults is essential for effectively targeting behaviours in both research and practice.
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