Publications by authors named "Spence A"

Both resistance training (RT) and long-duration, high-intensity stretching induce muscular adaptations; however, it is unknown whether the modalities are complementary or redundant, particularly in well-trained individuals. A case-study was conducted on a competitive bodybuilder implementing long-duration, high-intensity stretching of the plantar flexors (60 min 6x/week for 12 weeks) in conjunction with their habitual RT. Ultrasound muscle architecture (muscle thickness [MT], fascicle length [FL], and pennation angle [PA]) measurements were collected at multiple sites at four weekly baseline sessions, six (mid) and 12 (post1) weeks following the commencement of the intervention, and a week after the intervention (post2) while isometric strength and range of motion (RoM) were obtained once at baseline, mid, post1, and post2.

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Objective: An upward trend in maternal age has been observed in the United States (US) over the last twenty years. The study objective was to examine the association of maternal age with maternal mortality in the US and examine temporal trends in mortality by maternal age.

Methods: A retrospective population-based analysis in the US between 2000-2019 was conducted using records from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "Mortality Multiple Cause" and "Birth Data" files.

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Purpose: As healthy eating recommendations shift to incorporate environmentally sustainable eating principles, it becomes crucial to understand whether children's dietary intakes align with global recommendations such as the EAT-Lancet Commission Planetary Health Diet (PHD), in addition to national health-promoting guidelines, including the Australian Dietary Guidelines (ADG). This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the alignment of young Australian children's food intakes with these recommendations.

Methods: Dietary data from the 2011-2012 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey for children aged 2-8 years were used and compared with, energy-adjusted target amounts of the PHD and ADG Foundation Diet.

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Objective: To co-design support strategies to enable sustainable, healthy, affordable food provision, including waste mitigation practices, in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) settings.

Design: Based on the co-design IDEAS framework (Ideate, DEsign, Assess & Share), this co-design process involved iterative interviews and focus groups with ECEC centre staff and workshops with Nutrition Australia. Interview and workshop themes were coded to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to develop initial prototypes for support strategies that were further developed and refined in focus groups.

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In recent years, simulation has come to prominence as an educational method within the healthcare professions, aiming to shield learners from real-world consequences. However, the associated risks of this educational method have largely remained unaddressed. One of the most potent risks of simulation is felt to be the experience of psychological stress.

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Child eating behaviour traits are associated with several aspects of dietary intake of pre-school children, however the associations between child eating behaviour traits and overall dietary quality in pre-school children has not been examined. Additionally, it is unknown how these relationships vary by age. This study examines the associations between child eating behaviour traits and pre-school children's dietary quality and whether children's age moderates these associations.

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Numerous adverse effects (e.g., depression) have been reported for combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) despite its remarkable success in viral suppression in people with HIV (PWH).

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Side channels are unintended pathways within target systems that leak internal target information. Side-channel sensing (SCS) is the process of exploiting side channels to extract embedded target information. SCS is well established within the cybersecurity (CYB) domain, and has recently been proposed for medical diagnostics and monitoring (MDM).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) on maternal and fetal/neonatal outcomes during pregnancy, using data from the U.S. between 1999 and 2015.
  • Findings showed a low incidence of GBS among pregnancies (2.1/100,000 births) but highlighted a rising trend in cases over the years.
  • Pregnancies complicated by GBS were linked to higher risks of issues like preeclampsia, sepsis, postpartum hemorrhage, and higher rates of cesarean deliveries, indicating a need for close monitoring of affected pregnant women.
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Purpose: Poor bioavailability may contribute to iron deficiency among children in high-resource countries, but iron bioavailability of Australian pre-schooler diets is unknown. This study aimed to estimate the bioavailability of Australian pre-schooler iron intakes across the day and by eating occasions to identify optimal timing for intervention, by using five previously developed algorithms, and to estimate the proportion of children with intakes of absorbable iron below the requirements.

Methods: Dietary data of children aged 2 to < 6 y (n = 812) from the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey were collected via two 24-h recalls.

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Background: Effective training in regional anaesthesia (RA) is paramount to ensuring widespread competence. Technology-based learning has assisted other specialties in achieving more rapid procedural skill acquisition. If applicable to RA, technology-enhanced training has the potential to provide an effective learning experience and to overcome barriers to RA training.

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Reproduction, although absolutely essential to a species' persistence, is in itself challenging. As anthropogenic change increasingly affects every landscape on Earth, it is critical to understand how specific pressures impact the reproductive efforts of individuals, which directly contribute to the success or failure of populations. However, organisms rarely encounter a single burden at a time, and the interactions of environmental challenges can have compounding effects.

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Objective: To assess the comprehensiveness (scope of nutrition guidance) and strength (clarity of written language) of centre-based nutrition policies (CBNP) within early childhood education (ECE) centres. To also consider the applicability of an existing CBNP assessment tool and policy alignment with best practice food provision and feeding practices.

Design: Cross-sectional online study to assess written ECE CNBP using the Wellness Child Care Assessment Tool.

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Our mental representation of the passage of time is structured by concepts of spatial motion, including an ego-moving perspective in which the self is perceived as approaching future events and a time-moving perspective in which future events are perceived as approaching the self. While previous research has found that processing spatial information in one's environment can preferentially activate either an ego-moving or time-moving temporal perspective, potential downstream impacts on everyday decision-making have received less empirical attention. Based on the idea people may feel closer to positive events they see themselves as actively approaching rather than passively waiting for, in this pre-registered study we tested the hypothesis that spatial primes corresponding to an ego-moving (vs.

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Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) with chemotherapy induced sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are at risk for neurocognitive impairments. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between SNHL and cognitive function among CCS.

Procedure: Inclusion: non-CNS solid tumor diagnosis; history of platinum chemotherapy (cisplatin and/or carboplatin); 8-17 years of age; off anti-cancer treatment for ≥6 months; and English speaking.

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Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) exposed to platinum chemotherapy are at an increased risk of developing hearing loss and reporting decreased quality of life (QOL). This study compared two QOL measures; one developed for children with hearing loss, The Hearing Environments and Refection on Quality of Life (HEAR-QL), and one validated in CCS, the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), to assess their ability to evaluate QOL deficits in this population.

Methods: Subject eligibility were restricted to CCS exposed to platinum-based chemotherapy but who were free of known risk factors for cognitive impairment, (non-central nervous system tumor, no cranial radiation, or intrathecal chemotherapy).

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This study investigated whether the improved performance observed with maximal self-paced single-leg (SL), compared with double-leg (DL) cycling, is associated with enhanced femoral blood flow and/or altered tissue oxygenation. The hyperaemic response to exercise was assessed in younger and older athletes. Power output was measured in 12 older (65 ± 4 y) and 12 younger (35 ± 5 y) endurance-trained individuals performing 2 x 3 min maximal self-paced exercise using SL and DL cycling.

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A growing body of research demonstrates the potential of mindfulness to reduce employee stress. However, with work increasingly migrating from the physical to the digital workplace, evidence is lacking on how mindfulness might help employees live healthy digital working lives. In addition, employees' confidence when using the digital workplace is seen as important for productivity but may also play a role in reducing well-being impacts from digital working.

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Biological sex is a salient factor in exercise-induced vascular adaptation. Although a male bias is apparent in the literature, the methodological quality of available studies in females is not yet known. This systematic review with narrative synthesis aimed to assess available evidence of exercise interventions on endothelial function, measured using flow-mediated dilation, in otherwise healthy individuals and athletes.

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Combination antiretroviral therapy (ART) with at least three different drugs has become the standard of care for people with HIV (PWH) due to its exceptional effectiveness in viral suppression. However, many ART drugs have been reported to associate with neuropsychiatric adverse effects including depression, especially when certain genetic polymorphisms exist. Pharmacogenetics is an important consideration for administering combination ART as it may influence drug efficacy and increase risk for neuropsychiatric conditions.

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Manipulating the amount of muscle mass engaged during exercise can noninvasively inform the contribution of central cardiovascular and peripheral vascular-oxidative functions to endurance performance. To better understand the factors contributing to exercise limitation in older and younger individuals, exercise performance was assessed during single-leg and double-leg cycling. 16 older (67 ± 5 years) and 14 younger (35 ± 5 years) individuals performed a maximal exercise using single-leg and double-leg cycling.

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Article Synopsis
  • Stress in healthcare professions can really affect how people learn and perform, especially during simulations used for training.
  • While simulations provide a safe space to practice skills, they can also create a type of stress called simulation-related stress.
  • Researchers are trying to figure out the right amount of stress that helps learning, and the review looks at how stress affects people and the methods used to study it in training environments.
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Objective: The incidence of Lyme disease (LD) infections has risen in recent decades. Gestational LD has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, the results have been contradictory. The study objective was to examine the effects of gestational LD on obstetrical and neonatal outcomes.

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Background: Ageing simulation suits and equipment give healthcare professional (HCP) students the opportunity to experience what it might feel like to be an older person with age-related disability or illness. Ageing simulation experiences, where students complete activities of daily living (ADL) tasks, aim to reproduce the challenges an older person may face.

Objectives: We undertook a scoping literature review to establish, from the evidence base, what is known about simulating ageing experiences for HCP students and its impact on attitudes towards older patients.

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