Publications by authors named "Symons M"

Hydroxyacetone (HA) is an atmospheric oxidation product of isoprene and other organic precursors that can form brown carbon (BrC). Measured bulk aqueous-phase reaction rates of HA with ammonium sulfate, methylamine, and glycine suggest that these reactions cannot compete with aqueous-phase hydroxyl radical oxidation. In cloud chamber photooxidation experiments with either gaseous or particulate HA in the presence of the same N-containing species, BrC formation was minor, with similar mass absorption coefficients at 365 nm (<0.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Despite the success of humorous messages in various health interventions, its role in promoting physical activity (PA) remains understudied. This study addresses this gap by investigating the effectiveness of humorous messages in a 2-week smartphone-based intervention aimed at promoting walking behavior, particularly amongst cognitively fatigued individuals. Female participants ( = 57; = 32.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alcohol consumption in pregnancy can affect genome regulation in the developing offspring but results have been contradictory. We employed a physiologically relevant murine model of short-term moderate prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) resembling common patterns of alcohol consumption in pregnancy in humans. Early moderate PAE was sufficient to affect site-specific DNA methylation in newborn pups without altering behavioural outcomes in adult littermates.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The EmoWear dataset provides a bridge to explore Emotion Recognition (ER) via Seismocardiography (SCG), the measurement of small cardio-respiratory induced vibrations on the chest wall through Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs). We recorded Accelerometer (ACC), Gyroscope (GYRO), Electrocardiography (ECG), Blood Volume Pulse (BVP), Respiration (RSP), Electrodermal Activity (EDA), and Skin Temperature (SKT) data from 49 participants who watched validated emotionally stimulating video clips. They self-assessed their emotional valence, arousal, and dominance, as well as extra questions about the video clips.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: A well-studied internal barrier to regular physical activity, and more specifically brisk walking, is cognitive fatigue. However, thus far little research examined how cognitively fatigued individuals can be motivated to exercise, more specifically to engage in brisk walking. This study investigates whether humorous intervention messages might be an effective strategy to motivate cognitively fatigued individuals to brisk walk, and through which underlying processes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) exposure during pregnancy is linked to serious adverse child outcomes, including Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). The Parent-Child Assistance Program (PCAP) supports women with problematic AOD use, who are pregnant or have young children, and are not effectively engaging with services. PCAP has been shown to reduce alcohol exposed pregnancies, promote AOD abstinence, increase employment and family planning and improve child outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Brain and spinal tumors impact 1 in 1000 individuals by age 25, with a 30-40% mortality rate but a majority achieving cure, though often with lifelong disabilities due to brain injury before and after treatment.
  • Only four drugs have been approved for brain tumors in the last 40 years, highlighting a significant gap in treatment, particularly for children, and many new drugs struggle to penetrate the blood-brain barrier (BBB).
  • This review discusses innovative methods for enhancing drug delivery to brain tumors, including strategies to facilitate BBB penetration and bypass, aiming to improve patient outcomes and possibly re-evaluate previously ineffective drugs.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Individuals with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) are at risk of having adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), especially those with child protection and/or justice system involvement. The complex relationship between FASD and psychosocial vulnerabilities in the affected individual is an important clinical risk factor for comorbidity. This study (1) explored the ACEs and associated stressors in individuals with FASD; (2) investigated the association between ACEs and negative outcomes, i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Aim: This systematic review aimed to identify the most important social, environmental, biological, and/or genetic risk factors for intellectual disability (ID).

Methods: Eligible were published prospective or retrospective comparative studies investigating risk factors for ID in children 4-18 years. Exclusions were single group studies with no comparator without ID and a sample size <100.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction and aims: Associations between bar trading hours, a government lever for controlling alcohol availability, nightlife-goer intoxication levels and their likelihood of alcohol use disorder (AUD) have not been explored. We investigated whether: (i) participant AUD was associated with blood alcohol concentration (BAC); and, (ii) any association between AUD and BAC was moderated by participant preferred bar (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neurodevelopmental impairments resulting from Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) can increase the likelihood of justice system involvement. This study compared offence characteristics in young people with FASD to demographically matched controls ( = 500) in Western Australia. A novel approach (i.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a lifelong neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from alcohol exposure during pregnancy, posing significant public health risks.
  • The FASD Research Australia Centre of Research Excellence is focused on preventing, diagnosing, and managing FASD and emphasizes the importance of stakeholder engagement in their efforts.
  • The paper highlights successful policy and practice influences in FASD over five years and addresses ongoing challenges in effectively implementing research findings.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) is associated with a range of adverse offspring neurodevelopmental outcomes. Several studies suggest that PAE modifies DNA methylation in offspring cells and tissues, providing evidence for a potential mechanistic link to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). We systematically reviewed existing evidence on the extent to which maternal alcohol use during pregnancy is associated with offspring DNA methylation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction And Aims: Associations between longer-term alcohol-related conditions and licensed outlet trading hours are not well understood. We investigated the association between nightlife-goers' likelihood of an alcohol use disorder (AUD) and their preference for bars with special permits to remain open 'late' (i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The measures to fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic have been concentrated on inviting people to stay at home. This has reduced opportunities to exercise while also shedding some light on the importance of physical health. Based on an online survey, this paper investigated physical activity behaviours of a Belgians sample ( = 427) during the lockdown period between the end of May 2020 and the beginning of June 2020 and found that, during this period, the gap between sufficiently and insufficiently active individuals widened even more.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). FASD research is a rapidly growing field that crosses multiple disciplines. To ensure research is relevant and meaningful for people living with FASD, their families, and the broader public there is a need to engage community members in setting priorities for research.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Harmful alcohol consumption contributes to poorer health for all people. For Indigenous Peoples of Australia, Canada, and New Zealand alcohol impacts their wellbeing significantly, this is partially explained by both their experiences of colonisation and the resulting impact on structural and social determinants of health. Indigenous Peoples have a recognised right to self-determination, which includes their right to contribute to policy decisions that affect them.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Glioblastoma is the most common primary brain tumor and remains uniformly fatal, highlighting the dire need for developing effective therapeutics. Significant intra- and inter-tumor heterogeneity and inadequate delivery of therapeutics across blood-brain barrier continue to be significant impediments towards developing therapies which can significantly enhance survival. We hypothesize that microRNAs have the potential to serve as effective therapeutics for glioblastoma as they modulate the activity of multiple signaling pathways, and hence can counteract heterogeneity if successfully delivered.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glioblastoma (GBM), a highly invasive and vascular malignancy is shown to rapidly develop resistance and evolve to a more invasive phenotype following bevacizumab (Bev) therapy. Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor proteins (RhoGEFs) are mediators of key components in Bev resistance pathways, GBM and Bev-induced invasion. To identify GEFs with enhanced mRNA expression in the leading edge of GBM tumours, a cohort of GEFs was assessed using a clinical dataset.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Purposes: (1) To understand the concept of workplace cyberbullying, (2) to develop a conceptual definition of workplace cyberbullying, and (3) to examine evidence on workplace cyberbullying in nursing.

Method: Walker and Avant's eight-step approach to concept analysis was used.

Data Source: Fifteen articles were derived from search of five databases using key terms and factored as cyber, bullying, work, place, and combined terms with nursing or harassment.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain cancer in adults. A hallmark of GBM is aggressive invasion of tumor cells into the surrounding normal brain. Both the current standard of care and targeted therapies have largely failed to specifically address this issue.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Neuro-oncological research is at the forefront of the rising cancer therapy market, as evidenced by its growing revenue and the multitude of clinical trials investigating innovative treatment approaches. The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, in conjunction with the Department of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra / Northwell, sponsored The Brain Tumor Biotech Summit in New York City in June 2019. The aim of the Summit was to provide a forum that encourages collaboration between cancer specialists, biotechnology and pharmaceutical industry leaders, and the investment community in order to promote innovation and advance emerging therapies for brain tumors.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Aboriginal leaders in remote Western Australian communities with high rates of prenatal alcohol exposure invited researchers to evaluate the community-led Marulu foetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) Prevention Strategy initiated in 2010.

Methods: The proportion of women reporting alcohol use during pregnancy to midwives was compared between 2008, 2010 and 2015. Initial midwife appointments were calculated by weeks of gestation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Executive functioning and self-regulation influence a range of outcomes across the life course including physical and mental health, educational success, and employment. Children prenatally exposed to alcohol or early life trauma (ELT) are at higher risk of impairment of these skills and may require intervention to address self-regulation deficits. Researchers partnered with the local Aboriginal health organization and schools to develop and pilot a manualized version of the Alert Program® in the Fitzroy Valley, north Western Australia, a region with documented high rates of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder and ELT.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF