Showing papers by "Edith Cowan University published in 2018"

High performance plasma amyloid-β biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease

Abstract: To facilitate clinical trials of disease-modifying therapies for Alzheimer's disease, which are expected to be most efficacious at the earliest and mildest stages of the disease, supportive biomarker information is necessary. The only validated methods for identifying amyloid-β deposition in the brain-the earliest pathological signature of Alzheimer's disease-are amyloid-β positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging or measurement of amyloid-β in cerebrospinal fluid. Therefore, a minimally invasive, cost-effective blood-based biomarker is desirable. Despite much effort, to our knowledge, no study has validated the clinical utility of blood-based amyloid-β markers. Here we demonstrate the measurement of high-performance plasma amyloid-β biomarkers by immunoprecipitation coupled with mass spectrometry. The ability of amyloid-β precursor protein (APP)669-711/amyloid-β (Aβ)1-42 and Aβ1-40/Aβ1-42 ratios, and their composites, to predict individual brain amyloid-β-positive or -negative status was determined by amyloid-β-PET imaging and tested using two independent data sets: a discovery data set (Japan, n = 121) and a validation data set (Australia, n = 252 including 111 individuals diagnosed using 11C-labelled Pittsburgh compound-B (PIB)-PET and 141 using other ligands). Both data sets included cognitively normal individuals, individuals with mild cognitive impairment and individuals with Alzheimer's disease. All test biomarkers showed high performance when predicting brain amyloid-β burden. In particular, the composite biomarker showed very high areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) in both data sets (discovery, 96.7%, n = 121 and validation, 94.1%, n = 111) with an accuracy approximately equal to 90% when using PIB-PET as a standard of truth. Furthermore, test biomarkers were correlated with amyloid-β-PET burden and levels of Aβ1-42 in cerebrospinal fluid. These results demonstrate the potential clinical utility of plasma biomarkers in predicting brain amyloid-β burden at an individual level. These plasma biomarkers also have cost-benefit and scalability advantages over current techniques, potentially enabling broader clinical access and efficient population screening.

Metal-free carbocatalysis in advanced oxidation reactions

Abstract: ConspectusCatalytic processes have remarkably boosted the rapid industrializations in chemical production, energy conversion, and environmental remediation. As one of the emerging applications of carbocatalysis, metal-free nanocarbons have demonstrated promise as catalysts for green remediation technologies to overcome the poor stability and undesirable metal leaching in metal-based advanced oxidation processes (AOPs). Since our reports of heterogeneous activation of persulfates with low-dimensional nanocarbons, the novel oxidative system has raised tremendous interest for degradation of organic contaminants in wastewater without secondary contamination. In this Account, we showcase our recent contributions to metal-free catalysis in advanced oxidation, including design of nanocarbon catalysts, exploration of intrinsic active sites, and identification of reactive species and reaction pathways, and we offer perspectives on carbocatalysis for future environmental applications.The journey starts with the dis...

A Critical Review and Analysis on the Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries

Abstract: Recycling of spent lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) has attracted significant attention in recent years due to the increasing demand for corresponding critical metals/materials and growing pressure on the environmental impact of solid waste disposal. A range of investigations have been carried out for recycling spent LIBs to obtain either battery materials or individual compounds. For the effective recovery of materials to be enhanced, physical pretreatment is usually applied to obtain different streams of waste materials ensuring efficient separation for further processing. Subsequently, a metallurgical process is used to extract metals or separate impurities from a specific waste stream so that the recycled materials or compounds can be further prepared by incorporating principles of materials engineering. In this review, the current status of spent LIB recycling is summarized in light of the whole recycling process, especially focusing on the hydrometallurgy. In addition to understanding different hydromet...

Nonradical reactions in environmental remediation processes: Uncertainty and challenges

Abstract: Recent discoveries of nonradical oxidation in aqueous-phase advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have induced tremendous interest in environmental remediation of wastewater, whereas different findings from a variety of investigations have also raised severe controversies in the occurrence and mechanism of the nonradical reaction. Hence, critical understandings of the nonradical reaction will significantly advance the knowledge and its application for catalytic oxidation and wastewater treatment. In this review, we would like to present state-of-the-art research on nonradical pathways in persulfate-based AOPs, with emphases on the controversial methodologies for identifying the oxygen reactive species (ROS), ambiguous reaction mechanisms, intrinsic impacts of metal/carbon catalysts and organic substrates in the nonradical-based catalytic oxidation reactions. Moreover, further research directions on mechanistic investigation of the nonradical pathway with rational experimental design and advanced strategies, as well as the potential applications of the nonradical system are proposed.

Guidelines and considerations for the use of system suitability and quality control samples in mass spectrometry assays applied in untargeted clinical metabolomic studies.

Abstract: Quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) are two quality management processes that are integral to the success of metabolomics including their application for the acquisition of high quality data in any high-throughput analytical chemistry laboratory. QA defines all the planned and systematic activities implemented before samples are collected, to provide confidence that a subsequent analytical process will fulfil predetermined requirements for quality. QC can be defined as the operational techniques and activities used to measure and report these quality requirements after data acquisition. This tutorial review will guide the reader through the use of system suitability and QC samples, why these samples should be applied and how the quality of data can be reported. System suitability samples are applied to assess the operation and lack of contamination of the analytical platform prior to sample analysis. Isotopically-labelled internal standards are applied to assess system stability for each sample analysed. Pooled QC samples are applied to condition the analytical platform, perform intra-study reproducibility measurements (QC) and to correct mathematically for systematic errors. Standard reference materials and long-term reference QC samples are applied for inter-study and inter-laboratory assessment of data.

Insights into perovskite-catalyzed peroxymonosulfate activation: Maneuverable cobalt sites for promoted evolution of sulfate radicals

Abstract: Metal-based catalysis has significantly contributed to the chemical community especially in environmental science. However, the knowledge of cobalt-based perovskite for aqueous phase oxidation still remains equivocal and insufficient. In this study, we discovered that Ba0.5Sr0.5Co0.8Fe0.2O3-δ (BSCF) perovskite was exclusively effective for peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation to produce free radicals, whereas the BSCF was inert to activate peroxydisulfate (PDS) and hydrogen peroxide. The BSCF/PMS exhibited superior performance to the benchmark Co3O4 nanocrystals and other classical PMS activators such as α-MnO2 and spinel CoFe2O4, meanwhile achieving an impressive stability with manipulated cobalt leaching in neutral and basic environment. In situ electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) revealed the evolution of massive sulfate radicals (SO4 −) and hydroxyl radicals ( OH) during the oxidation. A comprehensively comparative study of BSCF and Co3O4 nanocrystals was performed, including electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and cyclic voltammograms (CV) in PMS solution as well as hydrogen temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR) and oxygen temperature-programmed desorption (O2-TPD) tests. The results unveil that the cobalt-based perovskite, BSCF, exhibited a better electrical conductivity and redox potential than the spinel cobalt oxide to interact with PMS. More importantly, the oxygen vacancies and less-electronegativity A-site metals may secure cobalt sites with a lower valence state for donating electrons to PMS simultaneously for radical generation. This study advances the mechanism of cobalt-based heterogeneous catalysis in environmental remediation.

Overview of energy storage systems in distribution networks: Placement, sizing, operation, and power quality

Abstract: The deployment of energy storage systems (ESSs) is a significant avenue for maximising the energy efficiency of a distribution network, and overall network performance can be enhanced by their optimal placement, sizing, and operation. An optimally sized and placed ESS can facilitate peak energy demand fulfilment, enhance the benefits from the integration of renewables and distributed energy sources, aid power quality management, and reduce distribution network expansion costs. This paper provides an overview of optimal ESS placement, sizing, and operation. It considers a range of grid scenarios, targeted performance objectives, applied strategies, ESS types, and advantages and limitations of the proposed systems and approaches. While batteries are widely used as ESSs in various applications, the detailed comparative analysis of ESS technical characteristics suggests that flywheel energy storage (FES) also warrants consideration in some distribution network scenarios. This research provides recommendations for related requirements or procedures, appropriate ESS selection, smart ESS charging and discharging, ESS sizing, placement and operation, and power quality issues. Furthermore, this study identifies future research opportunities in relation to challenges for optimal ESS placement planning, development and implementation issues, optimisation techniques, social impacts, and energy security.

The Importance of Muscular Strength: Training Considerations

Abstract: This review covers underlying physiological characteristics and training considerations that may affect muscular strength including improving maximal force expression and time-limited force expression. Strength is underpinned by a combination of morphological and neural factors including muscle cross-sectional area and architecture, musculotendinous stiffness, motor unit recruitment, rate coding, motor unit synchronization, and neuromuscular inhibition. Although single- and multi-targeted block periodization models may produce the greatest strength-power benefits, concepts within each model must be considered within the limitations of the sport, athletes, and schedules. Bilateral training, eccentric training and accentuated eccentric loading, and variable resistance training may produce the greatest comprehensive strength adaptations. Bodyweight exercise, isolation exercises, plyometric exercise, unilateral exercise, and kettlebell training may be limited in their potential to improve maximal strength but are still relevant to strength development by challenging time-limited force expression and differentially challenging motor demands. Training to failure may not be necessary to improve maximum muscular strength and is likely not necessary for maximum gains in strength. Indeed, programming that combines heavy and light loads may improve strength and underpin other strength-power characteristics. Multiple sets appear to produce superior training benefits compared to single sets; however, an athlete’s training status and the dose–response relationship must be considered. While 2- to 5-min interset rest intervals may produce the greatest strength-power benefits, rest interval length may vary based an athlete’s training age, fiber type, and genetics. Weaker athletes should focus on developing strength before emphasizing power-type training. Stronger athletes may begin to emphasize power-type training while maintaining/improving their strength. Future research should investigate how best to implement accentuated eccentric loading and variable resistance training and examine how initial strength affects an athlete’s ability to improve their performance following various training methods.

0D (MoS2)/2D (g-C3N4) heterojunctions in Z-scheme for enhanced photocatalytic and electrochemical hydrogen evolution

Abstract: MoS2 quantum dots (MSQDs) with high and stable dispersion in water were prepared via a facile one-pot hydrothermal process. The MSQDs were then applied to decorate graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4, CN) nanosheets to obtain modified g-C3N4 photocatalysts (MSQD-CN). Compared to pristine g-C3N4, the hybrid photocatalysts showed a slight red shift and stronger light absorption with remarkably improved photocatalytic activity in water splitting to generate hydrogen. The hydrogen-evolution rate over 0.2 wt% MSQD-CN increased by 1.3 and 8.1 times as high as that of 0.2 wt% Pt-CN and g-C3N4, respectively. With deposition of 2 wt% Pt as a cocatalyst, 5 wt% MSQD-CN exhibited the highest photocatalytic efficiency with an average hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) rate of 577 μmol h−1 g−1. Photoluminescence spectra (PL) and photoelectrochemical measurements inferred that MSQDs introduction drastically promoted the electron transfer for more efficient separation of charge carriers, which could lower HER overpotential barriers and enhance the electrical conductivity. In addition, the well-matched band potentials of the MSQD-CN hybrid with an intimate contact interface of p-n heterojunction also inhibited the recombination of photo-generated carriers, leading to enhanced photocatalytic HER performance. A direct Z-scheme charge transfer mechanism of the MSQD-CN hybrid was proposed to further elaborate the synergistic effect between MSQDs, Pt and g-C3N4. This work underlines the importance of heterojunction interface and presents a feasible protocol for rational construction of g-C3N4 based photocatalysts for various photocatalytic applications.

A marine heatwave drives massive losses from the world’s largest seagrass carbon stocks

Abstract: Seagrass ecosystems contain globally significant organic carbon (C) stocks. However, climate change and increasing frequency of extreme events threaten their preservation. Shark Bay, Western Australia, has the largest C stock reported for a seagrass ecosystem, containing up to 1.3% of the total C stored within the top metre of seagrass sediments worldwide. On the basis of field studies and satellite imagery, we estimate that 36% of Shark Bay’s seagrass meadows were damaged following a marine heatwave in 2010/2011. Assuming that 10 to 50% of the seagrass sediment C stock was exposed to oxic conditions after disturbance, between 2 and 9 Tg CO2 could have been released to the atmosphere during the following three years, increasing emissions from land-use change in Australia by 4–21% per annum. With heatwaves predicted to increase with further climate warming, conservation of seagrass ecosystems is essential to avoid adverse feedbacks on the climate system. Marine ecosystems and their stored carbon are threatened by warming and marine heatwaves. During a 2010–2011 heatwave, around a third of a Western Australian seagrass ecosystem suffered damage, potentially releasing 2–9 Tg CO2 in the following years.

Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy versus open radical retropubic prostatectomy: 24-month outcomes from a randomised controlled study

Abstract: Summary Background Previous trials have found similar early outcomes after robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and open radical retropubic prostatectomy. We report functional and oncological postoperative outcomes up to 24 months after surgery for these two surgical techniques. Methods In this randomised controlled phase 3 study, men who had newly diagnosed clinically localised prostate cancer and who had chosen surgery as their treatment approach, and were aged between 35 years and 70 years were eligible and recruited from the Royal Brisbane and Women's Hospital (Brisbane, QLD, Australia). Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to have either robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy or open radical retropubic prostatectomy. Randomisation was computer generated and occurred in blocks of ten. This was an open trial; however, study investigators involved in data analysis were masked to each patient's surgical treatment. Primary outcomes were urinary function (urinary domain of Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite [EPIC]) and sexual function (sexual domain of EPIC and International Index of Erectile Function Questionnaire [IIEF]) at 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months and oncological outcome (biochemical recurrence and imaging evidence of progression). The trial was powered to assess health-related and domain-specific quality-of-life outcomes over 24 months. All analyses were done on a per-protocol basis. The trial was registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12611000661976. Findings Between Aug 23, 2010, and Nov 25, 2014, 326 men were enrolled, of whom 163 were randomly assigned to robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and 163 to open radical retropubic prostatectomy. 18 withdrew (12 assigned to radical retropubic prostatectomy and six assigned to robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy); thus, 151 in the radical retropubic prostatectomy group and 157 in the robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy group proceeded to surgery. At the 24-month follow-up time point, 150 men remained in the robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy group and 146 remained in the open radical retropubic prostatectomy group. Urinary function scores did not differ significantly between robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and open radical retropubic prostatectomy at 6 months post-surgery (88·68 [95% CI 86·79–90·58] vs 88·45 [86·54–90·36]; p1 Interpretation Robot-assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and open radical retropubic prostatectomy yielded similar functional outcomes at 24 months. We advise caution in interpreting the oncological outcomes of our study because of the absence of standardisation in postoperative management between the two trial groups and the use of additional cancer treatments. Clinicians and patients should view the benefits of a robotic approach as being largely related to its minimally invasive nature. Funding Cancer Council Queensland.

Application of four-dimension criteria to assess rigour of qualitative research in emergency medicine

Abstract: The main objective of this methodological manuscript was to illustrate the role of using qualitative research in emergency settings. We outline rigorous criteria applied to a qualitative study assessing perceptions and experiences of staff working in Australian emergency departments. We used an integrated mixed-methodology framework to identify different perspectives and experiences of emergency department staff during the implementation of a time target government policy. The qualitative study comprised interviews from 119 participants across 16 hospitals. The interviews were conducted in 2015–2016 and the data were managed using NVivo version 11. We conducted the analysis in three stages, namely: conceptual framework, comparison and contrast and hypothesis development. We concluded with the implementation of the four-dimension criteria (credibility, dependability, confirmability and transferability) to assess the robustness of the study, We adapted four-dimension criteria to assess the rigour of a large-scale qualitative research in the emergency department context. The criteria comprised strategies such as building the research team; preparing data collection guidelines; defining and obtaining adequate participation; reaching data saturation and ensuring high levels of consistency and inter-coder agreement. Based on the findings, the proposed framework satisfied the four-dimension criteria and generated potential qualitative research applications to emergency medicine research. We have added a methodological contribution to the ongoing debate about rigour in qualitative research which we hope will guide future studies in this topic in emergency care research. It also provided recommendations for conducting future mixed-methods studies. Future papers on this series will use the results from qualitative data and the empirical findings from longitudinal data linkage to further identify factors associated with ED performance; they will be reported separately.

Smart Charging Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

Abstract: Although the concept of transportation electrification holds enormous prospects in addressing the global environmental pollution problem, in reality the market penetration of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) has been very low. Consumer concerns over the limited availability of charging facilities and unacceptably long charging periods are major factors behind this low penetration rate. From the perspective of the electricity grid, a longer PEV peak load period can potentially overlap with the residential peak load period, making energy management more challenging. A suitably designed charging strategy can help to address these concerns, which motivated us to conduct this research. In this paper, we present a smart charging strategy for a PEV network that offers multiple charging options, including ac level 2 charging, dc fast charging, and battery swapping facilities at charging stations. For a PEV requiring charging facilities, we model the issue of finding the optimal charging station as a multiobjective optimization problem, where the goal is to find a station that ensures the minimum charging time, travel time, and charging cost. We extend the model to a metaheuristic solution in the form of an ant colony optimization. Simulation results show that the proposed solution significantly reduces waiting time and charging cost.

BioTIME: A database of biodiversity time series for the Anthropocene

Abstract: Motivation: The BioTIME database contains raw data on species identities and abundances in ecological assemblages through time. These data enable users to calculate temporal trends in biodiversity within and amongst assemblages using a broad range of metrics. BioTIME is being developed as a community-led open-source database of biodiversity time series. Our goal is to accelerate and facilitate quantitative analysis of temporal patterns of biodiversity in the Anthropocene.Main types of variables included: The database contains 8,777,413 species abundance records, from assemblages consistently sampled for a minimum of 2 years, which need not necessarily be consecutive. In addition, the database contains metadata relating to sampling methodology and contextual information about each record.Spatial location and grain: BioTIME is a global database of 547,161 unique sampling locations spanning the marine, freshwater and terrestrial realms. Grain size varies across datasets from 0.0000000158 km(2) (158 cm(2)) to 100 km(2) (1,000,000,000,000 cm(2)).Time period and grainBio: TIME records span from 1874 to 2016. The minimal temporal grain across all datasets in BioTIME is a year.Major taxa and level of measurement: BioTIME includes data from 44,440 species across the plant and animal kingdoms, ranging from plants, plankton and terrestrial invertebrates to small and large vertebrates.

Nanodiamonds in sp2/sp3 configuration for radical to nonradical oxidation: Core-shell layer dependence

Abstract: Nanocarbons in molecular configurations of sp 2 /sp 3 present versatile structural and electronic properties, exhibiting a complexity in the structure-activity chemistry. In this work, we employed detonation nanodiamonds constructed as a characteristic core/shell structure in the sp 2 /sp 3 configuration to demonstrate the intrinsic correlation between the structure and catalysis. Annealed detonation nanodiamonds were found to show a superb activity for catalytic peroxymonosulfate activation and organic oxidation. A synergistic effect of charge transport was discovered at the interface to construct an electron-enriched carbon surface that further promoted the catalytic activity evidenced by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations. More importantly, both experimental results and theoretical predictions revealed that the catalytic oxidation via peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation was intimately dependent on the proportion of graphitic carbon layer in the sp 2 /sp 3 configurations. The increase of graphitic layers on nanodiamonds would alter the PMS activation from a radical-based reaction to a nonradical pathway for catalytic oxidation. The novel catalytic properties of tunable oxidative potentials from carbocatalysis may simulate fascinating prospects for environmental catalysis and organic synthesis.

Internet of Things (IoT): Research, Simulators, and Testbeds

Abstract: The Internet of Things (IoT) vision is increasingly being realized to facilitate convenient and efficient human living. To conduct effective IoT research using the most appropriate tools and techniques, we discuss recent research trends in the IoT area along with current challenges faced by the IoT research community. Several existing and emerging IoT research areas such as lightweight energy-efficient protocol development, object cognition and intelligence, as well as the critical need for robust security and privacy mechanisms will continue to be significant fields of research for IoT. IoT research can be a challenging process spanning both virtual and physical domains through the use of simulators and testbeds to develop and validate the initial proof-of-concepts and subsequent prototypes. To support researchers in planning IoT research activities, we present a comparative analysis of existing simulation tools categorized based on the scope of coverage of the IoT architecture layers. We compare existing large-scale IoT testbeds that have been adopted by researchers for examining the physical IoT prototypes. Finally, we discuss several open challenges of current IoT simulators and testbeds that need to be addressed by the IoT research community to conduct large-scale, robust and effective IoT simulation, and prototype evaluations.

Association of obstructive sleep apnea with hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract: Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder characterized as complete or partial upper airflow cessation during sleep Although it has been widely accepted that OSA is a risk factor for the development of hypertension, the studies focusing on this topic revealed inconsistent results We aimed to clarify the association between OSA and hypertension, including essential and medication-resistant hypertension Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) was followed PubMed and Embase databases were used for searching the relevant studies published up to December 31, 2016 A quantitative approach of meta-analysis was performed to estimate the pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) Results Twenty-six studies with 51 623 participants (28 314 men, 23 309 women; mean age 518 years) met inclusion criteria and were included in this study Among them, six studies showed a significant association between OSA and resistant hypertension (pooled OR = 2842, 95% CI = 1703-3980, P < 005) Meanwhile, the combination of 20 original studies on the association of OSA with essential hypertension also presented significant results with the pooled ORs of 1184 (95% CI = 1093-1274, P < 005) for mild OSA, 1316 (95% CI = 1197-1433, P < 005) for moderate OSA and 1561 (95% CI = 1287-1835, P < 005) for severe OSA Conclusions Our findings indicated that OSA is related to an increased risk of resistant hypertension Mild, moderate and severe OSA are associated essential hypertension, as well a dose-response manner relationship is manifested The associations are relatively stronger among Caucasians and male OSA patients

Bread-making synthesis of hierarchically Co@C nanoarchitecture in heteroatom doped porous carbons for oxidative degradation of emerging contaminants

Abstract: Employing low-cost and abundant wheat flour, sodium bicarbonate, cysteine and cobalt nitrate as precursors, we for the first time present a facile one-pot pyrolysis strategy for homogeneous assembly of core-shell Co@C nanoparticles with nitrogen and sulfur into hierarchically porous carbons (Co-N-S-PCs). The samples are highly efficient for oxidative decomposition of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) and phenol. It was found that Co@C nanoparticles are crucial for the generation of singlet oxygen in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs), which works together with hydroxyl and sulfate radicals in efficient decomposition of HBA. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations disclose that electron transfer from metal Co to C shells greatly improves the Fermi level and chemical activity of the C atoms. The combination of Co-C interaction with N, S codoping further bring in catalytic active sites in the graphitic shells where the charge states of C atoms are increased. This template-free strategy is scalable to prepare highly efficient catalysts, including functional carbon materials modified with non-precious metal species or pure and well-dispersed porous core-shell nanoparticles for environmental or energy applications.

Sequestration of macroalgal carbon: the elephant in the Blue Carbon room

Abstract: Macroalgae form the most extensive and productive benthic marine vegetated habitats globally but their inclusion in Blue Carbon (BC) strategies remains controversial. We review the arguments offered to reject or include macroalgae in the BC framework, and identify the challenges that have precluded macroalgae from being incorporated so far. Evidence that macroalgae support significant carbon burial is compelling. The carbon they supply to sediment stocks in angiosperm BC habitats is already included in current assessments, so that macroalgae are de facto recognized as important donors of BC. The key challenges are (i) documenting macroalgal carbon sequestered beyond BC habitat, (ii) tracing it back to source habitats, and (iii) showing that management actions at the habitat lead to increased sequestration at the sink site. These challenges apply equally to carbon exported from BC coastal habitats. Because of the large carbon sink they support, incorporation of macroalgae into BC accounting and actions is an imperative. This requires a paradigm shift in accounting procedures as well as developing methods to enable the capacity to trace carbon from donor to sink habitats in the ocean.

Which exercise prescriptions improve quality of life and physical function in patients with cancer during and following treatment? A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Abstract: Objective Certain exercise prescriptions for patients with cancer may improve self-reported quality of life (QoL) and self-reported physical function (PF). We investigated the effects of exercise on QoL and PF in patients with cancer and studied differences in effects between different intervention-related and exercise-related characteristics. Design We searched four electronic databases to identify randomised controlled trials investigating exercise effects on QoL and PF in patients with cancer. Pooled effects (Hedges' g) were calculated using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software. Subgroup analyses were conducted based on intervention dimensions, including timing, duration and delivery mode, and exercise dimensions, including frequency, intensity, type and time (FITT factors). Results We included 74 exercise arms. Patients who were randomised to exercise interventions had significantly improved QoL (g=0.15, 95% CI (0.10 to 0.20), n=67 exercise arms) and PF (g=0.21, 95% CI (0.15 to 0.27), n=59 exercise arms) compared with patients in control groups. We found a significant between-group difference for exercise delivery mode, with significant beneficial effects for supervised exercise interventions (g=0.20, 95% CI (0.14 to 0.26) for QoL and g=0.27, 95% CI (0.20 to 0.33) for PF), but not for unsupervised interventions (g=0.04, 95% CI (-0.06 to 0.13) for QoL and g=0.09, 95% CI (-0.01 to 0.19) for PF). No statistically significant differences in intervention effects were found for variations in intervention timing, duration or exercise FITT factors. Unsupervised exercise with higher weekly energy expenditure was more effective than unsupervised exercise with lower energy expenditure (z=2.34, p=0.02). Conclusions Exercise interventions, especially when supervised, have statistically significant and small clinical benefit on self-reported QoL and PF in patients with cancer. Unsupervised exercise intervention effects on PF were larger when prescribed at a higher weekly energy expenditure.

Enhanced corrosion and wear resistance properties of carbon fiber reinforced Ni-based composite coating by laser cladding

Abstract: To enhance the wear resistance and corrosion resistance of Ni-based coatings, carbon fibers reinforced nickel-based composite coatings (CFs/Ni) were fabricated on the surface of 1Cr13 stainless steel by laser cladding (LC). The microstructure characteristics, microhardness, wear and corrosion performances of the composite coatings were investigated. The results show that CFs can effectively improve the corrosion and wear resistances of Ni-based coatings. With increasing laser scanning speed, the morphology of CFs in composite coatings is more integral and the corrosion and wear resistances of the composite coatings are improved. Especially, when laser scanning speed is increased to 8 mm/s, the average microhardness of the composite coating reaches up to 405 HV0.2, which is about 1.3 times higher than that of Ni-based coating. Moreover, the corrosion current density and the wear rate of the composite coating are only 7% and 55% of those of the Ni-based coating, respectively, which is attributed to the good properties and homogeneous distribution of CFs and finer microstructure of composite coating.