Prevalence and pattern of energy drink intake among Australian adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Energy drinks (ED) are popular among young people despite evidence of associated health risks. Research into the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among young people is sparse. The present study investigates the prevalence and pattern of ED intake among a large sample of adolescents, including how many consume them, how often, for what reasons and in what contexts. METHODS: In 2018, all students in grades 7-12 attending 25 randomly selected Western Australian schools were invited to complete an online self-report survey about EDs. RESULTS: Of the 3688 respondents, 51.2% reported consuming an ED. Of these 'ever consumers', 23.4% drank them monthly, 19.2% weekly and 2% every day. The average age of first intake was 10.7 years. One-fifth (19.7%) of 'ever consumers' reported consuming more than two EDs in 1 day. Reasons for ED use included taste, to boost energy levels, sport performance and studying. CONCLUSIONS: The findings add to limited international evidence about adolescent ED use and provide valuable information to help ensure interventions to reduce intake address the underlying reasons and contexts of ED consumption.

Mechanisms of laser-induced damage in absorbing glasses with nanosecond pulses.

The propagation of 355-nm, nanosecond pulses in absorbing glasses is investigated for the specific case examples of the broadband absorbing glass SuperGrey and the Ce3+-doped silica glass. The study involves different laser irradiation conditions and material characterization methods to capture the transient material behaviors leading to laser-induced damage. Two damage-initiation mechanisms were identified: (1) melting of the surface as a result of increased temperature; and (2) self-focusing caused by a transient change in the index of refraction. Population of excited states greatly affects both mechanisms by increasing the transient absorption cross section via excited-state absorption and introducing a change of the refractive index to support the formation of graded-index lensing and self-focusing of the beam inside the material. The governing damage-initiation mechanism depends on the thermodynamic properties of the host glass, the electronic structure characteristics of the doped ion, and the laser-spot size.

Multiple Shape Coexistence in

From detailed spectroscopy of ^{110}Cd and ^{112}Cd following the ß^{+}/electron-capture decay of ^{110,112}In and the ß^{-} decay of ^{112}Ag, very weak decay branches from nonyrast states are observed. The transition rates determined from the measured branching ratios and level lifetimes obtained with the Doppler-shift attenuation method following inelastic neutron scattering reveal collective enhancements that are suggestive of a series of rotational bands. In ^{110}Cd, a γ band built on the shape-coexisting intruder configuration is suggested. For ^{112}Cd, the 2^{+} and 3^{+} intruder γ-band members are suggested, the 0_{3}^{+} band is extended to spin 4^{+}, and the 0_{4}^{+} band is identified. The results are interpreted using beyond-mean-field calculations employing the symmetry conserving configuration mixing method with the Gogny D1S energy density functional and with the suggestion that the Cd isotopes exhibit multiple shape coexistence.

Particle damage sources for fused silica optics and their mitigation on high energy laser systems.

High energy laser systems are ultimately limited by laser-induced damage to their critical components. This is especially true of damage to critical fused silica optics, which grows rapidly upon exposure to additional laser pulses. Much progress has been made in eliminating damage precursors in as-processed fused silica optics (the advanced mitigation process, AMP3), and very high damage resistance has been demonstrated in laboratory studies. However, the full potential of these improvements has not yet been realized in actual laser systems. In this work, we explore the importance of additional damage sources-in particular, particle contamination-for fused silica optics fielded in a high-performance laser environment, the National Ignition Facility (NIF) laser system. We demonstrate that the most dangerous sources of particle contamination in a system-level environment are laser-driven particle sources. In the specific case of the NIF laser, we have identified the two important particle sources which account for nearly all the damage observed on AMP3 optics during full laser operation and present mitigations for these particle sources. Finally, with the elimination of these laser-driven particle sources, we demonstrate essentially damage free operation of AMP3 fused silica for ten large optics (a total of 12,000 cm2 of beam area) for shots from 8.6 J/cm2 to 9.5 J/cm2 of 351 nm light (3 ns Gaussian pulse shapes). Potentially many other pulsed high energy laser systems have similar particle sources, and given the insight provided by this study, their identification and elimination should be possible. The mitigations demonstrated here are currently being employed for all large UV silica optics on the National Ignition Facility.

Mechanisms of surface contamination in fused silica by means of laser-induced electrostatic effects.

We demonstrate that fused-silica samples exposed to nanosecond laser pulses at 355 nm and 1064 nm develop long-lived electrostatic charges on their surfaces. These charges extend well beyond the area exposed to the laser beam. The results suggest this effect is dependent on laser fluence and wavelength. In addition, ejected particles generated during laser-induced breakdown are electrostatically charged. Experiments indicate that such electrostatic charges can produce forces that can support the transport of dielectric and metallic microspheres between surfaces. This in turn can promote increased contamination of optical components during operation at relevant excitation conditions.

Safety and efficacy of rescue flexible bronchoscopic intubation using the Bentson floppy-tip guidewire via a supraglottic airway in critically ill children.

Difficulty in tracheal intubation in paediatric intensive care patients is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Delays to intubation and interruption to oxygenation and ventilation are poorly tolerated. We developed a safe and atraumatic tracheal intubation technique. A floppy-tipped guidewire and airway exchange catheter were placed to a pre-determined length under bronchoscopic guidance while oxygenation and ventilation was maintained via a supraglottic airway device (SAD). We performed a retrospective review of this technique on patients who were either known to have or who had an unexpected difficultly in intubation. We describe the safety and experience of this in a broad range of critically ill children. Thirteen patients, median (IQR [range]) (9.0 (5.0-10.0 [4.0-12.0]) kg and 15.4 (12.1-23.2 [3.3-49.7]) months) underwent emergency tracheal intubation using this technique, after unsuccessful attempts at intubation using standard laryngoscopy blades. All intubations were successful at the first attempt using this technique and no airway trauma or significant clinical deteriorations were recorded.

Immediate effects of rapid maxillary expansion on the naso-maxillary facial soft tissue using 3D stereophotogrammetry.

BACKGROUND: Rapid maxillary expansion (RME) is used to expand the narrow maxilla. Dental and skeletal affects have previously been reported but few studies have reported on the overlying soft tissue changes. This study reports on the immediate effects of RME on the naso-maxillary facial soft tissue using 3D stereophotogrammetry. METHODS: Fourteen patients requiring upper arch expansion using RME as part of their full comprehensive orthodontic plan were recruited. Cone beam CT scans and stereophotogrammetry images were taken for each patient; pre-RME activation (T0) and immediately post-RME expansion (T1). Based on twenty-three landmarks, 13 linear and 3 angular measurements were made from each of the stereophotogrammetry images. A linear measurement at ANS was taken from each CBCT image. Using a Wilcoxon signed rank test, the pre-RME and post-RME measurements were compared. RESULTS: The mean separation of the anterior nasal spine was 3.8 mm ± 1.2 mm. The largest median increase was in nasal base width (1.6 mm), which was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Changes in the nasal dorsum height, nasal tip protrusion, philtrum width, and upper lip length were not statistically significant (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed in the nostril linear measurements, expect for columella width (p = 0.009). Naso-labial angle decreased but was not statistically significant (p = 0.276). The only statically significant angular change was an increase in the nasal tip displacement angle (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Rapid maxillary expansion produces subtle changes in the naso-maxillary soft tissue complex. There is an increase in nasal base width, retraction and flattening of the nasal tip. These changes are small, less than 2 mm and variable between patients.

Identification of novel vascular targets in lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related death, largely owing to the lack of effective treatments. A tumour vascular targeting strategy presents an attractive alternative; however, the molecular signature of the vasculature in lung cancer is poorly explored. This work aimed to identify novel tumour vascular targets in lung cancer. METHODS: Enzymatic digestion of fresh tissue followed by endothelial capture with Ulex lectin-coated magnetic beads was used to isolate the endothelium from fresh tumour specimens of lung cancer patients. Endothelial isolates from the healthy and tumour lung tissue were subjected to whole human genome expression profiling using microarray technology. RESULTS: Bioinformatics analysis identified tumour endothelial expression of angiogenic factors, matrix metalloproteases and cell-surface transmembrane proteins. Predicted novel tumour vascular targets were verified by RNA-seq, quantitative real-time PCR analysis and immunohistochemistry. Further detailed expression profiling of STEAP1 on 82 lung cancer patients confirmed STEAP1 as a novel target in the tumour vasculature. Functional analysis of STEAP1 using siRNA silencing implicates a role in endothelial cell migration and tube formation. CONCLUSIONS: The identification of cell-surface tumour endothelial markers in lung is of interest in therapeutic antibody and vaccine development.

The novel use of three-dimensional surface models to quantify and visualise the immediate changes of the mid-facial skeleton following rapid maxillary expansion.

BACKGROUND: The transverse skeletal effects of rapid maxillary expansion (RME) have previously been assessed using cone-beam CT (CBCT). However, to date the majority of studies assess the changes based on two-dimensional slice images, which under utilises the three-dimensional (3D) data captured. This study optimizes the volumetric CBCT data by generating 3D rendered surface models to quantity and visualize the immediate 3D changes of the mid-facial bone surfaces following RME. METHODS: The sample consisted of 14 patients who required RME prior to fixed appliances. Pre-treatment (T0) and immediate post expansion (T1) CBCT images were taken. Following superimposition the mid face was divided into six anatomical regions. A one-sample t-test was used to determine if the differences between the two surfaces were significantly ≥0.5 mm. FINDINGS: All regions showed a change following RME ≥ 0.5 mm. The maxillary and nasal bones showed 2.3 mm and 2.4 mm expansion respectively, followed by the zygomatic bones (1.4 mm), 2 cases showing asymmetric expansion. CONCLUSIONS: The use of 3D surface rendered models allows quantification and visualisation of 3D changes in the mid-facial skeleton at anatomical sites distant of RME activation. Following activation there can be a pan mid-facial expansion, including not only the maxilla but also the nasal lateral bones and zygomas. The response was highly variable and asymmetric expansion can occur.

Plexogenic arteriopathy in broiler lungs: Evaluation of line, age, and sex influences.

Plexiform lesions form in the terminal pulmonary arterioles of human patients suffering from prolonged pulmonary arterial hypertension. Plexiform lesions also develop in broiler lungs, but lesion incidences are not strongly correlated with sustained pulmonary hypertension as reflected by right to total ventricular weight (RVTV) ratios. The present study was conducted to assess plexiform lesion incidences in broiler lines that have been divergently selected for susceptibility or resistance to pulmonary hypertension. Broilers from susceptible (SUS) and resistant (RES) lines were reared together and only clinically healthy (nonascitic, noncyanotic) individuals were evaluated to minimize potential line differences in cardiopulmonary hemodynamics. The objective was to determine if an innate genetic predisposition for plexogenic arteriopathy would be exposed in SUS broilers when compared with RES broilers in the absence of extreme differences in cardiopulmonary hemodynamics. Broilers up to 12 wk age from the SUS and RES lines had essentially equivalent BW, indices of cardiopulmonary function (left ventricle + septum weight, total ventricle weight, and RVTV ratios), and lung volumes within a sex. Average RVTV ratios for broilers from both lines were indicative of normal pulmonary arterial pressures at all ages sampled. Nevertheless, plexiform lesions were detected in SUS and RES broiler lungs immediately posthatch and thereafter at all ages sampled. Lesion incidences were consistently low and did not differ between the lines within any of the sampling ages. This evidence demonstrates that plexiform lesions develop extremely rapidly in broiler chicks, apparently without the prerequisite for vascular stress caused by severe, prolonged pulmonary arterial hypertension. No innate genetic predisposition for complex vascular lesion development appeared to exist in the SUS line when compared with the RES line.

High fluence laser damage precursors and their mitigation in fused silica.

The use of any optical material is limited at high fluences by laser-induced damage to optical surfaces. In many optical materials, the damage results from a series of sources which initiate at a large range of fluences and intensities. Much progress has been made recently eliminating silica surface damage due to fracture-related precursors at relatively low fluences (i.e., less than 10 J/cm(2), when damaged by 355 nm, 5 ns pulses). At higher fluence, most materials are limited by other classes of damage precursors which exhibit a strong threshold behavior and high areal density (>10(5) cm(-2)); we refer to these collectively as high fluence precursors. Here, we show that a variety of nominally transparent materials in trace quantities can act as surface damage precursors. We show that by minimizing the presence of precipitates during chemical processing, we can reduce damage density in silica at high fluence by more than 100 times while shifting the fluence onset of observable damage by about 7 J/cm(2). A better understanding of the complex chemistry and physics of cleaning, rinsing, and drying will likely lead to even further improvements in the damage performance of silica and potentially other optical materials.

Collective structure in 94Zr and subshell effects in shape coexistence.

Based on results from a measurement of weak decay branches observed following the ß- decay of 94Y and on lifetime data from a study of 94Zr by inelastic neutron scattering, collective structure is deduced in the closed-subshell nucleus 94Zr. These results establish shape coexistence in 94Zr. The role of subshells for nuclear collectivity is suggested to be important.

High-precision measurement of the 19Ne half-life and implications for right-handed weak currents.

We report a precise determination of the (19)Ne half-life to be T(1/2)=17.262±0.007 s. This result disagrees with the most recent precision measurements and is important for placing bounds on predicted right-handed interactions that are absent in the current standard model. We are able to identify and disentangle two competing systematic effects that influence the accuracy of such measurements. Our findings prompt a reassessment of results from previous high-precision lifetime measurements that used similar equipment and methods.

Western Australian adolescent emotional wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

BACKGROUND: The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic have been vast and are not limited to physical health. Many adolescents have experienced disruptions to daily life, including changes in their school routine and family's financial or emotional security, potentially impacting their emotional wellbeing. In low COVID-19 prevalence settings, the impact of isolation has been mitigated for most young people through continued face-to-face schooling, yet there may still be significant impacts on their wellbeing that could be attributed to the pandemic. METHODS: We report on data from 32,849 surveys from Year 7-12 students in 40 schools over two 2020 survey cycles (June/July: 19,240; October: 13,609), drawn from a study of 79 primary and secondary schools across Western Australia, Australia. The Child Health Utility Index (CHU9D) was used to measure difficulties and distress in responding secondary school students only. Using comparable Australian data collected six years prior to the pandemic, the CHU9D was calibrated against the Kessler-10 to establish a reliable threshold for CHU9D-rated distress. RESULTS: Compared to 14% of responding 12-18-year-olds in 2013/2014, in both 2020 survey cycles almost 40% of secondary students returned a CHU9D score above a threshold indicative of elevated difficulties and distress. Student distress increased significantly between June and October 2020. Female students, those in older Grades, those with few friendships or perceived poor quality friendships, and those with poor connectedness to school were more likely to score above the threshold. CONCLUSIONS: In a large dataset collected during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the proportion of secondary school students with scores indicative of difficulties and distress was substantially higher than a 2013/2014 benchmark, and distress increased as the pandemic progressed, despite the low local prevalence of COVID-19. This may indicate a general decline in social and emotional wellbeing exacerbated by the events of the pandemic. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ANZCTRN (ACTRN12620000922976). Retrospectively registered 17/08/2020. https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=380429&isReview=true .

The effect of laser pulse shape and duration on the size at which damage sites initiate and the implications to subsequent repair.

Growth of laser damage on SiO(2) optical components used in high power lasers can be reduced or eliminated by pre-exposure to pulses of a few hundred ps in duration. Such pre-exposure would cause weak locations on the optics surface to self-identify by initiating very small damage sites. The sites which initiate will be only a few microns in diameter and will have a very low probability of growing even without any further treatment. Repairing damage sites when small is important because both laser mitigation and acid etching are very successful in preventing such small sites from growing.

High-precision half-life measurement for the superallowed ß+ emitter ²6Al(m).

A high-precision half-life measurement for the superallowed ß+ emitter 26Al(m) was performed at the TRIUMF-ISAC radioactive ion beam facility yielding T 1/2 6346.54 ± 0.46(stat) ± 0.60 (syst) ms, consistent with, but 2.5 times more precise than, the previous world average. The 26Al(m) half-life and ft value, 3037.53(61) s, are now the most precisely determined for any superallowed ß decay. Combined with recent theoretical corrections for isospin-symmetry-breaking and radiative effects, the corrected Ft value for (26)Al(m), 3073.0(12) s, sets a new benchmark for the high-precision superallowed Fermi ß-decay studies used to test the conserved vector current hypothesis and determine the V(ud) element of the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa quark mixing matrix.

A randomized targeted amino acid therapy with behaviourally at-risk adopted children.

BACKGROUND: Increasing numbers of children are at-risk for behavioural and emotional disorders, a phenomenon contributing to increased use of pharmacological interventions for paediatric clients. Adverse side effects and other risks associated with pharmacological approaches have helped fuel interest in nutritional interventions for behaviourally at-risk children. METHODS: The current randomized clinical trial evaluates the efficacy of a neurochemical intervention involving the glutamine and glutamate analogue L-theanine and 5-hydroxytryptophan, the precursor for serotonin, with children adopted from traumatic backgrounds. RESULTS: Results include significant increases in urinary levels of the biomarkers for serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid, coupled with significant decreases in parent reports of the children's behaviour problems. CONCLUSIONS: While further research is needed, these initial findings are encouraging and are consistent with a growing number of studies indicating the efficacy of nutritional approaches to help behaviourally at-risk children.

Herbs, thyme essential oil and condensed tannin extracts as dietary supplements for broilers, and their effects on performance, digestibility, volatile fatty acids and organoleptic properties.

1. Herbs, thyme essential oil (EO) and condensed tannin (CT) extracts were compared for their effects, as dietary supplements, on broiler growth performance, nutrient digestibility and volatile fatty acid (VFA) profiles in the gut. Cooked meat from the birds fed on diets with 4 herbs and an EO extract was compared by a taste panel against those fed on the control treatment, for organoleptic properties in the meat. 2. Female broiler chicks were fed on wheat-soybean meal diets from 0-42 d of age. These chicks were given either the basal diet (control), or the basal diet with one of rosemary, garlic or yarrow herbs, mimosa, cranberry or grapeseed CT's, or thyme EO supplements (8 treatments in total). Body weight (BW) and feed consumption (FC) were measured. 3. The garlic supplement tended to improve growth rate over the first 7 d, while mimosa CT and thyme EO supplements reduced weight gains. The mimosa supplement in diets significantly reduced FC to d 21. Meanwhile, the addition of a cranberry supplement reduced the digestibility of DM, OM and N, compared with the controls. Dietary thyme EO, yarrow, rosemary and garlic supplements modified caecal isovaleric and isobutyric acid proportions (presented as 'Other VFA'; p < 0.05). Dietary herb significantly affected the intensity of meat flavour, and the potential of observing both garlic and abnormal flavours. There were large differences between the consumption of red and white meat samples, while meat temperature affected several flavour attributes. 4. Broiler performance and digestibility for birds given dietary garlic and grapeseed CT supplements were similar to the controls, and these supplements appear suitable for dietary inclusion. Careful choices are necessary when selecting dietary plant extract supplements for broilers, but beneficial effects can be observed.

Enzyme-coenzyme complexes of pyridine nucleotide-linked dehydrogenases.

Enzyme-reduced coenzyme binary complexes produce previously unreported shifts in the spectrum of the free coenzyme. These shifts give rise to difference spectra which resemble a general environmental change for reduced diphosphopyridine nucleotide (DPNH) in the glutamic dehydrogenase-DPNH complex, and indicate a more specific enzyme-coenzyme interaction for yeast alcohol dehydrogenase-DPNH, isocitrate dehydrogenase-TPNH, and lactic dehydrogenase-DPNH complexes.