Browsing by Author "Brown R"

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    Field measurements of a massive Porites coral at Goolboodi (Orpheus Island), Great Barrier Reef
    (Springer Nature Limited, 2021-08-19) Smith A; Cook N; Cook K; Brown R; Woodgett R; Veron J; Saylor V
    An exceptionally large coral Porites sp. has been identified and measured at Goolboodi (Orpheus Island), Great Barrier Reef (GBR). This coral was measured in March 2021 during citizen science research of coral reefs in the Palm Islands group. We conducted a literature review and consulted scientists to compare the size, age and health of the Porites with others in the GBR and internationally. This is the largest diameter Porites coral measured by scientists and the sixth highest coral measured in the GBR. The health of the Porites was assessed as very good with over 70% live coral cover and minor percentages of sponge, live coral rock and macroalgae. An estimated age of 421-438 years was calculated based on linear growth models. Manbarra Traditional Owners were consulted and suggested that the Porites be named Muga dhambi (big coral) to communicate traditional knowledge, language and culture to indigenous, tourists, scientists and students.
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    The effect of lyophilised oral faecal microbial transplantation on functional outcomes in dogs with diabetes mellitus
    (John Wiley and Sons Ltd on behalf of British Small Animal Veterinary Association, 2025-04-15) Brown R; Barko P; Ruiz Romero JDJ; Williams DA; Gochenauer A; Nguyen-Edquilang J; Suchodolski JS; Pilla R; Ganz H; Lopez-Villalobos N; Gal A
    Objectives: We aimed to determine if oral faecal microbiota transplantation improves indices of glycaemic control, changes the faecal dysbiosis indices, alters faecal short-chain fatty acid and bile acid profiles and increases serum glucagon-like-peptide 1 concentrations in diabetic dogs. Materials and Methods: In this prospective randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blinded pilot study, we recruited nine diabetic dogs (five faecal microbiota transplantation and four placebo) and nine healthy controls. Results: Compared to healthy dogs, diabetic dogs had altered faecal short-chain fatty acid and bile acid profiles. In the first 30 days, the faecal microbiota transplantation group had a more rapid decline in interstitial glucose; however, the mean interstitial glucose of the faecal microbiota transplantation recipients did not differ from the placebo recipients at the end of the study. Compared with placebo, faecal microbiota transplantation recipients had a decreased 24-hour water intake at day 60 and increased faecal abundance of Faecalibacterium. Clinical Significance: This study provides a proof of concept for faecal microbiota transplantation in canine diabetes, and its data could inform the design of future large-scale studies. Further investigation is required to determine whether faecal microbiota transplantation would have any role as an adjunctive therapy in canine diabetes and to elucidate the mechanisms by which faecal microbiota transplantation may provide a beneficial clinical effect in canine diabetes.
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    Validity of Quantitative Ultrasound and Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis against Dual X-Ray Absorptiometry for Measuring Bone Quality and Body Composition in Children
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2019-03-07) Delshad M; Beck KL; Conlon CA; Mugridge O; Kruger MC; Von Hurst PR; Brown R; Mackay S; Eyles H
    Background: Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is a well-regarded device for primarily measuring bone mineral density (BMD) and body composition. However, its use is limited in children since it is expensive, time-consuming, lacks portability, and exposes children to ionizing radiation. The objective was to examine the validity of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) measurements against DXA for bone quality and body composition in children (8–13 years) living in Auckland, New Zealand. Methods: Whole body bone mineral content (BMC), BMD, and body composition were measured with DXA (QDR Discovery A, Hologic, USA), BMD and calcaneal stiffness index (SI) with QUS (Sahara QUS, Hologic, USA), and BIA measurements on the InBody 230 (Biospace Ltd., Seoul, Korea). Relative validity was assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients, cross-classification, and weighted ĸ-statistic Results: Healthy children (n = 127, 58 boys) were recruited. Positive correlations between QUS -SI and DXA (BMC and BMD) were observed (range = 0.40–0.45) (p < 0.05). QUS-SI correctly classified >50% of participants into the correct tertile and <10% into the opposite tertile when compared with DXA-BMD. Moderate agreement (ĸ = 0.4) was found through weighted ĸ-statistic analysis (between QUS-SI and DXA-BMD). Correlations existed between BIA and DXA for lean mass, fat mass and percentage body fat (range = 0.8–0.97) (p < 0.01). Cross-classification showed a range of 70%–84% of participants were correctly categorized into the same tertile. Weighted ĸ-statistic illustrated good agreement (ĸ = 0.6–0.8) between BIA and DXA variables. Conclusion: We found that the calcaneal QUS-SI appears to be a valid method for identifying children with low BMD as identified by DXA, and BIA is a valid method to assess children’s body composition status since there was a good relative agreement between BIA parameters and DXA values. Our results suggest that calcaneal QUS and BIA could be used to investigate bone health and body composition among children, respectively.