Latest news with #UniversityoftheSunshineCoast
Scoop
07-07-2025
- Health
- Scoop
Global Review Finds Mediterranean Diet May Play Key Role In Managing ADHD
It's the superhero of the nutrition world, and now a scientific review has shown the potential power of the Mediterranean diet to help manage the symptoms of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. The recently published review by the University of the Sunshine Coast is one of the first to directly research the benefits of the Mediterranean diet – with its high intake of fruits, vegetables, wholegrains and extra-virgin olive oil – versus unhealthy diets typically high in sugar, additives and saturated fats, to lessen ADHD symptoms. UniSC Psychology researcher Naomi Lewis said the novel review examined all available global evidence on the key nutrients and dietary patterns implicated in ADHD, and linked the findings to underlying biological mechanisms such as gut imbalance and inflammation. 'We found strong evidence that diet and nutrition may be more important than we think when it comes to managing ADHD symptoms and providing protective benefits,' she said. The study builds on earlier findings by the researchers on the role of diet in brain-gut inflammation pathways in ADHD, that an imbalance of good versus bad gut microorganisms may impact the severity of symptoms. 'What we eat plays a big role in the health of our gut microbiome, which are the trillions of bacteria and other microbes in our digestive system that help support brain and overall health,' Ms Lewis said. 'When these microbes become imbalanced, it can affect our physical and mental wellbeing, including possibly making symptoms of ADHD worse. This is because an imbalanced gut can lead to harmful states such as inflammation that can affect how the brain functions. 'A diet high in fibre, healthy fats such as omega-3s, and antioxidants helps good bacteria in our guts to thrive, whereas too much sugar, saturated fat, and other components of a highly processed diet could promote harmful bacteria and inflammation.' UniSC Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics Dr Anthony Villani said the Mediterranean diet was under-researched in ADHD, with a lack of robust trials investigating dietary strategies in its management. 'Most research to date has focused on elimination diets, with very limited exploration of the Mediterranean diet,' Dr Villani said. 'We know from other studies that children and adolescents with ADHD – a common neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by symptoms of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity – tend to have poorer diets, compared to those without. 'These diets are often highly processed and at risk of being deficient in certain nutrients, including omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and B vitamins, known to support optimal brain functioning. 'Following a Mediterranean-based diet has great potential to help improve ADHD symptoms by improving gut health and lowering inflammation as it is rich in anti-inflammatory foods and fibre such as olive oil, fruits, vegetables and fish." While medications are the most common treatment for managing symptoms of ADHD, they are associated with side effects and many people do not respond effectively. 'While it's not a cure for ADHD, a Mediterranean-based diet, as well as targeted supplements, may help some people better regulate ADHD behaviours more effectively. It's a low-risk, affordable option worth considering,' Dr Villani said. The researchers recommend clinical trials to determine the clinical utility and effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in ADHD management.
News.com.au
17-06-2025
- Science
- News.com.au
Emerging oyster and seaweed farming in Fiji and northern Australia
The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries has partnered with the University of the Sunshine Coast, Fiji Ministry of Fisheries and SPC division of Fisheries, Aquaculture and Marine Ecosystems on a groundbreaking project aimed at advancing oyster and seaweed farming in both Fiji and northern Australia. To support emerging oyster and seaweed farming livelihoods in Fiji and northern Australia (Goulburn Island and Groote Eylandt) the project will address technical, social and market challenges. Key objectives include developing a safe, nutritious, and marketable tropical rock oyster product; ensuring reliable access to oyster juveniles (spat) for farmers; supporting the establishment of community-based enterprises, strengthening the capacity of national and regional institutions to support enterprise development and identify and provide options to integrate seaweed into oyster farming systems. Both tropical oysters and seaweed are globally recognised for their role in supporting regional businesses. They hold significant potential to enhance food security and stimulate economic growth in coastal communities across Fiji and northern Australia. This collaboration offers a timely opportunity to foster sustainable livelihoods through the development of oyster and seaweed aquaculture, supporting the long-term viability of community economies in both regions. The outcomes of this project will contribute to the broader goals of the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, working towards creating healthy, resilient, and equitable food systems for tropical coastal communities. This initiative underscores the Northern Territory Government's commitment to advancing sustainable aquaculture practices, supporting Indigenous participation, and fostering growth within the industry in the Northern Territory.
The Age
07-06-2025
- Health
- The Age
Out of the ashes, a new treatment for a hidden cancer
Keratinocytes, like all healthy cells, carefully follow the instructions coded into your DNA. But when DNA is damaged, most-often through the photons in sunlight smashing into it, the instructions can be garbled. These new instructions can cause the cell to start dividing uncontrollably, eventually forming a cancerous tumour. Loading CSCCs typically appear on the most sun-exposed parts of our skin – the hands, the neck, the scalp or ears – as a firm bump or scaly sore. Bailey recalls 'a scabby sort of thing on my head'. As soon as his doctor saw it, he cut it out. Surgical excision, and sometimes additional radiation therapy, is the typical treatment for CSCC. In more than 90 per cent of cases, simple treatment is entirely curative. 'You cut them out, you send it off, you stitch it up, and they are cured,' says McCormack. But occasionally, the cancer has spread before it is spotted. Of every 100 cases, one to three people will die, as the cancer grows back in their lungs or livers or bones. Deaths from non-melanoma skin cancers have almost doubled in Australia in the past 20 years; globally, CSCC causes more deaths than melanoma does, despite its lack of name-recognition. About 70 per cent of us will get a non-melanoma skin cancer in our lives – hence the high number of deaths, even though the disease itself has a relatively low mortality rate. 'It's so common, people tend to trivialise it a bit,' says the University of the Sunshine Coast's Associate Professor Andrew Dettrick, who has published papers on CSCC. 'Five per cent does not sound like a lot, but it is when you times it by 200,000 people.' A new standard of treatment for an invisible disease If a doctor cuts out the tumour, and then uses beams of radiation to kill any cells they cannot reach, why does cancer sometimes come back? 'They have got microscopic disease left, either in the area that's been treated, or it has already spread. And we don't have any way of knowing that,' says Professor Danny Rischin, head of research for head and neck cancer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The focus of Rischin's career has been on stopping that cancer coming back. In 2018, he co-authored a study testing whether Carboplatin, a chemotherapy drug, could prevent relapse. Loading Like many experiments, it did not work. The drug did not improve survival. But scientists often learn more from failure than success. Rischin's team were able to isolate a subgroup of CSCC patients within the trial who had certain features that put them at a dramatically higher rate of cancer recurrence. 'They were in need of better treatment,' he says. For this group, Rischin's team turned to one of the medicines that has revolutionised cancer treatment in the past decade: checkpoint inhibitors. Our immune system needs to run certain checks to ensure it is attacking an enemy, not one of our own cells. Cancer often takes advantage of this, generating its own codes to pass the checks. Using genetically modified antibodies, scientists in the past two decades have learned to block our own immune system's checkpoints. 'It unmasks the cancer cell, so your immune system can see it again,' says Dettrick. Perhaps a souped-up immune system could ferret out the microscopic cancers the surgeons could not? In a study sponsored by the therapy's manufacturer, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Rischin's team randomised 415 patients, who had been treated for CSCC but had a risk of recurrence, between immunotherapy and a placebo: 87 per cent of patients on the therapy were still disease-free after 24 months, compared to 64 per cent on the placebo. About 10 per cent of patients getting the therapy had severe side effects, and one died – consistent with the normal side effects from immunotherapy.
Sydney Morning Herald
07-06-2025
- Health
- Sydney Morning Herald
Out of the ashes, a new treatment for a hidden cancer
Keratinocytes, like all healthy cells, carefully follow the instructions coded into your DNA. But when DNA is damaged, most-often through the photons in sunlight smashing into it, the instructions can be garbled. These new instructions can cause the cell to start dividing uncontrollably, eventually forming a cancerous tumour. Loading CSCCs typically appear on the most sun-exposed parts of our skin – the hands, the neck, the scalp or ears – as a firm bump or scaly sore. Bailey recalls 'a scabby sort of thing on my head'. As soon as his doctor saw it, he cut it out. Surgical excision, and sometimes additional radiation therapy, is the typical treatment for CSCC. In more than 90 per cent of cases, simple treatment is entirely curative. 'You cut them out, you send it off, you stitch it up, and they are cured,' says McCormack. But occasionally, the cancer has spread before it is spotted. Of every 100 cases, one to three people will die, as the cancer grows back in their lungs or livers or bones. Deaths from non-melanoma skin cancers have almost doubled in Australia in the past 20 years; globally, CSCC causes more deaths than melanoma does, despite its lack of name-recognition. About 70 per cent of us will get a non-melanoma skin cancer in our lives – hence the high number of deaths, even though the disease itself has a relatively low mortality rate. 'It's so common, people tend to trivialise it a bit,' says the University of the Sunshine Coast's Associate Professor Andrew Dettrick, who has published papers on CSCC. 'Five per cent does not sound like a lot, but it is when you times it by 200,000 people.' A new standard of treatment for an invisible disease If a doctor cuts out the tumour, and then uses beams of radiation to kill any cells they cannot reach, why does cancer sometimes come back? 'They have got microscopic disease left, either in the area that's been treated, or it has already spread. And we don't have any way of knowing that,' says Professor Danny Rischin, head of research for head and neck cancer at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The focus of Rischin's career has been on stopping that cancer coming back. In 2018, he co-authored a study testing whether Carboplatin, a chemotherapy drug, could prevent relapse. Loading Like many experiments, it did not work. The drug did not improve survival. But scientists often learn more from failure than success. Rischin's team were able to isolate a subgroup of CSCC patients within the trial who had certain features that put them at a dramatically higher rate of cancer recurrence. 'They were in need of better treatment,' he says. For this group, Rischin's team turned to one of the medicines that has revolutionised cancer treatment in the past decade: checkpoint inhibitors. Our immune system needs to run certain checks to ensure it is attacking an enemy, not one of our own cells. Cancer often takes advantage of this, generating its own codes to pass the checks. Using genetically modified antibodies, scientists in the past two decades have learned to block our own immune system's checkpoints. 'It unmasks the cancer cell, so your immune system can see it again,' says Dettrick. Perhaps a souped-up immune system could ferret out the microscopic cancers the surgeons could not? In a study sponsored by the therapy's manufacturer, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, Rischin's team randomised 415 patients, who had been treated for CSCC but had a risk of recurrence, between immunotherapy and a placebo: 87 per cent of patients on the therapy were still disease-free after 24 months, compared to 64 per cent on the placebo. About 10 per cent of patients getting the therapy had severe side effects, and one died – consistent with the normal side effects from immunotherapy.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Calls for rule change as Aussie beach problem spirals out of control: 'Cannot continue'
One of the world's leading beach ecology experts has again renewed the push to limit the number of four-wheel drives allowed on Australian beaches, warning that the growing popularity of camping and 4WD activity is contributing to irreversible harm along fragile shorelines. It's a beloved pastime for thousands around the country, with many arguing it's a cost-effective way to spend a weekend and a chance to unwind and enjoy family time outside of their regular, busy schedules. But according to research conducted by the University of the Sunshine Coast's Thomas Schlacher, driving along the shore and on dunes has a huge ripple effect on the countless organisms that rely on them. Earlier this year, Schlacher published a comprehensive analysis of the ecological consequences of off-road vehicle (ORV) use on coastal dune ecosystems. Collating data from 443 records across 253 species, it highlighted the extensive and statistically significant negative impacts of ORVs on dune vegetation. Released in March, the study found that even minimal ORV traffic, such as one or two vehicles, can cause serious ecological harm, indicating that there may be no safe threshold in these sensitive environments. In particular, off-road vehicles compact sand, destroy vegetation, and can crush nests, posing serious threats to marine organisms like turtles that rely on undisturbed dunes for nesting. The disruption of these habitats can reduce hatchling survival and alter coastal ecosystems. It's something Jan Waters from Cooloola Coast Turtle Care recently spoke to Yahoo about. Based on the Sunshine Coast, she warned Aussies of the serious consequences of beach driving. "The hatchlings have to cross the deep 4WD tracks to reach the ocean [and] the tracks, created ... on the beach close to the dunes at high tide, are 25cm deep and 25cm wide," Waters told Yahoo. "The small hatchlings are only five centimetres, and once they're caught in the tracks, they will most likely perish." Waters encouraged drivers to travel on the hard, wet sand to ensure they leave behind no ruts. According to Schlacher's study, there's still no "safe level" of beach driving. Despite this, he's still not an advocate for a total ban on beach four-wheel driving, but he is now calling for the practice to be more strictly monitored. "There is no such thing as a trip down a beach, in a vehicle, that doesn't have some form of impact," Schlacher told The Project. In Australia, more than 90 per cent of the country's beaches allow cars on the sand, including in national parks, with Victoria the only state to outlaw the move. In South Africa, it's been banned for two decades. In Queensland, at least one popular tourist beach reported attracting an incredible 2000 cars in a day. "We created national parks to protect nature," Schlacher argued, adding that he'd like to see "some sections", at the very least, reserved for only emergency vehicles. Advocates for 4WD access on beaches often argue that it supports recreation, tourism, and local economies, particularly in coastal towns where off-road driving is a long-standing cultural pastime. Many believe that, when done responsibly, 4WDing allows people to enjoy remote natural areas without causing lasting harm. Supporters also contend that with proper regulation, such as designated driving zones, seasonal restrictions, and education on environmental sensitivity, beach driving can coexist with conservation goals. Brett Lynch of the Bundaberg 4WD Club is a major supporter and said that it's a minority of misbehavers ruining it for everyone. Lynch said the activity is one of the most important memories he has of his late father. "My fondest memories growing up with my parents are camping. My father passed away last year; that's all I have of him now is that," he told The Project. "Being able to share that with my kids, it just helps them have those memories and keeps those memories alive." While acknowledging the cultural significance of four-wheel driving and camping on our beaches, Schlacher said some middle ground must be found. Calls grow for total 4WD ban on Australian beaches Drivers banned from popular 4WD beach after reckless act 4WD owners warned as tourist beach braces for imminent phenomenon "I'm not an advocate or a proponent for a blanket ban — never. But we cannot actually continue [at this rate], which jeopardises what all of our kids want to enjoy in decades to come," he said. "We've got an incredible moral obligation to pass on ecosystems, and not dead piles of sand." Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@ You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube.
