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Helping our frontline workers through psychiatric assistance dogs Emergency services personnel are Australia’s first line of defense in times of crisis – but who do they turn to in times of need? University of Southern Queensland researchers are investigating how psychiatric assistance dogs (PADs) can aid post-traumatic growth and recovery, with a focus on members of the Police, Fire and Rescue, Ambulance and State Emergency Services. Project leader Karina Heyworth, a psychology PhD candidate, has launched a new study that aims to measure how PAD can help reduce and manage post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). “PTSD is highly prevalent in Australian first responders and defense personnel, often resulting in dire consequences such as social isolation, poor relationships, depression and the inability to work and perform daily tasks,” Heyworth said. “Current treatment methods focus on trauma-focused psychological interventions, but the vast majority of people do not respond to these...

Biology is rich in patterns. You’ll find them everywhere – from the number of petals (which generally correspond to the number in the Fibonacci sequence), to the number of vertebrae in mammals (giraffes, humans, and quokkas all have seven neck vertebrae). In fact, many viruses follow patterns and have symmetry in their shells. Mathematics is essentially the science of patterns. Patterns can be subtle. So without using math to formally explain and understand it, we can skip it entirely. For a long time, biological research has largely progressed without the sophisticated mathematical modeling that is now at the core of physics, engineering, and climate. But this is changing. Mathematical biology is a growing field that promises to revolutionize microbiology, biotechnology, evolutionary biology and healthcare. With mathematics, scientific breakthroughs that previously required years of trial and error (and tons of trash) can be achieved in a very short time. Here are some of ...