Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Poor Food And Nutrient Intake Among Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Rural Australian Children, Josephine D. Gwynn, Victoria M. Flood, Catherine A. D'Este, John R. Attia, Nicole Turner, Janine Cochrane, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, John H. Wiggers

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to describe the food and nutrient intake of a population of rural Australian children particularly Indigenous children. Participants were aged 10 to 12 years, and living in areas of relative socio-economic disadvantage on the north coast of New South Wales. METHODS: In this descriptive cross-sectional study 215 children with a mean age of 11.30 (SD 0.04) years (including 82 Indigenous children and 93 boys) completed three 24-hour food recalls (including 1 weekend day), over an average of two weeks in the Australian summer of late 2005. RESULTS: A high proportion of children consumed …

Homocysteine, Grey Matter And Cognitive Function In Adults With Cardiovascular Disease, Andrew H. Ford, Griselda J. Garrido, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Nicola Lautenschlager, Leonard F. Arnolda, Leon Flicker, Osvaldo P. Almeida

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background: Elevated total plasma homocysteine (tHcy) has been associated with cognitive impairment, vascular disease and brain atrophy. Methods: We investigated 150 volunteers to determine if the association between high tHcy and cerebral grey matter volume and cognitive function is independent of cardiovascular disease. Results: Participants with high tHcy (≥15 μmol/L) showed a widespread relative loss of grey matter compared with people with normal tHcy, although differences between the groups were minimal once the analyses were adjusted for age, gender, diabetes, hypertension, smoking and prevalent cardiovascular disease. Individuals with high tHcy had worse cognitive scores across a range of domains and …

Guidelines For The Management Of Absolute Cardiovascular Disease Risk, Leonard F. Arnolda

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

The National Vascular Disease Prevention Alliance (NVDPA) is an alliance of four leading and well-known Australian charities: Diabetes Australia, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, Kidney Health Australia and the National Stroke Foundation. In 2000, these four charities began to work together to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease in Australia. Much of the work of the NVDPA to date has been to promote the use of an 'absolute risk' approach to predicting risk of cardiovascular disease. The NVDPA advocates to government and professional bodies for a health system that supports an absolute risk approach. The NVDPA aims to raise …

Neurons Derived From Human Embryonic Stem Cells Extend Long-Distance Axonal Projections Through Growth Along Host White Matter Tracts After Intra-Cerebral Transplantation, Mark Denham, Clare L. Parish, Bryan Leaw, Jordan Wright, Christopher Reid, Steven Petrou, Mirella Dottori, Lachlan H. Thompson

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Human pluripotent stem cells have the capacity for directed differentiation into a wide variety of neuronal subtypes that may be useful for brain repair. While a substantial body of research has lead to a detailed understanding of the ability of neurons in fe tal tissue grafts to structurally and functionally integrate after intra-cerebral transplantation, we are only just beginning to understand the in vivo properties of neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells. Here we have utilised the human embryonic stem (ES) cell line Envy, which constitutively expresses green fluorescent protein (GFP), in order to study the in vivo properties …

Simulated Angular Head Oscillation Enhances Vection In Depth, Juno Kim, Stephen Palmisano, Frederick Bonato

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research has shown that adding simulated linear head oscillation to radial optic flow displays enhances the illusion of self-motion in depth (ie linear vection). We examined whether this oscillation advantage for vection was due to either the added motion parallax or retinal slip generated by insufficient compensatory eye movement during display oscillation. We constructed radial flow displays which simulated 1 Hz horizontal linear head oscillation (generates motion parallax) or angular head oscillation in yaw (generates no motion parallax).We found that adding simulated angular or linear head oscillation to radial flow increased the strength of linear vection in depth. Neither type …

Influence Of 18ghz Microwave Radiation On The Enzymatic Activity Of Escherichia Coli Lactate Dehydrogenase And Cytochrome C Oxidase, Yuri Shamis, Alex Traub, Rodney J. Croft, Russell Crawford, Elena Ivanova

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The catalytic activity of two common bacterial enzymes, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and cytochrome c oxidase (COX) from Escherichia coli, was examined following bacterial exposure to microwave (MW) radiation under well-defined experimental conditions. The experiments were conducted in a specialised microwave processing apparatus, with an exposure frequency of 18 GHz, and a temperature profile that was restricted to below 40oC to avoid thermal degradation of the bacteria. The absorbed power was calculated to be 1500 kW/m3 and the electric field was determined to be 300 V/m. Both values were theoretically confirmed using Computer Simulation Technology (CST) Microwave Studio 3D Electromagnetic Stimulation …

The Comparison Of The Effect Of Oat And Shiitake Mushroom Powder To Prevent Body Weight Gain In Rats Fed High Fat Diet, Dian Handayani, Barbara J. Meyer, Jiezhong Chen, Patricia Tang, Philip Chi Lip Kwok, Hak-Kim Chan, Xu-Feng Huang

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Preventing obesity could be done by lowering plasma TAG that inhibits adipogenesis. Oat and mushroom beta-glucans in the diet has been reported to lower plasma lipid; however the data focusing on their effects on TAG and obesity are insufficient. In the present study, lowering plasma triacylglycerol, fat deposition, body weight gain (BWG) in rats fed a high fat diet (HFD) was evaluated. Rats in the control group were given HFD only and rats in the treatment group fed HFD enriched with 0.2%, 0.6% and 1.8% (wt:wt) beta-glucan from oats (LD-O, MD-O, HD-O) or mushroom (LD-M, MD-M, HD-M). After 6 weeks …

The Vignette-Matching Procedure: An Innovative Approach To Assess Competencies In Psychology And Clinical Practicum. Final Report., Craig J. Gonsalvez

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Group Cohesion And Homework Adherence In Multi-Family Group Therapy For Schizophrenia, Frank P. Deane, Joanne Mercer, Anahita Talyarkhan, Gordon Lambert, Judy Pickard

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study examined the relationship between levels of group cohesion, defined as whole group relationships, and between-session therapeutic homework adherence in a multi-family group therapy (MFGT) for people with schizophrenia. Participants from 18 consenting families attending MFGT groups completed weekly homework adherence ratings, group cohesion and spontaneous between-session activity measures. Levels of group cohesion at each session were compared with measures of scheduled and spontaneous homework adherence reported at the next session. It was hypothesised that higher levels of group cohesion would be related to homework adherence and other spontaneous between-session therapeutic activity completed by group members. Results show higher …

Study Protocol: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of A Computer-Based Depression And Substance Abuse Intervention For People Attending Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Peter J. Kelly, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Amanda Baker, Frank P. Deane, Adam C. Brooks, Alexandra Mitchell, Sarah Marshall, Meredith Whittington, Genevieve A. Dingle

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

"Background: A large proportion of people attending residential alcohol and other substance abuse treatment have a co-occurring mental illness. Empirical evidence suggests that it is important to treat both the substance abuse problem and co-occurring mental illness concurrently and in an integrated fashion. However, the majority of residential alcohol and other substance abuse services do not address mental illness in a systematic way. It is likely that computer delivered interventions could improve the ability of substance abuse services to address co-occurring mental illness. This protocol describes a study in which we will assess the effectiveness of adding a computer delivered …

Vection Can Be Induced Without Global-Motion Awareness, Takeharu Seno, Stephen A. Palmisano, Hiroyuki Ito, Shoji Sunaga

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A new vection illusion is reported. Vection was induced even though there was no consciously perceived global display motion corresponding to the self-motion. The resulting experience can be summarised as: ``I feel that I am moving but I do not know why''.

Why (Not) Alcohol Energy Drinks? A Qualitative Study With Australian University Students, Sandra C. Jones, Lance R. Barrie, Nina J. Berry

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims. Alcohol energy drinks (AEDs) are a recent entry to the ready-to-drink market, but there is an absence of research into the reasons young people consume these products and their consumption-related experiences.The aim of the current study was to investigate university students’ perceptions of, and experiences with, pre-mixed AEDs.

Design and Methods. Four focus groups with undergraduate university students in a large regional city in New South Wales; with transcripts coded for key themes.

Results.Participants reported a number of benefits of AED consumption,many of which were similar to other ready-to-drinks, such as taste and image. However, the primary …

Predicting Dropout In The First 3 Months Of 12-Step Residential Drug And Alcohol Treatment In An Australian Sample, Frank P. Deane, David J. Wootton, Ching-I Hsu, Peter J. Kelly

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: Premature termination from treatment is a major factor associated with poorer drug and alcohol treatment outcomes. The present study investigated client-related baseline predictors of dropout at 3 months from a faith-based 12-step residential drug treatment program. Method: Data were collected over a period of 14 months from eight residential drug and alcohol treatment programs run by The Australian Salvation Army. The final sample consisted of 618 participants, including 524 men (84.8%) and 94 women (15.2%). Predictor variables of interest were age, gender, primary drug of concern, criminal involvement, psychological distress, drug cravings, self-efficacy to abstain, spirituality, forgiveness of self …

Prevalence Of Smoking And Other Health Risk Factors In People Attending Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Peter J. Kelly, Amanda L. Baker, Frank P. Deane, Frances Kay-Lambkin, Billie Bonevski, Jenna Tregarthen

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction and Aims. People attending substance abuse treatment have an elevated risk of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Consequently, there have been increasing calls for substance abuse treatment services to address smoking.The current study examined smoking behaviours of people attending residential substance abuse treatment. Additionally, the study examined rates of other potentially modifiable health risk factors for the development of CVD and cancer. Design and Methods. A cross-sectional survey was completed by participants attending Australian Salvation Army residential substance abuse treatment services (n = 228). Rates of smoking, exercise, dietary fat intake, body mass index and depression were identified …

A Maze Of Metaphors Around Glass Ceilings, Paul Smith, Peter Caputi, Nadia Crittenden

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review many of the diverse metaphors and labels that are used to highlight insights into glass ceilings – the obstacles hindering women reaching the top levels of organizations.
Design/methodology/approach – The development of metaphors and labels related to theories about the causes and consequences of glass ceilings are discussed. They are classified according to whether or not they infer women play a role in creating glass ceilings.
Findings – It is concluded that most metaphor-linked explanations focus on discrimination and prejudice towards women seeking leadership positions. A small number of metaphors …

Association Between Food Marketing Exposure And Adolescents' Food Choices And Eating Behaviors, Maree Scully, Melanie Wakefield, Philippa Niven, Kathy Chapman, David Crawford, Iain S. Pratt, Louise A. Baur, Victoria Flood, Belinda Morley

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The present study examined associations between food marketing exposure and adolescents’ food choices and reported consumption of energy-dense and nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods. A cross-sectional survey of 12,188 Australian secondary students aged 12–17 years was conducted, using a web-based self-report questionnaire. Measures included students’ level of exposure to commercial television and non-broadcast types of food marketing, whether they had tried a new product or requested a product they had seen advertised, and their reported consumption of fast food, sugary drinks and sweet and salty snacks. Results indicated greater exposure to commercial television, print/transport/school food marketing and digital food marketing were all …

Organization Of Brainstem Nuclei, George Paxinos, Xu-Feng Huang, Gulgun Sengul, Charles Watson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This chapter describes human homologs of nuclei identified in the brainstem of other mammals and attempts to extend to the human the overall organizational schemata that have been proposed for the brainstem of other mammalian species. We present herein updated diagrams of the Atlas of the Human Brainstem (Paxinos and Huang, 1995). The diagrams have been thoroughly revised in light of our recent work on the rat (Paxinos and Watson, 2007) and rhesus monkey (Paxinos et al., 3rd ed, in BrainNavigator, Elsevier, 2010) as well as our work on the marmoset (Atlas of the Marmoset Brain in Stereotaxic Coordinates, Paxinos …

The Impact Of Cannabis Use On Cognitive Functioning In Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis Of Existing Findings And New Data In A First-Episode Sample, Murat Yücel, Emre Bora, Daniel I. Lubman, Nadia Solowij, Warrick J. Brewer, Sue M. Cotton, Phillipe Conus, Michael J. Takagi, Alex Fornito, Stephen J. Wood, Patrick D. Mcgorry, Christos Pantelis

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cannabis use is highly prevalent among people with schizophrenia, and coupled with impaired cognition, is thought to heighten the risk of illness onset. However, while heavy cannabis use has been associated with cognitive deficits in long-term users, studies among patients with schizophrenia have been contradictory. This article consists of 2 studies. In Study I, a meta-analysis of 10 studies comprising 572 patients with established schizophrenia (with and without comorbid cannabis use) was conducted. Patients with a history of cannabis use were found to have superior neuropsychological functioning. This finding was largely driven by studies that included patients with a lifetime …

Seven Out Of Ten Most Popular Vegetables Remain Top Choice During First 3 Months Of A 12 Month Weight Loss Dietary Intervention Trial, Jane O'Shea, Yasmine Probst, Rebecca Thorne, Sara Grafenauer, Linda Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Increasing vegetable consumption is part of dietary advice for weight loss, but how this converts to vegetable choices is not known. In this context, our aim was to identify the main vegetable groups reported by the study sample in the Healthy Eating and Lifestyle Trial [ACTRN1260000784011] at baseline (Oct 2010-Feb 2011) and after 3mo (Feb - May 2011). Data from diet histories (DH) were analyzed using the AUSNUT 2007 database in Foodworks (Xyris, version 6.0.2562) to determine the average daily amount (g) of vegetables consumed by the study sample. Baseline DH (n=113 subjects; 85 female) exposed 32 vegetable categories. The …

Star Shots: Stigma, Self Disclosure And Celebrity In Bipolar Disorder, Wendy Cross, Ken Walsh

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Do We Provide Meaningful Guidance For Healthy Eating? An Investigation Into Consumers' Interpretation Of Frequency Consumption Terms, Lesley King, Wendy L. Watson, Kathy Chapman, Bridget Kelly, Jimmy Chun Yu Louie, Clare Hughes, Jennifer Crawford, Timothy P. Gill

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

OBJECTIVE: To investigate consumers' understanding of terms commonly used to provide guidance about frequency and quantity of food consumption. METHODS: A survey of 405 shoppers explored how frequently consumers thought food labeled with the terms "eat often," "eat moderately," "eat occasionally," "a sometimes food," and "an extra food" should be eaten. In a separate phase, 30 grocery buyers responded to open-ended questions about their interpretation of these terms. RESULTS: Responses indicated significant differences in meaning between the terms. However, the specific interpretation of each term varied considerably across respondents. The qualitative research found the terms to be highly subjective, and …

Role Of Abca7 In Mouse Behaviours Relevant To Neurodegenerative Diseases, Warren Logge, David Cheng, Rose Chesworth, Surabhi Bhatia, Brett Garner, Woojin Scott Kim, Tim Karl

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

ATP-binding cassette transporters of the subfamily A (ABCA) are responsible for the translocation of lipids including cholesterol, which is crucial for neurological function. Recent studies suggest that the ABC transporter ABCA7 may play a role in the development of brain disorders such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. However, Abca7's role in cognition and other behaviours has not been investigated. Therefore, we characterised homozygous Abca7 knockout mice in a battery of tests for baseline behaviours (i.e. physical exam, baseline locomotion and anxiety) and behaviours relevant to schizophrenia (i.e. prepulse inhibition and locomotor response to psychotropic drugs) and Alzheimer's disease (i.e. cognitive …

A Patient Experiencing Pseudoseizures: A Case Report, F Joseph, J Quinlan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Pseudoseizures are a relatively complex problem of unknown aetiology and prognosis. They can at times resemble genuine seizure attacks but they have no abnormal electroencephalograpic (EEG) activity. Understanding the patient's unique psychological background appears to be fundamental in managing seizure frequency. Pseudoseizures can be disruptive to a person's lifestyle, limiting their ability to function and progress in society, particularly when it comes to employment or social interaction. The case discussed involves a 59-year old man who presents with what is believed to be seizurerelated activity but through the course of clinical evaluation, this turned out to be pseudoseizures

Influence Of High Glycemic Index And Glycemic Load Diets On Blood Pressure During Adolescence, Bamini Gopinath, Victoria M. Flood, Elena Rochtchina, Louise A. Baur, Wayne Smith, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

We aimed to prospectively examine the association between the glycemic index and glycemic load of foods consumed and the dietary intakes of carbohydrates, sugars, fiber, and principal carbohydrate-containing food groups (eg, breads, cereals, and sugary drinks) with changes in blood pressure during adolescence. A total of 858 students aged 12 years at baseline (422 girls and 436 boys) were examined from 2004-2005 to 2009-2011. Dietary data were assessed from validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaires. Blood pressure was measured using a standard protocol. In girls, after adjusting for age, ethnicity, parental education, parental history of hypertension, baseline height, baseline blood pressure, …

An Indoor Localisation And Motion Monitoring System To Determine Behavioural Activity In Dementia Afflicted Patients In Aged Care, Matthew D'Souza, Montserrat Ros, Mohanraj Karunanithi

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Dementia is highly prevalent among the older population. Most patients with dementia are admitted to an aged care facility due to wandering behaviour which tends to result in dangerous scenarios such as straying away from the facility and being seriously injured. Due to the decreasing availability of carers in aged care, there is a need to prioritise monitoring of patients that have a severe case of wondering. The challenge is to allow carers to monitor the status of such patients in terms of position localisation and motion behavioural status, in real-time. The long term behavioural analysis of such patients would …

Publication Bias, The File Drawer Problem, And How Innovative Publication Models Can Help, D Apthorp

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

One of the topics that has come up frequently in the discussions on open science has been the "filedrawer problem", otherwise known as publication bias (Rosenthal, 1979 Psychological Bulletin 86(3), 638-641). Traditional publishing practices have tended to favour positive results that reject the null hypothesis, leading some researchers to suggest that, in the extreme case, "most published results are false" (Ioannidis, 2005 PLoS Medicine 2(8), e124). What does this mean for vision science, and how can an open science framework help address this problem? I will suggest that innovative publishing initiatives such as PsychFileDrawer.org and the Reproducibility Project can harness …

Phonic Respiration And Its Impact On Carbon Dioxide Rebreathing In Respiratory Protective Devices, Carmen L. Smith, Jane L. Whitelaw, Brian Davies

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the International Society for Respiratory Protection Sixteenth Biennial Conference, 23-27 September 2012, Boston, United States

Preeclampsia Is Associated With Compromised Maternal Synthesis Of Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Leading To Offspring Deficiency, Vanessa A. Mackay, Shahzya S. Huda, Frances M. Stewart, Kahmeng Tham, Louise A. Mckenna, Iain Martin, Fiona Jordan, E Ann Brown, Leanne Hodson, Ian A. Greer, Barbara J. Meyer, Dilys J. Freeman

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Obesity and excessive lipolysis are implicated in preeclampsia (PE). Intrauterine growth restriction is associated with low maternal body mass index and decreased lipolysis. Our aim was to assess how maternal and offspring fatty acid metabolism is altered in mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy with PE (n=62) or intrauterine growth restriction (n=23) compared with healthy pregnancies (n=164). Markers of lipid metabolism and erythrocyte fatty acid concentrations were measured. Maternal adipose tissue fatty acid composition and mRNA expression of adipose tissue fatty acid–metabolizing enzymes and placental fatty acid transporters were compared. Mothers with PE had higher plasma triglyceride (21%, P<0.001) and nonesterified fatty acid (50%, P<0.001) concentrations than controls. Concentrations of major n−6 and n−3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in erythrocytes were 23% to 60% lower (all P<0.005) in PE and intrauterine growth restriction mothers and offspring compared with controls. Subcutaneous adipose tissue −5 and −6 desaturase and very long-chain fatty acid elongase mRNA expression was lower in PE than controls (respectively, mean [SD] control 3.38 [2.96] versus PE 1.83 [1.91], P=0.030; 3.33 [2.25] versus 1.03 [0.96], P<0.001; 0.40 [0.81] versus 0.00 [0.00], P=0.038 expression relative to control gene [square root]). Low maternal and fetal long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in PE may be the result of decreased maternal synthesis.

Stimulating An Interest In Mental Health Nursing, Lorna Moxham, Renee Brighton, Terry Froggatt, Susan Liersch, Patrea Andersen

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A team of researchers at the University of Wollongong are currently examining the experiences of Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students as they engage in a stimulating learning experience in mental health.

Riding The Wave Or Paddling In The Shallows? Understanding Older Australians' Use Of The Internet, Pippa Burns, Sandra C. Jones, Don Iverson, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Issues addressed: Australia's ageing population is set to become an increasing burden on an already over-stretched primary health care system. Potential strategies to alleviate this pressure need to be investigated. Increased knowledge of older Australians? use of the internet would allow the appropriateness of online health intervention to be assessed. This initial, exploratory study examined the proportion of people aged 55 years and older who accessed the internet. It investigated their duration of use, level of comfort, use of the internet to seek health information and perceived reliability of information found on the internet. Methods: A paper based survey was …