Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Association Between Environmental Factors And Scarlet Fever Incidence In Beijing Region: Using Gis And Spatial Regression Models, Gehendra Mahara, Chao Wang, Kun Yang, Sipeng Chen, Jin Guo, Qi Gao, Wei Wang, Quanyi Wang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Evidence regarding scarlet fever and its relationship with meteorological, including air pollution factors, is not very available. This study aimed to examine the relationship between ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors with scarlet fever occurrence in Beijing, China.

Methods:

A retrospective ecological study was carried out to distinguish the epidemic characteristics of scarlet fever incidence in Beijing districts from 2013 to 2014. Daily incidence and corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data were used to develop the model. Global Moran’s I statistic and Anselin’s local Moran’s I (LISA) were applied to detect the spatial autocorrelation (spatial dependency) and clusters of …

The Interpretive Approach As A Means Of Understanding The Misunderstood, Doreen Molloy, Joyce Hendricks, Anne Williams

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

People’s experiences of health and illness are important areas of health research and practice. The interpretive process, and more significantly the biographical approach (Denzin, 1989), is an approach in which there is a focus on personal epiphanies which shape and reflect the stories people tell of their experiences. Dolby-Stahl (1985) contends stories of personal experience sit within the genre of folklore and that the reading of such stories must take into account the social, cultural, and historical contexts which influence and give meaning to experience.

Single-Leg Squats Can Predict Leg Alignment In Dancers Performing Ballet Movements In "Turnout", Luke Hopper, Nahoko Sato, Andries L. Weidemann

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The physical assessments used in dance injury surveillance programs are often adapted from the sports and exercise domain. Bespoke physical assessments may be required for dance, particularly when ballet movements involve “turning out” or external rotation of the legs beyond that typically used in sports. This study evaluated the ability of the traditional single-leg squat to predict the leg alignment of dancers performing ballet movements with turnout. Three-dimensional kinematic data of dancers performing the single-leg squat and five ballet movements were recorded and analyzed. Reduction of the three-dimensional data into a one-dimensional variable incorporating the ankle, knee, and hip joint …

The Efficacy Of A Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For War-Affected Young Migrants Living In Australia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Chew S. Ooi, Rosanna M. Rooney, Clare Roberts, Robert T. Kane, Bernadette Wright, Nikos Chatzisarantis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Preventative and treatment programs for people at risk of developing psychological problems after exposure to war trauma have mushroomed in the last decade. However, there is still much contention about evidence-based and culturally sensitive interventions for children. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Teaching Recovery Techniques in improving the emotional and behavioral outcomes of war-affected children resettled in Australia.

Methods and Findings: A cluster randomized controlled trial with pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up design was employed. A total of 82 participants (aged 10–17 years) were randomized by school into the 8-week intervention ( …

Photoaging Photography: Mothers' Attitudes Toward Adopting Skin-Protective Measures Pre- And Post-Viewing Photoaged Images Of Their And Their Child's Facial Sun Damage, Matthew Welch, Paul Chang, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

One of the major sources for children to gain knowledge of skin-protective measures is from their parents. Therefore, an imperative exists for parents to model and reinforce the sun-safety practices they want their children to adopt. Although Australian mothers have been the recipients of two extensive sun-safety public health campaigns, little is known about their attitudes, behaviors, and application of health promotion knowledge toward their and their child’s ultraviolet (UV) sun exposure. Ten mothers with children aged 4 to 12 years were asked a series of questions about their sun-safety practices, both pre- and post-viewing an UV photoaged photograph of …

Integrating Diet And Exercise Into Care Of Prostate Cancer Patients On Androgen Deprivation Therapy, Mark A. Moyad, Robert Newton, Ulf W. Tunn, Damian Gruca

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Improved diagnosis and treatment regimens have resulted in greater longevity for men with prostate cancer. This has led to an increase in both androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) use and duration of exposure, and therefore to its associated adverse effects, such as sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, reduced muscle mass, increased fat mass, and increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Given that the adverse effects of ADT are systemic, often debilitating, and difficult to treat, efforts continue in the development of new strategies for long-term management of prostate cancer. The PubMed database was searched to select trials, reviews, and meta-analyses …

Local Muscle Metabolic Demand Induced By Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation And Voluntary Contractions At Different Force Levels: A Nirs Study, Makii Muthalib, Graham Kerr, Kazunori Nosaka, Stephane Perrey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Functional Muscle metabolic demand during contractions evoked by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been consistently documented to be greater than voluntary contractions (VOL) at the same force level (10-50% maximal voluntary contraction-MVC). However, we have shown using a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique that local muscle metabolic demand is similar between NMES and VOL performed at MVC levels, thus controversy exists. This study therefore compared biceps brachii muscle metabolic demand (tissue oxygenation index-TOI and total hemoglobin volume-tHb) during a 10s isometric contraction of the elbow flexors between NMES (stimulation frequency of 30Hz and current level to evoke 30% MVC) and VOL …

A Phenotypically Silent Vanb2 Operon Carried On A Tn1549-Like Element In Clostridium Difficile, Daniel R. Knight, Grace O. Androga, Susan A. Ballard, Benjamin P. Howden, Thomas Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In the last decade, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has reached an epidemic state with increasing incidence and severity in both health care and community settings. Vancomycin is an important first-line therapy for CDI, and the emergence of resistance would have significant clinical consequences. In this study, we describe for the first time a vanB2 vancomycin resistance operon in C. difficile, isolated from an Australian veal calf at slaughter. The operon was carried on an ~ 42-kb element showing significant homology and synteny to Tn1549, a conjugative transposon linked with the emergence and global dissemination of vancomycin-resistant enterococci …

Real-Time Netnography: Rejecting The Passive Shift, Leesa Costello, Marie-Louise Mcdermott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Although netnography emerged in the 1990s, it is a term unfamiliar to many ethnographers and is still touted as a new methodology. Once explained, ethnographers often understand it in terms of online ethnography. While this is helpful, netnography, however, offers a set of steps and analytic approaches that can be applied across a spectrum of involvement online. Its focus is on gaining entree to an online community, distinguishing between participant observation and nonparticipant observation.

The Role Of Clinical Proteomics, Lipidomics, And Genomics In The Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Ian James Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has become important to the reversal and treatment of neurodegeneration, which may be relevant to premature brain aging that is associated with chronic disease progression. Clinical proteomics allows the detection of various proteins in fluids such as the urine, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of AD. Interest in lipidomics has accelerated with plasma testing for various lipid biomarkers that may with clinical proteomics provide a more reproducible diagnosis for early brain aging that is connected to other chronic diseases. The combination of proteomics with lipidomics may decrease the biological variability between …

Medical Help-Seeking For Sexual Concerns In Prostate Cancer Survivors, Melissa K. Hyde, Leah Zajdlewicz, Addie C. Wootten, Christian J. Nelson, Anthony Lowe, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Although sexual dysfunction is common after prostate cancer, men's decisions to seek help for sexual concerns are not well understood.

Aim: Describe predictors of actual prior help-seeking and intended future medical help-seeking for sexual dysfunction in prostate cancer survivors.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 510 prostate cancer survivors assessed masculine beliefs, attitudes, support/approval from partner/peer networks (subjective norm), and perceived control as predictors of medical help-seeking for sexual concerns. A theory of planned behavior (TPB) perspective was used to examine actual prior and planned future behavior and contributing factors. Statistical analyses included multiple and logistic regressions.

Main Outcome Measures: …

Finding Chemopreventatives To Reduce Amyloid Beta In Yeast, Ian Macreadie, Costa Arvanitis, Prashant Bharadwaj

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of age-related dementia with the latest report (WorldAlzheimerReport, 2015) showing 46.8 million people are currently affected by dementia. That number is expected to double every 20 years unless there is effective therapeutic intervention.

Developmental Transcription Factors In Age-Related Cns Disease: A Phoenix Rising From The Ashes?, Robert White, Meghan Thomas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few would doubt that understanding the developmental landscape from which a mature neuron is derived is essential to understand its biology. The temporal and spatial position of a cell from the very earliest stages of development predicts the unique combinations of growth factors it will subsequently be exposed to. This combination of factors determines the transcriptional platform set within the cell by its specific combination of transcription factors, who direct the show. This, in turn, determines what cell type it will differentiate into, and what connections it will make. How this developmental platform translates to maintenance of a differentiated neuron …

Heat-Mediated Reduction Of Apoptosis In Uvb-Damaged Keratinocytes In Vitro And In Human Skin Ex Vivo, Leslie Calapre, Elin S. Gray, Sandrine Kurdykowski, Anthony David, Prue Hart, Pascal Descargues, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

UV radiation induces significant DNA damage in keratinocytes and is a known risk factor for skin carcinogenesis. However, it has been reported previously that repeated and simultaneous exposure to UV and heat stress increases the rate of cutaneous tumour formation in mice. Since constant exposure to high temperatures and UV are often experienced in the environment, the effects of exposure to UV and heat needs to be clearly addressed in human epidermal cells.

Methods:

In this study, we determined the effects of repeated UVB exposure 1kJ/m2 followed by heat (39°C) to human keratinocytes. Normal human ex vivo skin models …

Effects Of Exercise Interventions And Physical Activity Behavior On Cancer Related Cognitive Impairments: A Systematic Review, Philipp Zimmer, Freerk Baumann, Max Oberste, Peter Wright, Alexander Garthe, Alexander Schenk, Thomas Elter, Daniel A. Galvao, Wilhelm Bloch, Sven Hübner, Florian Wolf

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This systematic review analyzes current data on effects of exercise interventions and physical activity behavior on objective and subjective cancer related cognitive impairments (CRCI). Out of the 19 studies which met all inclusion criteria, five RCTs investigated rodents, whereas the other 14 trials explored humans and these included six RCTs, one controlled trial, two prospective noncontrolled trials, one case series, one observational study, and three cross-sectional studies. The results from animal models revealed positive effects of exercise during and after chemotherapy or radiation on structural alterations of the central nervous system, physiological as well as neuropsychological outcomes. The overall study …

Aboriginal Health Worker Perceptions Of Oral Health: A Qualitative Study In Perth, Western Australia, Angela Durey, Dan Mcaullay, Barry Gibson, Linda Slack-Smith

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Improving oral health for Aboriginal Australians has been slow. Despite dental disease being largely preventable, Aboriginal Australians have worse periodontal disease, more decayed teeth and untreated dental caries than other Australians. Reasons for this are complex and risk factors include broader social and historic determinants such as marginalisation and discrimination that impact on Aboriginal people making optimum choices about oral health. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study conducted in the Perth metropolitan area investigating Aboriginal Health Workers’ (AHWs) perceptions of barriers and enablers to oral health for Aboriginal people.

Methods:

Following extensive consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders, …

Acute Inflammatory Response To Low-, Moderate-, And High-Load Resistance Exercise In Women With Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema, Prue Cormie, Benjamin Singh, Sandi Hayes, Jonathan M. Peake, Daniel A. Galvao, Dennis Taaffe, Nigel Spry, Kazunori Nosaka, Bruce Cornish, Kathryn H. Schmitz, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Resistance exercise is emerging as a potential adjunct therapy to aid in the management of breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL). However, the mechanisms underlying the relationships between the acute and long-term benefits of resistance exercise on BCRL are not well understood.

Purpose

To examine the acute inflammatory response to upper-body resistance exercise in women with BCRL and to compare these effects between resistance exercises involving low, moderate, and high loads. The impact on lymphedema status and associated symptoms was also compared.

Methods.

A total of 21 women, 62 ± 10 years old, with BCRL participated in the study. Participants completed …

Association Between Igf2bp2 Polymorphisms And Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Case-Control Study And Meta-Analysis, Ping Rao, Hao Wang, Honghong Fang, Qing Gao, Jie Zhang, Manshu Song, Yong Zhou, Youxin Wang, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) found that IGF2BP2 rs4402960 and rs1470579 polymorphisms were associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk. Many studies have replicated this association, but yielded inconsistent results.

Materials and Methods:

A case-control study consisting of 461 T2DM patients and 434 health controls was conducted to detect the genetic susceptibility of IGF2BP2 in a northern Han Chinese population. A meta-analysis was to evaluate the association more precisely in Asians.

Results:

In the case-control study, the carriers of TT genotype at rs4402960 had a higher T2DM risk than the G carriers (TG + GG) (adjusted …

Closing The Gap In Nursing Education: Comparing Nursing Registration Systems In Australia And China, Carol Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim:

To provide a better understanding of how the nursing registration process in China compares to that of Australia and to identify common features and potential barriers that may affect or facilitate the development of China's ever-demanding need for healthcare and nursing education.

Background:

Chinese nursing graduates are increasingly being used to augment the shortage of nurses in other countries, including Australia. However, China is desperately in need of strategies to cope with its current challenges in healthcare and nursing education. There is little discussion concerning the differences in nursing registration systems between countries, such as China and …

Reductions In Circulating Levels Of Il-16, Il-7 And Vegf-A In Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Abdolamir Landi, David Broadhurst, Suxanne D. Vernon, D. Lorne J. Tyrell, Michael Houghton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Recently, differences in the levels of various chemokines and cytokines were reported in patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) as compared with controls. Moreover, the analyte profile differed between chronic ME/CFS patients of long duration versus patients with disease of less than 3 years. In the current study, we measured the plasma levels of 34 cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in 100 chronic ME/CFS patients of long duration and in 79 gender and age-matched controls. We observed highly significant reductions in the concentration of circulating interleukin (IL)-16, IL-7, and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGF-A) in ME/CFS patients. All …

Furthering The Quality Agenda In Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services: Understanding The Relationship Between Accreditation, Continuous Quality Improvement And National Key Performance Indicator Reporting, Beverly Sibthorpe, Karen Gardner, Daniel Mcaullay

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A rapidly expanding interest in quality in the Aboriginal-community-controlled health sector has led to widespread uptake of accreditation using more than one set of standards, a proliferation of continuous quality improvement programs and the introduction of key performance indicators. As yet, there has been no overarching logic that shows how they relate to each other, with consequent confusion within and outside the sector. We map the three approaches to the Framework for Performance Assessment in Primary Health Care, demonstrating their key differences and complementarity. There needs to be greater attention in both policy and practice to the purposes and alignment …

Compliance, Palatability And Feasibility Of Paleolithic And Australian Guide To Healthy Eastin Diets In Healtthy Women: A 4-Week Dietary Intervention, Angela Genoni, Johnny Lo, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

(1) Background/Objectives:

The Paleolithic diet has been receiving media coverage in Australia and claims to improve overall health. The diet removes grains and dairy, whilst encouraging consumption of fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs and nuts. Our aim was to compare the diet to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) in terms of compliance, palatability and feasibility;

(2) Subjects/Methods:

39 healthy women (age 47 ± 13 years, BMI 27 ± 4 kg/m²) were randomised to an ad-libitum Paleolithic (n = 22) or AGHE diet (n = 17) for 4-weeks. A food checklist was completed daily, with mean discretionary consumption …

Discriminant Validity Of The Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (Ii) And Beck Anxiety Inventory To Confirmed Clinical Diagnosis Of Depression And Anxiety In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tina Phan, Owen Carter, Claire Adams, Grant Waterer, Li Ping Chung, Maxine Hawkins, Cobie Rudd, Mel R. Ziman, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the discriminant validity of commonly used depresson and anxiety screening tools in order to determine the most suitable tool for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD patients (n = 56) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). These scores were compared to confirmed clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview. HADS depression subscale (HADS-D) sensitivity/specificity was 78/81 %; BDI-II 89/77 %; HADS anxiety subscale (HADS-A) 71/81 %; and BAI 89/62 %. HADS-D sensitivity/specificity was improved …

Climate Change And Malaria Control: The Importance Of Mitigation And A Call To Action, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Kazeem Adefemi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Malaria has remained an important target for global disease control efforts for decades. The streams of funds and, consequently, availability of effective interventions for the disease have resulted in considerable reduction in its burden, globally. Despite the relative success of such global efforts, malaria remains a significant threat in over a hundred countries, worldwide, leading to about one million deaths and hundreds of millions of hospital visits, annually. Many researchers and health commentators have argued that global warming, a consequence of climate change, could be linked – directly or indirectly – to the persistence as well as the re-emergence of …

A Survey Of Knowledge, Attitudes, And Practices In Relation To Mosquitoes And Mosquito-Borne Disease In Western Australia, Abbey Potter, Andrew Jardine, Peter J. Neville

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

On average, more than 1,000 individuals will acquire a mosquito-borne disease in Western Australia (WA) each year. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) in relation to mosquitoes and mosquito-borne disease have not yet been investigated within Australia. A randomized telephone survey of 2,500 households across 12 regions in WA was undertaken between February and May 2014. The aim of the survey was to obtain baseline KAP data surrounding mosquitoes and mosquito-borne diseases in different regions of WA, across a range of age groups and between males and females. The results of this survey indicate that the majority of respondents are aware …

The Effectiveness Of Self-Management Mobile Phone And Tablet Apps In Long-Term Condition Management: A Systematic Review, Lisa Whitehead, Philippa Seaton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Long-term conditions and their concomitant management place considerable pressure on patients, communities, and health care systems worldwide. International clinical guidelines on the majority of long-term conditions recommend the inclusion of self-management programs in routine management. Self-management programs have been associated with improved health outcomes; however, the successful and sustainable transfer of research programs into clinical practice has been inconsistent. Recent developments in mobile technology, such as mobile phone and tablet computer apps, could help in developing a platform for the delivery of self-management interventions that are adaptable, of low cost, and easily accessible.

Objective:

We conducted a systematic review …

Spatiotemporal Cluster Patterns Of Hand, Foot, And Mouth Disease At The County Level In Mainland China, 2008-2012, Chao Wang, Xia Li, Yingjie Zhang, Qin Xu, Fangfang Huang, Kai Cao, Lixin Tao, Jin Guo, Qi Gao, Wei Wang, Liqun Fang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD) is known to be a highly contagious childhood illness. In recent years, the number of reported cases of HFMD has significantly increased in mainland China. This study aims at the epidemiological features, spatiotemporal patterns of HMFD at the county/district level in mainland China.

Methods:

Data on reported HFMD cases for each county from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2012 were obtained from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cluster analysis, spatial autocorrelation, and retrospective scan methods were used to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of the disease.

Results:

The annual incidences …

Socioeconomic, Bio-Demographic And Health/Behavioral Determinants Of Neonatal Mortality In Nigeria: A Multilevel Analysis Of 2013 Demographic And Health Survey, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Yun Zhao, Reeta Lamichhane

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Nigeria ranks as one of the countries in the world with considerable burden of neonatal mortality. This study aims to investigate the association of socioeconomic, bio-demographic and health/behavioural factors with neonatal mortality in the country using the most current available evidence.

Methods:

The 2013 Nigeria demographic and health survey (NDHS) dataset was analyzed. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify determinants associated with neonatal mortality. The role of breastfeeding was examined by conducting analyses with and without adjustment for ‘breastfeeding status’. Complex sample analysis was used to control for the complex sampling design used in NDHS.

Results:

Neonatal …

Breastfeeding In Nigeria: A Systematic Review, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Kazeem Adefemi

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Breastfeeding confers numerous benefits on babies and mothers. Early initiation, ‘exclusive breastfeeding’ and breastfeeding for at least two years post-delivery are the recommended practices. This study aims to examine the trends of breastfeeding practice in Nigeria by reviewing available published studies. The online databases of PubMed, Science Direct and the Web of Knowledge were searched using relevant terms. Studies identified were screened for eligibility and those that met the inclusion criteria were included in this review. Graphs and regression equations were generated using Microsoft Excel® to illustrate the duration of and trends in, breastfeeding practices in Nigeria. This review adopts …

A Randomised Control Trial Of Salvage Radiotherapy And Androgen Deprivation Therapy Following Prostatectomy: Commentary On Five Year Follow-Up Findings, Scott Williams, John W. Yaxley, Geoffrey D. Coughlin, Robert A. Gardiner

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.