Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Food Fears: A National Survey On The Attitudes Of Australian Adults About The Safety And Quality Of Food, P. G. Williams, E. Stirling, N. Keynes

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A national telephone survey of a representative sample of 1200 Australian adults was conducted in March 2002 in order to identify the factors of greatest concern to consumers in relation to the safety and quality of food, to measure recent trends in views about hazards in the food supply, to explore beliefs about the safety of additives and to discover whether consumers use food labels to check for ingredients of concern. Forty five percent of Australians responded that they were more concerned about the safety and quality of food than they were five years previously, while only 5% were less …

The Illawarra Healthy Food Price Index. 1. Development Of The Food Basket, P. G. Williams, M. Reid, K. Shaw

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To define a basket of foods that could be used to monitor trends in the affordability of healthy food in the Illawarra region. Design A reference family of five was defined reflecting the population of the Illawarra region. A draft basket of foods was selected based on recommendations of the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE), and using information on typical eating patterns from the 1995 National Nutrition Survey and data from local supermarket sales. Products were chosen to conform where possible to the National Heart Foundation guidelines for acceptability in the Pick the Tick food approval program. Seven …

The Illawarra Healthy Food Price Index. 2. Pricing Methods And Index Trends From 2000-2003, P. G. Williams, Y. James, J. Kwan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective To develop a method to monitor trends in the cost of the Illawarra Healthy Food Basket (IHFB) and report trends from 2000 to 2003.

Design Detailed instructions for the method of pricing the IHFB were developed and tested. The price of the IHFB was collected each year in September at a major supermarket, green grocer and butcher in five Illawarra suburbs, representing a range of socio-economic locations. Data on welfare payments available to the reference family, assuming all members were unemployed, were collected from staff of Centrelink.

Main outcome measures The average weekly cost of the IHFB, the Illawarra …

The Impact Of Different Types Of Incentives On Re-Enrolment Into Health Management Programs, Sandra C. Jones, Christina Hoang

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Australian Health Management Group (AHMG) offers disease- and risk-management programs for members, aimed at improving health status and reducing health care costs. As an incentive to re-enrol, members are posted a small gift upon receipt of their completed enrolment form. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the provision of an incentive has a measurable effect on re-enrolment rates. Members were allocated to one of three conditions: “gift”; “competition”; or “no incentive”. We found that the provision of an incentive resulted in an increase in re-enrolment rates, with little difference between the “competition” and “gift” conditions. …

What Can Change Blindness Tell Us About The Visual Processing Of Complex Objects?, Simone Keane, Stephen A. Palmisano

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Processing visual information about objects in our environment is an essential and widely used skill. However, recent research in change blindness suggests that humans are remarkably poor at detecting certain types of changes to objects. In particular, changes to the configuration of an object's parts are detected quicker and more accurately than changes to the shape of the parts or a switching of parts. The implication of this finding is that information regarding the layout or configuration of an object is better encoded than finer details, like part shape. The aim of the current study was to determine whether this …

Erythrocyte Biomarker-Based Validation Of A Diet History Method Used In A Dietary Intervention Trial, Craig S. Patch, Karen J Murphy, Jackie Mansour, Linda C. Tapsell, Barbara J. Meyer, Trevor A Mori, Manny Noakes, P Clifton, I Puddey, P Howe

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Functional Foods And Ingredients: Opportunities For Health And Profit, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The National Centre of Excellence in Functional Foods (NCEFF) is developing well with strategic research projects underway. This report outlines progress to date.

Serial Serum Procalcitonin Changes In The Prognosis Of Acute Stroke, Spyridon Miyakis, Petros Georgakopoulos, Maria Kiagia, Angelos Pefanis, Theodoros D. Mountokalakis, Olga Papadopoulou, Aristomenis Gonis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Inflammatory response is a principal early component in the pathophysiology of stroke [1]. Serum procalcitonin (PCT)-a marker of septicemia and infection severity [2]-has also been proposed as an indicator of systemic inflammatory response in noninfectious situations [3,4]. As no data exist thus far on PCT in stroke, this study aimed to evaluate serum PCT changes in the acute stroke setting, and to correlate them with clinical and laboratory parameters and patient's outcome.

Beta-2 Glycoprotein I And Its Role In Antiphospholipid Syndrome: Lessons From Knockout Mice, Spyridon Miyakis, Sarah A. Robertson, S A. Krilis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The antiphospholipid syndrome is characterized by the presence in serum of autoantibodies against h2GPI. Although the role of h2GPI in the pathogenesis of antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APS) is well recognized, its exact physiological functions still remain undisclosed. Several interactions of h2GPI with components of the coagulation cascade have been proposed, resulting in both procoagulant and anticoagulant effects. Additionally, h2GPI has been implicated in the mechanism of recurrent fetal loss entailed in APS. Recently, using a homologous recombination approach, reproduction of mice homozygous for deletion of the b2GPI gene has been feasible. h2GPI knockout mice offer a valuable tool for revealing …

Comparative Records Of Occupation In The Keep River Region Of The Eastern Kimberley, Northwestern Australia, Ingrid Ward

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This paper considers the record of occupation in the Keep River region of the eastern Kimberley, and whether archaeological records are equally preserved within as well as between regions. Luminescence dating, radiocarbon dating and archaeological evidence from eight rock shelter sequences provide only late Holocene (5 - 0 ky BP) occupation sequences, whereas luminescence dating and archaeological evidence for three sand-sheet sequences indicate occupation dating to 18 ky BP. Given that rock shelters and sand sheet excavations can produce such different chronologies, it is questioned to what extent the representative records for the eastern Kimberley, and the adjacent western Kimberley, …

Fish Recolonization In Temperate Australian Rockpools: A Quantitative Experimental Approach, Shane Griffiths, Ronald West, Andrew R. Davis, Ken Russell

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Understanding recolonization processes of intertidal fish assemblages is integral for predicting the consequences of significant natural or anthropogenic impacts on the intertidal zone. Recolonization of experimentally defaunated intertidal rockpools by fishes at Bass Point, New South Wales (NSW), Australia, was assessed quantitatively by using one long-term and two short-term studies. Rockpools of similar size and position at four sites within the intertidal zone were repeatedly defaunated of their fish fauna after one week, one month, and three months during two short-term studies in spring and autumn (5 months each), and every six months for the long-term study (12 months). Fish …

Fibronectin-Binding Protein Gene Recombination And Horizontal Transfer Between Group A And G Streptococci, Rebecca J. Towers, Daniel Gal, David Mcmillan, Kadaba S. Sriprakash, Bart J. Currie, Mark J. Walker, Gursharan S. Chhatwal, Peter K. Fagan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We report evidence of interspecies gene transfer between the important virulence factor genes sfbI and gfbA. Because the identified group G streptococcus gfbA types possess DNA cassettes that can be identified in a number of group A streptococcus strains, it appears that homologous recombination is occurring between these species.

Minimum Energy As The General Form Of Critical Flow And Maximum Flow Efficiency And For Explaining Variations In River Channel Pattern, He Qing Huang, Howard H. Chang, Gerald Nanson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Although the Bélanger-Böss theorem of critical flow has been widely applied in open channel hydraulics, it was derived from the laws governing ideal frictionless flow. This study explores a more general expression of this theorem and examines its applicability to flow with friction and sediment transport. It demonstrates that the theorem can be more generally presented as the principle of minimum energy (PME), with maximum efficiency of energy use and minimum friction or minimum energy dissipation as its equivalents. Critical flow depth under frictionless conditions, the best hydraulic section where friction is introduced, and the most efficient alluvial channel geometry …

Oxaliplatin, Fluorouracil, And Leucovorin As Adjuvant Treatment For Colon Cancer, Thierry Andre, Corrado Boni, Lamia Mounedji-Boudiaf, Matilde Navarro, Josep Tabernero, Tamas Hickish, Clare Topham, Marta Zaninelli, Phillip Clingan, John Bridgewater, Isabelle Tabah-Fisch, Aimery De Gramont

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

BACKGROUND: The standard adjuvant treatment of colon cancer is fluorouracil plus leucovorin (FL). Oxaliplatin improves the efficacy of this combination in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. We evaluated the efficacy of treatment with FL plus oxaliplatin in the postoperative adjuvant setting. METHODS: We randomly assigned 2246 patients who had undergone curative resection for stage II or III colon cancer to receive FL alone or with oxatiplatin for six months. The primary end point was disease-free survival. RESULTS: A total of 1123 patients were randomly assigned to each group. After a median follow-up of 37.9 months, 237 patients in the group …

Litho- And Chronostratigraphy Of Holocene Sedimentary Successions Preserved In Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Using a Holocene barrier estuary, Lake Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia, as an example, a detailed litho- and chrono-stratigraphy of the Holocene estuarine deposits has been investigated. Forty kilometres of seismic surveys, 61 vibracores, supplemented by auger drill holes and trenches, and faunal analysis were used in this study. A detailed chronology of the infilling of the barrier estuary has been established using 121 aspartic acid derived ages and 14 radiocarbon ages. The results provide a detailed chronology for the deposition of marine transgressive deposits between ca. 8 and 5 ka years ago. Barrier growth, initiated with rising sea levels …

Recent Sedimentation And Geomorphological Changes, Lake Illawarra, Nsw, Australia, Craig R. Sloss, Brian G. Jones, Colin V. Murray-Wallace, Bryan E. Chenhall

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Assessing recent changes in landforms associated with Lake Illawarra was achieved by identifying changes in geomorphological features observed in early mapping of the region, aerial photographs and satellite imagery. Quantifying rates of sedimentation associated with prograding fluvial bay-head deltas and within the central basin of Lake Illawarra was established within the framework of amino acid racemisation, radiocarbon, and cesium 137 dating. Results indicate that sedimentation rates associated with fluvial bay-head deltas range from 31 mm/yr proximal to the delta front and fall to between 3 and 7 mm/yr in the pro-delta region. This is a significant increase in sedimentation rate …

Ascorbic Acid Losses In Vegetables Associated With Cook-Chill Food Preparation, Karen E. Charlton, Paula Patrick, L Dowling, E Jensen

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective. To assess ascorbic acid (AA) losses in four vegetables (broccoli, peas, cauliflower and cabbage) at each production stage in a cook-chill food service system. Setting. A long-stay psychiatric hospital in Cape Town. Design. Cross-sectional analytical study. On two repeat occasions, three samples of each vegetable were taken at the following stages: (i) delivery (day 1); (ii) after preparation (day 2); (iii) after cooking (day 5); (iv) after blastchilling (day 5); and (v) in the holdroom and after regeneration over a 4-day period (days 6 - 9). AA content of each sample was assessed in duplicate using the 2,6 dichloroindophenol …

Full Term, Peri-Urban South African Infants Under Six Months Of Age Are At Risk For Early-Onset Anemia., Lindi Sibeko, Ma Dhansay, Karen E. Charlton, Timothy Johns, M Van Stuijvenberg, Katherine Gray-Donald

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective: There is a paucity of data on the micronutrient status of low-income, lactating South African women and their infants under 6 months of age. The aim of this study was to elucidate the level of anaemia and vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in peri-urban breast-feeding women and their young infants.

Design: Cross-sectional study including anthropometric, biochemical and infant feeding data.

Setting: Peri-urban settlement in Cape Town, South Africa.

Subjects: Breast-feeding women (n = 113) and their infants (aged 1–6 months) attending a peri-urban clinic.

Results: Mean (standard deviation (SD)) haemoglobin (Hb) of the lactating mothers was 12.4 (1.3) gdl …

Using A Taxonomy Of Errors As A Conceptual Framework For Differences In Patterns Of Use For Casual And Novice Users, Jocelyn R. Harper, Peter Caputi, Rohan Jayasuriya, Shae-Leigh C. Vella, P. Hyland

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

A taxonomy of errors was applied in a recent study of casual and novice users of a statistical analysis software. The taxonomy was found to be useful and several extensions to the taxonomy were proposed. The aim of this study is to confirm the theoretical validity of the proposed extensions and the usefulness of the taxonomy in describing the patterns of human-computer interaction and predicting changes in use patterns with learning.

Individual Differences In Anticipated Emotions, Desires And Intentions In Approaching A Computer Task, Jocelyn R. Harper, Peter Caputi, Rohan Jayasuriya

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research on user training has drawn on psychological theory to understand individual differences effects. An extension of the Model of Goal-directed Behaviour (MGB) was used to test the role of Personality variables, Computer self-efficacy and Computer anxiety as antecedents of anticipated emotions, goal desires and intentions. Positive anticipated emotions were demonstrated to intervene in the relation between Computer self efficacy and goal desires.

Determining Rotational Temperatures From The Oh(8-3) Band, And A Comparison With (Oh96-2) Rotational Temperatures At Davis, Antarctica, Frances Phillips, G B. Burns, W J R French, P F B Williams, A R. Klekociuk, R P. Lowe

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Rotational temperatures derived from the OH(8–3) band may vary by ~18K depending on the choice of transition probabilities. This is of concern when absolute temperatures or trends determined in combination with measurements of other hydroxyl bands are important. In this paper, measurements of the OH(8–3) temperature-insensitive Q/P and R/P line intensity ratios are used to select the most appropriate transition probabilities for use with this band. Aurora, airglow and solar and telluric absorption in the OH(8–3) band are also investigated. Water vapour absorption of P₁(4), airglow or auroral contamination of P₁(2) and solar absorption in the …

Anabranching And Maximum Flow Efficiency In Magela Creek, Northern Australia, John D. Jansen, Gerald C. Nanson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

[1] Anabranching is the prevailing river pattern found along alluvial tracts of the world's largest rivers. Hydraulic geometry and bed material discharge are compared between single channel and anabranching reaches up to 4 times bank-full discharge in Magela Creek, northern Australia. The anabranching channels exhibit greater sediment transporting capacity per unit available stream power, i.e., maximum flow efficiency (MFE). Simple flume experiments corroborate our field results showing the flow efficiency gains associated with anabranching, and highlight the prospect of a dominant anabranch, which is found in many anabranching rivers. These results demonstrate that anabranching can constitute a stable river pattern …

An Exploratory Study Of Older Adults' Perceptions Of Dtca For Prescription Medications, Sandra C. Jones, Judy Mullan

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There are many arguments for and against Direct-To-Consumer-Advertising (DTCA) and their impact on the consumer. A study involving 97 older consumers was carried out to investigate their perceptions about long or short versions of written DTCA for arthritis or diabetes medication. The results indicate that even though the ads may improve doctor-patient discussion about medications, they would not necessarily empower them to make decisions. Some of the consumers also believed that DTCA might cause people to ask for inappropriate medicines, become confused and possibly stop seeking medical advice.

An Exploratory Study On The Effect Of Positive (Warmth Appeal) And Negative (Guilt Appeal) Print Imagery On Donation Behaviour In Animal Welfare, M. Haynes, Jennifer Thornton, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Very few studies in social marketing empirically compare the effectiveness of positive and negative appeals. This study examines the effect of positive (warmth appeal) and negative (guilt appeal) print imagery on donation behaviour to an animal welfare organisation. A quasiexperimental design was used to test the appeals, using a convenience sample of 282 university students, with each experimental group being exposed to only one type of appeal. The results indicated that negative imagery which evoked guilt was more effective than positive imagery which evoked warmth, on intention to donate money and time to the animal welfare organisation.

The Influence Of Magazine Advertising On Parents' Nutrition Ratings Of Food Products For Children, Christina Hoang, Sandra C. Jones, Jennifer Thornton

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Childhood obesity currently affects approximately 22 million children under the age of five worldwide (Rochinni, 2002) and its increasing prevalence in developed nations makes it one of the most common nutritional problems among children (Sorof and Stephen, 2002). A study was conducted to investigate parents’ health-related perceptions for a series of magazine advertisements for commonly advertised and popular children’s food products. The study revealed that confusion exists among parents and this was most evident in relation to the energy content of food products. Parents are important due to the instrumental role they play in their child’s nutrition - both as …

Geomagnetic Activity Forcing Of The Northern Annular Mode Via The Stratosphere, Daniel Palamara, Edward Bryant

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We consider various aspects of the link between solar-modulated geomagnetic activity and the Northern Annular Mode (NAM). Our results indicate that the geomagnetic forcing of atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere is temporally and seasonally restricted, modulated by the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), and reliant on stratosphere-troposphere coupling. When the data are restricted to January values after 1965, for years in which the January QBO is eastwards, the correlation coefficient between the geomagnetic AA index and the NAM is 0.85. These results can account for many of the enigmatic features of Northern Hemisphere circulation.

Serotypes And Virulence Gene Profiles Of Shiga Toxin-Producing Escherichia Coli Strains Isolated From Feces Of Pasture-Fed And Lot-Fed Sheep, Steven Djordjevic, Vidiya Ramachandran, Karl A Bettelheim, Barbara A. Vanselow, Peter Holst, Graham Bailey, Michael A. Hornitsky

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) strains possessing genes for enterohemolysin (ehxA) and/or intimin (eae), referred to here as complex STEC (cSTEC), are more commonly recovered from the feces of humans with hemolytic uremic syndrome and hemorrhagic colitis than STEC strains that do not possess these accessory virulence genes. Ruminants, particularly cattle and sheep, are recognized reservoirs of STEC populations that may contaminate foods destined for human consumption. We isolated cSTEC strains from the feces of longitudinally sampled pasture-fed sheep, lot-fed sheep maintained on diets comprising various combinations of silage and grain, and sheep simultaneously grazing pastures …

Plant Functional Traits In Relation To Fire In Crown-Fire Ecosystems, Juli G. Pausus, Ross Bradstock, David A. Keith, Jon E. Keeley

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Disturbance is a dominant factor in many ecosystems, and the disturbance regime is likely to change over the next decades in response to land-use changes and global warming. We assume that predictions of vegetation dynamics can be made on the basis of a set of life-history traits that characterize the response of a species to disturbance. For crown-fire ecosystems, the main plant traits related to postfire persistence are the ability to resprout (persistence of individuals) and the ability to retain a persistent seed bank (persistence of populations). In this context, we asked (1) to what extent do different life-history traits …

Immune Responses Of A Liposome/Iscom Vaccine Adjuvant Against Streptococcal Fibronectin Binding Protein 1 (Sfb1) In Mice, Jason D. Mcarthur, K Schulze, James Chin, B J. Currie, K S. Sriprakash, S R. Talay, G S. Chhatwal, C A. Guzman, Mark J. Walker

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: The fibronectin binding protein Sfb1 of Streptococcus pyogenes is a well characterised antigen which induces protection against lethal challenge with group A streptococcus (GAS) when adjuvanted with cholera toxin B-subunit (CTB). As an alternative to CTB adjuvanted intranasal immunisations we investigated the immune responses generated in mice using Sfb1 incorporated in to the skin and mucosal adjuvant SAMA4. METHODS: Mice (BALB/c) were vaccinated intradermally with 100 microl of either SAMA4 (adjuvant only group) or SAMA4/Sfb1 and were boosted 7 days later. Mice vaccinated with CTB based vaccines were immunised by intranasal inoculation with a mixture containing 30 …

Effects Of Ultraviolet Radiation And Visible Light On The Development Of Encapsulated Molluscan Embryos, Rachel Przeslawski, Andrew R. Davis, Kirsten Benkendorff

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Benthic egg masses laid in intertidal habitats are exposed to numerous environmental stresses including potentially damaging ultraviolet radiation (UVR). We sought to determine the developmental effects of UVR and visible light on molluscan embryos within egg masses from habitats with differential UVR exposure. Capsular and gelatinous egg masses from 23 marine gastropod species were collected from 3 intertidal habitats: (1) full sun, (2) partial shade, and (3) full shade. Egg masses were then divided among 4 spectral treatments: full spectrum, no UV-B, no UV, and dark. An ANOVA confirmed that a significant interaction between original habitat and spectral treatment affected …