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2011

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Medicine and Health Sciences

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Articles 1 - 30 of 202

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

A Review Of Baobab (Adansonia Digitata) Products: Effect Of Processing Techniques, Medicinal Properties And Uses, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Clarise Compaoré, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jacobsen Dec 2011

A Review Of Baobab (Adansonia Digitata) Products: Effect Of Processing Techniques, Medicinal Properties And Uses, Donatien Kabore, Hagrétou Sawadogo-Lingani, Bréhima Diawara, Clarise Compaoré, Mamoudou H. Dicko Prof., Mogens Jacobsen

Pr. Mamoudou H. DICKO, PhD

A general literature review including the effect of processing techniques, medicinal value and uses of baobab tree is reported in this manuscript. Baobab tree has multi-purpose uses, as it produces food and non-food products such as medicines, fuel, timber, fodder. Every part of the baobab tree is reported to be useful. The seeds, leaves, roots, flowers, fruit pulp and bark of baobab are edible. Baobab leaves are used in the preparation of soup. Seeds are used as a thickening agent in soups, but they can be fermented and used as a flavouring agent or roasted and eaten as snacks. The …

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Leaving Home Care: Decision Making, Risk Scenarios & Services Gaps In The Home Care System, Jacey J. Vaughan, Nina M. Silverstein Dec 2011

Leaving Home Care: Decision Making, Risk Scenarios & Services Gaps In The Home Care System, Jacey J. Vaughan, Nina M. Silverstein

Nina Silverstein

Home and community-based services (HCBS) enable older and disabled adults to age-in-place in their homes and communities by helping them function independently for as long as possible (Grabowski et al., 2010; Wong & Silverstein, 2011). Previous studies well document that older adults prefer receiving HCBS rather than institutional care at a nursing home (e.g., Walker, 2010; Fox-Grage, Coleman, & Freiman, 2006). Medicaid is a major source of funding for long-term care. Currently, a large proportion of Medicaid funds in most states has been spent on institutional care (National Conference of State Legislatures & AARP, 2009), and older adults and their …

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Four Distinct Generations Of Workers Makes Leadership Challenging, Joyce K. Kutin Dec 2011

Four Distinct Generations Of Workers Makes Leadership Challenging, Joyce K. Kutin

Joyce K Kutin RN, MSN, MOL

The Bureau of Labor Statistics for the year 2000 stated that Baby Boomers (age thirty-six through fifty-four) represented fifty percent of the United States labor force while Generation X (age twenty to thirty-five) represented some thirty-three percent, a significant decline in workforce. This demographic, time bomb indicates the urgency for many organizations in developed countries to prepare for and cope with the imminent retirement of their aging workforce.

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Current Research Projects Of The Public Health Pbrn Program, Glen P. Mays Dec 2011

Current Research Projects Of The Public Health Pbrn Program, Glen P. Mays

Glen Mays

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks Program supports research on the organization, financing, and delivery of public health services using the infrastructure of practice-based networks (PBRNs). A Public Health PBRN brings multiple public health agencies into collaboration with an academic research partner to design and conduct studies in real-world practice settings. The program supports research through several different mechanisms, including (1) large-scale Research Implementation Awards (RIAs) conducted by established networks; (2) Quick-Strike Research Fund (QSRF) awards that support short-term, time-sensitive studies on emerging issues; and (3) supplemental Research Acceleration and Capacity Expansion (RACE) awards designed to …

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Site-Directed Mutations In The C-Terminal Extension Of Human Αb-Crystallin Affect Chaperone Function And Block Amyloid Fibril Formation, T. M. Treweek, Heath Ecroyd, D. M. Williams, S. Meehan, J. A. Carver, M. J. Walker Dec 2011

Site-Directed Mutations In The C-Terminal Extension Of Human Αb-Crystallin Affect Chaperone Function And Block Amyloid Fibril Formation, T. M. Treweek, Heath Ecroyd, D. M. Williams, S. Meehan, J. A. Carver, M. J. Walker

Heath Ecroyd

Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are associated with inappropriate protein deposition and ordered amyloid fibril assembly. Molecular chaperones, including αBcrystallin, play a role in the prevention of protein deposition. A series of site-directed mutants of the human molecular chaperone, αB-crystallin, were constructed which focused on the flexible C-terminal extension of the protein. We investigated the structural role of this region as well as its role in the chaperone function of αB-crystallin under different types of protein aggregation, i.e. disordered amorphous aggregation and ordered amyloid fibril assembly. It was found that mutation of lysine and glutamic acid residues in the C-terminal …

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Risk Factors For Driving Cessation Vary By Race And Ethnicity, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Chae Man Lee Dec 2011

Risk Factors For Driving Cessation Vary By Race And Ethnicity, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Chae Man Lee

Frank Porell

Driving is related to our identity and independence as well as allowing us to get needed goods, services, and social opportunities that enrich daily life. Yet with increasing age, the risk for developing threats to medical fitness to drive increases. Driving cessation is related to a long list of negative outcomes, such as: depression, social isolation, diminished access to health care, and diminished quality of life. We investigated risks for driving cessation, paying close attention to racial differences. This study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), 1998-2008. The study included N=46, 528 older people (age 65 and …

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Risk Factors For Driving Cessation Vary By Race And Ethnicity, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Chae Man Lee Dec 2011

Risk Factors For Driving Cessation Vary By Race And Ethnicity, Elizabeth Dugan, Frank Porell, Chae Man Lee

Elizabeth Dugan

Driving is related to our identity and independence as well as allowing us to get needed goods, services, and social opportunities that enrich daily life. Yet with increasing age, the risk for developing threats to medical fitness to drive increases. Driving cessation is related to a long list of negative outcomes, such as: depression, social isolation, diminished access to health care, and diminished quality of life. We investigated risks for driving cessation, paying close attention to racial differences. This study used data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), 1998-2008. The study included N=46, 528 older people (age 65 and …

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Driving Qi With Research: Findings From Public Health Pbrns, Glen Mays Dec 2011

Driving Qi With Research: Findings From Public Health Pbrns, Glen Mays

Glen Mays

Public health agencies are increasingly experimenting with quality improvement (QI) strategies designed to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of their efforts. Does QI work in public health, and if so for whom and under what circumstances? What QI strategies work best for which types of public health process failures, and at what cost? Research underway through the Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN) Program is examining these types of questions to build an evidence base for public health QI.

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Hallucination Proneness, Schizotypy And Meta-Cognition, John Stirling, Emma Barkus, Shon Lewis Dec 2011

Hallucination Proneness, Schizotypy And Meta-Cognition, John Stirling, Emma Barkus, Shon Lewis

Emma Barkus

Disordered or maladaptive meta-cognitive processing appears to be a prominent feature for some individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. We sought to establish whether healthy individuals distinguished either in terms hallucination proneness (HP) or level of schizotypy could also be differentiated on the sub-scales of the Meta-cognitions Questionnaire (MCQ), or a modified version of it in which items about worry were replaced with items specifically related to thinking. A total of 106 healthy volunteers completed the Oxford and Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences and Launay-Slade hallucination scale, the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire and two versions of the MCQ: the original …

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Ecstasy (Mdma) And Its Relationship With Self Report Depression, Anxiety And Schizotypy, Lisa Woods, Emma Barkus Dec 2011

Ecstasy (Mdma) And Its Relationship With Self Report Depression, Anxiety And Schizotypy, Lisa Woods, Emma Barkus

Emma Barkus

Abstract. Aims: The relationship between ecstasy and affective psychological symptoms are still subject to debate. We aimed to examine the relationship between Ecstasy use and self-report depression, anxiety and schizotypy. Design: Data were collected via structured remote self-report questionnaires. Participants: Participants were split into three groups: a control group with no ecstasy use, a light ecstasy user group (<50 >times), and a heavy ecstasy user group (>50 times). Measurements: Amount and patterns of ecstasy use were recorded, the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) measured depression and anxiety respectively, and schizotypal traits were measured using the …

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Cannabis-Induced Psychosis-Like Experiences Are Associated With High Schizotypy, Emma Barkus, John Stirling, Richard Hopkins, Shon Lewis Dec 2011

Cannabis-Induced Psychosis-Like Experiences Are Associated With High Schizotypy, Emma Barkus, John Stirling, Richard Hopkins, Shon Lewis

Emma Barkus

OBJECTIVE: Recent studies have suggested that cannabis use is a risk factor for developing schizophrenia. We tested the hypothesis that cannabis use increases the likelihood of psychosis-like experiences in non-clinical participants who scored highly on a measure of schizotypy. METHOD: The psychological effects of cannabis were assessed in 137 healthy individuals (76% female, mean age 22 years) using a newly developed questionnaire concerned with subjective experiences of the drug: the Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire. The questionnaire has three subscales: Pleasurable Experiences, Psychosis-Like Experiences and After-Effects. Respondents also completed the brief Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. RESULTS: Cannabis use was reported by 72% of …

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Cannabis-Induced Psychotic-Like Experiences Are Predicted By High Schizotypy. Confirmation Of Preliminary Results In A Large Cohort., John Stirling, Emma Barkus, L Nabosi, S Irshad, G Roemer, B Schreudergoidheijt, Shon Lewis Dec 2011

Cannabis-Induced Psychotic-Like Experiences Are Predicted By High Schizotypy. Confirmation Of Preliminary Results In A Large Cohort., John Stirling, Emma Barkus, L Nabosi, S Irshad, G Roemer, B Schreudergoidheijt, Shon Lewis

Emma Barkus

Background: Cannabis use has been identified as a possible risk factor for developing schizophrenia. In a previous paper we reported preliminary evidence that cannabis use increases the likelihood of psychosis-like experiences in non-clinical respondents who scored highly on a measure of schizotypy. We now present findings from pooled data from 3 new follow-up studies comprising a sample of 477 respondents, of whom 332 reported using cannabis at least once. Sampling and Methods: As in our previous study, the psychological effects of cannabis were assessed with the Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire, from which 3 subscales can be derived; encompassing pleasurable experiences, psychosis-like …

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Suggestibility, Dissociation And Positive Schizotypy, Emma Barkus, John Stirling, John Cavill Dec 2011

Suggestibility, Dissociation And Positive Schizotypy, Emma Barkus, John Stirling, John Cavill

Emma Barkus

Abstract. 94 participants, drawn from a parent sample of 1206 individuals who had previously taken part in an assessment of the factor structure of the Oxford-Liverpool Inventory of Feelings and Experiences (O-LIFE), were designated into groups differentiated in terms of low, moderate or high levels of positive schizotypy. All also completed the dissociative experiences scale (DES) and the Inventory of Suggestibility (IS). Our findings suggest that higher reported levels of dissociative experiences and higher suggestibility both independently predict higher scores of positive schizotypy, although suggestibility appears to be a stronger predictor than dissociation.

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Schizotypy And Psychosis-Like Experiences From Recreational Cannabis In A Non-Clinical Sample, Emma Barkus, Shon Lewis Dec 2011

Schizotypy And Psychosis-Like Experiences From Recreational Cannabis In A Non-Clinical Sample, Emma Barkus, Shon Lewis

Emma Barkus

Background. The relationship between cannabis use and psychosis is still a matter for debate. Accounting for the individual differences in subjective experiences to recreational cannabis use in the general population may hold some clues to the aetiological relationship between cannabis and psychotic symptoms. We hypothesized that schizotypy would account for the individual differences in subjective experiences after cannabis use but not in patterns of use. Method. In a sample of 532 young people who had used cannabis at least once, we examined the relationship between the Cannabis Experiences Questionnaire (CEQ) and the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire (SPQ). Additionally, we examined the …

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Distress And Metacognition In Psychosis Prone Individuals: Comparing High Schizotypes To The At-Risk Mental State, Emma Barkus, John Stirling, Paul French, Anthony Morrison, Richard Bentall, Shon Lewis Dec 2011

Distress And Metacognition In Psychosis Prone Individuals: Comparing High Schizotypes To The At-Risk Mental State, Emma Barkus, John Stirling, Paul French, Anthony Morrison, Richard Bentall, Shon Lewis

Emma Barkus

Both schizotypy and at-risk mental states (ARMS: prodromal states) define individuals at risk for psychotic symptoms. However, the relationship between the 2 is unclear. ARMS individuals are, by definition, help-seeking and therefore at greater risk. We tested whether high schizotypes and ARMS exist along the same continuum by examining maladaptive metacognitions and distress. About 95 healthy volunteers (39% male; mean age, 22.8 years) completed the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire, the Launay-Slade Hallucinations Scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire (MCQ), and the General Health Questionnaire, and 58 help seeking individuals with ARMS status (41% male; mean age, 22.2 years) completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire and General …

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Personality And Cannabis Use, Emma Barkus Dec 2011

Personality And Cannabis Use, Emma Barkus

Emma Barkus

Cannabis is one of the most widely used illegal substances in the world. Its use has been reported to be over-represented in many psychiatric conditions and has frequently been found to predate the onset of psychiatric symptoms. However, cannabis may also have detrimental effects on the general population. Factors that predict the onset of use are receiving increased attention to aid in identifying groups of young people who may be more prone to consume cannabis. Personality traits may be one such factor as they are readily identifiable and offer information that can be used for improved targeting of educational material …

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Senior Transportation Abstracts: A Focus On Options, Helen Kerschner, Nina M. Silverstein Dec 2011

Senior Transportation Abstracts: A Focus On Options, Helen Kerschner, Nina M. Silverstein

Nina Silverstein

This collection of abstracts represents a publication of importance for understanding the needs, challenges, solutions, and/or every day issues related to senior transportation services. While several of the abstracts include information about senior driver safety, the collection’s primary purpose is to present a holistic approach to transportation options for older adults. Such a collection is timely because, although the practice of providing transportation to older adults is not new, research and preparation of practical informational and technical materials related to older adult transportation service needs and service delivery are quite recent.

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Midwifery And The Context Of Care: Is It Possible To Be 'Woman Centred'?, Moira Williamson, Lindsey Harrison Dec 2011

Midwifery And The Context Of Care: Is It Possible To Be 'Woman Centred'?, Moira Williamson, Lindsey Harrison

Moira Williamson

Title: Midwifery and the context of care: Is it impossible to be ‘woman centred’? Dr Moira Williamson, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, University of Wollongong, Northfields Avenue, Wollongong NSW 2522, Australia, ph. +61 2 4221 3381, email: moiraw@uow.edu.au Dr Lindsey Harrison, School of Health Sciences, University of Wollongong Background: Findings from a qualitative study show that the context of care can inhibit midwives’ provision of woman centred care; especially impacted is their ability to provide culturally appropriate care. Aim of the Study: The aims of the study were to gain an understanding of midwives’ concepts of culture and …

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Workforce Issues, Skill Mix, Maternity Services And The Enrolled Nurse : A Discussion, Moira Williamson, Avon Strahle Dec 2011

Workforce Issues, Skill Mix, Maternity Services And The Enrolled Nurse : A Discussion, Moira Williamson, Avon Strahle

Moira Williamson

New South Wales (NSW) is experiencing a shortage of registered midwives. Currently midwives are being actively recruited for 125 metropolitan and 45 rural positions in area health services across the state. This shortage of registered midwives is occurring not only in NSW but also throughout Australia, and has also been reported internationally (McKenna & Hasson, 2002; Keeney et al. 2005). In an attempt to address the ongoing shortage of registered nurses and midwives the NSW Health Department has proposed that a skill mix of 80% registered nurses or midwives to 20% enrolled nurses be implemented within hospitals. This initiative will …

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Child Birth: Don't Forget The Fathers, Moira Williamson Dec 2011

Child Birth: Don't Forget The Fathers, Moira Williamson

Moira Williamson

Fathers are often forgotten when a new baby comes into a family. But men face many challenges in the early months of fatherhood as they come to terms with their new or expanded role. And they need more support. UOW Senior Lecturer and Master of Science (Midwifery) Co-ordinator Moira Williamson and colleagues Professor Carol McVeigh from Massey University (NZ) and Mercy Baafi, Midwifery Manager (Education) at Wollongong Hospital, researched the impact of parenthood with 128 new fathers. MOIRA WILLIAMSON prepared this Opinion column, based on their research.

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Making It Real: Faculty Collaboration To Create Video Content, Claudia J. Dold, Gary Dudell Dec 2011

Making It Real: Faculty Collaboration To Create Video Content, Claudia J. Dold, Gary Dudell

Claudia J. Dold

Interest in integrative health care is a growing area of health practice, combining conventional medical treatments with safe and effective complementary and alternative medicine. These modalities relate to both improving physical and psychological well-being, and enhancing conventional talk therapy. In an interdisciplinary collaboration, teaching and library faculty have created a series of sixteen on-line video interviews that introduce practitioner-relevant experiences to students as supplemental course material. These videos are available through the department web-pages to students in other related disciplines as well, including Social Work, Counselor Education, Psychology, and the Colleges of Public Health, Nursing, and Medicine. The video series …

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Overview Of The Public Health Pbrn Program, Glen Mays Dec 2011

Overview Of The Public Health Pbrn Program, Glen Mays

Glen Mays

The Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks Program is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that supports the development of research networks for studying the comparative effectiveness, efficiency and equity of public health strategies deployed in real-world practice settings. A practice-based research network (PBRN) brings multiple public health agencies together with research partners to design and implement studies of population-based strategies that prevent disease and injury and promote health. Participating practitioners and researchers collaborate to identify pressing research questions of interest, design rigorous and relevant studies, execute research effectively, and translate findings rapidly into practice. As such, PBRNs …

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Wind Turbines And Health, Richard Philp Nov 2011

Wind Turbines And Health, Richard Philp

Richard B. Philp

In an effort to reduce the polluting effects of coal-fired electrical generators the Province of Ontario passed the Green Energy Act in 2009. Included in the act were clauses that removed authority from regional governments to control the placement of wind turbine or solar panel 'farms'. In concequence, forests of wind turbines sprang up throughout rural Ontario, angering rural residents and the tourist industry. Despite government claims that low frequency noise (LFN) posed no risks to health, hundreds of complaints quickly surfaced from people experiencing sleep disruption, headache, dizziness, and a host of other neurobehavioural adverse effects. This article reviews …

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Pepfar’S Declining Investment In Treatment, Matthew Kavanagh, Marguerite Thorp Nov 2011

Pepfar’S Declining Investment In Treatment, Matthew Kavanagh, Marguerite Thorp

Matthew M. Kavanagh

Since its inception in 2003, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has saved millions of lives through providing anti-retroviral (ARV) treatment to people living with HIV/AIDS. However, our analysis of publicly available PEPFAR operational plans shows that funding to AIDS treatment has actually fallen significantly since 2008 in both absolute dollars and as a portion of total budgets—just at a pivotal moment when investment could change the course of the epidemic.

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Suburban Poverty: Barriers To Services And Injury Prevention Among Marginalized Women Who Use Methamphetamine, Miriam W. Boeri, Benjamin Tyndall, Denise R. Woodall Nov 2011

Suburban Poverty: Barriers To Services And Injury Prevention Among Marginalized Women Who Use Methamphetamine, Miriam W. Boeri, Benjamin Tyndall, Denise R. Woodall

Miriam W. Boeri

Objective: This paper aims to identify the needed healthcare and social services barriers for women living in suburban communities who are using or have used methamphetamine. Drug users are vulnerable to injury, violence and transmission of infectious diseases, and having access to healthcare has been shown to positively influence prevention and intervention among this population. Yet little is known regarding the social context of suburban drug users, their risks behaviors, and their access to healthcare. Methods: The data collection involved participant observation in the field, face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Audio-recorded in-depth life histories, drug use histories, and resource needs …

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The Science Of Public Health Delivery: Evidence, Uncertainties & Research Needs, Glen Mays Nov 2011

The Science Of Public Health Delivery: Evidence, Uncertainties & Research Needs, Glen Mays

Glen Mays

Policy initiatives to reform the nation's health system increasingly recognize the need to incorporate public health and prevention strategies. The nation's delivery system for public health, however, varies widely across states and communities in its structure, authority, and capabilities. This session examines research from the growing field of public health services and systems research to identify directions for improving public health delivery.

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Estimating The Value Of Public Health Services & Systems: Evidence, Uncertainties, And Research Needs, Glen Mays Nov 2011

Estimating The Value Of Public Health Services & Systems: Evidence, Uncertainties, And Research Needs, Glen Mays

Glen Mays

The Affordable Care Act authorized the largest expansion in federal funding for public health services and delivery systems in decades. These provisions, designed to support programs and services that promote health and prevent disease and injury on a population-wide basis, remain controversial because of uncertainties regarding their effectiveness in improving health and constraining medical cost growth. This session examines a series of recent studies to shed light on the health and economic value of spending on public health.

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Community Mobility And Dementia: A Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Silverstein, Megan Vanderbur Nov 2011

Community Mobility And Dementia: A Review Of The Literature, Nina M. Silverstein, Megan Vanderbur

Nina Silverstein

By the year 2030, 70 million Americans will be 65 or older. Approximately 80 percent of this population will likely be driving themselves. And without appropriate and timely interventions, many are likely to be driving with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Current estimates suggest that 2 percent of the population 65 to 74, 19 percent of the population 75 to 84, and 47 percent of the population 85 and older are likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or a related disorder. By the year 2050, the number of Americans with Alzheimer’s disease could range from 11.3 million to 16 million. This significant …

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Massachusetts’ Home Care Programs And Reasons For Discharge Into Nursing Homes, Cathy M. Wong, Nina M. Silverstein Nov 2011

Massachusetts’ Home Care Programs And Reasons For Discharge Into Nursing Homes, Cathy M. Wong, Nina M. Silverstein

Nina Silverstein

Home and community-based services (HCBS) are a range of long-term care services intended to enable older adults and persons with disabilities to “age in place” in their own homes and communities. Previous studies well document that older adults prefer receiving HCBS rather than institutional care at a nursing home. One study concluded that 84 percent of older Americans, aged 50 years and older, want to remain in their homes for as long as possible. Medicaid is a major source of funding for long term care. Currently, a large proportion of Medicaid funds in most states has been spent on institutional, …

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Front Of Pack Daily Intake Labelling On Australian Packaged Foods: Introduction And Use 2007-2009, P Williams, R Duncan, K De Agnoli, A Hull, A Owers, T Wang Nov 2011

Front Of Pack Daily Intake Labelling On Australian Packaged Foods: Introduction And Use 2007-2009, P Williams, R Duncan, K De Agnoli, A Hull, A Owers, T Wang

Peter Williams

This study aimed to measure the extent of use of front-of-pack daily intake (DI) labelling across food categories in Australian supermarkets, and assess the level of compliance with the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) guidelines. Surveys of six supermarkets in the Illawarra region of New South Wales were conducted twice a year in 2007, 2008 and 2009. The number of products with DI labelling increased from 58 in February 2007 to 1939 in August 2009 and appears to be growing strongly. The greatest number of products with the labelling are in the biscuits and crackers, cooking sauces, breakfast cereals, …

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