Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Articles 1 - 9 of 9

Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Two-Faced Nature Of Small Heat Shock Proteins: Amyloid Assembly And The Inhibition Of Fibril Formation. Relevance To Disease States, Heath W. Ecroyd, S Meehan, John A. Carver Dec 2012

The Two-Faced Nature Of Small Heat Shock Proteins: Amyloid Assembly And The Inhibition Of Fibril Formation. Relevance To Disease States, Heath W. Ecroyd, S Meehan, John A. Carver

Heath Ecroyd

The ability of small heat-shock proteins (sHsps) such as alphaB-crystallin to inhibit the amorphous (disordered) aggregation of varied target proteins in a chaperone-like manner has been well described. The mechanistic details of this action are not understood. Amyloid fibril formation is an alternative off-folding pathway that leads to highly ordered beta-sheet-containing aggregates. Amyloid fibril formation is associated with a broad range of protein conformational diseases such as Alzhiemer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's and sHsp expression is elevated in the protein deposits that are characteristic of these disease states. The ability of sHsps to prevent fibril formation has been less well characterised. …


Baseline Characteristics Of Volunteers In The Smart Clinical Trial: Associations Between Habitual Physical Activity And Lifestyle Disease Risk Factors, Qingsheng Zhang, Jane E. O'Shea, Rebecca L. Thorne, Linda C. Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Karen E. Charlton Nov 2012

Baseline Characteristics Of Volunteers In The Smart Clinical Trial: Associations Between Habitual Physical Activity And Lifestyle Disease Risk Factors, Qingsheng Zhang, Jane E. O'Shea, Rebecca L. Thorne, Linda C. Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Karen E. Charlton

Dr Marijka Batterham

Physical Activity has been suggested to have favorable effects on various cardiovascular risk factors, and may serve as an intervening variable in life-style intervention studies. We aimed to examine the relationship between habitual physical activity and selected cardiovascular markers at baseline in a sample of overweight women who participated in the SMART clinical trial [ACTRN12608000425392]. A sub-sample of eighty-six overweight/obese women (mean age ± S.D.: 45 ± 7.9 years) were included in this analysis. Anthropometric and fasting blood data was collected at baseline (t = 0). Habitual physical activity was assessed by a validated questionnaire (Baecke questionnaire). Associations were examined …


Targeting C-Reactive Protein For The Treatment Of Cardiovascular Disease, Mark B. Pepys, Gideon M. Hirschfield, Glenys A. Tennent, J Ruth Gallimore, Melvyn C. Kahan, Vittorio Bellotti, Philip N. Hawkins, Rebecca M. Myers, Martin D. Smith, Alessandra Polara, Alexander J. A Cobb, Steven V. Ley, J. Andrew Aquilina, Carol V. Robinson, Isam Sharif, Gillian A. Gray, Caroline A. Sabin, Michelle C. Jenvey, Simon E. Kolstoe, Darren Thompson, Stephen P. Wood Oct 2012

Targeting C-Reactive Protein For The Treatment Of Cardiovascular Disease, Mark B. Pepys, Gideon M. Hirschfield, Glenys A. Tennent, J Ruth Gallimore, Melvyn C. Kahan, Vittorio Bellotti, Philip N. Hawkins, Rebecca M. Myers, Martin D. Smith, Alessandra Polara, Alexander J. A Cobb, Steven V. Ley, J. Andrew Aquilina, Carol V. Robinson, Isam Sharif, Gillian A. Gray, Caroline A. Sabin, Michelle C. Jenvey, Simon E. Kolstoe, Darren Thompson, Stephen P. Wood

J. A. Aquilina

Complement-mediated inflammation exacerbates the tissue injury of ischaemic necrosis in heart attacks and strokes, the most common causes of death in developed countries. Large infarct size increases immediate morbidity and mortality and, in survivors of the acute event, larger non-functional scars adversely affect long-term prognosis. There is thus an important unmet medical need for new cardioprotective and neuroprotective treatments. We have previously shown that human C-reactive protein (CRP), the classical acute-phase protein that binds to ligands exposed in damaged tissue and then activates complement1, increases myocardial and cerebral infarct size in rats subjected to coronary or cerebral artery ligation, respectively2,3. …


Short Term Effects Of Energy Restriction And Dietary Fat Sub-Type On Weight Loss And Disease Risk Factors, Linda C. Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Sze Yen Tan, Grigorijs Teuss, Karen E. Charlton, Jane E. O'Shea, Eva M. Warensjo Sep 2012

Short Term Effects Of Energy Restriction And Dietary Fat Sub-Type On Weight Loss And Disease Risk Factors, Linda C. Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Sze Yen Tan, Grigorijs Teuss, Karen E. Charlton, Jane E. O'Shea, Eva M. Warensjo

Xu-Feng Huang

Background and aims: Decreasing energy intake relative to energy expenditure is the indisputable tenet of weight loss. In addition to caloric restriction modification of the type of dietary fat may provide further benefits. The aim of the present study was to examine the effect of energy restriction alone and with dietary fat modification on weight loss and adiposity, as well as on risk factors for obesity related disease. Methods and results: One-hundred and fifty overweight men and women were randomized into a 3 month controlled trial with four low fat (30% energy) dietary arms: (1) isocaloric (LF); (2) isocaloric with …


Genetic Adult Lactase Persistence Is Associated With Risk Of Crohn's Disease In A New Zealand Population, Deborah Nolan, Dug Yeo Han, Wen Jiun Lam, Angharad R. Morgan, Alan G. Fraser, Linda C. Tapsell, Lynnette R. Ferguson Jul 2012

Genetic Adult Lactase Persistence Is Associated With Risk Of Crohn's Disease In A New Zealand Population, Deborah Nolan, Dug Yeo Han, Wen Jiun Lam, Angharad R. Morgan, Alan G. Fraser, Linda C. Tapsell, Lynnette R. Ferguson

L. C. Tapsell

Background Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) is an infective agent found in ruminants and milk products, which has been suggested to increase the risk of gastrointestinal inflammation in genetically susceptible hosts. It is hypothesized that lactase persistence facilitates exposure to such milk products increasing the likelihood of adverse outcomes. Individuals either homozygous or heterozygous for the T allele of DNA variant, rs4988235, located 14kb upstream from the LCT locus, are associated with having lactase persistence. The aim of this study was to determine whether lactase persistence as evident by the T allele of rs4988235 is associated with Crohn’s Disease (CD) …


Industry Partnerships For Health Nonprofits And Disease Awareness Advertising, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson Jun 2012

Industry Partnerships For Health Nonprofits And Disease Awareness Advertising, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Marketing partnerships between non-profit organisations (NPOs) and industry generally bring favourable results for both parties (Brønn and Vrioni 2001; Varadarajan and Menon 1988). However, there is some scepticism about corporate exploitation of such arrangements and growing concern in Australia and elsewhere about partnerships between the pharmaceutical industry and NPOs (Angell 2006; Moynihan and Cassels 2005) and the co-sponsorship of Disease Awareness Advertising (DAA). This paper reports the findings from a study of how Australian women respond to DAA with differing sponsors including their ability to identify, and their attitude toward, the sponsor. The results are of importance for health NPOs …


Disease Awareness Advertisements In Australian Magazines: An Analysis Of Content And Compliance, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson Jun 2012

Disease Awareness Advertisements In Australian Magazines: An Analysis Of Content And Compliance, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

In Australia, Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription medicine is prohibited; however pharmaceutical companies can communicate directly with consumers via Disease Awareness Advertising (DAA). DAA can contain information about a disease including treatment information, but cannot mention the name of a particular product or brand. DAA is currently regulated by the industry body Medicines Australia (MA). In the current study, content analysis methodology was used to determine the extent and nature of DAA in popular Australian women’s magazines which were monitored for 12 months. Findings relating to the use of visual appeals in the imagery and rational appeals in …


Disease Awareness Advertising: Women's Intentions Following Exposure, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson Jun 2012

Disease Awareness Advertising: Women's Intentions Following Exposure, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Background: In Australia, where direct to consumer advertising of prescription medicines is prohibited, pharmaceutical companies can sponsor disease awareness advertising targeting consumers. This study examined the impact of disease awareness advertising exposure on older women's reported behavioural intentions. Method: Women were approached in a shopping centre and randomly assigned mock advertisements for two health conditions. Disease information and sponsors were manipulated. Results: Two hundred and forty-one women responded to 466 advertisements. Almost half reported an intention to ask their doctor for a prescription or referral as a result of seeing the advertisement, but more reported they would talk to their …


Content Analysis Of Disease Awareness Advertisements In Popular Australian Women's Magazines, Danika V. Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson Jun 2012

Content Analysis Of Disease Awareness Advertisements In Popular Australian Women's Magazines, Danika V. Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Objective: To examine the nature of disease awareness advertising (DAA). Design: Therapeutic advertisements in six popular Australian women’s magazines were monitored between April 2006 and March 2007. A subset of advertisements was included in the study based on criteria derived from a definition of DAA. Unique advertisements were analysed by four independent coders. Main outcome measures: Types of advertisements and their sponsors, the types of disease information present, and the persuasive techniques utilised. Results: Of 711 advertisements identified, 60 met the inclusion criteria for DAA, and 30 of these were unique. Over one-third of the advertisements were classified as “unbranded …