Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner

Heath Ecroyd

Background: Recent studies suggest reduction of radical-propagating fatty acid hydroperoxides to inert hydroxides by interaction with apolipoprotein-D (apoD) Met93 may represent an antioxidant function for apoD. The nature and structural consequences of this selective interaction are unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we used molecular dynamics (MD) analysis to address these issues. Longtimescale simulations of apoD suggest lipid molecules are bound flexibly, with the molecules free to explore multiple conformations in a binding site at the entrance to the classical lipocalin ligand-binding pocket. Models of 5s- 12s- and 15s hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids were created and the lipids found to wrap around Met93 thus …

Direct Detection Of Additives And Degradation Products From Polymers By Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Employing Chip-Based Nanospray Mass Spectrometry, Martin Paine, Phillip Barker, Shane A. Maclaughlin, Todd W. Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

Rationale: Polymer-based surface coatings in outdoor applications experience accelerated degradation due to exposure to solar radiation, oxygen and atmospheric pollutants. These deleterious agents cause undesirable changes to the polymers aesthetic and mechanical properties reducing its lifetime. The use of antioxidants such as hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) retard these degradative processes, however, mechanisms for HALS action and polymer degradation are poorly understood. Methods: Detection of the hindered amine light stabiliser (HALS) TINUVIN®123 (bis (1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate) and the polymer degradation products directly from a polyester-based coil coating was achieved by liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled to a triple quadrupole QTRAP® …

A Petrological, Mineralogical And Geochemical Analysis Of Listwaenite Alteration At Spring Creek Bingara In The Great Serpentinite Belt, New England, Nsw, E Holcroft, Solomon Buckman, I Neuss

Solomon Buckman Dr.

No abstract provided.

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 …

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 …

Clinician Optimism: Development And Psychometric Analysis Of A Scale For Mental Health Clinicians, Mitchell K. Byrne, Nichole L. Sullivan, Stephen J. Elsom

Mitchell K Byrne

Clinician optimism is an important factor in achieving treatment outcomes in psychotherapy. Currently there are no measures of mental health clinician optimism which report substantial psychometric validation. This study sought to assesses the validity and reliability of the Therapeutic Optimism Scale (TOS). 223 mental health clinicians working in a range of clinical settings were administered the TOS and convergent and discriminate validity were established. Test-retest reliability was established over a period of one month. The Therapeutic Optimism Scale was found to achieve acceptable reliability (Chronbach's alpha = .68) and yielded consistent scores over a one month period (r = .68, …

Essays In Realism: Analysis And Discussion, Nigel Mackay, Agnes Petocz

Nigel Mackay

No abstract provided.

Fish Consumption And Chd Mortality: An Updated Meta-Analysis Of Seventeen Cohort Studies, Jusheng Zheng, Tao Huang, Yinghua Yu, Xiaojie Hu, Bin Yang, Duo Li

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective Results of studies on fish consumption and CHD mortality are inconsistent. The present updated meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the up-to-date pooling effects. Design A random-effects model was used to pool the risk estimates. Generalized least-squares regression and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the possible dose–response relationship. Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the sources of heterogeneity. Setting PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases up to September 2010 were searched and secondary referencing qualified for inclusion in the study. Subjects Seventeen cohorts with 315 812 participants and average follow-up period of 15·9 years were identified. Results …

Healthy Beginnings Trial Phase 2 Study: Follow-Up And Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Li Ming Wen, Louise A. Baur, Chris Rissel, Vicki Flood, Judy M. Simpson, Alison Hayes, Louise L. Hardy, Karen Wardle

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: In 2007, we commenced the Healthy Beginnings Trial (HBT) Phase 1 study, which is the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity intervention in children aged up to 2 years. The results were promising with significant improvements in infant feeding practices and a lower mean body mass index (BMI). The aims of this proposed Phase 2 study are to determine if the early intervention will lead to a lower mean BMI, lower screen time, improved dietary behaviours and demonstrated costeffectiveness of the intervention, in children aged 3½ and 5 years. Methods/design: In …

Barriers And Enablers To Implementation Of A New Zealand-Wide Guideline For Assessment And Management Of Cardiovascular Risk In Primary Health Care: A Template Analysis, Ann Mckillop, Jackie Crisp, Kenneth Walsh

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the enablers and barriers to guideline implementation in a primary healthcare setting by employing the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework as a template for data analysis and interpretation. Background: The use of clinical practice guidelines is pivotal to improving health outcomes. However, the implementation of guidelines into practice is complex, unpredictable, and, in spite of much investigation, remains resistant to explanation of what works and why. Optimising the enablers and minimising the barriers to implementation of a guideline for reducing cardiovascular disease risk has the potential …

Are Parents' Working Patterns Associated With Their Child's Sleep? An Analysis Of Dual-Parent Families In Australia, Christopher A. Magee, Peter Caputi, Don C. Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Insufficient sleep in children predicts emotional and behavioral problems, poorer school performance, and health problems. Child sleep durations have declined in recent decades, suggesting a need to identify and understand predictors of short sleep. The present study investigated whether aspects of parental employment (i.e. parental work hours, and non-standard work hours) were associated with sleep in children. Data collected from 2477 children aged 6–7 years as part of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used in this paper. Child sleep duration, bedtimes, and wake times were determined from parent self-report using time-use diaries. Parents completed a survey assessing their …

Direct Detection Of Additives And Degradation Products From Polymers By Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Employing Chip-Based Nanospray Mass Spectrometry, Martin Paine, Phillip Barker, Shane A. Maclaughlin, Todd W. Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Rationale: Polymer-based surface coatings in outdoor applications experience accelerated degradation due to exposure to solar radiation, oxygen and atmospheric pollutants. These deleterious agents cause undesirable changes to the polymers aesthetic and mechanical properties reducing its lifetime. The use of antioxidants such as hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) retard these degradative processes, however, mechanisms for HALS action and polymer degradation are poorly understood. Methods: Detection of the hindered amine light stabiliser (HALS) TINUVIN®123 (bis (1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate) and the polymer degradation products directly from a polyester-based coil coating was achieved by liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled to a triple quadrupole QTRAP® …

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Background: Recent studies suggest reduction of radical-propagating fatty acid hydroperoxides to inert hydroxides by interaction with apolipoprotein-D (apoD) Met93 may represent an antioxidant function for apoD. The nature and structural consequences of this selective interaction are unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we used molecular dynamics (MD) analysis to address these issues. Longtimescale simulations of apoD suggest lipid molecules are bound flexibly, with the molecules free to explore multiple conformations in a binding site at the entrance to the classical lipocalin ligand-binding pocket. Models of 5s- 12s- and 15s hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids were created and the lipids found to wrap around Met93 thus …

Police Witness Identification Images: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis, Susan Hayes, Cameron Tullberg

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Research into witness identification images typically occurs within the laboratory and involves subjective likeness and recognizability judgments. This study analyzed whether actual witness identification images systematically alter the facial shapes of the suspects described. The shape analysis tool, geometric morphometrics, was applied to 46 homologous facial landmarks displayed on 50 witness identification images and their corresponding arrest photographs, using principal component analysis and multivariate regressions. The results indicate that compared with arrest photographs, witness identification images systematically depict suspects with lowered and medially located eyebrows (p=

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 …

The Challenges And Opportunities For Professional Societies In Higher Education In Australasia: A Pest Analysis, Iain Doherty, Caroline Steel, Dominique Parrish

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Professional societies, established to support academic and professional staff in higher education, need to be vigilant of regional and international trends that affect their core business. In this paper, we provide an analysis of political, economic, social and technological factors that are impacting upon the Australasian higher education environment through considering the case of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite). Drawing on two ascilite membership surveys along with the relevant literature we identify significant challenges for professional societies and offer some strategic insights for similar regional societies and their executive teams.