Digital Commons Network^™

Bioethics In The News: The Values At Stake. Why Are Conservative Values So Difficult To Communicate In The Public Square And Progressive Values So Easy?, Margaret Somerville

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Bioethical issues are complex, often involve factual uncertainty, and have broad and long-term potential consequences for individuals, institutions and society. Simplification is a strategy used by so-called ‘progressive’ values advocates to promote acceptance of their values. It results from excluding consideration of complexity, uncertainty and potentiality in the values disputes around bio-ethical issues. In order to engage effectively in public debates of bioethics issues, it is necessary to understand the current societal values zeitgeist and how it differs from a traditional societal values zeitgeist. Since words are weapons in the values battles, it is necessary to identify how they are …

What Influences Chronic Pain Management? A Best–Worst Scaling Experiment With Final Year Medical Students And General Practitioners, Linda Rankin, Christopher J. Fowler, Britt-Marie Stålnacke, Gisselle Gallego

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Chronic pain education is an essential determinant for optimal chronic pain management. Given that attitudes and preferences are involved in making treatment decisions, identifying which factors are most influential to final year medical students’ and general practitioners’ (GPs) chronic pain management choices is of importance. This study investigates Swedish and Australian students’ preferences with respect to a chronic pain condition, using a best–worst scaling (BWS) experiment, which is designed to rank alternatives.

Methods: BWS, a stated-preference method grounded in random utility theory, was used to explore the importance of factors influencing chronic pain management.

Results: All three cohorts considered …

Advances In Screening For Undiagnosed Atrial Fibrillation For Stroke Prevention And Implications For Patients With Obstructive Sleep Apnoea: A Literature Review And Research Agenda, Nestor Gahungu, Christopher Judkins, Eli Gabbay, David Playford

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common type of sustained cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice, and its burden is expected to increase in most developed countries over the next few decades. Because AF can be silent, it is often not diagnosed until an AF-related complication occurs, such as stroke. AF is also associated with increased risk of heart failure, lower quality of life, and death. Anticoagulation has been shown to dramatically decrease embolic risk in the setting of atrial fibrillation, resulting in growing interest in early detection of previously undiagnosed AF. Newly developed monitoring devices have improved the detection …

An Education Intervention To Improve Decision Making And Health Literacy Among Older Australians: A Randomised Controlled Trial, Caroline A. Smith, Esther Chang, Gisselle Gallego, Afshan Khan, Mike Armour, Lynda G. Balneaves

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: National policies seek to involve older Australian’s in decisions regarding their care; however, research has found varying levels of decision self-efficacy and health literacy skills. An increasing number of older Australians use complementary medicine (CM). We examined the effectiveness of a CM educational intervention delivered using a web or DVD plus booklet format to increase older adults’ decision self-efficacy and health literacy.

Methods: A randomised controlled trial was conducted. We recruited individuals aged over 65years living in retirement villages or participating in community groups, in Sydney Australia. Participants were randomly allocated to receive a CM education intervention delivered using …

Long-Term Prevalence And Predictors Of Prolonged Grief Disorder Amongst Bereaved Cancer Caregivers: A Cohort Study, Rachel D. Zordan, Melanie L. Bell, Melanie Price, Cheryl Remedios, Elizabeth Lobb, Christopher Hall, Peter Hudson

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Context: The short-term impact of prolonged grief disorder (PGD) following bereavement is well documented. The longer term sequelae of PGD however are poorly understood, possibly unrecognized, and may be incorrectly attributed to other mental health disorders and hence undertreated.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to prospectively evaluate the prevalence of PGD three years post bereavement and to examine the predictors of long-term PGD in a population-based cohort of bereaved cancer caregivers.

Methods: A cohort of primary family caregivers of patients admitted to one of three palliative care services in Melbourne, Australia, participated in the study (n = …

Adrenal Insufficiency Due To Bilateral Adrenal Metastases - A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Philippa H. Tallis, R Louise Rushworth, David J. Torpy, Henrik Falhammar

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: Bilateral adrenal metastases may cause adrenal insufficiency (AI) but it is unclear if screening for AI in patients with bilateral adrenal metastases is justified, despite the potential for adrenal crises.

Method: A search using PubMed/Medline, ScienceDirect and Cochrane Reviews was performed to collect all original research articles and all case reports from the past 50 years that describe AI in bilateral adrenal metastases.

Results: Twenty studies were included with 6 original research articles, 13 case reports and one case series. The quality was generally poor. The prevalence of AI was 3–8%. Of all cases of AI (n ¼ 25) …

What Is The Prevalence, And What Are The Clinical Correlates, Of Insulin Resistance In Young People Presenting For Mental Health Care? A Cross-Sectional Study, Elizabeth M. Scott, Joanne S. Carpenter, Frank Iorfino, Shane P.M Cross, Daniel F. Hermens, Jeanne Gehue, Chloe Wilson, Django White, Sharon L. Naismith, Adam J. Guastella, Ian B. Hickie

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: To report the distribution and predictors of insulin resistance (IR) in young people presenting to primary care-based mental health services.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Headspace-linked clinics operated by the Brain and Mind Centre of the University of Sydney.

Participants: 768 young people (66% female, mean age 19.7±3.5, range 12–30 years).

Main outcome measures: IR was estimated using the updated homeostatic model assessment (HOMA2-IR). Height and weight were collected from direct measurement or self-report for body mass index (BMI).

Results: For BMI, 20.6% of the cohort were overweight and 10.2% were obese. However,6.9 mmol/L). By contrast, 9.9% had a HOMA2-IR score …

Attitudes And Factors Involved In Decision-Making Around Complementary And Alternative Medicines (Cams) By Older Australians: A Qualitative Study, Gisselle Gallego, Saira Gugnani, Mike Armour, Caroline A. Smith, Esther Chang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Recent evidence has indicated that older Australians are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) to address a variety of health issues. This qualitative study aimed to explore the attitudes and factors involved in decision-making around CAMs by older Australians upon the completion of a CAM educational intervention.

Methods: Men and women aged over 65 years living in New South Wales, Australia were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews after taking part in a randomised control trial. Interviews were analysed using the framework approach.

Results: A total of 20 participants aged over 65 years were interviewed. Themes captured …

Transnational Parent-Child Separation And Reunion During Early Childhood In Chinese Migrant Families: An Australian Snapshot, Yat Man Louise Hui, Julie Stevenson, Gisselle Gallego

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Limited international research exists on reasons for transnational child care, or developmental consequences of separations and reunions on young Chinese children. This descriptive study portrays a sample of children from Chinese migrant families residing in western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, whose parents temporarily relinquished their care to grandparents in China. Data were collected via retrospective health record audits. The majority of parents were first-time parents and the majority of children were first-borns sent back to China during infancy. The average duration of transnational parent–child separation was 20 months. Results showed that male child subjects who experienced multiple transnational separations …

Obesity Prevention And The Role Of Hospital And Community-Based Health Services: A Scoping Review, Claire Pearce, Lucie Rychetnik, Sonia Wutzke, Andrew Wilson

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Control of obesity is an important priority to reduce the burden of chronic disease. Clinical guidelines focus on the role of primary healthcare in obesity prevention. The purpose of this scoping review is to examine what the published literature indicates about the role of hospital and community based health services in adult obesity prevention in order to map the evidence and identify gaps in existing research.

Methods: Databases were searched for articles published in English between 2006 and 2016 and screened against inclusion and exclusion criteria. Further papers were highlighted through a manual search of the reference lists. Included …

Reducing Stroke Risk In Atrial Fibrillation: Adherence To Guidelines Has Improved, But Patient Persistence With Anticoagulant Therapy Remains Suboptimal., Nicole Lowres, Katrina Giskes, Charlotte Hespe, Ben Freedman

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a significant risk factor for avoidable stroke. Among high-risk patients with AF, stroke risk can be mitigated using oral anticoagulants (OACs), however reduction is largely contingent on physician prescription and patient persistence with OAC therapy. Over the past decade significant advances have occurred, with revisions to clinical practice guidelines relating to management of stroke risk in AF in several countries, and the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist OACs (NOACs). This paper summarises the evolving body of research examining guideline-based clinician prescription over the past decade, and patient-level factors associated with OAC persistence. The review shows clinicians' …

Cyanoacrylate Closure For Peripheral Veins: Consensus Document Of The Australasian College Of Phlebology, Kurosh Parsi, Stefania Roberts, Mina Kang, Stephen Benson, Luke Baker, Ivor Berman, Lourens J. Bester, David E. Connor, Paul Dinnen, Joseph Grace, Andrew Stirling, Nabeel Ibrahim, Christopher Lekich, Adrian Lim, Luke Matar, Sanjay Nadkarni, Peter Paraskevas, Christopher Rogan, Paul K. Thibault, Simon Thibault, Andre Van Rij, Anes Yang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Cyanoacrylates are fast-acting adhesives used in procedural medicine including closure of superficial wounds, embolization of truncal vessels pre-operatively, vascular anomalies, visceral false aneurysms, endoleaks, gastrointestinal varices and gastrointestinal bleeding. More recently, catheter-directed cyanoacrylate adhesive closure was introduced as an alternative to endovenous thermal ablation (ETA) to occlude superficial veins of the lower limbs.

Objectives: To formulate policies for the safe and effective delivery of cyanoacrylate adhesive closure procedures in Australasia, based on current experience and evidence.

Methods: A panel of phlebologists including vascular surgeons, interventional radiologists, dermatologists and research scientists systematically reviewed the available data on cyanoacrylate products used …

Using Participatory Design Methodologies To Co-Design And Culturally Adapt The Spanish Version Of The Mental Health Eclinic: Qualitative Study, Laura Ospina-Pinillos, Tracey Davenport, Antonio Mendoza Diaz, Alvaro Navarro-Mancilla, Elizabeth M. Scott, Ian B. Hickie

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: The Mental Health eClinic (MHeC) aims to deliver best-practice clinical services to young people experiencing mental health problems by making clinical care accessible, affordable, and available to young people whenever and wherever they need it most. The original MHeC consists of home page with a visible triage system for those requiring urgent help; a online physical and mental health self-report assessment; a results dashboard; a booking and videoconferencing system; and the generation of a personalized well-being plan. Populations who do not speak English and reside in English-speaking countries are less likely to receive mental health care. In Australia, international …

Prevalence Of Sexual Harassment Of Nurses And Nursing Students In China: A Meta-Analysis Of Observational Studies, Liang-Nan Zeng, Qian-Qian Zong, Ji-Wen Zhang, Li Lu, Feng-Rong An, Chee H. Ng, Gabor S. Ungvari, Fang-Yu Yang, Teris Cheung, Ligang Chen, Yu-Tao Xiang

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Sexual harassment experienced by nurses and nursing students is common and significantly associated with negative consequences. This study is a meta-analysis of the pooled prevalence of sexual harassment of nurses and nursing students in China. Electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Ovid, China National Knowledge Internet, WanFang, SinoMed and Chinese VIP Information) were independently and systematically searched by two reviewers from their commencement date to 12 March 2018. Forty-one studies that reported the prevalence of sexual harassment were analyzed using the random-effects model. The pooled prevalence of sexual harassment was 7.5% (95% CI: 5.5%-10.1%), with 7.5% (5.5%-10.2%) …

How Does The Duration Of Consults Vary For Upper Respiratory Tract Infections In General Practice Where An Antibiotic Has Been Prescribed?, Phoebe R. Darlison Shepherd, Catherine J. Krejany, Moyez Jiwa

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: There is limited data on the duration of consults resulting in the prescription of antibiotics for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in general practice.

Objective: To explore how demographic factors influence consult duration where antibiotics have been prescribed for URTI in Australian general practice.

Methods: 2985 URTI-specific presentations were identified from a national study of patients who were prescribed an antibiotic after presenting to general practice between June and September 2017. Consult duration was analysed to assess for any variation in visit length based on demographic factors.

Results: The overall median consult duration was 11.42 minutes [interquartile range (IQR) …

Impulse Control Disorders In Dopamine Agonist-Treated Hyperprolactinemia: Prevalence And Risk Factors, Sunita M.C De Sousa, John Baranoff, R Louise Rushworth, Jessica Butler, Jane Sorbello, Juanita Vorster, Tanya Thompson, Ann I. Mccormack, Warrick J. Inder, David J. Torpy

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Context: There are growing reports of dopamine agonist (DA)-induced impulse control disorders (ICDs) in hyperprolactinemic patients. However, the magnitude of this risk and predictive factors remain uncertain.

Objective: To determine ICD prevalence and risk factors in DA-treated hyperprolactinemic patients compared to community controls.

Design, Setting and Participants: Multicenter cross-sectional analysis of 113 patients and 99 healthy controls.

Main Outcome Measures: Participants completed a neuropsychological questionnaire consisting of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS21), Questionnaire for Impulsive-Compulsive Disorders in Parkinson’s disease (QUIP-S), Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (HBI), Hypersexual Behavior Consequences Scale and Social Desirability Response Set Scale. Demographic and clinical data were …

'Through The Eyes Of The Dying' - Identifying Who May Benefit From Bereavement Follow-Up: A Qualitative Study, Jane L. Phillips, Elizabeth A. Lobb, Francis Bellemore, Terrence Hays, David C. Currow

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Bereavement support is an integral element of palliative care. Emerging evidence stipulates that bereavement support should be reserved for those most at risk of poor outcomes. While this evidence makes identifying those at risk of experiencing a complex bereavement a necessary first step, it has been difficult to arrive at a consensus as to whom that should be.

Aim: To explore whether palliative care in-patients with advanced disease are concerned about the bereavement needs of others and, if so, is it their next-of-kin.

Design: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis using a constant comparative method.

Setting/participants: …

Climate Risks And Market Efficiency, Harrison Hong, Frank Weikai Li, Jiangmin Xu

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Climate science finds that the trend towards higher global temperatures exacerbates the risks of droughts. We investigate whether the prices of food stocks efficiently discount these risks. Using data from thirty-one countries with publicly-traded food companies, we rank these countries each year based on their long-term trends toward droughts using the Palmer Drought Severity Index. A poor trend ranking for a country forecasts relatively poor profit growth for food companies in that country. It also forecasts relatively poor food stock returns in that country. This return predictability is consistent with food stock prices underreacting to climate change risks.

Career Sponsorship: An Effective Way For Developing Women Leaders, Jovina Ang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Other than an effective career progression strategy, this research, which comprised of an autoethnography and an in-depth qualitative case study research showed that career sponsorship could be an effective strategy for developing women leaders. In the sponsor relationship, sponsors invest considerable time, effort and resources in developing sponsees, thus, preparing them for the top jobs. In addition to developing the skills on the leadership strataplex, career sponsorship has been shown to be an enabler for developing confidence, which is one of the necessary ingredients for developing executive presence. Career sponsorship also fills the gap and addresses the shortcomings that arise …

Does Having A Bad Boss Make You More Likely To Be One Yourself?, Shannon G. Taylor, Robert Folger, Abhijeet K. Vadera, Matthew D. Griffith, Chaim R. Letwin

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Toxic bosses harm employees in countless ways — for instance, by lowering morale, diminishing well-being, and increasing work-family conflict. Estimates suggest abusive supervision costs organizations millions in lost productivity, employee turnover, and litigation each year. Although prior research has found that leader behaviors can “trickle down” to affect the actions of employees at lower organizational levels, surely not all abused supervisors abuse their own subordinates. So when do supervisors perpetuate abuse in organizations, when don’t they, and why?

Third Party Employment Branding: What Are Its Signaling Dimensions, Mechanisms, And Sources?, Brian R. Dineen, Greet Van Hoye, Filip Lievens, Lindsay Mechem Rosokha

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Massive shifts in the recruitment landscape, the continually changing nature of work and workers, and extraordinary technological progress have combined to enable unparalleled advances in how current and prospective employees receive and process information about organizations. Once the domain of internal organizational public relations and human resources (HR) teams, most employment branding has moved beyond organizations’ control. This chapter provides a conceptual framework pertaining to third party employment branding, defined as communications, claims, or status-based classifications generated by parties outside of direct company control that shape, enhance, and differentiate organizations’ images as favorable or unfavorable employers. Specifically, the authors first …

Intraday Information From S&P 500 Index Futures Options, Kian Guan Lim, Chen Ying, Kian Leong Nelson Yap

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

In this paper we employ intraday transaction prices of liquid E-mini S&P 500 index futuresoptions to form 10-minutes ahead risk-neutral skewness forecasts and show profitable optionstrading strategy net of transaction costs. We do not find profitable trading based on 10-minutesahead risk-neutral volatility and only very marginal cases of profitable trading using kurtosisforecasts. The skewness profitability anomaly may be an indication of informational marketinefficiency in intraday S&P 500 futures options markets, which is contrary to findings usinglonger-span daily and weekly moments. Our results lend credence to the persistence of intradaytrading activities in the markets.

Assessing Meaningful Within-Person Variability In Likert-Scale Rated Personality Descriptions: An Irt Tree Approach, Jonas W. B. Lang, Filip Lievens, Filip De Fruyt, Ingo Zettler, Jennifer L. Tackett

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Personality researchers and clinical psychologists have long been interested in withinperson variability in a given personality trait. Two critical methodological challenges that stymie current research on within-person variability are separating meaningful within-person variability from 1) true differences in trait level and 2) careless responding (or person unreliability). To partly avoid these issues, personality researchers commonly only study within-person variability in personality states over time using the standard deviation (SD) across repeated measurements of the same items (typically across days)—a relatively resource-intensive approach. In this article, we detail an approach that allows researchers to measure another type of within-person variability. The …

Treatment, Prevention And Public Health Management Of Impetigo, Scabies, Crusted Scabies And Fungal Skin Infections In Endemic Populations: A Systematic Review, Philippa J. May, Steven Y.C Tong, Andrew C. Steer, Bart J. Currie, Ross M. Andrews, Jonathan R. Carapetis, Asha C. Bowen

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

We conducted a systematic review of the treatment, prevention and public health control of skin infections including impetigo, scabies, crusted scabies and tinea in resource-limited settings where skin infections are endemic. The aim is to inform strategies, guidelines and research to improve skin health in populations that are inequitably affected by infections of the skin and the downstream consequences of these. The systematic review is reported according to the PRISMA statement. From

1759 titles identified, 81 full text studies were reviewed and key findings outlined for impetigo, scabies, crusted scabies and tinea. Improvements in primary care and public health management …

Morbidity After Surgical Management Of Cervical Cancer In Low And Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Emma R. Allanson, Aime Powell, Max Bulsara, Hong Lim Lee, Lynette Denny, Yee Leung, Paul Cohen

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To investigate morbidity for patients after the primary surgical management of cervical cancer in low and middle-income countries (LMIC).

Methods: The Pubmed, Cochrane, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, LILACS and CINAHL were searched for published studies from 1st Jan 2000 to 30th June 2017 reporting outcomes of surgical management of cervical cancer in LMIC. Randomeffects meta-analytical models were used to calculate pooled estimates of surgical complications including blood transfusions, ureteric, bladder, bowel, vascular and nerve injury, fistulae and thromboembolic events. Secondary outcomes included five-year progression free (PFS) and overall survival (OS).

Findings: Data were available …

Variable- And Person-Centered Approaches To Examining Construct-Relevant Multidimensionality In Writing Self-Efficacy, Morgan Debusk-Lane

Theses and Dissertations

Writing self-efficacy is a vital component to a students’ motivation and will to succeed towards writing. The measurement of writing self-efficacy over the past 40 years, despite its development, continues to largely be represented by Confirmatory Factor Analysis models that are limited due to their restricted item to factor constraints. These constraints, given prior literature and the theoretical understanding of self-efficacy, do not adequately model construct- relevant psychometric multidimensionality as a product of conceptual overlap or a hierarchical or general factor. Given this, the present study’s purpose was to examine the adapted Self-efficacy for Writing Scale (SEWS) for the presence …

Structure-Activity Relationship Studies Of Synthetic Cathinones And Related Agents, Rachel A. Davies

Theses and Dissertations

Synthetic cathinones and related agents represent an international drug abuse problem, and at the same time an important class of clinically useful compounds. Structure-activity relationship studies are needed to elucidate molecular features underlying the pharmacology of these agents. Illicit methcathinone (i.e., MCAT), the prototype of the synthetic cathinone class, exists as a racemic mixture. Though the differences in potency and target selectivity between the positional and optical isomers of synthetic cathinones and related agents have been demonstrated to have important implications for abuse and therapeutic potential, the two MCAT isomers have never been directly compared at their molecular targets: the …

Do Sluggish Cognitive Tempo Symptoms Improve With School-Based Adhd Interventions? Outcomes And Predictors Of Change., Zoe Smith

Theses and Dissertations

Sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) is a construct that includes symptoms of slowness, mental confusion, excessive daydreaming, low motivation, and drowsiness/sleepiness. SCT is often co-morbid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and SCT symptoms are associated with significant academic and interpersonal impairment above and beyond the influence of ADHD symptoms. Despite the overlap between ADHD and SCT and associated impairments, no studies have evaluated how evidence-based psychosocial interventions for adolescents with ADHD impact symptoms of SCT. This study examined whether SCT symptoms improved in a sample of 274 young adolescents with ADHD who received either an organizational skills or a homework completion intervention. …

An Adaptation And Psychometric Evaluation Of The Teacher Attribution Measure For Early Elementary (Tam-Ee), Shannon L. Nemer

Theses and Dissertations

This study examined the reliability and validity of the Teacher Attribution Measure for Early Elementary (TAM-EE), a measure adapted from the Preschool Teaching Attributions (PTA) measure, to assess the challenging behavior attributions of early elementary teachers. Like the PTA, the TAM-EE uses a series of student-specific behavior scenarios as prompts for teachers who then rate statements aligned with dimensions of attribution theory on a 6-point scale. A sample of 41 teachers completed the TAM-EE on 79 students in grades K-3 screened for risk of emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD). Teachers also completed reports of student behavior, self-efficacy, and perceptions of …

Teacher-Child Relationships, Interactions, And Problem Behavior: A Longitudinal Analysis Examining Bi-Directional Associations, Rachel Kunemund

Theses and Dissertations

A number of preschool children engage in consistent problem behaviors that place them at-risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders. These problem behaviors have been associated with poorer short and long-term outcomes for young children. Teacher-child relationships (i.e. conflict and closeness) and positive interactions between teachers and children may be reciprocally associated with problem behavior (e.g. teacher-child closeness reducing problem behavior). The purpose of this study was to explore the longitudinal bi-directional relations between teacher-child relationships, teacher-child interactions, and problem behavior over a single school year. Using a cross-lagged panel model, data from a larger randomized control trial of the …