Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

The Association Between Environmental Factors And Scarlet Fever Incidence In Beijing Region: Using Gis And Spatial Regression Models, Gehendra Mahara, Chao Wang, Kun Yang, Sipeng Chen, Jin Guo, Qi Gao, Wei Wang, Quanyi Wang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Evidence regarding scarlet fever and its relationship with meteorological, including air pollution factors, is not very available. This study aimed to examine the relationship between ambient air pollutants and meteorological factors with scarlet fever occurrence in Beijing, China.

Methods:

A retrospective ecological study was carried out to distinguish the epidemic characteristics of scarlet fever incidence in Beijing districts from 2013 to 2014. Daily incidence and corresponding air pollutant and meteorological data were used to develop the model. Global Moran’s I statistic and Anselin’s local Moran’s I (LISA) were applied to detect the spatial autocorrelation (spatial dependency) and clusters of …

The Interpretive Approach As A Means Of Understanding The Misunderstood, Doreen Molloy, Joyce Hendricks, Anne Williams

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

People’s experiences of health and illness are important areas of health research and practice. The interpretive process, and more significantly the biographical approach (Denzin, 1989), is an approach in which there is a focus on personal epiphanies which shape and reflect the stories people tell of their experiences. Dolby-Stahl (1985) contends stories of personal experience sit within the genre of folklore and that the reading of such stories must take into account the social, cultural, and historical contexts which influence and give meaning to experience.

Single-Leg Squats Can Predict Leg Alignment In Dancers Performing Ballet Movements In "Turnout", Luke Hopper, Nahoko Sato, Andries L. Weidemann

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The physical assessments used in dance injury surveillance programs are often adapted from the sports and exercise domain. Bespoke physical assessments may be required for dance, particularly when ballet movements involve “turning out” or external rotation of the legs beyond that typically used in sports. This study evaluated the ability of the traditional single-leg squat to predict the leg alignment of dancers performing ballet movements with turnout. Three-dimensional kinematic data of dancers performing the single-leg squat and five ballet movements were recorded and analyzed. Reduction of the three-dimensional data into a one-dimensional variable incorporating the ankle, knee, and hip joint …

The Efficacy Of A Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For War-Affected Young Migrants Living In Australia: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Chew S. Ooi, Rosanna M. Rooney, Clare Roberts, Robert T. Kane, Bernadette Wright, Nikos Chatzisarantis

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Preventative and treatment programs for people at risk of developing psychological problems after exposure to war trauma have mushroomed in the last decade. However, there is still much contention about evidence-based and culturally sensitive interventions for children. The aim of this study was to examine the efficacy of the Teaching Recovery Techniques in improving the emotional and behavioral outcomes of war-affected children resettled in Australia.

Methods and Findings: A cluster randomized controlled trial with pre-test, post-test, and 3-month follow-up design was employed. A total of 82 participants (aged 10–17 years) were randomized by school into the 8-week intervention ( …

Photoaging Photography: Mothers' Attitudes Toward Adopting Skin-Protective Measures Pre- And Post-Viewing Photoaged Images Of Their And Their Child's Facial Sun Damage, Matthew Welch, Paul Chang, Myra F. Taylor

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

One of the major sources for children to gain knowledge of skin-protective measures is from their parents. Therefore, an imperative exists for parents to model and reinforce the sun-safety practices they want their children to adopt. Although Australian mothers have been the recipients of two extensive sun-safety public health campaigns, little is known about their attitudes, behaviors, and application of health promotion knowledge toward their and their child’s ultraviolet (UV) sun exposure. Ten mothers with children aged 4 to 12 years were asked a series of questions about their sun-safety practices, both pre- and post-viewing an UV photoaged photograph of …

Integrating Diet And Exercise Into Care Of Prostate Cancer Patients On Androgen Deprivation Therapy, Mark A. Moyad, Robert Newton, Ulf W. Tunn, Damian Gruca

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Improved diagnosis and treatment regimens have resulted in greater longevity for men with prostate cancer. This has led to an increase in both androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) use and duration of exposure, and therefore to its associated adverse effects, such as sexual dysfunction, osteoporosis, reduced muscle mass, increased fat mass, and increased incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Given that the adverse effects of ADT are systemic, often debilitating, and difficult to treat, efforts continue in the development of new strategies for long-term management of prostate cancer. The PubMed database was searched to select trials, reviews, and meta-analyses …

Local Muscle Metabolic Demand Induced By Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation And Voluntary Contractions At Different Force Levels: A Nirs Study, Makii Muthalib, Graham Kerr, Kazunori Nosaka, Stephane Perrey

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Functional Muscle metabolic demand during contractions evoked by neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has been consistently documented to be greater than voluntary contractions (VOL) at the same force level (10-50% maximal voluntary contraction-MVC). However, we have shown using a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique that local muscle metabolic demand is similar between NMES and VOL performed at MVC levels, thus controversy exists. This study therefore compared biceps brachii muscle metabolic demand (tissue oxygenation index-TOI and total hemoglobin volume-tHb) during a 10s isometric contraction of the elbow flexors between NMES (stimulation frequency of 30Hz and current level to evoke 30% MVC) and VOL …

A Phenotypically Silent Vanb2 Operon Carried On A Tn1549-Like Element In Clostridium Difficile, Daniel R. Knight, Grace O. Androga, Susan A. Ballard, Benjamin P. Howden, Thomas Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In the last decade, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has reached an epidemic state with increasing incidence and severity in both health care and community settings. Vancomycin is an important first-line therapy for CDI, and the emergence of resistance would have significant clinical consequences. In this study, we describe for the first time a vanB2 vancomycin resistance operon in C. difficile, isolated from an Australian veal calf at slaughter. The operon was carried on an ~ 42-kb element showing significant homology and synteny to Tn1549, a conjugative transposon linked with the emergence and global dissemination of vancomycin-resistant enterococci …

Real-Time Netnography: Rejecting The Passive Shift, Leesa Costello, Marie-Louise Mcdermott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Although netnography emerged in the 1990s, it is a term unfamiliar to many ethnographers and is still touted as a new methodology. Once explained, ethnographers often understand it in terms of online ethnography. While this is helpful, netnography, however, offers a set of steps and analytic approaches that can be applied across a spectrum of involvement online. Its focus is on gaining entree to an online community, distinguishing between participant observation and nonparticipant observation.

The Role Of Clinical Proteomics, Lipidomics, And Genomics In The Diagnosis Of Alzheimer's Disease, Ian James Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has become important to the reversal and treatment of neurodegeneration, which may be relevant to premature brain aging that is associated with chronic disease progression. Clinical proteomics allows the detection of various proteins in fluids such as the urine, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid for the diagnosis of AD. Interest in lipidomics has accelerated with plasma testing for various lipid biomarkers that may with clinical proteomics provide a more reproducible diagnosis for early brain aging that is connected to other chronic diseases. The combination of proteomics with lipidomics may decrease the biological variability between …

Medical Help-Seeking For Sexual Concerns In Prostate Cancer Survivors, Melissa K. Hyde, Leah Zajdlewicz, Addie C. Wootten, Christian J. Nelson, Anthony Lowe, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne K. Chambers

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: Although sexual dysfunction is common after prostate cancer, men's decisions to seek help for sexual concerns are not well understood.

Aim: Describe predictors of actual prior help-seeking and intended future medical help-seeking for sexual dysfunction in prostate cancer survivors.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 510 prostate cancer survivors assessed masculine beliefs, attitudes, support/approval from partner/peer networks (subjective norm), and perceived control as predictors of medical help-seeking for sexual concerns. A theory of planned behavior (TPB) perspective was used to examine actual prior and planned future behavior and contributing factors. Statistical analyses included multiple and logistic regressions.

Main Outcome Measures: …

Finding Chemopreventatives To Reduce Amyloid Beta In Yeast, Ian Macreadie, Costa Arvanitis, Prashant Bharadwaj

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of age-related dementia with the latest report (WorldAlzheimerReport, 2015) showing 46.8 million people are currently affected by dementia. That number is expected to double every 20 years unless there is effective therapeutic intervention.

Developmental Transcription Factors In Age-Related Cns Disease: A Phoenix Rising From The Ashes?, Robert White, Meghan Thomas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few would doubt that understanding the developmental landscape from which a mature neuron is derived is essential to understand its biology. The temporal and spatial position of a cell from the very earliest stages of development predicts the unique combinations of growth factors it will subsequently be exposed to. This combination of factors determines the transcriptional platform set within the cell by its specific combination of transcription factors, who direct the show. This, in turn, determines what cell type it will differentiate into, and what connections it will make. How this developmental platform translates to maintenance of a differentiated neuron …

Heat-Mediated Reduction Of Apoptosis In Uvb-Damaged Keratinocytes In Vitro And In Human Skin Ex Vivo, Leslie Calapre, Elin S. Gray, Sandrine Kurdykowski, Anthony David, Prue Hart, Pascal Descargues, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

UV radiation induces significant DNA damage in keratinocytes and is a known risk factor for skin carcinogenesis. However, it has been reported previously that repeated and simultaneous exposure to UV and heat stress increases the rate of cutaneous tumour formation in mice. Since constant exposure to high temperatures and UV are often experienced in the environment, the effects of exposure to UV and heat needs to be clearly addressed in human epidermal cells.

Methods:

In this study, we determined the effects of repeated UVB exposure 1kJ/m2 followed by heat (39°C) to human keratinocytes. Normal human ex vivo skin models …

Effects Of Exercise Interventions And Physical Activity Behavior On Cancer Related Cognitive Impairments: A Systematic Review, Philipp Zimmer, Freerk Baumann, Max Oberste, Peter Wright, Alexander Garthe, Alexander Schenk, Thomas Elter, Daniel A. Galvao, Wilhelm Bloch, Sven Hübner, Florian Wolf

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This systematic review analyzes current data on effects of exercise interventions and physical activity behavior on objective and subjective cancer related cognitive impairments (CRCI). Out of the 19 studies which met all inclusion criteria, five RCTs investigated rodents, whereas the other 14 trials explored humans and these included six RCTs, one controlled trial, two prospective noncontrolled trials, one case series, one observational study, and three cross-sectional studies. The results from animal models revealed positive effects of exercise during and after chemotherapy or radiation on structural alterations of the central nervous system, physiological as well as neuropsychological outcomes. The overall study …

Aboriginal Health Worker Perceptions Of Oral Health: A Qualitative Study In Perth, Western Australia, Angela Durey, Dan Mcaullay, Barry Gibson, Linda Slack-Smith

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Improving oral health for Aboriginal Australians has been slow. Despite dental disease being largely preventable, Aboriginal Australians have worse periodontal disease, more decayed teeth and untreated dental caries than other Australians. Reasons for this are complex and risk factors include broader social and historic determinants such as marginalisation and discrimination that impact on Aboriginal people making optimum choices about oral health. This paper presents findings from a qualitative study conducted in the Perth metropolitan area investigating Aboriginal Health Workers’ (AHWs) perceptions of barriers and enablers to oral health for Aboriginal people.

Methods:

Following extensive consultation with Aboriginal stakeholders, …

Acute Inflammatory Response To Low-, Moderate-, And High-Load Resistance Exercise In Women With Breast Cancer–Related Lymphedema, Prue Cormie, Benjamin Singh, Sandi Hayes, Jonathan M. Peake, Daniel A. Galvao, Dennis Taaffe, Nigel Spry, Kazunori Nosaka, Bruce Cornish, Kathryn H. Schmitz, Robert Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Resistance exercise is emerging as a potential adjunct therapy to aid in the management of breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL). However, the mechanisms underlying the relationships between the acute and long-term benefits of resistance exercise on BCRL are not well understood.

Purpose

To examine the acute inflammatory response to upper-body resistance exercise in women with BCRL and to compare these effects between resistance exercises involving low, moderate, and high loads. The impact on lymphedema status and associated symptoms was also compared.

Methods.

A total of 21 women, 62 ± 10 years old, with BCRL participated in the study. Participants completed …

Compliance, Palatability And Feasibility Of Paleolithic And Australian Guide To Healthy Eastin Diets In Healtthy Women: A 4-Week Dietary Intervention, Angela Genoni, Johnny Lo, Philippa Lyons-Wall, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

(1) Background/Objectives:

The Paleolithic diet has been receiving media coverage in Australia and claims to improve overall health. The diet removes grains and dairy, whilst encouraging consumption of fruits, vegetables, meat, eggs and nuts. Our aim was to compare the diet to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating (AGHE) in terms of compliance, palatability and feasibility;

(2) Subjects/Methods:

39 healthy women (age 47 ± 13 years, BMI 27 ± 4 kg/m²) were randomised to an ad-libitum Paleolithic (n = 22) or AGHE diet (n = 17) for 4-weeks. A food checklist was completed daily, with mean discretionary consumption …

Discriminant Validity Of The Hospital Anxiety And Depression Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (Ii) And Beck Anxiety Inventory To Confirmed Clinical Diagnosis Of Depression And Anxiety In Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, Tina Phan, Owen Carter, Claire Adams, Grant Waterer, Li Ping Chung, Maxine Hawkins, Cobie Rudd, Mel R. Ziman, Natalie Strobel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The objective of this study was to investigate the discriminant validity of commonly used depresson and anxiety screening tools in order to determine the most suitable tool for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). COPD patients (n = 56) completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). These scores were compared to confirmed clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety using the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview. HADS depression subscale (HADS-D) sensitivity/specificity was 78/81 %; BDI-II 89/77 %; HADS anxiety subscale (HADS-A) 71/81 %; and BAI 89/62 %. HADS-D sensitivity/specificity was improved …

Fine Particulate Air Pollution And Hospital Emergency Room Visits For Respiratory Disease In Urban Areas In Beijing, China, In 2013, Qin Xu, Xia Li, Shuo Wang, Chao Wang, Fangfang Huang, Qi Gao, Lijuan Wu, Lixin Tao, Jin Guo, Wei Wang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Heavy fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) air pollution occurs frequently in China. However, epidemiological research on the association between short-term exposure to PM_2.5 pollution and respiratory disease morbidity is still limited. This study aimed to explore the association between PM_2.5 pollution and hospital emergency room visits (ERV) for total and cause-specific respiratory diseases in urban areas in Beijing. Methods Daily counts of respiratory ERV from Jan 1 to Dec 31, 2013, were obtained from ten general hospitals located in urban areas in Beijing. Concurrently, data on PM_2.5 were collected from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, …

Predictors Of Sun Protection Behaviours And Sunburn Among Australian Adolescents, Simone Pettigrew, Michelle Jongenelis, Mark Strickland, Carolyn Minto, Terry Slevin, Geoffrey Jalleh, Chad Lin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

Excessive sun exposure and sunburn increase individuals’ risk of skin cancer. It is especially important to prevent sunburn in childhood due to the higher relative risk of skin cancer across the life span compared to risk associated with sunburn episodes experienced later in life. This study examined demographic and attitudinal factors associated with engagement in a range of sun protection behaviours (wearing a hat, wearing protective clothing, staying in the shade, and staying indoors during the middle of the day) and the frequency of sunburn among Western Australian adolescents to provide insights of relevance for future sun protection campaigns. …

Plasma Apolipoprotein J As A Potential Biomarker For Alzheimer's Disease: Australian Imaging, Biomarkers And Lifestyle Study Of Aging, Veer Gupta, James D. Doecke, Eugene Hone, Steve Pedrini, Simon M. Laws, Madhav Thambisetty, Ashley Bush,, Christopher C. Rowe, Victor L. Villemagne, David Ames, Colin L. Masters, Stuart Lance Macaulay, Alan Rembach, Stephanie R. Rainey-Smith, Ralph N. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction:

For early detection of Alzheimer's disease (AD), the field needs biomarkers that can be used to detect disease status with high sensitivity and specificity. Apolipoprotein J (ApoJ, also known as clusterin) has long been associated with AD pathogenesis through various pathways. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of plasma apoJ as a blood biomarker for AD.

Methods:

Using the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) study of aging, the present study assayed plasma apoJ levels over baseline and 18 months in 833 individuals. Plasma ApoJ levels were analyzed with respect to clinical classification, age, gender, …

Integration Of Suboptimal Health Status And Endothelial Dysfunction As A New Aspect For Risk Evaluation Of Cardiovascular Disease, Vitalli Kupaev, Oleg Borisov, Ekaterina Marutina, Yuxiang Yan, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Suboptimal health status (SHS) is recognized as a subclinical, reversible stage of chronic disease. Association has been confirmed between SHS and cardiovascular risk factors, indicating that SHS may contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease. This study explored integrated risk assessment of cardiovascular disease by combining SHS questionnaire-25 (SHSQ-25) and indicators of endothelial dysfunction.

Methods:

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of 459 residents of Samara, Russia, who had no history of clinical diagnosed disease and did not receive any treatment in the last 2 weeks. The SHS score was derived from the data collected in …

Suppression Of Neutrophil-Mediated Tissue Damage—A Novel Skill Of Mesenchymal Stem Cells, Dongsheng Jiang, Jana Muschhammer, Yu Qi, Andrea Kügler, Juliane C. De Vries, Mona Saffarzadeh, Anca Sindriaru, Seppe V. Beken, Meinhard Wlaschek, Mark A. Kluth, Christoph Ganss, Natasha Y. Frank, Markus H. Frank, Klaus T. Preissner, Karin Scharffetter-Kochanek

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are crucial for tissue homeostasis and regeneration. Though of prime interest, their potentially protective role on neutrophil-induced tissue damage, associated with high morbidity and mortality, has not been explored in sufficient detail. Here we report the therapeutic skill of MSCs to suppress unrestrained neutrophil activation and to attenuate severe tissue damage in a murine immune-complex mediated vasculitis model of unbalanced neutrophil activation. MSC-mediated neutrophil suppression was due to intercellular adhesion molecule 1-dependent engulfment of neutrophils by MSCs, decreasing overall neutrophil numbers. Similar to MSCs in their endogenous niche of murine and human vasculitis, therapeutically injected MSCs …

'Face' And Psychological Processes Of Laid-Off Workers In Transitional China, Bingxin Wang, Kenneth M. Greenwood

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

The objective was to explore the psychological experiences of laid-off workers in contemporary transitional China and to formulate a theoretical model of these.

Methods:

In-depth interviews of 26 laid-off workers were conducted and analysed using grounded theory techniques.

Results:

Four themes underline the psychological processes of these laid-off workers - feeling of loss, feeling of physical pain, feeling of fatalism, and final acceptance. These are characterized by Chinese culture and its philosophy - feeling of loss is dominated by their loss of face (diu mianzi), physical pain is a somatization of their mental painfulness, their fatalism is traced back …

Humanising The Curriculum: The Role Of A Virtual World, Beverley Ewans, Sara Geale, Caroline Vafeas, Fiona Foxall, Barbara Loessl, Aisling Smyth, Christopher Mccafferty

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

Technology has changed our world; changed the way we communicate, the way we do business and the way education is delivered. As a result, undergraduate student cohorts come to university equipped with new technology, and educators need to transform the delivery of the curricula to satisfy a variety of learning styles. Nursing education, in particular, is developing and transforming to incorporate technology into the learning environment. Clinical placement opportunities are often sparse and alternative experiences need to be considered. Across nursing curricula, it has been recognised that technology has the capacity to provide real-life learning experiences that promote …

Nurse Staffing And Workload Drivers In Small Rural Hospitals: An Imperative For Evidence, Diane E. Twigg, Jennifer H. Cramer, Judith D. Pugh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to explore staffing issues and the workload drivers influencing nursing activities in designated small rural hospitals of Western Australia. A problem for small rural hospitals is an imbalance between nurse staffing resources and work activity.

Sample:

A purposive sample of 17 nurse leaders employed at designated small rural hospitals in Western Australia.

Method:

A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected by focus group and semi-structured interviews and review of Western Australian Country Health Service records. Thematic analysis was used to interpret data.

Findings:

A minimum nurse staffing model is in use. …

Epidemiology And Risk Factors For Community-Associated Clostridium Difficile Infection: A Narrative Review, Lauren E. Bloomfield, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was once considered a primarily nosocomial concern. Emerging evidence from the last 20 years has highlighted a drastic shift in the known epidemiology of CDI, with disease outside of hospitals apparently occurring more frequently and causing severe disease in populations that were thought to be at low risk. This narrative review summarises potential pathways for infection outside of the hospital environment and highlights likely routes of transmission. Further, evidence is presented on potential risk factors for development of disease. Understanding the epidemiology of CDI outside of hospitals is essential to the ability to prevent and control …

A Case-Control Study In An Orcadian Population Investigating The Rrelationship Between Human Plasma N-Glycans And Metabolic Syndrome, Fiona Mclachlan, Maria Timofeeva, Mairead Bermingham, Sarah Wild, Igor Rudan, Gordon Lauc, Wei Wang, Harry Campbell, James Wilson, Evropi Theodoratou

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Alterations in glycosylation patterns have long been known to reflect changes in cell metabolism. In this study, we investigated the relationship between human N-glycan profiles and metabolic syndrome.

Method:

Between 2005 and 2011, 2,155 individuals from the Orkney Islands (UK) were recruited and biological material, alongside phenotypic measures were collected. Individual N-glycan profiles were measured in plasma using weak anion exchange high performance liquid chromatography and calibrated hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography. Pre-specified criteria were used to identify 564 cases with metabolic syndrome and 1475 controls. We applied logistic regression to test for association between this binary outcome against measured …

Food Quality Induces A Miscible Disease With Relevance To Alzheimer’S Disease And Neurological Diseases, Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Food and nutrition guidelines for the handling and processing of fresh fruit, bread, and vegetables are essential and fresh produce may require cold preservation procedures to prevent minimal bacterial and fungi contamination of food. Bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) corrupt lipoprotein and amyloid beta (Aβ) metabolism in diabetes, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and various neurological diseases. In the developing world the increased plasma LPS levels induce non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases and interfere with albumin and Aβ interactions with spontaneous Aβ oligomer formation in the cerebrospinal fluid and brain that leads to neuronapoptosis by inactivation of Starling’s equation that is responsible for the maintenance …