Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Understanding And Building Resilience With Art: A Socio-Ecological Approach, Meagan Shand

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Resilience is a widely researched phenomenon, it means different things to different people and is perceived and measured according to the theoretical lens being applied. The following thesis reviews the theoretical development of resilience that has led to contemporary understandings, to establish a platform for the research topic - understanding and building resilience with Art. Narrative research methods are combined with art processes to illuminate the stories of eight culturally diverse women participating in a community based mental health art program, in Western Australia. Fifteen resilience themes emerged from the collective experience, and are presented in a socio-ecological framework to …

An Investigation Into Dust, Gases And Vapours Expulsed During The Oxidation Of Pyritic Black Shale, And Their Potential For Impacting On Employee Health, Tristan Lynn

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Pyritic black shale (PBS) is occasionally extracted as a waste product of iron ore mining in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Mineralogical studies such as Brocks, Summons, Buick, and Logan (2003) of the PBS located at Mount Tom Price Operations have established that PBS can contain elevated concentrations of pyrite, carbon, bitumens, polyaromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The natural oxidative weathering of PBS can cause exothermic reactions leading to the shale reaching temperatures that cause the expulsion of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulphide, sulphur dioxide, methane and carbon monoxide.

Current management of the potential hazards of …

The Global Obesity Epidemic Is Related To Stroke, Dementia And Alzheimer's Disease, Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The global epidemic in obesity and diabetes has affected individuals in both the developing and developed world with the global death rate (63%) related to chronic diseases with 35% attributed to cardiovascular disease and stroke, 21 % to cancer and 12 % to chronic respiratory disease. The interest in connections between the global stroke epidemic, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has increased with hypertension, smoking, diabetes, obesity, poor diet, physical inactivity, atrial fibrillation, excessive alcohol consumption, abnormal lipid profile and psychosocial stress/depression implicated in their pathogenesis. The connection between stroke and AD is possibly related to the low adiponectin and …

The Validity And Inter-Unit Reliability Of Custom-Made Surftrax Gps Units And Use During Surfing, Oliver Farley, M Andrews, Josh Secomb, Tai T. Tran, Lina Lundgren, Chris Abbiss, Jeremry Sheppard

ECU Posters

The purposes of the study were to: i) gain further understanding of the movement patterns during surfing using custom made GPS units which are designed for surfing (SurfTraX, Gold Coast, Australia), and ii) determine the validity and inter-unit reliability of these units.

Investigating The Role Of Dachshund Homolog 1 (Dach1) And Mir-200b In Group 4 Medulloblastoma Pathogenesis, Courtney George

Theses : Honours

Medulloblastoma is the most common malignant childhood brain tumour, and the most significant cause of childhood cancer-related mortality. Recently four core molecular medulloblastoma sub-groups have been identified, with distinct pathogenesis and responses to therapies. Current therapies, do not account for this molecular variation, and many patients may receive inappropriate treatment. To address this, targeted therapies for each molecular sub-group would be ideal. Unfortunately, for the more aggressive Group 3 and Group 4 subgroups, the underlying mechanisms of pathogenesis remain poorly understood. The current challenge is to identify the key tumour suppressors or oncogenes involved in Group 3 and Group 4 …

Examining The Appeal And Ascribed Meanings Of Complementary And Alternative Medicine (Cam) Use By Males: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, Kathryn V. Hogan

Theses : Honours

Men are commonly and consistently underrepresented in global depression rates, however figure predominantly in rates for substance abuse and suicide. It has been suggested that men’s under-utilisation of mental health services accounts for the discrepancy between the genders and that hegemonic masculine stereotypes have created a barrier for males in seeking help for mood disorders. The use of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) has been expanding globally, with research showing in some instances of self-diagnosed depression and anxiety, CAM is being utilised more often than mainstream health care services. The present study explored the personal meanings of males who currently …

Letter Reversal Assessments: A Systematic Review Of Measurement Properties, Administration Guidelines And Reversal Content And Richmond Reversal Rating: Construct Validity In Relation To Visual-Spatial Abilities, Lucinda Venter

Theses : Honours

Background: With several assessments available that purport to measure the letter reversal rates of young school-aged children, the question was raised how reliable and comparable these assessments are and to what extent each assessment addresses the concept of letter reversals? A systematic review of these assessments was performed to evaluate the measurement properties and administration guidelines, and to compare the reversal content of these assessments.

Method: Relevant assessments and studies were identified through literature searches. For each of the assessments the measurement properties, quality of the studies that report the measurement properties, and administration guidelines were evaluated, and the content …

Parkinson's Diagnosis From The Caregiver's Perspective, Helen Maree Bradley

Theses : Honours

Parkinson’s disease (Parkinson’s) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder. The irreversible and accumulating disability experienced means that people with Parkinson’s progressively lose their autonomy, eventually requiring complete care. Consequently, Parkinson’s significantly impacts sufferers and the people who care for them. Informal care, predominantly provided by female spouses becomes exceptionally demanding over time, and caregivers experience significant morbidity. Stress manifests across all stages of the caregiving trajectory, with diagnosis reported as a particularly stressful period for caregivers; however, few attempts have been made to understand what makes it stressful. The current study explored female spousal caregivers’ subjective experience of the Parkinson’s diagnosis, …

Enablers And Barriers Experienced By Grandparents Who Become Primary Caregivers Of Grandchildren: An Occupational Perspective, Janice Du Preez

Theses : Honours

Aim: The aim of this review was to identify current issues affecting grandparents who are raising their grandchildren in Australia.

Method: The study systematically reviewed twelve studies that evaluated supports for grandparents. The Checklist Analysis of Research for Systematic Review and the Quantitative and Qualitative Checklist were used to evaluate the studies.

Findings: Five support issues affecting grandparent-headed families were evidenced in the literature as being of priority. These include stress, intergenerational conflict, community support, legal and financial aspects, policies and service frameworks.

Conclusions: The paucity of research implies that further funding for large-scale research is required. Implications for informal …

Assessing Visual Perception Using Letters And Numbers, Janet Richmond

ECU Posters

To create a new visual perceptual test using letters and numbers in isolation and in context. Producing a linear scale to measure the ability of primary school children to visually discriminate upper and lower case letters in readiness for learning to read and perform mathematical calculations.

Psychophysiological Research Of Borderline Personality Disorder: Review And Implications For Biosocial Theory, Tara Cavazzi, Rodrigo Becerra

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

According to the Biosocial theory, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is developed by a biological predisposition to hyperarousal and hyperreactivity combined with an invalidating environment. Although widely supported by subjective measures, the impaired insight present in BPD may skew results, and thus psychophysiological measures have been suggested as an alternative method of examining possible biological differences in BPD. The current review aimed to critically assess psychophysiological research of BPD by electronic searching of relevant databases, with 22 articles meeting inclusion criteria. Results showed that in contrast to the hyperarousal proposed in the Biosocial theory, BPD was associated with hypoarousal and hyporeactivity …

Risk Factors Of Cvd Mortality Among The Elderly In Beijing, 1992 - 2009: An 18-Year Cohort Study, Tao Zhou, Xia Li, Zhe Tang, Changchun Xie, Lixin Tao, Lei Pan, Da Huo, Fei Sun, Yanxia Luo, Wei Wang, Aoshuang Yan, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Few researchers have examined the effects of multiple risk factors of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality simultaneously. This study was to determine the associations of combined lifestyle and other factors with CVD mortality among the elderly (n = 3,257), in Beijing, China, through data mining of the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA). BLSA is a representative cohort study from 1992 to 2009, hosted by Xuan Wu Hospital. Competing risk survival analysis was conducted to explore the association between risk factors and CVD mortality. The factors focused mainly on lifestyle, physical condition, and the model was adjusted for age and gender. …

Biomarkers Of Alzheimer's Disease Risk In Peripheral Tissues; Focus On Buccal Cells, Maxime François, Wayne Leifert, Ralph Martins, Philip Thomas, Michael Fenech

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive degenerative disorder of the brain and is the most common form of dementia. To-date no simple, inexpensive and minimally invasive procedure is available to confirm with certainty the early diagnosis of AD prior to the manifestations of symptoms characteristic of the disease. Therefore, if population screening of individuals is to be performed, more suitable, easily accessible tissues would need to be used for a diagnostic test that would identify those who exhibit cellular pathology indicative of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and AD risk so that they can be prioritized for primary prevention. This need …

High Fibre Diets And Alzheimer's Disease, Ian J. Martins, Warnakulasuriya M. Fernando

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The convergence of diet and AD may be related to the effects of phytosterols since plasma cholesterol is closely linked and regulated by phytosterols. Dietary fibre modifications that are low in fat and glucose reduce the risk for AD by not only effecting cell membranes and nutrient sensing G coupled receptors but also by regulating number of nuclear receptors such as histone deacetylases (HDAC) and peroxisome proliferator activated receptors (PPAR) that control glucose, fatty acids and cholesterol and have significant effects on the brain cholesterol homeostasis and amyloidosis. The peripheral sink Aβ hypothesis indicates that the peripheral clearance of Aβ …

Induction Of Nafld With Increased Risk Of Obesity And Chronic Diseases In Developed Countries, Ian J. Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The susceptibility of individuals to obesity has been reported in many developed countries with predisposition of humans to obesity associated with high calorie diets and unhealthy lifestyles. Obesity may closely be involved in cell suicide in various organ diseases with the importance of accelerated aging that requires early intervention with drug therapy to prevent diseases such as non alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) that has increased in children and reached to approx. 40% of the global population. Obesity is induced by various diets and lifestyle factors such as stress, anxiety and depression which are important to consider with the global …

Development Of A Patient-Administered Self-Assessment Tool (Satp) For Follow-Up Of Colorectal Cancer Patients In General Practice, Irene M. Ngune, Moyez Jiwa, Alexandra Mcmanus, Jeff Hughes, Richard Parsons, Rupert Hodder, Fiona Entriken

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Treatment for colorectal cancer (CRC) may result in physical, social, and psychological needs that affect patients’ quality of life post-treatment. A comprehensive assessment should be conducted to identify these needs in CRC patients post treatment, however, there is a lack of tools and processes available in general practice. Aims: This study aimed to develop a patient-completed needs screening tool that identifies potentially unmet physical, psychological, and social needs in CRC and facilitates consultation with a general practitioner (GP) to address these needs. Methods: The development of the self-assessment tool for patients (SATp) included a review of the literature; face …

Changes In Muscle Damage Markers In Female Basketball Players, A Moreira, Kazunori Nosaka, Ja Nunes, L Viveiros, A.Z. Jamurtas, M.S. Aoki

Research outputs 2013

The aim of the present study was to investigate changes in muscle soreness, blood muscle damage markers, muscle strength and agility following an official basketball match. Eleven elite female professional basketball players (27.4 ± 4.8 years, 179.5 ± 5.5 cm, 72.0 ± 7.8 kg) of a team participated in this study. The official match was the seventh match of the season in the first phase of the Brazilian National Female Basketball Championship. Muscle soreness, plasma creatine kinase activity (CK), and myoglobin concentration (Mb) were determined before and after the match (post-match, 24 and 48 hours after the match). The 1RM …

Pax Genes: Regulators Of Lineage Specification And Progenitor Cell Maintenance, Judith A. Blake, Mel R. Ziman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Pax genes encode a family of transcription factors that orchestrate complex processes of lineage determination in the developing embryo. Their key role is to specify and maintain progenitor cells through use of complex molecular mechanisms such as alternate RNA splice forms and gene activation or inhibition in conjunction with protein co-factors. The significance of Pax genes in development is highlighted by abnormalities that arise from the expression of mutant Pax genes. Here, we review the molecular functions of Pax genes during development and detail the regulatory mechanisms by which they specify and maintain progenitor cells across various tissue lineages. We …

Factors Influencing Pacing In Triathlon, Sam Shi Xuan Wu, Jeremiah P. Peiffer, Jeanick Brisswalter, Kazunori Nosaka, Chris Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Triathlon is a multisport event consisting of sequential swim, cycle, and run disciplines performed over a variety of distances. This complex and unique sport requires athletes to appropriately distribute their speed or energy expenditure (ie, pacing) within each discipline as well as over the entire event. As with most physical activity, the regulation of pacing in triathlon may be influenced by a multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The majority of current research focuses mainly on the Olympic distance, whilst much less literature is available on other triathlon distances such as the sprint, half-Ironman, and Ironman distances. Furthermore, little is …

The Effect Of Double-Blind Carbohydrate Ingestion During 60 Km Of Self-Paced Exercise In Warm Ambient Conditions, Camila Nassif, Aline R. Gomes, Gustavo H.C. Peixoto, Mauro H. Chagas, Danusa D. Soares, Emerson Silami-Garcia, Eric J. Drinkwater, Jack Cannon, Frank E. Marino

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study evaluated double blind ingestions of placebo (PLA) versus 6% carbohydrate (CHO) either as capsules (c) or beverage (b) during 60 km self-paced cycling in the heat (32C and 50% relative humidity).

The Distinct Contributions Of Affective Distress And Personality To Memory Complaints Made In Older Adulthood, Matthew Robert Merema

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Whilst a substantial amount of research has investigated the role of affective distress and features of personality in memory complaints made by older adults, little effort has been directed towards understanding their distinct contributions to complaints. Given considerable overlap between affective distress and features of personality, such evidence is necessary to inform theoretical frameworks pertaining to memory complaints and clarify results from other empirical studies examining these concepts. Consequently, the current study examined symptoms of depression and anxiety as predictors of memory complaints within the context of features of personality and other relevant contextual variables (i.e., age, gender, education, premorbid …

Doncp: Incorporating Step Two Of The Nutrition Care Process Into Hospital Dietetic Practice Using An Implementation Package, Jane Porter

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The Nutrition Care Process (NCP) and accompanying International Dietetic and Nutrition Terminology (IDNT) has been endorsed internationally as the standard model for nutrition care. However, there is limited published Australian literature on the implementation of the NCP and IDNT including the attitudes, knowledge and support requirements of dietitians to facilitate this. This study aimed to develop and test a survey to assess attitudes, support and knowledge of NCP and use the findings in conjunction with literature to design and implement a NCP package and evaluate the package.

The research was conducted in two phases: (1) formative research to inform development …

Mechanisms Affecting Post-Activation Potentiation Following Voluntary Isokinetic Knee Extension, Laurent B. Seitz

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The present research was designed to: 1) determine whether the voluntary PAP effects commonly observed after conditioning activity (CA; i.e. muscular contraction prior to a ‘test’ contraction) are a consequence of acute neuromuscular alterations relating to the CA itself, or whether they simply reflect warm-up and/or familiarisation effects; 2) clarify the influence of the contraction velocity, duration and total work characteristics of the CA on voluntary PAP; 3) determine the factors allowing stronger individuals to express higher level of voluntary PAP; and 4) determine the peripheral and central mechanisms of voluntary PAP in human skeletal muscle. In Study 1, the …

Quantification Of Eccentric Load Using Accelerometer Imbedded In Gps, Chow Chea Yeo

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Global positioning system (GPS) with a triaxial accelerometer is widely used to monitor movements of athletes in games and training, and “body load” (BL) representing the accumulation of the rate of changes in three planes of movements is obtained to determine the training load of a session. Deceleration, change of directions and stopping require eccentric contractions of leg muscles, potentially causing muscle damage and affecting athletic performance. Thus, it is important to monitor eccentric loading in games and training. A variable known as “eccentric index” (EI) purports to be a better representation of eccentric loading than BL. However, it is …

De Concentv Amisso Qvaerendo: An Investigation Into The Relative Benefits Of Three Different Types Of Ambient Music On The Observed Agitated Behaviour And Quality Of Life Of Dementia Sufferers In Residential Aged Care Facilities, Peter Wilkinson

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

There is an increasing body of research evidence to support the use of music as a therapeutic modality in reducing the agitated behaviour frequently associated with late-stage dementia. Although much of this evidence suggests that music interventions are most effective when they are “individualized”, this type of intervention is often difficult to implement in large, busy, aged care facilities where residents may be located together in communal areas during the day. The challenge therefore is to try and identify a particular musical genre which, when played as “ambient” or “background” music, demonstrates a consistent capacity to reduce agitated behaviour in …

Speech And Swallowing Rehabilitation In The Home: A Comparison Of Two Service Delivery Models For Stroke Survivors, Katy J. E. Stewart

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background and Aims

Speech and swallowing difficulties are common sequelae for people who have suffered a stroke. Recently, there has been an increase in early discharge, community rehabilitation and the use of therapy assistants to support health professionals in stroke rehabilitation. However, the impact of these factors on communication and swallowing outcomes remains under researched. This research explored Rehabilitation in the Home (RITH) Speech Pathology (SP) services for stroke survivors with dysarthria and dysphagia. More specifically, this research investigated whether traditional speech pathology interventions, supplemented with a home practice program are effective, as well as compare usual treatment to that …

The Clinical Utility Of The Halosperm Assay And The Development Of A Simplified Method Of Human Semen Storage For The Testing Of Sperm Dna Fragmentation, Ashleigh Cavell Mcevoy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Male infertility is typically diagnosed upon routine semen analysis following the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) semen analysis manual. Recent editions of the manual have essentially changed the diagnosis of a semen sample, prompting debate between experts as to which edition should be followed. Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) integrity analysis is proving to be a useful adjunct to semen analysis as 15% of infertile men have a normal semen analysis but they have an increased DNA fragmentation level (DFL) which has been associated with increased disease incidence in any resultant offspring. However, such tests are not endorsed by the WHO, possibly due …

The Impact Of Implementing A Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Education Package In Jordan, Shereen Hamadneh

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) is a problem worldwide. In North Jordan, SIDS rate was high as 1.32 per 1,000 live births and contributed 6% to the infant mortality rate (Bataineh, Shawagfeh, & Twalbeh, 2008). However, SIDS risk factors are preventable and can be reduced by improving knowledge and changing relevant behaviours of parents and healthcare providers (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2013; American SIDS Institute, 2011; Bataineh, Hussein Shawagfeh, & Twalbeh, 2008; Bredemeyer, 2004; Grazel, Phalen, & Polomano, 2010b; Moon, Oden, & Grady, 2004; NICHD, 2010). Still educating Jordanians about SIDS has not been a national health policy priority. …

Homebirth In Wa: Why Women Make This Choice, Colleen Ball

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Background: Homebirths in Western Australia (WA) account for approximately 0.8% of all births. Two consecutive reports from the Perinatal and Infant Mortality Monitoring Committee found increased rates of perinatal mortality in homebirths and recommended a prospective cohort study to assess mortality and morbidity outcomes for women with planned home births in WA. The Homebirth in WA Study, of which this thesis is a component, has been funded by a directed research grant.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the specific reasons why women in WA choose homebirth. Research on homebirths is focused on perinatal outcomes and …

Evolutionary Approaches For Feature Selection In Biological Data, Vinh Q. Dang

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Data mining techniques have been used widely in many areas such as business, science, engineering and medicine. The techniques allow a vast amount of data to be explored in order to extract useful information from the data. One of the foci in the health area is finding interesting biomarkers from biomedical data. Mass throughput data generated from microarrays and mass spectrometry from biological samples are high dimensional and is small in sample size. Examples include DNA microarray datasets with up to 500,000 genes and mass spectrometry data with 300,000 m/z values. While the availability of such datasets can aid in …