Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Predicting Academic Success Of Health Science Students For First Year Anatomy And Physiology, R Anderton, P Chivers

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Students commencing tertiary education enter through a number of traditional and alternative academic pathways. As a result, tertiary institutions encounter a broad range of students, varying in demographic, previous education, characteristics and academic achievement. In recent years, the relatively constant increase in tertiary applications in Australia has not translated to an increase in student retention or graduate numbers. The Health Sciences discipline typically falls within this paradigm, prompting various approaches to promote academic success and overall student retention. In this study, the demographic and previous education of health science students at an Australian University, were analysed along with first year …

Multi-Segment Trunk Models Used To Investigate The Crunch Factor In Golf And Their Relationship With Selected Swing And Launch Parameters, Christopher Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The use of multi-segment trunk models to investigate the crunch factor in golf may be warranted. The first aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between the trunk and lower trunk for crunch factor related variables (trunk lateral bending and trunk axial rotation velocity). The second aim was to determine the level of association between crunch factor related variables with swing (clubhead velocity) and launch (launch angle). Thirty five high level amateur male golfers (Mean ± SD: age = 23.8 ± 2.1 years, registered golfing handicap = 5 ± 1.9) without low back pain had kinematic data collected …

Genetic And Cellular Studies Highlight That A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 19 Is A Protective Biomarker In Human Prostate Cancer, Gerard F. Hoyne, Caoline Rudnicka, Qing-Xiang Sang, Mark Roycik, Sarah Howarth, Peter Leedman, Markus Schlaich, Patrick Candy, Vance Matthews

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed cancer in men worldwide. Current treatments include surgery, androgen ablation and radiation. Introduction of more targeted therapies in prostate cancer, based on a detailed knowledge of the signalling pathways, aims to reduce side effects, leading to better clinical outcomes for the patient. ADAM19 (A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase 19) is a transmembrane and soluble protein which can regulate cell phenotype through cell adhesion and proteolysis. ADAM19 has been positively associated with numerous diseases, but has not been shown to be a tumor suppressor in the pathogenesis of any human cancers. Our group …

Serum Models Accurately Predict Liver Related Clinical Outcomes In Chronic Hepatitis C, Yi Huang, Leon Adams, Gerry Macquillan, David Speers, John Joseph, Max Bulsara, Gary Jeffrey

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background and Aim: This study developed liver outcome scores in chronic hepatitis C (CHC) that directly predict liver related death, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver decompensation.

Methods: 617 CHC patients were followed for a mean of six years and randomized into a training set (n=411) and a validation set (n=206). Clinical outcomes were determined using a population based data-linkage system.

Results: In the training set, albumin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), hyaluronic acid (HA), age and sex were in the final model to predict five year liver related death (AUROC 0.95). Two cut points (4.0, 5.5), defined three risk groups with an …

A Preliminary Investigation Of Trunk And Wrist Kinematics When Using Drivers With Different Shaft Properties, C Joyce, A Burnett, J Cochrane, A Reyes

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

It is unknown whether skilled golfers will modify their kinematics when using drivers of different shaft properties. This study aimed to firstly, determine if golf swing kinematics and swing parameters and related launch conditions differed when using modified drivers, then secondly, determine which kinematics were associated with clubhead speed. Twenty high level amateur male golfers (Mean ± SD: handicap = 1.9 ± 1.9 score) had their three-dimensional trunk and wrist kinematics collected for two driver trials. Swing parameters and related launch conditions were collected using a launch monitor. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant (p ≤ 0.003) between-driver differences; …

Maturity, Physical Ability, Technical Skill And Coaches' Perception Of Semi-Elite Adolescent Australian Footballers, A Cripps, L Hopper, C Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: To confirm the effect of maturational differences on anthropometric and physical testing and explore the effect of maturation on technical skill and coaches’ perceptions of skill in adolescent Australian footballers.

Methods: Athletes were recruited from a semi-elite under 16 competition (n = 94, age 15.7 ± 0.3 years) and completed anthropometric, physical, and technical skill tests. Coaches from each team provided subjective ratings of athletes’ technical skills. Maturation groups were derived from years from peak height velocity estimates, with classifications either later, average or earlier maturing.

Results: Effect size comparisons revealed very large to moderate effects between groups for …

Coaches' Perceptions Of Long-Term Potential Are Biased By Maturational Variation, A Cripps, L Hopper, C Joyce

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Talent identification and development programs seek to recognise and promote athletes with long-term potential in a particular sport. Coaches involved in these programs are often required to make inclusions or exclusion decisions based on their perceptions of an athlete’s long-term potential. However, biological maturity can influence physical capabilities of adolescent athletes and may bias coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential. This study explored the relationship between coaches’ perceptions of long-term potential and variations in athlete’s biological maturity. Talented adolescent male Australian footballers from nine (n = 264) different teams were recruited to provide basic anthropometric information for estimates of biological maturity. …

The Ability Of Hepascore To Predict Liver Fibrosis In Chronic Liver Disease: A Meta-Analysis, Yi Huang, Leon A. Adams, John Joseph, Max Bulsara, Gary P. Jeffrey

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background & Aims: Hepascore is a serum model that was developed to assess the severity of liver fibrosis. It has been well validated in common causes of chronic liver disease. This study performed a meta-analysis to evaluate the pooled diagnostic performance of Hepascore and to compare it for different aetiologies of chronic liver disease.

Methods: Two reviewers searched electronic databases from October 2005 to September 2015 for studies that evaluated the diagnostic performance of Hepascore for liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease.

Results: 21 studies were included. The AUROC was adjusted according to the distribution of fibrosis stages. The mean …

From Qasc To Qascip: Successful Australian Translational Scale-Up And Spread Of A Proven Intervention In Acute Stroke Using A Prospective Pre-Test/Post-Test Study Design, S Middleton, A Lydtin, D Comerford, D Cadilhac, P Mcelduff, S Dale, K Hill, M Longworth, J Ward, N Cheung, C D'Este

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: To embed an evidence-based intervention to manage FEver, hyperglycaemia (Sugar) and Swallowing (the FeSS protocols) in stroke, previously demonstrated in the Quality in Acute Stroke Care (QASC) trial to decrease 90-day death and dependency, into all stroke services in New South Wales (NSW), Australia’s most populous state.

Design: Pre-test/post-test prospective study.

Setting: 36 NSW stroke services.

Methods: Our clinical translational initiative, the QASC Implementation Project (QASCIP), targeted stroke services to embed 3 nurse-led clinical protocols (the FeSS protocols) into routine practice. Clinical champions attended a 1-day multidisciplinary training workshop and received standardised educational resources and ongoing support. Using the …

Using Theory To Improve Low Back Pain Care In Australian Aboriginal Primary Care: A Mixed Method Single Cohort Pilot Study, I Lin, J Coffin, P O'Sullivan

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Low back pain (LBP) care is frequently discordant with research evidence. This pilot study evaluated changes in LBP care following a systematic, theory informed intervention in a rural Australian Aboriginal Health Service. We aimed to improve three aspects of care; reduce inappropriate LBP radiological imaging referrals, increase psychosocial oriented patient assessment and, increase the provision of LBP self-management information to patients.

Methods: Three interventions to improve care were developed using a four-step systematic implementation approach. A mixed methods pre/post cohort design evaluated changes in the three behaviours using a clinical audit of LBP care in a six month period …

Self-Management Interventions To Improve Skin Care For Pressure Ulcer Prevention In People With Spinal Cord Injuries: A Systematic Review Protocol, J Baron, J Swaine, J Presseau, A Aspinall, S Jaglal, B White, D Wolfe, J Grimshaw

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Pressure ulcers are a serious, common, lifelong, and costly secondary complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). Community-dwelling people with a SCI can prevent them with appropriate skin care (i.e. pressure relieving activities, skin checks). Adherence to skin care remains suboptimal however, and self-management interventions that focus on improving this have been designed. Little is known on their content, effectiveness, or theoretical basis. The aim of the proposed systematic review is to synthesize the literature on self-management interventions to improve skin care in people with a SCI. Specific objectives are to describe these interventions in relation to their content, effectiveness, …

Investigating Community Perspectives On Falls Prevention Information Seeking And Delivery: Older Person Perceptions Regarding Preferences For Falls Prevention Education Using A World Cafe Approach, C Bulsara, L Khong, A Hill, K Hill

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Falls among older people are a significant global socioeconomic problem, and older adults have low levels of self-perceived risk and a lack of willingness to take up existing falls prevention strategies. We believe that given the challenges of delivering falls prevention information, meaningful engagement of community members would create solutions based on an understanding of what would work best for that community. A World Cafe community forum sought the opinions of 70 community-dwelling older people about their preferences on how they would best receive and seek falls prevention information that could prevent falls within their age group. Participants evaluated the …

Environmental And Social Benefits Of The Targeted Intraoperative Radiotherapy For Breast Cancer: Data From Uk Targit-A Trial Centres And Two Uk Nhs Hospitals Offering Targit Iort, N Coombs, J Coombs, U Vaidya, J Singer, M Bulsara, J Tobias, F Wenz, D Joseph, D Brown, R Rainsbury, T Davidson, D Adamson, S Massarut, D Morgan, I Potyka, T Corica, M Falzon, N Williams, M Baum, J Vaidya

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To quantify the journeys and CO2 emissions if women with breast cancer are treated with risk-adapted single-dose targeted intraoperative radiotherapy (TARGIT) rather than several weeks’ course of external beam whole breast radiotherapy (EBRT) treatment.

Setting: (1) TARGIT-A randomised clinical trial (ISRCTN34086741) which compared TARGIT with traditional EBRT and found similar breast cancer control, particularly when TARGIT was given simultaneously with lumpectomy, (2) 2 additional UK centres offering TARGIT.

Participants: 485 UK patients (249 TARGIT, 236 EBRT) in the prepathology stratum of TARGIT-A trial (where randomisation occurred before lumpectomy and TARGIT was delivered simultaneously with lumpectomy) for whom geographical data …

Relationship Between Pre-Season Testing Performance And Playing Time Among Ncaa Dii Basketball Players, Jay J. Dawes, Marshall M, Tania Spiteri

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between pre-season testing performance and playing time within a men’s Division II basketball team.

Methods: Archival data from pre-season athletic performance testing for ten (n=10) male NCAA Division II basketball players was collected and analyzed to determine if there was a relationship between anthropometric data (height, weight, wingspan), physical performance tests (vertical jump height, lane agility test, 5 and 20 m sprint time, National Basketball League (NBA) line drill and 20 m multi-stage fitness test (MSFT)), and playing time in the subsequent collegiate season.

Results: Pearson’s product …

Effect Of Airplane Transport Of Donor Livers On Post-Liver Transplantation Survival, Y Huang, G Macquillan, L Adams, G Garas, M Collins, A Nwaba, L Mou, M Bulsara, L Delriviere, G Jeffrey

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To evaluate the effect of long haul airplane transport of donor livers on post-transplant outcomes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients who received a liver transplantation was performed in Perth, Australia from 1992 to 2012. Donor and recipient characteristics information were extracted from Western Australian liver transplantation service database. Patients were followed up for a mean of six years. Patient and graft survival were evaluated and compared between patients who received a local donor liver and those who received an airplane transported donor liver. Predictors of survival were determined by univariate and multivariate analysis using cox …

Male Or Nurse What Comes First? Challenges Men Face On Their Journey To Nurse Registration, D Juliff, K Russell, C Bulsara

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: This paper aims to provide an account of the first phase of a qualitative longitudinal study that explored the initial challenges men in nursing face to become registered. What is known is that men, a minority group within nursing, face the usual challenges of all new nurses in their quest to register as nurses. In addition, they have added pressures that hinder their quest due to being male.

Primary Argument: An Australian nursing shortage is looming due to nurses retiring from this female-dominate profession. Hence, the retention of men in nursing is an area requiring attention in order to …

Student Perceptions To Teaching Undergraduate Anatomy In Health Sciences, R Anderton, L Chiu, S Aulfrey

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Anatomy and physiology teaching has undergone significant changes to keep up with advances in technology and to cater for a wide array of student specific learning approaches. This paper examines perceptions towards a variety of teaching instruments, techniques, and innovations used in the delivery and teaching of anatomy and physiology for health science students, and asks whether active learning through more progressive methods of teaching is beneficial for students across health science disciplines. In total, 138 health science students consisting of 32 biomedical science students, 52 exercise and sports science students, and 54 health and physical education students completed the …

Plasmodium Falciparum Hep1 Is Required To Prevent The Self Aggregation Of Pfhsp70-3, D Nyakundi, L Vuko, S Bentley, H Hoppe, G Blatch, A Boshoff

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

The majority of mitochondrial proteins are encoded in the nucleus and need to be imported from the cytosol into the mitochondria, and molecular chaperones play a key role in the efficient translocation and proper folding of these proteins in the matrix. One such molecular chaperone is the eukaryotic mitochondrial heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70); however, it is prone to self-aggregation and requires the presence of an essential zinc-finger protein, Hsp70-escort protein 1 (Hep1), to maintain its structure and function. PfHsp70-3, the only Hsp70 predicted to localize in the mitochondria of P. falciparum, may also rely on a Hep1 orthologue to …

Models For Community Based Day Care For Older People: A Narrative Review, C Bulsara, C Etherton-Beer, R Saunders

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: Older Australians are choosing to live within the community and there are a number of initiatives to enable this sector of the population to do so for longer. In an effort to ensure that they remain both physically and psychologically engaged, one initiative has been to provide community based day care (CBDC).

Method: A narrative review was undertaken through searching MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, Scopus and AgeInfo using keywords related to facility related, target group related and purpose/program of CBDC services.

Results: Results indicated that there is a much research investigating different approaches but little consensus regarding the optimal delivery …

Triage, Treatment And Transfer Of Patients With Stroke In Emergency Department Trial (The T3 Trial): A Cluster Randomised Trial Protocol, Sandy Middleton, Chris Levi, Simeon Dale, N. Wah Cheung, Elizabeth Mcinnes, Julie Considine, Catherine D'Este, Dominique A. Cadilhac, Jeremy Grimshaw, Richard Gerraty, Louise E. Craig, Verena Schadewaldt, Patrick Mcelduff, Mark Fitzgerald, Clare Quinn, Greg Cadigan, Sonia Denisenko, Mark Longworth, Jeanette Ward, T3 Trialist Collaborators

Health Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Internationally recognised evidence-based guidelines recommend appropriate triage of patients with stroke in emergency departments (EDs), administration of tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), and proactive management of fever, hyperglycaemia and swallowing before prompt transfer to a stroke unit to maximise outcomes. We aim to evaluate the effectiveness in EDs of a theory-informed, nurse-initiated, intervention to improve multidisciplinary triage, treatment and transfer (T3) of patients with acute stroke to improve 90-day death and dependency. Organisational and contextual factors associated with intervention uptake also will be evaluated.

Methods: This prospective, multicentre, parallel group, cluster randomised trial with blinded outcome assessment will be conducted …

Changing Practices To Better Support First-Year Health Science Students, G Hoyne, K Mcnaught

Health Sciences Conference Papers

Entrance to university in Australia, in a post-Bradley era, is diversified and massified, with targets and programs to increase the participation of equity groups that were previously not represented. The changed cohorts have major implications for universities, in meeting the students’ needs, and as a moral and ethical response to enrolment. At the University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) Fremantle campus, the 2011 cohort entering Health Sciences, experienced a high rate of failure and withdrawal from university. They entered university at a time when UNDA had begun to implement first year experience (FYE) pedagogical approaches but these had not been …

Challenging Psychology: Reflecting On Riley's 'Manifesto For Change', D Darlaston-Jones

Sciences Papers and Journal Articles

This paper reflects on the personal and professional implications for the colonization project of psychology critiqued by Rob Riley’s seminal address at the 1995 Australian Psychological Society conference.

What Are The Top 10 Physical Activity Research Questions In Schizophrenia?, Davy Vancampfort, Simon Rosenbaum, Michel Probst, Joanne Connaughton, Christy Du Plessis, Taisei Yamamoto, Brendon Stubbs

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Purpose: Research has only recently started to consider the applicability of physical activity (PA) for people with schizophrenia. Although there is increasing evidence for the benefits of physical activity, this population remains generally physically inactive and sedentary. The aim of the current study is to highlight 10 pertinent physical activity research questions in people with schizophrenia.

Method: The International Organisation of Physical Therapy in Mental Health (IOPTMH) executed a consultation of its National Organisations (n=13) to identify the most salient questions relevant to guide clinical practice on physical activity in people with schizophrenia.

Results: We identified the following …

Disrupted Self-Perception In People With Chronic Low Back Pain. Further Evaluation Of The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire, B Wand, M Catley, M Rabey, P O'Sullivan, E O'Connell, A Smith

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Several lines of evidence suggest that body-perception is altered in people with chronic back pain. Maladaptive perceptual awareness of the back might contribute to the pain experience as well as serve as a target for treatment. The Fremantle Back Awareness Questionnaire (FreBAQ) is a simple questionnaire recently developed to assess back-specific altered self-perception. The aims of this study were to present the outcomes of a comprehensive evaluation of the questionnaire’s psychometric properties and explore the potential relationships between body-perception, nociceptive sensitivity, distress and beliefs about back pain and the contribution these factors might play in explaining pain and disability. Two-hundred …

Using A Community Of Practice To Evaluate Falls Prevention Activity In A Residential Aged Care Organisation: A Clinical Audit, J Francis-Coad, C Etherton-Beer, C Bulsara, D Nobre, A Hill

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objective This study evaluates whether a community of practice (CoP) could conduct a falls prevention clinical audit and identify gaps in falls prevention practice requiring action.

Methods Cross-sectional falls prevention clinical audits were conducted in 13 residential aged care (RAC) sites of a not-for-profit organisation providing care to a total of 779 residents. The audits were led by an operationalised CoP assisted by site clinical staff. A CoP is a group of people with a shared interest who get together to innovate for change. The CoP was made up of self-nominated staff representing all RAC sites and comprised of staff …

Disturbed Body Perception, Reduced Sleep, And Kinesiophobia In Subjects With Pregnancy-Related Persistent Lumbopelvic Pain And Moderate Levels Of Disability: An Exploratory Study, Darren Beales, Alison Lutz, Judith Thompson, Benedict M. Wand, Peter O'Sullivan

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background: For a small but significant group, pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain may become persistent. While multiple factors may contribute to disability in this group, previous studies have not investigated sleep impairments, body perception or mindfulness as potential factors associated with disability post-partum.

Objectives: To compare women experiencing no pain post-pregnancy with those experiencing pregnancy-related persistent lumbopelvic pain (either low- or high-level disability) across multiple biopsychosocial domains.

Design: Cross-sectional

Methods: Participants completed questionnaires for thorough profiling of factors thought to be important in pregnancy-related lumbopelvic pain. Specific measures were the Urinary Distress Inventory, Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale, Back Beliefs Questionnaire, Tampa …

Quality Of Life And Psychosocial Wellbeing In Youth With Neuromuscular Disorders Who Are Wheelchair Users: A Systematic Review, Vivienne Travlos, Shane Patman, Andrew Wilson, Gail Simcock, Jenny Downs

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To investigate quality of life (QoL) and psychosocial wellbeing in youth with Neuromuscular Disorders (NMD) who are wheelchair users.

Data Sources: Medline, Embase, CINAHL and PsycINFO (January 2004 to April 2016) and reference lists of retrieved full-text papers.

Study Selection: Peer-reviewed studies were included when data describing self-reported QoL and psychosocial wellbeing could be separately understood for those using wheelchairs and aged 12-22 years old. 2058 records were independently screened and potentially eligible papers were obtained and examined by all reviewers. Twelve observational and three qualitative studies met the inclusion criteria.

Data Extraction: Population representativeness, measurement tools and outcomes, …

Assessing Knowledge, Motivation And Perceptions About Falls Prevention Among Care Staff In A Residential Aged Care Setting, Jo-Aine Hang, Jacqueline Francis-Coad, Bianca Burro, Debbie Nobre, Anne-Marie Hill

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Falls are a serious problem in residential aged care settings. The aims of the study were to determine the feasibility of surveying care staff regarding falls prevention, and describe care staff levels of knowledge and awareness of residents' risk of falls, knowledge about falls prevention, motivation and confidence to implement falls prevention strategies. A custom designed questionnaire was administered to care staff at one site of a large residential aged care organization in Australia. The survey response was 58.8%. Feedback from staff was used to inform the administration of the survey to the wider organization. Seven (29.2%) care staff reported …

Changing The Antibiotic Prescribing Of General Practice Registrars: The Chap Study Protocol For A Prospective Controlled Study Of A Multimodal Educational Intervention, Mieke L. Van Driel, Simon Morgan, Amanda Tapley, Lawrie Mcarthur, Patrick Mcelduff, Lucy Yardley, Anthea Dallas, Laura Deckx, Katie Mulquiney, Joshua S. Davis, Andrew Davey, Kim Henderson, Paul Little, Parker J. Magin

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Australian General Practitioners (GPs) are generous prescribers of antibiotics, prompting concerns including increasing antimicrobial resistance in the community. Recent data show that GPs in vocational training have prescribing patterns comparable with the high prescribing rate of their established GP supervisors. Evidence-based guidelines consistently advise that antibiotics are not indicated for uncomplicated upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) and are rarely indicated for acute bronchitis. A number of interventions have been trialled to promote rational antibiotic prescribing by established GPs (with variable effectiveness), but the impact of such interventions in a training setting is unclear. We hypothesise that intervening while early-career …

Can My Mechanic Fix Blue Cars? A Discussion Of Health Clinician's Interactions With Aboriginal Australian Clients, S Hill, S Ewen, D Paul, A Wilkin

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

We expect our professional mechanics to ‘diagnose’ and 'treat' our cars irrespective of colour, but are we expecting less from our health professionals? There is an increasing focus in the literature on health practitioner decision-making and its influence on the nature and quality of health care. In this article we explore how the basic diagnostic and therapeutic skills that health care practitioners have should be utilised equitably for all clients and propose ways this might be realised. Could the development of Indigenous specific curricula be teaching our medical students to think that Aboriginal patients are different from the norm? We …