Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Role Of Area-Level Access To Primary Care On The Geographic Variation Of Cardiometabolic Risk Factor Distribution: A Multilevel Analysis Of The Adult Residents In The Illawarra—Shoalhaven Region Of Nsw, Australia, Renin Melkias Baby Selvi Toms, Xiaoqi Feng, Darren J. Mayne, Andrew D. Bonney

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background: Access to primary care is important for the identification, control and management of cardiometabolic risk factors (CMRFs). This study investigated whether differences in geographic access to primary care explained area-level variation in CMRFs. Methods: Multilevel logistic regression models were used to derive the association between area-level access to primary care and seven discrete CMRFs after adjusting for individual and area-level co-variates. Two-step floating catchment area method was used to calculate the geographic access to primary care for the small areas within the study region. Results: Geographic access to primary care was inversely associated with low high density lipoprotein (OR …

The Value Of Psychological Treatment For Borderline Personality Disorder: Systematic Review And Cost Offset Analysis Of Economic Evaluations, Denise Meuldijk, Alexandra Mccarthy, Marianne E. Bourke, Brin F. S Grenyer

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Aim Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is a common mental health condition with high patterns of service utilisation of inpatient and community treatment. Over the past five years there has been significant growth in research with economic data, making this systematic review a timely update.

Methods Empirical studies written in English or German, published up to December 2015, and cited in major electronic databases were examined using the PRISMA systematic review method. Papers were included that had one of the following: data related to cost of BPD to society, the individual, the carer or families; cost benefits of interventions. Reported cost …

'Involve Me And I Learn': Development Of An Assessment Program For Research And Critical Analysis, Judy Mullan, Kylie J. Mansfield, Kathryn M. Weston, Warren C. Rich, Pippa Burns, Christine A. Brown, Peter L. Mclennan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Evidence-based medical practice is best achieved by developing research understanding in medical practitioners. To this end, medical councils worldwide increasingly recognise the importance of medical schools graduating students with well-developed research skills and research capacity. To meet this need, the principles of programmatic assessment were implemented in designing a research and critical analysis curriculum and assessment program that aimed to enhance the research and critical analysis skills of medical students. The program was developed by mapping assessment tasks to a research capabilities framework that was in turn scaffolded to different levels of Miler's pyramid. The curriculum and assessments were integrated …

Whole Grain Intake Of Australians Estimated From A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Dietary Intake Data From The 2011-13 Australian Health Survey, Leanne M. Galea, Eleanor J. Beck, Yasmine Probst, Chris Cashman

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective: The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend Australians choose mostly whole-grain and/or high-fibre varieties within the grains (cereal) foods category, with other groups specifying a whole grain Daily Target Intake of 48 g for Australians aged 9 years or above. The USA and UK report estimates of whole grain intake that are low and declining, and no comprehensive studies on whole grain intake in the Australian population are available. The present study aimed to determine national estimates of whole grain intake, compared with current recommendations. Design: A recently updated whole grain database was applied to the most current population dietary intake …

Cereal Fibre Intake In Australia: A Cross Sectional Analysis Of The 2011-12 National Nutrition And Physical Activity Survey, Eden Barrett, Yasmine Probst, Eleanor J. Beck

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Extensive evidence supports health benefits of cereal fibre, however globally no national intake data exists. This study aimed to determine estimates of intake and food sources of cereal fibre, and relationships to dietary fibre intake in an Australian sample population. A cereal fibre database was applied to dietary intake data from the 2011-12 National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (n ¼ 12,153). Usual intake based on 2-day intake data was weighted to infer population results. Median daily cereal fibre intake was 6.4 g/d (9.7 g/10 MJ/d) for adults (19-85 years) and 6.2 g/d (10.2 g/10 MJ/d) for children/adolescents (2-18 years). …

Goal Setting Among People Living With Mental Illness: A Qualitative Analysis Of Recovery Camp, Lorna Moxham, Ellie K. Taylor, Christopher F. Patterson, Dana J. Perlman, Renee M. Brighton, Tim Heffernan, Susan Sumskis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

People living with mental illness (consumers) often experience difficulty in achieving life goals, particularly those important for their recovery. An innovative approach to address consumers' goals for recovery can be found in the form of therapeutic recreation (TR) initiatives. Recovery Camp is a five-day TR program, bringing together people with a serious mental illness, undergraduate health students, and staff members. This paper aims to examine the types of goals set by consumers in the context of Recovery Camp, and to what extent the self-identified goals were attained. The consumers (n = 27) were invited to set goals that they wished …

A Lipidomic Analysis Of Placenta In Preeclampsia: Evidence For Lipid Storage, Simon H. J Brown, Samuel Eather, Dilys J. Freeman, Barbara J. Meyer, Todd W. Mitchell

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

In preeclampsia, maternal insulin resistance leads to defective expansion of adipocytes, enhanced adipocyte lipolysis, up-regulation of very low density lipoprotein synthesis, maternal hypertriglyceridaemia and the potential for ectopic fat storage. Our aim was to quantitate and compare the total amount and type of lipid in placenta from pregnancies complicated with preeclampsia and healthy pregnancies. Quantitative lipid analysis of lipid extracts from full thickness placental biopsies was carried out by shotgun lipidomics. Placental lipid profiles from pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia (n = 23) were compared to healthy pregnancies (n = 68), and placenta from intrauterine growth restriction pregnancies (n = 10) …

An Automated Chromatography Procedure Optimized For Analysis Of Stable Cu Isotopes From Biological Materials, T. Gabriel Enge, M P. Field, Dianne F. Jolley, Heath Ecroyd, M H. Kim, Anthony Dosseto

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

An automated ion-exchange chromatography method is developed for the separation of copper (Cu) from biological samples prior to stable, naturally occurring, isotope analysis. The technique does not require Cu to be fully oxidized/reduced into either Cu+ or Cu2+. Distribution coefficients of Cu and other cations to the Cu-specific anion exchange resin enable the effective purification and separation of Cu from complex matrixes using a single, reusable chromatographic column, with the potential to be modified for varying sample types. The automated chromatography system (prepFAST-MC™) can process up to 60 samples per run at a rate of 36 samples per day on …

Compositional Data Analysis As A Robust Tool To Delineate Hydrochemical Facies Within And Between Gas-Bearing Aquifers, D D.R Owen, V Pawlowsky-Glahn, J J. Egozcue, A Buccianti, John M. Bradd

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Isometric log ratios of proportions of major ions, derived from intuitive sequential binary partitions, are used to characterize hydrochemical variability within and between coal seam gas (CSG) and surrounding aquifers in a number of sedimentary basins in the USA and Australia. These isometric log ratios are the coordinates corresponding to an orthonormal basis in the sample space (the simplex). The characteristic proportions of ions, as described by linear models of isometric log ratios, can be used for a mathematical-descriptive classification of water types. This is a more informative and robust method of describing water types than simply classifying a water …

Many People In Scotland Now Benefit From Anticipatory Care Before They Die: An After Death Analysis And Interviews With General Practitioners, Julia Tapsfield, Charlie Hall, Carey Lunan, Hazel Mccutcheon, Peter Mcloughlin, Joel J. Rhee, Alfonso Leiva, Juliet Spiller, Anne Finucane, Scott Murray

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background Key Information Summaries (KIS) were introduced throughout Scotland in 2013 so that anticipatory care plans written by general practitioners (GPs) could be routinely shared electronically and updated in real time, between GPs and providers of unscheduled and secondary care. Aims We aimed to describe the current reach of anticipatory and palliative care, and to explore GPs' views on using KIS. Methods We studied the primary care records of all patients who died in 2014 in 9 diverse Lothian practices. We identified if anticipatory or palliative care had been started, and if so how many weeks before death and which …

Can A Clinical Placement Influence Stigma? An Analysis Of Measures Of Social Distance, Lorna Moxham, Ellie K. Taylor, Christopher F. Patterson, Dana J. Perlman, Renee M. Brighton, Susan Liersch, Emily Keough, Tim Heffernan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background The way people who experience mental illness are perceived by health care professionals, which often includes stigmatising attitudes, can have a significant impact on treatment outcomes and on their quality of life. Objective To determine whether stigma towards people with mental illness varied for undergraduate nursing students who attended a non-traditional clinical placement called Recovery Camp compared to students who attended a 'typical' mental health clinical placement. Design Quasi-experimental. Participants Seventy-nine third-year nursing students were surveyed; n = 40 attended Recovery Camp (intervention), n = 39 (comparison group) attended a 'typical' mental health clinical placement. Methods All students completed …

Age-Depth Model Of The Past 630 Kyr For Lake Ohrid (Fyrom/Albania) Based On Cyclostratigraphic Analysis Of Downhole Gamma Ray Data, Henrike Baumgarten, Thomas Wonik, D C. Tanner, Alexander Francke, Bernd Wagner, Giovanni Zanchetta, Roberto Sulpizio, Biagio Giaccio, Sebastien Nomade

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Gamma ray (GR) fluctuations and potassium (K) values from downhole logging data obtained in the sediments of Lake Ohrid from 0 to 240 m below lake floor (b.l.f). correlate with fluctuations in δ18O values from the global benthic isotope stack LR04 (Lisiecki and Raymo, 2005). GR and K values are considered a reliable proxy to depict glacial-interglacial cycles, with high clastic input during cold and/or drier periods and high carbonate precipitation during warm and/or humid periods at Lake Ohrid. Spectral analysis was applied to investigate the climate signal and evolution over the length of the borehole. Linking downhole logging data …

Assessment Of A Sequential Phase Extraction Procedure For Uranium-Series Isotope Analysis Of Soils And Sediments, P O. Suresh, A Dosseto, H K. Handley, P P. Hesse

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

The study of uranium-series (U-series) isotopes in soil and sediment materials has been proposed to quantify rates and timescales of soil production and sediment transport. Previous works have studied bulk soil or sediment material, which is a complex assemblage of primary and secondary minerals and organic compounds. However, the approach relies on the fractionation between U-series isotopes in primary minerals since they were liberated from the parent rock via weathering. In addition, secondary minerals and organic compounds have their own isotopic compositions such that the composition of the bulk material may not reflect that of primary minerals. Hence, there is …

Analysis Of The Psychological Impact Of A Vascular Risk Factor Intervention: Results From A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial In Australian General Practice, Suzanne Helen Mckenzie, Upali W. Jayasinghe, Mahnaz Fanaian, Megan Passey, Mark Fort Harris

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Background Screening for vascular disease, risk assessment and management are encouraged in general practice however there is limited evidence about the emotional impact on patients. The Health Improvement and Prevention Study evaluated the impact of a general practice-based vascular risk factor intervention on behavioural and physiological risk factors in 30 Australian practices. The primary aim of this analysis is to investigate the psychological impact of participating in the intervention arm of the trial. The secondary aim is to identify the mediating effects of changes in behavioural risk factors or BMI. Methods This study is an analysis of a secondary outcome …

Surface Analysis Of Lipids By Mass Spectrometry: More Than Just Imaging, Shane R. Ellis, Simon H. Brown, Marc In Het Panhuis, Stephen J. Blanksby, Todd W. Mitchell

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Mass spectrometry is now an indispensable tool for lipid analysis and is arguably the driving force in the renaissance of lipid research. In its various forms, mass spectrometry is uniquely capable of resolving the extensive compositional and structural diversity of lipids in biological systems. Furthermore, it provides the ability to accurately quantify molecular-level changes in lipid populations associated with changes in metabolism and environment; bringing lipid science to the "omics" age. The recent explosion of mass spectrometry-based surface analysis techniques is fuelling further expansion of the lipidomics field. This is evidenced by the numerous papers published on the subject of …

Food Groups And Fatty Acids Associated With Self-Reported Depression: An Analysis From The Australian National Nutrition And Health Surveys, Barbara J. Meyer, Nithin Kolanu, David A. Griffiths, Ben Grounds, Peter R. C Howe, Irene A. Kreis

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Objective The aim of this study was to explore the associations between incidence of depression and dietary intakes of foods and fatty acids in adult Australians. Methods Data from the 1995 Australian National Nutrition Survey (NNS), the 1995 Australian National Health Survey (NHS) and an updated fatty acid database were merged and the 24-h fatty acid intakes were calculated for the 10 986 adult participants ages 18 to 79 y in the 1995 NNS. The merged data set was used to run a logistic regression with depression as the response variable and the food groups and calculated fatty acid values, …

Stop Thumbing Around: A Quantitative Analysis Of The Structure And Architecture Of The Transverse And Oblique Heads Of The Adductor Pollicis Muscle, A Stamenkovic, B J. Munro, G E. Peoples

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of paper that has been presented at 2012 Meeting of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists, University of New South Wales, Australia, 9-11 December, 2012.

An Extraction Of The Violacein Sequence From Pjp101 For Expression And Analysis In Phsg398, Julian Harrison, John Ronczka

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Violacein is a pigment found in Chromobacterium violaceum, it has a number of properties, such as; anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-protozoa, anti-tumoral. Violacein is produced by a series of genes named vioA, vioB, vioC, vioD and vioE. A violacein sequence is 8 kilo-bases (kb) in size. The goal of this study was to isolate the smallest possible fragment of 'Deoxyribonucleic acid' (DNA) that would produce violacein from pJP101 and making a connection to DNA biological logic gates.

Gc/Gc-Ms Analysis, Isolation And Identification Of Bioactive Essential Oil Components From The Bhutanese Medicinal Plant, Pleurospermum Amabile, Phurpa Wangchuk, Paul A. Keller, Stephen G. Pyne, Malai Taweechotipatr, Sumalee Kamchonwongpaisan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We have hydrodistilled the essential oil (EO) from the aerial parts of the Bhutanese medicinal plant, Pleurospermum amabile using a Clevenger apparatus and evaluated this EO by GC/GC-MS and NMR analysis followed by testing for bioactivity. The GC-MS analysis identified 52 compounds with (E)-isomyristicin as a major component (32.2%). Repeated purification yielded four compounds; (E)-isomyristicin (1), (E)-isoapiol (2), methyl eugenol (3) and (E)-isoelemicin (4). Compound 2 and the mother EO showed the best antiplasmodial activity against the Plasmodium falciparum strains, TM4/8.2 (chloroquine and antifolate sensitive) and K1CB1 (multidrug resistant). They exhibited mild antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis. None of the …

Perceptions And Practices Of Adults With Asthma: A Social Cognitive Analysis, Kelly L. Andrews, Sandra C. Jones, Judy Mullan

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

This article describes a qualitative study that investigated the experiences, attitudes, and opinions of adults with asthma regarding self-managing their disease. Focus groups were conducted with 22 adults living in metropolitan and regional New South Wales, Australia. Key findings were that the perceived stigma of asthma, the need for social support, and the need for "asthma-friendly general practitioners" concerned participants more than formal self-management procedures such as written Asthma Action Plans and medication regimes. Social cognitive theory was used to explain the fluid relationship between persons with asthma, their environment, and their behavior in relation to self-management strategies and in …

An Improved High-Throughput Lipid Extraction Method For The Analysis Of Human Brain Lipids, Sarah K. Abbott, Andrew M. Jenner, Todd W. Mitchell, Simon H. Brown, Glenda M. Halliday, Brett Garner

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

We have developed a protocol suitable for high-throughput lipidomic analysis of human brain samples. The traditional Folch extraction (using chloroform and glass-glass homogenization) was compared to a high-throughput method combining methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) extraction with mechanical homogenization utilizing ceramic beads. This high-throughput method significantly reduced sample handling time and increased efficiency compared to glass-glass homogenizing. Furthermore, replacing chloroform with MTBE is safer (less carcinogenic/toxic), with lipids dissolving in the upper phase, allowing for easier pipetting and the potential for automation (i.e., robotics). Both methods were applied to the analysis of human occipital cortex. Lipid species (including ceramides, sphingomyelins, choline glycerophospholipids, …

Analysis Of Subcellular [57co] Cobalamin Distribution In Sh-Sy5y Neurons And Brain Tissue, Hua Zhao, Kalani Ruberu, Hongyun Li, Brett Garner

Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute

Cobalamin (Cbl) utilization as a cofactor for methionine synthase and methylmalonyl-CoA mutase is dependent on the transport of Cbl through lysosomes and its subsequent delivery to the cytosol and mitochondria. We speculated that neuropathological conditions that impair lysosomal function (e.g., age-related lipofuscinosis and specific neurodegenerative diseases) might impair lysosomal Cbl transport. To address this question, an appropriate method to quantify intracellular Cbl transport in neuronal cell types and brain tissue is required. Thus, we developed methods to measure [⁵⁷Co] Cbl levels in lysosomes, mitochondria and cytosol obtained from in vitro and in vivo sources. Human SH-SY5Y neurons or …

Polymorphic Male Color Morphs Visualized With Steroids In Monomorphic Females: A Tool For Designing Analysis Of Sex-Limited Trait Inheritance, Mats M. Olsson, Mo Healey, Mark Wilson, Michael Tobler

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

In diploid animals, males and females share most of the genome (except sex-specific elements, such as sex chromosome genes), yet despite sharing the underlying genes that hard-wire traits, males and females may differ in their phenotypes when traits are controlled by proximate mechanisms, such as hormones. In color polymorphic species where coloration is only expressed in one sex, the design of studies of the inheritance of color and coevolved morph-specific traits (e.g. territorial vs sneaker strategies, skewed energetic investment in territorial defense vs sperm production, etc.) is compromised as the expression of morph-coding genes is only visualized in one sex. …

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

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

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

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

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

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

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

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

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

A Qualitative Analysis Of Medical Students Views Of Their First Psychiatry Rotation, Nagesh Brahmavar Pai, Shae-Leigh C. Vella, Kerry Dawes

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Objective: The importance of student's perspectives in informing curricula and pedagogy has long been recognised. However, student's perspectives are rarely reported in the academic literature. Therefore this study explores and reports on medical student's perspectives of their first psychiatry clinical rotation in a 'new' era medical school in Australia. Method: Seventy-three graduate entry medical students completed a semi-structured questionnaire about their experiences during a mental health rotation. The responses were analysed and coded into thematic categories. Results: The following thematic categories were evident; staff, breadth of experience, attitudes towards mental health, course materials and structure, and professional development. Conclusion: The …

'If My Arms And Legs Aren't Dropping Off I'Ll Wait To See My Usual Gp!' An Analysis Of Older Patients' Attitudes To Registrars Informed By Agency Theory, Andrew D. Bonney, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson, Christopher A. Magee

Graduate School of Medicine - Papers (Archive)

Continuity of care and trust are important in older patient-doctor relationships which impacts older patient willingess to consult registrars for chronic disease management.

Dietary Docosahexaenoic Acid (22:6) Incorporates Into Cardiolipin At The Expense Of Linoleic Acid (18:2): Analysis And Potential Implications, Colin Cortie, Paul L. Else

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Cardiolipin is a signature phospholipid of major functional significance in mitochondria. In heart mitochondria the fatty acid composition of cardiolipin is commonly viewed as highly regulated due to its high levels of linoleic acid (18:2n − 6) and the dominant presence of a 4×18:2 molecular species. However, analysis of data from a comprehensive compilation of studies reporting changes in fatty acid composition of cardiolipin in heart and liver mitochondria in response to dietary fat shows that, in heart the accrual of 18:2 into cardiolipin conforms strongly to its dietary availability at up to 20% of total dietary fatty acid and …