Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Broad Autism Phenotype Expressed In Facial Morphology, Diana Weiting Tan, Murray T. Maybery, Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, Gail A. Alvares, Ajmal Mian, David Suter, Andrew J. O. Whitehouse

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Autism spectrum disorder is a heritable neurodevelopmental condition diagnosed based on social and communication differences. There is strong evidence that cognitive and behavioural changes associated with clinical autism aggregate with biological relatives but in milder form, commonly referred to as the ‘broad autism phenotype’. The present study builds on our previous findings of increased facial masculinity in autistic children (Sci. Rep., 7:9348, 2017) by examining whether facial masculinity represents as a broad autism phenotype in 55 non-autistic siblings (25 girls) of autistic children. Using 3D facial photogrammetry and age-matched control groups of children without a family history of ASD, we …

Compression Garments Reduce Muscle Movement And Activation During Submaximal Running, James R. Broatch, Ned Brophy-Williams, Elissa J. Phillips, Steven J. O'Bryan, Shona Halson, Shannon Barnes, David J. Bishop

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of sports compression tights in reducing muscle movement and activation during running. Methods A total of 27 recreationally active males were recruited across two separate studies. For study 1, 13 participants (mean ± SD = 84.1 ± 9.4 kg, 22 ± 3 yr) completed two 4-min treadmill running bouts (2 min at 12 and 15 km·h-1) under two conditions: a no-compression control (CON1) and compression (COMP). For study 2, 14 participants (77.8 ± 8.4 kg, 27 ± 5 yr) completed four 9-min treadmill running bouts (3 min at 8, …

The Potential Of Ultraviolet Radiation Meters In Secondary Schools As A Sun Protection Intervention Mechanism For Adolescents, Simone Pettigrew, Ashleigh Parnell, Mark Strickland, Rachel Neale, Robyn Lucas

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The aim of this pilot study was to assess whether the installation of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) meters in secondary schools has the potential to improve adolescents’ sun protection‐related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours and reduce their exposure to UVR during school hours. Data were collected from students at two schools via online pre‐ and post‐intervention surveys, measurement of sunscreen usage, polysulfone UVR exposure badges, and photographs of the schoolyards to assess hat and shade use. Several operational issues limited the quantity and quality of data that could be collected, and findings were mixed. While there were no significant changes in either …

Geographical Disparities In Screening And Cancer- Related Health Behaviour, Belinda Goodwin, Arlen K. Rowe, Fiona Crawford-Williams, Peter Baade, Suzanne K. Chambers, Nicholas Ralph, Joanne F. Aitken

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This study aimed to identify whether cancer-related health behaviours including participation in cancer screening vary by geographic location in Australia. Data were obtained from the 2014–2015 Australian National Health Survey, a computer-assisted telephone interview that measured a range of health-related issues in a sample of randomly selected households. Chi-square tests and adjusted odds ratios from logistic regression models were computed to assess the association between residential location and cancer-related health behaviours including cancer screening participation, alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise, and fruit and vegetable intake, controlling for age, socio-economic status (SES), education, and place of birth. The findings show insufficient exercise, …

Prkag2 Gene Expression Is Elevated And Its Protein Levels Are Associated With Increased Amyloid-Β Accumulation In The Alzheimer’S Disease Brain, Prashant Bharadwaj, Ralph Martins

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Increased amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation associated with abnormal autophagy-lysosomal activity and nutrient kinase dysregulation are common features in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) brain. Recent studies have identified PRKAG2 and TIPRL genes that control nutrient kinase regulated autophagy, and here we determined if their expression is altered in postmortem AD brains. Gene and protein expression of TIPRL were unchanged. However, gene expression of PRKAG2 was increased 3-fold and its protein levels positively correlated with Aβ accumulation in the AD brain. In summary, our findings suggest that increased PRKAG2 is an important contributing factor to Aβ accumulation in the AD brain.

Increasing Food Expenditure In Long Daycare By An Extra $0.50 Per Child/Day Would Improve Core Food Group Provision, Ros Sambell, Ruth Wallace, Johnny Lo, Leesa Costello, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Early childhood education and care services are a significant feature of Australian family life, where nearly 1.4 million children attended a service in 2019. This paper reports on the cost of food provided to children in long day-care (LDC) services and extrapolates expenditure recommendations to support food provision compliance. A cross-sectional audit of LDC services in metropolitan Perth was conducted to determine food group provision by weighing raw ingredients of meal preparation—morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea (MT, L, AT). Ingredients were costed at 2017 online metropolitan pricing from a large supermarket chain. Across participating services, 2 days of food …

Sex And Apoe Ε4 Genotype Modify The Alzheimer’S Disease Serum Metabolome, Matthias Arnold, Kwangsik Nho, Alexandra Kueider-Paisley, Tyler Massaro, Kevin Huynh, Barbara Brauner, Siamak Mahmoudian Dehkordi, Gregory Louie, M. Arthur Moseley, J. Will Thompson, Lisa St John-Williams, Jessica D. Tenenbaum, Colette Colette, Rui Chang, Roberta D. Brinton, Rebecca Baillie, Xianlin Han, John Q. Trojanowski, Leslie M. Shaw, Ralph Martins, Michael W. Weiner, Eugenia Trushina, Jon B. Toledo, Peter J. Meikle, David A. Bennett, Jan Krumsiek, P. Murali Doraiswamy, Andrew J. Saykin, Rima Kaddurah-Daouk, Gabi Kastenmuller

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Late-onset Alzheimer’s disease (AD) can, in part, be considered a metabolic disease. Besides age, female sex and APOE ε4 genotype represent strong risk factors for AD that also give rise to large metabolic differences. We systematically investigated group-specific metabolic alterations by conducting stratified association analyses of 139 serum metabolites in 1,517 individuals from the AD Neuroimaging Initiative with AD biomarkers. We observed substantial sex differences in effects of 15 metabolites with partially overlapping differences for APOE ε4 status groups. Several group-specific metabolic alterations were not observed in unstratified analyses using sex and APOE ε4 as covariates. Combined stratification revealed further …

Clarifying Workforce Flexibility From A Division Of Labor Perspective: A Mixed Methods Study Of An Emergency Department Team, Sarah Wise, Christine Duffield, Margaret Fry, Michael Roche

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The need for greater flexibility is often used to justify reforms that redistribute tasks through the workforce. However, "flexibility" is never defined or empirically examined. This study explores the nature of flexibility in a team of emergency doctors, nurse practitioners (NPs), and registered nurses (RNs), with the aim of clarifying the concept of workforce flexibility. Taking a holistic perspective on the team's division of labor, it measures task distribution to establish the extent of multiskilling and role overlap, and explores the behaviors and organizational conditions that drive flexibly.

Methods: The explanatory sequential mixed methods study was set in the …

International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement: Methods For Recording And Reporting Of Epidemiological Data On Injury And Illness In Sport 2020 (Including Strobe Extension For Sport Injury And Illness Surveillance (Strobe-Siis)), Roald Bahr, Ben Clarsen, Wayne Derman, Jiri Dvorak, Carolyn Emery, Caroline Finch, Martin Hägglund, Astrid Junge, Simon Kemp, Karim M. Khan, Stephen W. Marshall, Willem Meeuwisse, Margo Mountjoy, John W. Orchard, Babette Pluim, Kenneth L. Quarrie, Bruce Reider, Martin Schwellnus, Torbjorn Soligard, Keith A. Stokes, Taoomas Timpka, Evert Verhagen, Abhinav Bindra, Rcihard Budgett, Lars Engebretsen, Ugur Erdener, Karim Charmari

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Injury and illness surveillance, and epidemiological studies, are fundamental elements of concerted efforts to protect the health of the athlete. To encourage consistency in the definitions and methodology used, and to enable data across studies to be compared, research groups have published 11 sport-specific or setting-specific consensus statements on sports injury (and, eventually, illness) epidemiology to date. Our objective was to further strengthen consistency in data collection, injury definitions and research reporting through an updated set of recommendations for sports injury and illness studies, including a new Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) checklist extension. The IOC …

Association Between The Triglyceride To High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Ratio And The Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among Chinese Elderly: The Beijing Longitudinal Study Of Aging, Dequiang Zheng, Haibin Li, Feiling Ai, Fei Sun, Manjot Singh, Xue Cao, Jiajia Jiang, Yan He, Zhe Tang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: Time-dependent covariates are generally available as longitudinal data were collected periodically in the cohort study. To examine whether time-dependent triglyceride to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (TG/HDL-C) ratio could predict the future risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and assess its potential impact on the risk of T2DM incidence. Research design and methods: This study enrolled 1460 participants without T2DM aged 55 or above in 1992 in the Beijing Longitudinal Study of Aging during 25 years. The questionnaire data were collected in nine surveys from 1992 to 2017. Physical examination and blood laboratory tests including TG and HDL-C concentrations were …

A Sensorimotor Control Framework For Understanding Emotional Communication And Regulation, Justin H.G. Williams, Charlotte F. Huggins, Barbra Zupan, Megan Willis, Tamsyn E. Van Rheenen, Wataru Sato, Romina Palermo, Catherine Ortner, Martin Krippl, Mariska Kret, Joanne M. Dickson, Chiang-Shan R. Li, Leroy Lowe

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Our research team was asked to consider the relationship of the neuroscience of sensorimotor control to the language of emotions and feelings. Actions are the principal means for the communication of emotions and feelings in both humans and other animals, and the allostatic mechanisms controlling action also apply to the regulation of emotional states by the self and others. We consider how motor control of hierarchically organised, feedback-based, goal-directed action has evolved in humans, within a context of consciousness, appraisal and cultural learning, to serve emotions and feelings. In our linguistic analysis, we found that many emotion and feelings words …

Medical-Attention Injuries In Community Cricket: A Systematic Review, Geordie Mcleod, Siobhan O'Connor, Damian Morgan, Alex Kountouris, Caroline F. Finch, Lauren V. Fortington

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives: The aim was to identify and describe outcomes from original published studies that present the number, nature, mechanism and severity of medically treated injuries sustained in community-level cricket. Design: Systematic review. Methods: Nine databases were systematically searched to December 2019 using terms "cricket∗" and "injur∗". Original, peer-reviewed studies reporting injury for at least one injury descriptor (body region, nature of injury and/or mechanism of injury) in community-level cricketers of all ages were included. Qualitative synthesis, critical appraisal and descriptive summary results are reported within the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Six studies were …

Recent High School Graduates Support Mandatory Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Education In Australian High Schools, Tim Rankin, Lisa Holmes, Leanne Vance, Tom Crehan, Brennen Mills

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective:

To evaluate recent high school graduates' opinions on mandatory cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training in the high school curriculum as a solution to improving bystander CPR rates.

Methods:

Participants completed questionnaires assessing their CPR training history during their high school education, their willingness to learn CPR during their high school years and their opinion on making CPR training mandatory for high school curricula.

Results:

Of the 178 participants in this study, 60% had undertaken CPR training during their high school education. Of those who had not undertaken CPR training, 75% reported that they would have been willing …

Should The Pbl Tutor Be Present? A Cross-Sectional Study Of Group Effectiveness In Synchronous And Asynchronous Settings, Samuel Edelbring, Siw Alehagen, Evalotte Mörelius, Annakarin Johansson, Patrik Rytterström

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: The tutorial group and its dynamics are a cornerstone of problem-based learning (PBL). The tutor's support varies according to the setting, and it is pertinent to explore group effectiveness in relation to different settings, for example online or campus-based. The PBL groups' effectiveness can partly be assessed in terms of cognitive and motivational aspects, using a self-report tool to measure PBL group effectiveness, the Tutorial Group Effectiveness Instrument (TGEI). This study's aim was to explore tutor participation in variations of online and campus-based tutorial groups in relation to group effectiveness. A secondary aim was to validate a tool for …

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries In Australian Football: Should Women And Girls Be Playing? You're Asking The Wrong Question, Aaron Fox, Jason Bonacci, Samantha Hoffmann, Sophia Nimphius, Natalie Saunders

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries have been a rising concern in the early years of the women's Australian Football League (AFLW), eliciting headlines of a â € knee crisis' surrounding the league. There has been a focus on female biology as the primary factor driving the high rate of ACL injuries in the AFLW. Emphasising Australian football (AF) as being dangerous predominantly due to female biology may be misrepresenting a root cause of the ACL injury problem, perpetuating gender stereotypes that can restrict physical development and participation of women and girls in the sport. We propose that an approach addressing …

Document Analysis Of Exertional Heat Illness Policies And Guidelines Published By Sports Organisations In Victoria, Australia, Prasanna J. Gamage, Caroline F. Finch, Lauren V. Fortington

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives To conduct a document and content analysis of exertional heat illness (EHI)-related documents published by sports organisations in Victoria, Australia, in order to determine their scope and evidence base against current international best practice recommendations. Methods A qualitative document and content analysis. Official documents relating to EHI were identified through a search of 22 Victorian sport organisation websites, supplemented by a general internet search. The content of these documents was evaluated against recommendations presented in three current international position statements on prevention and management of EHI. Results A range of document types addressing EHI were identified (n= 25), including …

Randomised Placebo-Controlled Cross-Over Study Examining The Role Of Anamorelin In Mesothelioma (The Anthem Study): Rationale And Protocol, Siao Nge Hoon, Katrina Fyfe, Carolyn J. Peddle-Mcintyre, Samantha Bowyer, Felicity Hawkins, Emily Jeffery, Hui Jun Chih, Jenette Creaney, Anna Nowak, Fraser Brims

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction Cachexia is common in malignant mesothelioma (MM); half of patients have malnutrition and low skeletal muscle mass. Malnourished patients have worse quality of life (QoL). Weight loss is strongly associated with poor survival. Anamorelin is an oral ghrelin receptor agonist that improves appetite, body weight and QoL in advanced cancer. The aim of this study is to examine the efficacy of anamorelin in improving appendicular skeletal muscle mass (ASM) and patient-reported outcomes in patients with MM with cachexia. Methods and analysis A single-centre, phase II, randomised, placebo-controlled cross-over pilot study with 28-day treatment periods and 3-day washout. Forty patients …

The Prognostic Impact Of Circulating Tumour Dna In Melanoma Patients Treated With Systemic Therapies—Beyond Braf Mutant Detection, Gabriela Marsavela, Peter A. Johansson, Michelle R. Pereira, Ashleigh C. Mcevoy, Anna L. Reid, Cleo Robinson, Lydia Warburton, Muhammad A. Khattak, Tarek M. Meniawy, Benhur Amanuel, Michael Millward, Nicholas K. Hayward, Melanie R. Ziman, Elin S. Gray, Leslie Calapre

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. In this study, we evaluated the predictive value of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) to inform therapeutic outcomes in metastatic melanoma patients receiving systemic therapies. We analysed 142 plasma samples from metastatic melanoma patients prior to commencement of systemic therapy: 70 were treated with BRAF/MEK inhibitors and 72 with immunotherapies. Patient-specific droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assays were designed for ctDNA detection. Plasma ctDNA was detected in 56% of patients prior to first-line anti-PD1 and/or anti-CTLA-4 treatment. The detection rate in the immunotherapy cohort was comparably lower than those with BRAF inhibitors …

Australian Consumers Are Willing To Pay For The Health Star Rating Front-Of-Pack Nutrition Label, Sheri L. Cooper, Lucy M. Butcher, Simone D. Scagnelli, Johnny Lo, Maria M. Ryan, Amanda Devine, Therese A. O’Sullivan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. The Australia and New Zealand Ministerial Forum on Food Regulation has supported the recommendations set out in the 2019 Health Star Rating System Five Year Review Report. Specifically, the forum supported, in principle, Recommendation 9, to mandate the Health Star Rating if clear uptake targets were not achieved while the system is voluntary. Given that mandatory labelling is being considered, it is important to investigate how much consumers value the Health Star Rating in order to understand potential consumer uptake and inform industry. The aim of this study was to assess …

A Quest For Quality Care: Exploration Of A Model Of Leadership Relationships, Work Engagement, And Patient Outcomes, Jenny M. Parr, Stephen Teo, Jane Koziol-Mclain

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

© 2020 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd Aim: To explore the effects of resonant leadership, leader exchange relationships and perceived organizational support on work engagement and patient outcomes. Design: A cross-sectional survey design. Methods: Data were collected in June and July 2016 from 252 nurses and clerical staff and institutional patient safety (falls rates) and patient satisfaction (Friends and Family Test) in New Zealand. Data were analysed with structural equation modelling (SEM). Results: The final model was an excellent fit to the data (χ2 (22, N = 252) = 39.048, p = …

Mental Distress And Quality Of Life Following Provision Of Vascular Imaging Results Of The Coronary And Carotid Arteries To Asymptomatic Adults: A Scoping Review Protocol, Reindolf Anokye, Ben Jackson, James Dimmock, Joanne M. Dickson, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Joshua Lewis, Mandy Stanley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Non-invasive screening for atherosclerosis or asymptomatic cardiovascular disease of the coronary and carotid arteries is commonly undertaken, and research has been focussed on how results from these screenings lead to behaviour change. However, no review has focused on the effects of these results on mental distress and quality of life. This protocol will outline how a scoping review will be conducted to map all available evidence on mental distress or quality of life outcomes following the provision of vascular imaging results of the coronary and carotid arteries.

Methods: Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework will guide the scoping review. Databases …

Tripping Over The Other: Could Psychedelics Increase Empathy?, Emily Blatchford, Stephen Bright, Liam Engel

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

There is increasing evidence that psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy is effective for a range of psy-chological conditions. There are likely numerous mechanisms of action that contribute to these clinicaleffects. One such mechanism of action might involve psychedelics increasing levels of empathicfunctioning. This paper synthesises research concerning the relationship between psychedelics andempathy, emphasising neuroscientific and clinical contexts. We conclude that neuropsychological andclinical evidence imply psychedelics could lead to increased empathic functioning. The effects of psy-chedelics on the 5-HT system, default mode network, neural connectivity and ego dissolution areimplicated in these changes. Changes in empathic functioning also likely relate to increases in thepersonality trait …

Using Velocity To Predict The Maximum Dynamic Strength In The Power Clean, G. Gregory Haff, Amador Garcia-Ramos, Lachlan P. James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The primary aim of the present study was to examine the commonly performed training exercise for athlete preparation. Twenty-two recreationally trained males (age: 26.3 ± 4.1 y, height: 1.80 ± 0.07 m; body mass (BM): 87.01 ± 13.75 kg, 1-repetitoon maximum(1-RM)/BM: 0.90 ± 0.19 kg) participated in the present study. All subjects had their 1-RM power clean tested with standard procedures. On a separate testing day, subjects performed three repetitions at 30% and 45%, and two repetitions at 70% and 80% of their 1-RM power clean. During all trials during both sessions, peak velocity (PV) and mean velocity (MV) were …

Interdisciplinary Sport Research Can Better Predict Competition Performance, Identify Individual Differences, And Quantify Task Representation, Ben Piggott, Sean Müller, Paola Chivers, Ashley Cripps, Gerard Hoyne

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Sport performance consists of interacting individual, task and environmental constraints, but research has used a monodisciplinary, rather than an interdisciplinary approach to understand performance. This study used Australian football (AF) as the exemplar sport to investigate the value of an interdisciplinary approach to understand sport performance. Through this, it was also possible to quantify individual differences and representative task design. Fifty-nine semi-professional Australian footballers participated. Based upon accessibility, combinations of these players completed physiological (3 × 1 km trial) and perceptual-cognitive-motor (small-sided game, SSG) tests, with coach rating of psychological skill (mental toughness coach, MTC). Univariate monodisciplinary models indicated that …

Large Reductions In Match Play Physical Performance Variables Across A Professional Football Season With Control For Situational And Contextual Variables, Matthew Springham, Sean Williams, Mark Waldron, Darren Burgess, Robert Usher Newton

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This investigation examined match play physical performance across a professional football season using a multicamera computerized tracking system. A linear mixed-effects model, controlling for situational and contextual variables, identified decreases in team average total distance (TD): season quarter 1 (Q1) (11,047 m) > season quarter 2 (Q2) (10,473 m) ( = ; ES = ), season quarter 3 (Q3) (10,449 m) ( < 0.001; ES = ), and season quarter 4 (Q4) (10,385 m) ( < 0.001; ES = ); work rate (WR): Q1 (115 m/min) > Q3 (108 m/min) ( < 0.001; ES = ), Q4 (107 m/min) ( < 0.001; ES = ); Q2 (109 m/min) > Q4 (107 m/min) ( = 0.003; ES = ); high-speed running distance (HSR): Q1 (1,051 m) > Q2 (813 m) ( = 0.006; ES = ); number of high-speed runs (NHSR): Q1 (87) > Q2 (65) ( …

Use, Adoption, And Effectiveness Of Tippy-Tap Handwashing Station In Promoting Hand Hygiene Practices In Resource-Limited Settings: A Systematic Review, Balwani C. Mbakaya, Fatch W. Kalembo, Maggie Zgambo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background:

Tippy-taps are locally made devices for washing hands with running water. They are simple and low-cost, enabling technology that provides adequate water sources, handwashing stations and motivation for people to prioritise handwashing. This systematic review aimed to establish the use, benefits, adoption and effectiveness of enabling technology; tippy-tap handwashing station, in resource-limited settings.

Methods:

We systematically searched for articles in the PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, AMED, CINAHL, DOAJ and Google Scholar databases guided by the acceptable best practice developed by the PROSPERO and COCHRANE for systematic search and selection of articles. Search terms such as tippy-taps, enabling technology, hand-washing station, …