Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Study Of Reaction Sequences During Msr Synthesis Of Tic By Controlled Ball Milling Of Titanium And Graphite, Erhuvwu J. Oghenevweta, David Wexler, Andrzej Calka

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

During reactive ball milling of Ti and C, mechanically induced self-propagating reaction (MSR) synthesis of TiC is reported to occur via a process including initial formation of small amounts of TiC prior to exothermic ignition, followed by MSR and the formation of stiochiometric TiC (Dorofeev et al., 2011; Oghenevweta et al., 2016 [1, 2]). However, both the chemical evolution and mechanisms of reaction and growth of TiC both prior to, during and after ignition are not fully understood. This research focuses on fundamental understanding of the reaction sequences during MSR synthesis of TiC from elemental Ti and C (graphite).

Magnetically …

Randomized Controlled Trial And Economic Evaluation Of Nurse-Led Group Support For Young Mothers During Pregnancy And The First Year Postpartum Versus Usual Care, Jacqueline Barnes, Jane Stuart, Elizabeth Allen, Stavros Petrou, Joanna Sturgess, Jane Barlow, Garry Macdonald, Helen Spiby, Dipti Aistrop, Edward Melhuish, Sungwook Kim, Diana Elbourne

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Child maltreatment is a significant public health problem. Group Family Nurse Partnership (gFNP) is a new intervention for young, expectant mothers implemented successfully in pilot studies. This study was designed to determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of gFNP in reducing risk factors for maltreatment with a potentially vulnerable population.

Results Of The First Steps Study: A Randomised Controlled Trial And Economic Evaluation Of The Group Family Nurse Partnership (Gfnp) Programme Compared With Usual Care In Improving Outcomes For High-Risk Mothers And Their Children And Preventing Abuse, Jacqueline Barnes, Jane Stuart, Elizabeth Allen, Stephen Petrou, Joanna Sturgess, Jane Barlow, Geraldine Macdonald, Helen Spiby, Dipti Aistrop, Edward Melhuish, Sungwook Kim, Joshua Pink, Jessica Datta, Diana Elbourne

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Healing At Home: Developing A Model For Ambulatory Alcohol "Detox" In An Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service, Jonathan Brett, Angela Dawson, Rowena G. Ivers, Leanne Lawrence, Sarah Barclay, Kate M. Conigrave

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

Indigenous Peoples who have been colonized typically face a greater burden of injury, disease, and social disruption associated with alcohol use (Kirmayer, Brass, & Tait, 2000). However, they often also encounter many barriers to accessing treatment for alcohol use disorders (Gray, Stearne, Wilson, & Doyle, 2010). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians (here described as Aboriginal Australians) experience 3-8 times the prevalence of alcohol-related illness, injury, and death than the general population (Calabria, Doran, Vos, Shakeshaft, & Hall, 2010). But their barriers to treatment access for alcohol dependence include transport difficulties, fear of discrimination, and lack of culturally secure services …

Changes In Diet Quality During A 12 Month Weight Loss Randomised Controlled Trial, Cinthya Wibisono, Yasmine Probst, Elizabeth Neale, Linda C. Tapsell

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

Background: Reductions in energy intake are seen in weight loss trials, but whether this occurs with improvements to diet quality (DQ) is less established. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in diet quality in a sample of volunteers in a weight loss trial. Methods: This was a secondary analysis of dietary data from a lifestyle intervention trial (the HealthTrack study) which advised on dietary guidelines. The trial ran for 12 months with three treatment groups: control (general advice C), intervention (individualised advice, I), and intervention plus a supplement of walnuts (IW). Both the published a priori diet …

The Translational Controlled Tumour Protein Tctp: Biological Functions And Regulation, Ulrich A. Bommer

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

The Translational Controlled Tumour Protein TCTP (gene symbol TPT1, also called P21, P23, Q23, fortilin or histamine-releasing factor, HRF) is a highly conserved protein present in essentially all eukaryotic organisms and involved in many fundamental cell biological and disease processes. It was first discovered about 35 years ago, and it took an extended period of time for its multiple functions to be revealed, and even today we do not yet fully understand all the details. Having witnessed most of this history, in this chapter, I give a brief overview and review the current knowledge on the structure, biological functions, disease …

A Randomized Controlled Trial To Evaluate The Impact Of A Geo-Specific Poster Compared To A General Poster For Effecting Change In Perceived Threat And Intention To Avoid Drowning 'Hotspots' Among Children Of Migrant Workers: Evidence From Ningbo, China, Yinchao Zhu, Xiaoqi Feng, Hui Li, Yaqin Huang, Jieping Chen, Guozhang Xu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

Drowning among children of migrant workers is a major, though neglected public health issue in China.

Methods

A randomised controlled trial was used to examine the potential impact of viewing a preventive health poster with/without geo-located drowning events on perceptions of drowning risk among Chinese migrant children. A total of 752 children from three schools in Jiangbei district were selected by multi-stage sampling and randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 380) or control (n = 372). Multilevel models were used to analyse changes in responses to the following questions after viewing the assigned poster for 10 …

The Role Of Personalised Choice In Decision Support: A Randomized Controlled Trial Of An Online Decision Aid For Prostate Cancer Screening, Glenn P. Salkeld, Michelle Cunich, Jack Dowie, Kirsten Howard, Manish I. Patel, Graham Mann, Wendy Lipworth

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Importance Decision support tools can assist people to apply population-based evidence on benefits and harms to individual health decisions. A key question is whether "personalising" choice within decisions aids leads to better decision quality. Objective To assess the effect of personalising the content of a decision aid for prostate cancer screening using the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test. Design Randomized controlled trial. Setting Australia. Participants 1,970 men aged 40-69 years were approached to participate in the trial. Intervention 1,447 men were randomly allocated to either a standard decision aid with a fixed set of five attributes or a personalised decision …

A School-Based Intervention Incorporating Smartphone Technology To Improve Health-Related Fitness Among Adolescents: Rationale And Study Protocol For The Neat And Atlas 2.0 Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial And Dissemination Study, David R. Lubans, Jordan J. Smith, Louisa Peralta, Ronald Plotnikoff, Anthony D. Okely, Jo Salmon, Narelle Eather, Deborah Dewar, Sarah G. Kennedy, Chris Lonsdale, Toni A. Hilland, Paul Estabrooks, Tara Finn, Emma Pollock, Philip J. Morgan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Introduction Physical inactivity has been described as a global pandemic. Interventions aimed at developing skills in lifelong physical activities may provide the foundation for an active lifestyle into adulthood. In general, school-based physical activity interventions targeting adolescents have produced modest results and few have been designed to be 'scaled-up' and disseminated. This study aims to: (1) assess the effectiveness of two physical activity promotion programmes (ie, NEAT and ATLAS) that have been modified for scalability; and (2) evaluate the dissemination of these programmes throughout government funded secondary schools. Methods and analysis The study will be conducted in two phases. In …

Assessing The Sustained Impact Of A School-Based Obesity Prevention Program For Adolescent Boys: The Atlas Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, David R. Lubans, Jordan J. Smith, Ronald Plotnikoff, Kerry A. Dally, Anthony D. Okely, Jo Salmon, Philip J. Morgan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Obesity prevention interventions targeting 'at-risk' adolescents are urgently needed. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sustained impact of the 'Active Teen Leaders Avoiding Screen-time' (ATLAS) obesity prevention program. Methods: Cluster RCT in 14 secondary schools in low-income communities of New South Wales, Australia. Participants were 361 adolescent boys (aged 12-14 years) 'at risk' of obesity. The intervention was based on Self-Determination Theory and Social Cognitive Theory and involved: professional development, fitness equipment for schools, teacher-delivered physical activity sessions, lunch-time activity sessions, researcher-led seminars, a smartphone application, and parental strategies. Assessments for the primary (body mass index …

Increasing Physical Activity Among Young Children From Disadvantaged Communities: Study Protocol Of A Group Randomised Controlled Effectiveness Trial, Rebecca M. Stanley, Rachel A. Jones, Dylan P. Cliff, Stewart Trost, Donna Berthelsen, Jo Salmon, Marijka Batterham, Simon Eckermann, John J. Reilly, Ngiare J. Brown, Karen J. Mickle, Steven J. Howard, Trina Hinkley, Xanne Janssen, Paul A. Chandler, Penny L. Cross, Fay L. Gowers, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Participation in regular physical activity (PA) during the early years helps children achieve healthy body weight and can substantially improve motor development, bone health, psychosocial health and cognitive development. Despite common assumptions that young children are naturally active, evidence shows that they are insufficiently active for health and developmental benefits. Exploring strategies to increase physical activity in young children is a public health and research priority. Methods Jump Start is a multi-component, multi-setting PA and gross motor skill intervention for young children aged 3-5 years in disadvantaged areas of New South Wales, Australia. The intervention will be evaluated using …

"Get-Up" Study Rationale And Protocol: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial To Evaluate The Effects Of Reduced Sitting On Toddlers' Cognitive Development, Rute Santos, Dylan P. Cliff, Steven J. Howard, Sanne Veldman, Ian M. R Wright, Eduarda Sousa-Sa, Joao R. Pereira, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background The educational and cognitive differences associated with low socioeconomic status begin early in life and tend to persist throughout life. Coupled with the finding that levels of sedentary time are negatively associated with cognitive development, and time spent active tends to be lower in disadvantaged circumstances, this highlights the need for interventions that reduce the amount of time children spend sitting and sedentary during childcare. The proposed study aims to assess the effects of reducing sitting time during Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services on cognitive development in toddlers from low socio-economic families. Methods/Design We will implement a …

An Internet-Supported Physical Activity Intervention Delivered In Secondary Schools Located In Low Socio-Economic Status Communities: Study Protocol For The Activity And Motivation In Physical Education (Amped) Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial, Chris Lonsdale, Aidan Lester, Katherine B. Owen, Rhiannon L. White, Ian Moyes, Louisa Peralta, Morwenna Kirwan, Anthony Maeder, Andrew Bennie, Freya Macmillan, Gregory Kolt, Nikos Ntoumanis, Jennifer M. Gore, Ester Cerin, Thierno M.O Diallo, Dylan P. Cliff, David R. Lubans

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: School-based physical education is an important public health initiative as it has the potential to provide students with regular opportunities to participate in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Unfortunately, in many physical education lessons students do not engage in sufficient MVPA to achieve health benefits. In this trial we will test the efficacy of a teacher professional development intervention, delivered partially via the Internet, on secondary school students' MVPA during physical education lessons. Teaching strategies covered in this training are designed to (i) maximize opportunities for students to be physically active during lessons and (ii) enhance students' autonomous motivation towards …

Cognitive Benefits Of Social Dancing And Walking In Old Age: The Dancing Mind Randomized Controlled Trial, Dafna Merom, Anne Grunseit, Ranmalee Eramudugolla, Barbara Jefferis, Jade Mcneill, Kaarin J. Anstey

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: A physically active lifestyle has the potential to prevent cognitive decline and dementia, yet the optimal type of physical activity/exercise remains unclear. Dance is of special interest as it complex sensorimotor rhythmic activity with additional cognitive, social, and affective dimensions. Objectives: To determine whether dance benefits executive function more than walking, an activity that is simple and functional. Methods: Two-arm randomized controlled trial among community-dwelling older adults. The intervention group received 1 h of ballroom dancing twice weekly over 8 months (~69 sessions) in local community dance studios. The control group received a combination of a home walking program …

The Effect Of Sailuotong (Slt) On Neurocognitive And Cardiovascular Function In Healthy Adults: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo Controlled Crossover Pilot Trial, Genevieve Z. Steiner, Alan Yeung, Jian Liu, David A. Camfield, Frances M. De Blasio, Andrew Pipingas, Andrew Scholey, Con Stough, Dennis Chang

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Sailuotong (SLT) is a standardised herbal medicine formula consisting of Panax ginseng, Ginkgo biloba, and Crocus sativus, and has been designed to enhance cognitive and cardiovascular function. Methods: Using a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled crossover design, this pilot study assessed the effect of treatment for 1 week with SLT and placebo (1 week washout period) on neurocognitive and cardiovascular function in healthy adults. Sixteen adults completed a computerised neuropsychological test battery (Compass), and had their electroencephalographic (EEG) activity and cardiovascular system function assessed. Primary outcome measures were cognitive test scores and oddball task event-related potential (ERP) component amplitudes. Secondary …

The Clinical Effectiveness Of Concise Cognitive Behavioral Therapy With Or Without Pharmacotherapy For Depressive And Anxiety Disorders; A Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Equivalence Trial In Clinical Practice, Denise Meuldijk, Ingrid V. Carlier, Irene M. Van Vliet, T Van Veen, R Wolterbeek, Albert M. Van Hemert, Frans G. Zitman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Depressive and anxiety disorders contribute to a high disease burden. This paper investigates whether concise formats of cognitive behavioral- and/or pharmacotherapy are equivalent with longer standard care in the treatment of depressive and/or anxiety disorders in secondary mental health care. Methods: A pragmatic randomized controlled equivalence trial was conducted at five Dutch outpatient Mental Healthcare Centers (MHCs) of the Regional Mental Health Provider (RMHP) 'Rivierduinen'. Patients (aged 18-65 years) with a mild to moderate anxiety and/or depressive disorder, were randomly allocated to concise or standard care. Data were collected at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months by Routine Outcome …

An Organisational Change Intervention For Increasing The Delivery Of Smoking Cessation Support In Addiction Treatment Centres: Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial, Billie Bonevski, Ashleigh Guillaumier, Anthony Shakeshaft, Michael P. Farrell, Flora Tzelepis, Scott Walsberger, Catherine A. D'Este, Christine L. Paul, Adrian Dunlop, Andrew Searles, Peter James Kelly, Rae Fry, Robert Stirling, Carrie Fowlie, Eliza Skelton

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: The provision of smoking cessation support in Australian drug and alcohol treatment services is sub-optimal. This study examines the cost-effectiveness of an organisational change intervention to reduce smoking amongst clients attending drug and alcohol treatment services. Methods/design: A cluster-randomised controlled trial will be conducted with drug and alcohol treatment centres as the unit of randomisation. Biochemically verified (carbon monoxide by breath analysis) client 7-day-point prevalence of smoking cessation at 6 weeks will be the primary outcome measure. The study will be conducted in 33 drug and alcohol treatment services in four mainland states and territories of Australia: New South …

Physical Activity And Fitness Outcomes Of A Lifestyle Intervention For Primary Care Patients With Depression And Anxiety: A Randomised Controlled Trial, Adrienne Forsyth, Frank P. Deane, Peter G. Williams

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Patients currently being treated for depression and/or anxiety were referred by their GP and randomised to a 12-week individually tailored diet and exercise lifestyle intervention or an attention control group. Assessments at baseline and 12 weeks included the Active Australia Survey for self-reported physical activity, chair stands, arm curls and a 3-min step test to measure physical fitness. Intent-to-treat analyses using linear mixed modelling showed both groups significantly improved participation in physical activity and muscular endurance. There were no significant differences in improvement between groups. The only group by time interaction was found for body mass index and indicated greater …

Bottom-Up Microfabrication Process For Individually Controlled Conjugated Polymer Actuators, Alexandre Khaldi, Ali Maziz, Gursel Alici, Geoffrey M. Spinks, Edwin W. Jager

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Handling of soft and fragile sub-millimeter sized samples such as cells and tissues requires new tools that allow delicate manipulation. Conducting polymer actuators show unique characteristics suitable to driving such manipulators, however despite their potential, the current fabrication method of the trilayer structures does not allow constructing advanced micromanipulators operating in air using this technology. Here we show a novel bottom-up microfabrication process for conjugated polymer trilayer actuators using various solid polymer electrolytes. In addition, the process design integrates contact pads, which has been an issue for small scale conducting polymer actuators. The microfabrication process starts with a patterned layer …

Ambient Controlled Synthesis Of Advanced Core-Shell Plasmonic Ag@Zno Photocatalysts, Jinyan Xiong, Qiao Sun, Jun Chen, Zhen Li, S X. Dou

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Plasmonic Ag@ZnO core-shell hybrids, including hetero-nanowires and hetero-nanoparticles, have been synthesized at room temperature for application in photocatalysis. The morphology, size, crystal structure, and composition of the products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy. It was found the concentration of Zn(NO3)2·6H2O and the amount of water play crucial roles in the formation of Ag@ZnO core-shell hybrids. The resultant Ag@ZnO core-shell hybrids exhibit much higher photocatalytic activity and stability towards degradation of organic contaminants than pure ZnO nanocrystals under solar light irradiation. The one-dimensional (1D) core-shell hetero-nanowires prepared under optimal conditions …

Controlled And Scalable Torsional Actuation Of Twisted Nylon 6 Fiber, Shazed Aziz, Sina Naficy, Javad Foroughi, Hugh Ralph Brown, Geoffrey M. Spinks

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Large-scale torsional actuation occurs in twisted fibers and yarns as a result of volume change induced electrochemically, thermally, photonically, and other means. A quantitative relationship between torsional actuation (stroke and torque) and volume change is here introduced. The analysis is based on experimental investigation of the effects of fiber diameter and inserted twist on the torsional stroke and torque measured when heating and cooling nylon 6 fibers over the temperature range of 26-62 °C. The results show that the torsional stroke depends only on the amount of twist inserted into the fiber and is independent of fiber diameter. The torque …

A 6-Month Randomised Controlled Trial Investigating Effects Of Mediterranean-Style Diet And Fish Oil Supplementation On Dietary Behaviour Change, Mental And Cardiometabolic Health And Health-Related Quality Of Life In Adults With Depression (Helfimed): Study Protocol, Dorota M. Zarnowiecki, Jihyun Cho, Amy Wilson, Svetlana Bogomolova, Anthony Villani, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Theo Niyonsenga, Kerin O'Dea, Sarah Blunden, Barbara J. Meyer, Leonie Segal, Natalie Parletta

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

Background: Modern diets, characterised by excess consumption of processed foods, are accompanied by an epidemic of chronic diseases. Cardiovascular disease and depression carry a large burden of disease and often occur together. Poor dietary patterns have been identified as an independent risk factor for depression while healthy diets with minimally processed food are protective. Traditional Mediterranean diets have been shown to reduce risk of cardiovascular disease; however there is a need for clinical trials in people with depression. This paper reports the study protocol of a Mediterranean-style diet intervention conducted in adults with self-reported depression. Methods/design: HELFIMED is a parallel …

Fostering Effective Early Learning (Feel) Through A Professional Development Programme For Early Childhood Educators To Improve Professional Practice And Child Outcomes In The Year Before Formal Schooling: Study Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, Edward Melhuish, Steven J. Howard, Iram Siraj, Cathrine Marguerite Neilsen-Hewett, Denise Kingston, Marc De Rosnay, Elisabeth Duursma, Betty Luu

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: A substantial research base documents the benefits of attendance at high-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC) for positive behavioural and learning outcomes. Research has also found that the quality of many young children's experiences and opportunities in ECEC depends on the skills, dispositions and understandings of the early childhood adult educators. Increasingly, research has shown that the quality of children's interactions with educators and their peers, more than any other programme feature, influence what children learn and how they feel about learning. Hence, we sought to investigate the extent to which evidence-based professional development (PD) - focussed on …

A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial Of Values-Based Training To Promote Autonomously Held Recovery Values In Mental Health Workers, Virginia Williams, Frank P. Deane, Lindsay G. Oades, Trevor P. Crowe, Joseph Ciarrochi, Retta Andresen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background The implementation and use of evidence-based practices is a key priority for recovery-oriented mental health service provision. Training and development programmes for employees continue to be a key method of knowledge and skill development, despite acknowledged difficulties with uptake and maintenance of behaviour change. Self-determination theory suggests that autonomy, or a sense that behaviour is self-generated, is a key motivator to sustained behaviour change, in this case practices in mental health services. This study examined the utility of values-focused staff intervention as a specific, reproducible method of autonomy support. Methods Mental health workers (n = 146) were assigned via …

Hpv.Edu Study Protocol: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Evaluation Of Education, Decisional Support And Logistical Strategies In School-Based Human Papillomavirus (Hpv) Vaccination Of Adolescents, S R. Skinner, Collette Davies, Spring Cooper, Tanya Stoney, Helen S. Marshall, Jane Jones, Joanne Collins, Heidi Hutton, Adriana Parrella, Gregory Zimet, David Regan, Patty Whyte, Julia Brotherton, Peter Richmond, Kristen Mccaffrey, Susan Garland, Julie Leask, Melissa Kang, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, John M. Kaldor, Kevin Mcgeechan

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

The National Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccination Program in Australia commenced in 2007 for females and in 2013 for males, using the quadrivalent HPV vaccine (HPV 6,11,16,18). Thus far, we have demonstrated very substantial reductions in genital warts and in the prevalence of HPV among young Australian women, providing early evidence for the success of this public health initiative. Australia has a long history of school-based vaccination programs for adolescents, with comparatively high coverage. However, it is not clear what factors promote success in a school vaccination program. The HPV.edu study aims to examine: 1) student knowledge about HPV vaccination; …

Reducing Electronic Media Use In 2-3 Year-Old Children: Feasibility And Efficacy Of The Family@Play Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial, Trina Hinkley, Dylan P. Cliff, Anthony D. Okely

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Participation in electronic media use among 2-3 year olds is high and associated with adverse health and developmental outcomes. This study sought to test the feasibility and potential efficacy of a family-based program to decrease electronic media (EM) use in 2-3-year-old children. Methods Family@play was a six-session pilot randomised controlled trial delivered to parents of 2-3 year-old children from August to September 2012 in a community environment in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. Development of program content was guided by Social Cognitive and Family Systems Theories. The primary outcome was children's electronic media use. Secondary outcomes …

Neighborhood Walkability, Fear And Risk Of Falling And Response To Walking Promotion: The Easy Steps To Health 12-Month Randomized Controlled Trial, Dafna Merom, K Gebel, Paul P. Fahey, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, A Voukelatos, Chris Rissel, Cathie Sherrington

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In older adults the relationships between health, fall-related risk factors, perceived neighborhood walkability, walking behavior and intervention impacts are poorly understood. To determine whether: i) health and fall-related risk factors were associated with perceptions of neighborhood walkability; ii) perceived environmental attributes, and fall-related risk factors predicted change in walking behavior at 12 months; and iii) perceived environmental attributes and fall-related risk factors moderated the effect of a self-paced walking program on walking behavior. Randomized trial on walking and falls conducted between 2009 and 2012 involving 315 community-dwelling inactive adults ≥ 65 years living in Sydney, Australia. Measures were: mobility status, …

Hptn 062: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial Exploring The Effect Of A Motivational-Interviewing Intervention On Sexual Behavior Among Individuals With Acute Hiv Infection In Lilongwe, Malawi, Audrey Pettifor, Amy Corneli, Gift Kamanga, Kevin Mckenna, Nora Rosenberg, Xuesong Yu, San-San Ou, Cecilia Massa, Patricia Wiyo, Diana Lynn, Jenae Tharaldson, Carol Golin, Irving Hoffman, Catherine L. Mac Phail

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective We pilot tested a Motivational Interviewing (MI) -based counseling intervention for individuals with Acute HIV Infection (AHI) to reduce risky sexual behavior in Lilongwe, Malawi. Methods Twenty-eight individuals diagnosed with AHI were randomized to receive either brief education alone, or the brief education plus the MI-based intervention, called Uphungu Wanga. Participants in Uphungu Wanga received four sessions delivered on the day of diagnosis, three days later and at weeks 1 and 2 with a booster session at week 8; participants were followed for 24 weeks from diagnosis. An interviewer administered quantitative questionnaire was conducted at baseline and at weeks …

Study Protocol: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Healthy Lifestyle Intervention For People Attending Residential Substance Abuse Treatment, Peter James Kelly, Amanda Baker, Frank P. Deane, Robin Callister, Clare E. Collins, Christopher Oldmeadow, John R. Attia, Camilla Townsend, Isabella Ingram, Gerard Byrne, Carol Keane

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Cardiovascular disease and cancer are leading causes of mortality for people with a history of alcohol or other substance use disorders. These chronic diseases share the same four primary behavioural risk factors i.e. excessive alcohol use, smoking, low intake of fruit and vegetables and physical inactivity. In addition to addressing problematic alcohol use, there is the potential for substance abuse treatment services to also address these other behaviours. Healthy Recovery is an 8-session group-based intervention that targets these multiple behavioural health risk factors and was developed specifically for people attending substance abuse treatment. This protocol describes a Cancer Institute …

Stability Enhancement Of Magnetic Levitation Ball System With Two Controlled Electomagnets, Hai Huang, Haiping Du, Weihua Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Magnetic levitation ball system is a highly nonlinear and unstable system. If the system is linearised at the equilibrium point, the achievable balance range of the magnetically levitated ball is very short with one electromagnet. This paper presents an improved magnetic levitation ball system, that contains two electromagnets, where one electromagnet is set above the magnetic ball for pulling, and another one is set under the magnetic ball for pushing. In addition, this paper applies a 2-DOF (degree-of-freedom) PID (proportional-integral-derivative) controller instead of 1-DOF PID for the control of the two electromagnets so that they can work corporately to make …