Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Differential Effect Of Contrast Polarity Reversals In Closed Squares And Open L-Junctions, Mark M. Schira, Branka Spehar

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Scene segmentation depends on interaction between geometrical and photometric factors. It has been shown that reversals in contrast polarity at points of highest orientation discontinuity along closed contours significantly impair shape discrimination performance, while changes in contrast polarity at straight(er) contour segments do not have such deleterious effects (Spehar, 2002). Here we employ (semi) high resolution fMRI (1.5 mm x 1.5 mm x 1.5 mm) to investigate the neuronal substrate underlying these perception effects. Stimuli consisted of simple elements (a) squares with contrast reversals along straight segments; (b) squares with contrast reversals in the corner (highest orientation discontinuity); (c) L-Junctions …

Evidence For Involvement Of The Insula In The Psychotropic Effects Of Thc In Humans: A Double-Blind, Randomized Pharmacological Mri Study, Hendrika H. Van Hell, Matthijs G. Bossong, Gerry Jager, Gert Kristo, Matthias J. P Van Osch, Fernando Zelaya, Rene S. Kahn, Nick F. Ramsey

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The main reason for recreational use of cannabis is the 'high', the primary psychotropic effect of Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). This psychoactive compound of cannabis induces a range of subjective, physical and mental reactions. The effect on heart rate is pronounced and complicates bloodflow-based neuroimaging of psychotropic effects of THC. In this study we investigated the effects of THC on baseline brain perfusion and activity in association with the induction of 'feeling high'. Twenty-three subjects participated in a pharmacological MRI study, where we applied arterial spin labelling (ASL) to measure perfusion, and resting-state functional MRI to assess blood oxygen level-dependent …

Examining The Protective Effects Of Brand Equity In The Keepin' It Real Substance Use Prevention Curriculum, Jeong Kyu Lee, Michael L. Hecht

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

While branding appears to be an effective health prevention strategy, it is less clear how successful brands have protective effects. To better understand the role of branding in health prevention and promotion, it is necessary to examine how the persuasive mechanisms of branding function in health campaigns (e.g., modeling socially desirable behaviors). Using a cross-sectional data (N = 709), the current study uncovered the mechanisms explaining branding's effects on adolescent substance use in a school-based substance use intervention, keepin' it REAL (kiR) curriculum. Consistent with our predictions, a confirmatory factor analysis suggested that kiR brand equity had a higher-order, multidimensional …

Evaluating Mediated Perception Of Narrative Health Messages: The Perception Of Narrative Performance Scale, Jeong Kyu Lee, Michael L. Hecht, Michelle Miller-Day, Elvira Elek

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Narrative media health messages have proven effective in preventing adolescents' substance use but as yet few measures exist to assess perceptions of them. Without such a measure it is difficult to evaluate the role these messages play in health promotion or to differentiate them from other message forms. In response to this need, a study was conducted to evaluate the Perception of Narrative Performance Scale that assesses perceptions of narrative health messages. A sample of 1185 fifth graders in public schools at Phoenix, Arizona completed a questionnaire rating of two videos presenting narrative substance use prevention messages. Confirmatory factor analyses …

It's Not Just Researchers Who Need A New Agenda, Sandra C. Jones

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An extensive review of alcohol policy published in the Lancet concluded that: ‘Making alcohol more expensive and less available, and banning alcohol advertising, are highly cost effective strategies to reduce harm’. Unfortunately, calls to ban or restrict alcohol advertising (such as calls to increase price) have been rejected by governments in most countries. Thus, as Meier states, there is a need to provide evidence of the effects of alcohol advertising on young people in order to encourage the government to take action to reduce, or eliminate, the most harmful forms of alcohol promotion (which may, or may not, be ‘advertising’ …

Combining The Health Belief Model And Social Marketing To Develop A Community-Level Campaign About Asthma For Older Adults, Uwana Kimberley Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This conceptual paper provides a rationale for combining health behaviour theory with a social marketing framework in order to develop a community-level asthma campaign for adults aged 55 years and older. The prevalence of asthma in older adults in Australia is approximately 10%, higher than in many other countries, and asthma mortality increases with age. In addition, older adults’ perceptions of asthma causes and treatments are often inaccurate. Many older adults believe that asthma is a childhood disease and that the effects of the condition are relatively minor and would not impact on daily life. In order to address these …

Developing Community-Level Social Marketing Messages To Raise Awareness Of Asthma In Older Australians: Preliminary Results, Uwana Kimberley Evers, Sandra C. Jones, Peter Caputi, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: While asthma awareness campaigns are generally aimed at children and their parents, asthma affects a similar proportion of older adults, often with more severe health consequences. Adults aged 55 years and over often have misconceptions about the severity of asthma and their likelihood of developing the disease. A targeted asthma awareness campaign utilising social marketing techniques could benefit the health outcomes and quality of life of this population.

Objective: We aimed to pilot test our survey in the older adult population and to learn more about older adult’s asthma perceptions.

Methods: One-hundred and fifteen adults aged …

Validity And Reliability Of Farsi Version Of Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (Cmdq), H Afifehzadeh-Kashani, A Choobineh, Shahnaz Bakand, M R. Gohari, H Abbastabar, P Moshtaghi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background and Aims Tools for evaluation of code discomfort are tools that can be used for the prevention of musculoskeletal discomfort in industrial settings. Musculoskeletal disorders are serious health cancern in the developed world. The Cornell Musculoskeletal Discomfort Questionnaire (CMDQ) that are designed to evaluate the musculoskeletal disorders by the time being, are translate in diverse languages and being implemented in many coun tries. However, CMDQ is not translated into Persian language in Iran. The aim of this study was to translate, accridate and validated the CMDQ in Persian version in order to implementation of this tool in Iran and …

Cell Viability And Cytokine Production Of Human Alveolar Epithelial Cells Following Exposure To Sulphur Dioxide, Shahnaz Bakand, Chris Winder, Amanda Hayes

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Exposure to air pollutants is significantly associated with health risks ranging from bronchial reactivity to morbidity and mortality. However, the precise mechanisms are not always fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) on cell viability and cytokine production of A549-human pulmonary epithelial cells. Test atmospheres of SO₂ were generated using a direct dilution method and calibrated by ion-chromatography. Test atmospheres were delivered to lung cells cultured on porous membranes (0.4 μm) using Harvard Navicyte horizontal diffusion chamber systems. The cytotoxic endpoints were investigated using the MTS (tetrazolium salt; …

Consent And Public Engagement In An Era Of Expanded Childhood Immunisation, Julie Leask, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer, Ian Kerridge

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Childhood immunisation programmes have seen well‐heralded successes in disease control. An increasing number of scheduled vaccines, narrowing risk–benefit ratios and public attention to vaccine safety raise new questions about consent. We first explore the challenges that this highly dynamic environment poses for valid consent. Then, we broaden this discussion to wider public engagement by suggesting how the public – the bearers of vaccine risk and benefit – can be better involved in immunisation policy.

'... And The Theatre Was Full Of Poofs, And I Thought It Was Fantastic': Researching The History Of Gay Men And The Movies, Scott J. Mckinnon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The history of gay men and movies has often been discussed as matter of representation and in terms of images on screens. those boys in the band and their eventful party; Al Pacino's nights in the leather bars of New York; a bus called Priscilla; two cowboys in love. Also the focus of inquiry had been the gay men on and behind the camera. Rock Hudson, Rupert Everett, George Cukor, Gus van Sant. More recently, a growing number of researchers have begun to contemplate and investigate the gay men in the cinema audience. this chapter disucsses the use of oral …

Shared Health Governance: The Potential Danger Of Oppressive "Healthism", Stacy M. Carter, Vikki A. Entwistle, Kirsten Mccaffery, Lucie Rychetnik

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

We share an interest in public health and in the capabilities approach developed by Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum, and others (Comim, Qizilbash, and Alkire 2008; Sen 2009; Nussbaum 1999), so were curious to see how Jennifer Prah Ruger would apply her "health capability paradigm" to health governance. The resulting model-shared health governance (SHG)-has real potential to promote justice in health in some contexts. However, based on the description provided in this issue (Ruger 2011), aspects of SHG seem at odds with important features of the capabilities approach. We suggest that SHG will better safeguard the freedoms of individuals-including their health …

The Appeal To Nature Implicit In Certain Restrictions On Public Funding For Assisted Reproductive Technology, Drew Carter, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Certain restrictions on public funding for assisted reproductive technology (ART) are articulated and defended by recourse to a distinction between medical infertility and social infertility. We propose that underlying the prioritization of medical infertility is a vision of medicine whose proper role is to restore but not to improve upon nature. We go on to mark moral responses that speak of investments many continue to make in nature as properly an object of reverence and gratitude and therein (sometimes) a source of moral guidance. We draw on the work of Ludwig Wittgenstein in arguing for the plausibility of an appeal …

Understanding Corporate Responsibility: Culture And Complicity, Christopher J. Degeling, Cynthia Townley, Wendy Rogers

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Kipnis's fictional account of the televised treatment of Elaine Robbins clearly shows the surgeon's negligence (Kipnis 2011). The problems with Anodyne's support for the telesurgery breakfast are harder to discern, but show up clearly when we take into consideration how surgical evidence is generated, evaluated, and used by surgeons. Current evidentiary practices in surgery have two major weaknesses, related to the epistemic culture of surgery and to practices of knowledge transmission. We argue that this is a systemic problem, which companies such as Anodyne both contribute to and benefit from. Thus, while we agree with Kipnis's claim that Anodyne is …

Anatomy Of An Occupation: The Indonesian Military In West Papua, Jim Elmslie, Camellia B. Webb-Gannon, Peter King

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This report deals with a series of Indonesian military documents that were passed to the West Papua Project (WPP) in early 2011. The documents provide remarkable insights into how the Indonesian military (Tentara Nasional Indonesia - TNI), operates within the disputed territory of West Papua (disputed, that is, between the vast majority of Papuans and the Indonesian government), and how they view West Papuan civil society. The documents reveal the names and activities of Indonesian intelligence agents; describe how traditional Papuan communities are monitored; and include a detailed analysis of both the West Papuan armed guerrilla groups and the non-violent …

Getting Evidence Into Policy: The Need For Deliberative Strategies?, Kathy Flitcroft, James Gillespie, Glenn P. Salkeld, Stacy Carter, Lyndal Trevena

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Getting evidence into policy is notoriously difficult. In this empirical case study we used document analysis and key informant interviews to explore the Australian federal government's policy to implement a national bowel cancer screening programme, and the role of evidence in this policy. Our analysis revealed a range of institutional limitations at three levels of national government: within the health department, between government departments, and across the whole of government. These limitations were amplified by the pressures of the 2004 Australian federal election campaign. Traditional knowledge utilisation approaches, which rely principally on voluntarist strategies and focus on the individual, rather …

Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme Cost Recovery, Glenn P. Salkeld

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Since the beginning of 2010 the Australian Government has applied cost recovery to the listing process of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS). Drug companies seeking to list their drugs on the PBS or vaccines on the National Immunisation Program pay a fee at two key points - upon lodgement of the application and at the pricing stage. The lodgement fee relates to the evaluation work of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) and all of its supporting administrative functions. The pricing fee relates to the pricing work of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Pricing Authority and its supporting functions. Companies that want …

A Comparative Case Study Of Bowel Cancer Screening In The Uk And Australia: Evidence Lost In Translation?, Kathy Flitcroft, D J. St John, Kirsten Howard, Stacy Carter, Michael P. Pignone, Glenn P. Salkeld, Lyndal Trevena

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objectives (i) To document the current state of the English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish and Australian bowel cancer screening programmes, according to seven key characteristics, and (ii) to explore the policy trade-offs resulting from inadequate funding. Setting United Kingdom and Australia. Methods A comparative case study design using document and key informant interview analysis. Data were collated for each national jurisdiction on seven key programme characteristics: screening frequency, population coverage, quality of test, programme model, quality of follow-up, quality of colonoscopy and quality of data collection. A list of optimal features for each of the seven characteristics was compiled, based …

Evaluation Of Physical Activity Programmes For The Elderly - Exploring The Lessons From Other Sectors And Examining The General Characteristics Of The Programmes, Ana I. Marques, Pedro Soares, Luisa Soares-Miranda, Carla Moreira, Antonio Oliveira-Tavares, Paula Clara-Santos, Susana Vale, Rute Santos, Joana Carvalho

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background

In Portugal, there are several physical activity (PA) programmes for elderly people developed by the local government. The importance of these programmes has been increasing since the evidence has shown that this type of health promotion interventions may reduce the deleterious effects of the ageing process. However, no study has already identified the general characteristics of these programmes nor if they use any scheme to assess the quality of the service provided. A widely-used scheme is the EFQM Excellence Model, which will be in the core of our present work. Thus, the main aims of this preliminary study were …

A Proposed Adaptation Of The European Foundation For Quality Management Excellence Model To Physical Activity Programmes For The Elderly - Development Of A Quality Self-Assessment Tool Using A Modified Delphi Process, Ana I. Marques, Leonel Santos, Pedro Soares, Rute Santos, Antonio Oliveira-Tavares, Jorge Mota, Joana Carvalho

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background There has been a growing concern in designing physical activity (PA) programmes for elderly people, since evidence suggests that such health promotion interventions may reduce the deleterious effects of the ageing process. Complete programme evaluations are a necessary prerequisite to continuous quality improvements. Being able to refine, adapt and create tools that are suited to the realities and contexts of PA programmes for the elderly in order to support its continuous improvement is, therefore, crucial. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop a self-assessment tool for PA programmes for the elderly. Methods A 3-round Delphi process was …

Policy Research As Critical Praxis, Pauline M. Mcguirk

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In responding to Woods and Gardner's (2011) article, this piece positions policy research as a potentially rich site for critical praxis. It works through the possibilities around (i) negotiating the politics of policy research; (ii) the iterative and hybrid nature of policy research; and (iii) the internally differentiated nature of states. While remaining clear-eyed around the limits Woods and Gardner point to that shape collaborative work around policy, the article argues that policy research can be a site where the ethical and normative commitments of a critical agenda can be pursued. This requires that we recognise, first, policy research as …

Early Years Experience And Longer-Term Child Development: Research And Implications For Policymaking, Edward Melhuish

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Why should we focus on the early years? One reason is the accumulation of evidence that indicates that the child's experience in the early years has profound consequences for later life. There are now many studies that present a consistent picture indicating that adversity in early life, such as frequently accompanies child poverty, is linked to: poor adult mental and physical health , adult mortality, anti-social and criminal behaviour, substance abuse and poor literacy and academic achievement.

Performing Against The Odds: Developmental Trajectories Of Children In The Eppse 3 To 16 Study: Brief, Iram Siraj-Blatchford, Aziza Mayo, Edward Melhuish, Brenda Taggart, Pam Sammons, Kathy Sylva

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The Effective Provision of Pre-School, Primary and Secondary Education (EPPSE 3-16) project is a large scale, longitudinal, mixed-method research study that has followed the progress of 3000+ children since 1997 from the age of 3 to 16 years. The EPPSE project uses a mixed-methods approach to investigate how child, family, pre-school and school characteristics interact and contribute to children's development up to early secondary age.

This research uses case studies to explore why and when certain children 'succeed against the odds' while others fall further behind, and also when and why some 'privileged' children fall behind despite their positive circumstances.

The Waitangi Tribunal And The Regulation Of Maori Protest, Juan M. Tauri, Robert Webb

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Much of the current academic and political discourse related the development and operations of the Waitangi Tribunal over its first twenty years portray it as a forum that provided Maori with a meaningful avenue for settling Treaty grievances compared to the formal legal systems performance in the preceding 100 years. In contrast, we argue that from its inception and throughout much of the 1980s, the Waitangi Tribunal functioned primarily as an informal justice forum that assisted the New Zealand state's regulation of Maori Treaty activism during the transition from a Fordist to a Post-Fordist mode of capital accumulation.

Adoption Of An Infection Prevention And Control Programme (Ipcp) In The Republic Of Kiribati: A Case Study In Diffusion Of Innovations Theory, Peta-Anne Zimmerman, Heather Yeatman, Michael Jones, Helen Murdoch

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the International Conference on Prevention & Infection Control (ICPIC 2011) Geneva, Switzerland. 29 June - 2 July 2011

Profiling The Silver Surfers: Which Older Australians Are Using The Internet?, Pippa Burns, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 10th national emerging researchers in ageing conference, 24-25 November 2011

The Impact Of Self-Efficacy On Asthma Management Amongst Older Australian Adults, Pippa Burns, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Rationale: Australian asthma rates are high by international standards causing greatest mortality amongst older adults.

This paper looks at the relationships between perceived self-efficacy (belief in oneself) to manage the physical discomfort or pain caused by asthma and also the emotional distress caused by asthma and: reported health status; asthma quality of life for both mood and breathlessness; asthma management practices; and emergency health care use for asthma in adults aged 55 years and over.

Methods: A 20 page survey exploring the health beliefs, behaviours and attitudes of older Australians, was mailed to 9,000 people, (response rate = 46.8%). Participants …

Examining Brain-Cognition Effects Of Ginkgo Biloba Extract: Brain Activation In The Left Temporal And Left Prefrontal Cortex In An Object Working Memory Task, R B. Silberstein, A Pipingas, J Song, David Camfield, P J. Nathan, C Stough

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Ginkgo Biloba extract (GBE) is increasingly used to alleviate symptoms of age related cognitive impairment, with preclinical evidence pointing to a pro-cholinergic effect. While a number of behavioral studies have reported improvements to working memory (WM) associated with GBE, electrophysiological studies of GBE have typically been limited to recordings during a resting state. The current study investigated the chronic effects of GBE on steady state visually evoked potential (SSVEP) topography in nineteen healthy middle-aged (50-61 year old) male participants whilst completing an object WM task. A randomized double-blind crossover design was employed in which participants were allocated to receive 14 …

Cold Pressor Stimulation Diminishes P50 Amplitude In Normal Subjects, Adam J. Woods, John W. Philbeck, Kenneth Chelette, Robert D. Skinner, Edgar Garcia-Rill, Mark Mennemeier

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The present study examined how cold pressor stimulation influences electrophysiological correlates of arousal. We measured the P50 auditory evoked response potential in two groups of subjects who immersed their foot in either cold (0-2 degreees Celsius) or room temperature (22-24 degreees Celsius) water for 50 seconds. The P50, which was recorded before and after stimulation, is sleep-state dependent and sensitive to states of arousal in clinical populations. We found a significant reduction in P50 amplitude after exposure to cold, but not room temperature water. In comparison with other studies, these results indicate that cold pressor stimulation in normal subjects may …

Neoliberalism And The Biophysical Environment 3: Putting Theory Into Practice, Noel Castree

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There now exists a significant body of theoretically informed empirical research into 'neoliberal environments'. It comprises numerous studies which together explore the connections between neoliberal principles and policies, on the one side, and the biophysical world on the other. However, making sense of them is by no means straightforward, despite their common focus on neoliberal environments. It is currently left to readers of these studies to synthesize them into a wider, joined-up account of neoliberal environments. This and two companion articles aim for precisely this sort of broad and coherent understanding. The contribution of this third instalment is twofold. First, …