Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Addressing The Deficiencies In The Evidence-Base For Primary Practice In Regional Australia - Sentinel Practices Data Sourcing (Spds) Project: A Pilot Study, Abhijeet Ghosh, Karen E. Charlton, Lisa Girdo, Marijka J. Batterham, Keith Mcdonald

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

Background Chronic disease risk on a population level can be quantified through health surveys, either continuous or periodic. To date, information gathered from primary care interactions, using sentinel sites, has not been investigated as a potentially valuable surveillance system in Australia.

Methods A pilot study was conducted in a single General Practice in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia to assess the feasibility of accessing data obtained through a computerised chronic disease management program that has been designed for desktop application (Pen Computer Systems (PCS) Clinical Audit Tool: ™ PCS CAT). Collated patient data included information on chronic …

Utility Of Coi, Cad And Morphological Data For Resolving Relationships Within The Genus Sarcophaga (Sensu Lato) (Diptera: Sarcophagidae): A Preliminary Study, Kelly A. Meiklejohn, James F. Wallman, Thomas Pape, Stephen L. Cameron, Mark Dowton

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

Currently there are ∼3000 known species of Sarcophagidae (Diptera), which are classified into 173 genera in three subfamilies. Almost 25% of sarcophagids belong to the genus Sarcophaga (sensu lato) however little is known about the validity of, and relationships between the ∼150 (or more) subgenera of Sarcophaga s.l. In this preliminary study, we evaluated the usefulness of three sources of data for resolving relationships between 35 species from 14 Sarcophaga s.l. subgenera: the mitochondrial COI barcode region, ∼800 bp of the nuclear gene CAD, and 110 morphological characters. Bayesian, maximum likelihood (ML) and maximum parsimony (MP) analyses were performed on …

Improvement Of The Retrieval Algorithm For Gosat Swir Xco2 And Xch4 And Their Validation Using Tccon Data, Y Yoshida, N Kikuchi, I Morino, O Uchino, S Oshchepkov, A Bril, T Saeki, N Schutgens, G C. Toon, D Wunch, C M. Roehl, P O. Wennberg, D W. T Griffith, N M. Deutscher, T Warneke, J Notholt, J Robinson, V Sherlock, B Connor, M Rettinger, R Sussmann, P Ahonen, P Heikkinen, E Kyro, J Mendonca, K Strong, F Hase, S Dohe, T Yokota

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

The column-averaged dry-air mole fractions of carbon dioxide and methane (XCO2 and XCH4) have been retrieved from Greenhouse gases Observing SATellite (GOSAT) Short-Wavelength InfraRed (SWIR) observations and released as a SWIR L2 product from the National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES). XCO2 and XCH4 retrieved using the version 01.xx retrieval algorithm showed large negative biases and standard deviations (−8.85 and 4.75 ppm for XCO2 and −20.4 and 18.9 ppb for XCH4, respectively) compared with data of the Total Carbon Column Observing Network (TCCON). Multiple reasons for these error characteristics (e.g., solar irradiance database, handling of aerosol scattering) are identified and …

Analyzing Weight Loss Intervention Studies With Missing Data: Which Method Should Be Used?, Marijka J. Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell, Karen E. Charlton

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

Objective: Missing data due to study dropout is common in weight loss trials and several statistical methods exist to account for it. The aim of this study was to identify methods in the literature and to compare the effects of methods of analysis using simulated data sets. Methods: Literature was obtained for a 1-y period to identify analytical methods used in reporting weight loss trials. A comparison of methods with large or small between-group weight loss, and missing data that was, or was not, missing randomly was conducted in simulated data sets based on previous research. Results: Twenty-seven studies, some …

Multivariate Statistic And Time Series Analyses Of Grain-Size Data In Quaternary Sediments Of Lake El'gygytgyn, Ne Russia, Alexander Francke, V Wennrich, M A. Sauerbrey, O Juschus, Martin Melles, J Brigham-Grette

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

Lake El'gygytgyn, located in the Far East Rus- sian Arctic, was formed by a meteorite impact about 3.58 Ma ago. In 2009, the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) at Lake El'gygytgyn obtained a continu- ous sediment sequence of the lacustrine deposits and the up- per part of the impact breccia. Here, we present grain-size data of the past 2.6 Ma. General downcore grain-size varia- tions yield coarser sediments during warm periods and finer ones during cold periods. According to principal component analysis (PCA), the climate-dependent variations in grain- size distributions mainly occur in the coarse silt and very fine …

Paleoclimate Data-Model Comparison And The Role Of Climate Forcings Over The Past 1500 Years, Steven J. Phipps, Helen V. Mcgregor, Joelle Gergis, Ailie J. E Gallant, Raphael Neukom, Samantha Stevenson, Duncan Ackerley, Josephine R. Brown, Matt J. Fischer, Tas D. Van Ommen

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

The past 1500 years provide a valuable opportunity to study the response of the climate system to external forcings. However, the integration of paleoclimate proxies with climate modeling is critical to improving the understanding of climate dynamics. In this paper, a climate system model and proxy records are therefore used to study the role of natural and anthropogenic forcings in driving the global climate. The inverse and forward approaches to paleoclimate data–model comparison are applied, and sources of uncertainty are identified and discussed. In the first of two case studies, the climate model simulations are compared with multiproxy temperature reconstructions. …

Updating The Dietadvice Website With New Australian Food Composition Data, Yasmine Probst, Holley-Anne Jones, Shannon Lin, S. Burden, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

Professor David Steel

DietAdvice is an Australian self-administered dietary assessment website initially developed in 2003- 2005. The website allows patients to enter their dietary information and dieticians to remotely access and interpret the data. DietAdvice is presently being updated with new Australian food composition data. This study aims to describe the update process for moving from 1995 to 2006 food composition data. The database for the website was developed using grouped food data from the NUTTAB 1995 database. All food groups were cross-matched with the food from the NUTTAB 2006 database using the food ID codes. Rules were applied to determine the suitability …

Dissecting The Workforce And Workplace For Clinical Endocrinology, And The Work Of Endocrinologists Early In Their Careers, Claude Desjardins, Mark A. Bach, Anne R. Cappola, Ellen W. Seely, Ronald G. Ehrenberg

Ronald G. Ehrenberg

[Excerpt] No national mechanism is in place for an informed, penetrating, and systematic assessment of the physician workforce such as that achieved by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the periodic evaluation of the nation’s scientists and engineers. Likewise, knowledge of the workforce for clinical research is enigmatic and fragmentary despite the serial recommendations of “blue-ribbon” panels to establish a protocol for the recurrent assessment of clinical investigators early in their careers. Failure to adopt a national system for producing timely, high-quality data on the professional activities of physicians limits the application of improvement tools for advancing clinical investigation and …

Relationships Between Clinical Data And Baseline Eating Behaviours In A Sample Of Overweight Volunteers For A Dietary Intervention Trial, Lynette Mackey De Paiva, Lynda Gillen, Linda Tapsell, Marijka Batterham, Xu-Feng Huang, Rachel Cavanagh, Meredith Kennedy

Xu-Feng Huang

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Computerised Dietary Assessments With Diet History And Food Record Data At Baseline In An Australian Food-Based Clinical Trial, Yasmine Probst, Virva Sarmas, Linda C. Tapsell

L. C. Tapsell

Background: Food-based clinical trials are vital to advance the scientific evidence for the impact of food on health. These trials reqUire stringent dietary assessment to substantiate effects. We are evaluating the use of a self-administered computerised dietary assessment (DietAdvice) in a current food based weight loss trial. Objective: This cross sectional study aims to compare data from DietAdvice with diet history (DH) and food record (FR) dietary assessments measured at baseline. Materials and Methods: Baseline data for n=71 overweight (23-60 years, BMI 25-37 kg/m2) participants was utilised. Macronutrient data for matched dietary assessments from n=32 participants was obtained for the …

Updating The Dietadvice Website With New Australian Food Composition Data, Yasmine Probst, Holley-Anne Jones, Shannon Lin, S. Burden, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

L. C. Tapsell

DietAdvice is an Australian self-administered dietary assessment website initially developed in 2003- 2005. The website allows patients to enter their dietary information and dieticians to remotely access and interpret the data. DietAdvice is presently being updated with new Australian food composition data. This study aims to describe the update process for moving from 1995 to 2006 food composition data. The database for the website was developed using grouped food data from the NUTTAB 1995 database. All food groups were cross-matched with the food from the NUTTAB 2006 database using the food ID codes. Rules were applied to determine the suitability …

Federal Data Bases For Health Education Research, Ronald Wilson, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Described are some of the national health related databases which are useful in conducting health education research. Among areas covered by the projects are hypertension, myocardial infarction, neighborhood health centers, alcoholism, and over the counter drugs.

Verification Of Data Reported By Practices For A Study Of Spontaneous Abortion, L Green, F Reed, R Miller, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Little is known about the accuracy of data reported in practice based primary care research. The Ambulatory Sentinel Practice Network (ASPN) undertook a 100% audit of 226 patients included in a study of spontaneous abortion (SAB). The audit was conducted to assess the feasibility of conducting audits in primary care research networks dispersed over large geographic areas, verify that patients met inclusion criteria, and assess the frequency of reporting errors using the medical record as a standard. Of the originally reported SABs, 24% could not be verified. The overall error rate was 4.5%, a total of 106 errors out of …

Do Cigarette Taxes Make Smokers Happier Than Nonsmokers?, Mark Chaskes

Honors Theses

Public health advocates justify cigarette taxes, claiming they discourage smoking, which results in a healthier population. However, the more pertinent issue with which health advocates should be concerned is that of smoker well‐being. In this paper, I investigate whether cigarette taxes make smokers relatively more satisfied than nonsmokers. Additionally, because poor smokers have a higher discount rate than wealthy smokers, and therefore, perceive the tax differently, I explore the effect that income, in conjunction with a cigarette tax increase, has on smokers’ life‐satisfaction. Using cross‐sectional and time‐series data from the 2005‐2010 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System survey, this paper utilizes …

Bioregional Assessment Project: Sydney Metropolitan, Southern Rivers And Hawkesbury-Nepean Catchments: Data Collation Phase To Study The Impact Of Mining Activity And Coal Seam Gas On Environmental Assets, John Bradd, Tim Cohen, Sam Marx, Sol Buckman, Emma Burkhardt, A Clarke, Nicole Cook, Stephen Cullen, James Daley, Alexi Gavin, Ren Hu, Emma Kiekebosch-Fitt, Matt Lemcke, Andrew Lowe, Thomas Mcmahon, Luke Mcneilage, Kaitlyn O'Mara, Garth Nagle, Sam Robson, Carolyn Silveri, Joe Stammers

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

This study was commissioned by the Hawkesbury-Nepean (HNCMA), Sydney Metropolitan (SMCMA) and Southern Rivers (SRCMA) Catchment Management Authorities and undertaken by the University of Wollongong to collate existing data and to provide a preliminary assessment of the potential impacts of coal seam gas (CSG) and coal mining activities on environmental assets within the three CMA regions, where environmental assets were defined under three broad themes; water, land and biodiversity. This study formed part of the Australian Federal Government’s Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (SEWPaC) Bioregional Assessment initiative within regions potentially affected by CSG and coal mining activities. …

The Impact Of Cannabis Use On Cognitive Functioning In Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis Of Existing Findings And New Data In A First-Episode Sample, Murat Yücel, Emre Bora, Daniel I. Lubman, Nadia Solowij, Warrick J. Brewer, Sue M. Cotton, Phillipe Conus, Michael J. Takagi, Alex Fornito, Stephen J. Wood, Patrick D. Mcgorry, Christos Pantelis

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cannabis use is highly prevalent among people with schizophrenia, and coupled with impaired cognition, is thought to heighten the risk of illness onset. However, while heavy cannabis use has been associated with cognitive deficits in long-term users, studies among patients with schizophrenia have been contradictory. This article consists of 2 studies. In Study I, a meta-analysis of 10 studies comprising 572 patients with established schizophrenia (with and without comorbid cannabis use) was conducted. Patients with a history of cannabis use were found to have superior neuropsychological functioning. This finding was largely driven by studies that included patients with a lifetime …

Conversion Of Australian Food Composition Data From Ausnut1999 To 2007 In The Clinical Trial Context, Elizabeth P. Neale, Yasmine C. Probst, Rebecca Thorne, Qingsheng Zhang, Jane E. O'Shea, Marijka J. Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

An Australian food composition database, AUSNUT1999, does not include long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC omega-3 PUFA) data. Measurement of the fatty acid content of diets initially analysed using AUSNUT1999 requires conversion to AUSNUT2007, an updated database inclusive of LC omega-3 PUFA. The aim of this study was to convert clinical trial dietary data from AUSNUT1999 to AUSNUT2007 and measure LC omega-3 PUFA intake. Clinical trial diet history (DH) data was converted from AUSNUT1999 to 2007 using a staged approach. Macronutrient intake from AUSNUT1999 and 2007 were calculated and compared via paired t-tests and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks tests. Mean …

Updating The Dietadvice Website With New Australian Food Composition Data, Yasmine Probst, Holley-Anne Jones, Shannon Lin, S. Burden, David G. Steel, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

DietAdvice is an Australian self-administered dietary assessment website initially developed in 2003- 2005. The website allows patients to enter their dietary information and dieticians to remotely access and interpret the data. DietAdvice is presently being updated with new Australian food composition data. This study aims to describe the update process for moving from 1995 to 2006 food composition data. The database for the website was developed using grouped food data from the NUTTAB 1995 database. All food groups were cross-matched with the food from the NUTTAB 2006 database using the food ID codes. Rules were applied to determine the suitability …

Assessing The Cumulative Impact Of Alcohol Marketing On Young People's Drinking: Cross Sectional Data Findings, Ross Gordon, Fiona Harris

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This article provides first wave data from a study designed to examine the impact of the full range of marketing communication techniques used by the UK alcohol industry, and their cumulative effect on alcohol initiation and youth drinking patterns. The study is of a longitudinal cohort design and was conducted amongst secondary school pupils in Scotland. A cohort of 920 2nd year school pupils participated and cross sectional data was collected and analysed. Regression models with multiple control variables examined the relationship between awareness of and involvement with a range of alcohol marketing activities, and drinking and associated risky behaviours. …

Comparison Of Computerised Dietary Assessments With Diet History And Food Record Data At Baseline In An Australian Food-Based Clinical Trial, Yasmine Probst, Virva Sarmas, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Food-based clinical trials are vital to advance the scientific evidence for the impact of food on health. These trials reqUire stringent dietary assessment to substantiate effects. We are evaluating the use of a self-administered computerised dietary assessment (DietAdvice) in a current food based weight loss trial. Objective: This cross sectional study aims to compare data from DietAdvice with diet history (DH) and food record (FR) dietary assessments measured at baseline. Materials and Methods: Baseline data for n=71 overweight (23-60 years, BMI 25-37 kg/m2) participants was utilised. Macronutrient data for matched dietary assessments from n=32 participants was obtained for the …

Validity Of Carbohydrate, Glycaemic Index And Glycaemic Load Data Obtained Using A Semi-Quantitative Food-Frequency Questionnaire, Alan Winston Barclay, Victoria Mary Flood, Jennie Cecile Brand-Miller, Paul Mitchell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To assess the ability of a food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ) to rank Australians according to their intake of total carbohydrate, sugar, starch, fibre, glycaemic index (GI) and glycaemic load (GL). Design: Cross-sectional sample from a population cohort. Setting: Two postcode areas west of Sydney, Australia. Subjects: From 1992 to 1994, a total of 2868 older Australians provided dietary data using a 145-item Willett-derived FFQ. A representative sub-sample of 78 subjects completed three 4-day weighed food records (WFRs). Pearson and Spearman correlations, Bland–Altman plots and weighted kappa values were calculated. Results: Compared with the WFR, the FFQ provided higher mean estimates …

Case Report: Survival After Deliberate Strychnine Self-Poisoning, With Toxicokinetic Data, David Michael Wood, Emma Webster, Daniel Martinez, Paul Ivor Dargan, Alison L. Jones

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

Introduction Strychnine poisoning is uncommon, and in most severe cases, the patient dies before reaching hospital. The management of strychnine poisoning is well documented, although there are few data on the kinetics of elimination of strychnine after overdose. Case report A 42-year-old man presented shortly after ingestion of an unknown quantity of strychnine powder. After a respiratory arrest, with intensive supportive management requiring admission to an intensive care unit, he survived. Eight serum samples were taken over the first 5 days and analysed subsequently for strychnine concentrations. Results The initial concentration at 1.5 hours after ingestion was 4.73 mg/l, falling …

The Media, Risk Assessment And Numbers: They Don't Add Up, Sharon M. Friedman

RISK: Health, Safety & Environment (1990-2002)

Professor Friedman argues that, for risks to be reported accurately, journalism educators must help their students understand science, numbers and statistics.