Medicine & Health

Publication Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 20
  • (1998) Bradley, Peter; Rozenfeld, Anatoly; Lee, Kevin; Jamieson, Dana; Heiser, Gernot; Satoh, S
    Journal Article
    The first results obtained using a SOI device for microdosimetry applications are presented. Microbeam and broadbeam spectroscopy methods are used for determining minority carrier lifetime and radiation damage constants. A spectroscopy model is presented which includes the majority of effects that impact spectral resolution. Charge collection statistics were found to substantially affect spectral resolution. Lateral diffusion effects significantly complicate charge collection

  • (2008) Cowan, Ruth; Meiser, Bettina; Giles, Graham; Lindeman, Geoffrey; Gaff, Clara
    Journal Article
    Purpose: Genetic testing for hereditary cancer facilitates medical management and improves health outcomes. Genetic testing is not currently available for prostate cancer, but trials are underway to investigate if antiandrogens and selenium have a preventive role for at-risk individuals. To inform future genetic counseling, we sought to understand the pre-existing beliefs and behaviors of men with a family history of prostate cancer and explore their intention to adopt possible preventive behaviors in response to test results. Methods: A survey was completed by 280 men (response: 59%). Results: The belief that diet influenced prostate cancer risk was held by 73% of participants, whereas 37% believed in medication/natural therapies. Thirty-nine percent reported at least one change to their diet, alcohol consumption, smoking, exercise patterns, vitamin/mineral/supplement intake and/or medication/natural therapy in response to their family history. The men expressed interest in genetic testing with 92% `definitely` or `probably` interested. Definite interest was associated with number of affected relatives and prostate cancer-related anxiety. A positive genetic test would motivate 93% of men to make at least one behavioral change. Conclusions: Participants commonly believed behavioral factors influenced prostate cancer risk and reported that they would alter their behavior to reduce risk after (hypothetical) genetic testing.

  • (2008) Large, M.; Nielssen, O.
    Journal Article
    Psychiatrists and psychologists acting as expert witnesses in court cases are often accused of bias or error. We examined the level of agreement and factors influencing agreement between expert reports admitted into evidence during adversarial civil proceedings. The inter-rater reliability of the psychiatric diagnosis was examined in 51 pairs of civil medicolegal reports written by experts engaged by the same side and 97 pairs of experts engaged by opposite sides. Reports written by experts engaged by the same adversarial side had good agreement about the presence of a mental disorder ({kappa} = .74) but had only fair agreement about the specific psychiatric diagnosis (average {kappa} = .31). Reports written by experts engaged by opposing adversarial sides had poor agreement about the presence of any mental disorder and also the specific psychiatric diagnosis. Experts were more likely to agree about the presence of a mental disorder if the plaintiff was involved in a fatal accident. The agreement of treating doctors and experts was similar to that of pairs of experts.

  • (2012) Sunderland, Matthew; Wong, Nora; Hilvert-Bruce, Zita; Andrews, Gavin
    Journal Article
    Internet based cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is efficacious for the treatment of anxiety and depression. The current study aimed to examine the effectiveness of internet based CBT prescribed by primary care clinicians for the treatment of depression and generalised anxiety disorder. Psychological distress data from 302 patients who completed an online CBT course for depression and 361 patients who completed an online CBT course for generalised anxiety disorder were subjected to growth mixture analysis. For both disorders psychological distress decreased across each lesson in a quadratic trend. Two classes of individuals were identified with different trajectories of change: a large group of individuals who responded well to the courses and a smaller group of individuals with a lower response. Both groups were similar with respect to sociodemographic characteristics however the low responders tended to have higher levels of symptom severity and psychological distress at baseline in comparison to the responders. For the majority of patients (75-80%) the internet CBT courses for depression and generalised anxiety disorder were effective. Further research is required to identify and effectively treat the smaller proportion of patients who did not improve during internet CBT.

  • (2013) Williams, Alishia; Lau, Gloria; Grisham, Jessica
    Journal Article
    Background and Objectives: Thought-action fusion (TAF), or maladaptive cognitions regarding the relationship between mental events and behaviours, has been implicated in the development and maintenance of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). As some religions promote TAF-like appraisals, it has been proposed that religiosity may play a role in the transformation of normally occurring intrusive thoughts into clinically distressing obsessions. No research, however, has experimentally investigated the mediating role of TAF on the relationship between religiosity and OC symptoms. Methods: 85 Christian, Jewish, and Atheist/Agnostic participants were exposed to an experimental thought-induction protocol and reported on their associated levels of distress, guilt, feelings of responsibility, and urge to suppress target intrusions experienced during a 5-minute monitoring period. Participants also completed measures of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology, TAF beliefs, and general psychopathology. Results: Using PROCESS and bootstrapping analyses, a test of the conditional indirect effects of religiosity on obsessive-compulsive symptoms revealed that Christianity moderated the effects of religiosity on moral TAF beliefs, which in turn mediated the relationship between religiosity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Furthermore, in the Christian group, moral TAF beliefs mediated the relationship between religiosity and ratings of guilt and responsibility following the experimental protocol. Limitations: The use of university students with moderate levels of religiosity. Conclusions: Collectively the results suggest that obsessional thinking is not attributable to religion per se, but that teachings underlying certain religious doctrines may fuel TAF beliefs that are implicated in the maintenance of OCD.

  • (2012) Funnell, Alister; Norton, Laura; Mak, Ka Sin; Burdach, John; Artuz, Crisbel; Twine, Natalie; Wilkins, Marc; Hung, TT; Perdomo, Jose; Power, Carl; Koh, P; Bell Anderson, Kim; Orkin, S; Fraser, Stuart; Perkins, Andrew; Pearson, Richard; Crossley, Merlin
    Journal Article
    The CACCC-box binding protein erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF/KLF1) is a master regulator that directs the expression of many important erythroid genes. We have previously shown that EKLF drives transcription of the gene for a second KLF, basic Krüppel-like factor, or KLF3. We have now tested the in vivo role of KLF3 in erythroid cells by examining Klf3 knockout mice. KLF3-deficient adults exhibit a mild compensated anemia, including enlarged spleens, increased red pulp, and a higher percentage of erythroid progenitors, together with elevated reticulocytes and abnormal erythrocytes in the peripheral blood. Impaired erythroid maturation is also observed in the fetal liver. We have found that KLF3 levels rise as erythroid cells mature to become TER119(+). Consistent with this, microarray analysis of both TER119(-) and TER119(+) erythroid populations revealed that KLF3 is most critical at the later stages of erythroid maturation and is indeed primarily a transcriptional repressor. Notably, many of the genes repressed by KLF3 are also known to be activated by EKLF. However, the majority of these are not currently recognized as erythroid-cell-specific genes. These results reveal the molecular and physiological function of KLF3, defining it as a feedback repressor that counters the activity of EKLF at selected target genes to achieve normal erythropoiesis.

  • (2014) Anderson, Amy; Hure, A; Forder, P; Powers, J; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Loxton, D
    Journal Article

  • (2012) Anderson, Amy; Hure, Alexis J; Powers, Jennifer; Kay-Lambkin, Frances; Loxton, Deborah J
    Journal Article

  • (2010) Short, Alison; Jackson, Wanda; Nugus, Peter
    Journal Article
    Purpose: The proposed CoPER project (Community of Practice for Engaging in Research) responds to a need for increased research capacity in a clinical setting. We put forward an argument and a design for a prospective action research project to extend research capacity via an integrated academic and practitioner community of practice in an Emergency Department (ED). Procedures: This paper explores the research needs of clinicians, articulates the concept of community of practice in light of these needs, and outlines the rationale for considering communities of practice as a potential contributor to building research capacity in a clinical setting. Findings: A potential methodology is suggested to test the linkage between research needs, the concept of a community of practice model in a clinical setting, and the contribution of such a model to building research capacity in a clinical setting via the CoPER framework. Conclusions: Combined data from this proposed mixed method action research (survey, focus groups, interviews, observation) are expected to enable the production of a set of facilitators and enablers with a view to building a community of research practice which make the case study transferable to other clinical and non-clinical work settings.

  • (2005) Zwi, Karen; Henry, RL
    Journal Article