University of the Sunshine Coast
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Interactive impact of childhood maltreatment, depression, and age on cortical brain structure: mega-analytic findings from a large multi-site cohort
No full textBACKGROUND:
Childhood maltreatment (CM) plays an important role in the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this study was to examine whether CM severity and type are associated with MDD-related brain alterations, and how they interact with sex and age.
METHODS:
Within the ENIGMA-MDD network, severity and subtypes of CM using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were assessed and structural magnetic resonance imaging data from patients with MDD and healthy controls were analyzed in a mega-analysis comprising a total of 3872 participants aged between 13 and 89 years. Cortical thickness and surface area were extracted at each site using FreeSurfer.
RESULTS:
CM severity was associated with reduced cortical thickness in the banks of the superior temporal sulcus and supramarginal gyrus as well as with reduced surface area of the middle temporal lobe. Participants reporting both childhood neglect and abuse had a lower cortical thickness in the inferior parietal lobe, middle temporal lobe, and precuneus compared to participants not exposed to CM. In males only, regardless of diagnosis, CM severity was associated with higher cortical thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Finally, a significant interaction between CM and age in predicting thickness was seen across several prefrontal, temporal, and temporo-parietal regions.
CONCLUSIONS:
Severity and type of CM may impact cortical thickness and surface area. Importantly, CM may influence age-dependent brain maturation, particularly in regions related to the default mode network, perception, and theory of mind
Undergraduate Students Experience of Nutrition Education Using the Flipped Classroom Approach: A Descriptive Cohort Study
No full textObjective:
To explore undergraduate students self-reported learning experience in a foundation nutrition education course/unit delivered using a flipped classroom approach (FCA), which requires students to complete independent learning before and after interactive in-class learning experiences.
Methods:
A descriptive cohort study design used selected items from a self-report flipped classroom student engagement questionnaire to assess Australian undergraduate student (n = 105) engagement in the course/unit and compared with nonflipped courses, preference for FCA, academic achievement, learning behaviors for 3 FCA learning phases, and more or less engaging aspects of the course/unit.
Results:
Most (66.5%) students were engaged or very engaged, with half (55%) more engaged in this course/unit compared with other nonflipped courses/units with a preference for the FCA (53%). Almost half of the students agreed the FCA improved their academic performance (grade) (45%) and other academic skills (ie, teamwork) (48.5%). Most student comments related to the value of participate phase activities.
Conclusions and Implications:
The FCA engaged most students in learning and is an emerging learning and teaching approach appropriate for undergraduate nutrition dietetic education
Primary immunodeficiency disease: a cost-utility analysis comparing intravenous vs subcutaneous immunoglobulin replacement therapy in Australia
No full textBackground. Hospital-based intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment has been the standard treatment mode for patients with primary immunodeficiency disease (PID). With the newer home-based subcutaneous immunoglobulin (SCIg) becoming approved for use in most countries, the question arises as to whether SCIg is a cost-effective treatment mode compared to IVIg in Australia.
Materials and methods. We developed a Markov cohort simulation model with six health states: PID without infection, PID with infection treated at home or hospital, bronchiectasis without infection, bronchiectasis with infection treated at home or hospital, bronchiectasis with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection, and death, from an Australian healthcare system perspective. A 10-year time horizon with weekly cycles was chosen, and the expected costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) of the two treatment options estimated.
Results. The cumulative 10-year cost per patient was 297,547 Australian dollars (A 251,713 for SCIg. IVIg resulted in 5.55 QALYs and SCIg 5.57 QALYs. Thus, SCIg appears to be a cost-saving option and possibly improves QALY from the Australian healthcare system perspective (i.e., the dominant treatment option). A probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that the SCIg option is preferred in 93.2% of simulations given willingness to pay of A$ 50,000 per QALY gained.
Discussion. The results suggest that home-based SCIg is a cost-effective treatment option for patients with PID in Queensland, Australia
What works in fraud prevention: a review of real-world intervention projects
No full textPurpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on a search of criminology and related databases to identify fraud prevention intervention projects that showed promising achievements in reducing offences. Design/methodology/approach: A keyword search of Criminal Justice Abstracts was supplemented by searches of related databases and case study repositories – conducted up to 31 May 2019. The paper includes some attention to indicators of “what doesn’t work” as well as “what might work” or “what should work”. Selection criteria were open about evidence, rather than exclusively applying strict scientific standards. Findings: Overall, the literature is marked by inferences regarding what should work, based on diagnostics about opportunity factors in fraud and victim characteristics. In terms of evaluated intervention projects, only two were identified that met best practice scientific standards. However, a further 17 projects were included where there was some evidence of a likely benefit. Research limitations/implications: Available evaluations of intervention projects are predominantly within-in group studies. Pre- and post-intervention time frames are often short, limited to one year or less; with only one follow-up study. Practical implications: The findings demonstrate the need for applied experiments to build knowledge about effective fraud reduction strategies. The main lesson from the content of the 19 projects concerns the value of a situational crime prevention framework for designing and testing interventions, especially through enhancing rule setting, reducing anonymity, extending guardianship and formal surveillance, and facilitating compliance. Originality/value: This appears to be the first systematic literature review of applied counter-fraud intervention projects
The fear and risk of community falls in patients following an intensive care admission: An exploratory cohort study
No full textBackground: Muscle weakness and impairments in physical functioning are well-recognised sequelae after critical illness. Whether individuals have a higher risk of community falls and a fear of falling has not been examined amongst individuals after critical illness. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the prevalence of falls, fear of falling, and fall risk in intensive care unit (ICU) survivors over a 6-month period after hospital discharge. Methods: This was a nested exploratory study within a medical ICU. Fall prevalence was measured in line with established guidelines over 6 months after ICU discharge. Fear of falling and prediction of fall risk were assessed at 2, 4, and 6 months after discharge. Results: Twelve individuals were included. Half of the cohort (n = 6) had at least one fall, with one-third sustaining more than one fall. There were 17 falls reported across the six individuals. Injuries requiring medical intervention were reported with five falls. Almost one-third were classified as ‘moderate’ to ‘severe’ injurious falls. Loss of balance and fatigue were reported as the main contributors to the falls. All individuals who had a fall reported a severe fear of falling at 2 months. Individuals classified as having ‘moderate’ to ‘high’ risk of falls at 2 months were more likely to have at least one fall. Conclusions: This study suggests that ICU survivors may have a high fall risk, fear of falling, and fall prevalence, which can result in significant injury
Shifting the instructional paradigm in higher education classrooms in Ethiopia: What happens when we use cooperative learning pedagogies more seriously?
No full textThis study examines the relative effectiveness of formal cooperative learning (CL) compared to the traditional lecture-based instructions in improving instructional processes and learning outcomes. For this, the study used non-equivalent control groups design, collecting data from a sample of volunteered undergraduate students (n = 347) in a large public University in Ethiopia. In general, results indicate that higher perception of academic challenge, cooperative interaction, learning gains, and overall satisfaction were associated with formal CL, rather than traditional lecture-based instructions. In addition, results show that cooperative learning lessons were associated with more positive relations between academic challenge, cooperative interaction, learning gains, and overall satisfaction. Implications for higher education teaching and learning from a social interdependence theory perspective is discussed
The critical need for reciprocity between educational migrants and communities for continuing education and socio‐cultural capital in Laos
No full textReciprocity between student success and community support has emerged as a strong theme in a phenomenological case study that was conducted amongst post‐primary educational migrant students1 in Laos. Students clearly articulated their dependence upon community support and the ways in which they gave back to their communities in exchange for their continuing education. The descriptions of their experiences were indicative of hierarchical interdependence and highlighted the effects of urbanisation on educational migrants and their lifelong learning. This study draws on Bourdieu's capital theory to understand community and reciprocity as indicators of cultural and social capital. Findings revealed that building relationships between students and their communities is essential to advancing post‐primary education in Laos
The Routledge Handbook of Critical Pedagogies for Social Work
No full textThe Routledge Handbook of Critical Pedagogies for Social Work traverses new territory by providing a cutting-edge overview of the work of classic and contemporary theorists, in a way that expands their application and utility in social work education and practice; thus, providing a bridge between critical theory, philosophy, and social work. Each chapter showcases the work of a specific critical educational, philosophical and/or social theorist including: Henry Giroux, Michel Foucault, Cornelius Castoriadis, Herbert Marcuse, Paulo Freire, bell hooks, Joan Tronto, Iris Marion Young, Karl Marx, Antonio Gramsci and many others to elucidate the ways in which their key pedagogic concepts can be applied to specific aspects of social work education and practice. The text exhibits a range of research-based approaches to educating social work practitioners as agents of social change. It provides a robust and much needed, alternative paradigm to the technique-driven ‘conservative revolution’ currently being fostered by neoliberalism in both social work education and practice. The volume will be instructive for social work educators who aim to teach for social change, by assisting students to develop counter-hegemonic practices of resistance and agency, and reflecting on the pedagogic role of social work practice more widely. The volume holds relevance for both postgraduate and undergraduate/qualifying social work and human services courses around the world
International crime
No full textWhat is crime? How much crime is there in our community? Why do people offend? How do we prevent crime? The text is written by leading Australian criminologists and aims to answer these questions.
This book is for university students (particularly suited to first-year students) and others interested in crime to the fields of criminology and criminal justice. Each chapter is written by one or more of Australia’s most widely respected authorities on criminology, lending this collection legitimacy and currency.
The contributors to this volume guide readers through contemporary research on crime and criminality from Australia and overseas. The large majority of chapters do not simply summarise current knowledge but include data from the authors’ original research, as well as offering distinctive insights and policy recommendations.
The content in the text is a blend of Australian and international research, content and context.
This text can be delivered via Revel, offering an interactive learning experience available on all devices. Revel is an additional cost and not included in the book's price. [Book Synopsis
Brain N-Acetyl Aspartate and associations with cognitive impairment in alcohol dependent patients
No full textIntroduction: Chronic alcohol consumption has been observed to be associated with a range of cognitive impairments that impact on treatment management. In this spectroscopy study, we examined the association of N-Acetyl Aspartate (NAA), a marker of neuronal integrity, and cognitive impairment in alcohol dependent patients.
Method: Using in vivo proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), we examined brain metabolite levels in 31 alcohol dependent individuals. 1H-MRS from the parietal lobe were analyzed to yield absolute concentrations of NAA. Alcohol history, neurocognitive function including Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Mini Mental State Exam (MMSE), Trial Making Test (TMT) and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were also assessed. Covariates included concurrent medication, age and recent alcohol consumption.
Results: There were statistically significant bivariate associations between NAA and the variables age, CDT and BART (r = −.45, P = 01; r = −.53, P = .01; r = .49, P = .02) respectively) but there were no statistically significant associations with other measures of cognitive function. Controlling for age, concurrent medication and recent alcohol consumption, multiple linear regression revealed a negative association between parietal NAA (Model: F = 6.96, R2 = .66, P = .001) and CDT scores (B = −.35, P = .03), a positive association with BART scores (B = .47, P = .02).
Conclusion: These results demonstrate that in alcohol dependent patients lower NAA/Cr is associated with reduced cognitive functioning and increased risk-taking