19683 research outputs found
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Cross-cultural validation of the revised Green et al., paranoid thoughts scale
No full textBackground: With efforts increasing worldwide to understand and treat paranoia, there is a pressing need for cross-culturally valid assessments of paranoid beliefs. The recently developed Revised Green et al.Paranoid Thoughts Scale (R-GPTS) constitutes an easy to administer self-report assessment of mild ideas of reference and more severe persecutory thoughts. Moreover, it comes with clinical cut-offs for increased usability in research and clinical practice. With multiple translations of the R-GPTS already available and in use, a formal test of its measurement invariance is now needed. Methods: Using data from a multinational cross-sectional online survey in the UK, USA, Australia, Germany, and Hong Kong (N = 2510), we performed confirmatory factory analyses on the R-GPTS and tested for measurement invariance across sites. Results: We found sufficient fit for the two-factor structure (ideas of reference, persecutory thoughts) of the R-GPTS across cultures. Measurement invariance was found for the persecutory thoughts subscale, indicating that it does measure the same construct across the tested samples in the same way. For ideas of reference, we found no scalar invariance, which was traced back to (mostly higher) item intercepts in the Hong Kong sample. Conclusion: We found sufficient invariance for the persecutory thoughts scale, which is of substantial practical importance, as it is used for the screening of clinical paranoia. A direct comparison of the ideas of reference sum-scores between cultures, however, may lead to an over-estimation of these milder forms of paranoia in some (non-western) cultures.</p
Detection of biomarkers for characterizing smoke-taint in grapes
No full textAbstract: In a bushfire burning of plant material generates volatile phenolics that may be absorbed by berries and leaves of grapes in nearby vineyards. In grapes these phenolics form glycoconjugates and the undesirable sensory attributes of smoke-exposed grapes only develop post-fermentation in the wine making process, when the free phenolics are released. To reduce the financial losses from producing smoke-tainted wines, phenolic glycosides associated with smoke-taint in grapes are currently monitored in analytical laboratories. Here, we performed LC-MS analysis on extracts of diverse grape varieties of various geographic sites and with varying levels of smoke taint exposure. Discovery of smoke-taint biomarkers, based on untargeted analysis led to the identification of additional phenolic compounds that could contribute significantly to the smoke-tainted flavour of wine. A total of 73 differentially expressed metabolites were detected and LCMSMS analysis resulted in the structural assignment of 15 compounds, including guaiacol and syringol derivatives and novel glycoconguate intermediaries.</p
Making kin with more-than-human rights: Expert perspectives on human rights and drug policy
No full textGlobally, calls for drug law reform are growing. Importantly, many argue that reforms should be guided by human rights. These calls, while welcome, assume a shared understanding of and approach to human rights, and that human rights can effectively guide less punitive approaches to drugs. Such assumptions fail to recognise important critiques, including that human rights have not always protected the interests of those who fail to fit normative ideals of the ‘human’. Are human rights the best framework to repair drug policy injustices? This paper explores these issues, drawing on in-depth interviews conducted with 30 human rights experts – about half of whom openly identify as people who use drugs – from around the world. We find a variety of approaches to human rights, with both optimism and pessimism about their utility for drug policy. These perspectives incorporate reflections on the different ‘levels’ at which rights operate, the limitations of rights and the need to think and do rights relationally, or in more-than-human ways (e.g. Braidotti 2019; Schippers, 2019; Grear 2018; Barad 2007, 2003). This emphasis on relationality stems from identified entanglements between drug policy, animals, habitats, the environment, and humans. Combining Donna Haraway's work on ‘companion species’ (2003), ‘making kin and making kind’ (2016), with Suzanne Fraser's (Early online) call to trouble drugs, we consider ways to trouble human rights by making kin through them. We argue that rights are a potentially generative space within which to explore relationality and new kinds of kin-making. We argue for a ‘more-than-human rights’ approach, following the work of legal scholars such as Marie-Catherine Petersmann (Early online, 2022, 2021) and Emily Jones (2021). We argue that this approach allows us to be and become ‘response-able’ (that is, able to respond, following Haraway) to the world in which we live and the challenges our world faces.</p
The BALB/c.mdx62 mouse exhibits a dystrophic muscle pathology and is a novel model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy
No full textDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating monogenic skeletal muscle-wasting disorder. Although many pharmacological and genetic interventions have been reported in preclinical studies, few have progressed to clinical trials with meaningful benefit. Identifying therapeutic potential can be limited by availability of suitable preclinical mouse models. More rigorous testing across models with varied background strains and mutations can identify treatments for clinical success. Here, we report the generation of a DMD mouse model with a CRISPR-induced deletion within exon 62 of the dystrophin gene (Dmd) and the first generated in BALB/c mice. Analysis of mice at 3, 6 and 12 months of age confirmed loss of expression of the dystrophin protein isoform Dp427 and resultant dystrophic pathology in limb muscles and the diaphragm, with evidence of centrally nucleated fibers, increased inflammatory markers and fibrosis, progressive decline in muscle function, and compromised trabecular bone development. The BALB/c.mdx62 mouse is a novel model of DMD with associated variations in the immune response and muscle phenotype, compared with those of existing models. It represents an important addition to the preclinical model toolbox for developing therapeutic strategies
Barriers and enablers to accessing perinatal health services for rural Australian women: A qualitative exploration of rural health care providers perspectives
No full textObjective: To identify perceived barriers and enablers for rural women in accessing perinatal care within their own community from the perspective of perinatal health care providers. Design: A qualitative descriptive study design utilising reflexive thematic analysis, using the socioecological framework to organise and articulate findings. Setting: Victoria, Australia. Participants: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine perinatal health care providers who provide care to pregnant women or new mothers in rural communities. Participants were recruited across Victoria in 2023. Results: Providers reported multi-level barriers and enablers that exist for rural women in accessing perinatal care within their communities. Barriers included women's personal circumstances, challenging professional relationships, inequitable service provision, ineffective collaboration between services and clinicians and government funding models and policies. Enablers included strength and resilience of rural women, social capital within rural communities, flexible care delivery and innovative practice, rural culture and continuity of care models. Conclusion: Rural perinatal health care providers perceived that rural women face multiple barriers that are created or sustained by complex interpersonal, organisational, community and policy factors that are intrinsic to rural health care delivery. Several addressable factors were identified that create unnecessary barriers for rural women in engaging with perinatal care. These included education regarding health systems, rights and expectations, equitable distribution of perinatal services, improved interprofessional relationships and collaborative approaches to care and equity-based funding models for perinatal services regardless of geographical location
Impact of Interactions with a Puppy and Handler Versus a Handler Alone on Stress and Vitality in a University Setting: A Crossover Study
No full textBrief interactions with a well-behaved dog can enhance wellbeing, but most campus-based dog visitation programs employ adult, trained dogs. There is little research about the impact of puppies on wellbeing or stress in this context. The aim of this study was to examine changes in perceived stress and vitality after interacting with a puppy. Staff and students (N = 32) at an Australian university attended the campus on two occasions, one week apart, as part of a crossover design. Participants were pseudo-randomly allocated to a group whereby they spent 20 min interacting with a handler alone at Visit 1 and interacted with a puppy and handler at Visit 2, or another group which reversed the interaction order. Perceived stress and subjective vitality were measured before and after each interaction. The increase in vitality was greater in the group experiencing the puppy and handler interaction first (significant main effect, F(1,49) = 646.89, p = 0.024, η2p = 1.00), regardless of the visit, possibly due to a social lubricating effect by the puppy, which carried over to the ‘handler alone’ second visit. Reductions in perceived stress were greater after the interaction with the puppy, for both groups (significant interaction effect, F(1,49) = 5.13, p = 0.029, η2p = 0.11), indicating that the puppy’s presence can reduce stress more than the handler alone. This extends the evidence for university-based dog-facilitated wellbeing programs, by showing that interactions with puppies can also be effective. This is important as it may mean that puppies already on campus as part of a socialization/training program can be incorporated into wellbeing programs for staff and students.</p
Troubling complaint: Addressing hepatitis C-related stigma and discrimination through complaint mechanisms
No full textThe need to grapple with hepatitis C-related stigma and discrimination in Australian health-care settings has been recognised in public policy, and work is underway to address it. But how likely are people to raise a complaint when they experience stigma or discrimination? And how effective and accessible are complaints mechanisms? Given complaint procedures are considered important parts of the delivery of safe and ethical health care, these are important questions that have yet to be substantially explored. Drawing on interviews with people with lived experience of hepatitis C (n = 30), this article considers how affected people feel about complaints processes and the act of complaining. Alongside these perspectives, we discuss complaint mechanisms, and the views of stakeholders who work with hepatitis C-affected communities in policy, health, legal and advocacy roles (n = 30) on the institutional and cultural dynamics of complaint. We draw on Sara Ahmed’s Complaint! and Fraser et al.’s work on drug-related stigma to analyse these concerns that have yet to be researched, and argue that the (unlikely) prospect of successful complaint is a key part of the network of forces that perpetuate stigma, discrimination and disadvantage among people who have (lived with) hepatitis C. Although people with lived experience are often powerful advocates and acutely aware of the deficiencies in the quality of their treatment, our interviews suggest that the obstacles they face to accessing health care are seen as commonplace, intractable and insurmountable; and, that mechanisms for addressing them—where they exist at all—treat complaints in narrowly individualising terms and expose complainants to dismissal. Following Ahmed, we call for a ‘troubling’ of complaints—responding to them not as individual problems but rather as collective, structural concerns, necessitating new approaches
Drought prediction using artificial intelligence models based on climate data and soil moisture
No full textDrought is deemed a major natural disaster that can lead to severe economic and social implications. Drought indices are utilized worldwide for drought management and monitoring. However, as a result of the inherent complexity of drought phenomena and hydroclimatic condition differences, no universal drought index is available for effectively monitoring drought across the world. Therefore, this study aimed to develop a new meteorological drought index to describe and forecast drought based on various artificial intelligence (AI) models: decision tree (DT), generalized linear model (GLM), support vector machine, artificial neural network, deep learning, and random forest. A comparative assessment was conducted between the developed AI-based indices and nine conventional drought indices based on their correlations with multiple drought indicators. Historical records of five drought indicators, namely runoff, along with deep, lower, root, and upper soil moisture, were utilized to evaluate the models’ performance. Different combinations of climatic datasets from Alice Springs, Australia, were utilized to develop and train the AI models. The results demonstrated that the rainfall anomaly drought index was the best conventional drought index, scoring the highest correlation (0.718) with the upper soil moisture. The highest correlation between the new and conventional indices was found between the DT-based index and the rainfall anomaly index at a value of 0.97, whereas the lowest correlation was 0.57 between the GLM and the Palmer drought severity index. The GLM-based index achieved the best performance according to its high correlations with conventional drought indicators, e.g., a correlation coefficient of 0.78 with the upper soil moisture. Overall, the developed AI-based drought indices outperformed the conventional indices, hence contributing effectively to more accurate drought forecasting and monitoring. The findings emphasized that AI can be a promising and reliable prediction approach for achieving better drought assessment and mitigation
Harmony data and analysis guides
No full textThese are raw data and analysis plans from a cluster randomised trial in general practice in Melbourne, Victoria, AUSTRALIA that aimed to test a complex system intervention to improve GP identification, safety planning and referral of South Asian women experiencing family/domestic violence.To access these data, please contact Emeritus Professor Angela Taft ([email protected]) for access to data or any of the authors listed.</p
A qualitative meta-synthesis of carers’ perceptions of factors influencing preschool children’s oral hygiene practices—A social practices perspective
No full textObjectives: This study comprises a synthesis of published qualitative studies from developed countries on the perspectives of carers regarding the oral hygiene toothbrushing practices of preschool children, through the lens of social practice theory. Methods: A search of the following electronic databases was conducted for all available years: MEDLINE, EMBASE and Global Health using the Ovid platform; Dentistry & Oral Sciences Source (DOSS), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Scopus. Included qualitative studies reported primary caregivers' perceptions of oral hygiene practices (focusing on toothbrushing) in preschool children (0–5 years old) in developed countries. A thematic synthesis of the qualitative findings was undertaken for the results of each study. Results: Eleven articles were included in this meta-synthesis. The focus of this paper was toothbrushing practices. A conceptual map of toothbrushing as a social practice was developed. Key findings included practice elements (meanings, competences, and materials), spatial and temporal aspects, and barriers and facilitators to performance. Conclusions: The application of a social practice lens to published qualitative research on the oral hygiene of preschool children provided insights into the meanings and competences related to toothbrushing, as perceived by primary caregivers. However, it also revealed limited information on material, spatial and temporal aspects of toothbrushing practices, indicating the importance of considering social practice theory as a framework in future research to address this gap. Furthermore, exploring toothbrushing in connection with related social practices has the potential to increase understanding of factors influencing oral health in preschool children