210 research outputs found

    Study of Photoluminescence Behaviour of Porous Silicon Samples Prepared at 20 mA Current Density

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    The paper presents a study on a series of porous silicon films of various thicknesses, prepared at 20 mA current density using a photoluminescence fitting model to determine the average crystallite size of sphe-rical shaped interconnected silicon quantum dots. Discrepancy in photoluminescence behavior of the samples is well explained with this model. When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/3097

    Australian Indigenous model of mental healthcare based on transdiagnostic cognitive–behavioural therapy co-designed with the Indigenous community: protocol for a randomised controlled trial

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    Background A four- to seven-fold increase in the prevalence of current mood, anxiety, substance use and any mental disorders in Indigenous adults compared with non-Indigenous Australians has been reported. A lifetime prevalence of major depressive disorder was 23.9%. High rates of comorbid mental disorders indicated a transdiagnostic approach to treatment might be most appropri- ate. The effectiveness of psychological treatment for Indigenous Australians and adjunct Indigenous spiritual and cultural healing has not previously been evaluated in controlled clinical trials. Aims This project aims to develop, deliver and evaluate the effectiveness of an Indigenous model of mental healthcare (IMMHC). Trial registration: ANZCTR Registration Number: ACTRN12618001746224 and World Health Organization Universal Trial Number: U1111-1222-5849. Method The IMMHC will be based on transdiagnostic cognitive–behav- iour therapy co-designed with the Indigenous community to ensure it is socially and culturally appropriate for Indigenous Australians. The IMMHC will be evaluated in a randomised con- trolled trial with 110 Indigenous adults diagnosed with a current diagnosis of depression. The primary outcome will be the severity of depression symptoms as determined by changes in Beck Depression Inventory-II score at 6 months post-interven- tion. Secondary outcomes include anxiety, substance use disorder and quality of life. Outcomes will be assessed at base- line, 6 months post-intervention and 12 months post- intervention. Results The study design adheres to the Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) statement recommendations and CONSORT extensions for pilot trials. We followed the Standard Protocol Items for Randomised Trials statement recommenda- tions in writing the trial protocol. Conclusions This study will likely benefit participants, as well as collaborating Aboriginal Medical Services and health organisations. The transdiagnostic IMMHC has the potential to have a substantial impact on health services delivery in the Indigenous health sector

    Common mental disorders among Indigenous people living in regional, remote and metropolitan Australia: a cross-sectional study

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    Objective: To determine, using face-to-face diagnostic interviews, the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) in a cohort of adult Indigenous Australians, the cultural acceptability of the interviews, the rates of comorbid CMD and concordance with psychiatrists’ diagnoses. Design: Cross-sectional study July 2014–November 2016. Psychologists conducted Structured Clinical Interviews for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) (n=544). Psychiatrists interviewed a subsample (n=78). Setting: Four Aboriginal Medical Services and the general community located in urban, regional and remote areas of Southern Queensland and two Aboriginal Reserves located in New South Wales. Participants: Indigenous Australian adults. Outcome measures: Cultural acceptability of SCID-I interviews, standardised rates of CMD, comorbid CMD and concordance with psychiatrist diagnoses. Results: Participants reported that the SCID-I interviews were generally culturally acceptable. Standardised rates (95% CI) of current mood, anxiety, substance use and any mental disorder were 16.2% (12.2% to 20.2%), 29.2% (24.2% to 34.1%), 12.4% (8.8% to 16.1%) and 42.2% (38.8% to 47.7%), respectively—6.7-fold, 3.8-fold, 6.9- fold and 4.2-fold higher, respectively, than those of the Australian population. Differences between this Indigenous cohort and the Australian population were less marked for 12-month (2.4-fold) and lifetime prevalence (1.3-fold). Comorbid mental disorder was threefold to fourfold higher. In subgroups living on traditional lands in Indigenous reserves and in remote areas, the rate was half that of those living in mainstream communities. Moderate-to- good concordance with psychiatrist diagnoses was found. Conclusions: The prevalence of current CMD in this Indigenous population is substantially higher than previous estimates. The lower relative rates of non-current disorders are consistent with underdiagnosis of previous events. The lower rates among Reserve and remote area residents point to the importance of Indigenous peoples’ connection to their traditional lands and culture, and a potentially important protective factor. A larger study with random sampling is required to determine the population prevalence of CMD in Indigenous Australians

    Assessing the priority of human rights and mental health: the PHRAME approach

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    Background Protecting all human rights of people with mental health conditions is globally important. However, to facilitate practical implementation of rights, it is often necessary to decide which of these rights should be given priority, especially when they conflict with each other. Aims The aim of the Priorities of Human Rights and Mental Health (PHRAME) project is to develop a replicable approach to establish a proposed set of high-priority human rights of people with mental health conditions, to facilitate practical decision-making and implementation of such rights. Method A two-stage Delphi-style study with stakeholders was conducted to generate a list of key rights of people with mental health conditions, and rank priorities among these rights in terms of feasibility, urgency and overall importance. Results The stakeholders in this study consistently ranked three rights as top priorities: (a) the right to freedom from torture, cruel inhuman treatment and punishment; (b) the right to health and access to services/treatment; and (c) the right to protection and safety in emergency situations. Conclusions Insights from PHRAME can support decision-making about the priority to be given to human rights, to guide practical action. This approach can also be used to assess how human rights are prioritised in different settings and by different stakeholders. This study identifies the clear need for a central voice for people with lived experience in research and implementation of decisions about the priority of human rights, ensuring that action respects the opinion of people whose rights are directly affected

    Digital health, cardiometabolic disease and ethnicity: an analysis of United Kingdom government policies from 2010 to 2022

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    Recent health policies in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally have focussed on digitisation of healthcare. We examined UK policies for evidence of government action addressing health inequalities and digital health, using cardiometabolic disease as an exemplar. Using a systematic search methodology, we identified 87 relevant policy documents published between 2010 and 2022. We found increasing emphasis on digital health, including for prevention, diagnosis and management of cardiometabolic disease. Several policies also focused on tackling health inequalities and improving digital access. The COVID-19 pandemic amplified inequalities. No policies addressed ethnic inequalities in digital health for cardiometabolic disease, despite high prevalence in minority ethnic communities. Our findings suggest that creating opportunities for digital inclusion and reduce longer-term health inequalities, will require future policies to focus on: the heterogeneity of ethnic groups; cross-sectoral disadvantages which contribute to disease burden and digital accessibility; and disease-specific interventions which lend themselves to culturally tailored solutions

    Pathways to prevention: closing the gap in Indigenous suicide intervention pathways

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    Background: The overall Australian suicide rate has reached a 10-year high, with 3027 deaths reported last year alone. In Queensland, 109 children under the age of 18 took their lives in just the past four years; of these 31 were only between 5 and 14 years of age. Indigenous people are also twice as likely to die by suicide, with 152 deaths reported in the past year. Despite this, it is still unclear how effective existing suicide intervention pathways are in providing appropriate management of Indigenous people at risk of suicide. The aim of this study was to explore current pathways for Indigenous suicide prevention, identify gaps, and explore alternate models that are appropriate for Indigenous communities. Methods: Semi-structured, face-to-face, community consultations with 29 individuals, and 19 service providers or community organisations, were conducted across five rural and regional towns of Queensland. The consultation sessions discussed existing pathways for suicide prevention, and attributed of models of effective pathways. Thematic analysis was performed to identify and analyse patterns and consistent themes. Results: Community consultations identified that current pathways were not effective or culturally appropriate for Indigenous people at risk; and not sustainable for rural and remote Indigenous communities. Suggestions focused on implementing social, emotional, cultural, and spiritual underpinnings of community wellbeing. Identifying 'roles' within the local community and having each individual playing their own role, may lead to a sustainable suicide prevention model. Training is necessary for Indigenous communities, so they can identify people at risk, provide appropriate interventions, and prevent future risk of suicide. Indigenous appropriate suicide intervention training is also necessary for front-line service providers, so that those at risk are provided appropriate intervention, and support. Conclusions: Evaluations of current pathways indicate that an Indigenous community-led approach is essential to encourage connectedness, and prevent suicide. Providing culturally appropriate training is more likely to provide effective solutions for Indigenous communities

    Common mental disorders among Indigenous people living in regional, remote and metropolitan Australia: a cross-sectional study

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    Objective To determine, using face-to-face diagnostic interviews, the prevalence of common mental disorders (CMD) in a cohort of adult Indigenous Australians, the cultural acceptability of the interviews, the rates of comorbid CMD and concordance with psychiatrists' diagnoses. Design Cross-sectional study July 2014–November 2016. Psychologists conducted Structured Clinical Interviews for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision Axis I Disorders (SCID-I) (n=544). Psychiatrists interviewed a subsample (n=78). Setting Four Aboriginal Medical Services and the general community located in urban, regional and remote areas of Southern Queensland and two Aboriginal Reserves located in New South Wales. Participants Indigenous Australian adults. Outcome measures Cultural acceptability of SCID-I interviews, standardised rates of CMD, comorbid CMD and concordance with psychiatrist diagnoses. Results Participants reported that the SCID-I interviews were generally culturally acceptable. Standardised rates (95% CI) of current mood, anxiety, substance use and any mental disorder were 16.2% (12.2% to 20.2%), 29.2% (24.2% to 34.1%), 12.4% (8.8% to 16.1%) and 42.2% (38.8% to 47.7%), respectively—6.7-fold, 3.8-fold, 6.9-fold and 4.2-fold higher, respectively, than those of the Australian population. Differences between this Indigenous cohort and the Australian population were less marked for 12-month (2.4-fold) and lifetime prevalence (1.3-fold). Comorbid mental disorder was threefold to fourfold higher. In subgroups living on traditional lands in Indigenous reserves and in remote areas, the rate was half that of those living in mainstream communities. Moderate-to-good concordance with psychiatrist diagnoses was found. Conclusions The prevalence of current CMD in this Indigenous population is substantially higher than previous estimates. The lower relative rates of non-current disorders are consistent with underdiagnosis of previous events. The lower rates among Reserve and remote area residents point to the importance of Indigenous peoples' connection to their traditional lands and culture, and a potentially important protective factor. A larger study with random sampling is required to determine the population prevalence of CMD in Indigenous Australians

    Combined Effect of Disc Coulters and Operational Speeds on Soil Disturbance and Crop Residue Cutting under No-Tillage System in Soil Bin

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    In the present study, a residue cutting system comprising of different disc coulters (plain, notch, curved teeth, cutter bar and star wheel) was developed and its performance was evaluated under no-tillage system in soil bin. The performance of residue cutting system was evaluated by performing a total of 135 experiments (including replications) in soil bin (black cotton soil, moisture content: 16.8–18.4% db and cone index: 1600±100 kPa) using forward speeds of 0.56, 0.83 and 1.11 m∙s−1 under the crop residues of rice (8 t∙ha−1), wheat (8 t∙ha−1) and maize (16 t∙ha−1). The effects of disc coulters and operational speeds on performance parameters viz. penetration depth, top width, soil disturbance and residue cutting were investigated. For all type of disc coulters, penetration depth and top width were found in the range of 5–10 and 0.6–5.7 cm, respectively. The least soil disturbance was observed for star wheel disc coulter under maize residue. The operational speeds of 0.56 and 1.11 m∙s−1 favored lesser soil disturbance. The highest mean residue cutting was observed for star wheel disc coulter (98.15%) followed by notched (84.12%), curved teeth (75.82%), plain (61.82%) and cutter bar blade disc coulter (52.12%). The change in forward speed did not produce significant effect on residue cutting. Star wheel disc coulter was effective in cutting of medium to heavy residue loads of rice, wheat and maize crops along with minimal soil disturbance
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