Continuity of cancer care: Where do primary care practitioners fit in?

Cancer is the leading cause of illness in Australia and is a national health priority. Primary care in Australia is well positioned to support individuals diagnosed with cancer and their family/caretakers. However, obstacles exist that impact on the quality and continuity of care that primary care providers and community health professionals can provide. A rapid review of the research available revealed that the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs held by health professionals and patients can impact engagement in early detection, treatment and follow-up care. Health professionals have limited knowledge of evidence-based practices, while cancer literacy among minority groups, including Aboriginal Australians, is lower than the population overall. In this paper, we provide a summary of the rapid review of the literature and provide some recommendations based on our research

Shear-free, Irrotational, Geodesic, Anisotropic Fluid Cosmologies

General relativistic anisotropic fluid models whose fluid flow lines form a shear-free, irrotational, geodesic timelike congruence are examined. These models are of Petrov type D, and are assumed to have zero heat flux and an anisotropic stress tensor that possesses two distinct non-zero eigenvalues. Some general results concerning the form of the metric and the stress-tensor for these models are established. Furthermore, if the energy density and the isotropic pressure, as measured by a comoving observer, satisfy an equation of state of the form $p = p(\mu)$, with $\frac{dp}{d\mu} \neq -\frac{1}{3}$, then these spacetimes admit a foliation by spacelike hypersurfaces of constant Ricci scalar. In addition, models for which both the energy density and the anisotropic pressures only depend on time are investigated; both spatially homogeneous and spatially inhomogeneous models are found. A classification of these models is undertaken. Also, a particular class of anisotropic fluid models which are simple generalizations of the homogeneous isotropic cosmological models is studied.Comment: 13 pages LaTe

Do patients with long-term side effects of cancer treatment benefit from general practitioner support? A literature review

Background: Alongside specialist cancer clinics, general practitioners have an important role in cancer patients’ follow-up care, yet no literature summarises the nature, extent and impact of their involvement. This paper addresses this issue through a review of the literature. Methods: Studies were sourced from six academic databases - AustHealth (n = 202), CINAHL (n = 500), the Cochrane Library (reviews and trials; n = 200), Embase (n = 368), PHCRIS (n = 132) and PubMed/Medline (n = 410). Studies that focused on interventions designed for patients receiving follow-up care and reported cancer care provided by a general practitioner delivered alongside specialist care were reviewed. Results: A total of 19 papers were identified as relevant for this review (3 randomised control trials; 4 cross-sectional, 5 cohort and 3 qualitative studies, and 3 systematic reviews). The reviewed studies indicated that providing general practitioner-led supportive interventions for post-treatment care of cancer patients is feasible and acceptable to patients. General practitioner involvement resulted in improved physical and psychosocial well-being of patients and continuity of care, especially for patients with concomitant health conditions. Conclusion: Involving general practitioners in post-treatment cancer care is beneficial to patients. However, proactive initiatives that encourage and facilitate patients to consult their general practitioner about their needs or symptoms of recurrence should be considered

Selection of important input parameters using neural network trained with genetic algorithm for damage to light structures

Abstract not available

Increasing prevalence of male homosexual partnerships and practices in Britain 1990-2000: evidence from national probability surveys.

OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and timing of homosexual experience among British men; to explore the patterns of sexual practices and partnerships in 2000, and behavioural and attitudinal changes between 1990 and 2000 among men who have sex with men (MSM). DESIGN: Two large, stratified probability sample surveys of the general population. METHODS: Trained interviewers administered a combination of face-to-face and self-completion questionnaires to men aged 16 to 44 years resident in Britain (n = 6000 in 1990 and n = 4762 in 2000). RESULTS: In 2000, 2.8% of British men reported sex with men in the past 5 years. 46.0% of MSM reported five or more partners in the past 5 years, and 59.8% reported unprotected anal intercourse in the past year. A total of 33.0% of MSM reported one or more female partner(s) in the past year. In comparison with 1990, there was a significant increase in the proportion of MSM in the population in 2000, and among these men, in the proportion reporting receptive anal intercourse in the past year [age-adjusted odds ratio (OR), 2.08; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.08-4.00], but no significant change in self-perceived HIV-risk (age-adjusted OR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.49-2.51) or HIV testing in past 5 years (age-adjusted OR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.57-2.25). CONCLUSIONS: Evidence of increasing prevalence of homosexual intercourse among the British male population coupled with increases in some HIV-risk behaviours among MSM suggests overall increasing numbers at risk in the population. Although these changes may partly reflect an increased willingness to report these behaviours, our results are consistent with increasing incidence of sexually transmitted infections and behavioural surveillance data

Metabolic differences in colon mucosal cells

The colonic expression of cytochromes P450 from the CYP1A, CYP3A and CYP4B subfamilies has been characterized in rabbit and human tissues using RNA blotting, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry and hybridization histochemistry. These studies demonstrate negligible expression of the CYP1A subfamily in either rabbit or human colon. The CYP3A6 gene is expressed in rabbit colon although at markedly reduced levels relative to liver and small intestine. Whilst at least two CYP3A genes are expressed at the mRNA level in human colon tissue from some individuals, no expression was demonstrated in others. Where expression was observed, this expression was continuous throughout the length of the colon. In rabbits, CYP4B1 represents a major colon P450 enzyme, expressed at levels in colon comparable to liver and small intestine. In contrast, the human CYP4B1 gene is expressed at low levels in some individuals. These studies highlight individual differences in the expression of cytochrome P450 enzymes of importance in procarcinogen metabolism

A 4-week resistance training intervention improves stability, strength and neuromuscular activity in the lower limb: a case study of a cerebral palsy adult

Spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy, is a neurological disorder that results in some degree of spasticity. It is often associated with impairment of both normal and selective movement of the lower limbs, and some degree of muscular weakness. Resistance training is an established exercise intervention with numerous neurological benefits. Evidence suggests that resistance training can positively improve stability in young populations with cerebral palsy. However, little research exists in adult populations, who are at greater risk of inactivity due to ageing and an increase in sedentarism. A single-subject (aged 35-years old, 150.5 centimetres, 81 kilograms) case-study was therefore carried out to investigate the effectiveness of a 4-week resistance training intervention on stability, neuromuscular activity and force output in a male adult with cerebral palsy. The variables measured were total centre of pressure displacement, peak torque in both the quadriceps and hamstrings and Surface Electromyography (sEMG) activity in the Rectus Femoris (RF), Vastus Lateralis (VL), Biceps Femoris (BF) and Semitendinosus (ST). The results demonstrated that a 4-week resistance training intervention reduced total centre of pressure displacement (-51.34%) whilst concomitantly increased sEMG output (RF left +80% right +22%, VL left +160% right +26%, BF left +203% right +44%, ST left +40% right +90%) and peak torque values (right leg extension -7%, right leg flexion +29%, left leg extension +11%, left leg flexion +42%). In conclusion, this case study demonstrates that a 4-week resistance training intervention improves the stability of the participant, possibly through neurological adaptations and improvements to lower limb strength