35 research outputs found
The Complex Realities of Indigenous Health Care Delivery
The indigenous population of Australia faces a life expectancy that is eighteen years lower than the general population. This study addresses this incredible disparity by exploring the historical, cultural and social forces that impact on health status, focussing especially on health care service utilisation. Qualitative methods of interviewing and participant observation have been used to examine the two sectors of Aboriginal health service delivery in urban Victoria: Aboriginal community controlled health organisations (ACCHOs) and mainstream organisations. Accounting for the complex forces and realities in health service delivery, this is a discussion of the important components of the current realities for ACCHOs and mainstream organisations providing care to indigenous people. Further, it proposes a necessary future direction to improve current care: the forging of partnerships between the two sectors
Indorsing Infant Immunity: An Argument for Criminalizing Parents\u27 Refusal to Immunize Their Children
The effects of vegetation density and habitat disturbance on the spatial distribution of ixodid ticks (Acari: Ixodidae)
Larval, nymphal, and adult Amblyomma americanum (L.), and adult Dermacentor variabilis (Say) ticks were
collected using timed dragging techniques, in an attempt to examine how different habitat variables affect models that
describe the distribution of ticks in Virginia, USA. Tick count data were modeled using two approaches: (i) habitat and
edge, and (ii) habitat, edge, vegetation density and levels of disturbance. Nymphs and adults tended to follow a forest
edge distribution when analysed by habitat and edge. Using all variables, we detected a positive relationship with forest
edges and negative associations with high-density vegetation. When larvae were modeled by habitat and edge, we
failed to detect associations with the edges of habitats. When all variables were included in the larval analysis, disturbed
meadow edges emerged as important in the first year, and the categories of disturbed and maturing habitat in the second
year. Vegetation density and levels of disturbance were marginally important towards explaining the distribution
of nymphs and adults; however, levels of disturbance were potentially more important to the distribution of larvae, than
habitat types. Using the habitat and edge variables, and predicted mean encounter rates for all stages of A. americanum
and adult D. variabilis, we successfully cross-validated our predictions of high, moderate and low tick densities in both
years. The results for nymphs and adults were combined to develop a colour-coded threat assessment map. We estimated
that the majority of ticks were located on ~ 20% of the landscape. The potential uses of geographical information
system-based threat maps are discussed
Large-scale assessment of 7-11-year-oldsâ cognitive and sensorimotor function within the Born in Bradford longitudinal birth cohort study
Background:Â Cognitive ability and sensorimotor function are crucial aspects of childrenâs development, and are associated with physical and mental health outcomes and educational attainment. This paper describes cross-sectional sensorimotor and cognitive function data collected on over 15,000 children aged 7-10 years, collected as part of the Born in Bradford (BiB) longitudinal birth-cohort study. Methodological details of the large-scale data collection process are described, along with initial analyses of the data involving the relationship between cognition/sensorimotor ability and age and task difficulty, and associations between tasks. Method: Data collection was completed in 86 schools between May 2016 and July 2019. Children were tested at school, individually, using a tablet computer with a digital stylus or finger touch for input. Assessments comprised a battery of three sensorimotor tasks (Tracking, Aiming, & Steering) and five cognitive tasks (three Working Memory tasks, Inhibition, and Processing Speed), which took approximately 40 minutes. Results: Performance improved with increasing age and decreasing task difficulty, for each task. Performance on all three sensorimotor tasks was correlated, as was performance on the three working memory tasks. In addition, performance on a composite working memory score correlated with performance on both inhibition and processing speed. Interestingly, within age-group variation was much larger than between age-group variation. Conclusions: The current project collected computerised measures of a range of cognitive and sensorimotor functions at 7-10 years of age in over 15,000 children. Performance varied as expected by age and task difficulty, and showed the predicted correlations between related tasks. Large within-age group variation highlights the need to consider the profile of individual children in studying cognitive and sensorimotor development. These data can be linked to the wider BiB dataset including measures of physical and mental health, biomarkers and genome-wide data, socio-demographic information, and routine data from local health and education services.</p
LEF-1 drives aberrant ÎČ-catenin nuclear localization in myeloid leukemia cells
Canonical Wnt/ÎČ-catenin signaling is frequently dysregulated in myeloid leukemias and is implicated in leukemogenesis. Nuclear-localized ÎČ-catenin is indicative of active Wnt signaling and is frequently observed in acute myeloid leukemia patients; however, some patients exhibit little or no nuclear ÎČ-catenin even where cytosolic ÎČ-catenin is abundant. Control of the subcellular localization of ÎČ-catenin therefore represents an additional mechanism regulating Wnt signaling in hematopoietic cells. To investigate the factors mediating the nuclear-localization of ÎČ-catenin we carried out the first nuclear/cytoplasmic proteomic analysis of the ÎČ-catenin interactome in myeloid leukemia cells and identified putative novel ÎČ-catenin interactors. Comparison of interacting factors between Wnt-responsive cells (high nuclear ÎČ-catenin) versus Wnt-unresponsive cells (low nuclear ÎČ-catenin) suggested the transcriptional partner, LEF-1, could direct the nuclear-localization of ÎČ-catenin. The relative levels of nuclear LEF-1 and ÎČ-catenin were tightly correlated in both cell lines and in primary AML blasts. Furthermore, LEF-1 knockdown perturbed ÎČ-catenin nuclear-localization and transcriptional activation in Wnt-responsive cells. Conversely, LEF-1 overexpression was able to promote both nuclear-localization and ÎČ-catenin-dependent transcriptional responses in previously Wnt-unresponsive cells. This is the first ÎČ-catenin interactome study in hematopoietic cells and reveals LEF-1 as a mediator of nuclear ÎČ-catenin level human myeloid leukemia
Gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: The United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China
The current study investigates gender differences in behavioral regulation in four societies: the United States, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Directly assessed individual behavioral regulation (HeadâToesâKneesâShoulders, HTKS), teacher-rated classroom behavioral regulation (Child Behavior Rating Scale, CBRS) and a battery of school readiness assessments (mathematics, vocabulary, and early literacy) were used with 814 young children (ages 3â6Â years). Results showed that girls in the United States had significantly higher individual behavioral regulation than boys, but there were no significant gender differences in any Asian societies. In contrast, teachers in Taiwan, South Korea, as well as the United States rated girls as significantly higher than boys on classroom behavioral regulation. In addition, for both genders, individual and classroom behavioral regulation were related to many aspects of school readiness in all societies for girls and boys. Universal and culturally specific findings and their implications are discussed
Perceptions about hemodialysis and transplantation among African American adults with end-stage renal disease: inferences from focus groups
The genomic landscape of balanced cytogenetic abnormalities associated with human congenital anomalies
Despite the clinical significance of balanced chromosomal abnormalities (BCAs), their characterization has largely been restricted to cytogenetic resolution. We explored the landscape of BCAs at nucleotide resolution in 273 subjects with a spectrum of congenital anomalies. Whole-genome sequencing revised 93% of karyotypes and demonstrated complexity that was cryptic to karyotyping in 21% of BCAs, highlighting the limitations of conventional cytogenetic approaches. At least 33.9% of BCAs resulted in gene disruption that likely contributed to the developmental phenotype, 5.2% were associated with pathogenic genomic imbalances, and 7.3% disrupted topologically associated domains (TADs) encompassing known syndromic loci. Remarkably, BCA breakpoints in eight subjects altered a single TAD encompassing MEF2C, a known driver of 5q14.3 microdeletion syndrome, resulting in decreased MEF2C expression. We propose that sequence-level resolution dramatically improves prediction of clinical outcomes for balanced rearrangements and provides insight into new pathogenic mechanisms, such as altered regulation due to changes in chromosome topology
Piano-Stool Lutetium Amido and Imido Compounds Supported by a Constrained Bis(oxazoline)cyclopentadienyl Ligand
The Effects of Music on Childrenâs Sleep Patterns at Naptime in an Infant/Toddler Classroom
This mixed method study investigates the effects of type and timing of music on childrenâs sleep latency and duration at naptime in an infant/toddler classroom. Sleep is critical in the early years of life to ensure healthy growth and development and music has been known to promote relaxation and the preconditions for sleep. Data was collected in one infant/toddler classroom at an Early Head Start site in the Northeast. The type and timing of music exposure prior to naptime were varied for six weeks. Childrenâs length of time it took to fall asleep, how long they slept for, and notes about other factors that may have influenced sleep patterns were recorded. Results showed that type and timing of music did not have a significant effect on childrenâs sleep latency or duration. The findings provide evidence that there are numerous factors influencing sleep at naptime and that any soothing music can be beneficial