School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies

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https://hdl.handle.net/10292/10764

The School of Public Health and Interdisciplinary Studies research institutes and centres play an important role in specialist teaching and research conducted by academic staff and postgraduate students. This places AUT students at the forefront of much of the ground-breaking research undertaken in New Zealand in the field of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling, and Public Health.

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12 Step Psychotherapy: A Time-limited, Cost-effective Depth Therapy
(New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists (NZAP) Inc., 2017) Fay, J
Twelve step psychotherapy is a time-limited, cost-effective depth psychotherapy that was developed gradually over several years of practising therapy in a public outpatient mental health service setting. Twelve step psychotherapy is structured as twelve discrete steps of one (two at most) session each. It blends clinical and cognitive behavioural psychology, emotionally focussed supportive psychotherapy, trauma therapy, attachment therapy, psychoanalytic investigation and insight, lifespan development, sociotherapy, archetypal psychology and mindfulness meditation. It reflects my particular skill set after 39 years of practising psychotherapy, but it is very teachable and does not take 39 years to learn. Whakarāpopotonga He wā-whakatina, he utunga whakahaere tōtika whakaoranga hinengaro hōhōnu te poutama tekau mā rua whakaora hinengaro, i whakawhanakehia mai i ngā tau maha whakamahinga haumanu i raro i te maru o te rātaonga hauora hinengaro tūmatanui. He whakatakotoranga āta wehea ai ngā tepe tekau mā rua kia kotahi (kāre e rahi ake i te rua) te wāhanga ia huinga. Whakatōpūhia ai te mātai haumanu te mātai hinengaro, te taituarā arotahi kare-ā-roto whakaora hinengaro, haumanu whētuki, haumanu here, rangahau me te whakamāramatanga wetewetenga hinengaro, whakawhanaketanga koiora, mātauranga haumanu hāpori, te hinengaro paerewa, me te āta whaiwhakaaro. E whakaatahia ana ōku ake pūkenga i roto i ngā tau toru tekau mā iwa e mahi ana i taku mahi kaiwhakaora hinengaro, engari ka taea noa ihotia te ako, ā, kāre e pau te toru tekau mā iwa tau te ako.
2008 International Gambling Conference - Looking Forward: New Directions in Research and Minimising Public Harm (Final Report)
(Auckland University of Technology (AUT), 2008) Bellringer, M; Nahi, P
The 2008 International Gambling Conference Looking Forward: New Directions in Research and Minimising Public Harm took place on 21 to 23 February 2008 at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Auckland. On 20 February 2008, two full-day Pre-Conference Workshops were held. In addition to keynote presentations from leading authorities, there were parallel sessions of papers and short workshops selected from proposals submitted by conference participants. For the second time (and in response to positive feedback from the 2006 conference) there was a ‘community voices’ session which was a forum for people who have been impacted by problem gambling, to speak out about their experiences. The Conference provided participants with a forum to examine new and emerging gambling technologies along with their various impacts and consequences. In addition, the papers and short workshops had an emphasis on measures to prevent and reduce harm associated with gambling, including harm from problem gambling. This included government policy and regulation, community engagement and advocacy, industry practice, public education, prevention and early and brief interventions, treatment and rehabilitation. The Pre-Conference Workshops focused on treatment of problem gamblers, and public health/social marketing approaches to reducing gambling harm. The Conference and Workshops brought together service providers and consumers, government officials and regulators, industry representatives, researchers and academics in gambling and related fields. The Conference was assisted by a grant from the Ministry of Health.
3 year stroke survivors: the long term impact of stroke on cognition and factors associated with recovery
(SAGE, 2015) Mahon (Nee Haslemore), S
Worldwide, stroke is the second commonest cause of death and the most frequent cause of disability in adults, having an enormous physical, psychological and financial impact on patients, families, the health care system, and society. There is evidence that stroke should be considered a long-term condition, with many stroke survivors still experiencing adverse outcomes several years after their stroke. One of the strongest predictors of post stroke outcome are severity and patient age. Stroke severity can be judged clinically, based upon the degree of neurological impairment and the size and location of the infarction. Other important influences on stroke outcome include cardiovascular disease, co-morbid conditions, epidemiologic factors, cognitive impairment and complications of stroke. Severity of stroke is one of the most important factors affecting short and long-term outcome. Existing data on long-term health-related outcomes within the stroke population is limited; has small sample sizes, poor verification of stroke subtypes, poor study design and short-term follow-up (within 12 months). In addition there is a lack of data which provides a fair representation of all ethnic groups in New Zealand who have experienced a stroke. Accurate and representative longitudinal data are needed to determine the impact of stroke, in order to identify key factors that may impact stroke recovery and identify vulnerable groups who are at greater risk for poorer outcomes following stroke. This may provide a greater insight into who is affected most with stroke and why. This study seeks to examine the burden of stroke at three and six-years (n=2180). Identification of predictors that make independent contributions to outcomes post- stroke will inform the development of techniques to manage and/or cope with such deficits, guide remediation and optimize rehabilitation. This study provides a unique opportunity to address current gaps in knowledge in this area and may inform healthcare policy to improve overall outcomes in this population.
A Critical Tiriti Analysis of Te Pae Tata: The Interim New Zealand Health Plan
(New Zealand Medical Association, 2023-04-14) Rae, Ngaire; Came, Heather; Bain, Leah; McCambridge, Alana
The current health reforms in Aotearoa New Zealand are being described as “transformational”. Political leaders and Crown officials maintain the reforms embed a commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, address racism and promote health equity. These claims are familiar and have been used to socialise previous health sector reforms. This paper interrogates claims of engagement with Te Tiriti by undertaking a desktop critical Tiriti analysis (CTA) of Te Pae Tata: the Interim New Zealand Health Plan. CTA follows five stages from orientation, close reading, determination, strengthening practice, to the Māori final word. The determination was done individually and a consensus was negotiated from the indicators; silent, poor, fair, good, or excellent. Te Pae Tata proactively engaged with Te Tiriti across the entirety of the plan. The authors assessed Te Tiriti elements of the preamble, kāwanatanga and tino rangatiratanga as “fair”, ōritetanga as “good” and wairuatanga as “poor”. Engaging more substantively with Te Tiriti requires the Crown to recognise that Māori never ceded sovereignty and treaty principles are not equivalent to the authoritative Māori text. Recommendations of the Waitangi Tribunal WAI 2575 and Haumaru reports need to be explicitly addressed to allow monitoring of progress.
A Fair Go for All: A Problematic Contribution to Anti-racism Praxis in Aotearoa
(Auckland University of Technology, 2013) Came, H
In New Zealand, the Human Rights Commission is the lead agency in countering institutional racism. They have recently undertaken a major research project, A Fair Go For All (Human Rights Commission 2011), to inform the development of a national strategy/approach to counter structural discrimination. This paper, from an activist scholarship standpoint argues their chosen approach has ignoring the power relations inherent in researching racism. Furthermore their approach has minimised both the historic element of racism against Māori and the significance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi to anti-racism praxis in Aotearoa. Rather than endorse an ad hoc approach with a focus on practitioner bias (personally-mediated racism), and addressing ethnic inequalities (the outcome of institutional racism) this paper advocates for a Tiriti based systems change approach to transform institutional racism as it manifests in the neo-colonial context of Aotearoa.
A Systematic Review of Studies Using the Brief COPE: Religious Coping in Factor Analyses
(© 1996-2011 MDPI Publishing, 2011) Krägeloh, CU
Religion is generally recognized as a major resource for dealing with stressful events, but its relationship with secular coping strategies continues to be debated. The present article provides a systematic review of the way in which analyses of the sub-scale turning to religion of the widely used Brief COPE [1] instrument are presented in peer-reviewed research articles, in order to investigate how the wealth of data published using this instrument can inform how religious coping relates to other coping strategies. Of the 212 identified articles that included turning to religion in their analyses, 80 combined sub-scale scores to form higher-order coping factors, 38 of which based on exploratory factor analyses of their own datasets. When factor analyses had used individual items as indicators, religious coping was more likely to load together with maladaptive coping strategies, and more likely with adaptive coping strategies when analyses were conducted at sub-scale level. To a large extent, the variation in the results from exploratory factor analyses appears to be due to the diverse and often inappropriate factor analytic techniques used to determine the factor structure of the Brief COPE instrument. Reports from factor analyses of the Brief COPE therefore have very little value when trying to make general conclusions about the role of religious coping in relation to secular coping methods.
A Theoretical Look at Biculturalism in Intercountry Adoption
(Taylor & Francis, 2010) Scherman, R
Intercountry adoption has been, and continues to be, a popular method of family formation worldwide, as well as a means of providing homes for children who would otherwise remain parentless. The popularity of this social welfare practice suggests that countless families continue to face the challenges of raising children whose ethnicities derive from two different ethnic backgrounds. Yet, virtually no research exists on the development of a bicultural ethnic identity in intercountry adoption. Instead, research has focused on the importance of birth-culture socialization, or the lack thereof. Faced with too little direct research on the subject, this paper synthesizes and critically reviews literature from the ethnic socialization, biracial, acculturation, and adoption fields. The aim was twofold: (1) extrapolate key elements of the literature that inform on the development of biculturalism in intercountry adoptions; and (2) identify gaps in the literature. Suggestions for future research and practice are offered.
A Tohu (Sign) to Open Our Eyes to the Realities of Indigenous Māori Registered Nurses: A Qualitative Study
(Wiley, ) Komene, Ebony; Gerrard, Debra; Pene, Bobbie; Parr, Jenny; Aspinall, Cath; Wilson, Denise
Aims Identify the experiences of Māori nurses and priorities for a Māori model of relational care working with Māori patients and their whānau (extended family network) in acute hospital services. Background Māori, the Indigenous peoples of Aotearoa (New Zealand), have a relational and holistic worldview fundamental to establishing relationships with Māori patients and their whānau. Increasing the Indigenous Māori nursing workforce can improve Māori patient experiences but is challenged by ongoing recruitment and retention issues. Design A qualitative Māori-centred research methodology with 12 Māori nurses. Methods Data were collected using wānanga (learning through discussion, deliberation and consideration) using he aha ō hikoi (journey mapping) and kōrero mai (storytelling). Inductive thematic analysis was undertaken using a mahi a roopū (group process) approach. This study was conducted between May 2022 and June 2022. Results Three key themes: (1) Māori first, nurse second, (2) Cultural loading and (3) Compromised realities were identified. Māori nurses' praxis used their complex cultural and clinical intelligence to engage in a mana-enhancing way (strengths-based) to improve the care delivery for whānau Māori during their hospitalization journey. Cultural loading meant Māori nurses were often burdened with unrecognized workloads as they provided care for Māori patients and whānau, which often compromised their cultural integrity. Conclusion Nurses' commitment to care for whānau and their assigned patient load created extra burdens and threatened their cultural integrity. Their experiences highlighted modes of practice rather than models of care required to improve healthcare delivery for Māori entering the hospital. These findings signal issues and areas nursing leaders need to heed, necessary for addressing the retention of Māori in nursing and improving workload equity.
A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing? Critical Discourse Analysis of Five Online Automated Paraphrasing Sites
(Office of the Academic Executive Director, University of Tasmania, 2023-11-01) Hammond, Kay; Lucas, Patricia; Hassouna, Amira; Brown, Stephen
Research on academic integrity used to focus more on student character and behaviour. Now this research includes wider viewing of this issue as a current teaching and learning challenge which requires pedagogical intervention. It is now the responsibility of staff and institutions to treat the creation of a learning environment supporting academic integrity as a teaching and learning priority. Plagiarism by simply copying other people’s work is a well-known misconduct which undermines academic integrity; moreover, technological developments have evolved plagiarism to include the generation and copying of computer-generated text. Automated paraphrasing tool (APT) websites have become increasingly common, offering students machine-generated rephrased text that students input from their own or others’ writing. These developments present a creeping erosion of academic integrity under the guise of legitimate academic assistance. This also has implications for arrival of large language model (LLM) generative AI tools. In accessing these sites, students must discern what is a legitimate use of the tool and what may constitute breaching academic integrity. This study critically analysed the text from five online paraphrasing websites to examine the discourses used to legitimise and encourage APT use in both appropriate and inappropriate ways. We conceptualised these competing discourses using Sheep and Wolf metaphors. In addition, we offer a metaphor of the Educator as a Shepherd to become aware of APT website claims and assist students to develop critical language awareness when exposed to these sites. Educators can assist students with this through knowledge of how these sites use language to entice users to circumvent learning.
Advocating for activist scholarship in New Zealand and beyond
(Punctum books, 2015) Came, H; MacDonald, J; Humphries, M
Activist traditions of resistance, dissent and non-violent direct action are longstanding in New Zealand (Aotearoa) but activist scholarship is a more recent emerging phenomenon. This paper, written from the perspective of a trio of left-orientated Pākehā (settler) activist scholars explores the potential of activist scholarship in the socio-political context of New Zealand. The authors come from particular political standpoints but are interested in multiple systems of oppression. The paper outlines what we collectively understand by activist scholarship and how we see it can both strengthen political activism and academic scholarship. We offer three distinct case studies of activist scholarship from our niche fields of activism as exemplars of what is and what might be. We conclude by offering possible ways forward for activist scholarship in the sometimes radical land of Aotearoa.
Analyzing the Perspectives of Health Professionals and Legal Cannabis Users on the Treatment of Chronic Pain with Cannabidiol: Protocol for a Scoping Review
(JMIR Publications Inc., )
Background: Medical cannabis is one of the most commonly reported treatments for chronic pain. The wide acceptance and research in alternative medicine have put medical cannabis in the limelight, where researchers are widely examining its therapeutic benefits, including treatment of chronic pain. Objective: The purpose of this scoping review is to provide an overview of the perspectives on cannabidiol as an alternative treatment for chronic pain among health professionals and legal cannabis users. Methods: The framework of Arksey and O'Malley guides the design of this scoping review, and the elements reported use the recommended guidelines of the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews). A comprehensive literature search accessed the databases CINAHL Complete and MEDLINE via EBSCO, Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, PsycINFO, Ovid Emcare, Wiley Online Library, Scopus, Informit New Zealand Collection, and Google Scholar for published literature, and then it was extended to include gray literature. Gray literature searches included searching the databases Australia/New Zealand Reference Centre, Informit New Zealand Collection, INNZ: Index New Zealand, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global, and AUT Tuwhera Research Repository, and the website nzresearch.org.nz. The studies included in this scoping review were assessed for eligibility for inclusion using the following criteria: published in English after 2000, conducted in New Zealand (NZ) or Australia, and aimed to investigate the perspectives of health professionals and medical cannabis users using interviews for data collection. Studies were screened for inclusion using Covidence, a software tool to filter search results, and the risk of bias was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool. Although this is not a required step for scoping reviews, it added an element of strength to this scoping review. Data will be analyzed using thematic analysis guided by Braun and Clarke. The findings from the data analysis will be presented in a table, which will then inform the key themes for discussion. Results: The database search started in October 2021 and was completed in December 2021. The total number of studies included in this review is 5 (n=5). Studies included were conducted in NZ or Australia and examined the perspectives using participant interviews. This scoping review is anticipated to be submitted for publication in December 2022. Conclusions: Using perspectives is a valuable tool to understand the challenges experienced by health professionals and medical cannabis users associated with medical cannabis treatment. Addressing these challenges through interventions that are highlighted through perspectives such as educating health professionals to increase access to medical cannabis in NZ may aid in policy reformulation for medical cannabis in the context of NZ. Thus, this scoping review highlights the importance of medical cannabis research and suggests recommendations to guide and inform medical cannabis policy in the context of NZ.
Anemia Prevalence in Women of Reproductive Age in Low- and Middle-Income Countries Between 2000 and 2018
(Springer Nature, 2021) Kinyoki, D; Osgood-Zimmerman, AE; Bhattacharjee, NV; Schaeffer, LE; Lazzar-Atwood, A; Lu, D; Ewald, SB; Donkers, KM; Letourneau, ID; Collison, M; Schipp, MF; Abajobir, A; Abbasi, S; Abbasi, N; Abbasifard, M; Abbasi-Kangevari, M; Abbastabar, H; Abd-Allah, F; Abdelalim, A; Abd-Elsalam, SM; Abdoli, A; Abdollahpour, I; Abedi, A; Abolhassani, H; Abraham, B; Abreu, LG; Abrigo, MRM; Abualhasan, A; Abu-Gharbieh, E; Abushouk, AI; Accrombessi, MMK; Adabi, M; Adebayo, OM; Adegbosin, AE; Adekanmbi, V; Adetokunboh, OO; Adeyinka, DA; Adham, D; Advani, SM; Agasthi, P; Aghaali, M; Ahmad, S; Ahmad, T; Ahmadi, K; Ahmadi, S; Ahmed, MB; Aichour, MTE; Aji, B; Akinyemi, OO; Aklilu, A; Akunna, CJ; Al-Aly, Z; Alanzi, TM; Alcalde-Rabanal, JE; Alemu, BW; Alemu, A; Alhassan, RK; Alif, SM; Alipour, V; Alizade, H; Aljunid, SM; Almasi-Hashiani, A; Al-Mekhlafi, HM; Al-Raddadi, RM; Alvis-Guzman, N; Amini, S; Amiri, F; Amugsi, DA; Anber, NH; Ancuceanu, R; Andrei, T; Anegago, MT; Anjomshoa, M; Ansari, F; Ansari-Moghaddam, A; Anteneh, ZA; Antriyandarti, E; Anvari, D; Anwer, R; Aqeel, M; Arabloo, J; Arab-Zozani, M; Aremu, O; Areri, HA; Artaman, A; Arzani, A; Asaad, M; Asadi-Aliabadi, M; Asadi-Pooya, AA; Asemahagn, MA; Asghari Jafarabadi, M; Ashebir, MM; Ataro, Z; Athari, SM; Athari, SS; Atout, MMW; Ausloos, M; Awoke, N; Ayala Quintanilla, BP; Ayano, G
Anemia is a globally widespread condition in women and is associated with reduced economic productivity and increased mortality worldwide. Here we map annual 2000–2018 geospatial estimates of anemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) across 82 low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), stratify anemia by severity and aggregate results to policy-relevant administrative and national levels. Additionally, we provide subnational disparity analyses to provide a comprehensive overview of anemia prevalence inequalities within these countries and predict progress toward the World Health Organization’s Global Nutrition Target (WHO GNT) to reduce anemia by half by 2030. Our results demonstrate widespread moderate improvements in overall anemia prevalence but identify only three LMICs with a high probability of achieving the WHO GNT by 2030 at a national scale, and no LMIC is expected to achieve the target in all their subnational administrative units. Our maps show where large within-country disparities occur, as well as areas likely to fall short of the WHO GNT, offering precision public health tools so that adequate resource allocation and subsequent interventions can be targeted to the most vulnerable populations.
Antibacterial Activity of Selected Fractions Extract of Coptis chinensis Franch Rhizomes
(World Informations Syndicate, 2020-07-24) Alshaikhli, H
The antibacterial activity of different fractions of selected extract of Coptis chinensis Franch rhizome was evaluated on gram positive bacteria. Three extracts were tested at concentrations ranging from 1 mg/ml, 10 mg/ml, and 100 mg/ml in vitro on three bacterial strains, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Bacillus anthracis, which was done by performing disc diffusion for growth inhibition. The methanol extract at concentrations of 100 mg/ml displayed the most significant zone of inhibition of (22.67 ± 3.055mm), (21.67 ± 3.512 mm), (16.67 ± 1.528 mm) against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus anthracis, respectively. The TLC separation of the extracts showed that each of them may contains constituents that are phenolic in nature. From the Rf values of the spots found in the various extracts is that the Coptis chinensis Franch rhizome contains some other non-phenolic compounds responsible for its effect. The selected methanol extract is then subjected to column chromatography and collected 4 fractions. Out of the four fractions, F2 fraction demonstrates the most significant zone of inhibition of 15.00 ± 1.000 mm, 12.33 ± 1.528 mm and 10.00 ± 2.000 mm against Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus anthracis, respectively.
Antioxidant and Cytotoxicity Activities of Butylated Hydroxytoluene Ligands Capped Gold Nanoparticles
(Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 2021) Ahmad, MH; Yehye, WA; Rahman, NA; Al-Ani, LA; Johan, M; Lu, J; Hashim, NM
The new potent nano-antioxidant of sulfur-containing butylated hydroxytoluene ligands (S-BHTLs)-conjugated with gold nanoparticles, Au-S-BHTLs, was synthesized by a conjugation of sulfur-containing ligands derived from BHT on the surface of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The in-house developing eight sulfur-containing BHT-ligands (S-BHTLs) were used for further study on functionalization with AuNPs and their biological activities. The antioxidant and cytotoxic abilities of eight types of Au-S-BHTLs such as compound Au-2a, Au-2b, Au-3a, Au-3b, Au-4a, Au-4b, Au-5a and Au-5b were tested by DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging and MTT assays against HT29 (human colorectal adenocarcinoma) and MCF7 (human breast adenocarcinoma). Based on the results, it was revealed that nanocomposites Au-5a and Au-3a attained over 50% lower IC values against free radical than the un-functionalized AuNPs. Meanwhile, nanocomposite Au-2b showed the highest cytotoxicity effect against both cancer cell lines. Selectivity and safety towards non-tumorgenic cell lines were also evaluated and proved superior selectivity index (SI) of all nanocomposites (SI > 2.00) against both cancer cells except Au-5b (SI = 1.87) against MCF7. Hence, the functionalization of S-BHTLs with gold nanoparticles has increased the selectivity of nanocomposites and enhanced the antioxidant potentials to become useful and promising anticancer agents. • 50
“Appreciate We Are Individual Humans with Previous Experience”: An Exploration of Sessional Marker Experiences
(University of Wollongong, 2023-08-23) Hammond, Kay; Rai, Meenal; Hassouna, Amira; Raleigh, Sue
Continuous increase of global reliance on sessional staff in higher education has not been accompanied by the development of strategies to enhance quality learning and teaching or understanding the experiences of these staff. This has resulted in a general discontent among this category of academics. The growing importance of building respectful working environments that integrate inclusive care and performance quality leads to the emergence of standards frameworks. Explorations of sessional staff lived experiences are vital to inform policy and practice. This study examined sessional staff predominantly in a marking role in a local context of an Aotearoa/New Zealand University. We explored our markers’ agreement with selected principles of an Australian national framework. Based on an anonymous Qualtrics survey, the quantitative data showed our markers agreed with most of the selected Australian framework principles at the individual and department levels. An appreciative inquiry of the qualitative data identified markers’ desires for increased professional development, infrastructure and resources, and personal motivation. Considering our markers’ experiences, we propose several actions in a workshop format to provide insights for developing better structures and policies for retaining, training, and engaging with sessional staff.
Are They Watching: Pedagogical Influence of Role Modeling on Student Competence, Confidence, and Clinical Reasoning
(Scientific Research Publishing, Inc., 2022) Erlam, GD
Background: This article examines the effects of role modeling used as an educational scaffold in simulation. Students requested an exemplar of what was expected before entering the simulation scenario. Three expert nurses were filmed managing a deteriorating patient scenario with these videos then used in pre-briefing with undergraduate nursing students. Method: Action research is employed with undergraduate nursing students (n = 161) who acted as co-researchers in that they are asked for changes in simulation which will improve their learning in the areas of knowledge acquisition, skill development, critical thinking, and communication. Three action research cycles were employed with feedback from each cycle informing the next. Results: The use of an expert role modeling video as a prebriefing educational scaffold strengthened professional competence, clinical reasoning and judgment, and professional confidence. Furthermore, designing roles within the simulation allowed students to gain competence in managing one small piece of the overall situation. Conclusion: This research highlights the effectiveness of pre-briefing video clips in enhancing student learning with undergraduate nurses. These abilities are essential in order to provide safe and competent care, and to encourage professional identity/development in undergraduate nurses.
Association of Plasma C-reactive Protein With Ischemic Stroke: A Mendelian Randomization Study
(John Wiley & Sons, 2019) Zhang, X; Wang, A; Zhang, J; Singh, M; Liu, D; Zuo, Y; Wu, L; Song, M; Wang, W; Feigin, VL; Wang, Y; Zheng, D
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) is associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (IS). However, the causality of this association is uncertain. We aim to investigate whether genetically raised plasma CRP concentration levels are associated with the IS based on the Mendelian randomization (MR) method. METHODS: Based on the National Center for Biotechnology Information SNP database, the Chinese online genetic database as well as previously published studies, four CRP-associated SNPs alleles (rs1130864, rs1205, rs876537 and rs3093059) with minor allele frequency (MAF) ≥ 0.15 were selected and the concentration levels of CRP were measured in 378 first-ever IS patients and 613 healthy controls. RESULTS: Three SNPs were chosen and used as instrumental variables. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) (95% confidence interval (95% CI)) of IS per addition of the modelled allele were 1.07 (0.79-1.45) for rs876537, 0.99 (0.73-1.35) for rs1205 and 1.08 (0.71-1.65) for rs3093059. The OR (95% CI) of IS for the plasma CRP ≥ 2.0 mg/L was 2.19 (1.06-4.53) as compared with < 2.0 mg/L. The adjusted OR (95% CI) of IS per genetically predicted 10% higher CRP concentration, based on the three SNPs as the instruments, was 1.02 (0.94-1.11). Furthermore, the similar results were obtained with the adjusted ORs (95% CI) of 1.00 (0.88-1.13) and 1.04 (0.93-1.16), respectively, for large-artery atherosclerosis and small-artery occlusion per genetically predicted 10% higher CRP concentration. CONCLUSIONS: This MR study provides no clear support that elevated CRP concentration is causally associated with the risk of IS.
Atlas of the Global Burden of Stroke (1990-2013): The GBD 2013 Study
(Karger, 2015) Feigin, VL; Mensah, GA; Norrving, B; Murray, CJL; Roth, GA; GBD 2013 Stroke Panel Experts Group
Background World mapping is an important tool to visualize stroke burden and its trends in various regions and countries. Objectives To show geographic patterns of incidence, prevalence, mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) and their trends for ischemic stroke and hemorrhagic stroke in the world for 1990-2013. Methodology Stroke incidence, prevalence, mortality, DALYs and YLDs were estimated following the general approach of the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2010 with several important improvements in methods. Data were updated for mortality (through April 2014) and stroke incidence, prevalence, case fatality and severity through 2013. Death was estimated using an ensemble modeling approach. A new software package, DisMod-MR 2.0, was used as part of a custom modeling process to estimate YLDs. All rates were age-standardized to new GBD estimates of global population. All estimates have been computed with 95% uncertainty intervals. Results Age-standardized incidence, mortality, prevalence and DALYs/YLDs declined over the period from 1990 to 2013. However, the absolute number of people affected by stroke has substantially increased across all countries in the world over the same time period, suggesting that the global stroke burden continues to increase. There were significant geographical (country and regional) differences in stroke burden in the world, with the majority of the burden borne by low- and middle-income countries. Conclusions Global burden of stroke has continued to increase in spite of dramatic declines in age-standardized incidence, prevalence, mortality rates and disability. Population growth and aging have played an important role in the observed increase in stroke burden.
Attending to Immigrants' Everyday Activities: A New Perspective on Ensuring Asian Immigrants' Quality of Life
(Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers (ANZASW), 2016-11-17) Kim, H; Hocking, C
INTRODUCTION: The quality of Asian immigrants’ lives is significant to the harmony of New Zealand society where, at the 2013 Census, 11.8% of its residents identified as Asian. However, settlement can be stressful for new Asian immigrants because moving to a country with a different culture can disrupt most of their familiar routines, and it is strongly associated with marginalisation and isolation from society. Recognising these challenges, social workers have positioned themselves at the forefront of efforts to improve Asian immigrants’ quality of life. METHOD: An occupational perspective is applied to underpin an examination of Asian immigrants’ participation in Aotearoa New Zealand society. Occupational science is a basic social science grounded in the notion that people engage in occupations for their existence and that the drive to be occupied has evolutionary, psychological, social, and symbolic roots. CONCLUSIONS: This article suggests an occupational perspective as a new analytic framework which has the potential to give social workers clearer insight into the realities which Asian immigrants encounter; consequently, increasing their ability to support Asian immigrants’ full participation into a new society.
Attitude and Achievement of First-Year Chemistry Undergraduate Students at The University of the South Pacific
(Frontiers Media SA, ) Johnson, J; Reddy, P; Sharma, S; Wakeling, L; Mani, J; Benveniste, T; Naiker, M; Brown, S
Student attitude toward chemistry may influence engagement and achievement in chemistry-related courses, however, equivocal results in studies conducted in Western countries to date indicate this relationship requires further investigation. In this study, we investigated the correlation between attitude toward chemistry and achievement amongst a cohort of first-year undergraduate students from The University of the South Pacific (USP). A cluster analysis was used to identify low- and high-achieving groups of students to further explore potential correlations. There was a positive correlation between the cognitive and affective components of attitude among low-achieving students, but not among high-achieving students. The cognitive component of attitude did not appear to be strongly correlated with achievement in students from either group, although the affective component was positively correlated with achievement. The single item most strongly correlated with student achievement was their response on the Worthless-Beneficial scale. One of the notable findings was the differences in the attitude-achievement relationship between low-achieving and high-achieving students, suggesting that combining these clusters of students into a single group for analysis may obscure underlying correlations. Chemistry educators should continue to target their teaching styles to cater to different learning styles and achievement levels of students, including cognitive and non-cognitive learning styles.

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