Publications

Denig, P, Haaijer‐Ruskamp, F & Pont, L 2016, 'Assessment of quality of prescribing using quality indicators' in Drug Utilization Research, Wiley, pp. 433-442.
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Iverach, L, Menzies, R & Menzies, RE 2016, 'Fear of death underlies most of our phobias' in Watson, J (ed), The Conversation yearbook 2016: 50 standout articles from Australia’s top thinkers, Melbourne University Publishing, Melbourne, Australia.

Jacobs, C & Pichert, G 2016, 'Genetic Testing for Rare Cancer: The Wider Issues' in Recent Results in Cancer Research, Springer International Publishing, pp. 213-226.
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Identification of a potential genetic susceptibility to cancer and confirmation of a pathogenic gene mutation raises a number of challenging issues for the patient with cancer, their relatives and the health professionals caring for them. The specific risks and management issues associated with rare cancer types have been addressed in the earlier chapters. This chapter considers the wider issues involved in genetic counselling and genetic testing for a genetic susceptibility to cancer for patients, families and health professionals. The first part of the chapter will present the issues raised by the current practice in genetic counselling and genetic testing for cancer susceptibility. The second part of the chapter will address some of the issues raised by the advances in genetic testing technology and the future opportunities provided by personalised medicine and targeted cancer therapy. Facilitating these developments requires closer integration of genomics into mainstream cancer care, challenging the existing paradigm of genetic medicine, adding additional layers of complexity to the risk assessment and management of cancer and presenting wider issues for patients, families, health professionals and clinical services.

Lowe, R, Helgadottir, F, Menzies, R, O'Brian, S, Packman, A & Onslow, M 2016, 'Safety behaviours and stuttering' in Tomaiuoli, D (ed), Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Stuttering, Edizioni Centro Studi Erickson S.p.A, Trento, Italy, pp. 63-64.

Lowe, R, Onslow, M, Packman, A, O'Brian, S, Heard, R & Menzies, R 2016, 'Information processing and stuttering' in Menzies, R, Kyrios, M & Kazantzis, N (eds), Innovations and future directions in the behavioural and cognitive therapies, Australian Academic Press, Samford Valley, Australia, pp. 187-191.
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Stuttering is a speech disorder that involves involuntary interruptions to speech production, reducing the capacity to communicate effectively. Stuttering affects 1% to 2% of adults. Up to two-thirds of treatment-seeking adults who stutter suffer from social anxiety disorder (SAD). According to contemporary cognitive models of SAD, the disorder is maintained by behaviours or internal cognitive processes when anxiety is aroused within feared social situations. One such process is a shift of attentional focus to excessive self-monitoring. That process can impair access to accurate feedback from the social environment. Those with SAD use information obtained from self-monitoring to generate an image or impression of how they think they appear to others. Images and impressions tend to be negative, distorted and viewed from the observer perspective, as if looking back at the self from the perspective of others. Another feature of SAD is the use of safety behaviours-cognitive processes or behaviours used in an attempt to prevent feared outcomes such as negative evaluation from others. In debilitating states of SAD, safety behaviours prevent fear extinction and anxiety is maintained. This article reports on recent research with those who stutter drawing on cognitive models of SAD

Onslow, M, Lowe, R, Menzies, RG & Gunn, A 2016, 'Behavioural and cognitive treatments for children, adolescents and adults who stutter' in Menzies, RG, Kyrios, M & Kazantzis, N (eds), Innovations and future directions in the behavioural and cognitive therapies, Australian Academic Press, Sydney, Australia, pp. 192-196.

Pont, L & Alhawassi, T 2016, 'Challenges in the Management of Hypertension in Older Populations' in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, Springer International Publishing, pp. 167-180.
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The prevalence of hypertension increases with age making it a significant health concern for older persons. Aging involves a range of physiological changes such as increases in arterial stiffness, widening pulse pressure, changes in renin and aldosterone levels, decreases in renal salt excretion, declining in renal function, changes in the autonomic nervous system sensitivity and function and changes to endothelial function all of which may not only affect blood pressure but may also affect individual response to pharmacotherapy used to manage hypertension and prevent end organ damage and other complications associated with poor blood pressure control.Unlike many chronic conditions where there is limited evidence for management in older populations, there is good evidence regarding the management of hypertension in the elderly. The findings from multiple large, robust trials have provided a solid evidence-base regarding the management of hypertension in older adults, showing that reduction of blood pressure in older hypertensive populations is associated with reduced mortality and morbidity. Diuretics, agents action on the renin angiotensin system, beta blockers and calcium channel blockers have all been well studied in older populations both in view of the benefits associated with blood pressure lowering and the risks associated with associated adverse events. While all antihypertensive agents will lower blood pressure, when managing hypertension in older persons the choice of agent is dependent not only on the ability to lower blood pressure but also on the potential for harm with older persons. Understanding such potential harms in older populations is essential with older persons experiencing increased sensitivity to many of the adverse effects such as dizziness associated with the use of antihypertensive agents.Despite the wealth of evidence regarding the benefits of managing hypertension in the old and very old, a significant proportion of older i...

Steinman, SA, Wootton, BM & Tolin, DF 2016, 'Exposure Therapy for Anxiety Disorders' in Friedman, H (ed), Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Elsevier, pp. 186-191.
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Wootton, BM & Tolin, DF 2016, 'Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder' in Friedman, H (ed), Encyclopedia of Mental Health, Elsevier, pp. 227-231.
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Wootton, BM, Andersson, E & Rück, C 2016, 'Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy (ICBT) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder' in Guided Internet-Based Treatments in Psychiatry, Springer International Publishing, pp. 101-119.
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This book provides a practically oriented overview of internet-based treatments in psychiatry and mental health care, which represent a relatively new research area and offer a novel clinical approach.

Abdel Shaheed, C, Maher, CG, Williams, KA & McLachlan, AJ 2016, 'Pharmacists’ views on implementing a disease state management program for low back pain', Australian Journal of Primary Health, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 211-211.
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Pharmacists have the potential to take a lead role in the primary care management of people with acute low back pain. The aim of this study was to investigate pharmacists’ views on implementing a care program for people with acute low back pain in the community pharmacy. Recruitment of pharmacists for this study took place between July 2012 and March 2013. A convenience sample of 30 pharmacists who collaborated in recruiting participants for a low back pain clinical trial in Sydney (n=15 pharmacist recruiters and n=15 non-recruiters) completed an open-ended questionnaire. There was no marked variation in responses between the two groups. Participating pharmacists were receptive to the idea of implementing a care program for people with low back pain, highlighting the need for adequate reimbursement and adequate training of staff to ensure it is successful. Pharmacists identified that the follow up of people receiving such a service is dependent on several factors such as effective reminder systems and the proximity of patients to the pharmacy.

Abdel Shaheed, C, Maher, CG, Williams, KA, Day, R & McLachlan, AJ 2016, 'Efficacy, Tolerability, and Dose-Dependent Effects of Opioid Analgesics for Low Back Pain', JAMA Internal Medicine, vol. 176, no. 7, pp. 958-958.
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IMPORTANCE: Opioid analgesics are commonly used for low back pain, however, to our knowledge there has been no systematic evaluation of the effect of opioid dose and use of enrichment study design on estimates of treatment effect. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate efficacy and tolerability of opioids in the management of back pain; and investigate the effect of opioid dose and use of an enrichment study design on treatment effect. DATA SOURCES: Medline, EMBASE, CENTRAL, CINAHL, and PsycINFO (inception to September 2015) with citation tracking from eligible randomized clinical trials (RCTs). STUDY SELECTION: Placebo-controlled RCTs in any language. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: Two authors independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. Data were pooled using a random effects model with strength of evidence assessed using the grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE). MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was pain. Pain and disability outcomes were converted to a common 0 to 100 scale, with effects greater than 20 points considered clinically important. RESULTS: Of 20 included RCTs of opioid analgesics (with a total of 7925 participants), 13 trials (3419 participants) evaluated short-term effects on chronic low back pain, and no placebo-controlled trials enrolled patients with acute low back pain. In half of these 13 trials, at least 50% of participants withdrew owing to adverse events or lack of efficacy. There was moderate-quality evidence that opioid analgesics reduce pain in the short term; mean difference (MD), -10.1 (95% CI, -12.8 to -7.4). Meta-regression revealed a 12.0 point greater pain relief for every 1 log unit increase in morphine equivalent dose (P = .046). Clinically important pain relief was not observed within the dose range evaluated (40.0-240.0-mg morphine equivalents per day). There was no significant effect of enrichment study design. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: For people with chronic low back ...

Abdel Shaheed, C, McFarlane, B, Maher, CG, Williams, KA, Bergin, J, Matthews, A & McLachlan, AJ 2016, 'Investigating the Primary Care Management of Low Back Pain: A Simulated Patient Study', The Journal of Pain, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 27-35.
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© 2016 American Pain Society. A limitation of existing studies of primary care for low back pain (LBP) is that they are not based on direct observation of the clinical encounter and so may underestimate or overestimate the extent of evidence-practice gaps. This was a cross-sectional observational study that observed the management recommendations for LBP provided in primary care using a simulated patient approach. Trained actors requested an over-the-counter medicine or asked for management advice for 1 of 2 simulated patient scenarios: nonspecific LBP (NSLBP) or vertebral compression fracture. Visits were audiorecorded to allow data capture, validation, and review. We evaluated concordance with key recommendations provided in evidence-based LBP guidelines on pain medicines, patient self-care advice, and referral. Visits were conducted across 534 pharmacies comprising 336 nonspecific scenarios and 198 fracture scenarios. Recommendations for pain medicines, but not patient self-care advice and referral, were typically consistent with guidelines. For the NSLBP scenario, the concerns were infrequent provision of reassurance of favorable outcome (8%), advice to stay active (5%), advice to avoid bed rest (0%), advice to use superficial heat (24%), and excessive endorsement of referral (57.4%) and imaging (22.7%). For the fracture scenario, the concerns were a low rate of prompt medical referrals (50.0%) and low endorsement of rest (1.0%). Perspective We observed primary care that aligned closely with some aspects, but was at odds with other aspects, of evidence-based LBP guidelines. Problems included inadequate self-care advice and failing to appropriately recommend imaging or prompt medical review when indicated. These results can inform implementation strategies to improve primary care management of LBP.

Allen, AR, Turbitt, E & Freed, GL 2016, 'Use of home visiting GP services by paediatric patients presenting at emergency departments.', Aust Fam Physician, vol. 45, no. 4, pp. 230-235.
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BACKGROUND: Children in Australia are infrequent recipients of general practitioner (GP) home visits. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to examine whether parents who brought their child to an emergency department (ED) for a lower urgency condition had contacted a home-visiting GP prior to arriving at the ED. METHODS: Electronic surveys were completed by 1150 parents of children aged ≤9 years presenting with lower urgency conditions (triage category 4 or 5) to the EDs of four hospitals in metropolitan Melbourne. RESULTS: Only 83 (7%) parents had attempted to contact a home-visiting GP service and only 26 received a visit. Half of those who did receive a visit, and more than half who did not, reported being told to attend the ED by the service. DISCUSSION: There is infrequent use of home-visiting GP services by children who present to EDs with lower urgency conditions. These services refer some children with low-urgency conditions to the ED.

Andrews, C, O’Brian, S, Onslow, M, Packman, A, Menzies, R & Lowe, R 2016, 'Phase II trial of a syllable-timed speech treatment for school-age children who stutter', Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 48, pp. 44-55.
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© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Purpose A recent clinical trial (Andrews et al., 2012) showed Syllable Timed Speech (STS) to be a potentially useful treatment agent for the reduction of stuttering for school-age children. The present trial investigated a modified version of this program that incorporated parent verbal contingencies. Methods Participants were 22 stuttering children aged 6–11 years. Treatment involved training the children and their parents to use STS in conversation. Parents were also taught to use verbal contingencies in response to their child's stuttered and stutter-free speech and to praise their child's use of STS. Outcome assessments were conducted pre-treatment, at the completion of Stage 1 of the program and 6 months and 12 months after Stage 1 completion. Results Outcomes are reported for the 19 children who completed Stage 1 of the program. The group mean percent stuttering reduction was 77% from pre-treatment to 12 months post-treatment, and 82% with the two least responsive participants removed. There was considerable variation in response to the treatment. Seventeen of the children showed reduced avoidance of speaking situations and 18 were more satisfied with their fluency post-treatment. However, there was some suggestion that stuttering control was not sufficient to fully eliminate situation avoidance for the children. Conclusions The results of this trial are sufficiently encouraging to warrant further clinical trials of the method. Educational objectives The reader will be able to: (a) discuss the reasons for investigating a new treatment for school-age children; (b) describe the main components of the STS treatment; (c) summarize the results of this clinical trial; (d) discuss the outcomes of this trial in relation to current theory

Arora, S, Haghi, M, Young, PM, Kappl, M, Traini, D & Jain, S 2016, 'Highly respirable dry powder inhalable formulation of voriconazole with enhanced pulmonary bioavailability', Expert Opinion on Drug Delivery, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 183-193.
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Arora, S, Kappl, M, Haghi, M, Young, PM, Traini, D & Jain, S 2016, 'An investigation of surface properties, local elastic modulus and interaction with simulated pulmonary surfactant of surface modified inhalable voriconazole dry powders using atomic force microscopy', RSC Advances, vol. 6, no. 31, pp. 25789-25798.
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l-Leucine modified voriconazole spray dried micropartcles.

Bailey, PE, Szczap, P, McLennan, SN, Slessor, G, Ruffman, T & Rendell, PG 2016, 'Age-related similarities and differences in first impressions of trustworthiness', Cognition and Emotion, vol. 30, no. 5, pp. 1017-1026.
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Bauman, A, Phongsavan, P, Cowle, A, Banks, E, Jorm, L, Rogers, K, Jalaludin, B & Grunseit, A 2016, 'Maximising follow-up participation rates in a large scale 45 and Up Study in Australia', Emerging Themes in Epidemiology, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1-7.
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BackgroundThe issue of poor response rates to population surveys has existed for some decades, but few studies have explored methods to improve the response rate in follow-up population cohort studies.MethodsA sample of 100,000 adults from the 45 and Up Study, a large population cohort in Australia, were followed up 3.5 years after the baseline cohort was assembled. A pilot mail-out of 5000 surveys produced a response rate of only 41.7 %. This study tested methods of enhancing response rate, with three groups of 1000 each allocated to (1) receiving an advance notice postcard followed by a questionnaire, (2) receiving a questionnaire and then follow-up reminder letter, and (3) both these strategies.ResultsThe enhanced strategies all produced an improved response rate compared to the pilot, with a resulting mean response rate of 53.7 %. Highest response was found when both the postcard and questionnaire reminder were used (56.4 %) but this was only significantly higher when compared to postcard alone (50.5 %) but not reminder alone (54.1 %). The combined approach was used for recruitment among the remaining 92,000 participants, with a resultant further increased response rate of 61.6 %.ConclusionsSurvey prompting with a postcard and a reminder follow-up questionnaire, applied separately or combined can enhance follow-up rates in large scale survey-based epidemiological studies.

Bell, J 2016, 'A new solution for Pharmacy', Australian Journal of Pharmacy, vol. 97, no. 1157, pp. 24-25.

Bell, J & Williams, K 2016, 'Health promotion - an important role for community pharmacies', Australian Pharmacist // Pharmaceutical Society of Australia, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 48-51.
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Probably the best known definition of health promotion is in the World Health Organization's (WHO) Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) - slightly modified at their Bangkok meeting in 2005 to the Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion in a Globalized World (2005): 'Health promotion is the process of enabling people to increase control over their health and its determinants, and thereby improve their health'.

Bell, J, Dziekan, G, Pollack, C & Mahachai, V 2016, 'Self-Care in the Twenty First Century: A Vital Role for the Pharmacist', Advances in Therapy, vol. 33, no. 10, pp. 1691-1703.
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© 2016, The Author(s). In order for the global healthcare system to remain sustainable, healthcare spending needs to be reduced, and self-treating certain conditions under the guidance of a pharmacist provides a means of accomplishing this goal. This article was developed to describe global healthcare trends affecting self-care with a specific focus on the role of the pharmacist in facilitating over-the-counter (OTC) medication management. Potential healthcare-related economic benefits associated with the self-care model are outlined. The importance of the collaboration between healthcare providers (HCPs), including specialists, primary care providers, and pharmacists, is also discussed. The evolving role of the pharmacist is examined and recommendations are provided for ways to successfully engage with other HCPs and consumers to optimize the pharmacist’s unique qualifications and accessibility in the community. Using the management of frequent heartburn with an OTC proton-pump inhibitor as a model, the critical role of the pharmacist in patient self-treatment of certain symptoms will be discussed based on the World Gastroenterology Organization’s recently published guidelines for the community-based management of common gastrointestinal symptoms. As the global healthcare system continues to evolve, self-care is expected to have an increasing role in treating certain minor ailments, and pharmacists are at the forefront of these changes. Pharmacists can guide individuals in making healthy lifestyle choices, recommend appropriate OTC medications, and educate consumers about when they should consult a physician. Funding: Pfizer Inc.

Berle, D, Moulds, ML, Starcevic, V, Milicevic, D, Hannan, A, Dale, E, Viswasam, K & Brakoulias, V 2016, 'Does emotional reasoning change during cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety?', Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, vol. 45, no. 2, pp. 123-135.
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Berle, D, Starcevic, V, Milicevic, D, Hannan, A, Dale, E, Skepper, B, Viswasam, K & Brakoulias, V 2016, 'The structure and intensity of self-reported autonomic arousal symptoms across anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder', Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 199, pp. 81-86.
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BinDhim, NF, Alanazi, EM, Aljadhey, H, Basyouni, MH, Kowalski, SR, Pont, LG, Shaman, AM, Trevena, L & Alhawassi, TM 2016, 'Does a Mobile Phone Depression-Screening App Motivate Mobile Phone Users With High Depressive Symptoms to Seek a Health Care Professional’s Help?', Journal of Medical Internet Research, vol. 18, no. 6, pp. e156-e156.
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The objective of disease screening is to encourage high-risk subjects to seek health care diagnosis and treatment. Mobile phone apps can effectively screen mental health conditions, including depression. However, it is not known how effective such screening methods are in motivating users to discuss the obtained results of such apps with health care professionals. Does a mobile phone depression-screening app motivate users with high depressive symptoms to seek health care professional advice? This study aimed to address this question.This was a single-cohort, prospective, observational study of a free mobile phone depression app developed in English and released on Apple’s App Store. Apple App Store users (aged 18 or above) in 5 countries, that is, Australia, Canada, New Zealand (NZ), the United Kingdom (UK), and the United States (US), were recruited directly via the app’s download page. The participants then completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), and their depression screening score was displayed to them. If their score was 11 or above and they had never been diagnosed with depression before, they were advised to take their results to their health care professional. They were to follow up after 1 month.A group of 2538 participants from the 5 countries completed PHQ-9 depression screening with the app. Of them, 322 participants were found to have high depressive symptoms and had never been diagnosed with depression, and received advice to discuss their results with health care professionals. About 74% of those completed the follow-up; approximately 38% of these self-reported consulting their health care professionals about their depression score. Only positive attitude toward depression as a real disease was associated with increased follow-up response rate (odds ratio (OR) 3.2, CI 1.38-8.29).A mobile phone depression-screening app motivated some users to seek a depression diagnosis. However, further study should investigate how other app ...

Botermann, L, Krueger, K, Eickhoff, C, Kloft, C & Schulz, M 2016, 'Patients’ handling of a standardized medication plan: a pilot study and method development', Patient Preference and Adherence, vol. 10, pp. 621-621.
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Botermann, L, Monzel, K, Krueger, K, Eickhoff, C, Wachter, A, Kloft, C, Laufs, U & Schulz, M 2016, 'Evaluating patients’ comprehensibility of a standardized medication plan', European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, vol. 72, no. 10, pp. 1229-1237.
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Brakoulias, V, Starcevic, V, Martin, A, Berle, D, Milicevic, D & Viswasam, K 2016, 'The familiality of specific symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder', Psychiatry Research, vol. 239, pp. 315-319.
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Brandenburg, C, Worrall, L, Copland, D, Power, E & Rodriguez, AD 2016, 'The development and accuracy testing of CommFit™, an iPhone application for individuals with aphasia', Aphasiology, vol. 30, no. 2-3, pp. 1-19.
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Background: There has been an increasing amount of focus on measuring the ICF concept of participation in the rehabilitation of people with aphasia. The amount of time that people with aphasia talk has the potential to be used as an indicator of participation for this population. However, in order to measure talk time, an accurate, portable, and usable biofeedback tool is required. This paper details the development and accuracy testing of the CommFit™ iPhone application, which, paired with a BlueTooth headset, times the talk of the user. Aims: The aim of development of CommFit™ was to maximise the likelihood that the app would be usable by people with stroke and aphasia. Accordingly, aphasia-friendly text principles and other features of accessibility were integrated into the design, which is described in detail in this paper. The purpose of this study was to investigate the accuracy of CommFit™ in quantifying talk time in everyday environments in a small number of healthy adults. Methods & Procedures: Participants were three healthy individuals, who each wore the CommFit™ app with BlueTooth headset and a continuous voice recorder for a total of 10 h in their everyday lives. Talk time registered by the app was compared to the amount of talk time manually calculated from the continuous voice recording to obtain its relative accuracy. Outcomes & Results: CommFit™ measured talk time within ±4% of the actual talk time in an ideal environment with no background noise, and ±13% in everyday environments when a calibration procedure was used. Conclusions: CommFit™ is an app that was developed to be aphasia-friendly and accessible. The accuracy results suggest that the app with headset is a usable and valid indicator of talking time for people with aphasia. Testing will be carried out with the target population to further confirm the usability of the app and its role as an indicator of participation.

Brassel, S, Kenny, B, Power, E, Elbourn, E, McDonald, S, Tate, R, MacWhinney, B, Turkstra, L, Holland, A & Togher, L 2016, 'Conversational topics discussed by individuals with severe traumatic brain injury and their communication partners during sub-acute recovery', Brain Injury, vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 1329-1342.
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PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the nature and patterns of conversational topics discussed by individuals with severe TBI and familiar communication partners at 3 and 6 months post-injury, and to examine changes occurring in conversational topics during sub-acute recovery. RESEARCH DESIGN: Qualitative content analysis was used to explore the nature of topics and generate conversational themes. Topic analysis provided an understanding of conversational topic management by identifying patterns of topic initiation and maintenance. METHODS: Twenty-two people with severe TBI and a familiar communication partner engaged in a 10-minute casual conversation on self-selected topics at 3 and 6 months post-injury. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Three main conversational themes were identified: connecting; re-engaging; and impacts of injury. The nature of topics related to these themes changed over time to reflect participants' sub-acute rehabilitation experiences. Most conversational dyads maintained similar conversational and topic patterns during sub-acute recovery. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative analysis provides a new insight into the conversational topics of individuals with severe TBI. Many participants engaged in appropriate conversations and discussed mutually important topics with familiar communication partners. Findings may inform speech-language pathology intervention in sub-acute recovery to improve conversational discourse abilities of individuals with severe TBI and support their communication partners.

Bridgman, K, Onslow, M, O’Brian, S, Jones, M & Block, S 2016, 'Lidcombe Program Webcam Treatment for Early Stuttering: A Randomized Controlled Trial', Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, vol. 59, no. 5, pp. 932-939.
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Purpose Webcam treatment is potentially useful for health care in cases of early stuttering in which clients are isolated from specialized treatment services for geographic and other reasons. The purpose of the present trial was to compare outcomes of clinic and webcam deliveries of the Lidcombe Program treatment (Packman et al., 2015) for early stuttering. Method The design was a parallel, open plan, noninferiority randomized controlled trial of the standard Lidcombe Program treatment and the experimental webcam Lidcombe Program treatment. Participants were 49 children aged 3 years 0 months to 5 years 11 months at the start of treatment. Primary outcomes were the percentage of syllables stuttered at 9 months postrandomization and the number of consultations to complete Stage 1 of the Lidcombe Program. Results There was insufficient evidence of a posttreatment difference of the percentage of syllables stuttered between the standard and webcam Lidcombe Program treatments. There was insufficient evidence of a difference between the groups for typical stuttering severity measured by parents or the reported clinical relationship with the treating speech-language pathologist. Conclusions This trial confirmed the viability of the webcam Lidcombe Program intervention. It appears to be as efficacious and economically viable as the standard, clinic Lidcombe Program treatment.

Brown, L, Wilson, L, Packman, A, Halaki, M, Onslow, M & Menzies, R 2016, 'An investigation of the effects of a speech-restructuring treatment for stuttering on the distribution of intervals of phonation', Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 50, pp. 13-22.
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© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Purpose The purpose of this study was to investigate whether stuttering reductions following the instatement phase of a speech-restructuring treatment for adults were accompanied by reductions in the frequency of short intervals of phonation (PIs). The study was prompted by the possibility that reductions in the frequency of short PIs is the mechanism underlying such reductions in stuttering. Method The distribution of PIs was determined for seven adults who stutter, before and immediately after the intensive phase of a speech-restructuring treatment program. Audiovisual recordings of conversational speech were made on both assessment occasions, with PIs recorded with an accelerometer. Results All seven participants had much lower levels of stuttering after treatment but these were associated with reductions in the frequency of short PIs for only four of them. For the other three participants, two showed no change in frequency of short PIs, while for the other participant the frequency of short PIs actually increased. Conclusions Stuttering reduction with speech-restructuring treatment can co-occur with reduction in the frequency of short PIs. However, the latter does not appear necessary for this reduction in stuttering to occur. Thus, speech-restructuring treatment must have other, or additional, treatment agents for stuttering to reduce.

Bryant, L, Ferguson, A & Spencer, E 2016, 'Linguistic analysis of discourse in aphasia: A review of the literature', Clinical Linguistics & Phonetics, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 489-518.
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This review examined previous research applications of linguistic discourse analysis to assess the language of adults with aphasia. A comprehensive literature search of seven databases identified 165 studies that applied linguistic measures to samples of discourse collected from people with aphasia. Analysis of methodological applications revealed an increase in published research using linguistic discourse analysis over the past 40 years, particularly to measure the generalisation of therapy outcomes to language in use. Narrative language samples were most frequently subject to analysis though all language genres were observed across included studies. A total of 536 different linguistic measures were applied to examine language behaviours. Growth in the research use of linguistic discourse analysis and suggestions that this growth may be reflected in clinical practice requires further investigation. Future research directions are discussed to investigate clinical use of discourse analysis and examine the differences that exist between research and clinical practice.

Burton, AL, Abbott, MJ, Modini, M & Touyz, S 2016, 'Psychometric evaluation of self‐report measures of binge‐eating symptoms and related psychopathology: A systematic review of the literature', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 49, no. 2, pp. 123-140.
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ABSTRACTObjectiveBinge eating is a symptom common to bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa (binge/purge subtype), and binge eating disorder. There are many self‐report measures available to aid the assessment of eating disorders symptoms, but there has not yet been a systematic review of the literature to identify the most valid and reliable measures for use in assessment and treatment of binge eating.MethodA systematic review of the psychometric properties of self‐report measures that assess binge eating symptoms and psychopathology was conducted. Two independent raters assessed the psychometric properties of each measure using a standardized quality analysis tool.ResultsOf the 2,927 studies identified, 72 studies met the inclusion criteria and described the psychometric properties of 29 different self‐report measures, and nine specific subscales within these. Results from the quality analysis tool utilized in this study indicated that none of the included measures currently meet all nine criteria of adequate psychometric properties.DiscussionMost of the included measures had evidence for some adequate psychometric properties. Two measures received six out of nine positive ratings for the assessed psychometric properties, the BITE and the BULIT‐R, and thus appear to be the measures with the most evidence of their validity and reliability. Overall, our findings implicate a need for further investigation of the psychometric properties of the available self‐report questionnaires in this field. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2016; 49:123–140).

Çakici, N, Fakkel, TM, van Neck, JW, Verhagen, AP & Coert, JH 2016, 'Systematic review of treatments for diabetic peripheral neuropathy', Diabetic Medicine, vol. 33, no. 11, pp. 1466-1476.
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AbstractAimTo evaluate treatment options for neuropathic pain and sensory symptoms resulting from diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet.MethodsThe databases PubMed, Embase and Web‐of‐Science were searched for randomized controlled trials, published in the period from database inception to 2 July 2015, that evaluated treatments for diabetic peripheral neuropathy of the feet with placebo or standard treatment as comparators. Participants in these trials included people with diabetes mellitus and diabetic peripheral neuropathy who were given any treatment for diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Risk of bias was assessed using the Delphi list of criteria. Data from the trials were extracted using standardized data extraction sheets by two authors independently. All analyses were performed using RevMan 5.2. In case of clinical homogeneity, statistical pooling was performed using a random effects model.ResultsThis review included 27 trials on pharmacological, non‐pharmacological and alternative treatments. In the meta‐analysis of trials of α‐lipoic acid versus placebo, total symptom score was reduced by ‐2.45 (95% CI ‐4.52; ‐0.39) with 600 mg i.v. α‐lipoic acid (three trials), and was reduced by ‐1.95 (95% CI ‐2.89; ‐1.01) with 600 mg oral α‐lipoic acid (two trials). Significant improvements in diabetic peripheral neuropathy symptoms were found with opioids, botulinum toxin A, mexidol, reflexology and Thai foot massage, but not with micronutrients, neurotrophic peptide ORG 2677 and photon stimulation therapy.Conclusion

Chan, A, Purcell, A & Power, E 2016, 'A systematic review of assessment and intervention strategies for effective clinical communication in culturally and linguistically diverse students', Medical Education, vol. 50, no. 9, pp. 898-911.
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OBJECTIVE: Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) students often experience difficulties with the clinical communication skills that are essential for successful interactions in the workplace. However, there is little evidence on the effectiveness of assessment and intervention strategies for this population. The two aims of this study were: to evaluate the effectiveness of assessment tools in identifying and describing the clinical communication difficulties of CALD health care students; and to determine whether communication programmes improved their clinical communication skills. METHODS: Systematic review based on the Cochrane protocol. Articles were identified through a search of established databases using MeSH and key search terms. Studies published in English from 1990 to March 2015 were included if they described assessment strategies or a training programme for communication skills of CALD students. Studies were excluded if they did not describe implementation of a specific assessment or intervention programme. Data were extracted independently by the first author and verified by the second author. Quality was measured by the Best Evidence Medical Education guide and the Educational Interventions Critical Appraisal Tool. The Kirkpatrick hierarchy was used to measure impact. Meta-analysis was not conducted because of the heterogeneity of programme design and outcome measures. RESULTS: One hundred and twenty-nine articles met the criteria for full text review. Eighty-six articles were excluded. Thirteen articles addressing assessment and 30 articles reporting on communication training programmes were included in this review. Assessment tools used rubrics and rating scales effectively. Intervention studies focused on speech and language skills (n = 20), interpersonal skills (n = 7) and faculty-level support (n = 5). Although 17 studies reported positive findings on student satisfaction, only eight reported improved skills post-training. CON...

Chan, C, Lawless, M, Sutton, G, Versace, P & Hodge, C 2016, 'Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) in 2015', Clinical and Experimental Optometry, vol. 99, no. 3, pp. 204-212.
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Small incision lenticule extraction (SMILE) represents a recent addition to the refractive surgeon's range of procedures. Although there remains a number of similarities to existing techniques in terms of patient selection and treatment parameters, consideration is required to optimise patient outcomes and satisfaction. Here, we review the selection criteria, contraindications, indications and existing published safety and efficacy outcomes.

Chevalier, A, Chevalier, AJ, Clarke, E, Coxon, K, Brown, J, Rogers, K, Boufous, S, Ivers, R & Keay, L 2016, 'Naturalistic rapid deceleration data: Drivers aged 75 years and older', Data in Brief, vol. 9, pp. 909-916.
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© 2016 The Authors The data presented in this article are related to the research manuscript “Predictors of older drivers’ involvement in rapid deceleration events”, which investigates potential predictors of older drivers’ involvement in rapid deceleration events including measures of vision, cognitive function and driving confidence (A. Chevalier et al., 2016) [1]. In naturalistic driving studies such as this, when sample size is not large enough to allow crashes to be used to investigate driver safety, rapid deceleration events may be used as a surrogate safety measure. Naturalistic driving data were collected for up to 52 weeks from 182 volunteer drivers aged 75–94 years (median 80 years, 52% male) living in the suburban outskirts of Sydney. Driving data were collected using an in-vehicle monitoring device. Accelerometer data were recorded 32 times per second and Global Positioning System (GPS) data each second. To measure rapid deceleration behavior, rapid deceleration events (RDEs) were defined as having at least one data point at or above the deceleration threshold of 750 milli-g (7.35 m/s2). All events were constrained to a maximum 5 s duration. The dataset provided with this article contains 473 events, with a row per RDE. This article also contains information about data processing, treatment and quality control. The methods and data presented here may assist with planning and analysis of future studies into rapid deceleration behaviour using in-vehicle monitoring.

Chevalier, A, Coxon, K, Rogers, K, Chevalier, AJ, Wall, J, Brown, J, Clarke, E, Ivers, R & Keay, L 2016, 'A longitudinal investigation of the predictors of older drivers’ speeding behaviour', Accident Analysis & Prevention, vol. 93, pp. 41-47.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. There is little objective evidence about the extent older drivers' are involved in speeding or factors that may influence this behaviour. Particular concern exists for the increasing number of older drivers with poor or declining cognitive and visual function. This study investigates whether a reduction in speeding forms part of the self-restrictive driving behaviour evident when older drivers experience poor cognitive and visual function. Driving data over 12 months were collected from 182 volunteers aged 75-94 years. Driving speed was estimated using Global Positioning System location, and speed limit data was based on a service-provider database. Speed events were defined as driving 1 km/h or more, with 3% tolerance, above a single speed limit, averaged over 30 s. Almost all participants (99%) were involved in speed events. While, 16-31% of participants experienced a meaningful decline in cognitive or visual function during the 12-months, these declines were not predictive of a change in speed events. Our results indicate speeding behaviour in this age group was highly prevalent, but less so for the oldest drivers whereby the rate of speed events was 7% lower per year older (IRR = 0.93, 95%CI = 0.89-0.96). Older drivers with worse function were less involved in speed events (unadjusted for distance driven) during 12 months of observation. Weekly distance driven decreased over the year by approximately 0.45 km with every week of monitoring for these older drivers. When distance driven was taken into account, decreased function was not predictive of involvement in speed events, indicating the reduction in speed events may be achieved by older drivers with lower function reducing distance driven. These results are important for developing policy to address speeding behaviour of the growing population of older drivers to reduce the incidence of crashes and resulting casualties.

Crouse, JJ, Phillips, JR, Jahanshahi, M & Moustafa, AA 2016, 'Postural instability and falls in Parkinson’s disease', Reviews in the Neurosciences, vol. 27, no. 5, pp. 549-555.
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AbstractPostural instability (PI) is one of the most debilitating motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease (PD), as it is associated with an increased risk of falls and subsequent medical complications (e.g. fractures), fear of falling, decreased mobility, self-restricted physical activity, social isolation, and decreased quality of life. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying PI in PD remain elusive. This short review provides a critical summary of the literature on PI in PD, covering the clinical features, the neural and cognitive substrates, and the effects of dopaminergic medications and deep brain stimulation. The delayed effect of dopaminergic medication combined with the success of extrastriatal deep brain stimulation suggests that PI involves neurotransmitter systems other than dopamine and brain regions extending beyond the basal ganglia, further challenging the traditional view of PD as a predominantly single-system neurodegenerative disease.

Cullen, P, Clapham, K, Byrne, J, Hunter, K, Rogers, K, Senserrick, T, Keay, L & Ivers, R 2016, 'Implementation of a driver licensing support program in three Aboriginal communities: a brief report from a pilot program', Health Promotion Journal of Australia, vol. 27, no. 2, pp. 167-169.
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Issue addressedAboriginal people face significant barriers to accessing the driver licensing system in New South Wales (NSW). Low rates of licence participation contribute to transport disadvantage and impede access to employment, education and essential health services. The Driving Change program has been piloted in three communities to increase licensing rates for young Aboriginal people. This brief report reviews implementation to determine whether Driving Change is being delivered as intended to the target population.MethodsDescriptive analysis of routinely collected program data collected between April 2013 and October 2014 to monitor client demographics (n = 194) and program‐specific outcomes.ResultsThe target population is being reached with the majority of clients aged 16–24 years (76%) and being unemployed (53%). Licensing outcomes are being achieved at all pilot sites (learner licence 19%; provisional or unrestricted licence 16%). There is variation in program delivery across the three pilot sites demonstrating the intended flexibility of the program.ConclusionsDriving Change is delivering all aspects of the program as intended at the three pilot sites. The program is reaching the target population and providing a sufficiently flexible program that responds to community and client identified need.So what?Reviewing implementation of community pilot programs is critical to ensure that the intervention is being delivered as intended to the target population. This brief report indicates that Driving Change is assisting young Aboriginal people to access licensing services in NSW. This review of program implementation will assist the subsequent expansion of th...

Custodis, F, Rohlehr, F, Wachter, A, Böhm, M, Schulz, M & Laufs, U 2016, 'Medication knowledge of patients hospitalized for heart failure at admission and after discharge', Patient Preference and Adherence, vol. Volume 10, pp. 2333-2339.
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Dal Molim Ghisleni, D, de Souza Braga, M, Satiko Kikuchi, I, Bra, R. Nem, Dua, K & de Jesus Andreoli Pinto, T 2016, 'The Microbial Quality Aspects and Decontamination Approaches for the Herbal Medicinal Plants and Products: An in-Depth Review', Current Pharmaceutical Design, vol. 22, no. 27, pp. 4264-4287.
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© 2016 Bentham Science Publishers. Background: The present review article provides an overview of the published literature concerning microbial quality of medicinal plants and products and their decontamination methods. It is important to analyze different aspects regarding the cultivation, growing, harvesting, storage, manufacturing, and decontamination of medicinal plant products. Herbal medicinal plants bear a massive microbial load leading to contamination and mycotoxin, which needs to be considered, and properly controlled using suitable sterilization and decontamination methods. Methods: The main focus of this review is on the definition, advantages, disadvantages and applications of decontamination methods, particularly to show that one must consider the characteristics of the initial sample to be decontaminated. Results: The effects of various methods (ozone, plasma, irradiation) on medicinal herbs and products treated for microbiological decontamination are dependent on factors related to microbial load (i.e., nature and amount of initial contamination), herb/product matrix (i.e., complexity of chemical composition, physical state - solid or liquid) and treatment conditions (i.e., time, irradiation dose, absence or presence of oxygen). In addition, it is important to accept some loss of the chemical compounds, while decreasing microbial load to acceptable limits according to official herbal pharmacopoeias and literature, thus ensuring a final product with quality, safety and therapeutic efficacy. Conclusion: The conclusion, which comes from this contribution, is that herbal medicine has more contaminants than a chemically welldefined drug, thus, good manufacturing practices should be followed.

Devasahayam, R, Georges, P, Hodge, C, Treloggen, J, Cooper, S, Petsoglou, C, Sutton, G & Zhu, M 2016, 'Implementation of Organ Culture storage of donor corneas: a 3 year study of its impact on the corneal transplant wait list at the Lions New South Wales Eye Bank', Cell and Tissue Banking, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 377-385.
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© 2016 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht Organ Culture corneal storage offers an extended storage time and increased donor pool and tissue assessment opportunities. In September 2011, the Lions New South Wales Eye Bank (LNSWEB) moved from hypothermic storage to Organ Culture corneal storage. This study evaluates the impact of implementation of Organ Culture on donor eye retrieval and the corneal transplant waiting list over a 3 year period in NSW, Australia. Retrospective review of the LNSWEB data from September 2011 to August 2014. Tissue collection, waiting list and tissue utilization data were recorded. The data from September 2008 to August 2011 for Optisol-GS storage was used for comparison. The annual donor and cornea collection rate increased 35 % and 44 % respectively with Organ Culture compared to Optisol-GS storage. The utilization rate of corneal tissue increased from 73.4 % with hypothermic storage to 77.2 % with Organ Culture storage. The transplant wait list decreased by 77.3 % from September 2011 to August 2014 and correlated with the increased rate of corneal transplantation (r = −0.9381, p < 0.0001). No other factors impacting the wait list changed over this period. Corneas not used from either storage method were due to unacceptable endothelial cell density/viability. The contamination rate of corneas stored in Organ Culture medium was low at 1.74 %. The Organ Culture storage method increases the corneal donor pool available to Eye banks. The practical benefits of the extended storage time and increased donor assessment opportunities have directly led to an increase in corneal utilization rate and a significant decrease in recipient wait list time.

Dhiman, N, AWASTHI, R, Jindal, S, Khatri, S & Dua, K 2016, 'Development of Bilayer Tablets with Modified Release of Selected Incompatible Drugs', Polymers in Medicine, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 5-15.
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BACKGROUND: The oral route is considered to be the most convenient and commonly-employed route for drug delivery. When two incompatible drugs need to be administered at the same time and in a single formulation, bilayer tablets are the most appropriate dosage form to administer such incompatible drugs in a single dose. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present investigation was to develop bilayered tablets of two incompatible drugs; telmisartan and simvastatin. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The bilayer tablets were prepared containing telmisartan in a conventional release layer using croscarmellose sodium as a super disintegrant and simvastatin in a slow-release layer using HPMC K15M, Carbopol 934P and PVP K 30 as matrix forming polymers. The tablets were evaluated for various physical properties, drug-excipient interactions using FTIR spectroscopy and in vitro drug release using 0.1M HCl (pH 1.2) for the first hour and phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) for the remaining period of time. The release kinetics of simvastatin from the slow release layer were evaluated using the zero order, first order, Higuchi equation and Peppas equation. RESULTS: All the physical parameters (such as hardness, thickness, disintegration, friability and layer separation tests) were found to be satisfactory. The FTIR studies indicated the absence of interactions between the components within the individual layers, suggesting drug-excipient compatibility in all the formulations. No drug release from the slow-release layer was observed during the first hour of the dissolution study in 0.1M HCl. The release-controlling polymers had a significant effect on the release of simvastatin from the slow-release layer. Thus, the formulated bilayer tablets avoided incompatibility issues and proved the conventional release of telmisartan (85% in 45 min) and slow release of simvastatin (80% in 8 h). CONCLUSIONS: Stable and compatible bilayer tablets containing telmisartan and simvastatin were developed with bette...

Dinh, MM, Russell, SB, Bein, KJ, Rogers, K, Muscatello, D, Paoloni, R, Hayman, J, Chalkley, DR & Ivers, R 2016, 'The Sydney Triage to Admission Risk Tool (START) to predict Emergency Department Disposition: A derivation and internal validation study using retrospective state-wide data from New South Wales, Australia', BMC Emergency Medicine, vol. 16, no. 1, p. 46.
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BACKGROUND: Disposition decisions are critical to the functioning of Emergency Departments. The objectives of the present study were to derive and internally validate a prediction model for inpatient admission from the Emergency Department to assist with triage, patient flow and clinical decision making. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of State-wide Emergency Department data in New South Wales, Australia. Adult patients (age ≥ 16 years) were included if they presented to a Level five or six (tertiary level) Emergency Department in New South Wales, Australia between 2013 and 2014. The outcome of interest was in-patient admission from the Emergency Department. This included all admissions to short stay and medical assessment units and being transferred out to another hospital. Analyses were performed using logistic regression. Discrimination was assessed using area under curve and derived risk scores were plotted to assess calibration. RESULTS: 1,721,294 presentations from twenty three Level five or six hospitals were analysed. Of these 49.38% were male and the mean (sd) age was 49.85 years (22.13). Level 6 hospitals accounted for 47.70% of cases and 40.74% of cases were classified as an in-patient admission based on their mode of separation. The final multivariable model including age, arrival by ambulance, triage category, previous admission and presenting problem had an AUC of 0.82 (95% CI 0.81, 0.82). CONCLUSION: By deriving and internally validating a risk score model to predict the need for in-patient admission based on basic demographic and triage characteristics, patient flow in ED, clinical decision making and overall quality of care may be improved. Further studies are now required to establish clinical effectiveness of this risk score model.

Dua, K, Malipeddi, VR, Madan, J, Gupta, G, Chakravarthi, S, Awasthi, R, Kikuchi, IS & De Jesus Andreoli Pinto, T 2016, 'Norfloxacin and metronidazole topical formulations for effective treatment of bacterial infections and burn wounds', Interventional Medicine and Applied Science, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 68-76.
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Introduction Our various previous findings have shown the suitability of norfloxacin in the treatment of bacterial infections and burn wounds in alone as well as in combination with Curcuma longa in various topical (ointments, gels, and creams) and transdermal drug delivery systems. Aims and methods Keeping these facts in consideration, we have made an another attempt to prepare semisolid formulations containing 1% w/w of norfloxacin and metronidazole with different bases like Carbopol, polyethylene glycol, and hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose for effective treatment of bacterial infections and burn wounds. The prepared formulations were evaluated for physicochemical parameters, in vitro drug release, antimicrobial activity, and burn wound healing properties. Results The prepared formulations were compared with Silver Sulfadiazine cream 1%, USP. Antimicrobial activity of norfloxacin semisolid formulations was found to be equally effective against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria in comparison to a marketed formulation of Silver Sulfadiazine 1% cream, USP. Based on the burn wound healing property, the prepared norfloxacin semisolid formulation was found to be in good agreement with marketed Silver Sulfadiazine 1% cream, USP. Conclusions These findings suggest formulations containing norfloxacin and metronidazole may also prove as an effective alternative for existing remedies in the treatment of bacterial infections and burn wounds.

Eastwood, A, Webster, D, Taylor, J, Mckay, R, McEwen, A, Sullivan, J, Pope-Couston, R & Stone, P 2016, 'Antenatal screening for aneuploidy--surveying the current situation and planning for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis in New Zealand.', N Z Med J, vol. 129, no. 1429, pp. 57-63.
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AIMS: To gauge clinical opinion about the current system and possible changes as well as providing a forum for education about Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). METHODS: A series of workshops for doctors and midwives, supported by the National Screening Unit of the Ministry of Health and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, were held in the main centres of New Zealand. Following a brief education session, a structured evaluation of current screening and future possibilities was undertaken by questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred and eight maternity carers participated in 5 workshops. Over 40% identified barriers to current screening. More than 60% would support NIPT in the first trimester. The majority of carers provided their own counselling support for women. CONCLUSIONS: The survey has shown general enthusiasm for the introduction of publically funded NIPT into prenatal screening in New Zealand. Barriers to utilisation of the current system have been identified and enhancements to screening performance with guidelines around conditions to be screened for would be supported.

el Barzouhi, A, Verwoerd, AJH, Peul, WC, Verhagen, AP, Lycklama à Nijeholt, GJ, Van der Kallen, BF, Koes, BW, Vleggeert-Lankamp, CLAM & _, _ 2016, 'Prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with sciatica', Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, vol. 24, no. 6, pp. 978-985.
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OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to determine the prognostic value of MRI variables to predict outcome in patients with herniated disc–related sciatica, and whether MRI could facilitate the decision making between early surgery and prolonged conservative care in these patients.METHODSA prospective observational evaluation of patients enrolled in a randomized trial with 1-year follow-up was completed. A total of 283 patients with sciatica who had a radiologically confirmed disc herniation were randomized either to surgery or to prolonged conservative care with surgery if needed. Outcome measures were recovery and leg pain severity. Recovery was registered on a 7-point Likert scale. Complete/near complete recovery was considered a satisfactory outcome. Leg pain severity was measured on a 0- to 100-mm visual analog scale. Multiple MRI characteristics of the degenerated disc herniation were independently scored by 3 spine experts. Cox models were used to study the influence of MRI variables on rate of recovery, and linear mixed models were used to determine the predictive value of MRI variables for leg pain severity during follow-up. The interaction of each MRI predictor with treatment allocation was tested. There were no study-specific conflicts of interest.RESULTSBaseline MRI variables associated with less leg pain severity were the reader's assessment of presence of nerve root compression (p < 0.001), and assessment of extrusion compared with protrusion of the disc herniation (p = 0.006). Both variables tended to be associated, but not significantly, with satisfactory outcome during follow-up (HR 1.45, 95% CI 0.93–2.24, and HR 1.24, 95% CI 0.96–1.61, respectively). The size of disc herniation at baseline was not associated with outcome. There was no significant change in the effects b...

Erickson, S, Block, S, Menzies, R, O’Brian, S, Packman, A & Onslow, M 2016, 'Standalone Internet speech restructuring treatment for adults who stutter: A phase I study', International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 329-340.
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© 2015 The Speech Pathology Association of Australia Limited Published by Taylor & Francis. Purpose: This Phase I trial reports the results of a clinician-free Internet speech restructuring treatment for adults who stutter. The program consists of nine phases with concepts loosely based on the Camperdown Program. Method: Twenty adults who stutter were recruited. They were given unlimited access to the program for 6 months. Primary outcome measures were the percentage of syllables stuttered and self-reported severity ratings. Result: Five participants accessed all phases of the program, while another five accessed more than half the phases. The remaining 10 accessed between one and four phases. Four of five participants who accessed all phases reduced their stuttering frequency by more than 50% and an additional two participants who accessed more than half the phases also achieved similar reductions. These results were confirmed by self-reports of stuttering severity. Stuttering reductions were largely commensurate with the amount of the program accessed. Conclusion: As with other clinician-free programs in related health areas, maintaining adherence to the program’s procedures was a significant issue. Nonetheless, this novel approach to treating stuttering has the potential to be a viable alternative for some clients and may help to address the significant access and relapse issues that affect treatment provision for adults who stutter.

Finch, EC, Iverach, L, Menzies, RG & Jones, M 2016, 'Terror mismanagement: evidence that mortality salience exacerbates attentional bias in social anxiety', Cognition and Emotion, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 1370-1379.
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© 2015 The Author(s). Published by Taylor & Francis. Death anxiety is a basic fear underlying a range of psychological conditions, and has been found to increase avoidance in social anxiety. Given that attentional bias is a core feature of social anxiety, the aim of the present study was to examine the impact of mortality salience (MS) on attentional bias in social anxiety. Participants were 36 socially anxious and 37 non-socially anxious individuals, randomly allocated to a MS or control condition. An eye-tracking procedure assessed initial bias towards, and late-stage avoidance of, socially threatening facial expressions. As predicted, socially anxious participants in the MS condition demonstrated significantly more initial bias to social threat than non-socially anxious participants in the MS condition and socially anxious participants in the control condition. However, this effect was not found for late-stage avoidance of social threat. These findings suggest that reminders of death may heighten initial vigilance towards social threat.

Foppe van Mil, JW, Westerlund, T, Brown, L, Chen, TF, Henman, M, Hersberger, K, McElnay, J & Schulz, M 2016, 'Erratum to: Medical care and drug-related problems: Do doctors and pharmacists speak the same language?', International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 195-195.
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Foppe van Mil, JW, Westerlund, T, Brown, L, Chen, TF, Henman, M, Hersberger, K, McElnay, J & Schulz, M 2016, 'Medical care and drug-related problems: Do doctors and pharmacists speak the same language?', International Journal of Clinical Pharmacy, vol. 38, no. 2, pp. 191-194.
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Freed, GL & Turbitt, E 2016, 'The global imperative to address vaccine-preventable diseases.', Aust Fam Physician, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 14-16.
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BACKGROUND: When one speaks of global health, there are few issues that actually have a health impact globally rather than in just one or more regions of the world or in a specific population. When truly thinking globally, among the most important global health issues affecting large segments of the world's populations is the persistence of vaccine-preventable diseases. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to provide a perspective on the importance of immunisation as a unique global health concern in that it is not a time-limited issue. DISCUSSION: Although there may be outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases within or across nations, effective immunisation strategies cannot be conducted in a one-off manner. No matter how effective a single immunisation campaign may be, each year there is a new global cohort of children who need protection to prevent disease, as well as new opportunities to vaccinate adults against a wide array of avoidable illnesses. The developing world should no longer experience 450,000 preventable deaths each year from rotavirus, nor 145,000 from measles. By the same token, there should no longer be 2000 preventable deaths each year from influenza in Australia. It is time to use our global health efforts to address the most pressing risks, both at home and abroad.

Freed, GL, Allen, AR, Turbitt, E, Nicolas, C & Oakley, E 2016, 'Parent perspectives and reasons for lower urgency paediatric presentations to emergency departments', Emergency Medicine Australasia, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 211-215.
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AbstractObjectiveThe age band with, by far, the greatest number of ED presentations is children 0–4  years, with other paediatric age bands also among the highest. As the majority of these presentations are for lower urgency conditions, we sought to determine why parents seek ED care for their child for lower urgency conditions.MethodsA survey study of 1150 parents or guardians of children with lower urgency conditions (triage category 4 or 5) presenting to the EDs of three public general and one paediatric specialty hospital in metropolitan Melbourne.ResultsFewer than half of parents (43%) attempted to make an appointment with a general practitioner (GP) for their child prior to presenting to the ED. Two‐thirds of those who did contact a GP were instructed by their GP to go to the ED for their lower urgency condition. Few attempted to contact a nurse telephone triage service or after‐hours GP service.ConclusionsThe current magnitude and the growth of lower urgency paediatric ED presentations is a strain on the health care system. Efforts to educate parents regarding the suitability and availability of GP appointments can be the cornerstone of an initial strategy to address this issue. However, efforts to address the high rates of GP referral to EDs for low urgency presentations will be more vexing to develop, yet no less important. They will require addressing fundamental issues in both current GP care for children and the training of GP registrars.

Freed, GL, Turbitt, E, Kunin, M, Gafforini, S, Sanci, L & Spike, N 2016, 'General practitioner perspectives on referrals to paediatric public specialty clinics.', Aust Fam Physician, vol. 45, no. 10, pp. 747-753.
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BACKGROUND: Changes in the demography of Australia have resulted in changes in patterns of primary care delivery. One of these changes is that the proportion of paediatric visits has decreased. OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the article are to examine patient, practice and personal factors that influence a general practitioner's (GP's) decision to refer patients for paediatric specialty care, and investigate referral goals and experience with shared care. METHODS: A mail survey was sent out to 400 GPs who had referred at least two children to public hospital specialty clinics during 2014. RESULTS: The response rate for the mail survey was 67%. The factors most commonly reported by GPs as 'Somewhat important' or 'Very important' in the decision to refer were whether they had enough knowledge of a specific condition (81%) or did not have experience with similar patients (75%). About one-quarter (26%) of GPs reported that a parental request 'Frequently' or 'Almost always' influenced their referral decision. A similar pro-portion (26%) placed importance on whether they had sufficient time for a specific patient. DISCUSSION: Understanding the perspectives and determinants of GP referrals for paediatric specialty care is important, especially in the context of changing patterns of primary care delivery.

Freeman-Sanderson, A 2016, 'The author replies', Critical Care Medicine, vol. 44, no. 11, pp. e1147-e1147.
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Freeman-Sanderson, A, Togher, L, Elkins, M & Phipps, P 2016, 'An intervention to allow early speech in ventilated tracheostomy patients in an Australian Intensive Care Unit (ICU): A randomised controlled trial', Australian Critical Care, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 114-114.
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Freeman-Sanderson, A, Togher, L, Kenny, B, Elkins, M & Phipps, P 2016, 'Loss of voice in mechanically ventilated tracheostomy patients: The patient experience in ICU', Australian Critical Care, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 115-115.
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Freeman-Sanderson, AL, Togher, L, Elkins, MR & Phipps, PR 2016, 'Quality of life improves with return of voice in tracheostomy patients in intensive care: An observational study', Journal of Critical Care, vol. 33, pp. 186-191.
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PURPOSE: To measure patient-reported change of mood, communication-related quality of life, and general health status with return of voice among mechanically ventilated tracheostomy patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective observational study in a tertiary ICU was conducted. Communication-related quality of life was measured daily using the Visual Analogue Self-Esteem Scale. General health status was measured weekly using the EuroQol-5D. RESULTS: Aspects of communication self-esteem that significantly improved with the return of voice were ability to be understood by others (P = .006) and cheerfulness (P = .04), both with a median difference from before to after return of voice of 1 on the 5-point scale. Return of voice was not associated with a significant improvement in confidence, sense of outgoingness, anger, sense of being trapped, optimism, or frustration. Reported general health status did not significantly improve. CONCLUSIONS: Return of voice was associated with significant improvement in patient reported self-esteem, particularly in being understood by others and in cheerfulness. Improved self-esteem may also improve quality of life; however, further research is needed to confirm this relationship. Early restoration of voice should be investigated as a way to improve the experience of ICU for tracheostomy patients.

Freeman-Sanderson, AL, Togher, L, Elkins, MR & Phipps, PR 2016, 'Return of Voice for Ventilated Tracheostomy Patients in ICU: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Early-Targeted Intervention*', Critical Care Medicine, vol. 44, no. 6, pp. 1075-1081.
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Objectives: A cuffed tracheostomy tube facilitates prolonged mechanical ventilation and weaning but usually leads to prolonged voicelessness, which can be one of the most negative experiences of hospitalization. No randomized trials have examined the effects of targeted early communication intervention for the restoration of voice in ventilated tracheostomy patients in the ICU. Design: A prospective randomized clinical trial. Setting: The trial was conducted in the ICU of an urban tertiary level hospital. Patients: Thirty adult participants enrolled, with 15 randomly allocated to the intervention and control groups. Interventions: The early intervention group received early cuff deflation and insertion of an in-line speaking valve during mechanical ventilation. The control group received standard cuff deflation and a speaking valve during self-ventilation. A speech-language pathologist provided all treatments. Measurements and Main Results: The primary outcome measure was time from tracheostomy insertion to phonation. Early intervention significantly hastened return to phonation (median difference = 11 d; hazard ratio = 3.66; 95% CI, 1.54–8.68) with no significant effect on duration of tracheostomy cannulation (hazard ratio = 1.40; 95% CI, 0.65–3.03), duration of mechanical ventilation in days from tracheostomy insertion (hazard ratio = 1.19; 95% CI, 0...

French, AN 2016, 'Increasing children's time spent outdoors reduces the incidence of myopia', Evidence Based Medicine, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 76-76.
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Gafforini, S, Turbitt, E & Freed, GL 2016, 'Lower urgency paediatric injuries: Parent preferences for emergency department or general practitioner care', Emergency Medicine Australasia, vol. 28, no. 5, pp. 564-568.
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AbstractObjectivesInjuries are a significant proportion of lower urgency (triage category 4 or 5) child presentations to the EDs in metropolitan Melbourne. The purpose of the present study was to assess parental preferences and experiences regarding the treatment of lower urgency child injuries and the role of general practitioners (GPs) in such care.MethodsA self‐administered survey study of 1150 parents of children ≤9 years of age attending the ED at one of four Victorian hospitals triaged with a lower urgency condition (triage category 4 or 5) looked at whether children with lower urgency injuries are frequently referred by their GP to the ED and parent preferences for the care of lower urgency child injuries. Parents were recruited by time of day and weekday/weekend. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed.ResultsFewer parents of injured children, compared with illness, attempted to make a GP appointment prior to attending ED (35% vs 46%; P < 0.001). A greater proportion of injured children were referred to the ED by their GP than ill children (84% vs 59%; P = <0.001). More parents (53%) preferred ED for the care of child injuries than primary care. Parents who presented to the ED with an ill child were more likely to indicate that they have greater trust in ED doctors for the treatment of injuries than primary care doctors (56% vs 46%; P = 0.003).ConclusionsTreatment provided in the ED for child injuries is valued highly by most parents, with a higher proportion of children with an injury being referred to the ED by their...

Gandy, M, Karin, E, Fogliati, VJ, McDonald, S, Titov, N & Dear, BF 2016, 'A feasibility trial of an Internet‐delivered and transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy treatment program for anxiety, depression, and disability among adults with epilepsy', Epilepsia, vol. 57, no. 11, pp. 1887-1896.
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SummaryObjectiveAnxiety and depression are highly prevalent in people with epilepsy (PWE) and contribute to increased disability. Unfortunately, there are numerous barriers (e.g., cost, distance, and stigma) and service gaps (e.g., lack of services and trained clinicians) that prevent many PWE from accessing traditional face‐to‐face psychological services. The aim of the present study was to examine the feasibility of a new transdiagnostic Internet‐delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) program, the Chronic Conditions Course, to simultaneously treat symptoms of anxiety, depression, and disability.MethodsA single‐group feasibility open trial was employed involving 27 adults with epilepsy. The program comprises five online lessons delivered over 8 weeks and is provided with weekly contact from a mental health professional via e‐mail and telephone.ResultsHigh treatment completion rates and levels of satisfaction were reported. Evidence of significant improvements in our primary outcomes (within‐group Cohen's d [d]; average [avg.] reductions) of anxiety (d ≥ 1.28; avg. reduction ≥ 54%), depression (d ≥ 1.24; avg. reduction ≥ 54%), epilepsy‐specific depression (d ≥ 0.95; avg. reduction ≥ 35%), and disability (d ≥ 0.62; avg. reduction ≥ 33%) were observed at posttreatment, which were sustained at or further improved to 3‐month follow‐up. On our secondary outcomes there were significant improvements for life satisfaction (d ≥ 0.70; avg. improvement ≥ 26%) but not for perceived cognitive difficulties (d ≥ 0.48; avg. reduction ≥ 15%). Highlighting the pote...

Garcia, AN & Saragiotto, BT 2016, 'Multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for chronic low back pain (PEDro synthesis)', British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 251-252.
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Garcia-Cardenas, V, Armour, C, Benrimoj, SI, Martinez-Martinez, F, Rotta, I & Fernandez-Llimos, F 2016, 'Pharmacists' interventions on clinical asthma outcomes: a systematic review', EUROPEAN RESPIRATORY JOURNAL, vol. 47, no. 4, pp. 1134-1143.
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Copyright © ERS 2016. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the impact of pharmacists' interventions on clinical asthma outcomes on adult patients and to identify the outcome indicators used. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Scielo were searched. Studies addressing pharmacists' interventions on adult asthma patients reporting clinical asthma outcomes were incorporated. 11 clinical outcomes were identified in 21 studies. 10 studies measured the impact of the intervention on asthma control. Randomised controlled trials (RCT) and non-RCTs found positive results in percentages of controlled patients and Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ) scores. Discordant results were found for Asthma Control Test results. Asthma severity was assessed in four studies. One RCT found a significant decrease in the percentage of severe patients; two non-RCTs found significant improvements in severity scores. 11 studies reported pulmonary function indicators, showing inconsistent results. Eight studies measured asthma symptoms; three RCTs and four non-RCTs showed significant improvements. RCTs and non-RCTs generated similar results for most outcomes. Based on the evidence generated by RCTs, pharmacists' have a positive impact on the percentage of controlled patients, ACQ scores, severity and symptoms. Future research should report using the core outcome set of indicators established for asthma (PROSPERO CRD42014007019).

Golding, K, Kneebone, I & Fife-Schaw, C 2016, 'Self-help relaxation for post-stroke anxiety: a randomised, controlled pilot study', Clinical Rehabilitation, vol. 30, no. 2, pp. 174-180.
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Objective: To consider relaxation as a potential treatment for anxiety in stroke survivors living in the community, including feasibility and acceptability. Design: Randomised two group design (intervention and control). Participants: All participants ( n = 21) were stroke survivors living in the community who reported experiencing anxiety (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale - Anxiety Subscale ⩾ 6). Interventions: The intervention group were asked to listen to a self-help autogenic relaxation CD, five times a week, for at least one month. Participants completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale at screening and then monthly for three months. Results: At each assessment following screening, participants who received the relaxation training were significantly more likely to report reduced anxiety compared to those who had not received the training (Month 1 P = 0.002; Month 2 P < 0.001; Month 3 P = 0.001). After one month, seven of the intervention group ( n = 10) had completed the relaxation training as directed and planned to continue using it. The intervention appeared practical to deliver and relatively inexpensive, with minimal adverse effects. Conclusions: Preliminary evidence suggests that autogenic relaxation training delivered in a self-help CD format is a feasible and acceptable intervention, and that anxiety is reduced in stroke survivors who received the intervention. Future studies should seek to recruit a larger and more heterogeneous sample of 70 participants.

Gradl, G, Krieg, E-M & Schulz, M 2016, 'Evaluation of pharmaceutical concerns in Germany: frequency and potential reasons', Pharmacy Practice, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 786-786.
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© 2016, Grupo de Investigacion en Atencion Farmaceutica. All rights reserved. Background: Generic substitution can have unintended consequences. In Germany, brand name to generic or generic to generic switching is mainly driven by rebate contracts. Frequent switching may raise concerns about bio-and therapeutic equivalence. Expected patient confusion may result in compromised medication adherence or new onset of other drug-related problems. Since 2008, pharmacists are allowed to deviate from rebate contracts by denying substitution due to pharmaceutical concerns on an individual basis. Objectives: To explore the frequency of documented pharmaceutical concerns in Germany between July 2011 and December 2013 and to identify the medicines most frequently related to pharmaceutical concerns in 2013. Methods: We analyzed documented pharmaceutical concerns in all prescribed drugs at the expense of any statutory health insurance company requiring pharmacies’ generic substitution according to rebate contracts. Results: Since July 2011, the frequency of documented pharmaceutical concerns in relation to prescribed drug products with rebate contracts requiring substitution increased consistently and doubled between July 2011 and July 2013. Overall in 2013, the trend of the two previous years continued and reached approximately 1.5%. The most affected drugs/drug classes were thyroid hormones (in particular combinations with iodide; 15.9%) followed by ondansetron (12.5%), and levothyroxine (11.3%). For all drugs/drug classes under investigation, product-, patient-or disease-related aspects could be identified which are potential reasons to deny substitution and to document pharmaceutical concerns. Conclusions: Although there is no electronic recording of the specific reasons for pharmaceutical concerns in claims data, our analyses support the assumption that pharmacists make use of this instrument based on individual clinical decisions and as required by contract. Pharmaceutica...

Guo, YE, Togher, L, Power, E & Koh, GCH 2016, 'Validation of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale in a multicultural population', Disability and Rehabilitation, vol. 38, no. 26, pp. 2584-2592.
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PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the reliability and validity of the Stroke and Aphasia Quality of Life Scale (SAQOL-39 g) and its Mandarin adaptation SAQOL-CSg in Singaporean stroke patients. METHOD: First-time stroke survivors were recruited at three months post-stroke and underwent a series of questionnaires in their dominant language (English/Mandarin). This included: SAQOL-39 g/CSg, National University Hospital System (NUHS) Aphasia Screening Test, Barthel Index, Modified Rankin Scale, Mini Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery, Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale and the Eurol-Qol Health Questionnaire (EQ-5D). The SAQOL-39 g/SAQOL-CSg was repeated within 1 week (± 6 days). RESULTS: Ninety-four participants (96.9%) were able to self-report and their results presented here. Both the SAQOL-39 g/SAQOL-CSg showed good internal consistency (α = 0.96/0.97), test-retest reliability (ICC= 0.99/0.98), convergent (rs  =0.64-0.81 and 0.66-0.88, respectively) and discriminant (rs = 0.35-0.53 and 0.48-0.62, respectively) validity. The correlation between the SAQOL-39 g and the EQ-5D Visual Analogue Scale was 0.27. Further inspection of the EQ-5DVAS scores revealed correlations in different directions for Malay versus Chinese participants. CONCLUSIONS: Both the SAQOL-39 g and SAQOL-CSg demonstrated good reliability and validity. Our results suggested some influence of ethnicity in self-rating of health status in relation to SAQOL-39 g scores. Further research is warranted to examine its use with stroke survivors with greater stroke severity and over time. Implications for Rehabilitation Validation of SAQOL in Singapore: Both the SAQOL-39g and the SAQOL-CSg may be used to measure the HRQoL of stroke survivors with and without aphasia in Singapore. Further investigation is required to examine use with stroke survivors with greater stroke severity and over time.

Gupta, V, Gupta, VB, Chitranshi, N, Gangoda, S, Vander Wall, R, Abbasi, M, Golzan, M, Dheer, Y, Shah, T, Avolio, A, Chung, R, Martins, R & Graham, S 2016, 'One protein, multiple pathologies: multifaceted involvement of amyloid β in neurodegenerative disorders of the brain and retina', Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, vol. 73, no. 22, pp. 4279-4297.
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Accumulation of amyloid β (Aβ) and its aggregates in the ageing central nervous system is regarded synonymous to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology. Despite unquestionable advances in mechanistic and diagnostic aspects of the disease understanding, the primary cause of Aβ accumulation as well as its in vivo roles remains elusive; nonetheless, the majority of the efforts to address pathological mechanisms for therapeutic development are focused towards moderating Aβ accumulation in the brain. More recently, Aβ deposition has been identified in the eye and is linked with distinct age-related diseases including age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma as well as AD. Awareness of the Aβ accumulation in these markedly different degenerative disorders has led to an increasing body of work exploring overlapping mechanisms, a prospective biomarker role for Aβ and the potential to use retina as a model for brain related neurodegenerative disorders. Here, we present an integrated view of current understanding of the retinal Aβ deposition discussing the accumulation mechanisms, anticipated impacts and outlining ameliorative approaches that can be extrapolated to the retina for potential therapeutic benefits. Further longitudinal investigations in humans and animal models will determine retinal Aβ association as a potential pathognomonic, diagnostic or prognostic biomarker.

Gupta, VK, Chitranshi, N, Gupta, VB, Golzan, M, Dheer, Y, Wall, RV, Georgevsky, D, King, AE, Vickers, JC, Chung, R & Graham, S 2016, 'Amyloid β accumulation and inner retinal degenerative changes in Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mouse', Neuroscience Letters, vol. 623, pp. 52-56.
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Hall, JM, O’Callaghan, C, Shine, JM, Muller, AJ, Phillips, JR, Walton, CC, Lewis, SJG & Moustafa, AA 2016, 'Dysfunction in attentional processing in patients with Parkinson’s disease and visual hallucinations', Journal of Neural Transmission, vol. 123, no. 5, pp. 503-507.
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Mechanistic insights into visual hallucinations (VH) in Parkinson's disease (PD) have suggested a role for impaired attentional processes. The current study tested 25 PD patients with and 28 PD patients without VH on the attentional network test. Hallucinators had significantly lower accuracy rates compared to non-hallucinators, but no differences were found in reaction times. This suggests that hallucinators show deficits in attentional processes and conflict monitoring. Our findings provide novel behavioural insights that dovetail with current neurobiological frameworks of VH.

Harrison, WJ, Andrici, J, Maclean, F, Madadi-Ghahan, R, Farzin, M, Sioson, L, Toon, CW, Clarkson, A, Watson, N, Pickett, J, Field, M, Crook, A, Tucker, K, Goodwin, A, Anderson, L, Srinivasan, B, Grossmann, P, Martinek, P, Ondič, O, Hes, O, Trpkov, K, Clifton-Bligh, RJ, Dwight, T & Gill, AJ 2016, 'Fumarate Hydratase–deficient Uterine Leiomyomas Occur in Both the Syndromic and Sporadic Settings', American Journal of Surgical Pathology, vol. 40, no. 5, pp. 599-607.
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Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma (HLRCC) syndrome secondary to germline fumarate hydratase (FH) mutation presents with cutaneous and uterine leiomyomas, and a distinctive aggressive renal carcinoma. Identification of HLRCC patients presenting first with uterine leiomyomas may allow early intervention for renal carcinoma. We reviewed the morphology and immunohistochemical (IHC) findings in patients with uterine leiomyomas and confirmed or presumed HLRCC. IHC was also performed on a tissue microarray of unselected uterine leiomyomas and leiomyosarcomas. FH-deficient leiomyomas underwent Sanger and massively parallel sequencing on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue. All 5 patients with HLRCC had at least 1 FH-deficient leiomyoma: defined as completely negative FH staining with positive internal controls. One percent (12/1152) of unselected uterine leiomyomas but 0 of 88 leiomyosarcomas were FH deficient. FH-deficient leiomyoma patients were younger (42.7 vs. 48.8 y, P=0.024) and commonly demonstrated a distinctive hemangiopericytomatous vasculature. Other features reported to be associated with FH-deficient leiomyomas (hypercellularity, nuclear atypia, inclusion-like nucleoli, stromal edema) were inconstantly present. Somatic FH mutations were identified in 6 of 10 informative unselected FH-deficient leiomyomas. None of these mutations were found in the germline. We conclude that, while the great majority of patients with HLRCC will have FH-deficient leiomyomas, 1% of all uterine leiomyomas are FH deficient usually due to somatic inactivation. Although IHC screening for FH may have a role in confirming patients at high risk for hereditary disease before genetic testing, prospective identification of FH-deficient leiomyomas is of limited clinical benefit in screening unselected patients because of the relatively high incidence of somatic mutations.

Hemsley, B 2016, 'Evidence does not support the use of Rapid Prompting Method (RPM) as an intervention for students with autism spectrum disorder and further primary research is not justified', Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention, vol. 10, no. 3-4, pp. 122-130.
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This review provides a summary and appraisal commentary on the treatment review by Deacy, E., Jennings, F., & O’Halloran, A. (2016). Rapid Prompting Method (RPM): A suitable intervention for students with ASD? REACH Journal of Special Needs Education in Ireland, 29, 92–100. Source of funding and declaration of interests: This review was supported in part by funding from the Australian Research Council [grant number DE140100443].

Hemsley, B & Palmer, S 2016, 'Two Studies on Twitter Networks and Tweet Content in Relation to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Conversation, Information, and 'Diary of a Daily Life'.', Stud Health Technol Inform, vol. 227, pp. 41-47.
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To date, there is no research examining how adults with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Motor Neurone Disease (MND) and severe communication disability use Twitter, nor the use of Twitter in relation to ALS/MND beyond its use for fundraising and raising awareness. In this paper we (a) outline a rationale for the use of Twitter as a method of communication and information exchange for adults with ALS/MND, (b) detail multiple qualitative and quantitative methods used to analyse Twitter networks and tweet content in the our studies, and (c) present the results of two studies designed to provide insights on the use of Twitter by an adult with ALS/MND and by #ALS and #MND hashtag communities in Twitter. We will also discuss findings across the studies, implications for health service providers in Twitter, and directions for future Twitter research in relation to ALS/MND.

Hemsley, B, Georgiou, A, Carter, R, Hill, S, Higgins, I, van Vliet, P & Balandin, S 2016, 'Use of the My Health Record by people with communication disability in Australia', Health Information Management Journal, vol. 45, no. 3, pp. 107-115.
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Background: People with communication disability often struggle to convey their health information to multiple service providers and are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes related to the poor exchange of health information. Objective: The purpose of this article was to (a) review the literature informing future research on the Australian personally controlled electronic health record, ‘My Health Record’ (MyHR), specifically to include people with communication disability and their family members or service providers, and (b) to propose a range of suitable methodologies that might be applied in research to inform training, policy and practice in relation to supporting people with communication disability and their representatives to engage in using MyHR. Method: The authors reviewed the literature and, with a cross-disciplinary perspective, considered ways to apply sociotechnical, health informatics, and inclusive methodologies to research on MyHR use by adults with communication disability. Research outcomes: This article outlines a range of research methods suitable for investigating the use of MyHR by people who have communication disability associated with a range of acquired or lifelong health conditions, and their family members, and direct support workers. Conclusion: In planning the allocation of funds towards the health and well-being of adults with disabilities, both disability and health service providers must consider the supports needed for people with communication disability to use MyHR. There is an urgent need to focus research efforts on MyHR in populations with communication disability, who struggle to communicate their health informatio...

Hemsley, B, Georgiou, A, Hill, S & Balandin, S 2016, 'ISQUA16-1897DOCUMENTATION OF PATIENT COMMUNICATION IN HOSPITAL MEDICAL RECORDS: A PROTECTION OR A THREAT TO PATIENT SAFETY FOR ADULTS WITH COMMUNICATION DISABILITY', International Journal for Quality in Health Care, vol. 28, no. suppl 1, pp. 44-45.
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Hemsley, B, Georgiou, A, Hill, S, Rollo, M, Steel, J & Balandin, S 2016, 'An integrative review of patient safety in studies on the care and safety of patients with communication disabilities in hospital', Patient Education and Counseling, vol. 99, no. 4, pp. 501-511.
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OBJECTIVE: To review the research literature on the experiences of patients with communication disabilities in hospital according to the Generic Model of patient safety. METHODS: In 2014 and 2015, we searched four scientific databases for studies with an aim or result relevant to safety of hospital patients with communication disabilities. The review included 27 studies. RESULTS: A range of adverse event types were outlined in qualitative research. Little detail was provided about contributing or protective factors for safety incidents in hospital for these patients or the impact of the incidents on the patient or organisations involved. CONCLUSION: Further research addressing the safety of patients with communication disabilities is needed. Sufficient detail is required to identify the nature, timing, and detection of incidents; factors that contribute to or prevent adverse events; and detail the impact of the adverse events. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: In order to provide safe and effective care to people with communication disabilities in hospital, a priority for health and disability services must be the design and evaluation of ecologically appropriate and evidence-based interventions to improve patient care, communication, and reduce the risk of costly and harmful patient safety incidents.

Héroux, ME, Stubbs, PW & Herbert, RD 2016, 'Behavior of human gastrocnemius muscle fascicles during ramped submaximal isometric contractions', Physiological Reports, vol. 4, no. 17, pp. e12947-e12947.
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Precise estimates of muscle architecture are necessary to understand and model muscle mechanics. The primary aim of this study was to estimate continuous changes in fascicle length and pennation angle in human gastrocnemius muscles during ramped plantar flexor contractions at two ankle angles. The secondary aim was to determine whether these changes differ between proximal and distal fascicles. Fifteen healthy subjects performed ramped contractions (0–25% MVC) as ultrasound images were recorded from the medial (MG, eight sites) and lateral (LG, six sites) gastrocnemius muscle with the ankle at 90° and 120° (larger angles correspond to shorter muscle lengths). In all subjects, fascicles progressively shortened with increasing torque. MG fascicles shortened 5.8 mm (11.1%) at 90° and 4.5 mm (12.1%) at 120°, whereas LG muscle fascicles shortened 5.1 mm (8.8%) at both ankle angles. MG pennation angle increased 1.4° at 90° and 4.9° at 120°, and LG pennation angle decreased 0.3° at 90° and increased 2.6° at 120°. Muscle architecture changes were similar in proximal and distal fascicles at both ankle angles. This is the first study to describe continuous changes in fascicle length and pennation angle in the human gastrocnemius muscle during ramped isometric contractions. Very similar changes occurred in proximal and distal muscle regions. These findings are relevant to studies modeling active muscle mechanics.

Hilton, S, Sheppard, JJ & Hemsley, B 2016, 'Feasibility of implementing oral health guidelines in residential care settings: views of nursing staff and residential care workers', Applied Nursing Research, vol. 30, pp. 194-203.
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PURPOSE: To determine the views of nurses and on the feasibility of implementing current evidence-based guidelines for oral care, examining barriers and facilitators to implementation. RESULTS: This mixed-methods study involved an online survey of 35 nurses and residential care workers, verified and expanded upon by one focus group of six residential care workers. Results reflected that nurses and residential care workers (a) have little or no training in recommended oral care techniques, and (b) lack access to the equipment and professional supports needed to provide adequate oral care. Basic oral care might be performed less than once per day in some settings and patients with problematic behaviours, dysphagia, or sensitivities associated with poor oral health might be less likely to receive oral care. While lack of time was highlighted as a barrier in the survey findings, focus group members considered that time should not be a barrier to prioritising oral care practices on a daily basis in residential care settings. CONCLUSION: There are several important discrepancies between the recommendations made in evidence-based guidelines for oral care and the implementation of such practices in residential care settings. Nursing and residential care staff considered adequate oral care to be feasible if access, funding and training barriers are removed and facilitators enhanced.

Hughes, PH & Hodge, C 2016, 'Cataract: Vision loss, treatment and the role of the GP in patient assessment and care', Medicine Today, vol. 17, no. 12, pp. 43-46.
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Modern cataract surgery is relatively routine, yet the decision to proceed to surgery may be complex. GPs can recognise potential problems and help to guide patients’ postoperative expectations as they are faced with options for improving their vision and gaining independence from prescription glasses.

Hughes, PH & Hodge, C 2016, 'Laser refractive surgery: A guide for GPs', Medicine Today, vol. 17, no. 10, pp. 59-62.
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Laser refractive surgery is now an established option for patients seeking independence from glasses. With excellent patient satisfaction and millions of procedures previously performed worldwide, refractive surgery is considered to be among the most successful elective procedures;1 yet achieving an optimal outcome after surgery remains a concern. This is discussed below with reference to the GP as an important source of guidance.

Iverach, L, Heard, R, Menzies, R, Lowe, R, O'Brian, S, Packman, A & Onslow, M 2016, 'A Brief Version of the Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering Scales: The UTBAS-6', Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research, vol. 59, no. 5, pp. 964-972.
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Purpose A significant proportion of adults who stutter experience anxiety in social and speaking situations. The Unhelpful Thoughts and Beliefs About Stuttering (UTBAS) scales provide a comprehensive measure of the unhelpful cognitions associated with social anxiety in stuttering. However, reducing the number of UTBAS items would make it ideal as a brief screening instrument. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to develop a brief version of the full UTBAS scales. Method The 66-item UTBAS scales were completed by 337 adults who stutter. Item reduction was used to determine a smaller set of items that could adequately reproduce the total score for each full UTBAS scale. Results Item reduction resulted in the inclusion of six items for the brief UTBAS-6 scales. Decile ranges for scores on the brief UTBAS-6 provide reliable estimates of the full UTBAS scores and valuable clinical information about whether a psychological assessment is warranted. Conclusions The brief UTBAS-6 provides a reliable and efficient means of screening the unhelpful thoughts and beliefs associated with speech-related anxiety among adults who stutter. Referral for a psychological assessment is recommended in cases where the UTBAS total score falls in or above the fifth decile.

Iverach, L, Jones, M, McLellan, LF, Lyneham, HJ, Menzies, RG, Onslow, M & Rapee, RM 2016, 'Prevalence of anxiety disorders among children who stutter', Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 49, pp. 13-28.
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Purpose Stuttering during adulthood is associated with a heightened rate of anxiety disorders, especially social anxiety disorder. Given the early onset of both anxiety and stuttering, this comorbidity could be present among stuttering children. Method Participants were 75 stuttering children 7–12 years and 150 matched non-stuttering control children. Multinomial and binary logistic regression models were used to estimate odds ratios for anxiety disorders, and two-sample t-tests compared scores on measures of anxiety and psycho-social difficulties. Results Compared to non-stuttering controls, the stuttering group had six-fold increased odds for social anxiety disorder, seven-fold increased odds for subclinical generalized anxiety disorder, and four-fold increased odds for any anxiety disorder. Conclusion These results show that, as is the case during adulthood, stuttering during childhood is associated with a significantly heightened rate of anxiety disorders. Future research is needed to determine the impact of those disorders on speech treatment outcomes.

Jonason, PK, Betteridge, GL & Kneebone, II 2016, 'An Examination of the Nature of Erotic Talk', Archives of Sexual Behavior, vol. 45, no. 1, pp. 21-31.
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Kneebone, II 2016, 'A Framework to Support Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Emotional Disorder After Stroke', Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, vol. 23, no. 1, pp. 99-109.
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© 2015. Emotional disorders are common after stroke, but lacking is a complete framework to inform their treatment with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This paper describes such a framework. It considers modification of CBT in light of cognitive and communication disability, and the involvement of carers in treatment, and presents brief case studies to illustrate the different elements of the framework. The development of a modified CBT should form the foundation for randomized controlled trials (RCT) to support treatment in this population. Service delivery issues include pathways to treatment, therapist confidence, and the overall positioning of CBT within stroke care.

Kneebone, II 2016, 'Stepped psychological care after stroke', Disability and Rehabilitation, vol. 38, no. 18, pp. 1836-1843.
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Emotional difficulties are common after stroke and have an impact on rehabilitation outcome. It is a challenge to manage these problems effectively, particularly in times of resource stringency. One proposal for how to do this has arisen out of an approach to general mental health management: a system of ‘stepped care’. Such a system directs intervention by considering level of need, thereby making the most efficient use of available resources. It is the purpose of this article to articulate a stepped psychological care approach for emotional problems after stroke. Method: Narrative review and elaboration of the model proposed by the Department of Health in England for the management of emotional problems after stroke. Results: A stepped care model for the management of emotional problems after stroke is presented in detail, including descriptions of specific interventions and guidance to inform the level of management. Conclusions: The stepped psychological care proposal for emotional problems after stroke requires evaluation but is potentially of use within comparable healthcare systems.Implications for RehabilitationEmotional problems are common after stroke and effect rehabilitation outcomes.A stepped care approach to these problems offers the ability to cater to all according to need.Greater specification of the services at each step can be outlined.While recommended, such an approach requires evaluation to prove its efficacy.

Lam, M, Hines, M, Lowe, R, Nagarajan, S, Keep, M, Penman, M & Power, E 2016, 'Preparedness for eHealth: Health Sciences Students’ Knowledge, Skills, and Confidence', Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, vol. 15, no. 2016, pp. 305-334.
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There is increasing recognition of the role eHealth will play in the effective and efficient delivery of healthcare. This research challenges the assumption that students enter university as digital natives, able to confidently and competently adapt their use of information and communication technology (ICT) to new contexts. This study explored health sciences students’ preparedness for working, and leading change, in eHealth-enabled environments. Using a cross-sectional study design, 420 undergraduate and postgraduate students participated in an online survey investigating their understanding of and attitude towards eHealth, frequency of online activities and software usage, confidence learning and using ICTs, and perceived learning needs. Although students reported that they regularly engaged with a wide range of online activities and software and were confident learning new ICT skills especially where they have sufficient time or support, their understanding of eHealth was uncertain or limited. Poor understanding of and difficulty translating skills learned in personal contexts to the professional context may impair graduates ability to con-fidently engage in the eHealth-enabled workplace. These results suggest educators need to scaffold the learning experience to ensure students build on their ICT knowledge to transfer this to their future workplaces.

Lauschke, JL, Lawless, M, Sutton, G, Roberts, TV & Hodge, C 2016, 'Assessment of corneal curvature using verion optical imaging system: a comparative study', Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, vol. 44, no. 5, pp. 369-376.
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AbstractBackgroundKeratometry is a critical determinant of the postoperative refractive outcome. This study evaluates the comparability of keratometry measurements obtained using the Verion Optical Imaging System with devices used in current clinical practice. Further, it determines the interobserver reliability of the Verion Optical Imaging System.DesignRetrospective analysis of patient dataParticipantsKeratometric data was obtained from 100 patients presenting for pre‐operative evaluation. Furthermore, repeatability and reproducibility were assessed using 15 healthy volunteers.MethodsCorneal curvature values acquired by the Verion Optical Imaging System were compared with existing keratometry devices including autokeratometry, partial coherence interferometry (IOLMaster) and Scheimpflug corneal topography (Pentacam).Main Outcome MeasuresDirect comparison of corneal power, cylinder, axis of astigmatism and vector analysis were performed using correlation and Bland–Altman analyses. Reproducibility and reliability of the device were assessed using within‐subject standard deviation and intraclass correlation coefficients for experienced and inexperienced technicians.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between Verion values and those obtained by other methods in relation to mean keratometry, corneal astigmatism, steep meridian and vector analyses (P > 0.05). Bland–Altman plots showed narrow limits of agreement for keratometry and astigmatism and wider agreement for steep meridian.Intraoperator reliability for both...

Leow, JBY, Pont, L & Low, L 2016, 'Effect of humour therapy on psychotropic medication use in nursing homes', Australasian Journal on Ageing, vol. 35, no. 4, pp. E7-E12.
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AimThe aim of this study was to assess the effect of Play Up humour therapy on antipsychotic, benzodiazepine and antidepressant use in Australian nursing homes.MethodsPlay Up is a humour therapy program that has been implemented in Australian nursing homes. This study was an uncontrolled retrospective review of psychotropic medication charts of 406 residents in thirty‐three nursing homes before and after 12 weeks of participation in Play Up. Prevalence and mean daily equivalent doses of psychotropic medication use were analysed.ResultsThere were significant reductions from before to after the Play Up program in the prevalence of any psychotropic medication use, antipsychotic use and benzodiazepine use (P = 0.001, 0.02, 0.007, respectively). Mean daily dose equivalents of pro re nata (PRN) antipsychotics and PRN benzodiazepines significantly reduced over time (P = 0.007; P = 0.001).ConclusionsPlay Up was associated with an overall decline in the use of psychotropic medications. Further trials are required to confirm and better define this association.

Lowe, R, Menzies, R, Packman, A, O'Brian, S, Jones, M & Onslow, M 2016, 'Assessing attentional biases with stuttering', International Journal of Language & Communication Disorders, vol. 51, no. 1, pp. 84-94.
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© 2015 Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists. Background Many adults who stutter presenting for speech treatment experience social anxiety disorder. The presence of mental health disorders in adults who stutter has been implicated in a failure to maintain speech treatment benefits. Contemporary theories of social anxiety disorder propose that the condition is maintained by negative cognitions and information processing biases. Consistent with cognitive theories, the probe detection task has shown that social anxiety is associated with an attentional bias to avoid social information. This information processing bias is suggested to be involved in maintaining anxiety. Evidence is emerging for information processing biases being involved with stuttering. Aims This study investigated information processing in adults who stutter using the probe detection task. Information processing biases have been implicated in anxiety maintenance in social anxiety disorder and therefore may have implications for the assessment and treatment of stuttering. It was hypothesized that stuttering participants compared with control participants would display an attentional bias to avoid attending to social information. Methods & Procedures Twenty-three adults who stutter and 23 controls completed a probe detection task in which they were presented with pairs of photographs: a face displaying an emotional expression - positive, negative or neutral - and an everyday household object. All participants were subjected to a mild social threat induction being told they would speak to a small group of people on completion of the task. Outcomes & Results The stuttering group scored significantly higher than controls for trait anxiety, but did not differ from controls on measures of social anxiety. Non-socially anxious adults who stutter did not display an attentional bias to avoid looking at photographs of faces relative to everyday objects. Higher scores on trait anxiety were ...

Madan, JR, Ghuge, NP & Dua, K 2016, 'Formulation and evaluation of proniosomes containing lornoxicam', Drug Delivery and Translational Research, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 511-518.
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© 2016, Controlled Release Society. Proniosomes are the new generation provesicular drug delivery system of non-ionic surfactant, lecithin and cholesterol which upon reconstitution get converted into niosomes. The objective of current study was to develop stable and sustain transdermal delivery system for lornoxicam. Lornoxicam-loaded topically applied proniosomal gel was formulated, optimized, and evaluated with the aim to deliver drug transdermally. Lornoxicam-loaded proniosomal gels were prepared that contained Lutrol F68 and lecithin as surfactants, cholesterol as a stabilizer, and minimal amount of ethanol and trace water. The resultant lornoxicam-loaded proniosomal gel were assessed for stability and the proniosomes-derived niosomes were characterized for morphology, size, zeta potential, and entrapment efficiency, which revealed that they were suitable for skin application. The coacervation phase separation technique was used in formulation of lornoxicam proniosomal gel and the gel was further assessed for in vitro permeation of lornoxicam through the freshly excised rat skin and the cumulative permeation amount of lornoxicam from proniosome, all exhibited significant increase as compared to 1.0 % lornoxicam-loaded pure gel. The optimized F5 batch had shown maximum entrapment efficiency up to 66.98 %. It has shown sustained drug release for more than 24 h. The skin permeability of proniosomal gel was found to be 59.73 %. The SEM and zeta potential studies showed formation of good and stable vesicles. Thus, proniosomes proved to have better potential for transdermal delivery of lornoxicam over conventional gel formulations.

Malet-Larrea, A, García-Cárdenas, V, Sáez-Benito, L, Benrimoj, SI, Calvo, B & Goyenechea, E 2016, 'Cost-effectiveness of professional pharmacy services in community pharmacy: a systematic review', Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 747-758.
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© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Introduction: The aim was to determine whether professional pharmacy services (PPS) provided to ambulatory patients attending community pharmacy are cost-effective compared with usual care (UC). Areas covered: MEDLINE, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Centre for Reviews and Dissemination databases were searched, and the risk of bias of randomized controlled trials, and the methodological quality of economic evaluations was assessed. A total of 17 economic evaluations of 13 studies were included. Seven studies were classified as high-, three as medium- and three as low-quality. PPS were more effective and less costly than UC in four studies; seven studies concluded that PPS were more effective and more costly and two studies concluded that the service was as effective as the UC, with higher and lower costs. Expert commentary: Although the uncertainty was variable among the studies, a general trend towards the cost-effectiveness of PPS was observed. Decision makers are encouraged to consider the feasibility of implementing PPS.

Malet-Larrea, A, Goyenechea, E, Garcia-Cardenas, V, Calvo, B, Arteche, JM, Aranegui, P, Zubeldia, JJ, Gastelurrutia, MA, Martinez-Martinez, F & Benrimoj, SI 2016, 'The impact of a medication review with follow-up service on hospital admissions in aged polypharmacy patients', BRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, vol. 82, no. 3, pp. 831-838.
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Malipeddi, VR, Awasthi, R & Dua, K 2016, 'Formulation and evaluation of controlled release ethylcellulose and polyethylene glycol microspheres containing metoprolol tartrate', Interventional Medicine and Applied Science, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 60-67.
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Metoprolol tartrate is rapidly absorbed from both gastric and intestinal regions, after oral administration. To retard the release rate of the metoprolol tartrate, microspheres were prepared with varying concentrations of a mixture containing ethylcellulose and polyethylene glycol-6000. The prepared microspheres were evaluated for various physicochemical characteristics and in vitro drug release. The percent yield of microspheres was in the range of 75.2–87.3%. The particle size of microspheres was found to be in the range of 73.2–85.5 μm. Fourier transform-infrared spectral analysis and differential scanning calorimetry concluded the absence of any interaction between the drug and the carriers. The release time profile of metoprolol tartrate from microspheres in 0.1 N hydrochloric acid solution was to the extent of 33.4–60.2%. The complete release of metoprolol tartrate occurred from MPT-3 and MPT-4 in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.4) within 8 and 7 h, respectively, whereas the incomplete release (72.3%) occurred from MPT-1. Nearly, the complete release (98.5%) of metoprolol occurred from MPT-2 in 10 h. Formulation MPT-2 would be a preferred formulation. The release of metoprolol involves diffusion rate limited (R2 = 0.9865) as a mechanism from drug release. The prepared microspheres of metoprolol tartrate eliminate the need for multiple dosing and provide patient compliance.

Malipeddi, VR, Dua, K & Awasthi, R 2016, 'Development and characterization of solid dispersion-microsphere controlled release system for poorly water-soluble drug', Drug Delivery and Translational Research, vol. 6, no. 5, pp. 540-550.
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© 2016, Controlled Release Society. The present study aimed to improve solubility and prolong the release duration of a poorly soluble drug using a combination of two different types of formulations (solid dispersion and microspheres). The solid dispersions were prepared by fusion method using urea and mannitol as hydrophilic carriers. Microspheres were prepared by solvent evaporation method using Eudragit L-100 (EL100) and Eudragit RS PO (ERS) as rate-controlling polymers. Flurbiprofen (FBP)-urea (1:2) solid dispersion and microspheres of FBP-EL-100-ERS (1:0.25:0.75) were used for the development of controlled release formulation by mixing them in different proportions. The FBP-containing formulations were evaluated for percentage yield, drug content, morphology, in vitro release, and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. The best selected formulation was further evaluated for the controlled and improved effects. SEM photomicrograph confirmed the spherical shape of microspheres and with particle size in the range of 73.5–85.4 μm. In vitro release of FBP from controlled release formulations indicated that the formulation containing solid dispersion:microspheres (1:0.5) yielded prolonged effect up to 10 h. The release kinetics followed zero-order, and the mechanism of drug release was found to be diffusion rate controlled. This formulation had shown better inhibition of edema of rat paw up to 16 h and identified as a suitable product for controlled delivery of FBP. In conclusion, the concept of using a binary mixture of solid dispersion and microspheres can be used for other drugs that exhibit a poor solubility in stomach pH and a faster release in intestinal pH.

Manchanda, R, Burnell, M, Loggenberg, K, Desai, R, Wardle, J, Sanderson, SC, Gessler, S, Side, L, Balogun, N, Kumar, A, Dorkins, H, Wallis, Y, Chapman, C, Tomlinson, I, Taylor, R, Jacobs, C, Legood, R, Raikou, M, McGuire, A, Beller, U, Menon, U & Jacobs, I 2016, 'Cluster-randomised non-inferiority trial comparing DVD-assisted and traditional genetic counselling in systematic population testing for BRCA1/2 mutations', Journal of Medical Genetics, vol. 53, no. 7, pp. 472-480.
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BACKGROUND: Newer approaches to genetic counselling are required for population-based testing. We compare traditional face-to-face genetic counselling with a DVD-assisted approach for population-based BRCA1/2 testing. METHODS: A cluster-randomised non-inferiority trial in the London Ashkenazi Jewish population. INCLUSION CRITERIA: Ashkenazi Jewish men/women >18 years; exclusion criteria: (a) known BRCA1/2 mutation, (b) previous BRCA1/2 testing and (c) first-degree relative of BRCA1/2 carrier. Ashkenazi Jewish men/women underwent pre-test genetic counselling prior to BRCA1/2 testing in the Genetic Cancer Prediction through Population Screening trial (ISRCTN73338115). Genetic counselling clinics (clusters) were randomised to traditional counselling (TC) and DVD-based counselling (DVD-C) approaches. DVD-C involved a DVD presentation followed by shorter face-to-face genetic counselling. Outcome measures included genetic testing uptake, cancer risk perception, increase in knowledge, counselling time and satisfaction (Genetic Counselling Satisfaction Scale). Random-effects models adjusted for covariates compared outcomes between TC and DVD-C groups. One-sided 97.5% CI was used to determine non-inferiority. SECONDARY OUTCOMES: relevance, satisfaction, adequacy, emotional impact and improved understanding with the DVD; cost-minimisation analysis for TC and DVD-C approaches. RESULTS: 936 individuals (clusters=256, mean-size=3.6) were randomised to TC (n=527, clusters=134) and DVD-C (n=409, clusters=122) approaches. Groups were similar at baseline, mean age=53.9 (SD=15) years, women=66.8%, men=33.2%. DVD-C was non-inferior to TC for increase in knowledge (d=-0.07; lower 97.5% CI=-0.41), counselling satisfaction (d=-0.38, 97.5% CI=1.2) and risk perception (d=0.08; upper 97.5% CI=3.1). Group differences and CIs did not cross non-inferiority margins. DVD-C was equivalent to TC for uptake of genetic testing (d=-3%; lower/upper 97.5% CI -7.9%/1.7%) and superior for co...

Maurya, H, Dhiman, S, Dua, K & Gupta, G 2016, 'Pharmacological Effect of Berberine Chloride in Propyl Thiouracil Induced Thyroidal Dysfunction - A Time Bound Study in Female Rats', Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 165-173.
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BACKGROUND: The present study is aimed at bringing out the information on the effect of berberine chloride in hyper and hypo thyroidal model with two dose levels. OBJECTIVE: The research article also reviewed details of various existing patents associated with comprehensive compilation regarding the therapeutic application of berberine and related forms. METHOD: Sixty female wistar rats weighing between 150-250 gm were divided in to 10 groups. The animals were grouped in to solvent control; hypothyroid; hyperthyroid; prophylactic with two different doses of berberine chloride (50 and 100 mg/kg); treatment groups similar to that of the prophylactic and therapeutic group. To substantiate the dose dependent effect of berberine chloride in 6-n-propyL-2-thiouracil (PTU) induced hypothyroidism, lipid profile, thyroid profile, enzymes profiles and blood profiles, in addition to histopathological studies were also carried out. There was no any significant difference in the lipid profile among solvent control, treatment and prophylactic groups. However, there was a significant difference (***p<0.001) in serum triglycerides, LDL and VLDL of hypothyroid group when compound to that of the rest. RESULTS: As far as thyroid profile is concerned, T3 level of berberine chloride (50 mg/kg) treated groups (prophylactic+ treatment) showed a significant rise compared to hypothyroid group. TSH level in prophylactic groups was far higher than the rest of the groups (3.002±0.0192, 1.051±0.0008 against the solvent control, 0.308±0.008). SGOT, SGPT levels were significantly higher with the therapeutic group than that of the normal and hypo-thyroidal group. Blood profile of berberine chloride (100 mg/kg) treated therapeutic group was comparable to that of the solvent control than all other groups. The probable mechanism underlying may be that inactivation of type I 5.-iodothyronine deiodinase (5.DI) enzyme by NF-kB pathway. CONCLUSION: From the findings of the current study it ca...

Mehta, P, Claydon, LS, Hendrick, P, Cook, C & Baxter, DG 2016, 'Pain and Physical Functioning in Neuropathic Pain: A Systematic Review of Psychometric Properties of Various Outcome Measures', Pain Practice, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 495-508.
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AbstractIntroductionA range of outcome measures across various domains are used to evaluate change following an intervention in clinical trials on chronic neuropathic pain (NeP). However, to capture a real change in the variable of interest, the psychometric properties of a particular measure should demonstrate appropriate methodological quality. Various outcome measures in the domains of pain and physical functioning have been used in the literature for NeP, for which individual properties (eg, reliability/validity) have been reported. To date, there is no definitive synthesis of evidence on the psychometric properties of those outcome measures; thus, the aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the methodological quality [COnsensus‐based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) guidelines] of studies that evaluated psychometric properties of pain and physical functioning outcome measures used for NeP.MethodsSpecific MeSH/keywords related to 3 areas (pain and/or physical functioning, psychometric properties, and NeP) were used to retrieve relevant studies (English language) in key electronic databases (MEDLINE (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCO), Scopus, AMED, and Web of Science) from database inception—July 2012. Articles retrieval/screening and quality analysis (COSMI...

Menzies, R, O’Brian, S, Lowe, R, Packman, A & Onslow, M 2016, 'International Phase II clinical trial of CBTPsych: A standalone Internet social anxiety treatment for adults who stutter', Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 48, pp. 35-43.
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© 2016 Elsevier Inc. Purpose CBTPsych is an individualized, fully automated, standalone Internet treatment program that requires no clinical contact or support. It is designed specifically for those who stutter. Two preliminary trials demonstrated that it may be efficacious for treating the social anxiety commonly associated with stuttering. However, both trials involved pre- and post-treatment assessment at a speech clinic. This contact may have increased compliance, commitment and adherence with the program. The present study sought to establish the effectiveness of CBTPsych in a large international trial with no contact of any kind from researchers or clinicians. Method Participants were 267 adults with a reported history of stuttering who were given a maximum of 5 months access to CBTPsych. Pre- and post-treatment functioning was assessed within the online program with a range of psychometric measures. Results Forty-nine participants (18.4%) completed all seven modules of CBTPsych and completed the post-treatment online assessments. That compliance rate was far superior to similar community trials of self-directed Internet mental health programs. Completion of the program was associated with large, statistically and clinically significant reductions for all measures. The reductions were similar to those obtained in earlier trials of CBTPsych, and those obtained in trials of in-clinic CBT with an expert clinician. Conclusions CBTPsych is a promising individualized treatment for social anxiety for a proportion of adults who stutter, which requires no health care costs in terms of clinician contact or support. Educational objectives The reader will be able to: (a) discuss the reasons for investigating CBTPsych without any clinical contact; (b) describe the main components of the CBTPsych treatment; (c) summarize the results of this clinical trial; (d) describe how the results might affect clinical practice, if at all.

Mercuri, K, Terrett, G, Bailey, PE, Henry, JD, Curran, HV & Rendell, PG 2016, 'Deconstructing the nature of episodic foresight deficits associated with chronic opiate use', British Journal of Clinical Psychology, vol. 55, no. 4, pp. 401-413.
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ObjectivesEpisodic foresight refers to the capacity to mentally travel forward in time and has been linked to a wide variety of important functional behaviours. Evidence has recently emerged that chronic opiate use is associated with deficits in this critical capacity and that these difficulties are not simply a secondary consequence of broader cognitive dysfunction. The current study aimed to better understand the circumstances in which chronic opiate users might be expected to have problems with episodic foresight, by addressing whether deficits reflect compromised scene construction, self‐projection, or narrative ability.MethodsThirty‐five chronic opiate users and 35 demographically matched controls completed an imagination task in which they were instructed to imagine and provide descriptions of an atemporal event, a plausible, self‐relevant future event, as well as complete a narrative task. These three imagination conditions systematically varied in their demands on scene construction, self‐projection, and narrative ability.ResultsConsistent with prior literature, chronic opiate users exhibited reduced capacity for episodic foresight relative to controls. However, this study was the first to show that these difficulties were independent of capacity for scene construction and narration. Instead, a specific impairment in self‐projection into the future appears to contribute to the problems with episodic foresight seen in this clinical group.ConclusionsDeficits in self‐projection into the future may have important implications in therapeutic environments given that many relapse prevention strategies rely heavily on the ability to project oneself into an unfamiliar future, free of problem substance use.<...

Moshier, SJ, Wootton, BM, Bragdon, LB, Tolin, DF, Davis, E, DiMauro, J & Diefenbach, GJ 2016, 'The relationship between self-reported and objective neuropsychological impairments in patients with hoarding disorder', Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, vol. 9, pp. 9-15.
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Although hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by self- and clinician-reported difficulties with cognitive functioning, studies of neuropsychological performance have yielded little evidence of consistent, clinical-level cognitive impairments. The aim of this study was to quantify this inconsistency and to examine whether this pattern is unique to HD. Fifty-three adults (20 with HD, 19 with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and minimal hoarding symptoms, and 14 with OCD and a high degree of hoarding symptoms (OCD-H)) completed self-report and objective neuropsychological tests of inhibition, attention, and memory. The three groups differed significantly on self-reported attention and memory deficits, with the HD group reporting greater difficulties. However, the groups performed comparably on objective neuropsychological tests of inhibition, attention, immediate and delayed nonverbal memory, and immediate verbal memory. The OCD-H group demonstrated a greater rate of impairment on a test of delayed verbal memory. The HD group was characterized by lower concordance rates between self-report and objective memory impairment. The groups did not differ significantly in concordance rates for self-report and objective measures of attention and inhibition. Understanding the discrepancy between self-report and objective neuropsychological measures may help to better characterize the role of cognitive processes in HD.

Moustafa, AA, Chakravarthy, S, Phillips, JR, Gupta, A, Keri, S, Polner, B, Frank, MJ & Jahanshahi, M 2016, 'Motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease: A unified framework', Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, vol. 68, pp. 727-740.
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Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by a range of motor symptoms. Besides the cardinal symptoms (akinesia and bradykinesia, tremor and rigidity), PD patients show additional motor deficits, including: gait disturbance, impaired handwriting, grip force and speech deficits, among others. Some of these motor symptoms (e.g., deficits of gait, speech, and handwriting) have similar clinical profiles, neural substrates, and respond similarly to dopaminergic medication and deep brain stimulation (DBS). Here, we provide an extensive review of the clinical characteristics and neural substrates of each of these motor symptoms, to highlight precisely how PD and its medical and surgical treatments impact motor symptoms. In conclusion, we offer a unified framework for understanding the range of motor symptoms in PD. We argue that various motor symptoms in PD reflect dysfunction of neural structures responsible for action selection, motor sequencing, and coordination and execution of movement.

Moustafa, AA, Phillips, J, Kéri, S, Misiak, B & Frydecka, D 2016, 'On the Complexity of Brain Disorders: A Symptom-Based Approach', Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, vol. 10, p. 16.
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Mounting evidence shows that brain disorders involve multiple and different neural dysfunctions, including regional brain damage, change to cell structure, chemical imbalance, and/or connectivity loss among different brain regions. Understanding the complexity of brain disorders can help us map these neural dysfunctions to different symptom clusters as well as understand subcategories of different brain disorders. Here, we discuss data on the mapping of symptom clusters to different neural dysfunctions using examples from brain disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD), Parkinson's disease (PD), schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). In addition, we discuss data on the similarities of symptoms in different disorders. Importantly, computational modeling work may be able to shed light on plausible links between various symptoms and neural damage in brain disorders.

Ord, TJ & Cooke, GM 2016, 'Repeated evolution of amphibious behavior in fish and its implications for the colonization of novel environments', Evolution, vol. 70, no. 8, pp. 1747-1759.
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Owen, KB, Parker, PD, Van Zanden, B, MacMillan, F, Astell-Burt, T & Lonsdale, C 2016, 'Physical Activity and School Engagement in Youth: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis', Educational Psychologist, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 129-145.
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Physical activity is associated with numerous health benefits in youth; however, these benefits could extend further than health, into education. Our aim was to systematically review and combine in meta-analyses evidence concerning the association between physical activity and the dimensions of school engagement, including behavior (e.g., time-on-task), emotions (e.g., lesson enjoyment), and cognition (e.g., self-regulated learning). We conducted meta-analyses using structural equation modeling on results from 38 studies. Overall, physical activity had a small, positive association with school engagement (d =.28, I2 =.86), 95% confidence interval [.12,.46]. This association was moderated by study design, with significant associations shown in randomized controlled trials but not in studies employing other designs. Risk of bias was also a significant effect moderator, as studies with a low risk of bias showed significant associations but not high risk of bias studies. Altogether, these results suggest that physical activity could improve school engagement.

Page, MJ, Huang, H, Verhagen, AP, Buchbinder, R & Gagnier, JJ 2016, 'Identifying a core set of outcome domains to measure in clinical trials for shoulder disorders: a modified Delphi study', RMD Open, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. e000380-e000380.
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OBJECTIVE: To achieve consensus on the most important outcome domains to measure across all clinical trials for shoulder disorders. METHODS: We performed an online modified Delphi study with an international, multidisciplinary and multistakeholder panel. A literature review and the OMERACT Filter 2.0 framework was used to generate a list of potential core domains, which were presented to patients, clinicians and researchers in two Delphi rounds. Participants were asked to judge the importance of each potential core domain and provide a rationale for their response. A core domain was defined a priori as a domain that at least 67% of participants considered core. RESULTS: In both rounds, 335 individuals were invited to participate (268 clinicians/researchers and 67 patients); response rates were 27% (n=91) and 29% (n=96), respectively. From a list of 41 potential core domains, four domains met our criteria for inclusion: 'pain', 'physical functioning', 'global assessment of treatment success' and 'health-related quality of life'. Two additional domains, 'sleep functioning' and 'psychological functioning', met the criteria for inclusion by some, but not all stakeholder groups. There was consensus that 'number of deaths' was not a core domain, but insufficient agreement on whether or not several other domains, including 'range of motion' and 'muscle strength', were core domains. CONCLUSIONS: Based on international consensus from patients, clinicians and researchers, 'pain', 'physical functioning', 'global assessment of treatment success' and 'health-related quality of life' were considered core outcome domains for shoulder disorder trials. The value of several other domains needs further consideration.

Palagyi, A, McCluskey, P, White, A, Rogers, K, Meuleners, L, Ng, JQ, Morlet, N & Keay, L 2016, 'While We Waited: Incidence and Predictors of Falls in Older Adults With Cataract', Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science, vol. 57, no. 14, pp. 6003-6003.
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PURPOSE. Strong evidence indicates an increased fall risk associated with cataract. Although cataract surgery can restore sight, lengthy wait times are common for public patients in many high-income countries. This study reports incidence and predictors of falls in older people with cataract during their surgical wait. METHODS. Data from a prospective study of falls in adults aged ≥65 years who were awaiting cataract surgery in public hospitals in Australia were analyzed. Participants underwent assessment of vision, health status, and physical function, and recalled falls in the previous 12 months. Falls were self-reported prospectively during the surgical wait. RESULTS. Of 329 participants, mean age was 75.7 years; 55.2% were female. A total of 267 falls were reported by 101 (30.7%) participants during the surgical wait (median observation time, 176 days): an incidence of 1.2 falls per person-year (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.0–1.3). Greater walking activity (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 1.06, 95% CI 1.01–1.10; P = 0.02, per additional hour/week), poorer health-related quality of life (IRR 1.12, 95% CI 1.05–1.20; P < 0.001, per 5-unit decrease), and a fall in the prior 12 months (IRR 2.48, 95% CI 1.57–3.93; P < 0.001) were associated with incident falls. No visual measure independently predicted fall risk. More than one-half (51.7%) of falls were injurious. CONCLUSIONS. We found a substantial rate of falls and fall injury in older adults with cataract who were awaiting surgery. Within this relatively homogenous cohort, measures of visual function alone inadequately predicted fall risk. Assessment of exposure to falls through physical activity frequency may prove valuable in identifying those more likely to fall during the surgical wait.

Palagyi, A, Rogers, K, Meuleners, L, McCluskey, P, White, A, Ng, JQ, Morlet, N & Keay, L 2016, 'Depressive symptoms in older adults awaiting cataract surgery', Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology, vol. 44, no. 9, pp. 789-796.
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AbstractBackgroundTo assess the prevalence and predictors of depressive symptoms in a cohort of older adults awaiting cataract surgery and establish threshold vision at which depressive symptoms may emerge.DesignAnalysis of cross‐sectional baseline data from a longitudinal cohort study of patients aged ≥65 years on Australian public hospital cataract surgery waiting lists.ParticipantsWe included 329 participants enrolled October 2013–August 2015.MethodsParticipants completed assessment of depressive symptoms, visual disability, quality of life, social participation and exercise frequency at least one month prior to cataract surgery. High and low contrast habitual vision was examined and systemic comorbidities noted.Main Outcome MeasureDepressive symptoms prior to first eye cataract surgery.ResultsThe prevalence of depressive symptoms was 28.6% (94/329). Univariate analysis identified that participants with poorer high contrast vision, reduced quality of life, greater patient‐reported visual disability, higher comorbidity score and who were taking more medications were more likely to exhibit signs of depression. Greater patient‐reported visual disability (P = 0.02), reduced quality of life (P = 0.003) and a higher comorbidity score (P = 0.02) remained significantly associated with depressive symptoms in the multivariable model. Depressive symptoms emerged at a visual acuity of 6/12.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate a high prevalence ...

Palmer, C, Kneebone, II, Strauss, C & Jones, A-M 2016, 'Using reliability of change analysis to evaluate post-acute neuro-rehabilitation', NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 93-98.
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© 2016 - IOS Press and the authors. All rights reserved. BACKGROUND: It is important to evaluate change in order to re-assure commissioners, staff and patients of the effectiveness of interventions, but also in order to identify areas for improvement. OBJECTIVE: To consider whether analysis of improvement at the level of the individual, taking into account measurement error, may offer a further valuable way to assess change and inform service development over considering change at the group level in a post-acute neuro-rehabilitation unit. METHOD: Pre and post intervention Scores on the FIM+FAM Full Scale and Cognitive and Motor subscales were considered for eighteen patients aged between 35 and 81 with mixed diagnoses who attended a post-acute inpatient neuro-rehabilitation unit for treatment. RESULTS: Statistically significant improvements were achieved on the FIM+FAM Full Scale and Cognitive and Motor subscales in a whole group analysis. Reliable change analyses for each patient within each subscale however identified only half of the sample achieved reliable improvement within the Motor domain and just one person within the Cognitive domain (5.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Findings are consistent with the emphasis of the rehabilitation unit on physical/motor function, and unsurprising as many of those assessed had multiple sclerosis, an often deteriorative condition. Use of reliable change analysis allowed a more detailed understanding of intervention impact, potentially identifying what services reliably work for whom, thereby informing future planning.

Panken, G, Hoekstra, T, Verhagen, A, van Tulder, M, Twisk, J & Heymans, MW 2016, 'Predicting chronic low-back pain based on pain trajectories in patients in an occupational setting: an exploratory analysis', Scandinavian Journal of Work, Environment & Health, vol. 42, no. 6, pp. 520-527.
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Pelttari, LM, Khan, S, Vuorela, M, Kiiski, JI, Vilske, S, Nevanlinna, V, Ranta, S, Schleutker, J, Winqvist, R, Kallioniemi, A, Dörk, T, Bogdanova, NV, Figueroa, J, Pharoah, PDP, Schmidt, MK, Dunning, AM, García-Closas, M, Bolla, MK, Dennis, J, Michailidou, K, Wang, Q, Hopper, JL, Southey, MC, Rosenberg, EH, Fasching, PA, Beckmann, MW, Peto, J, dos-Santos-Silva, I, Sawyer, EJ, Tomlinson, I, Burwinkel, B, Surowy, H, Guénel, P, Truong, T, Bojesen, SE, Nordestgaard, BG, Benitez, J, González-Neira, A, Neuhausen, SL, Anton-Culver, H, Brenner, H, Arndt, V, Meindl, A, Schmutzler, RK, Brauch, H, Brüning, T, Lindblom, A, Margolin, S, Mannermaa, A, Hartikainen, JM, Chenevix-Trench, G, Van Dyck, L, Janssen, H, Chang-Claude, J, Rudolph, A, Radice, P, Peterlongo, P, Hallberg, E, Olson, JE, Giles, GG, Milne, RL, Haiman, CA, Schumacher, F, Simard, J, Dumont, M, Kristensen, V, Borresen-Dale, A-L, Zheng, W, Beeghly-Fadiel, A, Grip, M, Andrulis, IL, Glendon, G, Devilee, P, Seynaeve, C, Hooning, MJ, Collée, M, Cox, A, Cross, SS, Shah, M, Luben, RN, Hamann, U, Torres, D, Jakubowska, A, Lubinski, J, Couch, FJ, Yannoukakos, D, Orr, N, Swerdlow, A, Darabi, H, Li, J, Czene, K, Hall, P, Easton, DF, Mattson, J, Blomqvist, C, Aittomäki, K & Nevanlinna, H 2016, 'RAD51B in Familial Breast Cancer', PLOS ONE, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. e0153788-e0153788.
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Common variation on 14q24.1, close to RAD51B, has been associated with breast cancer: rs999737 and rs2588809 with the risk of female breast cancer and rs1314913 with the risk of male breast cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of RAD51B variants in breast cancer predisposition, particularly in the context of familial breast cancer in Finland. We sequenced the coding region of RAD51B in 168 Finnish breast cancer patients from the Helsinki region for identification of possible recurrent founder mutations. In addition, we studied the known rs999737, rs2588809, and rs1314913 SNPs and RAD51B haplotypes in 44,791 breast cancer cases and 43,583 controls from 40 studies participating in the Breast Cancer Association Consortium (BCAC) that were genotyped on a custom chip (iCOGS). We identified one putatively pathogenic missense mutation c.541C>T among the Finnish cancer patients and subsequently genotyped the mutation in additional breast cancer cases (n = 5259) and population controls (n = 3586) from Finland and Belarus. No significant association with breast cancer risk was seen in the meta-analysis of the Finnish datasets or in the large BCAC dataset. The association with previously identified risk variants rs999737, rs2588809, and rs1314913 was replicated among all breast cancer cases and also among familial cases in the BCAC dataset. The most significant association was observed for the haplotype carrying the risk-alleles of all the three SNPs both among all cases (odds ratio (OR): 1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.11-1.19, P = 8.88 x 10-16) and among familial cases (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.16-1.32, P = 6.19 x 10-11), compared to the haplotype with the respective protective alleles. Our results suggest that loss-of-function mutations in RAD51B are rare, but common variation at the RAD51B region is significantly associated with familial breast cancer risk.

Phillips, JR, Eissa, AM, Hewedi, DH, Jahanshahi, M, El-Gamal, M, Keri, S & Moustafa, AA 2016, 'Neural substrates and potential treatments for levodopa-induced dyskinesias in Parkinson’s disease', Reviews in the Neurosciences, vol. 27, no. 7, pp. 729-738.
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Abstract Parkinson’s disease (PD) is primarily a motor disorder that involves the gradual loss of motor function. Symptoms are observed initially in the extremities, such as hands and arms, while advanced stages of the disease can effect blinking, swallowing, speaking, and breathing. PD is a neurodegenerative disease, with dopaminergic neuronal loss occurring in the substantia nigra pars compacta, thus disrupting basal ganglia functions. This leads to downstream effects on other neurotransmitter systems such as glutamate, γ-aminobutyric acid, and serotonin. To date, one of the main treatments for PD is levodopa. While it is generally very effective, prolonged treatments lead to levodopa-induced dyskinesia (LID). LID encompasses a family of symptoms ranging from uncontrolled repetitive movements to sustained muscle contractions. In many cases, the symptoms of LID can cause more grief than PD itself. The purpose of this review is to discuss the possible clinical features, cognitive correlates, neural substrates, as well as potential psychopharmacological and surgical (including nondopaminergic and deep brain stimulation) treatments of LID.

Pont, L, Jansen, K, Schaufel, MA, Haugen, DF & Ruths, S 2016, 'Drug utilization and medication costs at the end of life', Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 237-243.
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In the end stages of life, drug treatment goals shift to symptom control and quality of life and as such changes in drug utilization are expected. The aim of this paper is to review the extent to which costs are considered in drug utilization research at the end of life, with a particular focus on the outcome measures being used. This systematic review identified seven studies across varied settings studies reporting both drug utilization and medication cost outcome measures. The main factors identified that impacted medication use and cost were the time period considered and the provision of specialist palliative care services. Combining drug utilization and medication cost outcomes is critical for the allocation of healthcare resources and the development of a sound health policy.

Ramke, S, Sharpe, L & Newton-John, T 2016, 'Adjunctive cognitive behavioural treatment for chronic pain couples improves marital satisfaction but not pain management outcomes', EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PAIN, vol. 20, no. 10, pp. 1667-1677.
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© 2016 European Pain Federation - EFIC® Background: Data have consistently shown that patient coping with chronic pain can be affected by various factors associated with the primary relationship, and hence efforts to include the patient's partner in the treatment process have merit. This study evaluated the benefit of adding an adjunctive, couples-based, cognitive behavioural treatment (CBT) for chronic pain to a standard cognitive behavioural pain management programme. Methods: Forty-five couples were randomly assigned to either an adjunctive couples intervention (n = 19) or the pain programme only (n = 26). All patient participants completed a 3-week multi-disciplinary pain management programme, to which their partners were invited to attend one full day. In addition, partners in the adjunctive condition received four, one hour treatment sessions focusing on pain education, patient–partner communication, operant behavioural principles and relapse prevention strategies. Partner sessions for the adjunctive intervention were provided over the telephone. Results: By the completion of the pain programme the adjunctive couples intervention demonstrated significant improvements in marital satisfaction for the spouses over and above attendance at the pain management programme alone (p = 0.003). However, spouse involvement did not facilitate any additional response to treatment for pain patients on marital satisfaction, pain, disability or any indices of distress. All treatment gains were maintained at 1 month follow-up. Conclusions: These data demonstrate that a brief CBT intervention can significantly improve marital satisfaction for spouses of chronic pain patients, but the treatment does not translate to improvements in function on any outcomes, including marital satisfaction, for patients of chronic pain. What does this study add?: A brief, telephone-based intervention for couples living with chronic pain is an acceptable format for intervention. This int...

Rediguieri, CF, Sassonia, RC, Dua, K, Kikuchi, IS & de Jesus Andreoli Pinto, T 2016, 'Impact of sterilization methods on electrospun scaffolds for tissue engineering', European Polymer Journal, vol. 82, pp. 181-195.
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© 2016 Elsevier Ltd Tissue engineering is a growing area within the regenerative medicine. The electrospun scaffolds are the most promising devices for translating engineered tissues into patients. However, in order to be used in clinical practice, one of the important fundamental aspects of the scaffold is to be sterile keeping the fact of patient safety in mind. Due to the various properties of electrospun fibers, such as high porosity and surface area, the effects of sterilization could have different outcomes than those observed in ordinary medical devices. Therefore, the present article provides an insight into the various sterilization methods that have been applied to electrospun scaffolds and their effects on scaffolds morphology, hydrophilicity, other physico-chemical and mechanical properties and the performance of seeded cells after sterilization. In conclusion, the information provided in the review will help all scientists involved in this interdisciplinary field to understand and apply the knowledge in selection of appropriate sterilization method for the electrospun scaffolds.

Roberts, T, Lawless, M, Sutton, G & Hodge, C 2016, 'Update and clinical utility of the LenSx femtosecond laser in cataract surgery', Clinical Ophthalmology, vol. Volume 10, pp. 2021-2029.
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� 2016 Roberts et al. The introduction of femtosecond lasers to cataract surgery has been the major disruptive technology introduced into ophthalmic surgery in the last decade. Femtosecond laser cataract surgery (FLACS) integrates high-resolution anterior segment imaging with a femtosecond laser allowing key steps of cataract surgery to be performed with computer-guided laser accuracy, precision, and reproducibility. Since the introduction of FLACS, there have been significant advances in laser software and hardware as well as surgeon experience, with over 250 articles published in the peer-reviewed literature. This review examines the published evidence relating to the LenSx platform and discusses surgical techniques, indications, safety, and clinical results.

Romero‐Sanchez, J, Garcia‐Cardenas, V, Abaurre, R, Martínez‐Martínez, F & Garcia‐Delgado, P 2016, 'Prevalence and predictors of inadequate patient medication knowledge', Journal of Evaluation in Clinical Practice, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 808-815.
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AbstractObjectivesTo assess medication knowledge in adult patients and to explore its determinants.MethodCross‐sectional study. Medication knowledge was the primary outcome and was assessed using a previously validated questionnaire. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to explore the association between medication knowledge and the factors included in the model.ResultsSeven thousand two hundred seventy‐eight patients participated in the study. 71.9% (n = 5234) (95% CI: 70.9%–73.0%) of the surveyed patients had an inadequate knowledge of the medication they were taking. The dimensions obtaining the highest level of knowledge were the ‘medication use process’ and ‘therapeutic objective of medication’. The items ‘frequency’ (75.4%), ‘dosage’ (74.5%) and ‘indication’ (70.5%) had the highest percentage of knowledge. Conversely, ‘medication safety’ represented the dimension with the lowest scores, ranging from 12.6% in the item “contraindications” to 15.3% in the item ‘side effects’. The odds ratio (OR) of having an inadequate medication knowledge increased for unskilled workers (OR: 1.33; 85% CI:1.00–1.78; P = 0.050), caregivers (OR:1.46; 95% CI:1.18–1.81; P < 0.001), patients using more than one medication (OR: 1.14; 95% CI: 1.00–1.31; P = 0.050) and patients who did not know the name of the medication they were taking (OR: 2.14, 95% CI: 1.71–2.68 P < 0.001).ConclusionNearly three quarters of the analysed patients had inadequate knowledge regarding the medicines they were taking. Unskilled workers and caregivers were at a higher risk of lacking ...

Rose, KA, French, AN & Morgan, IG 2016, 'Environmental Factors and Myopia', Asia-Pacific Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 5, no. 6, pp. 403-410.
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The prevalence of myopia in developed countries in East and Southeast Asia has increased to more than 80% in children completing schooling, whereas that of high myopia has increased to 10%-20%. This poses significant challenges for correction of refractive errors and the management of pathological high myopia. Prevention is therefore an important priority. Myopia is etiologically heterogeneous, with a low level of myopia of clearly genetic origins that appears without exposure to risk factors. The big increases have occurred in school myopia, driven by increasing educational pressures in combination with limited amounts of time spent outdoors. The rise in prevalence of high myopia has an unusual pattern of development, with increases in prevalence first appearing at approximately age 11. This pattern suggests that the increasing prevalence of high myopia is because of progression of myopia in children who became myopic at approximately age 6 or 7 because age-specific progression rates typical of East Asia will take these children to the threshold for high myopia in 5 to 6 years. This high myopia seems to be acquired, having an association with educational parameters, whereas high myopia in previous generations tended to be genetic in origin. Increased time outdoors can counter the effects of increased nearwork and reduce the impact of parental myopia, reducing the onset of myopia, and this approach has been validated in 3 randomized controlled trials. Other proposed risk factors need further work to demonstrate that they are independent and can be modified to reduce the onset of myopia.

Rosenbaum, S, Vancampfort, D, Tiedemann, A, Stubbs, B, Steel, Z, Ward, PB, Berle, D & Sherrington, C 2016, 'Among Inpatients, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptom Severity Is Negatively Associated With Time Spent Walking', Journal of Nervous & Mental Disease, vol. 204, no. 1, pp. 15-19.
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Rouel, M, Raman, J, Hay, P & Smith, E 2016, 'Validation of the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function – Adult Version (BRIEF-A) in the obese with and without binge eating disorder', Eating Behaviors, vol. 23, pp. 58-65.
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Saragiotto, BT & Latimer, J 2016, 'Prevention of low back pain (PEDro synthesis)', British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no. 21, pp. 1345-1345.
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Saragiotto, BT & Michaleff, ZA 2016, 'The Canadian C-Spine Rule', Journal of Physiotherapy, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 170-170.
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Saragiotto, BT, de Almeida, MO, Yamato, TP & Maher, CG 2016, 'Multidisciplinary Biopsychosocial Rehabilitation for Nonspecific Chronic Low Back Pain', Physical Therapy, vol. 96, no. 6, pp. 759-763.
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&lt;LEAP&gt; highlights the findings and application of Cochrane reviews and other evidence pertinent to the practice of physical therapy. The Cochrane Library is a respected source of reliable evidence related to health care. Cochrane systematic reviews explore the evidence for and against the effectiveness and appropriateness of interventions—medications, surgery, education, nutrition, exercises—and the evidence for and against the use of diagnostic tests for specific conditions. Cochrane reviews are designed to facilitate the decisions of clinicians, patients, and others in health care by providing a careful review and interpretation of research studies published in the scientific literature.1Each article in thisPTJseries will summarize a Cochrane review or other scientific evidence resource on a single topic and will present clinical scenarios based on real patients to illustrate how the results of the review can be used to directly inform clinical decisions. This article focuses on the effectiveness of multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation for nonspecific chronic low back pain.Can multidisciplinary biopsychosocial rehabilitation help this patient with chronic low back pain?

Saragiotto, BT, Maher, CG, Moseley, AM, Yamato, TP, Koes, BW, Sun, X & Hancock, MJ 2016, 'A systematic review reveals that the credibility of subgroup claims in low back pain trials was low', Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, vol. 79, pp. 3-9.
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Saragiotto, BT, Maher, CG, Yamato, TP, Costa, LOP, Costa, LCM, Ostelo, RWJG & Macedo, LG 2016, 'Motor Control Exercise for Nonspecific Low Back Pain', Spine, vol. 41, no. 16, pp. 1284-1295.
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Saragiotto, BT, Yamato, TP, Cosialls, AMH & Lopes, AD 2016, 'Desequilíbrio muscular dos flexores e extensores do joelho associado ao surgimento de lesão musculoesquelética relacionada à corrida: um estudo de coorte prospectivo', Revista Brasileira de Ciências do Esporte, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 64-68.
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Schulz, M, Goebel, R, Schumann, C & Zagermann-Muncke, P 2016, 'Non-prescription dispensing of emergency oral contraceptives: Recommendations from the German Federal Chamber of Pharmacists [Bundesapothekerkammer].', Pharmacy Practice, vol. 14, no. 3, pp. 828-828.
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© 2016, Grupo de Investigacion en Atencion Farmaceutica. All rights reserved. Background: Emergency hormonal contraceptives (EHC) are contraceptives used to prevent unintended pregnancy following unprotected sexual intercourse (USI) or contraceptive failure. The EHCs available without a prescription include medicines containing levonorgestrel (LNG) in more than 80 countries and, recently, based on an EU-switch ellaOne®, which contains ulipristal acetate (UPA). EHCs work by stopping or delaying ovulation. Those containing LNG can be used up to 72 hours after USI or contraceptive failure, while UPA can be used up to 120 hours. In the context of the UPA implementation process, Germany switched LNG to non-prescription status as well. Objectives: To develop recommendations, a protocol, and a continuing education program for pharmacists to assure quality when giving advice and dispensing EHCs in community pharmacies without a medical prescription. Methods: The recommendations were developed by an iterative process of drafting, recognizing, and discussing comments and proposals for amendments as well a seeking agreement with a number of stakeholders such as the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG), Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Federal Chamber of Physicians (BÄK), Drug Commission of German Physicians (AkdÄ), professional organizations/associations of gynaecologists, pharmaceutical OTC-industry as well as government-controlled, private, and church-based organizations and centres providing advice on sex education and family planning. Results: The recommendations were eventually endorsed by the BMG in consultation with the BfArM. Conclusions: The recommendations were made public, published in the professional journal and used in an uncounted number of continuing education programs based on the curriculum and provided by the State Chambers of Pharmacists.

Schulz, M, Krueger, K, Schuessel, K, Friedland, K, Laufs, U, Mueller, WE & Ude, M 2016, 'Medication adherence and persistence according to different antihypertensive drug classes: A retrospective cohort study of 255,500 patients', International Journal of Cardiology, vol. 220, pp. 668-676.
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Seymour, K, Rhodes, G, Stein, T & Langdon, R 2016, 'Intact unconscious processing of eye contact in schizophrenia', Schizophrenia Research: Cognition, vol. 3, pp. 15-19.
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Seymour, KJ, Williams, MA & Rich, AN 2016, 'The Representation of Color across the Human Visual Cortex: Distinguishing Chromatic Signals Contributing to Object Form Versus Surface Color', Cerebral Cortex, vol. 26, no. 5, pp. 1997-2005.
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Sharpe, B & Hemsley, B 2016, 'Improving nurse–patient communication with patients with communication impairments: hospital nurses' views on the feasibility of using mobile communication technologies', Applied Nursing Research, vol. 30, pp. 228-236.
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BACKGROUND: Nurses communicating with patients who are unable to speak often lack access to tools and technologies to support communication. Although mobile communication technologies are ubiquitous, it is not known whether their use to support communication is feasible on a busy hospital ward. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the views of hospital nurses on the feasibility of using mobile communication technologies to support nurse-patient communication with individuals who have communication impairments. METHOD: This study involved an online survey followed by a focus group, with findings analyzed across the two data sources. FINDINGS: Nurses expected that mobile communication devices could benefit patient care but lacked access to these devices, encountered policies against use, and held concerns over privacy and confidentiality. CONCLUSION: The use of mobile communication technologies with patients who have communication difficulties is feasible and may lead to improvements in communication and care, provided environmental barriers are removed and facilitators enhanced.

Shin, H-Y, Gadzhanova, S, Roughead, EE, Ward, MB & Pont, LG 2016, 'The use of antipsychotics among people treated with medications for dementia in residential aged care facilities', International Psychogeriatrics, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 977-982.
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ABSTRACTBackground:Antipsychotic agents have limited efficacy for Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) and there are concerns about their safety. Despite this, they are frequently used for the management of BPSD. This study aimed to assess the use of antipsychotics among people on anti-dementia medicines in Australian residential aged care facilities.Methods:Data were obtained from an individual patient unit dose packaging database covering 40 residential aged care facilities in New South Wales, Australia. Residents supplied an anti-dementia medicine between July 2008 and June 2013 were included. Prevalence of concurrent antipsychotic use was established. Incident antipsychotic users between January 2009 and December 2011 were identified. We examined initial antipsychotic dose, maximum titrated doses, type and duration of antipsychotic use, and compared use with Australian guidelines.Results:There were 291 residents treated with anti-dementia medicines, 129 (44%) of whom received antipsychotics concomitantly with an anti-dementia medicine. Among the 59 incident antipsychotic users, risperidone (73%) was the most commonly used antipsychotic agent. Amongst the risperidone initiators, 43% of patients had initial doses greater than 0.5 mg/day and 6% of patients exceeded 2.0 mg/day for their maximum dose. 53% of concomitant users received daily treatment for greater than six months.Conclusions:Our study using records of individual patient unit dose supply, which represents the intended medication consumption schedule, shows high rates of concurrent use of antipsychotics and anti-dementia medicines and long durations of use. The use of antipsychotics in patients with dementia needs to be...

Starcevic, V, Berle, D, do Rosário, MC, Brakoulias, V, Ferrão, YA, Viswasam, K, Shavitt, R, Miguel, E & Fontenelle, LF 2016, 'Use of benzodiazepines in obsessive–compulsive disorder', International Clinical Psychopharmacology, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 27-33.
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© 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. This study aimed to determine the frequency of benzodiazepine (BDZ) use in a large sample of patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and ascertain the type of BDZ used and the correlates and predictors of BDZ use in OCD. The sample consisted of 955 patients with OCD from a comprehensive, cross-sectional, multicentre study conducted by the Brazilian Research Consortium on Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders between 2003 and 2009. The rate of BDZ use over time in this OCD sample was 38.4%. Of individuals taking BDZs, 96.7% used them in combination with other medications, usually serotonin reuptake inhibitors. The most commonly used BDZ was clonazepam. Current age, current level of anxiety and number of additional medications for OCD taken over time significantly predicted BDZ use. This is the first study to comprehensively examine BDZ use in OCD patients, demonstrating that it is relatively common, despite recommendations from treatment guidelines. Use of BDZs in combination with several other medications over time and in patients with marked anxiety suggests that OCD patients taking BDZs may be more complex and more difficult to manage. This calls for further research and clarification of the role of BDZs in the treatment of OCD.

Stigliani, M, Haghi, M, Russo, P, Young, PM & Traini, D 2016, 'Antibiotic transport across bronchial epithelial cells: Effects of molecular weight, LogP and apparent permeability', European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, vol. 83, pp. 45-51.
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© 2015 Elsevier B.V. Purpose The first step in developing a new inhalable formulation for the treatment of respiratory diseases is to understand the mechanisms involved in the absorption of drugs after lung deposition. This information could be important for the treatment of bacterial infection in the lung, where low permeability would probably be beneficial, or a systemic infection, where high permeability would be desirable. The goal of this study was to evaluate the transport of several antibiotics (ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, moxifloxacin, rifampicin, doxycycline and tobramycin) across human bronchial airway epithelium and to study the influence of molecular weight and LogP on the apparent permeability. Methods The experiments were conducted using Calu-3 cells seeded in the apical compartment of 24-well Transwell® inserts. The antibiotics transport was measured in both apical to basolateral (A-B) and basolateral to apical (B-A) directions and the apparent permeability of each antibiotic was calculated. Results The A-B transport of ciprofloxacin and rifampicin was independent of the initial concentration in the donor compartment, suggesting the involvement of active transporters in their absorption. Moxifloxacin, doxycycline, azithromycin and tobramycin presented a low absorptive permeation in the A-B direction, indicating that these substances could be substrate for efflux pumps. Generally, all antibiotics studied showed low permeabilities in the B-A direction. Conclusions These findings suggest that the inhalation route would be favorable for delivering these specific antibiotics for the treatment of respiratory infection, compared with present oral or intravenous administration.

Stubbs, PW & Diong, J 2016, 'The effect of strengthening interventions on strength and physical performance in people with cerebral palsy (PEDro synthesis)', British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no. 3, pp. 189-190.
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Sukkar, L, Hong, D, Wong, MG, Badve, SV, Rogers, K, Perkovic, V, Walsh, M, Yu, X, Hillis, GS, Gallagher, M & Jardine, M 2016, 'Effects of ischaemic conditioning on major clinical outcomes in people undergoing invasive procedures: systematic review and meta-analysis', BMJ, vol. 355, pp. i5599-i5599.
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Objective: To summarise the benefits and harms of ischaemic conditioning on major clinical outcomes in various settings. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Data sources: Medline, Embase, Cochrane databases, and International Clinical Trials Registry platform from inception through October 2015. Study selection: All randomised controlled comparisons of the effect of ischaemic conditioning on clinical outcomes were included. Data extraction: Two authors independently extracted data from individual reports. Reports of multiple intervention arms were treated as separate trials. Random effects models were used to calculate summary estimates for all cause mortality and other pre-specified clinical outcomes. All cause mortality and secondary outcomes with P<0.1 were examined for study quality by using the GRADE assessment tool, the effect of pre-specified characteristics by using meta-regression and Cochran C test, and trial sequential analysis by using the Copenhagen Trial Unit method. Results: 85 reports of 89 randomised comparisons were identified, with a median 80 (interquartile range 60-149) participants and median 1 (range 1 day-72 months) month intended duration. Ischaemic conditioning had no effect on all cause mortality (68 comparisons; 424 events; 11 619 participants; risk ratio 0.96, 95% confidence interval 0.80 to 1.16; P=0.68; moderate quality evidence) regardless of the clinical setting in which it was used or the particular intervention related characteristics. Ischaemic conditioning may reduce the rates of some secondary outcomes including stroke (18 trials; 5995 participants; 149 events; risk ratio 0.72, 0.52 to 1.00; P=0.048; very low quality evidence) and acute kidney injury (36 trials; 8493 participants; 1443 events; risk ratio 0.83, 0.71 to 0.97; P=0.02; low quality evidence), although the benefits seem to be confined to nonsurgical settings and to mild episodes of acute kidney injury only. Conclusions: Ischaemic conditioning has no overal...

Swift, MC, Jones, M, O’Brian, S, Onslow, M, Packman, A & Menzies, R 2016, 'Parent verbal contingencies during the Lidcombe Program: Observations and statistical modeling of the treatment process', Journal of Fluency Disorders, vol. 47, pp. 13-26.
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Purpose

The purpose of this study was to document parent presentation of the Lidcombe Program verbal contingencies and model potential relationships between contingency provision and treatment duration.

Methods

Forty parent-child pairs undertaking the Lidcombe Program participated, 26 of whom completed Stage 1. All participants were included in the analyses. Parents completed weekly audio-recordings of treatment during practice sessions and a diary of treatment during natural conversations. The number and types of contingencies provided during practice sessions were counted for 520 recordings. Accelerated failure time modeling was used to investigate associations between contingency provision during the first 4 weeks of treatment and duration of time to complete Stage 1.

Results

During practice sessions 91% of contingencies were for stutter-free speech, 6.8% were for stuttering and 2.7% were incorrectly applied. Parents often combined several verbal contingencies into one. During natural conversations, the number of verbal contingencies reportedly provided across the day was low, an average of 8.5 (SD=7.82) contingencies for stutter-free speech and 1.7 (SD=2.43) for unambiguous stuttering. There was a positive, significant relationship between the number of verbal contingencies for stuttering provided during the first 4 weeks of treatment and time taken to complete Stage 1.

Conclusion

Parents mostly provided the expected types of contingencies but the number was lower than expected. An unexpected association was found between number of verbal contingencies for stuttering and treatment duration. Further research is required to explore the relation between rates of parent verbal contingencies, treatment process duration, and treatment outcome.

Terrett, G, Rose, NS, Henry, JD, Bailey, PE, Altgassen, M, Phillips, LH, Kliegel, M & Rendell, PG 2016, 'The relationship between prospective memory and episodic future thinking in younger and older adulthood', Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 69, no. 2, pp. 310-323.
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Episodic future thinking (EFT), the ability to project into the future to “preexperience” an event, and prospective memory (PM), remembering to perform an intended action, are both examples of future-oriented cognition. Recently it has been suggested that EFT might contribute to PM performance but to date few studies have examined the relationship between these two capacities. The aim of the present study was to investigate the nature and specificity of this relationship, as well as whether it varies with age. Participants were 125 younger and 125 older adults who completed measures of EFT and PM. Significant, positive correlations between EFT and PM were identified in both age groups. Furthermore, EFT ability accounted for significant unique variance in the young adults, suggesting that it may make a specific contribution to PM function. Within the older adult group, EFT did not uniquely contribute to PM, possibly indicating a reduced capacity to utilize EFT, or the use of compensatory strategies. This study is the first to provide systematic evidence for an association between variation in EFT and PM abilities in both younger and older adulthood and shows that the nature of this association varies as a function of age.

Thoomes-de Graaf, M, Scholten-Peeters, GGM, Schellingerhout, JM, Bourne, AM, Buchbinder, R, Koehorst, M, Terwee, CB & Verhagen, AP 2016, 'Evaluation of measurement properties of self-administered PROMs aimed at patients with non-specific shoulder pain and “activity limitations”: a systematic review', Quality of Life Research, vol. 25, no. 9, pp. 2141-2160.
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To critically appraise and compare the measurement properties of self-administered patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) focussing on the shoulder, assessing "activity limitations."Systematic review. The study population had to consist of patients with shoulder pain. We excluded postoperative patients or patients with generic diseases. The methodological quality of the selected studies and the results of the measurement properties were critically appraised and rated using the COSMIN checklist.Out of a total of 3427 unique hits, 31 articles, evaluating 7 different questionnaires, were included. The SPADI is the most frequently evaluated PROM and its measurement properties seem adequate apart from a lack of information regarding its measurement error and content validity.For English, Norwegian and Turkish users, we recommend to use the SPADI. Dutch users could use either the SDQ or the SST. In German, we recommend the DASH. In Tamil, Slovene, Spanish and the Danish languages, the evaluated PROMs were not yet of acceptable validity. None of these PROMs showed strong positive evidence for all measurement properties. We propose to develop a new shoulder PROM focused on activity limitations, taking new knowledge and techniques into account.

Titov, N, Fogliati, VJ, Staples, LG, Gandy, M, Johnston, L, Wootton, B, Nielssen, O & Dear, BF 2016, 'Treating anxiety and depression in older adults: randomised controlled trial comparing guided V. self-guided internet-delivered cognitive–behavioural therapy', BJPsych Open, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 50-58.
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BackgroundSymptoms of anxiety and depression are prevalent in older adults.AimsTo compare clinician-guided and self-guided versions of a transdiagnostic internet-delivered cognitive–behavioural therapy (iCBT) intervention for adults aged 60 years and above.MethodAdults (n=433) with symptoms of anxiety and depression were randomly allocated to: (1) clinician-guided treatment (n=153); (2) initial clinician interview followed by self-guided treatment (n=140); or (3) self-guided treatment without interview (n=140).ResultsLarge reductions (d ≥1.00) in symptoms of depression and anxiety were observed across groups, and sustained at follow-up. No differences were observed in clinical outcomes or satisfaction ratings. Age did not affect outcomes.ConclusionsCarefully developed iCBT interventions may significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression in older adults when delivered in either clinician-guided or self-guided formats.

Togher, L, McDonald, S, Tate, R, Rietdijk, R & Power, E 2016, 'The effectiveness of social communication partner training for adults with severe chronic TBI and their families using a measure of perceived communication ability', NeuroRehabilitation, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 243-255.
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BACKGROUND: Training for communication partners of people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) is efficacious when using blinded independent ratings of casual conversations measured in the clinic. However, the question remains as to whether participants with TBI and their significant other perceive changes to everyday social communication as a result of training. OBJECTIVE: To determine whether treatment focused on improving the conversational skills of everyday communication partners of people with severe TBI using a program called TBI Express resulted in improvements in perceived communicative ability as measured by the La Trobe Communication Questionnaire (LCQ). METHODS: Non randomized controlled trial comparing treatment of people with TBI together with communication partners (JOINT) with treatment of people with TBI without partner involvement (TBI SOLO) and a waitlist control group (CTRL) with follow-up at 6 months post-treatment. Forty-four outpatients from brain injury units in Sydney with severe chronic acquired brain injuries were recruited. A further 27 eligible outpatients refused to participate or could not be contacted. A total of 41 people completed treatment and 38 completed 6 month follow up assessment. The measure of perceived communication ability is the report of the participant with TBI and their partner on the LCQ. RESULTS: Communication partner training (JOINT) improved conversational performance relative to training the person with TBI alone and a waitlist control group on the LCQ. The TBI SOLO group improved in terms of report on the LCQ relative to the CONTROL group. Results were maintained at six months post-training. CONCLUSION: Training communication partners of people with chronic severe TBI using TBI Express led to perceived improvements in everyday communication ability by both the person with TBI and their family member.

Tovey, ER, Liu-Brennan, D, Garden, FL, Oliver, BG, Perzanowski, MS & Marks, GB 2016, 'Time-Based Measurement of Personal Mite Allergen Bioaerosol Exposure over 24 Hour Periods', PLOS ONE, vol. 11, no. 5, pp. e0153414-e0153414.
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© 2016 Tovey et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Allergic diseases such as asthma and rhinitis are common in many countries. Globally the most common allergen associated with symptoms is produced by house dust mites. Although the bed has often been cited as the main site of exposure to mite allergens, surprisingly this has not yet been directly established by measurement due to a lack of suitable methods. Here we report on the development of novel methods to determine the pattern of personal exposure to mite allergen bioaerosols over 24-hour periods and applied this in a small field study using 10 normal adults. Air was sampled using a miniature time-based air-sampler of in-house design located close to the breathing zone of the participants, colocated with a miniature time-lapse camera. Airborne particles, drawn into the sampler at 2L/min via a narrow slot, were impacted onto the peripheral surface of a disk mounted on the hour-hand of either a 12 or 24 hour clock motor. The impaction surface was either an electret cloth, or an adhesive film; both novel for these purposes. Following a review of the time-lapse images, disks were post-hoc cut into subsamples corresponding to eight predetermined categories of indoor or outdoor location, extracted and analysed for mite allergen Der p 1 by an amplified ELISA. Allergen was detected in 57.2% of the total of 353 subsamples collected during 20 days of sampling. Exposure patterns varied over time. Higher concentrations of airborne mite allergen were typically measured in samples collected from domestic locations in the day and evening. Indoor domestic Der p 1 exposures accounted for 59.5% of total exposure, whereas total in-bed-asleep exposure, which varied 80 fold between individuals, accounted overall for 9...

Turbitt, E & Freed, GL 2016, 'Paediatric emergency department referrals from primary care', Australian Health Review, vol. 40, no. 6, pp. 691-691.
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Background Over the last decade, paediatric referrals from general practitioners (GPs) to the emergency department (ED) have increased by 60% in Australia. Objective To investigate the characteristics of Victorian children referred by GPs to the ED with lower-urgency conditions. Method Data were collected from four hospital EDs in Victoria, May–November 2014. Parents attending the ED with their child triaged as lower urgency were surveyed. Descriptive, frequency, and bivariate analyses were performed. Results Of the 1150 responses, 28% (320) visited their GP before attending ED. Of these 66% (212), were referred by their GP. A greater proportion with injury than illness (84% vs 59%; P < 0.0001) was referred to the ED if they had first visited their GP. Conclusion Motivations of GPs to send lower-urgency injured and ill children to ED are not well understood. The high number of referrals from GPs to the ED for lower urgency conditions suggests attention by policy makers and health professionals must be paid to the current patterns of care of children in general practice. What is known about the topic? Paediatric referrals in Australia from GPs to EDs have increased in the last decade, along with the absolute number of children in Victoria presenting to the ED. What does this paper add? A significant number of children (66%) who attend the GP before visiting the ED are referred to the ED for their lower urgency condition. What are the implications for practitioners? It may be appropriate for GPs to be further supported to manage lower urgency conditions, through better resources or education.

Turbitt, E & Freed, GL 2016, 'Regular source of primary care and emergency department use of children in Victoria', Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, vol. 52, no. 3, pp. 303-307.
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AimThe aim of this paper was to study the prevalence of a regular source of primary care for Victorian children attending one of four emergency departments (EDs) and to determine associated characteristics, including ED use.MethodsResponses were collected via an electronic survey from parents attending EDs with their child (≤9 years of age) for a lower‐urgency condition. Single, multiple choice, and Likert scale responses were analysed using bivariate and logistic regression tests.ResultsOf the 1146 parents who provided responses, 80% stated their child has a regular source of primary care. Of these, care is mostly received by a general practitioner (GP) (95%) in GP group practices (71%). Approximately 20% have changed where their child receives primary care in the last year. No associations were observed between having a regular source of primary care and frequency of ED attendance in the past 12 months, although parents whose child did not have a regular source of primary care were more likely to view the ED as a more convenient place to receive care than the primary care provider (39% without regular source vs. 18% with regular source; P < 0.0001). Children were less likely to have a regular source of primar...

van Poppel, D, de Koning, J, Verhagen, AP & Scholten‐Peeters, GGM 2016, 'Risk factors for lower extremity injuries among half marathon and marathon runners of the Lage Landen Marathon Eindhoven 2012: A prospective cohort study in the Netherlands', Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, vol. 26, no. 2, pp. 226-234.
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To determine risk factors for running injuries during the Lage Landen Marathon Eindhoven 2012. Prospective cohort study. Population‐based study. This study included 943 runners. Running injuries after the Lage Landen Marathon. Sociodemographic and training‐related factors as well as lifestyle factors were considered as potential risk factors and assessed in a questionnaire 1 month before the running event. The association between potential risk factors and injuries was determined, per running distance separately, using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. In total, 154 respondents sustained a running injury. Among the marathon runners, in the univariate model, body mass index ≥ 26 kg/m2, ≤ 5 years of running experience, and often performing interval training, were significantly associated with running injuries, whereas in the multivariate model only ≤ 5 years of running experience and not performing interval training on a regular basis were significantly associated with running injuries. Among marathon runners, no multivariate model could be created because of the low number of injuries and participants. This study indicates that interval training on a regular basis may be recommended to marathon runners to reduce the risk of injury.

Verdon, S, Blake, HL, Hopf, SC, Phạm, B & McLeod, S 2016, 'Cultural and linguistic diversity in speech-language pathology', International Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 18, no. 2, pp. 109-110.
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Verhagen, AP 2016, 'Opioids in chronic low back pain, do or not do?', Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, vol. 160, no. 39.

Verhagen, AP & Bierma-Zeinstra, SMA 2016, 'Which NSAIDs help best for hip or knee osteoarthritis?', Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, vol. 160, no. 41.

Verhagen, AP, Downie, A, Popal, N, Maher, C & Koes, BW 2016, 'Red flags presented in current low back pain guidelines: a review', European Spine Journal, vol. 25, no. 9, pp. 2788-2802.
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Verwoerd, AJH, Mens, J, el Barzouhi, A, Peul, WC, Koes, BW & Verhagen, AP 2016, 'A diagnostic study in patients with sciatica establishing the importance of localization of worsening of pain during coughing, sneezing and straining to assess nerve root compression on MRI', European Spine Journal, vol. 25, no. 5, pp. 1389-1392.
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Wallace, SJ, Worrall, L, Rose, T & Le Dorze, G 2016, 'Core Outcomes in Aphasia Treatment Research: An e-Delphi Consensus Study of International Aphasia Researchers', American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, vol. 25, no. 4S.
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Purpose The purpose of this article is to identify outcome constructs that aphasia researchers consider essential to measure in all aphasia treatment research. Method Purposively sampled researchers were invited to participate in a 3-round e-Delphi exercise. In Round 1, an open-ended question was used to elicit important outcome constructs; responses were analyzed using inductive content analysis. In Rounds 2 and 3, participants rated the importance of each outcome using a 9-point rating scale. Outcomes reaching predefined consensus criteria were further analyzed using International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health coding. Results Eighty researchers commenced Round 1, with 72 completing the entire survey. High response rates (≥ 85%) were achieved in subsequent rounds. Consensus was reached on 6 outcomes: (a) language functioning in modalities relevant to study aims, (b) impact of treatment from the perspective of the person with aphasia (PWA), (c) communication-related quality of life, (d) satisfaction with intervention from the perspective of the PWA, (e) satisfaction with ability to communicate from the perspective of the PWA, and (f) satisfaction with participation in activities from the perspective of the PWA. Conclusions Consensus was reached that it is essential to measure language function and specific patient-reported outcomes in all aphasia treatment research. These results will contribute to the development of a core outcome set.

White, D, Burton, AL & Kemp, RI 2016, 'Not looking yourself: The cost of self‐selecting photographs for identity verification', British Journal of Psychology, vol. 107, no. 2, pp. 359-373.
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Photo‐identification is based on the premise that photographs are representative of facial appearance. However, previous studies show that ratings of likeness vary across different photographs of the same face, suggesting that some images capture identity better than others. Two experiments were designed to examine the relationship between likeness judgments and face matching accuracy. In Experiment 1, we compared unfamiliar face matching accuracy for self‐selected and other‐selected high‐likeness images. Surprisingly, images selected by previously unfamiliar viewers – after very limited exposure to a target face – were more accurately matched than self‐selected images chosen by the target identity themselves. Results also revealed extremely low inter‐rater agreement in ratings of likeness across participants, suggesting that perceptions of image resemblance are inherently unstable. In Experiment 2, we test whether the cost of self‐selection can be explained by this general disagreement in likeness judgments between individual raters. We find that averaging across rankings by multiple raters produces image selections that provide superior identification accuracy. However, benefit of other‐selection persisted for single raters, suggesting that inaccurate representations of self interfere with our ability to judge which images faithfully represent our current appearance.

Wolff, M, Rogers, K, Erdal, B, Chalmers, JP, Sundquist, K & Midlöv, P 2016, 'Impact of a short home-based yoga programme on blood pressure in patients with hypertension: a randomized controlled trial in primary care', Journal of Human Hypertension, vol. 30, no. 10, pp. 599-605.
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The present study was designed to evaluate yoga's impact on blood pressure (BP) and quality of life (QOL) and on stress, depression and anxiety in patients with hypertension in a primary care setting. We conducted a multi-centre randomized controlled trial with follow-up after 12-week intervention completion. Adult primary care patients diagnosed with hypertension were randomly allocated to yoga or usual care. The intervention group performed a short home-based Kundalini yoga programme 15 min twice-daily during the 12-week intervention period. At baseline and follow-up, the participants underwent standardized BP measurements and completed questionnaires on QOL, stress, anxiety and depression. Data obtained from 191 patients (mean age 64.7 years, s.d. 8.4) allocated to yoga intervention (n=96) and control group (n=95), with a total proportion of 52% women, showed a significant reduction in systolic and diastolic BP for both groups (-3.8/-1.7 mm Hg for yoga and -4.5/-3.0 mm Hg for control groups, respectively). However, the BP reduction for the yoga group was not significantly different from control. There were small but significant improvements for the yoga group in some of the QOL and depression measures (P<0.05, Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale, HADS-D) compared with control. The findings of our study, which is the largest study from an OECD country (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) to date, do not support the suggestion from previous smaller studies that yoga lowers the BP. Further clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings. However, the yoga patients had other health benefits.

Wootton, BM 2016, 'Remote cognitive–behavior therapy for obsessive–compulsive symptoms: A meta-analysis', Clinical Psychology Review, vol. 43, pp. 103-113.
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Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic mental health condition that results in a significant societal burden. Remote treatments do not require the patient to attend traditional face-to-face treatment services and can be used as a way to overcome barriers to accessing face-to-face treatment. The aim of the current study was to synthesize the current literature on remote treatment for OCD using a meta-analytic approach. Relevant articles were identified through an electronic database search and the references of previously completed reviews on the topic of remote treatment for OCD were also reviewed. Eighteen studies (n=823; mean age=31.20 (SD=10.36); 56.2% female) were included in the meta-analysis. Within-group findings indicate that remote treatment for OCD produces a decrease in symptoms of a large magnitude (g=1.17; 95% CI: 0.91-1.43). Between-group findings indicate that remote treatment for OCD is more effective than control (g=1.06; 95% CI: 0.68-1.45) and outcomes are not meaningfully different from face-to-face treatment (g=-0.21; 95% CI: -0.43-0.02). Those methodologies that are low intensity produce a decrease in symptoms of a large magnitude (g=1.36, 95% CI: 1.00-1.72), as do higher intensity treatments (g=1.64, 95% CI: 1.33-1.95). These findings have important implications for the development of stepped-care treatments, which may be able to be delivered in a purely remote fashion.

Worrall, L, Ryan, B, Hudson, K, Kneebone, I, Simmons-Mackie, N, Khan, A, Hoffmann, T, Power, E, Togher, L & Rose, M 2016, 'Reducing the psychosocial impact of aphasia on mood and quality of life in people with aphasia and the impact of caregiving in family members through the Aphasia Action Success Knowledge (Aphasia ASK) program: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial', Trials, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 1-7.
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© 2016 Worrall et al. Background: People with aphasia and their family members are at high risk of experiencing post stroke depression. The impact of early interventions on mood and quality of life for people with aphasia is unknown. Methods/design: This study will determine whether an early intervention for both the person with aphasia after stroke and their family members leads to better mood and quality of life outcomes for people with aphasia, and less caregiver burden and better mental health for their family members. This is a multicenter, cluster-randomized controlled trial. Clusters, which are represented by Health Service Districts, will be randomized to the experimental intervention (Aphasia Action Success Knowledge Program) or an attention control (Secondary Stroke Prevention Information Program). People with aphasia and their family members will be blinded to the study design and treatment allocation (that is, will not know there are two arms to the study). Both arms of the study will receive usual care in addition to either the experimental or the attention control intervention. A total of 344 people with aphasia and their family members will be recruited. Considering a cluster size of 20, the required sample size can be achieved from 18 clusters. However, 20 clusters will be recruited to account for the potential of cluster attrition during the study. Primary outcome measures will be mood and quality of life of people with aphasia at 12 months post stroke. Secondary measures will be family member outcomes assessing the impact of caregiving and mental health, and self-reported stroke risk-related behaviors of people with aphasia. Discussion: This is the first known program tailored for people with aphasia and their family members that aims to prevent depression in people with aphasia by providing intervention early after the stroke. Trial registration: This trial is registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) ...

Worrall, L, Simmons-Mackie, N, Wallace, SJ, Rose, T, Brady, MC, Kong, APH, Murray, L & Hallowell, B 2016, 'Let’s call it “aphasia”: Rationales for eliminating the term “dysphasia”', International Journal of Stroke, vol. 11, no. 8, pp. 848-851.
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Health professionals, researchers, and policy makers often consider the two terms aphasia and dysphasia to be synonymous. The aim of this article is to argue the merits of the exclusive use of the term aphasia and present a strategy for creating change through institutions such as the WHO-ICD. Our contention is that one term avoids confusion, speech-language pathologists prefer aphasia, scholarly publications indicate a preference for the term aphasia, stroke clinical guidelines indicate a preference for the term aphasia, consumer organizations use the title aphasia in their name and on their websites, and languages other than English use a term similar to aphasia. The use of the term dysphasia in the broader medical community may stem from the two terms being used interchangeably in the ICD10. Aphasia United http://www.shrs.uq.edu.au/aphasiaunited , an international movement for uniting the voice of all stakeholders in aphasia within an international context, will seek to eliminate the use of the term dysphasia.

Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & Abbott, JH 2016, 'The TIDieR Checklist Will Benefit the Physical Therapy Profession', Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy, vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 402-404.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & Brooks, D 2016, 'La liste de contrôle TIDieR profitera à la profession de physiothérapeute', Physiotherapy Canada, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 312-314.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & Brooks, D 2016, 'The TIDieR Checklist Will Benefit the Physiotherapy Profession', Physiotherapy Canada, vol. 68, no. 4, pp. 311-312.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & Fetters, L 2016, 'The TIDieR Checklist Will Benefit the Physical Therapy Profession', Pediatric Physical Therapy, vol. 28, no. 4, pp. 366-367.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & Jette, A 2016, 'The TIDieR Checklist Will Benefit the Physical Therapy Profession', Physical Therapy, vol. 96, no. 7, pp. 930-931.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & McVeigh, JG 2016, 'The TIDieR checklist will benefit the physiotherapy profession', Physiotherapy Practice and Research, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 65-67.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M & Swisher, AK 2016, 'The TIDieR Checklist Will Benefit the Physiotherapy Profession', Cardiopulmonary Physical Therapy Journal, vol. 27, no. 4, pp. 106-107.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M, Jull, G & Moore, A 2016, 'Erratum to ‘The TIDieR checklist will benefit the physiotherapy profession’ [Manual Therapy 24C (2016) V–VI]', Manual Therapy, vol. 26, pp. 158-158.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M, Jull, G & Moore, A 2016, 'The TIDieR (Template for Intervention, descriptor and replication) checklist will benefit the physiotherapy profession', Manual Therapy, vol. 24, pp. v-vi.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M, Petersen, S, Riley, S & Brismée, J-M 2016, 'Improving completeness and transparency of reporting in clinical trials using the template for intervention description and replication (TIDieR) checklist will benefit the physiotherapy profession', Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 183-184.
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Yamato, T, Maher, C, Saragiotto, B, Moseley, A, Hoffmann, T, Elkins, M, Venga, SB & Boddeti, RK 2016, 'THE TIDieR CHECKLIST WILL BENEFIT THE PHYSIOTHERAPY PROFESSION', International Journal of Physiotherapy and Research, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 1477-1478.
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Yamato, TP, Maher, CG, Saragiotto, BT, Hancock, MJ, Ostelo, RWJG, Cabral, CMN, Costa, LCM & Costa, LOP 2016, 'Pilates for Low Back Pain', Spine, vol. 41, no. 12, pp. 1013-1021.
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Yamato, TP, Maher, CG, Saragiotto, BT, Hancock, MJ, Ostelo, RWJG, Cabral, CMN, Costa, LCM & Costa, LOP 2016, 'Pilates for low back pain', Sao Paulo Medical Journal, vol. 134, no. 4, pp. 366-367.
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Yamato, TP, Maher, CG, Saragiotto, BT, Hoffmann, TC & Moseley, AM 2016, 'How completely are physiotherapy interventions described in reports of randomised trials?', Physiotherapy, vol. 102, no. 2, pp. 121-126.
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Yamato, TP, Maher, CG, Saragiotto, BT, Hoffmann, TC, Moseley, AM, Elkins, M, Lin, C & Söderlund, A 2016, 'The TIDieR checklist will benefit the physiotherapy profession', European Journal of Physiotherapy, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 145-146.
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Yamato, TP, Maher, CG, Saragiotto, BT, Moseley, AM, Hoffmann, TC & Elkins, MR 2016, 'The TIDieR checklist will benefit the physiotherapy profession', Journal of Physiotherapy, vol. 62, no. 2, pp. 57-58.
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You, J, Wen, L, Roufas, A, Hodge, C, Sutton, G & Madigan, MC 2016, 'Corrigendum to “Expression of HGF and c-Met Proteins in Human Keratoconus Corneas”', Journal of Ophthalmology, vol. 2016, pp. 1-1.
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[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1155/2015/852986.].

Abbott, JH, Mehta, P & Winser, S 1970, 'Economic evaluations of physical therapy interventions for hip or knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review', Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, World Congress of the Osteoarthritis-Research-Society-International (OARSI) on Osteoarthritis, Elsevier BV, Amsterdam, NETHERLANDS, pp. S495-S495.
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Adinanto, FC, French, AN & Rose, KA 1970, 'The prevalence of strabismus: A systematic literature review', INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Annual Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology (ARVO), ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, Seattle, WA.

Ata, SI, Alhawassi, TM, Alshammary, TM, Bin Dhim, N, Pont, LG & Aljadhey, HS 1970, 'Assessing Studies of Patients Spontaneously Reported Adverse Drug Reactions (ADR's): A Review Study', PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 410-411.

Cayoun, B & Simmons, A 1970, 'The power of equanimity for Pain reduction', Mind and its potential Conference., Sydney.

Cullen, P, Clapham, K, Rogers, K, Byrne, J, Hunter, K, Lo, S & Ivers, R 1970, 'DRIVING CHANGE: IMPLEMENTATION OF A MULTI-SITE COMMUNITY LICENSING PROGRAM FOR ABORIGINAL PEOPLE', INJURY PREVENTION, Safety 2016, BMJ PUBLISHING GROUP, Finland, pp. A22-A22.
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French, AN, Morgan, IG & Rose, KA 1970, 'Risk factors for longitudinal biometric and refractive change in Australian schoolchildren', INVESTIGATIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY & VISUAL SCIENCE, Annual Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology (ARVO), ASSOC RESEARCH VISION OPHTHALMOLOGY INC, WA, Seattle.

Gonsalvez, C, Nasstasia, Y & Donovan, M 1970, '. Innovations in the assessment of practicum competencies: The use of standardised vignettes', 12th International Interdisciplinary Clinical Supervision Conference. 2016, USA.

Kouzani, AZ, Adams, S, Oliver, R, Nguwi, YY, Hemsley, B & Balandin, S 1970, '3D printing of a pavlova', 2016 IEEE Region 10 Conference (TENCON), TENCON 2016 - 2016 IEEE Region 10 Conference, IEEE, Singapore, pp. 2281-2285.
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© 2016 IEEE. 3D food printing is emerging as a high-resolution computer-aided-design and additive-manufacturing approach for producing food products. The benefits offered by 3D food printing include custom design and production of visually appealing foods, making of foods for people with special needs (e.g., people with swallowing difficulties), reduction in design and fabrication time and cost, and decrease in dependency on skilled personnel. This paper presents three-dimensional (3D) printing of a pavlova with chocolate garnish. Since the pavlova mixture mainly consists of eggwhite foam, its 3D printing is a challenging exercise. The materials and equipment used to 3D print the pavlova and the chocolate garnish are described. The preparation of meringue, design of pavlova, printing of pavlova, baking of pavlova, design of chocolate garnish, printing of chocolate garnish, and assembly of the pavlova are explained. The obtained results are presented and discussed, and the new opportunities that 3D food printing can offer are highlighted.

Pont, LG, Semerdijan, M, Burke, T, Mekhael, L, Vucic, S & Hughes, V 1970, 'Time-to-Treatment In The Management Of Relapsing/Remitting Multiple Sclerosis', PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 207-208.

Pont, LG, Taxis, K, Wirtz, V, Gallagher, P, Byrne, S & Fourrier-Reglat, A 1970, 'Drug Utilisation In Older Populations: The Irish View On Knowing Right From Wrong', PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 49-49.

Pradhan, E & Pont, LG 1970, 'Safety Of Non-Prescription NSAIDs', PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND DRUG SAFETY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 446-447.

Rezaeian, M, Georgevsky, D, Golzan, SM & Graham, SL 1970, 'High speed in-vivo imaging of retinal hemodynamics in a rodent model of hypertension', 2016 38th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), 2016 38th Annual International Conference of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (EMBC), IEEE, Orlando, FL, USA, pp. 3243-3246.
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The eye is the only organ through which microcirculation can be visualized non-invasively. This unique feature makes the eye and specifically retinal vasculature an excellent target area to monitor and study micro-vascular damage in systemic diseases. Dynamic (real-time) changes of retinal vessels have been shown to be more specific to the disease in comparison with static measurements. In this study we utilize high speed imaging (i.e. 125 fps) to study and derive dynamic changes of retinal vessels in a rat model of hypertension. A Eulerian video magnification algorithm was used to extract retinal arterial and venous pulse amplitude from five Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats (SHR) and five Wister Kyoto (WKY) rats were used as the control group. Results showed that retinal arterial diameter and pulse amplitude are significantly lower in the SHRs compared with WKYs. Dynamic biomarkers of retinal micro-vasculature may be used as a diagnostic tool for systemic diseases.

Shires, AG, Cayoun, B & Simmons, A 1970, 'Unlearning chronic pain with equanimity: Immediate and lasting pain reduction following a self-implemented mindfulness-based exposure task', 2nd International Conference on Mindfulness, International Conference on Mindfulness, Rome.
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Recent imaging research shows that approximately 80% of people who transit from acute to chronic pain produce neuroplasticity linking pain pathways to learning areas of the brain, thus showing physiological evidence that chronic pain is largely learned. Mindfulness meditation programs have been used successfully to teach people a way of decreasing pain-related distress and unlearning their unhelpful relationship to pain. However, not all chronic pain patients are amenable to undergo a full mindfulness program and then maintain daily practice. Accordingly, we conducted a pilot study of a task extracted from a second-generation MBI, Mindfulness-integrated Cognitive Behavior Therapy, which consisted of a self-guided 30-s mindfulness-based interoceptive exposure task (MIET) to pain sensations in 15 medically diagnosed chronic pain patients. Participants using the MIET repeatedly over 15 days learned not to identify with pain and focused on four subcomponents of interoception (mass, motion, temperature, and cohesiveness) while remaining equanimous. This led to significant reduction in pain anxiety (p = .001; d = 0.96), pain duration (p = .01; d = 0.86), and pain intensity after each 30-s exposure (p < .001; d = 1.37). These effects were maintained, and some further improved, at 2-month follow-up. Marked decrease in depression, anxiety and stress were also observed (p < .001; d = 0.81). While participants rated the task as highly acceptable and some reduced their use of analgesic medication; no other change in medical or psychological treatment was required. These early results show the potential for the MIET to be use as an adjunct to traditional treatments of chronic pain, although controlled studies are needed to establish the validity of our results. Brain-imaging studies are also needed to assess the possible unlearning effect of the MIET on corticolimbic regions, a process that may be termed “central desensitization.”

Shires, AG, Sharpe, L & Newton John, T 1970, 'Comparison of a mindfulness based exposure task with a distraction task in the reduction of induced pain with an additional moderator of attentional bias.', 2nd International Conference on Mindfulness, International Conference on Mindfulness, Rome.

Tong, J, Golzan, M, Georgevsky, D, Graham, S, Farah, C & Fraser, C 1970, 'RETINAL VASCULAR COMPLICATIONS IN OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA', RESPIROLOGY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 171-171.

Tong, J, Viswanathan, D, Hodge, C, Sutton, G, Chan, C & Males, J 1970, 'CORNEAL COLLAGEN CROSS-LINKING FOR POST-LASIK ECTASIA: AN AUSTRALIAN STUDY', CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, WILEY-BLACKWELL, pp. 71-71.

Hing, N, Russell, A & Hronis, A 2016, Behavioural indicators of responsible gambling consumption, Melbourne: Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation..

Shires, AG 2016, Barriers to Clinical Psychology Supervision 2015 A report on the barriers to provision of clinical psychology supervision to trainees on placement in NSW.

Gordon, N, Koenig-Robert, R, Tsuchiya, N, van Boxtel, J & Hohwy, J 2016, 'Hierarchical Frequency Tagging reveals neural markers of predictive coding under varying uncertainty', Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
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Koenig-Robert, R & Pearson, J 2016, 'Decoding the nonconscious dynamics of thought generation', Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory.
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Shires, AG 2016, 'Barriers to the provision of clinical psychology supervised placements.'.
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Presentation to the Australian clinical placement coordinators meeting

Shires, AG 2016, 'The application of Mindfulness in pain.'.