Conference Posters

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Now showing 1 - 10 of 29
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    Why so unfit?: Assessing potential barriers to exercise adoption in middle-aged men
    (The Author(s), 10/02/2005) Towers AJ; Flett RA; Seebeck RF; Towers, AJ; Flett, RA; Seebeck, RF
    Compared to women, men:  have a higher mortality rate  consistently die younger  are more susceptible to sedentary-lifestyle related diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease)  are more likely to engage in behaviours that increase risk of injury, disease, or death  are less likely to seek help with physical health. Despite these statistics, the amount of literature devoted to women’s health in the past two decades still greatly exceeds that devoted to men’s health. The result is that we actually know very little about what influences men’s health behaviours. Introduction We utilised the transtheoretical model of exercise behaviour change to determine the pattern of exercise adoption in middle-aged men. We also analysed whether this pattern was influenced by three potential barriers to exercise: poor self-rated health, low levels of internal health locus of control, and high perceived stress levels. Hypotheses Compared to participants in the last stage of change (maintenance), it was hypothesised that participants in the first stage of exercise change (precontemplation) would have:  lower self-efficacy  less concern over the pros of exercise  more concern over the cons of exercise  poorer self-rated health  higher levels of perceived stress  lower levels of internal health locus of control [From Introduction]
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    Becoming a distance student: Identifying and managing the key challenges
    (2018-04) Kahu E
    Approximately 25% of first year, distance students are unsuccessful – they withdraw, fail or just give up on their study. They pay the fees but they don’t get the benefit. And they go away discouraged and disheartened. This poster, using data from a PhD project following 19 first year mature-aged distance students, offers ideas for managing key challenges these students face. - My lifeload: Taking too many courses is common. Students overestimate the time they have available. Be realistic and start small: you can speed things up later. - My family and friends: Other people can be a support and a barrier. Communicate clearly what you need. And remember, this is a big change for the whole family not just you. - My time and space: Students choose distance study because it is more flexible. But you still have to find time and space to do the work. Be flexible and creative in your approach. It takes time to figure out what works for you, for your family, and for your studies. - My headspace: The first year is an emotional rollercoaster including negative feelings of anxiety or frustration. Manage the negative by talking things over and celebrate and focus on the positive. - My university: Returning to study is harder than you expect with a lot of new skills to be learned. Be patient with yourself, use the resources available and be willing to seek help.
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    sFlt-1 and NTproBNP independently predict mortality in a cohort of heart failure patients.
    (2/12/2018) Paterson MA; Pilbrow AP; Frampton CM; Cameron VA; Pemberton CJ; Lund M; Devlin GP; Doughty RN; Richards AM; Palmer B
    Objective: Soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1) is a circulating receptor for VEGF-A. Recent reports of elevated plasma levels of sFlt-1 in coronary heart disease and heart failure (HF) motivated our study aimed at investigating the utility of sFlt-1 as a prognostic biomarker in heart failure patients. Methods: ELISA assays for sFlt-1 and NTproBNP were performed in n=858 patients from a prospective multicentre, observational study (the PEOPLE study) of outcome among patients after appropriate treatment for an episode of acute decompensated HF in New Zealand. Plasma was sampled at a baseline visit and stored at -80°C. Statistical tests were adjusted for patient age at baseline visit, skewed data were log-adjusted and the endpoint for clinical outcome analysis was all-cause death. Patients were followed for a median of 3.63 (range 0.74-5.50) years. Results: Mean baseline plasma sFlt-1 was 125 +/- 2.01 pg/ml. sFlt-1 was higher in patients with HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) (130 +/- 2.62 pg/ml, n=553) compared to those with HF with preserved EF (HFpEF) (117 +/-3.59 pg/ml, n=305; p=0.005). sFlt-1 correlated with heart rate (r=0.148, p<0.001), systolic blood pressure (r=-0.139, p<0.001) and LVEF (r=-0.088, p=0.019). A Cox proportional hazards model showed sFlt-1 was a predictor of all-cause death (HR=6.30, p<0.001) in the PEOPLE cohort independent of age, NTproBNP, ischaemic aetiology, and NYHA class (n=842, 274 deaths), established predictors of mortality in the PEOPLE cohort. Conclusion: sFlt-1 levels at baseline should be investigated further as a predictor of death; complementary to established prognostic biomarkers in heart failure.
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    The decision appraisal model of regret
    (11/11/2005) Towers AJ; Flett RA; Hill SR
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    Sensitivity to Volcanic Field Boundary
    (17/04/2016) Whitehead M; Bebbington M; Cronin S; Moufti MR; Lindsay J
    Volcanic hazard analyses are desirable where there is potential for future volcanic activity to affect a proximal population. This is frequently the case for volcanic fields (regions of distributed volcanism) where low eruption rates, fertile soil, and attractive landscapes draw populations to live close by. Forecasting future activity in volcanic fields almost invariably uses spatial or spatio-temporal point processes with model selection and development based on exploratory analyses of previous eruption data. For identifiability reasons, spatio-temporal processes, and practically also spatial processes, the definition of a spatial region is required to which volcanism is confined. However, due to the complex and predominantly unknown sub-surface processes driving volcanic eruptions, definition of a region based solely on geological information is currently impossible. Thus, the current approach is to fit a shape to the known previous eruption sites. The class of boundary shape is an unavoidable subjective decision taken by the forecaster that is often overlooked during subsequent analysis of results. This study shows the substantial effect that this choice may have on even the simplest exploratory methods for hazard forecasting, illustrated using four commonly used exploratory statistical methods and two very different regions: the Auckland Volcanic Field, New Zealand, and Harrat Rahat, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. For Harrat Rahat, sensitivity of results to boundary definition is substantial. For the Auckland Volcanic Field, the range of options resulted in similar shapes, nevertheless, some of the statistical tests still showed substantial variation in results. This work highlights the fact that when carrying out any hazard analysis on volcanic fields, it is vital to specify how the volcanic field boundary has been defined, assess the sensitivity of boundary choice, and to carry these assumptions and related uncertainties through to estimates of future activity and hazard analyses.
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    OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO ELF-MF AND ELECTRIC SHOCKS AND MOTOR NEURONE DISEASE
    (4/09/2016) Chen GX; McLean D; van den Berg L; 't Mannetje A; Pearce N; Kromhout H; D'Souza W; McConnell M; Douwes J