Publications by authors named "Stafford L"

Importance: Test accuracy studies often use small datasets to simultaneously select an optimal cutoff score that maximizes test accuracy and generate accuracy estimates.

Objective: To evaluate the degree to which using data-driven methods to simultaneously select an optimal Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) cutoff score and estimate accuracy yields (1) optimal cutoff scores that differ from the population-level optimal cutoff score and (2) biased accuracy estimates.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This study used cross-sectional data from an existing individual participant data meta-analysis (IPDMA) database on PHQ-9 screening accuracy to represent a hypothetical population.

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Objective: Vomiting is a common and distressing acute side effect of chemotherapy, negatively impacting quality of life, nutritional status, and the ability of patients to tolerate further treatment. Standardized guidelines have been developed to improve control of nausea and vomiting. We aimed to determine the benefit of adherence to clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) on complete control of acute chemotherapy-induced vomiting in newly diagnosed pediatric patients with cancer.

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Background: Population level physical activity generally does not meet recommended targets. Compared with private motor vehicle users, public transport users tend to be more physically active and financial incentives may encourage more public transport use, but these relationships are under-investigated. This paper describes the protocol of a randomised controlled trial that aimed to determine the effect of financially incentivising public transport use on physical activity in a regional Australian setting.

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Previous research has shown a strong link between our sense of smell and emotion. More recently, the importance we attach to olfaction has been found to relate to our susceptibility to 'catch' the emotions of others. We explore this further by examining the relation between a newly developed measure of olfaction (social odour scale, SOS), which measures awareness of social odours, and emotional contagion susceptibility in female participants.

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Aim: To assess the risk and natural history of developing advanced anal disease after diagnosis of anal condyloma in people living with HIV (PLWH).

Methods: This was a single-centre retrospective cohort study of PLWH and anal condyloma from 2001 to 2021. Patients who developed advanced anal disease (AAD; anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and/or anal cancer) were compared to those who did not progress (non-AAD).

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Article Synopsis
  • There is a genetic link to heart problems caused by anthracycline treatment in childhood cancer survivors, but it's unclear if this also applies to adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer patients.
  • A study analyzed 45 genetic variants in 253 AYA patients who received anthracyclines and found four variants associated with heart dysfunction, with some variants showing opposite effects compared to childhood survivors.
  • Further testing on stem cell-derived heart cells revealed significant changes in gene expression for two of the variants, indicating that genetics indeed play a role in cardiac issues for AYA cancer survivors, but the impact may differ from that seen in children.
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Having the choice to stay living in one's home and community for as long as possible is a desire of people living with dementia. Yet, for many, this is not a reality due to a lack of appropriate support, unsuitable housing and built environments, social exclusion, and stigma. The global movement called Dementia Friendly Communities aims to address such barriers and bring about positive change.

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Purpose: When a pregnant woman is diagnosed with cancer, she faces complex and unique challenges while navigating both obstetric and oncological care. Despite often being the primary support for women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy (CDP), little is known about the experiences of their partners. We undertook an in-depth exploration of the experiences of partners of women diagnosed with CDP in Australia.

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Study Objectives: Insomnia symptoms are common during the perinatal period and are linked to adverse outcomes. This single-blind three-arm randomized-controlled trial examined whether two interventions targeting different mechanisms prevent postpartum insomnia.

Methods: Participants were nulliparous females 26-32 weeks gestation with Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores ≥ 8, recruited in Australia and randomized 1:1:1 to: (1) a responsive bassinet (RB) designed to support infant sleep and reduce maternal sleep disruption until 6 months postpartum, (2) therapist-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) delivered during pregnancy and postpartum, or (3) a sleep hygiene booklet (control; CTRL).

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Non-equilibrium plasmas at atmospheric pressure are often characterized by optical emission spectroscopy. Despite the simplicity of recording optical emission spectra in plasmas, the determination of spatially resolved plasma properties (e.g.

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Purpose: Improved prognosis of early breast cancer (EBC) has created opportunities for treatment optimization but reducing morbidity should not inadvertently compromise quality of life (QoL). PROSPECT used pre-operative MRI and pathology findings to identify women suitable for radiotherapy (RT) omission following breast conserving surgery. We retrospectively explored the association between de-escalation by omission of RT and QoL in women with EBC.

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As little is known about the burden of type 1 (T1DM) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in adolescents in Western Europe (WE), we aimed to explore their epidemiology among 10-24 year-olds. Estimates were retrieved from the Global Burden of Diseases Study (GBD) 2019. We reported counts, rates per 100,000 population, and percentage changes from 1990 to 2019 for prevalence, incidence and years lived with disability (YLDs) of T1DM and T2DM, and the burden of T2DM in YLDs attributable to high body mass index (HBMI), for 24 WE countries.

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Background: Facilitated by the inability to vaccinate, and an immature immune system, COVID-19 remains a leading cause of death among children. Vaccinated lactating mothers produce specific SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in their milk, capable of neutralizing the virus . Our objective for this study is to assess the effect of COVID-19 booster dose on SARS-CoV-2 antibody concentration and viral neutralization in milk, plasma, and infant stool.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the effects of reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) regimens on fertility and gonadal function in adolescent and young adult survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HCT).
  • Researchers analyzed data from 326 patients aged 10 to 40 who underwent their first allogeneic HCT, focusing on hormonal levels as indicators of fertility potential and gonadal failure.
  • Findings revealed that a significant majority of female HCT recipients had very low levels of AMH, indicating poor fertility potential, and that RIC might have a lower incidence of detectable AMH compared to myeloablative conditioning (MAC), although impairment was still common.
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Problem: There is limited understanding and contradictory results regarding the contribution of the pregnant bodily experience to antenatal attachment.

Background: Antenatal attachment is an important aspect of pregnancy, which has been linked with positive maternal and infant outcomes. Given the profound physical process of pregnancy, it is likely that bodily experience is implicated in antenatal attachment, with research supporting the involvement of pregnancy body (dis)satisfaction.

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Misty plasma processes based on colloidal solutions sprayed into low-pressure plasmas have recently shown great potential for multifunctional thin film deposition. In such processes, nanoparticle accumulation in ring-shaped structures remains the main obstacle to the synthesis of high-quality coatings containing abundant, small-scale, and evenly dispersed nanoparticles. These local buildups appear after a colloidal droplet evaporates from a substrate.

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Mothers who are breast cancer survivors may experience psychological distress in relation to diminished parenting efficacy. Self-compassion may protect mothers from psychological distress, yet little is known about self-compassion in this population. The extent to which self-warmth (self-kindness, mindfulness and sense of common humanity) and self-coldness (self-judgement, isolation and over-identification) dimensions of self-compassion moderate parenting efficacy in predicting depression, anxiety and stress was examined in a sample of 95 mothers who were breast cancer survivors.

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Objective: To investigate the impact of age and parity on the experience on relief and regret following elective hysterectomy for benign disease, and to explore the factors that impact relief and regret.

Design: Retrospective cross-sectional survey of a cohort.

Setting: Single-centre tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia.

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During deposition, modification, and etching of thin films and nanomaterials in reactive plasmas, many active species can interact with the sample simultaneously. This includes reactive neutrals formed by fragmentation of the feed gas, positive ions, and electrons generated by electron-impact ionization of the feed gas and fragments, excited states (in particular, long-lived metastable species), and photons produced by spontaneous de-excitation of excited atoms and molecules. Notably, some of these species can be transiently present during the different phases of plasma processing, such as etching of thin layer deposition.

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Background: Genetic counselling aims to identify, and address, patient needs while facilitating informed decision-making about genetic testing and promoting empowerment and adaptation to genetic information. Increasing demand for cancer genetic testing and genetic counsellor workforce capacity limitations may impact the quality of genetic counselling provided. The use of a validated genetic-specific screening tool, the Genetic Psychosocial Risk Instrument (GPRI), may facilitate patient-centred genetic counselling.

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This study addresses the paucity of research concerning the subjective experiences of those affected by anosmia. In the study, we interviewed individuals(n = 11) recruited via the charity (Fifth Sense) and used Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to analyse the data. Findings revealed three main themes and seven sub themes.

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Background: Livability is a concept commonly featured in health research to help shape public policy decisions and improve local place settings. Although widely used, it is a contested concept known for its ambiguity and inconsistency of measurements. Other criticisms include the lack of equity perspectives and the underrepresentation of people with disabilities and inhabitants of non-metropolitan places.

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