Publications by authors named "Steel A"

Unlabelled: Adaptive behavior in complex environments requires integrating visual perception with memory of our spatial environment. Recent work has implicated three brain areas in posterior cerebral cortex - the place memory areas (PMAs) that are anterior to the three visual scene perception areas (SPAs) - in this function. However, PMAs' relationship to the broader cortical hierarchy remains unclear due to limited group-level characterization.

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Background: While some general patterns and trends of health information seeking and literacy in the Australian population are known, there is a need to understand these behaviours and skills specific to the focus areas outlined in the National Preventive Health Strategy (NPHS).

Methods: In response, this study employed a cross-sectional online survey of adults in the Australian general population (n = 1509) to investigate their knowledge and health information seeking behaviour regarding the NPHS' seven focus areas. It also explored primary care practitioners as a preventive health information source.

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Each view of our environment captures only a subset of our immersive surroundings. Yet, our visual experience feels seamless. A puzzle for human neuroscience is to determine what cognitive mechanisms enable us to overcome our limited field of view and efficiently anticipate new views as we sample our visual surroundings.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Data was collected through a secondary analysis of practice-based research networks, and statistical tests identified differences in practitioner characteristics based on their patient demographic focus.
  • * Results showed that a significant portion of osteopaths treat these populations, with a trend towards female practitioners and those with more experience being more likely to provide care to pregnant women and young children.
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  • Scientists have been trying to understand how our brains combine information we remember (inside) and what we see (outside).
  • New research shows that two important brain networks, the default network (DN) and the dorsal attention network (dATN), are actually working together more than we thought.
  • Instead of fighting against each other, these networks help our brains process information in a smart way, even when we're not focused on anything specific.
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  • The hippocampus plays a crucial role in integrating sensory and memory information, acting as a central hub for these processes; however, the mechanisms behind how this integration happens are not well understood.
  • Recent research indicates that a retinotopic code—typically associated only with visual areas—may also influence processing in the hippocampus by organizing both internal and external information through specific neural interactions.
  • Using advanced imaging techniques, the study found a robust retinotopic code in the human hippocampus, consisting of both positive and negative receptive fields that correlate with how hippocampal activity interacts with the cortex during different tasks, potentially aiding in memory processing.
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  • Resilience helps people handle challenges better, and this study looked at how two groups of pharmacy students—older graduate students and younger undergraduates—build their resilience during their studies.!* -
  • The researchers used surveys and interviews to find out how students deal with stress, and while the younger and older students didn't experience different levels of burnout, older students had a more positive outlook on resilience.!* -
  • It was found that having support from friends and family helped the younger students perform better academically, and common ways both groups coped with stress included exercising and distracting themselves from their worries.!*
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Interprofessional education (IPE) is a teaching method that improves collaboration and communication across health professions. There are consistent reports of poor interprofessional collaboration and communication between conventional health professionals and traditional and complementary medicine (TCM) professions. The application of IPE within courses that provide training in TCM requires close examination.

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The field of traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine (TCIM) has garnered increasing attention due to its holistic approach to health and well-being. While the quantity of published research about TCIM has increased exponentially, critics have argued that the field faces challenges related to methodological rigour, reproducibility, and overall quality. This article proposes meta-research as one approach to evaluating and improving the quality of TCIM research.

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Background: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a highly prevalent mental health disorder with females experiencing higher rates of depression (11.6%), anxiety (15.7%) and physiological distress (14.

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Introduction: Bowen Therapy (BT) is a non-invasive manual therapy used to treat muscle pain and discomfort, poor flexibility and imbalances in the body's tissues. Globally, the BT profession comprises a small, but widely dispersed, network of practitioners. While a small pool of preliminary clinical research has begun to investigate the effectiveness of BT for a range of conditions, the investigation of the practice of BT remains extremely limited.

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Introduction And Objective: Open science (OS) aims to make the dissemination of knowledge and the research process transparent and accessible to everyone. With the increasing popularity of complementary, alternative, and integrative medicine (CAIM), our goal was to explore what are CAIM researchers' practices and perceived barriers related to OS.

Methods: We conducted an anonymous online survey of researchers who published in journals listed in Scopus containing the words "complementary", "alternative", or "integrative" medicine in their names.

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Background: Australian government strategies and frameworks have been developed in recent years to encourage the integration and coordination of primary care delivery; including patient-centred approaches to clinical and preventative care, and health promotion. This study aims to explore patient experiences of information-sharing and patient-centred care across various primary care clinical settings, with a particular focus on clinical encounters with GPs, naturopaths, osteopaths and acupuncturists.

Methods: Data about healthcare utilisation and experiences from a 63-item cross-sectional survey obtained from a nationally representative sample of Australian adults aged ≥ 18 years were analysed.

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Background: The indications for septoplasty are practice-based, rather than evidence-based. In addition, internationally accepted guidelines for the management of nasal obstruction associated with nasal septal deviation are lacking.

Objective: The objective was to determine the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of septoplasty, with or without turbinate reduction, compared with medical management, in the management of nasal obstruction associated with a deviated nasal septum.

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Background And Aims: The protection for ultra-long UVA1 is lacked in the market, posing potential damage from ultra-long UVA1 irradiation. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a sunscreen containing multiple components, especially Mexoryl® 400 for improving skin barrier function and reducing melanin content.

Methods: This single-center study included adults with sensitive and normal skin in China in November 2022.

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Angiostrongylus cantonensis is a globally distributed nematode and the leading cause of eosinophilic meningitis in humans. As a global hotspot for this disease, Hawaii's agricultural exports may be contributing to the spread of A. cantonensis.

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We have discovered that human vitiligo patients treated with narrow-band UVB (NBUVB) demonstrated localized resistance to repigmentation in skin sites characterized by distinct cellular and molecular pathways. Using immunostaining studies, discovery-stage RNA-Seq analysis, and confirmatory in situ hybridization, we analyzed paired biopsies collected from vitiligo lesions that did not repigment after 6 months of NBUVB treatment (non-responding) and compared them with repigmented (responding) lesions from the same patient. Non-responding lesions exhibited acanthotic epidermis, had low number of total, proliferative, and differentiated melanocyte (MC) populations, and increased number of senescent keratinocytes (KCs) and of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells as compared with responding lesions.

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Background: Australian preventive health strategy outlines the importance of preconception health in improving health in the community, across multiple generations and places primary and community healthcare services as a central pillar to effective preconception care. However, there is no national implementation plan to see preconception care proactively offered in healthcare settings in Australia. Instead, there is evidence that most women search the internet for information about pregnancy planning and preparation.

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Australian osteopaths engage in multidisciplinary care and referrals with other health professionals, including general practitioners (GPs), for musculoskeletal care. This secondary analysis compared characteristics of Australian osteopaths who refer to, and receive referrals from, GPs with osteopaths who do not refer. The analysis was undertaken to identify pertinent characteristics that could contribute to greater engagement between Australian osteopaths and GPs.

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Background: Sensitive skin is a common condition affecting a significant proportion of the population, and there is a growing demand for effective and safe management.

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of a cream containing panthenol, prebiotics, and probiotic lysate as an optimal care for facial sensitive skin.

Methods: A total of 110 participants (64 in group A and 46 in group B) with facial sensitive skin applied the cream twice daily for 28 days.

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Conventional views of brain organization suggest that regions at the top of the cortical hierarchy processes internally oriented information using an abstract amodal neural code. Despite this, recent reports have described the presence of retinotopic coding at the cortical apex, including the default mode network. What is the functional role of retinotopic coding atop the cortical hierarchy? Here we report that retinotopic coding structures interactions between internally oriented (mnemonic) and externally oriented (perceptual) brain areas.

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Background: Critical hypertension in major trauma patients is associated with increased mortality. Prehospital emergency anaesthesia (PHEA) is performed for 10% of the most seriously injured patients. Optimising oxygenation, ventilation, and cerebral perfusion, whilst avoiding extreme haemodynamic fluctuations are the cornerstones of reducing secondary brain injury.

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Background: Oily skin, characterized by excessive sebum production, can lead to acne and have psychosocial impacts due to changes in appearance. Recent research has shown interest in treatments for oil control, with kaolin and bentonite emerging as promising options. Despite their potential, comprehensive studies on these ingredients are still in the nascent stages.

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