Publications by authors named "Craig Phillips"

Climate change will affect New Zealand's diverse range of climatic systems in different ways. The impacts on agriculture are expected to vary with geographical location and the specific biophysical requirements of different crops and agricultural systems. To improve our understanding of these impacts, key biophysical vulnerabilities for the main farming systems in New Zealand were identified and modelled using the daily projected climate scenario data.

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Health disparities among LGBTQ+ people arise from sociocultural contexts of gender oppression. Complex historical, legal, and policy landscapes perpetuate inequities through discriminatory legislation and policies. Intersections of ideology, theology, and politics converge to shape anti-LGBTQ+ initiatives that have detrimental impacts on human rights and health outcomes.

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Recent policies-executive actions, judgments, and legislation-that define sex as female and male are rooted in colonial and puritanical interpretations of sex. These policies reinforce cis-heteronormativity and reify hegemonic male dominance in society. Proponents of these policies claim they are based on the definition of biological sex, which would suggest sex is based solely on the presence of gametes, eggs, and sperm.

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Introduction: Recent trials have demonstrated the efficacy of incretin-based pharmacotherapy in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in obese patients. In addition to improving sleep indices, these agents also led to sustained weight loss and improvements in cardiometabolic profile. Given cardiovascular mortality remains the most common cause of death among patients with OSA, these agents represent a potential paradigm shift toward more holist management approach toward patients with OSA.

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Objective: To evaluate the reliability of the GeneActiv actigraphy device in measuring sleep parameters and compare its performance with polysomnography (PSG) in older adults with self-reported sleep disturbances.

Methods: This sub-study was part of a pilot double-blinded randomized controlled crossover trial (CleverLights Study, ANZCTR ID 12619000138189). Participants (n = 12, mean age 67.

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Fathers can experience psychological distress during the paternal perinatal period. The effects of paternal perinatal psychological distress (PPPD) are multileveled. Little research is available about PPPD in first-time fathers.

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Melatonin has multiple proposed therapeutic benefits including antioxidant properties, circadian rhythm synchronisation and sleep promotion. Since these areas are also recognised risk factors for dementia, melatonin has been hypothesised to slow cognitive decline in older adults. Participants with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) were recruited from the community for a 12-week randomised placebo-controlled parallel, feasibility trial of 25 mg oral melatonin nightly.

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Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly prevalent among older adults and has been associated with cognitive decline and dementia risk. The suitability of screening tools for detecting OSA in memory clinic settings is unclear.

Objective: To evaluate the utility and validity of the STOP-Bang questionnaire (SBQ) and pulse oximeter as a screening tool, compared to gold-standard polysomnography (PSG) in older adults attending a memory clinic.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, studies reported that restricted living conditions were associated with worse subjective sleep quality. This effect might have been caused by reduced light exposure during lockdowns. We investigated light exposure levels, subjective and objective sleep and physical activity levels in older adults during restricted and free-living conditions after the pandemic.

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Background: Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) is associated with hypertension, and OSA treatment can reduce systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), but with a modest mean effect size and vast heterogeneity among studies. The aim of this individual patient data (IPD) meta-analysis was to understand which OSA phenotypes could benefit the most in terms of BP reduction.

Methods: A systematic review of randomised controlled trials that compared continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) with either passive or active treatment was conducted.

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Article Synopsis
  • People with HIV (PWH) are more prone to metabolic issues like higher body mass index (BMI), chronic symptoms, and poorer physical function, but often don't engage in enough physical activity to improve their health.
  • The study analyzed data from 810 PWH from three countries to explore how BMI interacts with physical function, activity, and maximum oxygen consumption (VO max), finding that higher BMI correlates with decreased physical performance and flexibility.
  • Notably, while higher BMI negatively impacted measures of physical function and VO max, it showed no association with self-reported physical activity levels, suggesting that PWH's activity levels may not reflect their physical capabilities.
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Background And Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea is associated with increased dementia risk. Nocturnal hypoxemia, which can be more severe during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, may be a key mechanism. This study examines how REM hypoxemia affects memory and explores whether hippocampal vulnerability to hypoxemia mediates this effect in older adults at risk for dementia.

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Oxytocin is a key hormone in the transition to motherhood. The maternal endogenous oxytocin system facilitates many physiological and biological adaptations, including breastfeeding, maternal wellbeing, and brain plasticity. Additionally, maternal endogenous oxytocin works as a finetuned orchestrator prior to, during, and after the birth of a child to support birth progression and mother-infant bonding.

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Introduction: Globalization has increased the importance of multicultural research to address health disparities and improve healthcare outcomes for underrepresented communities. The International Nursing Network for HIV Research (The Network) serves as a platform for researchers to collaborate on cross-cultural and cross-national HIV studies. This article discusses the Network's approach to overcoming barriers in multicultural and multinational research in a qualitative context.

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Aim: To systematically investigate the effectiveness of interventions for managing workplace violence experienced by registered nursing students during clinical placement.

Design: A systematic review of experimental studies.

Methods: The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study explored whether adding CPAP therapy to a weight loss program could improve health for obese patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
  • While both groups lost about 12 kg and showed reduced OSA severity, the addition of CPAP did not provide extra health benefits.
  • The findings suggest that focusing on weight loss should be the main treatment strategy for patients dealing with obesity and OSA.
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A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted to determine factors influencing Canadian oncology nurses discussing cannabis use with patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced nausea (CIN). A survey invitation and three reminders were sent to 678 members of the Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology (CANO) between February 8 and April 10, 2022. An educator sent an extra invitation to 131 oncology nurses in Eastern Ontario.

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Obstructive sleep apnea is a common comorbidity that occurs in individuals with obesity. It classically manifests with excessive daytime sleepiness, resulting in reduced quality of life, workplace productivity, and an increased risk of motor vehicle accidents. Weight gain plays an important role in its pathogenesis through worsening upper airway collapsibility, and current treatment options are targeted towards mechanically overcoming upper airway obstruction and weight loss.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates the relationship between electroencephalographic (EEG) activity during REM sleep and cognitive impairment in older adults, particularly focusing on those with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
  • Researchers assessed 210 older adults, classifying them into groups based on their cognitive status and measuring EEG slowing during REM sleep across different brain regions.
  • Findings indicate that the group with amnestic MCI showed greater REM EEG slowing, which correlated with poorer visuospatial abilities, suggesting that REM EEG slowing could help distinguish between varying levels of cognitive impairment in older adults.
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Purpose: To determine if there were differences between the subjective and objective assessments of physical activity while controlling for sociodemographic, anthropometric, and clinical characteristics.

Setting/sample: A total of 810 participants across eight sites located in three countries.

Measures: Subjective instruments were the two subscales of Self-efficacy for Exercise Behaviors Scale: Making Time for Exercise and Resisting Relapse and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System, which measured physical function.

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Infectious and Congenital Syphilis rates continue to rise globally. Current recommendations for syphilis screening and treatment may be insufficient, and there is a pressing need for improved programs and services to address the increase in cases. A scoping review was conducted to examine approaches to maternal syphilis screening and treatment.

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