Australian Catholic University

About: Australian Catholic University is a education organization based out in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 2721 authors who have published 10013 publications receiving 215248 citations. The organization is also known as: ACU & ACU National.

Intensive meditation training influences emotional responses to suffering.

Abstract: Meditation practices purportedly help people develop focused and sustained attention, cultivate feelings of compassionate concern for self and others, and strengthen motivation to help others who are in need. We examined the impact of 3 months of intensive meditative training on emotional responses to scenes of human suffering. Sixty participants were assigned randomly to either a 3-month intensive meditation retreat or a wait-list control group. Training consisted of daily practice in techniques designed to improve attention and enhance compassionate regard for others. Participants viewed film scenes depicting human suffering at pre- and posttraining laboratory assessments, during which both facial and subjective measures of emotion were collected. At post-assessment, training group participants were more likely than controls to show facial displays of sadness. Trainees also showed fewer facial displays of rejection emotions (anger, contempt, disgust). The groups did not differ on the likelihood or frequency of showing these emotions prior to training. Self-reported sympathy--but not sadness or distress--predicted sad behavior and inversely predicted displays of rejection emotions in trainees only. These results suggest that intensive meditation training encourages emotional responses to suffering characterized by enhanced sympathetic concern for, and reduced aversion to, the suffering of others.

Admission Hyperglycemia and Outcomes in Large Vessel Occlusion Strokes Treated With Mechanical Thrombectomy

Abstract: Background and purpose Higher admission serum glucose levels have been associated with poor outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) treated with IV thrombolysis. We sought to evaluate the association of admission serum glucose with early outcomes of patients with emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) treated with mechanical thrombectomy (MT). Methods Consecutive AIS patients due to ELVO treated with MT in three tertiary stroke centers were evaluated. The following outcomes were documented using standard definitions: symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage (sICH), complete reperfusion, mortality, functional independence (modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score of 0–2), and functional improvement (shift in mRS score) at 3 months. The association of admission serum glucose and admission hyperglycemia (>140 mg/dL) with outcomes was evaluated using univariable and multivariable binary and ordinal logistic regression models. Results 231 AIS patients with ELVO (mean age 62±14 years, 51% men, median admission National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score 16 points (IQR 12–21), median admission serum glucose 125 mg/dL (IQR 104–162)) were treated with MT. Admission hyperglycemia was associated with a lower likelihood of functional improvement (common OR 0.53; 95% CI 0.31 to 0.97; p=0.027) and higher odds of 3 month mortality (OR 2.76; 95% CI 1.40 to 5.44; p=0.004) in multivariable analyses adjusting for potential confounders. A 10 mg/dL increase in admission blood glucose was associated with a higher likelihood of sICH (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.13; p=0.033) and 3 month mortality (OR 1.07; 95% CI 1.02 to 1.12; p=0.004) in multivariable models. There was no association between admission serum glucose or hyperglycemia and complete reperfusion. Conclusions Higher admission serum glucose and admission hyperglycemia are independent predictors of adverse outcomes in ELVO patients treated with MT.

Relationship between school‐level and classroom‐level environments in secondary schools

Abstract: Investigates relationships between school and classroom environment Explains how in Australian secondary schools, instruments were developed and validated for assessing seven dimensions of school environment (empowerment, student support, affiliation, professional interest, mission consensus, resource adequacy and work pressure) and seven dimensions of classroom environment (student affiliation, interactions, co‐operation, task orientation, order and organization, individualization and teacher control) The study involved a sample of 2,211 students in 104 year nine and year 12 religious education and science classes and 208 teachers of religious education and science in Catholic and government secondary schools Indicates that weak relationship between school and classroom environments emerged, suggesting that the school environment cannot be assumed to transmit automatically to the classroom

Classroom environment, students' perceptions of assessment, academic efficacy and attitude to science: a LISREL analysis

Abstract: This chapter reports a study linking students' perceptions of learning environments and assessment with academic efficacy and attitude to science in Australian secondary schools. Five scales of the What Is Happening In this Class questionnaire were used to assess the learning environment. A specially validated instrument, the Students' Perceptions of Assessment Questionnaire assessed five assessment characteristics: Congruence with Planned Learning, Authenticity, Student Consultation, Transparency and Diversity. Scales to assess attitude to science and one academic efficacy scale were employed as outcome measures. MUltiple regression and structural equation modelling with LISREL 8.3 were used to study relationships among these variables and the extent to which a postulated model fitted the data. Results showed that classroom environment and student perceptions of assessment were significant positive predictors of academic efficacy and attitude to science.