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Biomedical subjects

P J Slater

Publications and source records attributed to P J Slater.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

A regional profile of suicide in Queensland.

A regional profile of suicide in Queensland follows on from earlier work which failed to find urban-rural differences in suicide rates. Suicide rates were higher in the north of the state and lower in the more developed south Rural Queensland health regions displayed both the lowest (Darling Downs and Mackay) and the highest (Peninsula) suicide rates. Socioeconomic factors correlated with these differences in some regions. Suicide rates for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, especially the young, were high, and may have contributed to elevated suicide rates in northern Queensland, but the numbers were insufficient to account for observed differences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Suicide trends in eight predominantly English-speaking countries 1960-1989.

Suicide rates between 1960 and 1989 were explored for eight predominantly English speaking countries with similar national characteristics. New World countries showed significant similarities but differed from Old World countries. The two North American (NA) New World countries showed more similarity to each other than the two Australasian New World countries. The NA countries showed an unique plateau in the 1980s for males aged 15-29 years. Old World males of all ages showed common rises, suggesting a partial sex-specific influence in the young. However, trends among the 15- to 19-year-olds were significantly different to trends among the 20- to 29-year-olds in both sexes suggesting a substantial youth-related contribution to the rises. Rates among 15- to 19-year-old females rose in the early 1960s, ahead of males but in parallel with rises among older females, suggesting part of the rise was sex- as opposed to age-related. Although rates among the 15- to 19-year-old females showed little change since 1970, this may be partly a function of sex-related improvements-observable in older females disguising unfavourable youth-related influences. Possible aetiological factors are suggested but remain speculative. Studies of other nations with common cultural characteristics may clarify trends and aetiological issues. Care should be taken to differentiate sex- from age-related influences.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

The impact of firearm control legislation on suicide in Queensland: preliminary findings.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effect of specific firearm control legislation on firearm and overall suicide rates. DESIGN: Retrospective survey of data from the Register of the Suicide Research and Prevention Program, Queensland Department of Health. The hypothesis was tested that the legislation would reduce firearm and overall suicides more in metropolitan and provincial city areas than in rural areas, where firearm ownership is higher. SETTING: State of Queensland 1990-1993. OUTCOME MEASURES: Suicide rates by age, sex and method for metropolitan, provincial city and rural areas in the two years before (1990-1991) and after (1992-1993) legislation. RESULTS: Mean annual firearm suicide rates declined significantly (P < 0.05) in metropolitan and provincial city areas after legislation (from 3.6 to 2.3 per 100,000 and from 5.2 to 3.1 per 100,000, respectively), with significant declines among men and in the 15-29 years age group. Rates increased slightly in rural areas (from 7.2 to 8.2 per 100,000). Overall suicide rates declined in provincial areas only, with minimal change in metropolitan areas and a slight rise in rural areas. CONCLUSION: These results provide preliminary evidence that firearm control legislation, including a 28-day "cooling-off" period before firearm purchase, reduces suicide rates, especially among younger adult men.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Socioeconomic indices and suicide rate in Queensland.

Suicides identified from a suicide register were classified according to socioeconomic indices of statistical local areas. Suicide rates were correlated with socioeconomic disadvantage, as measured by the proportion of persons of low income, low education and high unemployment living in an area. Suicide rates were inversely related to the proportion of families on high income, who owned their homes and who had large houses. Suicide rates of older people (55 years and over) were least influenced by these factors. For females, only the most disadvantaged areas had higher suicide rates. In other age and sex groupings, relationships were mostly linear.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

A historical survey of police suicide in Queensland, Australia, 1843-1992.

Police suicide research has yielded inconsistent results. An opportunity presented to survey Queensland police suicides in a historical context and add to the existing literature; the study describes changes in police suicide over time, the associated characteristics, and opportunities for intervention. Suicides were examined from the origins of police in Queensland in 1843 up to 1992. Suicide rates were higher earlier, around 60 per 100,000, declining to around 20 per 100,000 recently. The recent rate is lower than most other police studies but the same as the general community (employed). Most suicides were associated with psychological and physical ill health, alcohol abuse, and domestic problems, in keeping with general community surveys. However, occupational problems were more evident than is generally the case. The proximity in time of disciplinary events and suicides was striking. Future studies should explore the interactions between these factors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

The four questions of ethology.

Ethology is the biological study of behaviour and concerns itself with questions about the causes, functions, evolution and development of aspects of behaviour. These different questions are illustrated with examples from the study of bird song. This subject has had most impact on understanding of developmental issues, showing the intricate interplay between genes and environment during ontogeny. Work on the evolution of song has involved comparison between closely related species to see how their songs have changed since separation, but also the shorter term cultural evolution that occurs when song is passed from one animal to another by learning. Studies of function, while fraught with difficulties, have revealed that song can have a variety of advantages. As far as causes are concerned, some impressive discoveries have recently been made on the neural basis of song. The need for such work to be complemented by studies of behaviour at the level of the whole animal is stressed, and studies of song sequencing are used to illustrate this.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

The British Comparative Thromboplastin: the relationship between lipid class composition and procoagulant activity.

Twenty-eight consecutive batches of the reference reagent British Comparative Thromboplastin (BCT) were produced in the National (UK) Reference Laboratory for Anticoagulant Reagents and Control (NRLARC) between 1969 and 1977. The relationship between procoagulant activity and lipid class composition in these batches at various stages of age deterioration on storage has been studied by a modification of the method of high pressure chromatography which allows better definition of the individual lipids. The free fatty acid concentration rose markedly while cconcentrations of phosphatidyl choline, phosphatidyl ethanolamine and phosphatidyl serine were reduced. An oxidative process is suggested and supported by the increase in malonaldehyde levels. The method of production of the BCT involves maceration of human brain which causes the breakdown of cell membranes and the release of many potentially oxidative materials from subcellular particles. The loss of procoagulant activity of BCT on storage may be due to the loss of phospholipid or to the increase of inhibitory degradation products, i.e. free fatty acid and malonaldehyde. The examination of the lipid class composition of tissue thromboplastin extracts appears useful, therefore, not only in determining the phospholipids necessary for procoagulant activity, but also in monitoring the deterioration of tissue thromboplastins on storage.

Humans↗
PubMed1976

Extradural analgesia in obstetrics: a controlled trial of carbonated lignocaine and bupivacaine hydrochloride with or without adrenaline.

Four local anaesthetic solutions (2% carbonated lignocaine with or without adrenaline and 0.5% bupivacaine HCl with or without adrenaline) were used randomly for 335 continuous lumbar extradural blocks in labour. Carbonated lignocaine caused a more rapid onset of analgesia than bupivacaine HCl. The addition of adrenaline made little difference to the onset times, prolonged markedly the duration of analgesia with carbonated lignocaine and had little effect on the duration of analgesia with bupivacaine HCl. Tachyphylaxis was a feature with carbonated lignocaine and adrenaline, but not with the other solutions. The incidence of unblocked segments was 7-9% in the four groups. The incidence of unilateral analgesia was 6% with plain lignocaine and 13% in the other groups. Complete pain relief occurred more frequently with bupivacaine HCl than with carbonated lignocaine and the use of adrenaline had little effect on the degree of analgesia.

Anesthesia, Epidural↗