Annie Lau - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Annie Lau

Experimental Gerontology, May 1, 2010

Dietary interventions have been proposed as a way to increase lifespan and improve health. The se... more Dietary interventions have been proposed as a way to increase lifespan and improve health. The senescenceaccelerated prone 8 (SAMP8) mice have a shorter lifespan and show alterations in the central nervous system. Moreover, this mouse strain shows decreased sirtuin 1 protein expression and elevated expression of the acetylated targets NFκB and FoxO1, which are implicated in transcriptional control of key genes in cell proliferation and cell survival, in reference to control strain, SAMR1. After eight weeks of intermittent fasting, sirtuin 1 protein expression was recovered in SAMP8. This recovery was accompanied by a reduction in the two acetylated targets. Furthermore, SAMP8 showed a lower protein expression of BDNF and HSP70 while intermittent fasting re-established normal values. The activation of JNK and FoxO1 was also reduced in SAMP8 mice subjected to an IF regimen, compared with control SAMP8. Our findings provide new insights into the participation of sirtuin 1 in ageing and point to a potential novel application of this enzyme to prevent frailty due to ageing processes in the brain.

Journal of Neuroscience, 2006

In traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurons surviving the primary insult may succumb through poorly ... more In traumatic brain injury (TBI), neurons surviving the primary insult may succumb through poorly understood secondary mechanisms. In vitro, cortical neurons exposed to stretch injury exhibited enhanced vulnerability to NMDA, apoptotic-like DNA fragmentation, peroxynitrite (PN) formation, and cytoplasmic cytochrome c accumulation. Surprisingly, caspase-3 activity was undetectable by both immunoblotting and fluorogenic activity assays. Therefore, we hypothesized that PN directly inhibits caspases in these neurons. Consistent with this, stretch injury in cultured neurons elicited tyrosine nitration of procaspase-3, but not caspase-9 or Apaf-1, suggesting a direct interaction of PN with caspase-3. In an ex vivo system, PN inhibited the activity of caspase-3, and this inhibition was reversible with the addition of the sulfhydryl reducing agent dithiothreitol, indicating that PN inhibits caspases by cysteinyl oxidation.

Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 1993

We previously reported that lip inoculation of Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV I) in specific st... more We previously reported that lip inoculation of Herpes simplex virus type I (HSV I) in specific strains of mice would induce multifocal brain demyelination (MBD). The mechanisms mediating the development of MBD are unknown. In this study, five inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6J, Balb/cByJ, A/J, SJL/J, PL/J) immunosuppressed with either irradiation (IR), cyclophosphamide (CY), or cyclosporin A (CP) along with three immune deficient strains (C57BL/6J nu/nu, Balb/cByJ nu/nu, C57BL/6J bg/bg) were lip inoculated with HSV I to determine the effect of immunosuppression on viral spread throughout the brain and the development of demyelination during the acute stage of infection. Mortality increased in all groups when compared with controls but was greatest in A/J, SJL/J, and PL/J strains, where all mice died before day 6 PI. In contrast with immunocompetent C57BL/6J mice where virus is restricted to the brainstem, virus spread throughout the brain of immunosuppressed C57BL/6J, C57BL/6J nu/nu, and C57BL/6J bg/bg mice. Despite viral spread throughout the brain of immunosuppressed C57BL/6J, C57BL/6J nu/nu, Balb/cByJ and Balb/cByJ nu/nu mice, MBD did not develop. MBD did develop however, in both HSV I infected C57BL/6J bg/bg and CP treated Balb/cByJ mice. Immunosuppression of HSV I infected Balb/cByJ mice prevents the development of demyelination at the trigeminal root entry zone (TREZ) of the brainstem while in Balb/cByJ nu/nu mice, the extent of demyelination at TREZ was reduced and delayed when compared with immunocompetent controls. These results suggest that the immune system plays an important role in limiting viral spread in the brain as well as in the development of demyelination at TREZ and of MBD throughout the brain during the acute phase of infection. Virus alone does not induce MBD in this animal model of virus induced CNS demyelination but is a prerequisite for its development.

Journal of Family Therapy, 1985

Journal of Family Therapy, 1981

Genes & Development, 2002

Transcriptional silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves the assembly of a heterochromatic ... more Transcriptional silencing in Saccharomyces cerevisiae involves the assembly of a heterochromatic domain that is heritable from generation to generation. To maintain the silenced state, the propagation of silent heterochromatin must be coordinated with the events of chromosome duplication and segregation. Here we present an in vivo analysis of the cell-cycle events required for the establishment of the silenced state at the HMR silent mating-type locus. We show that Sir protein recruitment to and spreading from the HMRE silencer is poor during S phase, but is robust during G2 and subsequent phases. Despite abundant Sir protein association in cells arrested in G2/M phase, silencing is not fully established by this stage of the cell cycle.

Experimental Eye Research, 2008

Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU), a widely used animal model of human posterior/panuve... more Experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis (EAU), a widely used animal model of human posterior/panuveitis, is extremely valuable in allowing understanding of the pathogenesis of uveitis as well as in developing new treatments. Depending on the animal strain and immunization protocol used, the clinical course of EAU can be acute, severe and involving the anterior and posterior part of the eye, or chronic, mild and involving only the posterior part of the eye. Clinical signs of EAU can be examined by bio-microscopy. Using appropriate criteria EAU can be quantitatively evaluated clinically in living animals. However, correlation of research within different laboratories is difficult since clinical grading systems are subjective and susceptible to considerable variability. In this study, we have developed a recordable, image-based clinical grading system for the chronic models of EAU. Fundus images were taken from EAU mice using an endoscopic imaging system. Fundus changes were classified as (1) inflammatory changes (including optic disc inflammation, vasculitis and retinal tissue inflammation) and (2) retinal structural damage. Each element was scored separately based on the severity of the lesions, and the average score of the three inflammatory elements was used as the overall EAU clinical inflammation grade of the eye. The validity and reproducibility of the grading system was tested using a set of images scored independently in a masked manner by 5 individuals. The grading system proved robust, easy to use and reliable. We offer this image-based EAU clinical grading system as a useful quantitative evaluation method for clinical grading of the severity of inflammation in the chronic EAU model, in which the inflammation can be mild and mainly involves posterior part of the eye.

Brain Research, 1996

The effects of acute or chronic ethanol on serotonin (5-HT)-induced membrane hyperpolarization an... more The effects of acute or chronic ethanol on serotonin (5-HT)-induced membrane hyperpolarization and inhibition of the slow Ca2+-dependent after hyperpolarization (sAHP) were recorded in rat CA1 pyramidal neurons in hippocampal slices using sharp intracellular electrodes. 5-HT (1-100 txM) caused concentration-dependent hyperpolarization of the membrane that was not altered by simultaneous 30 mM ethanol treatment, but blunted by 10 ixM buspirone, a weak 5-HT1A agonist. 5-HT (1-30 I-~M) also partially inhibited (~ 40%) the sAHP following a burst of five or more action potentials. Initially ethanol (30 raM) alone did not alter the sAHP, but over a period of 38 min, a slow increase in amplitude (~ 40%) was observed. 5-HT-mediated inhibition of the sAHP was significantly greater with ethanol present, regardless of the length of exposure. Pyramidal neurons in hippocampal slices prepared from ethanol-dependent animals showed no obvious signs of withdrawal related hyperexcitability and neither concentration-dependent membrane hyperpolarization nor sAHP inhibition caused by 5-HT were significantly changed from responses in controls. These results suggest that hyperpolarizing responses to 5-HT in hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons are functionally resistant to acute or chronic ethanol treatment. 5-HT-mediated inhibition of the sAHP is enhanced by ethanol acutely, but does not show an adaptive change as a result of ethanol dependence.

Studies in health technology and informatics, 2016

Studies have demonstrated that there are weekly patterns of information-seeking activities on sex... more Studies have demonstrated that there are weekly patterns of information-seeking activities on sexual health topics in some selected languages. However, it is not known if this weekly pattern is found across the ten most commonly-used languages on the Internet, and whether international public events might have an impact on these information-seeking patterns. The objective of this study is to examine sexual health information-seeking patterns for searches performed in several languages, and also to analyze the potential impact of public events on these information-seeking rates. We extracted the number of hits on the HIV article on Wikipedia for the ten most used languages on the Internet for all of the year 2015. The results confirm the existence of a weekly pattern for the searches performed in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Russian, French, and German. But the weekly pattern was not found for searches in Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, and Malay. The number of HIV queries incre...

Journal of evaluation in clinical practice, Jan 6, 2016

The aim of this review was to identify general theoretical frameworks used in online social netwo... more The aim of this review was to identify general theoretical frameworks used in online social network interventions for behavioral change. To address this research question, a PRISMA-compliant systematic review was conducted. A systematic review (PROSPERO registration number CRD42014007555) was conducted using 3 electronic databases (PsycINFO, Pubmed, and Embase). Four reviewers screened 1788 abstracts. 15 studies were selected according to the eligibility criteria. Randomized controlled trials and controlled studies were assessed using Cochrane Collaboration's "risk-of-bias" tool, and narrative synthesis. Five eligible articles used the social cognitive theory as a framework to develop interventions targeting behavioral change. Other theoretical frameworks were related to the dynamics of social networks, intention models, and community engagement theories. Only one of the studies selected in the review mentioned a well-known theory from the field of health psychology. C...

There is growing pressure for General Practitioners (GPs) to use knowledge that is evidence-based... more There is growing pressure for General Practitioners (GPs) to use knowledge that is evidence-based at the point of care. Using quality information sources to obtain knowledge is one way to ensure the validity of the knowledge. However, the current mode of general practice has made it difficult for GPs to work effectively with information support. In this paper, we review the types of problems that GPs have with using information sources to meet their knowledge needs at the point of care. Identifying and lowering these barriers should facilitate the use of evidence-based knowledge and hence improve the quality of clinical care.

Objective: To test whether individuals experience cognitive biases whilst searching using informa... more Objective: To test whether individuals experience cognitive biases whilst searching using information retrieval systems. Biases investigated are anchoring, order, exposure and reinforcement.

Electronic Journal of Health Informatics, Jan 24, 2012

Background: Research into the impact of personal health record-enabled consumer systems is still ... more Background: Research into the impact of personal health record-enabled consumer systems is still in its infancy. Little is known about effective designs of web-based personally controlled health management system (PCHMS), how people use these systems in their real-life settings, nor how usage relates to concurrent support from other sources. Objective: To inform PCHMS design and feature development by assessing how patients undergoing in-vitro fertilization (IVF) use a web-based PCHMS in their real-life setting, and how their usage compares to concurrent support from other sources. Methods: An in-depth formative evaluation study was conducted with 17 women undergoing IVF, who were invited to use a web-based PCHMS called Healthy.me, providing targeted IVF program information over an eight-week treatment. Online interactions were recorded on computer logs. Participants were interviewed weekly by telephone throughout their cycle, and were specifically questioned about their feedback of PCHMS and concurrent sources of support beyond that provided by the system. Interview data was coded and analysed using two-way repeated ANOVA. Results: 62 interviews were collected from 14 participants who completed the study. Twelve of 14 participants accessed all features in Healthy.me, which included i) accessing information about the next steps of their treatment (i.e. journey), and ii) viewing or updating details in their pillbox, schedule, test results and team members during their IVF treatment. Healthy.me alerted 21% (3/14) participants to seek advice from clinic staff on issues that could affect treatment outcome of which they were previously unaware (e.g. sexual practices, frequency and order of ultrasound screenings after a sequence of blood tests). Patients additionally sought support from people, informational resource and organisational tools outside Healthy.me to help decide IVF and manage different stages of their treatment. There was a significant interaction between IVF stage and sources of support (F(10,50)=2.54, p=.015, η p 2 =.34). Suggestions are presented on ways to tailor support at different stages of the IVF cycle using a PCHMS.

Studies in Health Technology and Informatics, 2010

This paper presents an online prospective study investigating whether the strength of social feed... more This paper presents an online prospective study investigating whether the strength of social feedback, i.e. the proportion of persons who concur or do not concur with one's own answer to a question, influences the way one answers health-related questions. Two hundred and twenty-seven undergraduate students were recruited to use an online search engine to answer six health-related questions. Subjects recorded their pre-and post-search answers to each question and their level of confidence in these answers. After answering each question postsearch, subjects were presented with a summary of postsearch answers provided by previous subjects and were asked to answer the question again. There was a statistically significant relationship between the absolute number of others with a different answer (the crowd's opinion volume) and the likelihood of an individual changing an answer (P < .0001). Subjects' likelihood of changing answer increased as the percentage of others with a different answer (the crowd's opinion density) increased (P = 0.047). Overall, 98.3% of subjects did not change their answer when it concurred with the majority (i.e. >50%) of subjects. When subjects had a post-search answer that did not concur with the majority, they were 24% more likely to change answer than those with answers that concurred (P < .0001). This study provides empirical evidence that strength of social feedback influences the way healthcare consumers answer health-related questions. ; Telephone: + 61 2 9385 8891; Fax: + 61 2 9385 8692

Australian Family Physician, Nov 1, 2010

Current Australian health, hospital and primary care reforms, emphasise e-health strategies, incl... more Current Australian health, hospital and primary care reforms, emphasise e-health strategies, including online communities and the electronic Person Controlled Health Record (ePCHR), as a means to improving patient support and self management of chronic disease. However, the benefits and risks of these tools to general practice are poorly understood.

The Him Journal, 2012

Recent literature has discussed the unintended consequences of clinical information technologies ... more Recent literature has discussed the unintended consequences of clinical information technologies (IT) on patient safety, yet there has been little discussion about the safety concerns in the area of consumer health IT. This paper presents a range of safety concerns for consumers in social media, with a case study on YouTube. We conducted a scan of abstracts on 'quality criteria' related to YouTube. Five areas regarding the safety of YouTube for consumers were identified: (a) harmful health material targeted at consumers (such as inappropriate marketing of tobacco or direct-to-consumer drug advertising); (b) public display of unhealthy behaviour (such as people displaying self-injury behaviours or hurting others); (c) tainted public health messages (i.e. the rise of negative voices against public health messages); (d) psychological impact from accessing inappropriate, offensive or biased social media content; and (e) using social media to distort policy and research funding agendas. The examples presented should contribute to a better understanding about how to promote a safe consumption and production of social media for consumers, and an evidence-based approach to designing social media interventions for health. The potential harm associated with the use of unsafe social media content on the Internet is a major concern. More empirical and theoretical studies are needed to examine how social media influences consumer health decisions, behaviours and outcomes, and devise ways to deter the dissemination of harmful influences in social media.