Digital Commons Network^™

Attitudes Toward Direct Instruction In Western Australian Primary And Secondary Schools, Lorraine Hammond

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A validated and reliable survey was administered to 89 teachers and school administrators across 27 schools in Western Australia to determine their attitudes towards Direct Instruction (DI). Results showed that contrary to the literature, participants in this sample felt positive towards this scripted approach. The teachers acknowledged DI was expensive and American in content but took a pragmatic view and were impressed with the results obtained. In contrast to previous research, they did not find DI boring, harmful or an approach that employs rote learning and believed it can meet the complex demands of classrooms and exist alongside inquiry learning.

Parents' Experiences Of Children With A Rare Disease Attending A Mainstream School: Australia, Mandie Foster, Esther Adama, Diana Arabiat, Kevin Runions, Rena Vithiatharan, Maggie Zgambo, Ashleigh Lin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose:

To explore the perceptions of parents who had a child or adolescent (6-18 years) diagnosed with a rare disease who attended a mainstream school in Western Australia.

Design and methods:

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with 41 parents of children with a rare disease. Here we report the findings of 14 open-ended questions on their experience of illness-related factors and impact on school-related social activities, such as sports, school camps and leadership roles whilst their child with a rare disease attended a mainstream school in Australia. Responses were analysed using an inductive thematic content approach.

Results:

We identified …

Light Acupuncture And Five-Element Music Therapy For Nurses' Mental Health And Well-Being During And Post-Covid-19: Protocol For A Randomised Cross-Over Feasibility Study, Carol Chunfeng Wang, Johnny Lo, Rosemary Saunders, Esther Adama, Caroline Bulsara, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Angela Wei Hong Yang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

INTRODUCTION: Australian nurses have experienced higher levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with the prepandemic. This may have affected their long-term mental health and intention to stay in the profession resulting in a workforce shortage, which further impacts the health of the public. Management is urgently required to improve nurses' well-being. However, there is limited evidence available. The proposed clinical trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and therapeutic effects of using a combination of light acupuncture and five-element music therapy to improve nurses' mental health and well-being during and post-COVID-19. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This randomised, single blinding, two-arm …

Glycated Hemoglobin And Risk Of Arterial Stiffness In A Chinese Han Population: A Longitudinal Study, Ze Han, Xiaoping Kang, Jie Zhang, Jinqi Wang, Yue Liu, Jia Liu, Zhiyuan Wu, Xia Li, Xiaoyu Zhao, Xiuhua Guo, Shuo Chen, Lixin Tao

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Aims: Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) associates with the risk of arterial stiffness, and such association can be found between fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial blood glucose (PBG), triglyceride-glucose index (TyG index), and arterial stiffness. However, the results were inconsistent, longitudinal studies were sparse, and comparison of these glycemic parameters was less conducted. We aimed to explore the longitudinal relationship between HbA1c and arterial stiffness and compare the effect of the parameters. Methods: Data were collected from 2011 to 2019 in Beijing Health Management Cohort (BHMC) study. Cox proportional hazard models were fitted to investigate the association between the parameters …

Tuning The Physicochemical, Structural, And Antimicrobial Attributes Of Whey-Based Poly (L-Lactic Acid) (Plla) Films By Chitosan Nanoparticles, Farhad Garavand, Milad Rouhi, Shima Jafarzadeh, Diako Khodaei, Ilaria Cacciotti, Masoumeh Zargar, Seyed Hadi Razavi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recently, the research and innovation to produce raw materials from microbial processes has gained much attention due to their economic and environmental impacts. Lactic acid is a very important microbial product due to its wide application in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and chemical industries. In the current study, poly (L-lactic acid) (PLLA) was produced by the ring opening polymerization (ROP) technique of L-lactic acid recovered from whey fermentation, and was used for the production of nanocomposites films reinforced with chitosan nanoparticles (CNPs) (average diameter ca. 100–200 nm). Three different CNPs concentrations, namely 1, 3, and 5% w/w, were tested, and …

Contact Angles Of A Brine On A Bituminous Coal In Compressed Hydrogen, Rossen Sedev, Hamed Akhondzadeh, Mujahid Ali, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hydrogen storage is a main issue in the establishment of a hydrogen economy. Geo-storage could be a viable solution if hydrogen could be injected into and withdrawn from suitable geological formations, reversibly and reliably. Rock wettability is a major factor as it affects injectivities, withdrawal rates, storage capacities, and containment security. We report here the contact angles of a brine on the surface of a bituminous coal in a pressurized hydrogen atmosphere. Under realistic geo-storage conditions the coal surface was weakly water-wet. Hydrogen pressure increased brine contact angles at 25°C but did not have an impact at 50 or 70°C. …

Parental Sleep When Their Child Is Sick: A Phased Principle-Based Concept Analysis, Stephanie Smith, Mary Tallon, James Smith, Charlotte Angelhoff, Evalotte Mörelius

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Sleep is a common challenge for parents with sick children and can impact parents' health, wellbeing, and caregiving responsibilities. Despite the vast research around parental sleep when their child is sick, the concept is not clearly defined. A phased principle-based concept analysis that includes triangulation of methods and quality criteria assessment was used to explore how the concept is described, used, and measured in the current literature. The aim was to analyse and clarify the conceptual, operational, and theoretical basis of parental sleep when their child is sick to produce an evidence-based definition and to identify knowledge gaps. A systematic …

Heat And Sun Related Medical Concerns In Australian Led Outdoor Activities: A Three-Year Prospective Study, Lauren V. Fortington, Natassia Goode, Caroline F. Finch, Paul M. Salmon

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Active participation in the outdoors is beneficial for health and wellbeing. However, the impact of extreme weather, particularly heat, on safe participation is causing concern for organisations who lead these activities. Local mitigation strategies and acute management of heat- and sun-related illness (HSRI) are generally well understood by researchers and medical practitioners, however, cases continue to occur so further understanding of why this happens is required. This study aimed to identify the number, nature and contributory factors of HSRI in Australian led outdoor activities in order to seek opportunities for their prevention. This study presents a descriptive analysis of contributory …

Moving On After Critical Incidents In Health Care: A Qualitative Study Of The Perspectives And Experiences Of Second Victims, Melanie Buhlmann, Beverley Ewens, Amineh Rashidi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: To gain a deeper understanding of nurses and midwives' experiences following involvement in a critical incident in a non-critical care area and to explore how they have 'moved-on' from the event.

Design: An interpretive descriptive design guided inductive inquiry to interpret the meaning of moving-on.

Methods: Purposive sampling recruited 10 nurses and midwives. Data collection comprised semi-structured interviews, memos and field notes. Data were concurrently collected and analysed during 2016–2017 with NVivo 11. The thematic analysis enabled a coherent analytical framework evolving emerging themes and transformation of the data into credible interpretive description findings, adhering to the COREQ reporting …

Comprehensive Analysis Of Epigenetic Clocks Reveals Associations Between Disproportionate Biological Ageing And Hippocampal Volume, Lidija Milicic, Michael Vacher, Tenielle Porter, Vincent Doré, Samantha C. Burnham, Pierrick Bourgeat, Rosita Shishegar, James Doecke, Nicola J. Armstrong, Rick Tankard, Paul Maruff, Colin L. Masters, Christopher C. Rowe, Victor L. Villemagne, Simon M. Laws, Alzheimer’S Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Australian Imaging Biomarkers And Lifestyle (Aibl) Study

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The concept of age acceleration, the difference between biological age and chronological age, is of growing interest, particularly with respect to age-related disorders, such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). Whilst studies have reported associations with AD risk and related phenotypes, there remains a lack of consensus on these associations. Here we aimed to comprehensively investigate the relationship between five recognised measures of age acceleration, based on DNA methylation patterns (DNAm age), and cross-sectional and longitudinal cognition and AD-related neuroimaging phenotypes (volumetric MRI and Amyloid-β PET) in the Australian Imaging, Biomarkers and Lifestyle (AIBL) and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). Significant …

Physical Activity Estimated By Osteogenic Potential And Energy Expenditure Has Differing Associations With Bone Mass In Young Adults: The Raine Study, Carrie Anne Ng, David Scott, Marc Sim, Kun Zhu, Aris Siafarikas, Nicolas H. Hart, Jocelyn Tan, Paola Chivers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Summary: Ground impacts during physical activity may be important for peak bone mass. We found differences in how energy expenditure and impact scores estimated from a physical activity questionnaire related to bone health in young adults. Using both estimate types can improve our understanding of the skeletal benefits of physical activity. Purpose: It is unclear whether mechanical loading during physical activity, estimated from physical activity questionnaires which assess metabolic equivalents of task (METs), is associated with skeletal health. This longitudinal study investigated how physical activity loading scores, assessed at ages 17 and 20 years, (a) compares with physical activity measured …

The Current State Of Subjective Training Load Monitoring: Follow-Up And Future Directions, Joseph O. C. Coyne, Aaron J. Coutts, Robert U. Newton, Gregory G. Haff

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article addresses several key issues that have been raised related to subjective training load (TL) monitoring. These key issues include how TL is calculated if subjective TL can be used to model sports performance and where subjective TL monitoring fits into an overall decision-making framework for practitioners. Regarding how TL is calculated, there is conjecture over the most appropriate (1) acute and chronic period lengths, (2) smoothing methods for TL data and (3) change in TL measures (e.g., training stress balance (TSB), differential load, acute-to-chronic workload ratio). Variable selection procedures with measures of model-fit, like the Akaike Information Criterion, …

Sleep Health Of Australian Community Tennis Players During The Covid-19 Lockdown, Philipp Beranek, Travis Cruickshank, Olivier Girard, Kazunori Nosaka, Danielle Bartlett, Mitchell Turner

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Poorer sleep health outcomes have been documented in the general population during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on sleep health outcomes in specific population groups, including the sporting community, has not been extensively investigated. This study evaluated sleep health outcomes and their relationship with lifestyle behaviours during the initial COVID-19 lockdown period in Australian community tennis players. Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated sleep health outcomes and lifestyle behaviours using an online survey. The survey was disseminated online between the 24th of April and the 6th of June 2020 and comprised the Sleep Health Index, …

Glycomic Biomarkers Are Instrumental For Suboptimal Health Status Management In The Context Of Predictive, Preventive, And Personalized Medicine, Xiaoni Meng, Biyan Wang, Xizhu Xu, Manshu Song, Haifeng Hou, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: Suboptimal health status (SHS), a reversible borderline condition between optimal health status and disease, has been recognized as a main risk factor for non-communicable diseases (NCDs). From the standpoint of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM/3PM), the early detection of SHS provides a window of opportunity for targeted prevention and personalized treatment of NCDs. Considering that immunoglobulin G (IgG) N-glycosylation levels are associated with NCDs, it can be speculated that IgG N-glycomic alteration might occur at the SHS stage.

Methods: A case–control study was performed and it consisted of 124 SHS individuals and 124 age-, gender-, and body mass …

Modulating Tumour Hypoxia In Prostate Cancer Through Exercise: The Impact Of Redox Signalling On Radiosensitivity, Malcolm Brown, Amélie Rébillard, Nicolas H. Hart, Dominic O’Connor, Gillian Prue, Joe M. O’Sullivan, Suneil Jain

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Prostate cancer is a complex disease affecting millions of men globally. Radiotherapy (RT) is a common treatment modality although treatment efficacy is dependent upon several features within the tumour microenvironment (TME), especially hypoxia. A hypoxic TME heightens radioresistance and thus disease recurrence and treatment failure continues to pose important challenges. However, the TME evolves under the influence of factors in systemic circulation and cellular crosstalk, underscoring its potential to be acutely and therapeutically modified. Early preclinical evidence suggests exercise may affect tumour growth and some of the benefits drawn, could act to radiosensitise tumours to treatment. Intracellular perturbations in skeletal …

Assessment Of Wettability And Rock-Fluid Interfacial Tension Of Caprock: Implications For Hydrogen And Carbon Dioxide Geo-Storage, Muhammad Ali, Bin Pan, Nurudeen Yekeen, Sarmad Al-Anssari, Amer Al-Anazi, Alireza Keshavarz, Stefan Iglauer, Hussein Hoteit

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Underground hydrogen (H2) storage (UHS) and carbon dioxide (CO2) geo-storage (CGS) are prominent methods of meeting global energy needs and enabling a low-carbon global economy. The pore-scale distribution, reservoir-scale storage capacity, and containment security of H2 and CO2 are significantly influenced by interfacial properties, including the equilibrium contact angle (θE) and solid-liquid and solid-gas interfacial tensions (γSL and γSG). However, due to the technical constraints of experimentally determining these parameters, they are often calculated based on advancing and receding contact angle values. There is a scarcity of θE, γSL, and γSG data, particularly related to the hydrogen structural sealing potential …

Rethinking The Robe River Dispute 1986-7 – De-Unionisation In Australia’S Pilbara Iron Ore Industry In The Early Neoliberal Period, Alexis Vassiley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Robe River dispute of 1986-7 was the anti-union New Right’s first attempt to defeat union power at a large workforce in Australia. This occurred during an industrial relations period of ‘cooperation’ between unions, employers and government under Australia’s social contract – the Accord. The dispute was also the first successful attack of its kind in Western Australia’s highly strike-prone Pilbara iron ore industry. Despite its subsequent victory, Robe River management was in a weak position during the dispute, and successful industrial action was a viable prospect. Unionists at the Robe River company were the most militant in the industry. …

Association Between Non-Tea Flavonoid Intake And Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes: The Australian Diabetes, Obesity And Lifestyle Study, Mary D. Adu, Catherine P. Bondonno, Benjamin H. Parmenter, Marc Sim, Raymond J. Davey, Kevin Murray, Simone Radavelli Bagatini, Dianna J. Magliano, Robin M. Daly, Jonathan E. Shaw, Joshua R. Lewis, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Nicola P. Bondonno

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Studies examining the association between flavonoid intake and measures of insulin resistance and β-cell dysfunction, as markers of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) across the adult lifespan, may provide insights into how flavonoids influence T2DM risk. This study examined the cross-sectional associations between flavonoid intakes, from dietary sources other than tea, and biomarkers of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in adults aged 25 years and older participating in the Australian diabetes, obesity and lifestyle (AusDiab) study. Additionally, longitudinal associations between non-tea flavonoid intakes and incident T2DM over 12 years were explored. Eligible participants (n = 7675) had no previous history of …

Why Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Australians Fall And Fracture: The Codesigned Study Of Indigenous Muscle And Bone Ageing (Simba) Protocol, Ayse Zengin, Cat Shore-Lorenti, Marc Sim, Louise Maple-Brown, Sharon Lee Brennan-Olsen, Joshua R. Lewis, Jennifer Ockwell, Troy Walker, David Scott, Peter Ebeling

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

OBJECTIVES: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians have a substantially greater fracture risk, where men are 50% and women are 26% more likely to experience a hip fracture compared with non-Indigenous Australians. Fall-related injuries in this population have also increased by 10%/year compared with 4.3%/year in non-Indigenous Australians. This study aims to determine why falls and fracture risk are higher in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. SETTING: All clinical assessments will be performed at one centre in Melbourne, Australia. At baseline, participants will have clinical assessments, including questionnaires, anthropometry, bone structure, body composition and physical performance tests. These assessments …

Comparison Of Flavonoid Intake Assessment Methods Using Usda And Phenol Explorer Databases: Subcohort Diet, Cancer And Health-Next Generations—Max Study, Fabian Lanuza, Nicola P. Bondonno, Raul Zamora-Ros, Agnetha Linn Rostgaard-Hansen, Anne Tjønneland, Rikard Landberg, Jytte Halkjær, Cristina Andres-Lacueva

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Flavonoids are bioactive plant compounds that are widely present in the human diet. Estimating flavonoid intake with a high degree of certainty is challenging due to the inherent limitations of dietary questionnaires and food composition databases. This study aimed to evaluate the degree of reliability among flavonoid intakes estimated using four different approaches based on the two most comprehensive flavonoid databases, namely, United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and Phenol Explorer (PE). In 678 individuals from the MAX study, a subcohort of the Diet, Cancer and Health-Next Generations cohort, dietary data were collected using three 24-h diet recalls over 1 …

A Pilot Sequential Multiple Assignment Randomized Trial (Smart) Protocol For Developing An Adaptive Coaching Intervention Around A Mobile Application For Athletes To Improve Carbohydrate Periodization Behavior, Xiaoxi Yan, David M. Dunne, Samuel G. Impey, Brian Cunniffe, Carmen E. Lefevre, Rodrigo Mazorra, James P. Morton, David Tod, Graeme L. Close, Rebecca Murphy, Bibhas Chakraborty

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: It has recently been identified that manipulating carbohydrate availability around exercise activity can enhance training-induced metabolic adaptations. Despite this approach being accepted in the athletic populations, athletes do not systematically follow the guidelines. Digital environments appear to allow nutritionists to deliver this intervention at scale, reducing expensive human coaching time. Yet, digitally delivered dietary behavior change interventions for athletes and the coaching strategy to support them are still novel concepts within sports nutrition. Methods/design: We aim to recruit 900 athletes across the UK. 500 athletes will be recruited to test the feasibility of a novel menu planner mobile application …

Impacts Of Land-Use Change And Urban Development On Carbon Sequestration In Tropical Seagrass Meadow Sediments, Martin Dahl, Rashid Ismail, Sara Braun, Pere Masqué, Paul S. Lavery, Martin Gullström, Ariane Arias-Ortiz, Maria E. Asplund, Andrius Garbaras, Liberatus D. Lyimo, Matern S.P. Mtolera, Oscar Serrano, Chanelle Webster, Mats Björk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Seagrass meadows store significant carbon stocks at a global scale, but land-use change and other anthropogenic activities can alter the natural process of organic carbon (Corg) accumulation. Here, we assessed the carbon accumulation history of two seagrass meadows in Zanzibar (Tanzania) that have experienced different degrees of disturbance. The meadow at Stone Town has been highly exposed to urban development during the 20th century, while the Mbweni meadow is located in an area with relatively low impacts but historical clearing of adjacent mangroves. The results showed that the two sites had similar sedimentary Corg accumulation rates (22–25 g m−2 yr−1) …

Quantifying The Effect Of Monitor Wear Time And Monitor Type On The Estimate Of Sedentary Time In People With Copd: Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Fiona Coll, Vinicius Cavalheri, Daniel F. Gucciardi, Sheldon Wulff, Kylie Hill

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In studies that have reported device-based measures of sedentary time (ST) in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), we explored if the monitor type and monitor wear time moderated the estimate of this measure. Five electronic databases were searched in January 2021. Studies were included if >70% of participants had stable COPD, and measures of ST (min/day) were collected using wearable technology. Meta-regression was used to examine the influence of moderators on ST, monitor type, and wear time. The studies identified were a total of 1153, and 36 had usable data for meta-analyses. The overall pooled estimate of ST …

Application Of Red Cabbage Anthocyanins As Ph-Sensitive Pigments In Smart Food Packaging And Sensors, Reza Abedi-Firoozjah, Shima Yousefi, Mahshid Heydari, Faezeh Seyedfatehi, Shima Jafarzadeh, Reza Mohammadi, Milad Rouhi, Farhad Garavand

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Anthocyanins are excellent antioxidant/antimicrobial agents as well as pH-sensitive indicators that provide new prospects to foster innovative smart packaging systems due to their ability to improve food shelf life and detect physicochemical and biological changes in packaged food. Compared with anthocyanins from other natural sources, red cabbage anthocyanins (RCAs) are of great interest in food packaging because they represent an acceptable color spectrum over a broad range of pH values. The current review addressed the recent advances in the application of RCAs in smart bio-based food packaging systems and sensors. This review was prepared based on the scientific reports found …

Food Supply Impacts And Solutions Associated With The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Regional Australian Case Study, Stephanie Louise Godrich, Flavio Macau, Katherine Kent, Johnny Lo, Amanda Devine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to explore how food supply chains were impacted by COVID-19 and identify how the region could be better prepared for future crises. An online survey was completed by 107 consumers. In-depth interviews were conducted with 27 food supply stakeholders working in food production, distribution, retail, hospitality, institutions (i.e., childcare), logistics/freight and local government. Pre-COVID-19, farmer-direct distribution options and hospitality businesses comprised a substantial proportion of local food producer businesses. During the COVID-19 pandemic, consumers favoured local food supply options, farmers collaborated, and produce usually destined for export was redirected into local markets. Critical food supply actions included …

Evaluating The Utility Of Knowledge-Based Planning For Clinical Trials Using The Trog 08.03 Post Prostatectomy Radiation Therapy Planning Data, Kirsten Van Gysen, Andrew Kneebone, Andrew Le, Kenny Wu, Annette Haworth, Regina Bromley, George Hruby, James O'Toole, Jeremy Booth, Chris Brown, Maria Pearse, Mark Sidhom, Kirsty Wiltshire, Colin Tang, Thomas Eade

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and purpose: Poor quality radiotherapy can detrimentally affect outcomes in clinical trials. Our purpose was to explore the potential of knowledge-based planning (KBP) for quality assurance (QA) in clinical trials. Materials and methods: Using 30 in-house post-prostatectomy radiation treatment (PPRT) plans, an iterative KBP model was created according to the multicentre clinical trial protocol, delivering 64 Gy in 32 fractions. KBP was used to replan 137 plans. The KB (knowledge based) plans were evaluated for their ability to fulfil the trial constraints and were compared against their corresponding original treatment plans (OTP). A second analysis between only the 72 …

Prognostic And Predictive Value Of Β-Blockers In The Eortc 1325/Keynote-054 Phase Iii Trial Of Pembrolizumab Versus Placebo In Resected High-Risk Stage Iii Melanoma, Oliver J. Kennedy, Michal Kicinski, Sara Valpione, Sara Gandini, Stefan Suciu, Christian U. Blank, Georgina V. Long, Victoria G. Atkinson, Stéphane Dalle, Andrew M. Haydon, Andrey Meshcheryakov, Adnan Khattak, Matteo S. Carlino, Shahneen Sandhu, James Larkin, Susana Puig, Paolo A. Ascierto, Piotr Rutkowski, Dirk Schadendorf, Rutger Koornstra, Leonel Hernandez-Aya, Anna M. Di Giacomo, Alfonsus J.M. Van Den Eertwegh, Jean Jacques Grob, Ralf Gutzmer, Rahima Jamal, Alexander C.J. Van Akkooi, Caroline Robert, Alexander M. M. Eggermont, Paul Lorigan, Mario Mandala

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

β-adrenergic receptors are upregulated in melanoma cells and contribute to an immunosuppressive, pro-tumorigenic microenvironment. This study investigated the prognostic and predictive value of β-adrenoreceptor blockade by β-blockers in the EORTC1325/KEYNOTE-054 randomised controlled trial.

Methods:

Patients with resected stage IIIA, IIIB or IIIC melanoma and regional lymphadenectomy received 200 mg of adjuvant pembrolizumab (n = 514) or placebo (n = 505) every three weeks for one year or until recurrence or unacceptable toxicity. At a median follow-up of 3 years, pembrolizumab prolonged recurrence-free survival (RFS) compared to placebo (hazard ratio (HR) 0.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.47–0.68). β-blocker use was …

Causal Associations Between Covid-19 And Atrial Fibrillation: A Bidirectional Mendelian Randomization Study, Xiaoyu Zhang, Biyan Wang, Tao Geng, Di Liu, Qiuyue Tian, Xiaoni Meng, Qiaoyun Zhang, Mengyang Jiang, Yiqiang Zhang, Manshu Song, Wei Wang, Youxin Wang, Baoguo Wang

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and aims: Observational studies showed that coronavirus disease (2019) (COVID-19) attacks universally and its most menacing progression uniquely endangers the elderly with cardiovascular disease (CVD). The causal association between COVID-19 infection or its severity and susceptibility of atrial fibrillation (AF) remains unknown. Methods and results: The bidirectional causal relationship between COVID-19 (including COVID-19, hospitalized COVID-19 compared with not hospitalized COVID-19, hospitalized COVID-19 compared with the general population, and severe COVID-19) and AF are determined by using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. Genetically predicted severe COVID-19 was not significantly associated with the risk of AF [odds ratio (OR), 1.037; 95% …

Design, Development, And Characterization Of Highly Efficient Colored Photovoltaic Module For Sustainable Buildings Applications, Mohammad Khairul Basher, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Momtazur Rahman, Steven Hinckley, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The building integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) system is one of the contributors which has enormous potential to reach the goal of net-zero energy buildings (NZEB) that significantly reduce the use of fossil fuels that contribute to global warming. However, the limitations of the visual and aesthetic appearance of current BIPV systems make this aspiration unlikely. This study investigates the limitations of the single-color-based PV modules that are dull in appearance and have low photo-conversion efficiency (PCE). In order to solve this issue, we designed, developed, and characterized micro-patterned-based multicolored photovoltaic (MPCPV) modules which are applicable to net-zero building and development. Our …

Differential Effects Of Speech And Language Therapy And Rtms In Chronic Versus Subacute Post-Stroke Aphasia: Results Of The Northstar-Ca Trial, Anna Zumbansen, Heike Kneifel, Latifa Lazzouni, Anja Ophey, Sandra E. Black, Joyce L. Chen, Dylan Edwards, Thomas Funck, Alexander Erich Hartmann, Wolf Dieter Heiss, Franziska Hildesheim, Sylvain Lanthier, Paul Lespérance, George Mochizuki, Caroline Paquette, Elizabet Rochon, Ilona Rubi-Fessen, Jennie Valles, Susan Wortman-Jutt, Alexander Thiel

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background & objective: Contralesional 1-Hz repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) over the right pars triangularis combined with speech-language therapy (SLT) has shown positive results on the recovery of naming in subacute (5–45 days) post-stroke aphasia. NORTHSTAR-CA is an extension of the previously reported NORTHSTAR trial to chronic aphasia (>6 months post-stroke) designed to compare the effectiveness of the same rTMS protocol in both phases. Methods: Sixty-seven patients with left middle cerebral artery infarcts (28 chronic, 39 subacute) were recruited (01-2014 to 07-2019) and randomized to receive rTMS (N = 34) or sham stimulation (N = 33) with SLT for …