Digital Commons Network^™

Application Of The Nia-Aa Research Framework: Towards A Biological Definition Of Alzheimer’S Disease Using Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarkers In The Aibl Study, S. C. Burnham, P. M. Coloma, Q.-X. Li, S. Collins, G. Savage, S. Laws, J. Doecke, P. Maruff, R. N. Martins, D. Ames, C. C. Rowe, C. L. Masters, V. L. Villemagne

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: The National Institute on Aging and Alzheimer’s Association (NIA-AA) have proposed a new Research Framework: Towards a biological definition of Alzheimer’s disease, which uses a three-biomarker construct: Aß-amyloid, tau and neurodegeneration AT(N), to generate a biomarker based definition of Alzheimer’s disease. OBJECTIVES: To stratify AIBL participants using the new NIA-AA Research Framework using cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers. To evaluate the clinical and cognitive profiles of the different groups resultant from the AT(N) stratification. To compare the findings to those that result from stratification using two-biomarker construct criteria (AT and/or A(N)). DESIGN: Individuals were classified as being positive or negative …

The Exercise And Sports Science Australia Position Statement: Exercise Medicine In Cancer Management, Sandra C. Hayes, Robert U. Newton, Rosalind R. Spence, Daniel A. Galvao

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objectives: Since Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA) first published its position statement on exercise guidelines for people with cancer, there has been exponential growth in research evaluating the role of exercise pre-, during and post-cancer treatment.

Design and Methods: The purpose of this report is to use the current scientific evidence, alongside clinical experience and exercise science principles to update ESSA’s position statement on cancer-specific exercise prescription.

Results: Reported in this position statement is a summary of the benefits accrued through exercise following a cancer diagnosis and the strengths and limitations of this evidence-base. An exercise prescription framework is …

Implementing Eccentric Resistance Training—Part 2: Practical Recommendations, Timothy J. Suchomel, John P. Wagle, Jamie Douglas, Christopher B. Taber, Mellissa Harden, G. Gregory Haff

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The purpose of this review is to provide strength and conditioning practitioners with recommendations on how best to implement tempo eccentric training (TEMPO), flywheel inertial training (FIT), accentuated eccentric loading (AEL), and plyometric training (PT) into resistance training programs that seek to improve an athlete’s hypertrophy, strength, and power output. Based on the existing literature, TEMPO may be best implemented with weaker athletes to benefit positional strength and hypertrophy due to the time under tension. FIT may provide an effective hypertrophy, strength, and power stimulus for untrained and weaker individuals; however, stronger individuals may not receive the same eccentric (ECC) …

The Nexus Between Social Impacts And Adaptation Strategies Of Workers To Occupational Heat Stress: A Conceptual Framework, Victor Fannam Nunfam, Kwadwo Adusei-Asante, Eddie John Van Etten, Jacques Oosthuizen, Samuel Adams, Kwasi Frimpong

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Adverse effects of occupational heat stress in the context of the changing climate on working populations are subtle but considerably harmful. However, social dimensions and impacts of climate change–related occupational heat concerns on workers’ safety and health, productivity and well-being are often overlooked or relegated as minor issues in social impact analyses of occupational heat exposure due to climate change. This paper offers a conceptual framework based on an appraisal and synthesis of the literature on social impacts of climate change–related occupational heat exposure on workers’ safety and health, productivity and social welfare and the quest to localise and achieve …

Verifying Head Impacts Recorded By A Wearable Sensor Using Video Footage In Rugby League: A Preliminary Study, Lauchlan Carey, Peter Stanwell, Douglas P. Terry, Andrew S. Mcintosh, Shane V. Caswell, Grant L. Iverson, Andrew J. Gardner

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Rugby league is a full-contact collision sport with an inherent risk of concussion. Wearable instrumented technology was used to observe and characterize the level of exposure to head impacts during game play.

Purpose: To verify the impacts recorded by the x-patch™ with video analysis.

Study design: Observational case series.

Methods: The x-patch™ was used on eight men’s semi-professional rugby league players during the 2016 Newcastle Rugby League competition (five forwards and three backs). Game day footage was recorded by a trained videographer using a single camera located at the highest midfield location to verify the impact recorded by the …

Microbiological Evaluation Of The Ability Of The Deko-190 Washer/Disinfector To Remove Clostridium Difficile Spores From Bedpan Surfaces, Deirdre A. Collins, Kerry C. Carson, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile is a major nosocomial pathogen causing mild diarrhoea to life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis, and its spores frequently contaminate hospital environments and equipment. Washer/Disinfectors (WDs) are commonly used to clean and decontaminate soiled equipment in health care facilities. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the DEKO-190 WD in removing C. difficile spores from bedpans.

METHODS: Plastic carriers were inoculated with suspensions of C. difficile spores in autoclaved (sterile) human faeces. The carriers were then taped to a sterile plastic bedpan which was subjected to short, long or intensive wash cycles in the WD using one of two …

Weight Management Among School-Aged Children And Adolescents: A Quantitative Assessment In A Ghanaian Municipality, Daniel Gyamfi, Christian Obirikorang, Emmanuel Acheampong, Evans A. Asamoah, Bernard Berko Sampong, Emmanuella Nsenbah Batu, Enoch O. Anto

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Childhood and adolescent overweight, obesity and underweight have become an issue of grave concern to both the developed and developing countries in context of global burden of non-communicable diseases. Unhealthy weight status is a significant public health issue for developing countries, of which Ghana is not excluded. This study evaluated the prevalence of overweight, obesity and underweight and its related factors among school-aged children and adolescents.

METHODS: A total of 1004 participants were randomly selected from six schools. A structured questionnaire on demography and socioeconomic status of students' parents/guardians was completed by the selected students. Anthropometric parameters were measured, …

Assessing The Utility Of Multiplexed Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry For Gluten Detection In Australian Breakfast Food Products, Haili Li, Utpal Bose, Sally Stockwell, Crispin A. Howitt, Michelle Colgrave

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten that is associated with gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and malabsorption. Gluten is a general name for a class of cereal storage proteins of wheat, barley, and rye that are notably resistant to gastrointestinal digestion. After ingestion, immunogenic peptides are subsequently recognized by T cells in the gastrointestinal tract. The only treatment for CD is a life-long gluten-free diet. As such, it is critical to detect gluten in diverse food types, including those where one would not expect to find gluten. The utility of liquid chromatography-mass …

Steroid Therapy And Outcome Of Parapneumonic Pleural Effusions (Stoppe): Study Protocol For A Multicenter, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Randomized Clinical Trial, Deirdre B. Fitzgerald, Grant W. Waterer, Catherine A. Read, Edward T. Fysh, Ranjan Shrestha, Christopher Stanley, Sanjeevan Muruganandan, Norris S. H. Lan, Natalia D. Popowicz, Carolyn J. Peddle-Mcintyre, Najib M. Rahman, Seng Khee Gan, Kevin Murray, Yun Chor Gary Lee

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a major global disease. Parapneumonic effusions often complicate CAP and range from uninfected (simple) to infected (complicated) parapneumonic effusions and empyema (pus). CAP patients who have a pleural effusion at presentation are more likely to require hospitalization, have a longer length of stay and higher mortality than those without an effusion. Conventional management of pleural infection, with antibiotics and chest tube drainage, fails in about 30% of cases. Several randomized controlled trials (RCT) have evaluated the use of corticosteroids in CAP and demonstrated some potential benefits. Importantly, steroid use in pneumonia has an acceptable safety …

Fake News And Propaganda: Trump’S Democratic America And Hitler’S National Socialist (Nazi) Germany, David E. Allen, Michael Mcaleer

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper features an analysis of President Trump’s two State of the Union addresses, which are analysed by means of various data mining techniques, including sentiment analysis. The intention is to explore the contents and sentiments of the messages contained, the degree to which they differ, and their potential implications for the national mood and state of the economy. We also apply Zipf and Mandelbrot’s power law to assess the degree to which they differ from common language patterns. To provide a contrast and some parallel context, analyses are also undertaken of President Obama’s last State of the Union address …

A Study Of The Food Environment At Australian Family Day Care, Ruth Wallace, Brennen Mills

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Overweight and obesity in childhood is a significant public health issue. Family day care (FDC) offers a setting where good eating habits can be nurtured in young children, yet often the food environment is unhealthy. This study aims to determine FDC educators’ knowledge and confidence about nutrition and the barriers and enablers to supporting healthy food environments. Australian FDC educators were recruited to a mixed methods study using self-administered e-surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. The survey data (n = 188) revealed good knowledge about sugary foods, but poor knowledge of protein-rich foods. Nutrition knowledge was not associated with confidence …

Editorial: Insights Into Biomarkers, Cytokines, And Chemokines In Skin Cancer, Lucy W. Barrett, Elin S. Gray, James W. Wells, Jason Waithman

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

New Graduate Nurses' Clinical Safety Knowledge By The Numbers, Melanie Murray, Deborah Sundin, Vicki Cope

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

AIM: To explore new graduate registered nurses' knowledge and attitudes concerning medical error and patient safety, during their first 6 months of professional practice.

BACKGROUND: New graduate registered nurses demonstrate basic skills and levels of performance due to limited exposure and experience in actual situations. There is a concern held for their clinical reasoning skills required to recognize patient deterioration, posing a threat to patient safety.

METHODS: An online questionnaire was used to survey new graduate registered nurses at three time points during graduate nurse programmes between August 2016 and February 2018.

RESULTS: A decrease in self-reported knowledge and attitudes …

Tio2-Based Photocatalytic Cementitious Composites: Materials, Properties, Influential Parameters, And Assessment Techniques, Fatemeh Hamidi, Farhad Aslani

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Applications of heterogeneous photocatalytic processes based on semiconductor particles in cement-based materials have received great attention in recent years to enhance the aesthetic durability of buildings and reducing global environmental pollution. Amongst all, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is the most widely used semiconductor particle in structural materials with photocatalytic activity because of its low cost, chemically stable nature, and absence of toxicity. Utilization of TiO₂ in combination with cement-based materials would plunge the concentration of urban pollutants such as NO_x. In fact, cementitious composites containing TiO₂ have already found applications in self-cleaning buildings, antimicrobial surfaces, …

Entropy Analysis Of High-Definition Transcranial Electric Stimulation Effects On Eeg Dynamics, Diego C. Nascimento, Gabriela Depetri, Luiz H. Stefano, Osvaldo Anacleto, Joao P. Leite, Dylan J. Edwards, Taiza E. G. Santos, Francisco Louzada Neto

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A foundation of medical research is time series analysis—the behavior of variables of interest with respect to time. Time series data are often analyzed using the mean, with statistical tests applied to mean differences, and has the assumption that data are stationary. Although widely practiced, this method has limitations. Here we present an alternative statistical approach with sample analysis that provides a summary statistic accounting for the non-stationary nature of time series data. This work discusses the use of entropy as a measurement of the complexity of time series, in the context of Neuroscience, due to the non-stationary characteristic of …

Midwives' Use Of Best Available Evidence In Practice: An Integrative Review, Annemarie De Leo, Sara Bayes, Sadie Geraghty, Janice Butt

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aims and objectives: To synthesise international research that relates to midwives' use of best available evidence in practice settings and identify key issues relating to the translation of latest evidence into everyday maternity care.

Background: Midwifery is a research‐informed profession. However, a gap persists in the translation of best available evidence into practice settings, compromising gold standard maternity care and delaying the translation of new knowledge into everyday practice.

Design: A five‐step integrative review approach, based on a series of articles published by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) for conducting systematic reviews, was used to facilitate development of a search …

The Effect Of Volunteers’ Care And Support On The Health Outcomes Of Older Adults In Acute Care: A Systematic Scoping Review, Rosemary Saunders, Karla Seaman, Renée Graham, Angela Christiansen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: To examine the available evidence on the effects of care and support provided by volunteers on the health outcomes of older adults in acute care services.

Background: Acute hospital inpatient populations are becoming older, and this presents the potential for poorer health outcomes. Factors such as chronic health conditions, polypharmacy and cognitive and functional decline are associated with increased risk of health care‐related harm, such as falls, delirium and poor nutrition. To minimise the risk of health care‐related harm, volunteer programmes to support patient care have been established in many hospitals worldwide.

Design: A systematic scoping review.

Methods: The …

The Experiences Of Migrants To Australia Who Stutter, Charn Nang, Victoria Reynolds, Deborah Hersh, Clare Andrews, Oswell Humphries

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: Migration is a contemporary, global matter. With the number of international migrants doubling over the past four decades, speech-language pathologists will likely work with migrants who have childhood-onset stuttering. However, combined migration and stuttering experiences have never been investigated specifically. This study is the first to investigate the experiences of migrants to Australia who stutter. Methods: Three women and six men, aged 23 to 66 years old, participated. Data from individual interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to examine the ‘lived experience’ of participants, as well as with NVivo 12 software for the management of coding. Participants also …

Different Molecular Characteristics And Antimicrobial Resistance Profiles Of Clostridium Difficile In The Asia-Pacific Region, Yun Luo, Elaine Cheong, Qiao Bian, Deirdre A. Collins, Julian Ye, Jeong Hwan Shin, Wing Cheong Yam, Tohru Takata, Xiaojun Song, Xianjun Wang, Mini Kamboj, Thomas Gottlieb, Jianmin Jiang, Thomas V. Riley, Yi-Wei Tang, Dazhi Jin

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Molecular epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been extensively studied in North America and Europe; however, limited data on CDI are available in the Asia-Pacific region. A multicentre retrospective study was conducted in this region. C. difficile isolates were subjected to multilocus sequence typing (ST) and antimicrobial susceptibility testing. Totally, 394 isolates were collected from Hangzhou, Hong Kong, China; Busan, South Korea; Fukuoka, Japan; Singapore; Perth, Sydney, Australia; New York, the United States. C. difficile isolates included 337 toxin A-positive/B-positive/binary toxin-negative (A+B+CDT-), 48 A-B+CDT-, and nine A+B+CDT+. Distribution of dominant STs varied geographically with ST17 in Fukuoka (18.6%), Busan …

A Panel Of Circulating Micrornas Detects Uveal Melanoma With High Precision, Mitchell S. Stark, Elin S. Gray, Timothy Isaacs, Fred K. Chen, Michael Millward, Ashleigh Mcevoy, Pauline Zaenker, Melanie Ziman, H. Peter Soyer, William J. Glasson, Sunil K. Warrier, Andrew L. Stark, Olivia J. Rolfe, Jane M. Palmer, Nicholas K. Hayward

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose: To determine if a circulating microRNA (miRNA) panel could be used to distinguish between uveal melanoma and uveal nevi. Methods: We report on a multicenter, cross-sectional study conducted between June 2012 and September 2015. The follow-up time was approximately 3 to 5 years. Blood was drawn from participants presenting with a uveal nevus (n = 10), localized uveal melanoma (n = 50), or metastatic uveal melanoma (n = 5). Levels of 17 miRNAs were measured in blood samples of study participants using a sensitive real-time PCR system. Results: A panel of six miRNAs (miR-16, miR-145, miR-146a, miR-204, miR-211, and …

Effects Of Complex Training Versus Heavy Resistance Training On Neuromuscular Adaptation, Running Economy And 5-Km Performance In Well-Trained Distance Runners, Fei Li, Ran Wang, Robert U, Newton, David Sutton, Yue Shi, Haiyong Ding

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background: Recently, much attention has been paid to the role of neuromuscular function in long-distance running performance. Complex Training (CT) is a combination training method that alternates between performing heavy resistance exercises and plyometric exercises within one single session, resulting in great improvement in neuromuscular adaptation. The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of CT vs. heavy resistance training (HRT) on strength and power indicators, running economy (RE), and 5-km performance in well-trained male distance runners. Methods: Twenty-eight well-trained male distance runners (19–23 years old, VO_2max:65.78 ± 4.99 ml.kg⁻¹.min⁻¹) performed one …

Post-Activation Potentiation Versus Post-Activation Performance Enhancement In Humans: Historical Perspective, Underlying Mechanisms, And Current Issues, Anthony J. Blazevich, Nicolas Babault

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Post-activation potentiation (PAP) is a well-described phenomenon with a short half-life (~28 s) that enhances muscle force production at submaximal levels of calcium saturation (i.e., submaximal levels of muscle activation). It has been largely explained by an increased myosin light chain phosphorylation occurring in type II muscle fibers, and its effects have been quantified in humans by measuring muscle twitch force responses to a bout of muscular activity. However, enhancements in (sometimes maximal) voluntary force production detected several minutes after high-intensity muscle contractions are also observed, which are also most prominent in muscles with a high proportion of type II …

Traditional Methods For Managing Illness In Newborns And Infants In An Arab Society, Diana H. Arabiat, Lisa Whitehead, Mohammad Al Jabery, Amanda Towell-Barnard, L. Shields, E. Abu Sabah

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Aim: This study explored self‐management practices in relation to traditional methods for managing illness in newborns and infants and the implications of these practices on infant health.

Background: Self‐medication with folk remedies is believed to have short‐ and long‐term impacts on well‐being. Little is known about how mothers in Arab societies used their traditional beliefs and practices in self‐managing their newborns’ and infants’ health.

Methods: Data were collected from five focus groups using open‐ended questions with 37 mothers. Participants were selected using snowball sampling and were recruited from four different cities in Jordan between June 2016 and August 2016.

Ethical …

Association Of Depressive Symptoms With Incident Cardiovascular Diseases In Middle-Aged And Older Chinese Adults, Haibin Li, Deqiang Zheng, Zhiwei Li, Zhiyuan Wu, Wei Feng, Xue Cao, Jiaxin Wang, Qi Gao, Xia Li, Wei Wang, Brian J. Hall, Yu-Tao Xiang, Xiuhua Guo

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Importance: The prevalence of depressive symptoms among older adults has become an increasingly important public health priority. Elevated depressive symptoms are well documented among elderly people with cardiovascular disease (CVD), but studies conducted among Chinese adults are scarce. Objective: To estimate the association between depressive symptoms and incident CVD among middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Design, Setting, and Participants: The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study is an ongoing nationally representative prospective cohort study that was initiated in 2011. This cohort study included 12 417 middle-aged and older Chinese adults without heart disease and stroke at baseline. Statistical analysis was …

Barriers To Vaccination Service Delivery Within General Practice: Opportunity To Make A Sustainable Difference In Aboriginal Child Health?, Rebecca Carman, Lesley Andrew, Amanda Devine, Jacques Oosthuizen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective: To identify behavioural barriers of service provision within general practice that may be impacting the vaccination coverage rates of Aboriginal children in Perth, Western Australia (WA). Methods: A purposive developed survey was distributed to 316 general practices across Perth and three key informant interviews were conducted using a mixed-methods approach. Results: Of the surveyed participants (n=101), 67.4% were unaware of the low vaccination coverage in Aboriginal children; 64.8% had not received cultural sensitivity training in their workplace and 46.8% reported having inadequate time to follow up overdue child vaccinations. Opportunistic vaccination was not routinely performed by 30.8% of participants. …

Validity Of The Velocomp Powerpod Compared With The Verve Cycling Infocrank Power Meter, Paul F. J. Merkes, Paolo Menaspà, Chris R. Abbiss

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose:

To determine the validity of the Velocomp PowerPod power meter in comparison with the Verve Cycling InfoCrank power meter.

Methods:

This research involved 2 separate studies. In study 1, 12 recreational male road cyclists completed 7 maximal cycling efforts of a known duration (2 times 5 s and 15, 30, 60, 240, and 600 s). In study 2, 4 elite male road cyclists completed 13 outdoor cycling sessions. In both studies, power output of cyclists was continuously measured using both the PowerPod and InfoCrank power meters. Maximal mean power output was calculated for durations of 1, 5, …

Defense Perspectives On Fairness And Efficiency At The International Criminal Court, Jenia I. Turner

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Over the last several years, states parties of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have put increasing pressure on the court to become more efficient. Proceedings are seen as unduly slow, and judges have been urged to rein in the parties and expedite the process.

The emphasis on efficiency can advance important goals of the ICC. It can help ensure defendants’ right to a speedy trial, promote victims’ interests in closure, and allow the court to process more cases with limited resources. But as the experience of earlier international criminal tribunals shows, an unrelenting pursuit of efficiency could also interfere with …

Taxing The Robots, Orly Mazur

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

Robots and other artificial intelligence-based technologies are increasingly outperforming humans in jobs previously thought safe from automation. This has led to growing concerns about the future of jobs, wages, economic equality and government revenues. To address these issues, there have been multiple calls around the world to tax the robots. Although the concerns that have led to the recent robot tax proposals may be valid, this Article cautions against the use of a robot tax. It argues that a tax that singles out robots is the wrong tool to address these critical issues and warns of the unintended consequences of …

Memoir As Witness To Mental Illness, Dora W. Klein

Faculty Articles

During a trial, a witness's job is to supply the facts by telling the jury what she saw, heard, or otherwise experienced that is relevant to the legal questions the jury must answer. The jury's job is to decide how much weight and credibility to accord a witness's testimony. Jurors are expected, even instructed, to rely on their own knowledge about the world when deciding whether and how much to believe a witness. Most of the time, jurors' own experiences are sufficient to allow them to accurately assess a witness's testimony. However, jurors are sometimes called upon to assess testimony …

Are Domestic Abusers Terrorists: Rhetoric, Reality, And Asylum Law, Natalie Nanasi

Faculty Journal Articles and Book Chapters

The terms terrorism and terrorist are highly charged but all too often imprecisely utilized in legal, media, and political arenas. The terminology has even entered the field of intimate partner violence, where the phrases terrorism in the home or intimate terrorism have been used to describe domestic abuse. This language has proliferated not only due to identified commonalities between intimate partner abuse and terroristic behaviors but also because of the rhetorical impact of the words in highlighting the gravity of domestic violence. However, expanding the legal framework of terrorism into new areas has potentially serious and far-reaching consequences. It is …