Digital Commons Network^™

The Detection Of Cmv In Saliva Can Mark A Systemic Infection With Cmv In Renal Transplant Recipients, Shelley Waters, Silvia Lee, Megan Lloyd, Ashley Irish, Patricia Price

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is often transmitted through saliva. The salivary gland is a site of CMV replication and saliva can be used to diagnose congenital CMV infections. CMV replication is monitored in whole blood or plasma in renal transplant recipients (RTR) and associates with clinical disease. However, these assays may not detect replication in the salivary gland and there is little data linking detection in saliva with systemic infection and clinical sequelae. RTR (n = 82) were recruited > 2 years after transplantation. An in-house quantitative PCR assay was used to detect CMV UL54 in saliva samples. CMV DNA was …

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 …

Numerical Study Of Periodic Magnetic Field Effect On 3d Natural Convection Of Mwcnt-Water/Nanofluid With Consideration Of Aggregation, Lioua Kolsi, Hakan F. Oztop, Kaouther Ghachem, Mohammed A. Almeshaal, Hussein A. Mohammed, Houman Babazadeh, Nidal Abu-Hamdeh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this paper, a numerical study is performed to investigate the effect of a periodic magnetic field on three-dimensional free convection of MWCNT (Mutli-Walled Carbone Nanotubes)-water/nanofluid. Time-dependent governing equations are solved using the finite volume method under unsteady magnetic field oriented in the x-direction for various Hartmann numbers, oscillation periods, and nanoparticle volume fractions. The aggregation effect is considered in the evaluation of the MWCNT-water/nanofluid thermophysical properties. It is found that oscillation period, the magnitude of the magnetic field, and adding nanoparticles have an important effect on heat transfer, temperature field, and flow structure. © 2019 by the authors.

Prevalence Of Coexistent Plantaris Tendon Pathology In Patients With Mid-Portion Achilles Pathology: A Retrospective Mri Study, Sachin Khullar, Prasanna Gamage, Peter Malliaras, Leesa Huguenin, Ashutosh Prakash, David Connell

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Co-existence of Plantaris tendinopathy (PT) in patients with mid-Achilles tendinopathy (Mid-AT) is of clinical significance. This study aims to describe the MRI-based pathological characteristics of co-existing PT and Mid-AT. One-hundred MRI studies of patients diagnosed with Mid-AT were retrospectively analysed by an experienced musculoskeletal radiologist. Presence or absence of a Plantaris tendon, co-existing PT with Mid-AT, insertional characteristics of Plantaris tendon, and maximum anteroposterior thickness of the tendon in Mid-AT (axial images) were evaluated. When PT co-existed with Mid-AT, the location of the tendon pathologies in relation to calcaneal insertion was assessed (sagittal images) and their association was analysed using …

Movement-Versus Sporting-Based Physical Education In Elementary Schools: Does Either Ensure Quality?, Joseph John Scott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Within the physical education literature, there remains to be contentions between the effectiveness of sporting- and movement-based approaches. Whilst both have noted strengths and weaknesses, there is little research into whether either is leading to quality physical education in Australian elementary schools. This paper therefore examines two of the common models based approaches to teaching physical education in elementary schools against the five interrelated propositions of the Australian Curriculum to determine if either pedagogical approach is leading to quality physical education. This paper draws on current literature, curriculum frameworks and pedagogical recommendations to determine the value of a models based …

No Human Ever Made A Cathedral Such As This: Scoping The Ecology Of The Carols By Candlelight Effect In Australia’S Open-Air Environments, Robin Ryan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

During Australia’s dry December, traditional and popular forms of caroling shape the sight and sound of the key Christian festival of Christmas. Creative connections between belief, place, and music are characteristically manifest in focused open-air environments of beach, bushland or park. Reasoning from gospel belief that the very first “Christmas carol” emanated from a heavenly host of angels singing to an audience of shepherds in a field, caroling alfresco is an appropriate activity. How, then, do Australian caroling venues become conducive to environmental spheres of sound and influence? While the annual mass Carols by Candlelight concerts televised from Melbourne and …

Occupational Exposure Of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene And Xylene (Btex) To Pump Attendants In Ghana: Implications For Policy Guidance, Francis Atta Kuranchie, Prosper Naah Angnunavuri, Francis Attiogbe, Esi Nana Nerquaye-Tetteh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Gasoline plays an important role as fuel for engines, but its use is replete with a high probability of adverse health to persons along the distribution chain, especially pump attendants. This study is a systematic review of the literature on gasoline exposure and the specific risks of adverse health on pump attendants by benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene and xylene (BTEX) to instigate policy in Ghana. A careful review of the literature indicates that pump attendants are at risk of developing cancer and non-cancer health hazards. This is particularly so in Ghana due to poor safe work practices and controls at pump …

Welcome To The Peoples Of The Mountains And The Sea: Evaluating An Inaugural Indigenous Cultural Festival, Robin Ryan, Uncle Ossie Cruse

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

Ell's Science Meaning Making In Multimodal Inquiry: A Case-Study In A Hong Kong Bilingual School, Melanie Williams, Kok-Sing Tang, Mihye Won

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

This paper reports on a multimodal teaching approach delivered to grade 5 elementary students in a bilingual school in Hong Kong, as part of a larger research study aimed at supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) in science class. As language demands of reading, writing and talking science place additional challenges on ELLs, there is much research interest in exploring the use of multiple modes of communication beyond the dominant use of verbal and written language. Research has shown that students develop a better scientific understanding of natural phenomena by using and alternating between a variety of representations. Yet, questions remain …

Nurse Practitioner Leadership And Research Activity [Slides], Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Conclusion:

• Nurse Practitioners in both Ireland and Australia identify themselves as leaders of the nursing profession.
• NP work practices are primarily focused on provision of direct patient care.
• Research activity is lacking among NPs.
• Leadership ability influences research outcomes for NPs in both Ireland and Australia.

Nurse Practitioners Perceptions On Leadership And Research [Slides], Mary Ryder, Elisabeth Jacob, Joyce Hendricks

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Conclusion:

• Participants identified themselves as clinical leaders focused on direct patient care
• The NP role was misunderstood
• Support from nursing academics and management was identified as a research opportunity
• Confidence in research abilities was a barrier to research
• The NP role was similar in Ireland and Australia

Myth And Christian Reading Practice In English Teaching, Scott Jarvie

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

This chapter identifies myths which hold special significance in English classrooms, and, in doing so, weave them into the otherwise conventional, well-nested, even imperial logics of English as a school subject. Barthes explains as much, arguing that myths have a social history, and are in that sense unnatural, though they operate by naturalizing. Yet English teaching and the research which undergirds it has historically sought to demystify the field, positioning its relation to myth antagonistically. The chapter focuses on myths of linguistic and grammatical instruction, which cut across the traditional domains of English teaching as well as recent curricular expansions …

Faking Heroism As A Mechanism Of ‘Mafia Offer’: A Critical Realism Perspective On The Abuse Of Heroism, Layla Al-Hameed

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

No abstract provided.

Hordein Accumulation In Developing Barley Grains, Gregory J. Tanner, Michelle L. Colgrave, Malcolm J. Blundell, Crispin A. Howitt, Antony Bacic

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The temporal pattern of accumulation of hordein storage proteins in developing barley grains was studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot and liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Hordein accumulation was compared to the pattern seen for two abundant control proteins, serpin Z4 (an early accumulator) and lipid transferase protein (LTP1, a late accumulator). Hordeins were detected from 6 days post-anthesis (DPA) and peaked at 30 DPA. Changes in fresh weight indicate that desiccation begins at 20 DPA and by 37 DPA fresh weight had decreased by 35%. ELISA analysis of hordein content, expressed on a protein basis, increased …

The Moderation Of Gender And Generation In The Effects Of Perceived Destination Image On Tourist Attitude And Visit Intention: A Study Of Potential Chinese Visitors To Australia, Songshan (Sam) Huang, Robert Van Der Veen

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The overall purpose of this study is to examine the moderating roles of gender and generation in the effects of perceived destination image on tourist attitude and visit intention among Chinese potential tourists to Australia. Australia is one of the preferred destinations to Chinese tourists, and the China market emerges to be increasingly important to destination marketing organizations in Australia. Echoing the call for more gender studies in the tourism literature and also based on the generation theory, this study employed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey design and used structural equation modelling in its analysis. Survey data were collected through convenience …

Socioeconomic Correlates Of Overweight And Obesity Among Ever-Married Urban Women In Bangladesh, Tania Sultana Tanwi, Sayan Chakrabarty, Syed Hasanuzzaman, Sue Saltmarsh, Stephen Winn

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Background

The escalating prevalence of overweight and obesity globally is reflected amongst urban women in many low-to-middle income countries. Evidence also shows that overweight and obesity is an increasing trend in Bangladesh. The present study assessed the prevalence and socioeconomic determinants of overweight and obesity among urban women in Bangladesh.

Methods

Data were extracted from Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey (BDHS) 2014. A two-stage stratified sampling technique has been used for data collection in this cross-sectional survey. A sample of 1701 ever-married non-pregnant urban women aged 15–49 years was selected for statistical analysis. Descriptive analysis, multiple binomial logistic regression analysis …

Implementing Automated External Defibrillators Into Community Sports Clubs/Facilities: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Community Club Member Preparedness For Medical Emergencies, Lauren Victoria Fortington, Liam West, Damian Morgan, Caroline F. Finch

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective There is a growing focus on ensuring the availability of automated external defibrillators (AED) in sport settings to assist in preventing sudden cardiac death. For the AED to be most effective, understanding how best to integrate it with wider risk management and emergency action plans (EAP) is needed. The aim of this survey was to identify sports club/facility member knowledge of AED use and club EAPs, 6 months following participation in a government-funded AED provision and cardiopulmonary resuscitation training programme.

Methods Cross-sectional survey of community sports clubs and facilities in Victoria, Australia. Included participants were members of sports club/facilities …

Tackling Social Media Data Analysis: Comparing And Contrasting Qsr Nvivo And Leximancer, Violetta Wilk, Geoffrey N. Soutar, Paul Harrigan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Purpose

This paper aims to offer insights into the ways two computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) applications (QSR NVivo and Leximancer) can be used to analyze big, text-based, online data taken from consumer-to-consumer (C2C) social media communication.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used QSR NVivo and Leximancer, to explore 200 discussion threads containing 1,796 posts from forums on an online open community and an online brand community that involved online brand advocacy (OBA). The functionality, in particular, the strengths and weaknesses of both programs are discussed. Examples of the types of analyses each program can undertake and the visual output available …

High Growth Potential Of Long-Term Starved Deep Ocean Opportunistic Heterotrophic Bacteria, Marta Sebastián, Margarita Estrany, Clara Ruiz-González, Irene Forn, Maria Montserrat Sala, Josep M. Gasol, Celia Marrasé

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Experiments with bacteria in culture have shown that they often display “feast and famine” strategies that allow them to respond with fast growth upon pulses in resource availability, and enter a growth-arrest state when resources are limiting. Although feast responses have been observed in natural communities upon enrichment, it is unknown whether this blooming ability is maintained after long periods of starvation, particularly in systems that are energy limited like the bathypelagic ocean. Here we combined bulk and single-cell activity measurements with 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing to explore the response of a bathypelagic community, that had been starved for …

Correction: Relationship Between Serum Osteocalcin/Undercarboxylated Osteocalcin And Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis Study Protocol, Yihui Liu, Xiaoying Liu, Joshua R. Lewis, Kaye Brock, Tara C. Brennan-Speranza, Armando Teixeira-Pinto

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The affiliations for the third author, Joshua R Lewis, were incomplete in the previous version of this manuscript...

'Mini-Interval Gait' Switching: Understanding The Positive Implications Of A Novel Training Regime, James L. Croft, John E. A. Bertram

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The neuromechanical reorganization required to change gaits imposes an energetic cost 75% greater than either a walking or running step at the same speed. By combining walking and running with the requisite gait switching transition steps, an exercise protocol can be generated with virtually any desired metabolic output even at relatively slow treadmill speed. Gait switching increases metabolic demand through discrete events, which can be tolerated more easily by individuals recovering from health problems, just as interval training allows greater work production for healthy individuals. In addition to cardio-respiratory benefits, ‘mini-intervals’ with frequent gait switching also provides positive effects and …

Clostridium Difficile Ribotype 017–Characterization, Evolution And Epidemiology Of The Dominant Strain In Asia, Korakrit Imwattana, Daniel R. Knight, Brian Kullin, Deirdre A. Collins, Papanin Putsathit, Pattarachai Kiratisin, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clostridium difficile ribotype (RT) 017 is an important toxigenic C. difficile RT which, due to a deletion in the repetitive region of the tcdA gene, only produces functional toxin B. Strains belonging to this RT were initially dismissed as nonpathogenic and circulated largely undetected for almost two decades until they rose to prominence following a series of outbreaks in the early 2000s. Despite lacking a functional toxin A, C. difficile RT 017 strains have been shown subsequently to be capable of causing disease as severe as that caused by strains producing both toxins A and B. While C. difficile RT …

Fire Performance Of Heavyweight Self-Compacting Concrete And Heavyweight High Strength Concrete, Farhad Aslani, Fatemeh Hamidi, Qilong Ma

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

In this study, the fresh and hardened state properties of heavyweight self-compacting concrete (HWSCC) and heavyweight high strength concrete (HWHSC) containing heavyweight magnetite aggregate with 50, 75, and 100% replacement ratio, and their performance at elevated temperatures were explored experimentally. For fresh-state properties, the flowability and passing ability of HWSCCs were assessed by using slump flow, T500 mm, and J-ring tests. Hardened-state properties including hardened density, compressive strength, and modulus of elasticity were evaluated after 28 days of mixing. High-temperature tests were also performed to study the mass loss, spalling of HWSCC and HWHSC, and residual mechanical properties at 100, …

Beta-Type Ti-Nb-Zr-Cr Alloys With Large Plasticity And Significant Strain Hardening, Syed F. Jawed, Chirag D. Rabadia, Y. J. Liu, L. Q. Wang, Y. H. Li, X. H. Zang, Laichang C. Zhang

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A series of Ti-25Nb-8Zr-xCr (x = 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 wt%) alloys were designed based on DV-Xα cluster method and e=a-Δr diagram with an anticipation to obtain high plasticity and significant strain hardening. The designed alloys were produced through cold crucible levitation melting technique in order to effectively investigate their micro-structures and mechanical properties. The addition of Cr significantly enhances the β stability in the microstructures of the Ti-25Nb-8Zr-xCr alloys. Both yield strength and hardness of the studied alloys increase due to the effect of solid-solution strengthening. By contrast, the plasticity, maximum strength and strain hardening rate are influenced …

A Systematic Review Of How Multiple Stressors From An Extreme Event Drove Ecosystem-Wide Loss Of Resilience In An Iconic Seagrass Community, Gary A. Kendrick, Robert J. Nowicki, Ylva S. Olsen, Simone Strydom, Matthew W. Fraser, Elizabeth A. Sinclair, John Statton, Renae K. Hovey, Jordan A. Thomson, Derek A. Burkholder, Kathryn M. Mcmahon, Kieryn Kilminster, Yasha Hetzel, James W. Fourqurean, Michael R. Heithaus, Robert J. Orth

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A central question in contemporary ecology is how climate change will alter ecosystem structure and function across scales of space and time. Climate change has been shown to alter ecological patterns from individuals to ecosystems, often with negative implications for ecosystem functions and services. Furthermore, as climate change fuels more frequent and severe extreme climate events (ECEs) like marine heatwaves (MHWs), such acute events become increasingly important drivers of rapid ecosystem change. However, our understanding of ECE impacts is hampered by limited collection of broad scale in situ data where such events occur. In 2011, a MHW known as the …

Genomic Delineation Of Zoonotic Origins Of Clostridium Difficile, Daniel R. Knight, Thomas V. Riley

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Clostridium difficile is toxin-producing antimicrobial resistant (AMR) enteropathogen historically associated with diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in hospitalized patients. In recent years, there have been dramatic increases in the incidence and severity of C. difficile infection (CDI), and associated morbidity and mortality, in both healthcare and community settings. C. difficile is an ancient and diverse species that displays a sympatric lifestyle, establishing itself in a range of ecological niches external to the healthcare system. These sources/reservoirs include food, water, soil, and over a dozen animal species, in particular, livestock such as pigs and cattle. In a manner analogous to human infection, …

Barriers To Grassroots Innovation: The Phenomenon Of Social-Commercial-Cultural Trilemmas In Remote Indigenous Art Centres, Janice Jones, Pi-Shen Seet, Tim Acker, Michelle Whittle

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Despite substantial research on grassroots innovation, there is a lack of understanding on the barriers to grassroots innovation. We examine paradoxes that arise as a consequence of multiple, often conflicting, objectives in remote art centres, social enterprises that are key sites for grassroots innovations. We investigate how social, commercial and cultural logics in remote Indigenous art centres contribute to an on-going trilemma that acts as a barrier to the development of grassroots innovation. We also explore the challenges and opportunities managers encounter in reconciling these multiple, often conflicting, logics. The results indicate that although art centres have dual social and …

Positive Veteran Teachers: Who Are They, And Where Are They To Be Found?, Geoffrey Lowe, Christina Gray, Peter Prout, Sarah Jefferson, Therese Shaw

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Teacher career trajectory studies have identified a small group of veteran teachers who remain positive and committed to teaching, while others become disenchanted or disengaged. These, and related studies suggest key characteristics of positive veteran teachers revolve around a strong sense of agency and professional identity including: 1) a continuing desire to experiment and embrace challenges; 2) high levels of personal comfort in their teaching roles; and 3) a willingness to take on leadership roles across a range of capacities and contexts, and in turn be affirmed in these roles. While studies describe these characteristics, there has been little attempt …

Cetacean Sightings Within The Great Pacific Garbage Patch, Susan E. Gibbs, Chandra P. Salgado Kent, Boyan Slat, Damien Morales, Leila Fouda, Julia Reisser

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Here, we report cetacean sightings made within a major oceanic accumulation zone for plastics, often referred to as the ‘Great Pacific Garbage Patch’ (GPGP). These cetacean records occurred in October 2016 and were made by sensors and trained observers aboard a Hercules C-130 aircraft surveying the GPGP at 400 m height and 140 knots speed. Four sperm whales (including a mother and calf pair), three beaked whales, two baleen whales, and at least five other cetaceans were observed. Many surface drifting plastics were also detected, including fishing nets, ropes, floats and fragmented debris. Some of these objects were close to …