Digital Commons Network^™

Why Do Men With Prostate Cancer Discontinue Active Surveillance For Definitive Treatment? A Mixed Methods Investigation, Megan Mcintosh, Melissa J. Opozda, Michael O’Callaghan, Andrew D. Vincent, Daniel A. Galvão, Camille E. Short

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To explore the personal and/or medical reasons patients on active surveillance (AS) have, or consider having, further definitive treatment for their prostate cancer. Research suggests up to 50% of patients on AS will discontinue within 5 years, though reasons for discontinuation from the patient's perspective is under-explored. Methods: Prostate cancer patients who were or had been on AS for at least 6 months were recruited. A questionnaire assessed reasons for receiving/considering definitive treatment and the extent to which reasons were personal or medical. Clinical information was extracted from a state-level population registry. A subset of participants were interviewed to …

Do Personal Values Have An Effect On Self-Esteem In Middle Childhood?, Patricia R. Collins, Joanne Sneddon, Julie Ann Lee

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Research on children's values (i.e., broad motivational goals) largely focuses on whether their values have a similar theoretical pattern of organization to those of adults, whether they hold similar value priorities to adults or adolescents, and how their values relate to social behavior. However, little is known about how values relate to wellbeing in middle childhood. We examined relations between the values of children aged 6–12 and aspects of their self-esteem, including global self-worth and five domain-specific-competencies. We found global self-worth and physical appearance were positively related to self-transcendence, conservation, and openness-to-change values, and negatively related to self-enhancement values. Social …

Role Of Primary Freeboard On Staged Combustion Of Hardwood Pellets In A Fixed Bed Combustor, Awais Junejo, Yasir Al-Abdeli, Jacobo Porteiro

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In staged fixed bed biomass combustion, primary air is supplied beneath the fuel bed with secondary air then provided above in the freeboard region. For fixed bed configurations, the freeboard is further divided into a primary freeboard length (LI), which is upstream of the secondary air and a secondary freeboard length (LII), measured from the secondary air all the way to the exhaust port. Despite extensive research into fixed bed configurations, no work has been successfully completed that resolves the effects of changing LI on fuel conversion, both in the fuel bed and within the freeboard of batch-type biomass combustors. …

Willingness To Enhance Employability, Eszter Kiss, Jami Cotler, Eben Afrifa Yamoah

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This exploratory study was conducted across two different institutions in the United States and in Australia. The online surveys applied two instruments: The Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire and the Multidimensional Work Motivation Scale to investigate the correlations between the constructs of employability, emotional intelligence, and motivation. The results showed a positive significant relationship between campus program internship and perceived employability. Further, emotional intelligence was significantly positively correlated with motivation. These results may reinforce institutions in their effort to design or refresh teaching intervention programs improving students employability. Beyond focusing on skills acquisition, these programs could also aim for enhancing students …

Accessible And Inclusive Cities: Exposing Design And Leadership Challenges For Bunbury And Geelong, Adam Johnson, Richard Tucker, Hing-Wah Chau, Elmira Jamei

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article compares research identifying the systemic barriers to disability access and inclusion in two regional Australian cities, and discusses some of the leadership and design challenges that will need to be addressed by government and industry to embed universal design principles within the planning, development, and redevelopment of urban infrastructure. In Geelong, Victoria, given the often-opaque decision-making dynamics at play in the urban planning and development of cities, the disability community sought a more holistic and consultative approach to addressing access and inclusion. Systems-thinking for a collective impact approach was used to generate recommendations for action around improving universal …

Beyond Reflective Practice: Blogging-With Place As A Diffractive Practice For (Re)Imagining Place-Based Education, Karen Nociti

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This article proposes the diffractive practice of blogging-with Place as an alternative to a reflective journal. Reflective practice is a priority for teachers, with reflective journaling often employed as a method for documenting a teacher's experiences and knowledge about sites that are intended for place-based teaching and learning. However, when implemented for the purpose of improving place-based approaches, reflective journaling is limited by its grounding in an epistemology that values knowledge as leading to mastery and control over the environment. In response to calls for a radical reimagining of place-based approaches, the diffractive practice of blogging-with Place offers an opening …

Reading Curriculum Policy And (Re)Shaping Practices: The Possibilities And Limits Of Enactment, Dawn Penney, Laura Alfrey

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper provides a contribution and opening to the special issue Realising curriculum possibilities: From creative readings to transformative practice. It firstly considers and expands upon issues and concepts that were foregrounded in the special issue call for papers and that variously feature in subsequent contributions within it. Conceptual linkages that were implied or assumed in the text of the call for papers and that we contend, are worthy of continued debate and exploration, are critically examined. Enactment, creative readings, transformative practice and their inter-relationships are addressed. Secondly the paper provides an introduction that offers stimulus and provocation for the …

Show, Attend And Detect: Towards Fine-Grained Assessment Of Abdominal Aortic Calcification On Vertebral Fracture Assessment Scans, Syed Zulqarnain Gilani, Naeha Sharif, David Suter, John T. Schousboe, Siobhan Reid, William D. Leslie, Joshua R. Lewis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

More than 55,000 people world-wide die from Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) each day. Calcification of the abdominal aorta is an established marker of asymptomatic CVD. It can be observed on scans taken for vertebral fracture assessment from Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry machines. Assessment of Abdominal Aortic Calcification (AAC) and timely intervention may help to reinforce public health messages around CVD risk factors and improve disease management, reducing the global health burden related to CVDs. Our research addresses this problem by proposing a novel and reliable framework for automated “fine-grained” assessment of AAC. Inspired by the vision-to-language models, our method performs sequential …

A Myc-Znf148-Id1/3 Regulatory Axis Modulating Cancer Stem Cell Traits In Aggressive Breast Cancer, Mijeong Kim, Manjot Singh, Bum-Kyu Lee, Moira Hibbs, Kirsty Richardson, Lesley Ellies, Larissa Wintle, Lisa M. Stuart, Jenny Y. Wang, Dominic C. Voon, Pilar Blancafort, Jianlong Wang, Jonghwan Kim, Peter J. Leedman, Andrew J. Woo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The MYC proto-oncogene (MYC) is one of the most frequently overexpressed genes in breast cancer that drives cancer stem cell-like traits, resulting in aggressive disease progression and poor prognosis. In this study, we identified zinc finger transcription factor 148 (ZNF148, also called Zfp148 and ZBP-89) as a direct target of MYC. ZNF148 suppressed cell proliferation and migration and was transcriptionally repressed by MYC in breast cancer. Depletion of ZNF148 by short hairpin RNA (shRNA) and CRISPR/Cas9 increased triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cell proliferation and migration. Global transcriptome and chromatin occupancy analyses of ZNF148 revealed a central role in inhibiting cancer …

Activity Of Newest Generation Β-Lactam/Β-Lactamase Inhibitor Combination Therapies Against Multidrug Resistant Pseudomonas Aeruginosa, Robbie R. Haines, Papanin Putsathit, Katherine A. Hammer, Anna S. Tai

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Multidrug resistant (MDR) P. aeruginosa accounts for 35 % of all P. aeruginosa isolated from respiratory samples of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). The usefulness of β-lactam antibiotics for treating CF, such as carbapenems and later generation cephalosporins, is limited by the development of antibacterial resistance. A proven treatment approach is the combination of a β-lactam antibiotic with a β-lactamase inhibitor. New β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor combinations are available, but data are lacking regarding the susceptibility of MDR CF-associated P. aeruginosa (CFPA) to these new combination therapies. In this study we determined MIC values for three new combinations; imipenem-relebactam (I-R), ceftazidime-avibactam (CZA), …

Association Between Energy Balance-Related Factors And Clinical Outcomes In Patients With Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Stephanie Stelten, Christelle Schofield, Yvonne A. W. Hartman, Pedro Lopez, Gemma G. Kenter, Robert U. Newton, Daniel A. Galvão, Meeke Hoedjes, Dennis R. Taaffe, Luc R. C. W. Van Lonkhuijzen, Carolyn Mcintyre, Laurien M. Buffart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background:

This systematic review and meta-analysis synthesized evidence in patients with ovarian cancer at diagnosis and/or during first-line treatment on; (i) the association of body weight, body composition, diet, exercise, sedentary behavior, or physical fitness with clinical outcomes; and (ii) the effect of exercise and/or dietary interventions.

Methods:

Risk of bias assessments and best-evidence syntheses were completed. Meta-analyses were performed when ≥ 3 papers presented point estimates and variability measures of associations or effects.

Results:

Body mass index (BMI) at diagnosis was not significantly associated with survival. Although the following trends were not supported by the best-evidence syntheses, the meta-analyses …

Effect Of Carbon Fibres On Electromagnetic-Interference-Shielding Properties Of Geopolymer Composites, Dimuthu Wanasinghe, Farhad Aslani, Guowei Ma

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Many of the construction materials available are known to cause a drastic level of damage to the environment during their manufacturing stages. Hence, many researchers have attempted to formulate construction materials that are more environmentally friendly. Additionally, the rise in wireless communications in recent decades has seen a rapid increase in electromagnetic pollution and interference, which affects the functionality of sensitive electronic devices. This research is focused on fabricating a more sustainable construction material that could prevent electromagnetic interference for electronic devices housed inside. Carbon fibres of three different lengths were added in four variations to a geopolymer control mix …

Effect Of Methyl Orange On Wettability Of Sandstone Formations: Implications For Enhanced Oil Recovery, Fatemah Alhamad, Mujahid Ali, Muhammad Ali, Hussein Abid, Hussein Hoteit, Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

With the increasing global population, fossil fuel resources still represent a main contributor to the energy supply, despite the progress made in the field of renewable energies. Large quantities of residual oil from mature reservoirs cannot be produced through primary and secondary recovery methods. Among alternative recovery techniques, chemically enhanced oil recovery methods are attracting considerable interest to increase the hydrocarbon recovery from oil-bearing geological formations. The wettability of any particular formation can be used to predict the oil recovery factor of a reservoir based on its wetting state. However, due to the complex nature of geological porous media, special …

Exploring Food Supply Chain Trends In The Covid-19 Era: A Bibliometric Review, Abderahman Rejeb, Karim Rejeb, Andrea Appolloni, Mohammad Iranmanesh, Horst Treiblmaier, Sandeep Jagtap

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Recently, the food supply chain (FSC) has been severely disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, putting the vital flow of food products from farmers and producers to the ultimate consumers at risk. Furthermore, due to the pandemic, several food organizations have been prompted to rethink their strategies for the future. Although the literature on FSC research in the COVID-19 era is increasing, no attempt has been made to summarize this stream of research using bibliometric techniques. This paper fills this knowledge gap and looks at the current scholarly discourse around the FSC and COVID-19. Applying bibliometric techniques, 287 journal articles …

How Can We Address The Wicked Problem Of University Student Attrition? A Bed (Early Childhood) Case Study, Gillian Kirk

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Student retention in education courses is a political imperative. This research examined the wicked problem of attrition in a Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood Studies) course, drawing on the experiences of three different groups of students studying early childhood. The participants from each study represented different student groups within the course, which included all female (n = 20), all male (n = 6) and all mid-year entry students (n = 10). A qualitative methodology was employed to capture students’ university experiences and their perceptions of events at university. The research generated a unique theoretical framework examining the intersection between student …

Impact Of You Only Live Once: A Resilience-Based Hiv Prevention Intervention To Reduce Risky Sexual Behaviour Among Youth In South Africa, Fungai Mbengo, Esther Adama, Amanda Towell-Barnard, Arvin Bhana, Ebenezer Afrifa-Yamoah, Maggie Zgambo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: Interventions focused on promoting resilience or protective factors of youth have been proposed as a strategy for reducing risky behaviours associated with HIV infection among youth; however few studies have explored their effectiveness. This study assessed the impact of a resilience-based HIV prevention intervention (You Only Live Once) on risky sexual behaviours, resilience and protective factors of youth. Methods: A one-group pretest-posttest design was used. One hundred and ninety-seven youth aged 15 – 24 years were conveniently recruited from a non-profit organisation in Maluti-a-Phofung Local Municipality, South Africa and participated in a 12-session, resilience-based HIV intervention delivered over a …

Realising Curriculum Possibilities In Wales: Teachers’ Initial Experiences Of Re-Imagining Secondary Physical Education, David Aldous, Victoria Evans, Rhys Lloyd, Fiona Heath-Diffey, Fiona Chambers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper provides insight into secondary Physical Education (PE) teachers’ experiences of beginning to re-imagine secondary physical education provision in light of the new Curriculum for Wales, 2022 (CfW). Data were generated through analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 5) with secondary PE teachers who participated in three workshops which uses a design-thinking methodology. Informed by Ball and colleagues’ conceptualisation of policy work, findings draw attention towards how engagement in the workshops provided a foundation for the participants to begin interpretation and translation of the new CfW and consider re-imagining existing PE provision within the school context. Participants’ interpretations of …

The Intersection Of The Rule In Yerkey V Jones And Contemporary Anti-Discrimination Law In Australia – Can The ‘Special Wives’ Equity Survive?, Kenneth Yin, Mostafa M. Naser

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The High Court in Yerkey v Jones considered the enforceability of a guarantee provided by a married woman to secure her husband’s debts. Dixon J said that although the relationship of husband and wife did not give rise to a presumption of undue influence, the law had never been divested completely of ‘the equitable presumption of an invalidating tendency’. Dixon J’s formulation was essentially adopted by the majority justices in Garcia v National Australia Bank and their judgment thus represents the definitive endorsement of Dixon J’s view. Kirby
J on the other hand rejected ‘the stereotype underlying Yerkey’, which he …

A Review Of Arthritis Diagnosis Techniques In Artificial Intelligence Era: Current Trends And Research Challenges, Maleeha Imtiaz, Syed Afaq Ali Shah, Zia Ur Rehman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Deep learning, a branch of artificial intelligence, has achieved unprecedented performance in several domains including medicine to assist with efficient diagnosis of diseases, prediction of disease progression and pre-screening step for physicians. Due to its significant breakthroughs, deep learning is now being used for the diagnosis of arthritis, which is a chronic disease affecting young to aged population. This paper provides a survey of recent and the most representative deep learning techniques (published between 2018 to 2020) for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. The paper also reviews traditional machine learning methods (published 2015 onward) and their application for …

Airway Morphology And Its Influence On Osa Severity And Surgical Intervention: A Retrospective Study, Fabiana Petrykowski, Raymond Lam, Richard Lewis, Syed Mohammed Shamsul Islam, Mithran Goonewardene

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: The aim was to assess the relationship between airway morphology and surgical intervention in a cohort of patients presenting with increased body mass index (BMI) and a confirmed diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). A secondary aim was to revisit the relationship between morphology and OSA severity. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted of pre-operative maxillofacial 3D-CT scans of thirty-two patients with a confirmed diagnosis of OSA who received treatment from an ear nose and throat specialist (ENT). Lateral cephalograms were imported into Quick Ceph Studio (Quick Ceph Systems Inc, San Diego, CA, USA) after which linear and angular …

Application Of Critical Realism In Social Work Research: Methodological Considerations, Lynne Soon-Chean Park, Shajimon Peter

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

INTRODUCTION: Critical realism (CR) provides a unique and robust philosophical framework for social work researchers by attending to the role of individual agency and social structure; however, little practical guidance is available regarding how the ontology and epistemology of CR can be applied as a methodological framework for qualitative research. APPROACH: In this article, we explain what CR is in relation to other ontological and epistemological positions and provide some practical suggestions for CR-informed research by drawing on relevant examples from a study that examined the causes of trust among Korean migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that …

Assessment Of Hole Quality, Thermal Analysis, And Chip Formation During Dry Drilling Process Of Gray Cast Iron Astm A48, Numan Habib, Aamer Sharif, Aqib Hussain, Muhammad Aamir, Khaled Giasin, Danil Yurievich Pimenov

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The cutting parameters in drilling operations are important for high-quality holes and productivity improvement in any manufacturing industry. This study investigates the effects of spindle speed and feed rate on temperature, surface roughness, hole size, circularity, and chip formation during dry drilling of gray cast iron ASTM A48. The results showed that the temperature increased as spindle speed and feed rate increased. The surface roughness had an inverse relationship with the spindle speed and direct relation with the feed rate. Furthermore, hole size increased with increased spindle speed and decreased as the feed rate increased, while hole circularity decreased with …

Education In A Warming World: Trends, Opportunities And Pitfalls For Institutes Of Higher Education, Orla Kelly, Sam Illingworth, Fabrizio Butera, Vaille Dawson, Peta White, Mindy Blaise, Pim Martens, Geertje Schuitema, Maud Huynen, Susan Bailey, Sian Cowman

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Higher education institutes (HEI) face considerable challenges in navigating how to respond to the escalating and intertwined socio-ecological sustainability crises. Many dedicated individuals working in the sector are already driving meaningful action through rigorous research, teaching, knowledge sharing, and public engagement, while there is a growing consensus that sector-wide change is needed to ensure that aspirational declarations and positive individual actions translate into sustainable and transformative change. This article seeks to contribute to such efforts by illustrating a number of trends, examples, and reflections on how third-level educational institutes can act sustainably. We highlight the potential of five strategies HEI …

Enhancing Quality And Equity? Performance Assessment Validation In Examination Physical Education In Western Australia, Dawn Penney, Eibhlish O'Hara, Rob Lund

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The positioning and format of performance assessment in examination physical education varies between courses across Australia and internationally. This paper centres on developments in performance assessment in the Physical Education Studies (PES) course in Western Australia (WA). In 2021 The School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA) undertook an assessment validation trial of school-based assessment of students participating in modified format competitive game play in the 10 PES sports. This contrasted to existing centralised examination arrangements. The paper reports on findings from observation of the trial in nine of the 10 sport contexts, and semi-structured interviews with teachers, validators and SCSA …

Exhibiting Slavery: Biographical Approaches, Paul L. Arthur, Isobel Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Within museums, interpretation and curation have increasingly employed personal stories and intimate storytelling to present broader narratives about the past. This article explores some of the opportunities and challenges of biographical storytelling in museums and public sites of memory that engage with the issue of slavery, analysing Australian exhibitions alongside international contexts and theories of museology, historiography and memory. It will look at representations of historical and modern slavery in Australia, as well as global representations of the transatlantic slave trade and other traumatic histories such as the Holocaust. The discussion explores the potential for personal counter-narratives, the reimagining of …

How To Develop A Structural Conception Of Algebra In School Students, Vesife Hatisaru

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Algebra plays a pivotal role in school students’ mathematics learning. Students, however, have serious difficulties especially with ‘seeing’ the algebraic structures and expressing generality with algebraic symbols. These skills are not gained accidently; developing them in students takes continuous, sustained, and focused effort from both students themselves and teachers. As teachers of mathematics, what kind of classroom experience could we provide our students to prepare them for using algebra successfully? How could we assist them to develop structural conceptions of algebra? In this paper, I describe an approach based on the Mathematical Habits of Mind framework (Cuoco et al., 1996) …

Reciprocal Regulation Of Mitofusin 2-Mediated Mitophagy And Mitochondrial Fusion By Different Pink1 Phosphorylation Events, Jiajia Li, Xiawei Dang, Antonietta Franco, Gerald W Dorn

2020-Current year OA Pubs

Mitochondrial repair is essential to metabolic homeostasis. Outer mitochondrial membrane mitofusin (MFN) proteins orchestrate mitochondrial fusion that opposes mitochondrial degeneration caused by senescence. Depending upon physiological context, MFN2 can either mediate mitochondrial fusion or recruit cytosolic Parkin to initiate mitophagic elimination. Because it is not clear how these events are counter-regulated we engineered and expressed MFN2 mutants that mimic phosphorylated or non-phosphorylatable MFN2 at its PINK1 phosphorylation sites: T111, S378, and S442. By interrogating mitochondrial fusion, polarization status, and Parkin binding/mitophagy as a function of inferred MFN2 phosphorylation, we discovered that individual MFN2 phosphorylation events act as a biological "bar-code", …

Identifying Modifiable Features Of Home Bowel Cancer Screening Kits To Facilitate Use: Consumer Perspectives, Belinda C. Goodwin, Bianca Viljoen, Larry Myers, Michael J. Ireland, Jeff Dunn, Suzanne K. Chambers, Nicholas Ralph, Joanne F. Aitken

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives:

Despite the widely publicised health benefits of participation in bowel cancer screening, only 43.5% of recipients participate in the Australian National Bowel Cancer Screening Program (NBCSP). Through consultation with kit recipients, this study aimed to identify features of home bowel screening kits that could be modified to increase their use.

Method:

Participants (n = 25) were presented with nine different bowel cancer screening kits and asked to identify features of each kit that might prevent or promote their use. Responses were coded using content analysis, and a narrative synthesis is presented summarising preferences relating to each element of the …

Bridging The Technological Divide: Stigmas And Challenges With Technology In Digital Brain Health Studies Of Older Adults, Jessica Nicosia, Andrew J Aschenbrenner, Sarah L Adams, Marisol Tahan, Sarah H Stout, Hannah Wilks, Joyce E Balls-Berry, John C Morris, Jason Hassenstab

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased adoption of remote assessments in clinical research. However, longstanding stereotypes persist regarding older adults' technology familiarity and their willingness to participate in technology-enabled remote studies. We examined the validity of these stereotypes using a novel technology familiarity assessment (

Advances In Our Clinical Understanding Of Autonomic Regulation Therapy Using Vagal Nerve Stimulation In Patients Living With Heart Failure, Marvin A Konstam, Douglas L Mann, John James E Udelson, Jeffrey L Ardell, Gaetano M De Ferrari, Martin R Cowie, Helmut U Klein, Douglas D Gregory, Joseph M Massaro, Imad Libbus, Lorenzo A Dicarlo, Javed Butler, John D Parker, John R Teerlink

2020-Current year OA Pubs

The ANTHEM-HF, INOVATE-HF, and NECTAR-HF clinical studies of autonomic regulation therapy (ART) using vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) systems have collectively provided dose-ranging information enabling the development of several working hypotheses on how stimulation frequency can be utilized during VNS for tolerability and improving cardiovascular outcomes in patients living with heart failure (HF) and reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF). Changes in heart rate dynamics, comprising reduced heart rate (HR) and increased HR variability, are a biomarker of autonomic nerve system engagement and cardiac control, and appear to be sensitive to VNS that is delivered using a stimulation frequency that is similar to …