Digital Commons Network^™

Association Between Immunoglobulin G N-Glycosylation And Lupus Nephritis In Female Patients With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: A Case-Control Study, Xinxia Lu, Liangao Wang, Meng Wang, Yuejin Li, Qinqin Zhao, Yanjun Shi, Yujing Zhang, Yingjie Wang, Wei Wang, Long Ji, Haifeng Hou, Dong Li

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a crucial complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and has important clinical implications in guiding treatment. N-glycosylation of immunoglobulin G (IgG) plays a key role in the development of SLE by affecting the balance of anti-inflammatory and proinflammatory responses. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of IgG N-glycosylation for diagnosing LN in a sample of female SLE patients. Methods: This case-control study recruited 188 women with SLE, including 94 patients with LN and 94 age-matched patients without LN. The profiles of plasma IgG N-glycans were detected by hydrophilic interaction chromatography with ultra-performance liquid chromatography …

Measuring What Matters In Healthcare: A Practical Guide To Psychometric Principles And Instrument Development, Katina Swan, Renee Speyer, Martina Scharitzer, Daniele Farneti, Ted Brown, Virginie Woisard, Reinie Cordier

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The provision of quality healthcare relies on scales and measures with robust evidence of their psychometric properties. Using measurement instruments with poor reliability, validity, or feasibility, or those that are not appropriate for the target diagnostic group or construct/dimension under consideration, may be unfavorable for patients, unproductive, and hinder empirical advancement. Resources from the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health status Measurement INstruments (COSMIN) group can assist in identifying and developing psychometrically sound measures. The COSMIN initiative is the only international, research-based practice taxonomy and methodological guidelines for measurement in healthcare. This manuscript aims to provide an accessible introduction …

Mitigating Implicit Bias And Promoting Compassionate Behavior In Public Health/Healthcare Professionals: Implications For Treatment Outcomes, Lon J. Van Winkle, Shane L. Rogers, Marta J. Brooks, Bianca B. Calderon, Nicole Michels

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Partly because it is unconscious, managing implicit bias in public health/healthcare remains intractable. Hence, administrators, practitioners, and their students unknowingly discriminate against others especially including socioeconomically disadvantaged people in the US and elsewhere. . . .

The Role Of Negative Affects As Mediators In The Relationship Between Stress And Mental Health In Ecuadorian Adolescents, Rodrigo Moreta-Herrera, Doris Zumba-Tello, Jaisalmer De Frutos-Lucas, Stefanía Llerena-Freire, Alexandra Salinas-Palma, Almudena Trucharte-Martínez

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Stress and negative emotions have adverse consequences for the mental health of adolescents, an area that deserves further examination. These attributes are associated with each other and regularly interact in different ways. The way they exert an influence can be both direct and indirect, so the general objective is to elucidate the potential mediating effect of negative affects in the relationship between stress and mental health in Ecuadorian adolescents. Participants and procedure: An explanatory and mediation design based on structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied with 1154 high school students from Ecuador (67.7% women) aged 14 to 19 years …

Tourism Experiences Reduce The Risk Of Cognitive Impairment In The Chinese Older Adult: A Prospective Cohort Study, Qian Li, Zheng Guo, Fangli Hu, Mengfei Xiao, Qiang Zhang, Jun Wen, Tianyu Ying, Danni Zheng, Youxin Wang, Song Yang, Haifeng Hou

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Given the etiological complexity of cognitive impairment, no effective cure currently exists for precise treatment of dementia. Although scholars have noted tourism’s potential role in managing cognitive impairment and mild dementia, more robust empirical investigation is needed in this area. This study aimed to examine the associations between tourism and cognitive impairment and dementia in older Chinese adults. Method: From a nationwide community-based cohort, 6,717 individuals aged ≥ 60 were recruited from 2011 to 2014, of whom 669 (9.96%) had had at least one tourism experience in the 2 years prior to enrollment. All the participants were then prospectively …

Local Community Capacity Building: Exploring Non-Governmental Organizations Approaches In Tamil Nadu, Sten Langmann, Pieter-Jan Bezemer, David Pick

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Locally based non-governmental organizations (NGOs) play an important role in community capacity building (CCB). Because these NGOs are generally located close to the affected communities, they have the local knowledge to identify problems and assist the affected communities to address them. However, the methods these local NGOs use to build capacity in the local communities and the reasons they choose certain CCB approaches are not well known. To enhance the knowledge in these areas, this study conducted semistructured interviews with local NGOs and local NGO experts in Tamil Nadu, India. It was found that local NGOs build capacity in communities …

On The Path To Decolonizing Health Care Services: The Role Of Marketing, Reece George, Steven D'Alessandro, Mehmet I. Mehmet, Mona Nikidehaghani, Michelle M. Evans, Guarangi Laud, Deirdre Tedmanson

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Despite considerable investment, health outcomes for First Nations people are well below those of the rest of the population in several countries, including Canada, the United States, and Australia. In this article, the authors draw on actor-network theory and the case of Birthing on Country, a successful policy initiative led by First Nations Australians, to explore the decolonization of health services. Using publicly available archival data and the theoretical guidance of actor-network theory, the analysis offers insight into how marketing techniques and technologies can be deployed to achieve improved health outcomes and implement decolonized approaches. The insights provided have theoretical …

Mining For Sleep Data: An Investigation Into The Sleep Of Fly-In Fly-Out Shift Workers In The Mining Industry And Potential Solutions, Gemma Maisey

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Shift work in the mining industry is a risk factor for sleep loss leading to impaired alertness, which may adversely impact health and safety risks. This risk is being increasingly recognised by leaders and shift workers in the mining industry, however, there is limited knowledge available on the extent of sleep loss and other potential contributing factors. Furthermore, knowledge of the efficacy of individual interventions to assist shift workers to improve their sleep, and the management of risk at an organisational level is scarce. This PhD thesis involved three studies. The first two studies involved the recruitment of 88 shift …

‘Keep The Music Going’: How The Isolation Tour 2020 Maintained Community And Cultural Connectedness During The 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown In Western Australia, Brigitta Scarfe, Amy Budrikis, Clint Bracknell

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social isolation measures had a profound impact on communities worldwide. In regional and remote Western Australia, the use of online platforms has become increasingly important for maintaining social and emotional well-being. This article examines the role of ‘The Isolation Tour 2020’ Facebook page in providing a lifeline for its mostly Aboriginal audience to stay connected with culture, Country, and one another during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Western Australia. The authors conducted an in-depth interview with one of the administrators of the page and supplemented this with a thematic analysis of publicly available Facebook data. …

Application Of A Novel Green Nano Polymer For Chemical Eor Purposes In Sandstone Reservoirs: Synergetic Effects Of Different Fluid/Fluid And Rock/Fluid Interacting Mechanisms, Abbas K. Manshad, Alireza Kabipour, Erfan Mohammadian, Lei Yan, Jagar A. A., Stefan Iglauer, Alireza Keshavarz, Milad Norouzpour, Amin Azdarpour, S. Mohammad Sajadi, Siyamak Moradi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this research, a novel natural-based polymer, the Aloe Vera biopolymer, is used to improve the mobility of the injected water. Unlike most synthetic chemical polymers used for chemical-enhanced oil recovery, the Aloe Vera biopolymer is environmentally friendly, thermally stable in reservoir conditions, and compatible with reservoir rock and fluids. In addition, the efficiency of the Aloe Vera biopolymer was investigated in the presence of a new synthetic nanocomposite composed of KCl-SiO2-xanthan. This chemically enhanced oil recovery method was applied on a sandstone reservoir in Southwest Iran with crude oil with an API gravity of 22°. The Aloe Vera biopolymer’s …

Genetic And Immunological Insights Into Covid-19 With Acute Myocardial Infarction: Integrated Analysis Of Mendelian Randomization, Transcriptomics, And Clinical Samples, Zequn Zheng, Yueran Zhou, Yongfei Song, Pengxiang Ying, Xuerui Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Globally, most deaths result from cardiovascular diseases, particularly ischemic heart disease. COVID-19 affects the heart, worsening existing heart conditions and causing myocardial injury. The mechanistic link between COVID-19 and acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is still being investigated to elucidate the underlying molecular perspectives. Methods: Genetic risk assessment was conducted using two-sample Mendelian randomization (TSMR) to determine the causality between COVID-19 and AMI. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and machine learning were used to discover and validate shared hub genes for the two diseases using bulk RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) datasets. Additionally, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) and single-cell RNA-seq …

Comparing Western Australia And South Australia Public High School’S Cyberbullying Policies – Is There A Need For A Legislative Change, Vanessa Tay

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The internet provides some of the most effective means of communication. Cyberbullying occurs when the internet is used to bully another person. Along with the positive aspects of the internet, cyberbullying is certainly one of the most negative aspects, especially with regard to school students. Victims of cyberbullying may be able to obtain legal sanctions, however, this usually occurs after the harm is done. In Australia, some states such as South Australia have recognised the need for preventive strategies by requiring schools to have an anti-bullying plan in place. Other countries, like Ontario, Canada have implemented similar preventative strategies in …

How “Open” Are Australian Museums? A Review Through The Lens Of Copyright Governance, Paul L. Arthur, Lydia Hearn, Isabel Smith, Nikos Koutras

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Museums are increasingly employing innovative digital techniques to curate, link, and market collections, enabling new kinds of public engagement to better connect with popular culture. By embracing contemporary modes of delivery to open access to their collections, museums are signalling a drive toward greater democratisation of knowledge and information through increased interaction and accessibility. Yet with this has come a series of copyright and legal complexities. This paper reviews current copyright barriers for museums in Australia and examines how international examples offer potential models and ways forward. The authors conclude that recent copyright modernisation reviews offer the museum sector an …

Optimising A Defence-Aware Threat Modelling Diagram Incorporating A Defence-In-Depth Approach For The Internet-Of-Things, Menaka L. Godakanda

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

Modern technology has proliferated into just about every aspect of life while improving the quality of life. For instance, IoT technology has significantly improved over traditional systems, providing easy life, time-saving, financial saving, and security aspects. However, security weaknesses associated with IoT technology can pose a significant threat to the human factor. For instance, smart doorbells can make household life easier, save time, save money, and provide surveillance security. Nevertheless, the security weaknesses in smart doorbells could be exposed to a criminal and pose a danger to the life and money of the household. In addition, IoT technology is constantly …

An Empirical Examination Of The Antecedents Of Residents' Support For Of Future Film Tourism Development, Deborah Castro, Sangkyun Kim, Guy Assaker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to develop and test a conceptual model of the antecedents of residents' attitudinal behavior to support future film tourism in a popular tourism destination. These antecedents include: socio-cultural impacts of existing tourism, place attachment, external perceived realism of media programs, and perceived importance of residents' involvement. A total of 416 survey questionnaires were completed from residents living in the province of Seville, Spain. Partial least squares-structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the relationship between these factors and the residents' support for future film tourism (RSFFT). The results indicate that place attachment and perceived importance of …

Blockchain And Sustainability Disclosure: A Scenario-Based Application For Supply Chains, Laura Corazza, Junru Zhang, Dilhani Kapu Arachchilage, Simone Domenico Scagnelli

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This paper presents the implications of blockchain technologies on sustainability reporting and disclosure, and specifically proposes blockchain use-cases as a possible solution for problems experienced in the field of supply chain carbon information. This study addresses how the reliability of supply chains’ carbon-related information can become more transparent and reliable through a decentralized approach based on blockchain thinking (BT), issues that have been identified as a gap in the literature and in the practice. Scenario analysis and design science research (DSR) are used as a methodological driver to conceptualize over the nature of practical solutions using unified modeling language (UML) …

Shale Wettability Characteristics Via Air/Brines And Air/Oil Contact Angles And Influence Of Controlling Factors: A Case Study Of Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, Darya Khan Bhutto, Abdul Majeed Shar, Ghazanfer Raza Abbasi, Ubedullah Ansari

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Wettability is the fundamental parameter that influences the productivity of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The knowledge of this regarding shale formation is yet inadequate; thus, detailed analysis is essential for successful development of such reservoirs. The Early Cretaceous Sembar formations in the Lower Indus Basin, Pakistan, is considered as the key target for energy exploration; however, it exhibits large uncertainties due to the lack of data availability. Sembar shales hold significant hydrocarbon volumes rich in organic content; however, prior to this, no comprehensive research has been conducted to quantify the wetting behavior of these shales. Thus, precise information about the wetting behavior …

From Real Life To Story – And Back Again: Using Autobiographical Fiction Writing To Understand Self, Others And Family Generations, Alberta N. Adji

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Writing autobiographically includes complicated responsibilities to the subjects involved: to family members, friends, colleagues, and even cultural communities. This article explores creative developments occurring during the process of writing an autobiographical novel called ‘The longing’, which is drawn from a recollection of intergenerational lived experiences of a middle-class Chinese Indonesian family from 1956 to 2018. I reflect on my strategies and approaches on tackling challenges that arose while using autobiographical material and autofictional techniques to write fiction and communicating cultural complexities for it allows agreeable distance between the author and her writing subject. In the article, I also argue that …

A New Augmented Reality System For Calculating Social Distancing Between Children At School, Omar Alshaweesh, Mohammad Wedyan, Moutaz Alazab, Bilal Abu-Salih, Adel Al-Jumaily

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Social distancing is one of the most important ways to prevent many diseases, especially the respiratory system, where the latest internationally spread is coronavirus disease, and it will not be the last. The spreading of this pandemic has become a major threat to human life, especially to the elderly and people suffering from chronic diseases. During the Corona pandemic, medical authorities were keen to control the spread through social distancing and monitoring it in markets, universities, and schools. This monitoring was mostly used to estimate the distance with the naked eye and interfere with estimating the distance on the observer …

Exploring The Use Of Photovoice In Understanding The Lived Experience Of Neurological Conditions: A Scoping Review And Reflexive Thematic Analysis, James Smith, Andre Nels, Laura Emery, Mandy Stanley

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

People living with neurological conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease and dementia may experience physical impairment, social disengagement, cognitive issues, and emotional disturbances. While qualitative research utilising in-depth interviews can access lived experience perspectives, the use of photovoice has the potential to obtain rich insights that include images and raise community awareness. The purpose of this scoping review was to document salient themes relating to the lived experience of neurological conditions as reported in photovoice studies. Following established scoping review methods of the Joanna Briggs Institute, a comprehensive search of five electronic databases, including MEDLINE, EMBASE, PSYCHINFO, CINAHL, and …

Relationship Between Residential Aged Care Facility Characteristics And Breaches Of The Australian Aged Care Regulatory Standards: Non-Compliance Notices And Sanctions, Janine Alan, Sean Randall, Anna Ferrante, Davina Porock

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives

To examine the relationship between structural characteristics of Australian residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and breaches of the aged care quality standards.

Methods

Facility-level analysis of audits, sanctions and non-compliance notices of all accredited Australian RACFs between 2015/16 and 2018/19. Structural factors of interest included RACF size, remoteness, ownership type and jurisdiction. Two government data sources were joined. Each outcome was analysed to calculate time trends, unadjusted rates and relative risks.

Results

Non-compliance notices were imposed on 369 RACFs (13%) and 83 sanctions on 75 RACFs (3%). Compared with New South Wales (NSW), non-compliance notices were less likely in …

Fabrication And Optimization Of Nafion As A Protective Membrane For Tin-Based Ph Sensors, Shimrith P. Shylendra, Magdalena Wajrak, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In this study, a solid-state modified pH sensor with RF magnetron sputtering technology was developed. The sensor consists of an active electrode consisting of a titanium nitride (TiN) film with a protective membrane of Nafion and a reference glass electrode of Ag/AgCl. The sensitivity of the pH sensor was investigated. Results show a sensor with excellent characteristics: sensitivity of 58.6 mV/pH for pH values from 2 to 12, very short response time of approximately 12 s in neutral pH solutions, and stability of less than 0.9 mV in 10 min duration. Further improvement in the performance of the TiN sensor …

A Review Of Cyber Vigilance Tasks For Network Defense, Oliver A. Guidetti, Craig Speelman, Peter Bouhlas

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The capacity to sustain attention to virtual threat landscapes has led cyber security to emerge as a new and novel domain for vigilance research. However, unlike classic domains, such as driving and air traffic control and baggage security, very few vigilance tasks exist for the cyber security domain. Four essential challenges that must be overcome in the development of a modern, validated cyber vigilance task are extracted from this review of existent platforms that can be found in the literature. Firstly, it can be difficult for researchers to access confidential cyber security systems and personnel. Secondly, network defense is vastly …

Careful And Curious: A Transformative Ethos For Artistic Evaluation, Vahri Mckenzie, Denise Thwaites, Cathy Hope

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The logic of government subsidy recognises that there are forms of value not suitably captured by exchanges of the free market. Yet there remains a growing impetus for arts organisations and individual artists to measure and articulate the specific value of their practices through formal processes of evaluation. In the context of government subsidy, evaluation typically misses opportunities to capture unforeseen insights that artists and communities may articulate through alternative forms of evaluation. This article offers a conceptual discussion and illustrative example of how more open and exploratory evaluation methodologies may intersect with existing government frameworks. We draw on the …

“An Institution Can Have Good Intentions And Still Be Atrocious": Transgender And Gender Expansive Experiences In Social Work Education, M. Killian Kinney, Darren Cosgrove, Tayon R. Swafford, Richard A. Brandon-Friedman

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Educational settings have been found to be challenging arenas for transgender and gender expansive (TGE) youth and young adults due to misgendering, lack of affirming bathrooms, systemic exclusion (e.g., legal names and lack of inclusive gender identity demographic options), and frequent silence or avoidance related to TGE issues. Though studies of TGE adult experiences in higher education are emerging, most explore disaffirming experiences. Social work education focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion, along with how to promote social justice, which suggests more affirming environments for TGE individuals. However, little is known about the experiences of TGE students and even less …

Committed To The Cause? Examining Social Work Education's Role In Supporting Ally Behavior For Transgender And Nonbinary People And Communities, Brittanie Atteberry-Ash, N. Eugene Walls, Brendon T. Holloway, Jayme Dooley

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Transgender and nonbinary (TNB) youth and adults are under attack in the United States, with at least 300 state-level anti-transgender bills introduced thus far in 2022 (HRC, 2022). Social workers, guided by professional values and ethics, play a critical role in supporting and advocating for TNB youth and adults, clinically and through mezzo and macro approaches. Given the current political context and the goals of the social work profession, understanding correlates of ally behavior on behalf of TNB people among social work students can help guide improvements in social work education. Specifically, in this study, we examine how demographic differences, …

"We're All We Have": Envisioning The Future Of Mutual Aid From Queer And Trans Perspectives, Brendon T. Holloway, C. Riley Hostetter, Karaya Morris, Jax Kynn, Maximillion Kilby

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Mutual aid has prevailed for as long as humans have existed. However, the concept of mutual aid became popularized in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the racial uprisings in response to the continued police brutality toward Black people, and an increase in global climate crises. Mutual aid spread as a way of survival and collective care when formal systems, such as federal and local governments within the U.S., were failing to meet people's needs. Using a subset of data from semi-structured interviews, the current study relied on a desire-based research framework and foresight lens to capture the …

'Logics Of Redistribution' Under Welfare Reform: The Case Of Welfare For Families With Children, Anthony Huaqui

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This article builds upon the “logics of redistribution” approach to welfare state theory, which argues that different theoretical explanations, referred to as “logics”, apply to different programs based on context and constituencies. I argue that individual programs’ can have their logics change over time as well via institutional restructuring in policymaking. To demonstrate this, I use Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC), later renamed Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), as a case. This program underwent institutional restructuring in 1996 by way of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA). I use yearly state-level data from 1984 …

Racial Microaggressions And Asian Americans' Well-Being: A Scoping Review And Exploratory Meta-Analysis, Shinwoo Choi, Amy Alberton, Hyejoon Park, Eun-Jee Song, Heather Gough, Inyoung Stella Lee

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

BACKGROUND: Racial microaggressions continue to be a serious problem in the United States. While racialized microaggressions have been a long standing, though under explored, issue for all Asian Americans, Covid significantly amplified both overt and microaggression-based discrimination against Asian Americans because of the links between the origins of the viral spread and China (Lee & Waters, 2021). Despite this history of discrimination against Asian Americans, research in the area of microaggressions has lagged compared to other groups. However, research in this area has recently grown significantly, warranting a synthetic study of existing literature in order to better frame understandings of …

When Contraceptive Means No Pregnancy: Narrative Account Of Contraceptive Use Among Reproductive Women At The Tamale Teaching Hospital, Ghana, Akosua Bonsu Karikari, Nana Afia Karikari, Akua Afriyie Karikari, Amos Apraku

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

Contraception is a major intervention in improving maternal health. There are about 214 million women of reproductive age in developing countries who are not using modern contraception to prevent pregnancy. For proper locale-specific analysis of female reproductive health issues in Ghana, it is vital to explore the knowledge base and hindrances to contraception use in local communities. We used a phenomenological design to study reproductive- aged women in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana in order to comprehend the life world of study participants. This research demonstrates that the majority of the women in the study area …