Digital Commons Network^™

Sugar Consumption In Aboriginal Children Explored From A Social Practice Perspective, Amy Budrikis, Angela Durey, Dan Mcaullay, Paul Ward, Hanny Calache, Thierry Ng, Roma Winmar, Linda Slack-Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Australian Aboriginal children have higher sugar intake and are disproportionately affected by sugar-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and dental caries than non-Aboriginal children. The intention of this paper was to highlight the need for approaches that can capture the complexity of health practices without reducing them to either individual choice or structural determination. We explore sugar consumption in Aboriginal children from a social practice perspective. Here, the unit of analysis is the practice, not the individual, where the elements of a social practice (competence, materials and meanings) are integrated into its performance. We conducted qualitative research using elements of …

Sustainable Healthcare In Action: Six Practice Changes That Make A Difference, Christine Catling, Carol Crevacore, Melisa Young, Wayne Varndell, Jack Cornish, Sue Sheppard-Law, Elaine Correia Moll

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Problem: Planetary health, linking the well-being of human populations with the stability of Earth's natural systems, is increasingly recognised as essential for all organisations. Healthcare is a major contributor to environmental harm, responsible for an estimated 4.4% of global net emissions. As a result, healthcare workers have an important role in driving sustainable, low-waste practices within clinical settings. Aim: This paper outlines six practical, evidence-informed changes that can be introduced within healthcare organisations: adopting reusable tourniquets, reducing unnecessary glove use, recycling medication blister packs, promoting reusable nappies, using reusable or compostable blueys, and reintroducing stainless steel holloware. Discussion: These examples …

Sustaining Caring Mobilities In Immobility Regimes: Adaptive Strategies Of Vietnamese Migrant (Grand)Parents In Australia, Hien Thi Nguyen, Catriona Turnbull, Loretta Baldassar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

(Grand)parents are increasingly traveling internationally to visit and spend time with their transnational families. This mobility is essential to provide informal, unpaid care, driven by globalisation as family members relocate for study and work. However, governments in receiving countries like Australia are implementing restrictive measures, defined in the literature as ‘immobility regimes’, to control the movement of older migrants into their territories, including overseas (grand)parents. Drawing on the lived experiences of 22 Vietnamese migrants (11 (grand)parent visitors and 11 adult migrants who host their (grand)parent visitors), this paper explores the relationship between transnational mobility and institutional migration policies in the …

Triglyceride Glucose Index And Modified Triglyceride Glucose Indices Are Instrumental To Optimize 3p Medical Management For Postpartum Cardiovascular Disease, Dong Lin, Haoxian Tang, Enoch Odame Anto, Yueran Zhou, Shenglan Zhang, Xiulian Deng, Cuihong Tian, Weijie Cao, Zhuoqiao He, Zhisheng Chen, Pengxiang Ying, Yequn Chen, Xuerui Tan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Postpartum cardiovascular disease (CVD) following hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) involves multifactorial mechanisms linking metabolic susceptibility to vascular damage. Identifying predictive biomarkers and modifiable risk factors is crucial for early stratification in the context of predictive, preventive, and personalized medicine (PPPM). We aimed to investigate the association of triglyceride-glucose (TyG) indices with incident CVD in women with prior HDP and to assess the causal relationship using Bayesian weighted Mendelian randomization (BWMR) analysis, with a focus on the implications for PPPM strategies in postpartum management. Methods: In this longitudinal cohort study, 1,642 women with prior HDP from the UK Biobank …

Next-Generation Virtual Environment Training For Cybersecurity In The Maritime Logistics Industry: A Position Paper, Tyler Cheng, Rory Hopcraft, Kimberly Tam, Ji-Jian Chin

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

The maritime logistics industry is the most dependent on it in the modern world, yet it is not well protected against cyber risks. Recently, the maritime industry has been transitioning into industry-specific tech, and threats of cyberattacks are increasing as the adoption of technology and automation continues. One of the most effective methods to protect industries and ships from such security incidents, is to train seafarers to mitigate and handle such incidents. However, to the best of our knowledge, we did not find anything that addresses this gap. This article will present the idea and benefits of using virtual environments …

What Is Resistance Exercise? A Review Of Current Uses And Potential Ways Forward, Lars H. Lohmann, José Afonso, David G. Behm, Stanislaw D. Siegel, Michael Keiner, Klaus Wirth, Anthony J. Blazevich, Eric R. Helms, Alyssa Joy Spence, Konstantin Warneke

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The resistance exercise (RE) literature highlights the importance and impact of RE in sports performance, daily life, and clinical outcomes. While RE research dates back to the 19th century, current definitions of what constitutes RE are varied and give rise to questions about the requisites of RE. For example, some definitions refer to movements or muscle contractions against external resistance whereas others consider all repeated actions against one’s bodyweight. Taken to the limit, this could introduce confusion between RE and endurance exercise, for example. Without a clear definition, systematic reviews (with meta-analysis) discuss outcomes of studies examining the effects of …

When Does Alzheimer's Disease Start? Plasma Aβ42/40 Assays Show Steep Changes At Aβ-Pet Centiloid 15, Mean Age Of 66 Years, Rodrigo Cánovas, Timothy Cox, Vincent Doré, Pierrick Bourgeat, Jurgen Fripp, Azadeh Feizpour, Rosita Shishegar, Christopher J. Fowler, Simon M. Laws, Tenielle Porter, Stephanie Rainey-Smith, Leslie M. Shaw, Randall J. Bateman, Yan Li, Ovod Vitaliy, Michael W. Weiner, John C. Morris, Tammie L.S. Benzinger, Suzanne E. Schindler, Akinori Nakamura, Takeshi Iwatsubo, Takeshi Ikeuchi, Takashi Kato, Paul Maruff, Hamid R. Sohrabi, Christopher C. Rowe, Ralph Martins, Colin L. Masters, James Doecke

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: Sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by a long pre-clinical phase where amyloid-beta (Aβ) and tau begin to accumulate in the brain. The primary objective was to determine the age at which AD starts by finding the average population age when both positron emission tomography (PET) Aβ (Aβ-PET) and plasma Aβ42/40 become abnormal. Methods: Two high performance immunoprecipitation-mass spectrometry (IP-MS) assays (WashU/C2N and Shimadzu) were tested on samples from 1,450 participants who were diagnosed as cognitively unimpaired (CU), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or AD-dementia across 4 international cohorts. Natural history modeling and trajectory analyses of the combined Aβ-PET …

From Predictions To Explanations: Explainable Ai For Autism Diagnosis And Identification Of Critical Brain Regions: 18th International Joint Conference, Biostec 2025, Kush Gupta, Amir Aly, Emmanuel Ifeachor, Rohit Shankar

School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmentalcondition characterized by atypical brain maturation. However, the adaptationof transfer learning paradigms in machine learning for ASD researchremains notably limited. In this study, we propose a computeraideddiagnostic framework with two modules. This chapter presents atwo-module framework combining deep learning and explainable AI forASD diagnosis. The first module leverages a deep learning model finetunedthrough cross-domain transfer learning for ASD classification. Thesecond module focuses on interpreting the model’s decisions and identifyingcritical brain regions. To achieve this, we employed three explainableAI (XAI) techniques: saliency mapping, Gradient-weighted Class ActivationMapping, and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) analysis.This framework demonstrates that …

Does In-Bed Cycling Delivered Within 48 Hours Of Mechanical Ventilation, Reduce The Occurrence Of Delirium In Critically Ill Patients: A Mixed-Methods Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Protocol, Jacqueline Bennion, Mark Hudson, Mary Hickson, Victoria Allgar, Bridie Kent, David Mcwilliams, Daniel Martin

Peninsula Medical School

Background: Delirium is a severe neuropsychiatric clinical state presenting as an acute onset of cognitive deficits. Patients receiving invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), have the highest incidence (50%–80%) of delirium amongst patients admitted to intensive care units. Preliminary data indicates that early mobilisation is associated with reduced delirium in critically ill patients. However, definitive evidence is lacking. Current practice varies due to many barriers to patients, who require IMV, receiving early mobilisation interventions. In-bed cycling may address some of these barriers. This research aims to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of early in-bed cycling to reduce delirium in critically ill patients. …

The Effectiveness Of Digital Therapeutics Intervention In Oral Anticoagulation Management: A Systematic Review And Meta-Analysis, Jiayue Guo, Lili You, Lu Liu, Xitong Jiao, Debasish Kar, Jitendra Jonnagaddala

Peninsula Medical School

Objective: To summarize the key intervention characteristics and evaluate the effectivenessand safety of digital therapeutics (DTx) in patients receiving oral anticoagulation, witheffectiveness evaluated using time in therapeutic range (TTR), thromboembolic events (TEE),and mortality, and safety evaluated based on bleeding events.Patients and Methods: We searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the CochraneLibrary from inception to June 20, 2025, and identified ten randomized controlled trialsinvolving 7,237 patients. The criteria required studies to assess software-based DTxsupporting anticoagulation management and report effectiveness or safety outcomes. Studyquality was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development,and Evaluation (GRADE) framework, and random-effects models were applied.Results: …

Microbial Collagenase Activity Is Linked To Oral–Gut Translocation In Advanced Chronic Liver Disease, Shen Jin, Aurelie Cenier, Daniela Wetzel, Bethlehem Arefaine, Mar Moreno-Gonzalez, Marilena Stamouli, Merianne Mohamad, Mariia Lupatsii, Emilio Ríos, Sunjae Lee, Ane Zamalloa, Shilpa Chokshi, Adil Mardinoglu, Saeed Shoaie, Naiara Beraza, Vishal C. Patel, Melanie Schirmer

Peninsula Medical School

Microbiome perturbations are associated with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD), but how microorganisms contribute to disease mechanisms is unclear. Here we analysed metagenomes of paired saliva and faecal samples from an ACLD cohort of 86 individuals, plus 2 control groups of 52 healthy individuals and 14 patients with sepsis. We identified highly similar oral and gut bacterial strains, including Veillonella and Streptococcus spp., which increased in absolute abundance in the gut of patients with ACLD compared with controls. These microbial translocators uniquely share a prtC gene encoding a collagenase-like proteinase, and its faecal abundance was a robust ACLD biomarker (area …

Transforming The Public Plate: A Menu Of Options For Public Food Procurement That Nourishes People, Place And Planet, Leah Galvin, Emma-Kate Rose, Stephanie Godrich, Dheepa Jeyapalan, Joanna Horton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Public food procurement stands as one of the most powerful, yet chronically underutilised, policy levers available to Australian governments. Every day, publicly funded institutions – hospitals, residential aged care facilities, long day care, prisons, schools, defence facilities and community food programs – purchase and serve food to millions of Australians. These are not simply transactions. Collectively, these purchasing decisions shape production systems, supply chains, diets, livelihoods and environmental outcomes. They determine who thrives within our food system and who is left behind. Transforming the Public Plate is an Australian first. It provides the most comprehensive national picture to date of …

Participatory Development Of Innovation And Implementation Strategy: An Action-Oriented Approach, Miae Lee, Lesley A. Anderson, Emilia Piltonen, Abha Maheshwari, Julian Griffin, Seshadri S. Vasan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Healthcare and academic institutions face growing challenges in strategic planning due to rapid advances in medicine and technology, alongside fiscal and workforce constraints that limit traditional consultation. Participatory approaches offer a way to integrate diverse stakeholder perspectives under these constraints, generating contextually relevant strategies that can indicate whether current directions are appropriate or whether priorities have been overlooked.

Methods: A structured, time-limited participatory workshop was conducted at the 10th Grampian Research Conference (June 2025), that brought together National Health Service (NHS) staff, academia, industry and patients and public communities. Participants engaged in 14 parallel roundtable discussions, with contributions captured …

Patient And Practitioner Workshops For An Intellectual Disabilities And Epilepsy Neuropsychiatric Genetic Research Database Register: Ethical Dilemmas For Study Design, Rohit Shankar, Jon Allard, Dannielle Bilkey, Brendan Mclean, Pamela Bowman, Chloe Staples, Lance Watkins, Anna Simpson, Elizabeth Boardman, Sarah Mitchell, Sarah Lennard

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundThere is a need for more research studies focussed on People with ID (PwID) and Epilepsy and for the design of these studies to be shaped by this complex and vulnerable population and those who care for and support them.AimsTo develop understanding as to how a future NHS genetic research database register for PwID and Epilepsy should be conducted in a way which is inclusive, suitable and appropriate for them, their carers and the NHS settings where the research would be undertaken.MethodsThree workshops were completed with 17 formal participants: (1) PwID and Epilepsy (n2); (2) carers of PwID and Epilepsy …

Strategizing Success: Advancing Women's Leadership And Careers In Healthcare Through A Positive Gain Spiral, Farveh Farivar, Andrei A. Lux, Nasim Salehi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose – Women’s career progression in healthcare continues to lag men’s, particularly at senior leadership levels, limiting organizational performance and weakening leadership pipelines. This study applies Conservation of Resources (COR) theory’s positive gains cycle to examine how supportive organizational environments and human resource management practices can accelerate women’s advancement from early career stages to senior leadership. Design/methodology/approach – Using a social constructivist approach, we conducted 30 in-depth interviews with Australian healthcare leaders (20 female and 10 male) across multiple organizational levels. Thematic analysis identified the resources and interactions that enable sustained leadership progression for women. Findings – Four interconnected resources, …

A Mass Cytometry-Based Blood Cell Phenotyping Workflow Enabling Inclusion Of Resource-Limited And Rural Sites In Immune System Studies, Natalie J. Smith, Michael Cohen, Lauren Tracey, Julie Alipaz, Christina Loh, David King, Neha Pulyani, Rebecca Auzins, Elin Gray, Sandra Taylor, Rajat Rai, Steven Kao, Barbara Fazekas De St Groth, Helen M. Mcguire

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Insight into disease detection and treatment through comprehensive immune phenotyping relies on the generation of high-quality data. However, the execution of robust immune monitoring in clinical trials by flow cytometry is complex due to logistical challenges in sample preparation and reagent stability. These challenges are exacerbated when considering remote and rural communities in Australia, which are burdened by both an increased prevalence and a worse prognosis of many chronic and infectious pathologies. This is not unique to the Australian context as globally remote and rural communities are underrepresented in biomedical research studies, contributing to persistent health inequities. To address these …

Prevalence And Determinants Of Diabetes-Related Psychological Distress In A Tertiary Care Setting In Tamil Nadu: India: Cross-Sectional Study, Rohit Shankar, Samuel Tromans

Peninsula Medical School

BackgroundDiabetes distress, whereby people with diabetes experience distressing psychological symptoms associated with living with their condition, is an emerging problem in India. Diabetes distress leads to self-care deficits, suboptimal glycaemic control (which can lead to increasing risks of complications) and impaired quality of life.AimsTo determine the burden of diabetes distress and its associated factors in an Indian tertiary care centre in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, India, covering a population of 1.25 million.MethodThis prospective observational study involved a structured questionnaire covering demographic and clinical details, which was given to patients. The Diabetes Distress Scale 17 (DDS-17) was used to assess diabetes distress …

Association Between Protein Intake From Animal And Plant Sources And The Presence Of Frailty In Community-Dwelling Australian Women, Trent Bozanich, Jack Dalla Via, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Cassandra Smith, Elsa Dent, Anthony Villani, Robin M. Daly, Michael Tieland, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Kun Zhu, Richard L. Prince, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We investigated the cross-sectional association between total, animal and plant protein intake with the presence of a multidimensional measure of frailty in older women. Participants included 1380 community-dwelling Australian women, mean (SD) age 75.1 (2.7) years. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used to determine total, plant, and animal protein intake. Frailty was assessed using a frailty index across numerous health domains (scored 0–1, ≥0.25 indicating frailty). Cross-sectional associations were analysed using multivariable-adjusted logistic regression models. In total, 275 (19.9%) women were identified as frail. A non-linear inverse association was observed between higher intakes of total protein and the odds …

Three Christmas Island Land Crabs Do Not Alter Extracellular Magnesium In Response To Acute Reduced Temperature, Katie N.G. Thiessen, Helena C. Reinardy, John I. Spicer, Lucy M. Turner

School of Biological and Marine Sciences

Magnesium is essential to numerous biological processes in many species. Including protecting intracellular pH and ATP concentrations during temperature and anoxia stress. Extracellular [Mg²⁺] is tightly regulated in many, but not all crustaceans. There is evidence that extracellular [Mg²⁺] content may be open to environmental influence such as temperature. The alteration of extracellular [Mg²⁺] in decapod crustaceans in response to temperature has been proposed, with individuals exposed to low temperature often displaying an increase in extracellular [Mg²⁺]. However, data, supporting or refuting this hypothesis, are sparse and drawn mainly from temperate and …

Association Of Source-Specific Nitrate Intake With Inflammation And Cardiometabolic Health: A Cross-Sectional Study, Carolyn J. English, Catherine P. Bondonno, Liezhou Zhong, Anna Lohning, Nicola P. Bondonno, Dianne P. Reidlinger

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This study aimed to explore whether health effects of dietary nitrate depend on its source, by investigating associations between plant and animal-sourced dietary nitrate groups with markers of inflammation and CVD risk factors. Among 100 non-smoking adults (mean age 49 ± 13 years, 31% male), dietary nitrate intake was assessed using food frequency questionnaire (n=100) and 3-day food diary (n=89), combined with nitrate food composition databases. Nitrate intake was classified into plant, naturally occurring animal and additive-permitted meat-sourced groups. Associations between source-dependent nitrate intakes and lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2), C-reactive protein (CRP), fasting plasma lipids, anthropometry, and blood pressure were …

Beyond The Pandemic: How Covid-19 Highlighted The Need For Cross-Sector Healthcare Solutions For Young Australians Living With Adversity, Ennur Erbasi, Shannon Muir, Karen Mclean

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

We explored the perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on health and healthcare access among young people living with significant adversity in Victoria, Australia, using a convergent parallel mixed-methods design. Guided by a pragmatism epistemology, fifty-seven purposively sampled Victorian adolescents aged 15–19 years with lived experience of adversity completed a primarily quantitative online survey, and eight also participated in semi-structured interviews. Descriptive quantitative results indicated that a greater proportion of participants rated their mental health as fair or poor during COVID-19 (69%) compared to before the pandemic (40%). Similarly, more participants rated their physical health as fair or poor during …

Cohort Profile: The Resilient Minds National Study Of Mental Health And Cognitive Resilience In Community Dwelling Adults Aged 18 To 93, Kaarin J. Anstey, Brooke Brady, Lidan Zheng, Jana Koch, Md Hamidul Huque, Michelle K. Lupton, Ralph Martins, Daniel Ashworth, Erin Goddard, Nikki Anne Wilson, Claudia M. Hillenbrand, Ralf B. Loeffler, Maria Markoulli, Arun V. Krishnan, Tanya Layton, Ranmalee Eramudugolla

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: The Resilient Minds (ReMind) cohort was established to investigate cognitive and mental health resilience across the life course, addressing a gap in longitudinal evidence about resilience. The study collected data on traditional medical and lifestyle risk factors for chronic disease, genetics, and a range of mental health and cognitive outcomes. It also aimed to explore contemporary contextual influences on resilience, including internet use, social engagement, environmental exposures, and life course adversities such as perceived discrimination. Participants: The cohort included 1,640 adults aged 18–93 years, recruited through social media and community groups, to participate in a fully remote, two-year health …

Designing And Evaluating Quality Transdisciplinary Work-Integrated Learning: Insights Into Practice, Denise Jackson, Claire Lambert, Sonja Coetzee

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Higher education’s role in fostering innovation and enacting social change is increasingly important. Transdisciplinary Work-Integrated Learning (TWIL) offers opportunities to prepare students to address societal issues by transcending disciplinary boundaries and collaboratively tackling real-world global challenges. While extensive literature exists on established WIL models, research on the critical aspects of designing, implementing and evaluating impactful TWIL activities remains scarce. This paper draws together insights from 15 TWIL academics across 14 Australian universities, highlighting important design elements such as training for small group collaboration, open-ended projects, design thinking, sustained mentorship and reciprocal partnerships. Emerging challenges related to online delivery, teamwork, scalability, …