Digital Commons Network^™

Calcium Supplementation And The Risk Of Dementia In The Perth Longitudinal Study Of Aging Women: A Post-Hoc Analysis Of A Randomised Clinical Trial For Fracture Prevention, Negar Ghasemifard, Joshua R. Lewis, Simone Radavelli-Bagatini, Simon M. Laws, Blossom C.M. Stephan, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Kun Zhu, Richard L. Prince, Marc Sim

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Concerns have been raised around whether calcium supplements increase dementia risk. This post-hoc analysis of a five-year double-blind, placebo-controlled randomised trial of calcium supplements for primary fracture prevention evaluated the long-term risk for dementia in older women, randomised to either calcium supplements or placebo. Methods: 1460 community-dwelling dementia-free Australian women (≥70 years) were randomised to 1200 mg/day calcium carbonate (n = 730) or placebo (n = 730) for five years and were observed for an additional 9.5 years afterwards. Over 14.5 years, all-cause dementia events (comprising dementia-related hospitalisations and/or deaths) were identified from linked health records. The influence of …

Healing Right Way: A Stepped Wedge Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Aiming To Enhance Quality Of Life For Aboriginal Australian Survivors Of Stroke And Traumatic Brain Injury, Elizabeth Armstrong, Tapan Rai, Judith M. Katzenellenbogen, Sandra J. Thompson, Meaghan Mcallister, Natalie Ciccone, Deborah Hersh, Leon Flicker, Dominique A. Cadilhac, Erin Godecke, Graeme J. Hankey, Neil Drew, Colleen Hayward, Deborah Woods, Mel Robinson, Ivan Lin, Sanita Kratina, Jane White, Juli Coffin

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To determine the effect of cultural security training (CST) for health professionals and access to an Aboriginal Brain Injury Coordinator (ABIC) for Aboriginal Australians with stroke or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: A stepped wedge cluster randomised controlled trial; the intervention package consisted of CST for hospital professionals and 6-month access to ABICs providing education, support, liaison and advocacy; the commencement order of the intervention phase was randomised. Setting: Four urban and four rural hospitals in Western Australia, 2018–2022. Participants: Aboriginal adults ≥ 18 years hospitalised with stroke or TBI. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome was quality of life …

I’M Here Whether I Like It Or Not: A Focused Ethnographic Description Of Transition Into Residential Aged Care, Stacey Scott, Annette Raynor, Julie Dare, Jennifer Grieve, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Transition into residential aged care (RAC) is a challenging process, often characterised by vulnerability, fear, and isolation. This study aimed to provide a contextualised description of transition within a care-facility in Australia to deepen our understanding of this major life event. A focused ethnography was conducted, which included formal interviews with residents during their first 6 months of living in RAC. The findings provide an account of the participants’ views on acceptance, highlight the challenges of loss, and showcase the coping practices new residents used. This paper provides a type of report card for the sector, which reveals that there …

Knowledge + Innovation = Power: A Protocol For Implementing Aboriginal Data Sovereignty In An Aboriginal Medical Service For Service Delivery Reform, Emma Haynes, Lesley Nelson, Heather D'Antoine, Judith Katzenellenbogen, Elizabeth Armstrong, Lindey Andrews, Jasmin Brown, Nicole Bowser, Roz Walker, Ingrid Stacey, Jessika Purnomo, Dawn Bessarab

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Context Comprehensive Primary Health Care (CPHC) is an interconnected, holistic, and strengths-based health and wellbeing approach fundamental to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) in Australia. However, policy and funding trends increasingly threaten the capacity of ACCHOs to deliver CPHC by imposing burdensome administrative and accountability requirements. A central constraint is the marginalisation of culturally informed data measures and tools that could enable improved development, implementation, evaluation and reporting of CHPC services and programs. To mitigate this, ACCHOs must be enabled to take charge of collecting and using meaningful data to increase self-determination and drive impactful policy and service delivery. …

Recent Advancement In Conformal Cooling Channels: A Review On Design, Simulation And Future Trends, Soroush Masoudi, Barun K. Das, Muhammad Aamir, Majid Tolouei-Rad

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The cooling phase of a moulded part plays a crucial role in the injection moulding (IM) process, accounting for 50 to 80 % of total cycle time, and significantly impacting the quality of moulded parts. During the last decade, the advancement of different additive manufacturing (AM) processes, especially metal 3D printing, has facilitated the production of mould parts, such as cores and cavities, with complex-shaped internal conformal cooling channels (CCCs). These innovative cooling systems exhibit significant potential to replace traditional straight-drilled cooling design, as they offer more efficient and uniform cooling performance by facilitating more effective heat transfer, considerably enhancing …

Temporal Eating Patterns And Ultra-Processed Food Consumption Assessed From Mobile Food Records Of Australian Adults, Janelle D. Healy, Satvinder S. Dhaliwal, Christina M. Pollard, Amelia J. Harray, Lauren Blekkenhorst, Fengqing Zhu, Deborah A. Kerr

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background/Objective: Temporal eating patterns and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption have independently been associated with obesity and non-communicable diseases. Little is known about the temporal patterns of UPF consumption, as data is challenging to collect. Temporal data can be extracted from mobile food records (mFRs). The aim of this study was to identify the temporal eating patterns of those consuming UPFs using an mFR. Methods: A combined sample of 243 young (18–30 years) and 148 older (>30 years) adults completed a 4-day mFR. The time of eating was extracted from the mFR image metadata. UPFs were identified using the NOVA …

The Consequences Of Habitual Rumination, Expressive Suppression, And Perceived Stress On Mental And Physical Health Among Older Adults, Eyal Gringart, Rodrigo Becerra, Andrea Smith

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background/Objectives: The current study aimed to investigate whether habitual rumination, suppression, and perceived stress predict poor mental and physical health as well as well-being in a group of older adults (aged 50 to 80 years) from a non-clinical community sample. Methods: The current study comprised a cross-sectional survey design with online self-report measures. It was predicted that higher levels of rumination, suppression, and perceived stress would predict lower levels of general health as well as well-being, and heightened levels of depression and anxiety. Results: Findings from the study indicated that both rumination and perceived stress significantly predicted heightened anxiety, heightened …

Production Of Durable Mortar For Aggressive Environments Using Waste Glass Aggregates And Metakaolin-Based Blended Cement, T. F. Awolusi, A. O. Sojobi, D. O. Oguntayo

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The depletion of river sand and its environmental consequences, combined with the vulnerability of concrete structures to harsh environments, pose a significant global concern. To mitigate maintenance costs, it’s essential to prioritize sustainable infrastructure production that balances durability and environmental sustainability, particularly in aggressive environments. This study explores the possibility of production of durable mortar for aggressive environments using waste glass aggregates and metakaolin-based blended cement. The waste glass cullets were used as sand replacement at 0%, 50%, and 100% and blended with metakaolin and gypsum to produce binary and ternary mortars. The blend of metakaolin and gypsum was explored …

Woman-Centred Ethical Grid For Midwifery Education: A Content Analysis, Kate Buchanan, Darcie Bygraves, Emma Ritchie, Krystyl Toneycliffe, Sara Bayes, David Seedhouse

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Midwives across the world are required to practice in accordance with an internationally agreed set of ethical principles. Midwifery education for many students includes ethics theory content, but this does not necessarily provide them with the skills toward ethical competence in practice. Aim: To understand students' perception of ethical issues and to use these findings as foundational information with which to create an ethical deliberation tool for practice. Methods: Qualitative Content Analysis was used for this study. Purposive sampling provided twenty-one ethics-focused reflective assignments from one Western Australian university. Ethical considerations: Institutional review board approval was obtained. Findings: Three …

Examining The Role Of Social Environment On Covid-19 Infections And Vaccine Uptake Among Migrants In Japan: Findings From Nationwide Surveys In 2021 And 2023, Yuanyuan Teng, Clive E Sabel, Tomoya Hanibuchi, Tomoki Nakaya

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

Studies have shown that migrants and ethnic minority groups were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet the role of the social environment in shaping their vulnerabilities remains underexplored in Japan. This study explored the experiences of migrants in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic and examined the association between social environmental factors (i.e., population density, neighborhood deprivation, ethnic density, and social networks) and both COVID-19 infections and vaccination uptake. Two nationwide online surveys were conducted in 2021 and 2023 to capture migrants' experiences and analyze these associations during the middle and waning stages of the pandemic. Modified Poisson regressions with …

Artificial Intelligence And Academic Integrity In Nursing Education: A Mixed Methods Study On Usage, Perceptions, And Institutional Implications, Maggie Zgambo, Martina Costello, Melanie Buhlmann, Justine Maldon, Edah Anyango, Esther Adama

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) use in higher education has generated substantial debate among academics and students, given the potential for students to engage in academic misconduct through the misuse of AI. Academics argue that AI poses a serious threat to the foundational development of nurses through the questionable integrity of AI-generated academic work and by undermining the development of critical thinking skills essential for professional practice. However, there is limited research on nursing students' integration of AI technologies in their studies.

Method: This study utilised a convergent parallel mixed methods approach to develop a multiphase approach with …

Evaluating The Impact Of The ‘Blow, Breathe, Cough’ Health Promotion Intervention In Resolving Otitis Media With Effusion In Children: An Adaptive Randomized-Controlled Trial Protocol, Jaimee R. Rich, Michael Dymock, Elke J. Seppanen, Elena Montgomery, Tanisha Cayley, Tamara Veselinović, Greta Bernabei, Anri Lester, Amy Hannigan, Nicole Irvine, Kerryn Gidgup, Edna Ninyette, Steph Bray, Tu Trang Tran, Valerie M. Swift, Melinda Edmunds, Natalie Strobel, Daniel Mcaullay, Julie Marsh, Evelyn Tay, Lea Ann S. Kirkham, Ruth B. Thornton, Robyn S.M. Choi

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Otitis media with effusion (OME) affects hearing, speech development, and quality of life (QoL) in children. The ‘Blow, Breathe, Cough’ (BBC) intervention promotes nasal, respiratory, and middle ear clearance through nose blowing, deep breathing, coughing, and hand hygiene. It shows promise in resolving OME but lacks randomized-controlled trial (RCT) evaluation. This paper presents a RCT protocol evaluating BBC's effect on OME resolution, hearing, speech, and QoL in children aged two to seven years. Methods: This parallel-group, 1:1, outcome assessor-blinded, individual adaptive RCT investigates whether completing the BBC intervention plus hand hygiene twice-daily at home increases OME resolution after 4-to-6 …

Global Perspectives Of Midwifery Ethics: Crucial Features For Practice Via An International Delphi Study, Kate Buchanan, Sara Bayes, Elizabeth Newnham, Mavis Kirkham, Marianne Nieuwenhuijze

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Practising ethically as a midwife is essential for providing high quality care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Whilst midwives may have theoretical knowledge of ethics, applying ethical care in practice may be challenging. There is a gap in the literature that describes how midwives themselves conceptualise, interpret, and apply ethics in their practice. Aim: To describe midwives’ perceptions, and experiences of ethics in midwifery practice, and to determine the crucial features of midwifery ethics. Methods: Fifty participants from 21 countries participated in the study. A two-round Delphi approach was employed. Round Two required participants to enter the …

My Mum Sometimes Helps Me With My Writing: Parents' And Children's Perspectives Of Home-Led Writing, Bronte Kelso-Marsh, Anabela Abreu Malpique, Helen Davis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

This qualitative study aimed to explore parents' and children's perspectives of parental involvement in children's writing. Theoretical models argue for the benefits of parental involvement to supporting children's learning. Research has placed little attention in examining parental involvement in children's writing. Participants included 27 Australian Year 2 parent-child dyads, who were interviewed about their home-led writing. Results suggested parents and children valued parental involvement. Despite this, parents reported little communication from teachers about supporting their child's writing. Implications include encouraging stronger partnerships and more frequent communication between parents and schools to help support children's writing across home and school fronts.

Antitrust’S Consumer Tradeoffs, Samuel N. Weinstein

Articles

In modern antitrust law, courts are required to ask only one question: did the challenged action harm consumers? This Article asks a different question: which consumers? Over the last few decades, the Supreme Court has increasingly required antitrust plaintiffs to prove not only that they were harmed, but also that their harm outweighed any other consumers’ gains. The doctrine forces courts to pit groups of consumers against each other. In Amex, it was merchants against credit card holders. In Brooke Group, it was consumers buying a product during predation against consumers buying it during recoupment. In cases involving aftermarkets for …

Performances In Last-Mile Deliveries Involving Cyclic Services Of Shuttles And Cargo Bikes, Byung Kwon Lee, Young Joo Kim, Joyce M. W. Low

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study introduces a novel approximation model that integrates the ideologies of order statistics and max-plus algebra in representing the collection and distribution service schemes of a last-mile delivery system. Under the respective schemes, electric cargo bikes (e-bikes) perform the last-mile delivery near a microhub with shuttles collecting packages from multiple local logistics hubs (or local hubs, for short) and/or distributing packages to multiple microhubs. The framework is designed to estimate the cyclic capacity under varying cargo carrying capacities of the e-bikes and service network configurations. Real-world data, such as the geographic conditions of the streets around the microhubs in …

Integration Of Sco2 Brayton Cycles With Carbon Capture Systems, Nathan C. Stearns, Rajarshi Roy, Brian Schooff, Andrew Chiodo, Andrew R. Fry, Brian D. Iverson

Faculty Publications

Increasing global energy consumption and greater market penetration of intermittent energy sources require a baseline power source to enable renewable energies. Here, a case is made for pairing supercritical CO₂ Brayton cycles with carbon capture to create low-emission, high-efficiency, combustion-based power generation systems. Pairing carbon capture and storage (CCS) systems with supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO₂) Brayton cycles enables the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in combustion systems, but with an associated energy cost. Three different representative models of CCS systems (oxyfuel combustion, amine scrubbing, and cryogenic carbon capture) are considered for pairing with an sCO2 Brayton cycle, …

Defective Mil-88b(Fe) Metal-Organic Frameworks: Peculiar Photocatalysts For Enhanced Degradation Of Organic Pollutants, Samira Sadeghi, Ahmad Najafidoust, Seyedeh Zahra Haeri, Masoumeh Zargar

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Environmental pollution, particularly water contamination from organic compounds like synthetic dyes, poses a major global challenge. In this study, defective MIL-88B(Fe) MOFs under varying solvothermal conditions (70–150 °C) for 12 and 24 h were synthesized to enhance methylene blue (MB) and methyl orange (MO) dye degradation. The MOF synthesized at 100 °C for 24 h showed the highest efficiency, achieving 97 % and 40 % degradation of MB and MO, respectively, in 60 min due to increased porosity, surface area, and optimized crystal growth along the [100] direction. A 24-h synthesis produced well-formed particles with the highest surface area and …

Implementation Fidelity Of A Smartphone Application For Population-Based General Movement Assessment: The Early Moves Study, Caroline F. Alexander, Sarah E. Hall, Alison Salt, Alicia J. Spittle, Catherine Morgan, Tiffany Grisbrook, Alishum Ali, Natasha Amery, Sue Anne Davidson, Ashleigh Thornton, Mary Sharp, Emily Young, Robert S. Ware, Desiree Silva, Roslyn Ward, Nadia Badawi, Samudragupta Bora, Roslyn N. Boyd, Susan Woolfenden, Catherine Elliott, Jane Valentine

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objective: To describe the infant and maternal characteristics of the Early Moves cohort and to assess representativeness to the general population, and to evaluate the implementation fidelity of an application-based collection of General Movement Assessment (GMA) videos at writhing and fidgety age. Study design: Prospective observational study. Mothers who had recently delivered or were enrolled to deliver at maternity hospitals in Perth, Western Australia, were recruited from November 2019 to December 2023. Sociodemographic and infant clinical characteristics were extracted from hospital records. Parents were invited to record GMA videos using the Baby Moves smartphone application, which were assessed for scorability …

The Legal Framework Of Foreign Investment In The United Arab Emirates, Dr. Mohammad Saad Al Armman

Faculty Peer-Reviewed Papers | بحوث هيئة التدريس المحكمة

The UAE legislator has been keen to regulate the legal rules related to foreign investment due to the increasing importance of foreign investment companies and their growing role in the global economic system. Accordingly, the state has undertaken to create an appropriate legislative environment to attract capital and encourage investments. Although Federal Law No. 19 of 2018 regulating foreign direct investment was repealed as part of a forward looking initiative to enhance and modernize the economic sector, prosperity and growth can only be achieved through a fertile legislative environment that keeps pace with global economic developments. This ensures greater support …

Implementing A Sepsis Questionnaire To Reduce Readmissions…A Health Plan’S Experience, Vernita L. Kelley

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Sepsis is a life-threatening condition with high readmission risk, threatening patient recovery and survival. In the managed care organization (MCO) where this DNP project was implemented, sepsis ranks among the top five readmission diagnoses. The organization's 30-day readmission rate of 15.5% is substantially higher than the benchmark of 9.29%, highlighting a clinical quality issue, a strain on patient outcomes, and a strain on healthcare resources.

Aim of the Project: This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce sepsis readmissions by embedding a sepsis questionnaire into case management workflows to identify clinical risks and social determinants of health, improve transitions, …

Quality Improvement Initative To Reduce Falls Among Geriatric Patients In The Inpatient Mental Health Setting, Regina Johnson

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Falls are widely recognized as a leading cause of injury and hospitalization among older adults, with geriatric psychiatric patients at particularly high risk due to polypharmacy, cognitive impairment, and mobility challenges. At the project site, baseline audits revealed inconsistent use of structured fall risk tools, limited nurse-driven medication review, and gaps in post-fall documentation. The absence of an embedded electronic health record feature for medication review highlighted a significant practice gap requiring intervention.

Aim of the Project: The aim of this quality improvement (QI) project was to reduce fall risk in a geriatric psychiatric hospital through structured post-fall medication …

Implementing Pain Reassessment Workflow To Improve Timely Pain Management In Hospice Patients: A Quality Improvement Project, Oluremi Omodara

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Timely pain reassessment is a vital component of hospice care, directly influencing the quality of life for patients. Despite the high prevalence of pain, which affects 55% of hospice patients due to disease progression or adverse drug reactions, only 51% of those reporting moderate to severe pain at admission receive a documented reassessment. The gap highlights an organizational issue in pain management stemming from the absence of a clearly defined period and workflow for reassessment.

Aim of the Project: The aim of the quality improvement (QI) project was to improve compliance with pain reassessment documentation within 48 hours …

Improving Pain Assessment After Bedside Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy (Peg) Placement, Sherman Cotton

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Baseline audits at a 44-bed critical-illness recovery hospital showed low reliability in two post-PEG practices: (1) pain reassessment within 90 minutes of an intervention and (2) complete PEG-site documentation (skin, drainage, tube position/measurement). Baseline performance averaged 55% and 62%, both of which were below the organization’s 90% benchmark.

Aim of the Project: From May to July 2025 (12 weeks), improve on-time pain reassessment and ensure PEG-site documentation reaches at least 90%, maintaining this level for three or more consecutive weeks; monitor workload to prevent increases in perceived charting time and ensure safety by avoiding a rise in PEG-related …

Enhancing Nursing Documentation Accuracy For Female External Urinary Collection Devices Through Structured Documentation Huddles, Tiffany Ealy

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Accurate documentation of female external urinary collection devices (EUCDs), such as the PureWick, is crucial for maintaining continuity of care and ensuring efficient resource utilization. However, inconsistent nursing documentation practices have led to gaps in regulatory compliance and communication among healthcare teams. Baseline data revealed frequent omissions and inaccuracies in female EUCD charting, indicating a significant practice gap that requires targeted improvement.

Aim of the Project: The purpose of the evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to improve nursing documentation accuracy for female EUCDs by implementing structured documentation huddles, thereby enhancing organizational compliance.

Review of the Evidence: A …

Reducing Aspiration Pneumonia By Implementing An Enhanced Oral Care Toolkit, Jennifer London

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Oral care is essential for reducing bacteria and preventing aspiration pneumonia. The risk of aspiration pneumonia increases when protocols are not followed. In 2024, a regional hospital in the Midwest United States spent approximately one million dollars on the preventable healthcare-associated infection known as aspiration pneumonia. A pre-project chart audit of 100 random patient charts on a medical/surgical step-down unit revealed that only 1 of the 100 charts had oral care documented as completed.

Aim of the Project: The primary aims of this project were to increase nursing documentation of oral care by 50% and to decrease …

Implementing A Standardized Ssri Tapering Protocol In The Outpatient Setting, Chelsea Sopo-Ngwa

All Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Scholarly Projects

Problem: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are one of the most prescribed antidepressant medications in the outpatient psychiatric setting. Abrupt discontinuation or improper tapering of these medications may result in SSRI withdrawal symptoms. Adverse effects may lead to poor patient outcomes and increase healthcare utilization. A baseline chart review and provider readiness survey within the outpatient psychiatric practice revealed inconsistency in provider documentation related to SSRI tapering plans, patient education, and follow-up planning. The gap in practice highlighted the lack of a standardized SSRI tapering protocol to guide evidence-based medication tapering practices and promote patient safety.

Aim: The …

Pastors’ Experiences And Understanding Of The Role Of Adventist Education, Safary Wa-Mbaleka, David Trim

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Curiosity, Intention, And Reflection On Teaching And Learning Edps 967 Motivation In Education: A Teaching Portfolio, Mary G. Zeleny

UNL Faculty Course Portfolios

The intention of this course portfolio is to reflectively explore more deeply the teaching and learning of the Educational Psychology graduate course, EDPS 967- Motivation in Education. This course provides a foundation of theories and concepts related to motivation from a psychological perspective, including the interrelatedness of affect and emotion, with an emphasis on the learning environment. The course focuses on different theories of motivation, motivation in education, and considering theoretical applications in education, as well as professionally and personally. The class explored motivation, including the impact of emotions in motivation, through reading, course activities, assignments, and discussion. Goals included …

Zero Textbook Cost Syllabus For Env 3070 (Agroecology), Benjamin Iuliano

Open Educational Resources

Our relationships with the food we eat are deeply personal, but also connect us to a wide array of people, plants, animals, and landscapes around the world. Encompassing a diversity of scholarly approaches, the field of agroecology seeks to understand the interactions among these components, draw attention to the consequences of our present industrial food system, and create the conditions for more sustainable and just futures. In this course, students will learn about the science, practice, and social movement of agroecology through lectures, course discussions, field trips, and hands-on activities.