Digital Commons Network^™

Sift Feature-Based Relative Altitude Estimation Enhanced With Siamese Network, Shirin Nasr-Esfahani, S. Jagannathan

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

In GPS-denied environments or when GPS signals are unreliable or unavailable, alternative methods of accurate localization with coordinate generation become critical. To address localization, the scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) algorithm, along with its numerous adaptations, is extensively utilized in computer vision and remote sensing for matching image features to identify objects and perform localization. This article presents a novel approach for estimating the relative altitude of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) using SIFT features' scale (size), omitting the need for additional data like camera intrinsic parameters, as well as extensive image datasets are also required for training. Furthermore, the approach enhances …

Microwave Photonics-Assisted Interrogation Of Fiber-Optic Interferometric Sensors With Joint Frequency-Time Domain Analysis, Ruimin Jie, Jie Huang, Chen Zhu

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Fiber-optic interferometers are widely used in localized sensing applications due to their compact size, high sensitivity, and immunity to electromagnetic interference. In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel interrogation scheme for fiber-optic interferometric sensors, utilizing microwave photonics (MWP) and joint frequency-time domain analysis. As a proof of concept, a miniature fiber in-line Fabry-Perot interferometer (FPI) is integrated with a microwave photonic single-passband filter, enhanced by a dispersion compensation module to improve sensing performance. By applying an inverse Fourier transform to the system's complex frequency response, the time-domain representation of the signal is obtained, translating spectral shifts of …

Enhanced Multidimensional Harmonic Retrieval In Mimo Wireless Channel Sounding, Yanming Zhang, Wenchao Xu, A. Long Jin, Tianquan Tang, Min Li, Peifeng Ma, Lijun Jiang, Steven Gao

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

This paper introduces a recursive parallel dynamic mode decomposition (RPDMD) scheme tailored for multidimensional harmonic retrieval (MHR), specifically applied to MIMO wireless channel sounding. The RPDMD algorithm is devised to address the complexities inherent in multidimensional scenarios, leveraging the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) framework within a recursive parallel structure. Initially, the observed tensorial multidimensional harmonic data is transformed into a two-dimensional matrix format along the r-th dimension. Subsequently, DMD dissects this matrix data into eigenvalues and their associated modes. The real and imaginary components of the DMD eigenvalues yield damping factors and frequencies in the r-th dimension, respectively. Furthermore, recursive …

Miniaturized Wearable Biosensors For Continuous Health Monitoring Fabricated Using The Femtosecond Laser-Induced Graphene Surface And Encapsulated Traces And Electrodes, Homayoon Soleimani Dinani, Tatianna Reinbolt, Bohong Zhang, Ganggang Zhao, Rex E. Gerald, Zheng Yan, Jie Huang

Electrical and Computer Engineering Faculty Research & Creative Works

Wearable sensors are increasingly being used as biosensors for health monitoring. Current wearable devices are large, heavy, invasive, skin irritants, or not continuous. Miniaturization was chosen to address these issues, using a femtosecond laser-conversion technique to fabricate miniaturized laser-induced graphene (LIG) sensor arrays on and encapsulated within a polyimide substrate. The femtosecond laser-converted conductive traces can have a size of 20 to 2 μm compared to the traditionally larger CO2 laser dimensions of around 300 to 100 μm. This marks a 93-98% decrease in trace size when using a femtosecond laser. This miniaturization allows for the ability to process temperature, …

“We Were Put Out Of Good Jobs”: Women Night Workers In New York And The Origins Of The Women’S Equal Opportunity League, R.B. Tiven

Publications and Research

In the 1910s, U.S. social reformers advocated for labor laws to protect women who worked in factories. The laws included bans on women working at night. In New York, a small contingent of night-working women who had lost their jobs objected. Arguing that the laws were paternalistic and harmful, they formed the Women’s Equal Opportunity League. The group opposed all single-sex laws and ultimately won repeal of New York’s night work ban for printers, elevator operators, and transit workers. Night work was the stage on which reformers’ ideas about the greater good conflicted with arguments for women’s autonomy. Whether and …

Foundation Models Boost Low-Level Perceptual Similarity Metrics, Abhijay Ghildyal, Nabajeet Barman, Saman Zadtootaghaj

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

For full-reference image quality assessment (FR-IQA) using deep-learning approaches, the perceptual similarity score between a distorted image and a reference image is typically computed as a distance measure between features extracted from a pretrained CNN or more recently, a Transformer network. Often, these intermediate features require further fine-tuning or processing with additional neural network layers to align the final similarity scores with human judgments. So far, most IQA models based on foundation models have primarily relied on the final layer or the embedding for the quality score estimation. In contrast, this work explores the potential of utilizing the intermediate features …

Scitopic: Enhancing Topic Discovery In Scientific Literature Through Advanced Llm, Pengjiang Li, Zaitian Wang, Xinhao Zhang, Ran Zhang, Lu Jiang, Pengfei Wang, Yuanchun Zhou

Computer Science Faculty Publications and Presentations

Topic discovery in scientific literature provides valuable insights for researchers to identify emerging trends and explore new avenues for investigation, facilitating easier scientific information retrieval. Many machine learning methods, particularly deep embedding techniques, have been applied to discover research topics. However, most existing topic discovery methods rely on word embedding to capture the semantics and lack a comprehensive understanding of scientific publications, struggling with complex, high-dimensional text relationships. Inspired by the exceptional comprehension of textual information by large language models (LLMs), we propose an advanced topic discovery method enhanced by LLMs to improve scientific topic identification, namely SciTopic. Specifically, we …

Formal Financing Of Small And Medium Scale Enterprises In Nigeria: A Path To Economic Development?, Kingsley Onyekachi Onyele, Eberechi Ikwuagwu, Innocent Umezurike

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

This investigation assessed the influence of formal financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the economic advancement of Nigeria, utilising annual time series data ranging from 1992 to 2022. Employing the Cobb-Douglas framework, control variables, including capital formation and labour, which could influence economic development, were incorporated into the empirical model to mitigate bias. Following initial tests for stationarity, it was determined that all variables achieved stationarity upon the first difference, a finding that validated the Vector Error Correction Mechanism (VECM) application. The analysis revealed that the credit extended to SMEs by commercial banks and the loans provided by …

Size Premium In Small Business Valuation: Analysis Of Closely-Held Firms, Craig S. Galbraith

The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance

One of the most misunderstood components of valuing a small closely-held business is how to address the impact of small size. Most closely-held enterprises are relatively small in size, with market values less than $1million. Many small mom and pop operations, or single owner-operator family businesses, often have market values even smaller. The most common method to account for size is to use the size premium reports from Kroll or another financial data service provider. However, these small firm premiums are determined exclusively from publicly-traded firms, where even the category of the smallest publicly-traded firms are still magnitudes larger than …

Ai Agents And Agentic Systems: A Multi-Expert Analysis, Laurie Hughes, Yogesh K. Dwivedi, Tegwen Malik, Mazen Shawosh, Mousa Ahmed Albashrawi, Il Jeon, Vincent Dutot, Mandanna Appanderanda, Tom Crick, Rahul De’, Mark Fenwick, Senali Madugoda Gunaratnege, Paulius Jurcys, Arpan Kumar Kar, Nir Kshetri, Keyao Li, Sashah Mutasa, Spyridon Samothrakis, Michael Wade, Paul Walton

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The emergence of AI agents and agentic systems represents a significant milestone in artificial intelligence, enabling autonomous systems to operate, learn, and collaborate in complex environments with minimal human intervention. This paper, drawing on multi-expert perspectives, examines the potential of AI agents and agentic systems to reshape industries by decentralizing decision-making, redefining organizational structures, and enhancing cross-functional collaboration. Specific applications include healthcare systems capable of creating adaptive treatment plans, supply chain agents that predict and address disruptions in real-time, and business process automation that reallocates tasks from humans to AI, improving efficiency and innovation. However, the integration of these systems …

Hot Management Trends, Vanessa Ratten, Marthin G. Nanere, Miguel Pina E Cunha, Yuka Fujimoto, Ali Intezari, Jerónimo García-Fernández, Subas Dhakal, Waleed Omri, Jose Ramon Saura, Andrei Lux, Aymen Sajjad, Ana Lisboa, Clare D’Souza

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

No abstract provided.

Music Education Research And Policy Summit: Feedback Report, Alexis Anja Kallio, Julie Ballantyne, Glenn Barry, Nicole Canham, Emily Dollman, Brad Fuller, Jason Goopy, Rohan Hardy, James Humberstone, Tanya Jones, Ricky Kradolfer, Candace Kruger, Simon Petty, Rebecca Yarnold

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The Music Education Research and Policy Summit was held from 17–19 July 2023. It was hosted by the Creative Arts Research Institute, Griffith University, on the banks of the Maiwar in Meanjin (Brisbane). The Summit was organised in response to the publication of Australia’s first National Cultural Policy in over 13 years—Revive: A Place for Every Story, A Story for Every Place—to engage in collaborative futures thinking that can identify the values, challenges, and opportunities that will shape school music education in Australia’s future.

The Music Education Research and Policy Summit offered a unique opportunity for music education scholars from …

The Perspectives Of Provisionally Registered Psychologists On Voluntary Assisted Dying In Australia: An In-Depth Qualitative Investigation, Ker-Ni Vivienne Heng, Eyal Gringart

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In Australia, voluntary assisted dying (VAD) is now widely legalised, and VAD uptake is on the rise. Thus, the demand for psychological support in the context of VAD is expected to grow. Despite their relevant expertise, psychologists remain underrepresented in end-of-life (EOL) literature and practice. The current in-depth qualitative study examined the perspectives of 20 provisionally registered psychologists in Australia on VAD, using reflexive thematic analysis grounded in social constructionism. Four main themes (‘Values’, ‘Fit-for-Role’, ‘Exposure’, and ‘Contributions’) and 14 sub-themes were generated from the data. Participants supported availing VAD for terminally ill patients and expressed the potential for its …

The Absence Of Disability Representation: A Critical Gap In Children's Picture Books, Helen Adam, Sally Murphy, Yvonne Urquhart, Katira Ahmed

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

In a recent study, we examined the diversity of main characters and family structures in 90 award listed Australian children's picture books from 2019 and 2020. We found some progress compared to past research (Adam and Barratt-Pugh, 2020; Adam et al., 2021) in terms of culturally diverse representation, though still with predominantly white main protagonists (Adam and Urquhart, 2023). Similarly, we found some increased representation of diverse family structures, albeit with notable absences of LGBTQIA+, step, foster and blended families (Adam et al., 2024). However, a glaring omission caught our attention - the almost complete absence of disability representation among …

Assessment Of Multilingual Children By Western Australian Speech-Language Pathologists: A Survey Of Practices, Barriers And Facilitators, Emily Frances Hunt, Charn Nang, Suzanne Jacqueline Meldrum, Elizabeth Armstrong

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Purpose: In the past decade, diagnostic criteria for developmental language disorder, guidelines for assessment of multilingual children, and reviews of the diagnostic utility of dynamic assessment have been published. It is unknown how Australian speech-language pathologists currently assess multilingual children or how local factors influence assessment. Method: A mixed-method anonymous online survey of Western Australian speech-language pathologists explored the frequency and perceived usefulness of assessment practices recommended for multilingual children, elements of dynamic assessment used, and the utility of specific client factors for diagnosis. Confidence ratings and descriptions of barriers and facilitators that affect assessment of multilingual children were also …

Cruciferous Vegetables Improve Glycaemic Control Compared To Root/Squash Vegetables In A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial: The Vegetables For Vascular Health (Vessel) Study, Emma L. Connolly, Alex H. Liu, Richard J. Woodman, Armaghan Shafaei, Lisa G. Wood, Richard Mithen, Anthony P. James, Carl J. Schultz, Seng Khee Gan, Catherine P. Bondonno, Joshua R. Lewis, Jonathan M. Hodgson, Lauren C. Blekkenhorst

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Aims: Higher cruciferous vegetable (e.g., broccoli) intake is associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but limited causal evidence exists. We investigated if cruciferous vegetable intake improved glycaemic control compared to root/squash vegetables in non-diabetic adults with elevated blood pressure. Materials and Methods: This randomized, controlled, crossover trial consisted of two 2-week dietary interventions (300 g/day cruciferous [active] and root/squash [control] soups with standardized lunch/dinner meals) separated by a 2-week washout. Participants were blinded to the intervention allocation. Glycaemic measures were a pre-specified secondary outcome. Flash glucose monitoring measured interstitial glucose every 15-min throughout both interventions. …

Conservative Opposition To Climate Policy May Be Partially Threat-Based: A Test And Critique Of The Integrated Threat Model Of Climate Attitudes, Samantha K. Stanley, Zoe Leviston, Kirsti M. Jylhä, Iain Walker

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

One explanation for the link between political conservatism and rejection of the science and solutions of climate change is based on perceived threats. Yet, until recently, this claim has not been studied by simultaneously considering the different levels at which individuals may experience a sense of threat (i.e., threat of climate change or climate policy, at personal or collective level, on economic or cultural domains). A recent theoretical advance integrated the existing threat-based explanations for conservatives' lower acceptance of climate change and support for pro-climate policy. We aimed to subject aspects of this integrated threat model of climate change attitudes …

Decolonising Outcome Measurement: A Systematic Review Of Health And Wellbeing Measures For Māori, Margaret Sandham, Maree Roche, Melissa Carey, Richard J. Siegert, Rebecca J. Jarden

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The objective of the study is to conduct a systematic review and methodological quality appraisal on studies reporting the development of health and wellbeing outcome measures for Māori (Indigenous people of New Zealand), identify common features and processes, and critically appraise the measures using the COnsensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement INstruments (COSMIN). Key databases were searched using key terms in May 2022 without date limiters. English or Māori language publications were included if they reported Māori health and wellbeing outcome measure development. Studies were then appraised using the COSMIN. Seven publications developed outcome measures and seven reported …

Focus On Frailty: Co-Designing Digital Frailty Education With Healthcare Students, Kristiana Ludlow, Sarah Martin, Benignus Logan, Ruth E. Hubbard, Nicola Warren, Olivia Gallagher, Bonnie K. Kwok, Rosemary Saunders

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Frailty is prevalent in hospitals and is associated with adverse events and poor health outcomes. In Australia, there is a need for co-designed, multidisciplinary, and contextually relevant frailty education to improve healthcare students’ understanding and knowledge of frailty within the hospital setting. Objective: This study aimed to i) explore healthcare students’ understanding of frailty and their experiences with patients who are frail, and ii) seek healthcare students’ design ideas for the content of a new digital frailty education course.

Methods: Participants were university students enrolled in a health-related degree. Online focus groups and interviews were conducted between August and …

Feasibility Of Conducting A Randomized Controlled Trial To Explore The Muscular Influence Of Post-Operative Intravenous Iron Treatment For Anaemia After Major Abdominal Surgery, Beth Maclean, Robert U. Newton, Jayne Lim, Toby Richards

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background and Objectives: Iron deficiency anaemia is common in patients recovering from major surgery and is associated with poorer post-operative outcomes. We designed a randomized controlled trial treating post-operative anaemia with iron therapy to observe the influence on post-operative recovery. Materials and Methods: Anaemic patients (haemoglobin [Hb] < 120 g/L for women, Hb < 130 g/L for men) recovering from major abdominal surgery at Fiona Stanley Hospital were recruited. Patients were double-blind randomized 1:1 to ferric carboxymaltose (FCM) or saline administered 4 weeks post-discharge and included in a 12-week exercise programme. Iron indices, quality of life (QoL) questionnaires and muscle function tests were conducted at 4 weeks (baseline), 8-, 12- and 16-weeks post-discharge. This pilot study primarily aimed to assess the feasibility of recruiting 20 patients per intervention arm. Trial registration: ACTRN12622001447741. Results: Of 205 eligible patients screened between 5 May 2023 and 31 August 2023, only four patients were recruited, of which one completed the study. After randomization to FCM, results obtained from the sole participant that completed the trial suggested a trend towards improvement in QoL outcomes, Hb and muscle function. Conclusion: Recruitment to a randomized controlled trial exploring the influence of iron therapy on muscle function after major abdominal surgery was not feasible.

Half Of The Habitat Of Australia's Highly Imperilled Narrow-Range Species Is Outside Protected Areas, Michelle Ward, Martine Maron, Jeremy S. Simmonds, Mark Lintermans, Nick S. Whiterod, David G. Chapple, Hugh P. Possingham, Sarah M. Legge, Rachael V. Gallagher, Brendan A. Wintle, Samantha Vine, Kita Ashman, Conrad J. Hoskin, Stephen T. Garnett, John C.Z. Woinarski, Ben C. Scheele, Cerin Loane, James A. Fitzsimons, Romola R. Stewart, Ayesha I.T. Tulloch, Isabel T. Hyman, Kate Pearce, Allan H. Burbidge, Tarmo A. Raadik, Gerald Kuchling, Arthur Georges

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Globally, species with small distributions face disproportionate extinction risk, with the impacts of land use change more likely to have catastrophic consequences. Identifying, protecting and managing sites where such species occur is essential for minimising their extinction risk. Yet across Australia, efforts to protect and manage such species' habitats have hitherto been insufficient. Here, we present an example of an analytical and interpretive pathway for the conservation of such species, for a continental-scale case study. We identified 305 Critically Endangered species that have narrow ranges (<20,000 km2), and are distributed in fewer than six discrete patches. We refined existing species' habitat maps with advice from 18 experts via a modified Delphi approach. We assessed how much of each species' habitat is outside protected areas and considered to have agricultural capability, potentially elevating risk of conversion. We identified ∼85,000 km2 of habitat (∼1% of Australia) for these 305 species that must receive protection and management if the nation is going to meet its commitment to halt new extinctions. Approximately half of this habitat is outside the protected area estate, including the entire distribution of 39 species. Approximately 55% of habitat outside of protected areas had at least some agricultural capability. Protecting and managing the habitats of these narrow-range species should be a high priority in state and national conservation policy. Our case study serves as a template for the identification of important habitat for threatened species and could be applied in other regions of the world.

Individual Differences Provide A Nuanced Understanding Of The Contributions Of Age, Experience, And Level Played To Superior Perceptual-Cognitive-Motor Skill, Khaya Morris-Binelli, Minerva A. Westbrook, Benjamin Piggott, Sean Müller, Paola Chivers

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Theories of expertise either predict superior performance is due to monotonic and progressive exposure to a domain task or due to non-linear exposure to a domain. The aim of this study was to explore the predictions of these theories by use of an individual differences approach to investigate how age, experience, and level played within a sample of athletes with high expertise contributes to superior perceptual-cognitive-motor skill. Twenty-seven players sampled from junior rugby union high-performance pathways and professional rugby union teams in Australia completed an in-situ perceptual-cognitive-motor test involving four attackers and three defenders. Participants were presented with scenarios representative …

Signs Of Democratic Resilience Following Aotearoa New Zealand’S March 15th Mosque Attacks, Claire Fitzpatrick, Emily Beausoleil

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Political responses to extremist attacks and other forms of social trauma might be deemed ‘resilient’ insofar as they restore order and security but can undermine democratic ideals and practices. This article offers an evaluative framework for democratic resilience to make sense of public discourse in the aftermath of extremist attacks. We argue that a democratically resilient response entails five necessary dimensions, each of which is required for dialogue across difference capable of ‘working through’ social trauma within the democratic polity. We then apply this framework to analyse the March 15 2019 mosque attacks in Aotearoa New Zealand, using mixed methods …

Training Load Influences Gut Microbiome Of Highly Trained Rowing Athletes, B. Charlesson, J. Jones, C. Abbiss, P. Peeling, S. Watts, C. T. Christophersen

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Despite the importance of the gut microbiome on physical performance and health, little is known on the impact of training on an athlete’s gut health. Objective: This study investigates the effect of training load on markers of gut health. Methods: Whole stool (24 h) samples were collected from 23 highly trained rowers (mean ± SD; age 19.2 ± 1.1 y; weight 80.1 ± 11.4 kg; height 1.83 ± 0.09 m) following periods of high (HT) and low training load (LT). The microbiome and short-chain fatty acid concentrations were characterized from the whole stool samples. Three-day weighted food records were …

Unveiling The Charisma Of Artificial Intelligence: How Voice Assistants Captivate Users And Emotionally Influence User Experience, Bibaswan Basu, Sanjit K. Roy, Chrysostomos Apostolidis

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Although studies have explored user experience (UX) with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered voice assistants (VAs), the cognitive, psychological, and emotional factors affecting user engagement and experience with VAs have yet to be investigated in depth. Drawing on cognitive absorption and broaden-and-build theories, this study investigates how VAs captivate users, enhance positive emotions, and influence the overall UX. To address these questions, we conduct three types of analyses—exploratory, confirmatory, and configurational—utilizing data from 125,600 user reviews on a popular VA platform (Google Assistant) from 2017 to 2024. First, we employ bidirectional encoder representations from the transformers (BERT)topic modeling to unearth relevant cognitive …

Intrapartum Hydration Assessment And Management: A Cross-Sectional Survey Of Australian And New Zealand Maternity Units, Brianne G. Mcintyre, Debbie Massey, Nigel Lee, Lauren Kearney

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Background: Hydration assessment and management during labour play an important role in maternal and newborn outcomes. Studies indicate that clinical practice is inconsistent, with limited consensus evident in clinical guidelines. Current practices in fluid management across public and private maternity units within Australia and New Zealand remain unknown. Respondents highlighted the importance of maternal hydration assessment and management to well-being. However, inconsistencies were noted in the documentation, medication use and adherence to clinical protocols. Aim: Our study aimed to investigate unit-level clinical practice regarding intrapartum hydration assessment and management across Australian and New Zealand private and public hospitals. The scope …

Is There A Relationship Between Rapid Weight Changes And Self-Reported Injury In Combat Sports Athletes? A 14-Month Study Of 24 Combat Sports Events, Colin S. Doherty, Oliver R. Barley, Lauren V. Fortington

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Objectives: To explore the potential association between rapid weight changes and self-reported injury status (presence or absence of injury) 7 days following competitive events among male and female combat sports competitors.

Design: A 14-month study of 24 events.

Methods: A weight management questionnaire was completed 1-day post-competition, and an injury questionnaire was completed 7 days post-competition. These online questionnaires provided data on body mass and injury status. Mixed effects logistic regression models were used to analyse the odds ratios of rapid weight change variables and their impact on athletes' self-reporting as injured or non-injured.

Results: There were 172 responses (155 …

Mathematical Practices (Commonly Used By Mathematicians) In Mathematics Teachers’ Solutions To Algebraic Problems, Vesife Hatisaru, Steven Richardson, Jon R. Star

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

A teacher of mathematics knows mathematics as a teacher and as a mathematician. Whilst the existing research on teacher knowledge contributes to our understanding of the ways of knowing mathematics as a teacher, little is known about ways of knowing mathematics as a mathematician. Guided by the conceptual framework of mathematical practices (MPs) (commonly used by mathematicians), this case study aimed to contribute to fill this gap. The study examined solutions generated by two secondary teachers of mathematics to a set of algebraic problems to determine which MPs are apparent, or not, in the teachers’ work. Data were content analyzed …

Planned Changes To Nurse Leadership, Staffing And Skill-Mix: Impact On The Working Environment, Job Satisfaction And Intention To Leave, Noeleen Brady, Selena O'Connell, David Gilligan, Caoimhe Madden, Lisa Gannon, Victoria Howson, Jane E. Ball, Aileen Murphy, Peter Griffiths, Christine Duffield, P. Anne Scott, Vera J.C. Mc Carthy, Jonathan Drennan

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Introduction: Job satisfaction and intention to leave have been consistently linked to the working environment. However, there are few studies of interventions for improving the environment or staff outcomes. Aim: To determine the impact of implementing a framework for safe nurse staffing on the environment and staff outcomes. This involved an assessment of required nursing hours per patient day, supernumerary nurse in charge and minimum 80:20 skill-mix, with intentional changes in staffing if required. Design: A pre-post observational design. Methods: This was a prospective observational study in six medical and/or surgical wards across three acute hospitals in Ireland. The outcomes …

Sacred Or Sacrificed Placemaking: A Contested Fan Pilgrimage Site For Rural Tourism Development, Timo Thelen, Sangkyun Kim, Tomohiro Kai, Eerang Park

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

The concept of placemaking describes the transformation and development of a site directed by the local authorities. This longitudinal study examines the emergence of a fan pilgrimage site in rural Japan and the subsequent placemaking process to establish it as a popular culture tourism site. The study uncovers friction among stakeholders and backlash against the top-down placemaking approach from both residents and fans, whose attitudes are more critical and impactful than those of non-fan tourists towards making the place. The study contributes to a nuanced understanding of placemaking dynamics and complexity by drawing on a non-Western context and its particularities, …