Academic Services and Registrar - Research Publications
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ItemStyling Against Absolute Knowledge in Derrida's 'Glas'(Open Humanities Press, 2015)
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ItemAssessing the carbon footprint of digital health interventions: a scoping review(OXFORD UNIV PRESS, 2022-11-14)OBJECTIVE: Integration of environmentally sustainable digital health interventions requires robust evaluation of their carbon emission life-cycle before implementation in healthcare. This scoping review surveys the evidence on available environmental assessment frameworks, methods, and tools to evaluate the carbon footprint of digital health interventions for environmentally sustainable healthcare. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Medline (Ovid), Embase (Ovid). PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL, Web of Science, Scopus (which indexes IEEE Xplore, Springer Lecture Notes in Computer Science and ACM databases), Compendex, and Inspec databases were searched with no time or language constraints. The Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA_SCR), Joanna Briggs Scoping Review Framework, and template for intervention description and replication (TiDiER) checklist were used to structure and report the findings. RESULTS: From 3299 studies screened, data was extracted from 13 full-text studies. No standardised methods or validated tools were identified to systematically determine the environmental sustainability of a digital health intervention over its full life-cycle from conception to realisation. Most studies (n = 8) adapted publicly available carbon calculators to estimate telehealth travel-related emissions. Others adapted these tools to examine the environmental impact of electronic health records (n = 2), e-prescriptions and e-referrals (n = 1), and robotic surgery (n = 1). One study explored optimising the information system electricity consumption of telemedicine. No validated systems-based approach to evaluation and validation of digital health interventions could be identified. CONCLUSION: There is a need to develop standardised, validated methods and tools for healthcare environments to assist stakeholders to make informed decisions about reduction of carbon emissions from digital health interventions.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableEndothelial protein C receptor is increased in preterm preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction(WILEY, 2022-12)Placental dysfunction is the leading cause of both preeclampsia and fetal growth restriction. This study aimed to characterize endothelial protein C receptor (EPCR) in preterm preeclampsia, term preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction (defined by delivery of a small for gestational age [SGA] infant [<10% birthweight centile]) and examine its regulation in primary syncytiotrophoblast. Placental EPCR mRNA and protein were significantly increased in patients with preterm preeclampsia (<34 weeks gestation) compared to gestation-matched controls (p < .0001). In the plasma, EPCR was also significantly elevated (p = .01) in established preterm preeclampsia while its substrate, protein C (PC) was significantly reduced (p = .0083). Placentas from preterm small for gestational age (SGA) cases, had elevated EPCR mRNA expression (p < .0001) relative to controls. At 36 weeks, no significant changes in plasma EPCR were detected in samples from patients destined to develop preeclampsia or deliver an SGA infant at term. In terms of syncytiotrophoblast, hypoxia significantly increased EPCR mRNA expression (p = .008), but Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) decreased EPCR mRNA. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) had no significant effect on EPCR mRNA expression. When isolated syncytiotrophoblast was treated with metformin under hypoxia (1% O2 ) or normoxia (8% O2 ), EPCR mRNA expression was significantly reduced (p = .008) relative to control. In conclusion, EPCR is markedly elevated in the placenta and the circulation of patients with established preterm preeclampsia and placental increases may be associated with hypoxia. Additionally, fetal growth-restricted pregnancies (as defined by the delivery of an SGA infant) also demonstrated elevated placental EPCR.
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ItemA single-blind, randomised controlled trial of a physical health nurse intervention to prevent weight gain and metabolic complications in first-episode psychosis: the Physical Health Assistance in Early Psychosis (PHAstER) study(CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS, 2022-10-18)BACKGROUND: Factors that contribute to the early mortality observed in psychotic disorders, specifically obesity, smoking and sedentary behaviour, occur early in the disorder. AIMS: We aimed to determine whether the integration of a physical health nurse in the care of young people with first-episode psychosis could prevent clinically significant weight gain (≥7% body weight). Secondary outcomes included rates of smoking, metabolic syndrome and sedentary behaviour. METHOD: In this single-blind, randomised controlled trial, participants who had received under 4 weeks of antipsychotic medication were randomly allocated to either the intervention (addition of a physical health nurse to their care) or treatment as usual (TAU) for 12 weeks. RESULTS: Of the 77 participants, there were follow-up data for 86.8% (n = 33) of the intervention group and 82.1% (n = 32) of the TAU group. After 12 weeks, 27.3% of the intervention group experienced clinically significant weight gain compared with 34.4% of the TAU group (odds ratio 0.72, 95% CI 0.25-2.06, P = 0.54). After 6 months, 40.7% of the intervention group gained clinically significant weight compared with 44.1% of the TAU group (P = 0.79). There was no difference in mean change in weight between groups after 12 weeks (2.6 kg v. 2.9 kg, P = 0.87) or 6 months (3.6 kg v. 4.3 kg, P = 0.64). There were no differences in the rates of tobacco smoking cessation, prevalence of metabolic syndrome or physical activity levels. CONCLUSIONS: This intervention failed to prevent the metabolic complications that are highly prevalent in psychotic disorders in the short to medium term, indicating that more intensive interventions are required.
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ItemExpression of muscarinic receptor subtypes in tree shrew ocular tissues and their regulation during the development of myopia(MOLECULAR VISION, 2009-03-02)PURPOSE: Muscarinic receptors are known to regulate several important physiologic processes in the eye. Antagonists to these receptors such as atropine and pirenzepine are effective at stopping the excessive ocular growth that results in myopia. However, their site of action is unknown. This study details ocular muscarinic subtype expression within a well documented model of eye growth and investigates their expression during early stages of myopia induction. METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from tree shrew corneal, iris/ciliary body, retinal, choroidal, and scleral tissue samples and was reverse transcribed. Using tree shrew-specific primers to the five muscarinic acetylcholine receptor subtypes (CHRM1-CHRM5), products were amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and their identity confirmed using automated sequencing. The expression of the receptor proteins (M1-M5) were also explored in the retina, choroid, and sclera using immunohistochemistry. Myopia was induced in the tree shrew for one or five days using monocular deprivation of pattern vision, and the expression of the receptor subtypes was assessed in the retina, choroid, and sclera using real-time PCR. RESULTS: All five muscarinic receptor subtypes were expressed in the iris/ciliary body, retina, choroid, and sclera while gene products corresponding to CHRM1, CHRM3, CHRM4, and CHRM5 were present in the corneal samples. The gene expression data were confirmed by immunohistochemistry with the M1-M5 proteins detected in the retina, choroid, and sclera. After one or five days of myopia development, muscarinic receptor gene expression remained unaltered in the retinal, choroidal, and scleral tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a comprehensive profile of muscarinic receptor gene and protein expression in tree shrew ocular tissues with all receptor subtypes found in tissues implicated in the control of eye growth. Despite the efficacy of muscarinic antagonists at inhibiting myopia development, the genes of the muscarinic receptor subtypes are neither regulated early in myopia (before measurable axial elongation) nor after significant structural change.
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ItemVolunteers in Australian archives(ROUTLEDGE JOURNALS, TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD, 2017)Why do volunteers choose to contribute thousands of unpaid hours per week to Australian archives? This paper presents the results of a nationwide web survey that provides insight into the demographics, motivations and experiences of volunteers in Australian archives. The findings provide a representative overview of formal volunteers in Australian archives, determining ‘who’ they are, the value of the contributions they provide and the level of training and support offered to them. This study is a continuation of existing discussions about volunteers in Australian archives and represents an opportunity for the development of stronger relationships with Australian archival volunteers and, through them, the communities our archives serve.
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ItemNo turning back on global open access.(BMJ, 2022-10-05)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableApplication profile for machine-actionable data management plans(Ubiquity Press, Ltd., 2021-01-01)
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ItemNo Preview AvailableThe major membrane nuclease MnuA degrades neutrophil extracellular traps induced by Mycoplasma bovis(ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV, 2018-05)Mycoplasma bovis has been increasingly recognised worldwide as an economically important pathogen of cattle, causing a range of diseases, including pneumonia, mastitis, polyarthritis and otitis media. It is believed that M. bovis utilises a range of cell surface proteins, including nucleases, to evade the host immune response and survive. However, despite the importance of neutrophils in controlling pathogenic bacteria, the interaction between these cells and M. bovis is not well-characterised. In addition to phagocytosis, neutrophils combat pathogens through the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs), which are composed of their nuclear and granular components, including DNA. Here we investigated the effect of the major membrane nuclease MnuA of M. bovis, which in vitro is responsible for the majority of the nuclease activity of M. bovis, on NET formation. We quantified NET formation by bovine neutrophils 4 h after stimulation with wild-type M. bovis, an mnuA mutant and a mnuA-pIRR45 complemented mnuA mutant. NETs were detected following stimulation of neutrophils with the mnuA mutant but not after exposure to either the wild-type or the mnuA-pIRR45 complemented mutant, and NETs were degraded in the presence of even low concentrations of wild type M. bovis. Surprisingly, there was no increase in levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in neutrophils stimulated with M. bovis, even though these neutrophils produced NETs. These results clearly demonstrate that M. bovis can induce NET formation in bovine neutrophils, but that the major membrane nuclease MnuA is able to rapidly degrade NETs, and thus is likely to play a significant role in virulence. In addition, M. bovis appears to induce NETs even though ROS production seems to be suppressed.
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ItemAn Interdisciplinary Partnership Approach to Improving the Digital Literacy Skills of Nursing Students to Become Digitally Fluent, Work-Ready Graduates.(IOS Press, 2021-12-15)Digital transformation and the development of a digitally fluent nursing workforce are necessary for engagement with digital technologies in healthcare settings. For this purpose, educators aim to develop workforce-ready graduates equipped with disciplinary knowledge, expertise, and digital capabilities supportive of further professional development. Having identified a subset of nursing students with low levels of digital literacy, the nursing faculty engaged with library services and the academic skills unit to develop and embed a sustainable Nursing Digital Literacy Module in the graduate entry to practice nursing program. This paper reports on the model created and early evaluation of the student uptake of the module.