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The nurse\u27s role in curative-to-palliative transitions in advanced cancer: A theory synthesis using Turner\u27s method
Get PDFAim: This paper aims to explain the process of formulating a robust theory that comprehensively explains the nurse\u27s role during the transition from curative to the palliative phase in advanced cancer care. Design: A qualitative theory synthesis approach was applied, utilising Turner\u27s 9-step theory synthesis method to integrate five grounded theories and 10 qualitative studies. The Walker and Avant method of concept development and analysis further ensured rigour. Methods: Turner\u27s theory synthesis was used to formulate a more comprehensive, testable theory from five existing grounded theories and 10 other qualitative studies that explain the nurse\u27s role in supporting and facilitating the transition from curative to palliative care in oncology. Results: The synthesis preparation stage involved a detailed literature review that located five grounded theories and 10 qualitative studies. The theory synthesis phase from steps 1–8 produced the following theory. ‘During transitions from curative to palliative care in advanced cancer, nurses perform various roles that fall within the known and recognised—“visible spectrum” and the unknown and unrecognised—“invisible spectrum”. Step 9 involves the refinement of the theory by further interrogation of its merit in the real world. Conclusion: Theory synthesis offers a new possibility of cumulating all the evidence research that is already done to adapt it to practice and helping to build theory-driven evidence-based practice. Impact: This paper offers a novel theoretical framework that explicates the visible and invisible roles of nurses in transitioning patients with advanced cancer from curative to palliative care. It contributes to clinical practice by clarifying complex nursing responsibilities that are often unacknowledged, such as brokering referrals, emotional reframing and cultural advocacy. The theory, validated through expert review, can inform curriculum development, support professional recognition and guide practice standards. Broader impacts include enhancing patient-centred care, improving interdisciplinary collaboration and shaping policies that acknowledge the full scope of nursing work in oncology and palliative care transitions. Patient or Public Contribution: No patient or public contribution
Using machine learning to detect vault (anti-forensic) apps
Get PDFContent hiding, or vault applications (apps), are designed with a secondary, often concealed purpose, such as encrypting and storing files. While these apps may serve legitimate functions, they unequivocally present significant challenges for law enforcement. Conventional methods for tackling this issue, whether static or dynamic, prove inadequate when devices—typically smartphones—cannot be modified. Additionally, these methods frequently require prior knowledge of which apps are classified as vault apps. This research decisively demonstrates that a non-invasive method of app analysis, combined with machine learning, can effectively identify vault apps. Our findings reveal that it is entirely possible to detect an Android vault app with 98% accuracy using a random forest classifier. This clearly indicates that our approach can be instrumental for law enforcement in their efforts to address this critical issue
Conservative opposition to climate policy may be partially threat-based: A test and critique of the integrated threat model of climate attitudes
Get PDFOne 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\u27 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 to empirical testing through a series of three studies (Study 1 N = 5110, Study 2 N = 299, Study 3 N = 552). We found the hypothesized threat asymmetry in risk assessments of climate change and its solutions, whereby conservative ideologies predict greater perceived threat from climate policy, and lower perceived threat from climate change itself. Also consistent with the model, we found evidence that cross-sectionally, threat partially mediated associations between ideology and policy support. However, we also report on an unsuccessful experimental test of the model. Prompting people to think about the economic or cultural consequences of climate policy did not heighten conservatives\u27 perceptions of policy threat (i.e., a manipulation failure), and thus did not have the expected exacerbating effect on their climate policy concern. Findings suggest conservatives\u27 threat-based concerns about climate policy may be difficult to shift experimentally and provide only a partial explanation for their lower policy support
Navigating travel therapy: Balancing benefits and risks for optimal wellness
Get PDFThis research note examines travel therapy as a novel healthcare approach in which positive travel experiences serve to promote well-being. It emphasizes the need for a balanced assessment of the benefits and risks associated with travel therapy, offering insights into this practice\u27s evolving roles in the health and wellness domains
Young people’s likelihood of intervention to nonconsensual touching in nightlife settings: Interactions of gender, relationship to the bystander, and the recipient’s reaction
Get PDFNonconsensual sexual behaviors that occur in nightlife settings pose unique policy challenges and encouraging bystander behavior (i.e., either to stop the actor or help the recipient; nonemotive words used to avoid priming participants) might be an effective way to prevent these behaviors. Few researchers, none Australian, have undertaken quantitative studies to identify factors that influence bystanders’ behavior in nightlife settings and the interactions between them. Australian participants (n= 332, 56% women) read eight vignettes depicting an incident where an actor grabbed the buttocks of a recipient, in which we manipulated the actor and recipient’s gender; relationship to the bystander; recipient and actor intoxication; and the recipient’s response to the behavior. Afterwards, participants answered seven questions to establish their personal and social norms regarding the specific vignette behavior, their likelihood to intervene in each case, and completed the Ambivalent Sexism and the Ambivalence Toward Men Inventories.We created two multilevel models to examine how the factors influenced bystanders’ likelihood to either stop the actor or help the recipient and whether there are any interactions between the factors. All factors examined, except intoxication, influenced bystanders likelihood of intervention. Gender (of the bystander, the actor, and the recipient) and the bystander’s relationship to those involved had a pervasive influence on bystander behavior with numerous interactions, sometimes nullifying or altering the impact of other factors. The findings of this exploratory study provide a better explanation to regulators of how factors such as gender influence bystander decision making and might explain previous inconsistencies in the bystander literature
Risky business: Investigating the impact of external factors on safety performance
No full textIn recent decades, workplace injuries have plateaued, and the rates of workplace fatalities have not shown significant decline. To investigate this behaviour, an analysis of the impacts of external factors was undertaken to understand the uncertainty around the lack of improvement in safety performance. Previous research focuses on internal factors, and any research on external factors is not within the West Australian context. As a result, this research examined the impact of external factors such as economic cycles, the COVID-19 pandemic, and government legislation on safety performance in Western Australia.
A mixed-methods approach was strategically implemented in this study. Qualitative analysis was conducted on survey data from 2,492 participants over five years, assessing their perceptions of their organisations\u27 effectiveness in preventing fatalities. The survey was based on the “Ten Pathways” described in Michael Quinlan\u27s 2014 book, Ten Pathways to Death and Disaster , effectively capturing external and internal factors influencing safety. Quantitative analysis was conducted through secondary analysis of existing databases. This encompassed Western Australian occupational injury data (n = 627,953) spanning 18 years, the governmental mining fatalities register detailing 71 fatalities over 20 years, publicly available economic data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, and COVID-19 data sourced from Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Multiple linear regression and ANOVA analyses were utilised to assess the impact of external factors on safety performance during the study period.
Survey data demonstrated that there has been no significant improvement in employees\u27 perceptions of their employers\u27 effectiveness in preventing fatalities over the past five years, with an average perception score of M = 6.63 out of 10. The analysis of the data, segmented by geographical location and organisational roles, revealed that those in leadership positions view their organisations as more effective in preventing fatalities than those in employee roles. Analysis of the impact of economic cycles on safety performance indicates that external factors influence safety performance through the acute removal of funds and resources. In Western Australia, occupational injuries increase during economic growth and decrease during economic recessions. Industries such as manufacturing are more susceptible to economic changes, while sectors like mining and construction show increased resilience. Notably, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the occupational injury rate rose 8%—the first increase in 18 years. Despite this increase in injury rates, employees perceived their workplaces as safer, indicating a significant discrepancy between perception and the actual safety conditions. Workers employed by the government regulator reported the lowest perceived effectiveness in fatality prevention. This likely reflects the challenges mining organisations face in adhering to the new Work Health and Safety legislation introduced in Western Australia in 2022.
This research demonstrates that various external factors influence occupational injuries. To date, no other study has explored such a wide range of external factors affecting safety performance in Western Australia or Australia. Understanding how these external factors shape safety performance can aid stakeholders, governments, and organisations develop effective interventions and resilient safety management systems, ultimately enhancing workplace safety
A novel robust optimization approach for supply chain resilience: The role of flexibility and collaboration
Get PDFSupply chains are increasingly vulnerable to disruptive events that impair performance and stability. Despite research on supply chain resilience, a significant gap remains in risk management approaches on how to simultaneously minimize expected costs and control extreme cost variations. Existing methods neglect to narrow the gap between worst-case and best-case outcomes and to quantify the economic benefit of enhanced information in decision-making under uncertainty. This gap underscores the need for an integrated robust optimization framework that balances expected cost and risk while incorporating the assessment of novel digital technologies. In response, this study proposes a two-stage stochastic mixed-integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model that introduces two new metrics: Evolutionary Modified Conditional Value at Risk (EMCVaR) and the Information Impact Metric (IIM). EMCVaR unifies tail risk, solution variance, and model infeasibility into a single measure, yielding a controllable and predictable cost range, while IIM quantifies the economic benefit derived from the data-driven decision support system. Moreover, our model incorporates digital technologies, such as advanced screening, predictive analytics, and real-time digital monitoring, to enhance supply chain flexibility and collaboration. Our computational analysis demonstrates that diversified resilience strategies reduce both expected and worst-case costs, decrease cost variability by up to 15 %, and narrow the gap between extreme outcomes by over 30 %. From a managerial perspective, the study recommends adopting EMCVaR as a risk-budget to bound cost volatility, employing IIM to prioritize digital-technology investments that accelerate recovery, and formalizing backup-capacity and spot-market clauses with key suppliers, an integrated strategy shown to reduce worst-case disruption costs by more than 30 % while limiting routine cost variability to roughly 7 %
Academic support strategies for nursing students with a disability at university — An integrative review
Get PDFBackground: Nursing students with reported disabilities are increasing. Adjustments and accommodations within the classroom and clinical environment should be considered to promote inclusion and academic success. Aim: To synthesise the evidence from published research on academic support structures or interventions for nursing students with a disability. Design: An integrative review was undertaken. Methods: A systematic search of six electronic databases (CINAHL, APA PsycINFO, Education Research Complete, ERIC, ProQuest Central, and Scopus) was undertaken from 1984 to October 2024. Nine articles met the inclusion criteria for this integrative review, with two additional papers identified by forward and backward hand-searching. The final 11 identified articles were quality appraised. The integrative review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA. Findings: Results identified a range of support interventions or structures to promote inclusion and academic success. However, students and staff reported a lack of standardised guidance from universities, registration authorities, and the legislation relating to interventions and support for students with a disability. The challenges reported focused mainly on difficulties in adjusting to university tasks (e.g., writing skills) or performing their role within the clinical environment. Discussion: Adjustments and accommodations should be considered to promote inclusion and academic success of nursing students with a disability. Higher education and healthcare organisations need to identify ways to support students with a disability in nursing programs. Regulatory bodies should introduce guidance to address any potential discrepancies between access to study and fitness to nursing practice. Conclusion: Early identification of students with disabilities is important and needs to be centred on students’ ability rather than disability
Effect of relative isometric strength on countermovement jump performance in professional and semi-professional soccer players
Get PDFAs powerful actions commonly proceed goal scoring opportunities within soccer, enhancing powerful actions could be essential to optimize performance. There is a large body of evidence supporting the positive associations between maximal isometric mid-thigh pull force-generating qualities and jump performance. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to determine if relative maximal isometric force production can discriminate between higher- and lower-performing jumpers among professional and semi-professional soccer players. As such, it was hypothesized that stronger players would have a greater jump performance than weaker players. Methods: An observational cross-sectional research design was used to assess ballistic and isometric force production of the lower limbs across players from four professional and semi-professional soccer clubs during the pre-season period. Seventy-six professional male lower-league soccer players (mass: 82.5 ± 8.2 kg; height: 1.80 ± 0.07 m; age: 25.8 ± 4.3 years) performed three trials of the countermovement jump (CMJ) and isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) using force plates. Players were categorized as strong and weak using the group’s average IMTP relative peak force (33.41 N/kg). A series of one-way Bayesian independent t-tests were performed to determine the difference between strong and weak groups. Results: A large magnitude of difference was observed between strong and weak players for relative peak force (d [95% CI] = 2.53 [2.017–∞]), with strong evidence supporting the hypothesis (BF10 = 2.698 × 10+14). There was moderate evidence to support the hypothesis that strong players (n = 37) had a greater modified reactive strength index (mRSI) and relative average braking force in comparison to weaker players (n = 39). All other evidence was weak, with trivial-to-small differences (d = 0.10–0.42) for jump height, jump momentum, propulsive force, force at minimum displacement, time to take off, and countermovement depth. Conclusions: Maximal relative strength has implications on jump performance, albeit not on the jump outcome. Stronger players performed the CMJ more efficiently when observing the mRSI, with a shorter time to take off, while producing greater average relative forces during the braking phase. This could have potential implications in the sporting environment when performing jumping tasks, where they can achieve a similar outcome over a shorter duration
How do workforce adaptability and reskilling initiatives drive innovations: The case of Western Australian construction industry
Get PDFModern methods of construction (MMC) mark a shift from traditional practices to innovative workflows enabled by digital advancements. These changes demand a construction workforce that is adaptable, open to change, and committed to continuous improvement. This study explores how adaptability and continuous improvement contribute to achieving the desired outcomes of MMC. Specifically, it seeks to examine how these qualities are understood within the construction workforce and their practical implications. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twenty-five construction experts in various roles and organisations. Interview results highlighted that fostering adaptive skills and targeted reskilling can maximise the benefits of MMC. Meanwhile, workforce skepticism towards technologies, coupled with concerns and perceived limitations, may hinder the impact of proactive implementation efforts. Theoretically, this study expands the body of knowledge on MMC by advancing understanding of adaptability, continuous improvement and reskilling. Practically, it provides actionable insights to help organisations support their workforce in optimising MMC use. It further recommends that future research adopt an agentic, human-centric view on construction innovations, paving the path towards a resilient and sustainable future