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Social media and pop culture
No full textIf Guttenberg's printing press was key to the spread of the Protestant message during the Reformation, for contemporary megachurches, social media has set their message on virtual fire. Rapidly developing technology and high-speed internet has facilitated the exchange of unfathomable volumes of information and global connections across social media platforms. This is no different for religious communities. Megachurches have the resources to capitalize on these virtual tools with savvy marketing teams, sleek social media consultants, and tech competent pastors. For congregants, social media is a powerful means to connect with each other, their church, and their God. Just as social media has become an important everyday part of adherents' religious practice, it is also important in producing and shaping religious popular culture. In this chapter, we argue that how megachurches engage with social media and popular culture illuminates some of the ways that they negotiate religiosity and secularity
Research agenda and priorities for Australian and New Zealand paramedicine : a Delphi consensus study
No full textIntroduction: The systematic development of a research agenda is essential for coordinated, collaborative, and efficient research endeavours in any discipline. The aim of this study was to create and prioritise a stakeholder-informed, consensus-derived paramedicine research agenda for Australia and New Zealand. Methods: The study utilised a modified Delphi consensus method consisting of three phases. Phase 1, the findings of which were previously published, consisted of a survey of Australian and New Zealand paramedicine stakeholders to inform the subsequent consensus process. Phase 2 contained three Delphi rounds involving key paramedicine profession stakeholders to generate a research agenda. Panellists were asked to rate their agreement with the inclusion of each item using a 5-point Likert scale. Consensus was defined as 80% agreement signalled by ‘Strongly Agree’ and ‘Agree’ responses. Phase 3 involved one additional round of voting to determine the importance and thus establish priorities amongst the final list of agenda items. Results: There were 341 responses to the survey in Phase 1 and thematic analysis produced a provisional agenda consisting of 109 perceived research priorities. Sixty-three key paramedicine profession stakeholders were invited to Phases 2 and 3, of which 56 (88.9%) completed all three rounds in Phase 2, and 43 (68.3%) completed the final Phase 3. Thirty-seven items achieved consensus and were subsequently prioritised constituting the final research agenda. Panellists gave the highest priority to ‘Paramedics role in broader healthcare system’, ‘New and emerging roles in for paramedics’, ‘Patient safety’, ‘System improvement’, and ‘Clinical reasoning processes and models’. Conclusion: Using a modified Delphi consensus method and drawing from a broad range of stakeholders, a 37-item Australian and New Zealand paramedicine research agenda with item prioritisation was developed. The agenda serves to inform industry and other key stakeholders to guide their research endeavours ultimately leading to meaningful and tangible impact within the paramedicine profession
A novel ductile lightweight fiber-reinforced concrete (DLFC) infill for seismic-prone zones : experimental and numerical investigations
No full textIn urban construction, reinforced concrete (RC) with masonry infill predominates, though traditional masonry’s brittle nature poses significant seismic vulnerabilities. This study introduces a novel approach using Ductile Lightweight Fiber-Reinforced Concrete (DLFC) as an infill to address these challenges. Composed of cement, water, expanded polystyrene (EPS), ultra-fine filler, and combined polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and polypropylene (PPF) fibers, DLFC aims to enhance ductility, minimize damage, and amplify energy absorption in seismic events. Three RC frames, with height-to-span ratios of 0.77, 1.00, and 1.28, were designed and experimentally tested under simultaneous vertical and lateral cyclic loading to evaluate DLFC’s seismic response. Results illustrated that DLFC-infilled RC frames boast impressive ductility, an 8% drift at complete failure, minimal out-of-plane behavior, and elevated damping ratios. Remarkably, DLFC’s low in-plane stiffness led to reduced frame stiff- ness compared to traditional masonry. An empirical equation, closely aligning with experimental outcomes, was formulated to estimate the lateral strength of the infill wall, and a comparison with the bare frame was made, though it necessitates additional validation through further testing
Co-design of an intervention to optimize mammographic screening participation in women with obesity and/or physical disabilities
No full textBackground: Mammographic breast screening/rescreening rates are suboptimal for women with obesity and/or physical disabilities. This study describes development of an intervention framework targeting obesity- and disability-related barriers to improve participation. Methods: Mixed methods combined a systematic review with first-person perspectives to optimise screening engagement among women with obesity and/or physical disabilities. Phase 1 (systematic review) was conducted following the PRISMA framework. Phase 2 involved in-depth interviews with n = 8 women with lived experience of obesity and/or physical disabilities. An inductive coding approach was applied to the data which was then combined with Phase 1 results to develop the intervention framework. Results: Six studies were included in the systematic review. Tailored education based on individual risk increased willingness to undergo mammographic screening. Recommendations to improve the screening experience included partnerships with consumers, targeted messaging, and enhanced professional development for breast screening staff. Participants also identified strategies to improve the uptake of screening and the experience itself. Conclusion: Development and evaluation of interventions informed by frameworks like the one developed in this study are needed to improve engagement in screening to promote regular participation among women with physical disabilities and/or obesity. Implications for practice: Successful implementation of practice interventions co-designed by women with obesity and/or physical disabilities are likely to improve their breast screening participation. Enhanced training of radiographers aimed at upskilling in empathetic communication around required manoeuvring and potentially longer screening times for clients with obesity and/or physical disabilities may encourage more positive client practitioner interactions. Client information aimed at women with obesity should include information on how to prepare for the appointment and explain there may be equipment limitations compromising imaging which may not be completed at an initial appointment
[In Press] Divergent intra- and interspecific root order variability identifies a two-dimensional root economics spectrum
No full textBackground and Aims: The form-function linkages and variation of fine root traits reflect adaptive strategies to cope with complex soil environments. However, their contributions to the root economics spectrum (RES) remain unclear. Methods: We measured thirteen functional traits in the first four root orders of 59 subtropical woody species, including four morphology functional traits, three chemical functional traits, and six anatomical functional traits. Results: A multi-dimensional RES was observed among the different order roots, including two trade-off axes, one represented by root diameter (RD) and specific root length (SRL) and another represented by root tissue density (RTD) and root nitrogen content (RNC). As the root orders increased, the root function transitioned from nutrient uptake (1st-3rd orders) to resource transport and storage (4th order). The hub traits changed accordingly. The intraspecific variation among root orders was along the RD-SRL axis, whereas the interspecific variation among the root orders was along the RTD-RNC axis in the RES. Furthermore, the data pertaining to plant life history strategies (e.g., leaf size and leaf nitrogen) had effects on the multi-dimensional RES variation. Conclusions: Collectively, a multi-dimensional RES reveals intra- and interspecific variation characteristics in the fine root system. These findings provide empirical data underpinning a theoretical basis for understanding fine root form-function linkages
[In Press] Identifying barriers to delirium recognition and management in hospitalised older adults
No full textCommentary on: Bianchi LA, Harris R, & Fitzpatrick JM. Barriers to healthcare professionals recognising and managing delirium in older adults during a hospital stay: A mixed-methods systematic review. J Adv Nursing 2023;00:1–18
[In Press] A greater nurse and midwife density protects against infant mortality globally
No full textPurpose: As the largest professionwithin the health careworkforce, nurses and midwives play a critical role in the health and wellness of families especially children and infants. This study suggests those countries with higher nurse and midwife densities (NMD) had lower infant mortality rates (IMR). Design and methods: With affluence, low birthweight and urbanization incorporated as potential confounders, this ecological study analyzed the correlations between NMD and IMR with scatterplots, Pearson r correlation, partial correlation and multiple linear regressionmodels. Countrieswere also grouped for analysing and comparing their Pearson's coefficients. Results: NMD inversely and significantly correlated to IMR worldwide. This relationship remained significant independent of the confounders, economic affluence, low birthweight and urbanization. Explaining 57.19% of IMR variance, high NMD was implicated in significantly reducing the IMR. Practice implications: Countries with highNMD had lower IMRs both worldwide andwith special regard to developing countries. This may interest healthcare policymakers, especially those from developing countries, to consider the impacts of global nursing and midwifery staffing shortages. Nurses and midwives are the group of healthcare professionals who spend most with infants and their carers. This may be another alert for the health authorities to extend nurses and midwives' practice scope for promoting infant health
[In Press] Grazing induces positive direct effect of shrubs on nematode diversity but suppresses indirect effects through microbial pathways
No full textBackground and aims: Dominant plants shape belowground communities, which in turn influences ecosystem functioning. Similarly, herbivores affect belowground communities through physical disturbance and redistribution of organic inputs, but also through their interactions with plants themselves. However, we know little about how grazing moderates the effects of dominant plants on belowground organisms. Methods: We established a three-year shrub removal experiment in a grazed and an ungrazed alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau to assess how grazing moderates the effects of a dominant plant, Dasiphora fruticosa, on nematode communities. We used piecewise structural equation modelling to assess how grazing moderates the direct effects of dominant plants and, indirect effects via changes in edaphic variables and microbial pathways. Results: We found that 1) grazing significantly decreased nematode diversity mainly due to a reduction in omnivores; 2) there was a significant grazing by shrub interaction effect on nematode diversity, whereby shrub had a positive direct effect on nematode diversity only in the grazed meadow; 3) in the ungrazed alpine meadow, microbial diversity was a strong predictor of nematode, while in the grazed meadow, grazing suppressed the microbial pathways of shrub presence. Conclusion: The study shows that grazing decreases the diversity of soil communities and suppresses the interactions among soil biota, while shrub presence plays a vital role in alleviating the negative effects of grazing on understory communities. Therefore, the findings further highlight herbivory in inducing facilitation of dominant shrubs on understory community stabilization and ecosystem functioning in alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau
Exploring Digital Learning with Recently Arrived Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Parents in Western Sydney, Australia
Get PDFThis interview research aims to understand CALD parents' perspectives on how they engage with digital technologies to support their children's learning. With the increasing reliance on digital technologies, the extent to which individuals can access, afford, and use digital services effectively influences their capacity to fully participate in contemporary society. Although lack of access to technology is a significant barrier, it has been contended that the digital divide has had the most detrimental impact on those with lower levels of income, education, and employment, and that language barriers, and lack of digital skills can exacerbate digital exclusion. The impact of digital exclusion is, for example, particularly evident in Western Sydney, which has one of the most culturally and linguistically diverse communities in Australia, with almost 56% of the population on a low income and speaking a language other than English at home. Based on the interview data from 18 CALD parents living in Western Sydney, the study examines the factors that play a role in the ways newly arrived CALD parents participate in their school-aged children's digital learning and how they engage with technology to support their children's digital learning. The findings from the interview research pave the way for large-scale research of the same focus to provide models of parental engagement with digital learning that are essential for improving their children's educational outcomes
[In Press] The relationship between Foot Posture Index and plantar pressure in a community-dwelling adult population with type 2 diabetes
No full textAims: To investigate the contribution of foot type to plantar pressures in a community-dwelling adult population with type 2 diabetes. Methods: Foot Posture Index-6 (FPI-6) as a measure of foot type, barefoot plantar pressure (peak pressures and pressure-time integrals), presence of forefoot deformities, peripheral neuropathy, ankle and first metatarsophalangeal joint (MTPJ) dorsiflexion range of motion (ROM), and demographic variables were measured. Standard multiple regression models were used to investigate the independent contribution of FPI-6 on plantar pressure variables at the hallux, forefoot, and rearfoot. Results: 122 adults (mean age 70.9 ± 9.3, n = 58 female) with type 2 diabetes were recruited. A lower (more supinated) FPI-6 significantly contributed to an increased forefoot pressure-time integral (β = −0.285, p = 0.04). FPI-6 was not a statistically significant independent predictor of peak pressure at the hallux, forefoot or rearfoot. Conclusions: When screening for at-risk sites of elevated plantar pressure in adults with type 2 diabetes, clinicians should consider performing the FPI-6 along with other clinical measures that have been shown to be associated with increased plantar pressures including first MTPJ dorsiflexion ROM, and presence of digital deformities. Evidence-based treatments to offload these areas should then be considere