62353 research outputs found
Sort by
Humanities Academics in Regional Australian Universities: Challenges and Insights at the Equity Coalface
No full textBeginning in the pandemic and extending through the consultation period that informed the Australian Universities Accord, the Humanities in the Regions Community of Practice of the Australasian Consortium of Humanities Researchers and Centres (ACHRC) hosted a series of conversations with regional humanities academics that sought to capture concerns about rising inequality. What follows is a thematic analysis of follow-up interviews that drew on a story-capture method with nine academics from eight regional universities across Australia in 2024. Acknowledging F. Michael Connelly and D. Jean Clandinin’s insistence on the richness of narrative inquiry in education studies, these interviews attempt to draw strength from what Rita Felski has identified in narrative as its capacity to reveal ‘density and distinctiveness of particular life-worlds’ (51). This responds in part to Clifton Conrad’s plea to his fellow researchers of higher education to push beyond ‘data-gathering for narrow descriptive purposes’ (205) and utilitarian functions, to ask questions about what it means to be educated and to participate in the educating process. Our conversations uncovered the nuanced experiences of HASS academics—whose research is often focused on structural inequality— increasingly observing, experiencing, and attempting to mitigate widening inequalities in their own student cohorts and academic careers
Exploring the Complexities of Child-Focused Managerial Perspectives
No full textIncorporating child-friendly tourism concepts can contribute to creating sustainable tourism environments that protect natural resources, and preserve local culture, while offering enriching experiences for both children and families (Suryawijaya, 2023). Operating child-focused tours in Iran requires navigating a unique cultural and historical landscape, understanding market potential, and addressing regulatory challenges specific to this context. In Iran, there have been serious recent efforts by both public and private sectors to develop the tourism industry (Mohammadi & Pearce, 2020). However, despite these efforts, challenges persist in engaging children in the decision-making process
and enhancing community involvement to improve tourism settings for younger visitors (Suryawijaya, 2023). Identifying and addressing these challenges is crucial to unlocking the full potential of child-oriented tourism in the region. The aim of this study is to explore managers' perspectives on providing child-focused tours within the context of Iran
HR in the Tropics: HR leading workforce strategies for Northern Australia
No full textThe HR in the Tropics project seeks to identify factors that influence HR practices in tropical northern Australia to better understand how to contextualise human resource management (HRM) to meet workforce needs in the region. The context in which HRM is practiced is a salient topic because it seems unlikely that the same HR practices will work equally well in different contexts. Yet, this has not been explored in a within country regional context, despite a broad understanding that it is the case for multi-country contexts. Therefore, the first phase of this research project tested the perception of context with HR practitioners in northern Australia, revealing that more than two thirds (69%) of survey respondents said that ‘HR is different up here!’ The second research phase used an explanatory research design to understand more about if, and how, place shapes HR practices in northern Queensland. The findings suggest that place is integral to how HR practices are implemented. That is, while HR practices appear to be generic; how HR practitioners localised the implementation of HR practices is influenced by place. Through narrative interviews the work experiences that HR practitioners perceived as being unique to northern Queensland were examined. Using the self-others-environment theoretical framework sixteen themes that captured the aspects of place associated with shaping how HR is practiced in northern Queensland were identified. Further, the findings suggest that transformational HR practices were often focused on strategies to implement operational HR activities rather than forward focused HR strategy and workforce transformation. Therefore, given the increasing evidence that context is an essential element of HR practices, consideration for the northern Australian context is essential to build a HR workforce with the skills and expertise to inform policy decisions, build capability and lead workforce development strategies to advance Australia’s north.
1. Workforce strategies need to be contextualised to the northern Australian environment.
2. Place-based factors impact how human resource practices are implemented.
3. Skilled and experienced human resource practitioners with ties to the north can lead workforce development strategies to advance Australia’s north
Prevalence of problematic pornography use: a meta-analysis
No full textAt least one narrative review has examined cross-cultural differences in the prevalence rates of problematic pornography use (PPU). However, the data were not synthesised statistically, precluding an identification of the pooled prevalence rate of PPU. The current study aimed to address the limitation by conducting a meta-analysis to statistically synthesise the prevalence rates of PPU among the general population. A comprehensive search was conducted on the databases ProQuest, PsycArticles, and PubMed from inception to 11 October 2024. The data was analysed using Meta-Essentials, and the random effects model was used to obtain the pooled estimate of the effect size. A total of 22 articles were included (total N=31,566). An overall pooled prevalence rate of 13.00% (95% CI: 8.00–19.00%) was found for PPU across general and subpopulations (e.g. students). However, significant heterogeneity was found across the prevalence rates, and they could be explained by region of the study, sample type (representative sample vs convenience sample), and the type of PPU instrument used. Limitations of the study include the inclusion of studies with Ad hoc scales in the meta-analysis and the modest impact of publication bias on the results. Future research directions include examining the forbidden fruit effect for PPU and examining potential interaction effects between key variables (e.g. region of the study, type of PPU instrument used) in predicting prevalence rates
A Modular Self-Assembling and Self-Adjuvanting Multiepitope Peptide Nanoparticle Vaccine Platform to Improve the Efficacy and Immunogenicity of BCG
No full textAfter more than a century since its initial development, Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) remains the only licensed vaccine against tuberculosis (TB). Subunit boosters are considered a viable strategy to enhance BCG efficacy, which often wanes in adolescence. While many studies on booster subunit vaccines have concentrated on recombinant proteins, here we developed a novel modular peptide-based subunit vaccine platform that is flexible, cold-chain independent and customizable to diverse circumstances and populations. Each individual peptide building block consists of a linear arrangement comprising a 15-leucine self-assembly inducer moiety, a Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) target epitope and an human leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) binding moiety, with each moiety separated by a triple lysine spacer. The building blocks, in any combination, are able to form a multiepitope nanoparticle. Six Mtb epitopes were selected to produce the self-assembling and self-adjuvating peptide-based TB nano-vaccine candidate PNx6. In vivo vaccination-challenge experiments demonstrated that subcutaneous boost of parenteral BCG immunization with PNx6 significantly enhanced its immunogenicity and improved its protective efficacy in a murine model of TB by more than 5-fold. This study presents evidence that purely amphiphilic peptides self-assemble into self-adjuvating nanoparticles with appropriate size and morphology for TB vaccination with great potential for a multitude of other diseases
A scoping review into music listening to support antepartum and intrapartum maternal well-being
No full textA growing body of research supports the use of music listening for well-being. Our scoping review explores the role of music listening in enhancing maternal well-being throughout the prenatal and labour stages. We examined music listening specifically because it is a highly accessible component of musical care, making it a resource that is embedded in everyday life and one that expectant mothers can conveniently employ, regardless of location or time constraints. In undertaking this review, we aimed to (1) consolidate evidence-based knowledge on the role of music listening for maternal well-being prenatally and during birth, and (2) examine the features of the music resources used in the published research. Following PRISMA guidelines for Scoping Reviews, a database search using three search terms (versions of music, listen* and prenatal or birth) resulted in analysing 55 articles. Thematic analysis identified the well-being benefits of music listening during pregnancy (three sub-themes: psychological well-being, attachment, and physiological well-being) and birth (three sub-themes: pain management, psychological well-being, and labour progression). During pregnancy, music listening significantly improves psychological well-being, fosters maternal-foetal attachment, and improves physiological well-being (e.g., sleep, blood pressure, heart rate). During labour, music listening significantly reduces labour duration and pain, accelerates labour progression, increases the likelihood of vaginal delivery. Details about the music were often missing; however, when provided, most studies implemented a single session lasting 15-30-minutes with experimenter-selected music. These findings have implications for using music listening as an accessible, low-cost, non-pharmacological, evidence-based tool to support maternal well-being
Project Management in Health and Community Services: A contemporary guide to practice
No full textThe new edition of this best-selling text presents the tools and techniques for effectively managing every kind of development and change in health and community services, while also balancing the needs of a range of stakeholders. It offers practical, problem-solving strategies based on real-life scenarios. A core competency for health and community service practitioners internationally, project management is a key challenge for both new and existing staff. This practitioner’s guide uses project stories and examples to illustrate the core challenges that practitioners may face, including managing the project life cycle, project planning, execution and evaluation, risk management, handling change and building effective teams. Alongside new interviews with staff working across a range of sectors, this edition includes new content on career development and pathways as well as the growing integration of project methods into general management, and the impact of broader changes like digital innovation and transformation. Written by highly experienced authors, and underpinned by the latest research, this enlightening and practical guide is an essential resource for anyone studying or working in health and community services
Bioactives From Brown Algae: Antioxidant, Anti‐Inflammatory, Anticancer, and Antimicrobial Potential
No full textBrown algae have gained significant attention due to their abundance of bioactive compounds with promising bioactivities. This review comprehensively examines the primary bioactive compounds found in brown algae, including fucoidan, laminarin, alginates, phlorotannins, phenolic acids, flavonoids, fucoxanthin, fatty acids, fucosterol, and various vitamins and minerals. The bioactivities of these compounds are explored, focusing on their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. By analyzing studies conducted between 2014 and 2024, this review provides a current and comprehensive understanding of these compounds’ effects and potential health benefits. Additionally, it discusses their present and future applications in pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, and functional foods, highlighting their market potential. This review also addresses key challenges such as regulatory compliance and chemical composition variability. Additionally, future perspectives are presented to guide upcoming research and development efforts to overcome these challenges and fully exploit these marine resources
Serological and molecular epidemiology of West Nile, Japanese encephalitis, and tick-borne encephalitis viruses in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis
No full textFlaviviruses, including West Nile virus (WNV), Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), and tick-borne encephalitis virus (TBEV), are significant public health threats in Africa due to their potential to cause severe neurological conditions. Despite recent outbreaks, the region has limited epidemiological and evolutionary data on these viruses. This study aimed to critically and systematically review the available literature on serological and molecular epidemiology of WNV, JEV and TBEV from 2004 to 2024 and examined the phylogenetic relatedness of the African virus strain from 1937 to 2018. PubMed and Google Scholar databases were systematically searched, and 61 articles were identified: WNV (n = 54), TBEV (n = 5), and JEV (n = 2). Using a random-effects meta-analysis model, we estimated the frequency-weighted seroprevalence WNV in humans and animals to be 17.96% (95% CI 12.50, 24.13), with a peak rate of 55% in humans (Egypt) and 93.28% in horses (Nigeria). Phylogenetic analyses of 54 WNV, one JEV, and one TBEV genomes revealed that lineage 2 WNV was implicated in most outbreaks in Africa. These findings reinforced the need to strengthen WNV, JEV, and TBEV surveillance through a One Health and host ecological lens to improve preparedness for potential outbreaks in Africa
The impact of human dispersals and local interactions on the genetic diversity of coastal Papua New Guinea over the past 2,500 years
No full textThe inhabitants of New Guinea and its outlying islands have played an important role in the human history of the Pacific region. Nevertheless, the genetic diversity, particularly of pre-colonial communities, is still understudied. Here we present the ancient genomes of 42 individuals from Papua New Guinea (PNG). The ancient genomic results of individuals from Watom Island (Bismarck Archipelago) and the south and northeastern coasts of PNG are contextualized with new (bio-) archaeological data. The individuals’ accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) dates span 2,500 years of human habitation, and our results demonstrate the influences of different dispersal events on the genetic make-up of ancient PNG communities. The oldest individuals show an unadmixed Papuan-related genetic signature, whereas individuals dating from 2,100 years before present carry varying degrees of an East-Asian-related contribution. These results and the inferred admixture dates suggest a centuries-long delay in genetic mixture with local communities after the arrival of populations with Asian ancestry. Two geographically close communities on the South Coast, AMS dated to within the past 540 years, diverge in their genetic profiles, suggesting differences in their interaction spheres involving groups with distinct ancestries. The inferred split time of these communities around 650 years before present coincides with intensified settlement activity and the emergence of regional trade networks