50716 research outputs found
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Structural behaviour of wood-geopolymer cement masonry prisms
No full textThis paper presents an experimental and numerical investigation into the structural behaviour of prisms made of Wood-Geopolymer cement Masonry Units (WGMU), a sustainable alternative to Conventional Masonry Units (CMU). Eighteen WGMU prisms and six CMU prisms were constructed and subjected to uniaxial compression testing to evaluate their load-bearing capacity, failure mechanisms, and overall performance. The study varied the wood content and types of mortar to assess their effects on the structural behaviour of the prisms. Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations were also conducted to analyse stress distribution, deformation patterns, and potential failure modes. Results indicated that increasing wood content led to a decrease in the compressive strength of the WGMU prisms, primarily due to the lower strength and higher porosity of the wood shavings. However, despite this reduction, WGMU prisms demonstrated unique deformation behaviours, exhibiting superior toughness compared to CMUs. This study suggests that WGMUs represent a promising alternative to conventional masonry, offering enhanced toughness and energy absorption
Ankle proprioception and functional performance in patients with Achilles tendinopathy
No full textThe purpose of this study was to investigate differences in ankle plantar flexion proprioception and lower extremity function between Achilles tendinopathy (AT) patients and healthy controls. 17 patients with midportion AT (age 22.0 ± 3.0, 7 females, and 10 males) and 17 healthy controls (age 21.5 ± 2.1, 7 females, and 10 males) were recruited. The following tests were performed randomly: the ankle plantar flexion active movement extent discrimination assessment (AMEDA), weight-bearing lunge test (WBLT), single leg hop test, figure-of-eight hop test, Y Balance Test (YBT), and lower extremity functional test (LEFT). Group comparisons were made between the AT and healthy groups, and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curves were used to analyze the ability of tests to differentiate between participants with and without AT. Results showed that the AT group performed significantly worse in the ankle proprioception test (p = 0.016), single leg hop test (p = 0.001), figure-of-eight hop test (p < 0.001), unilateral LEFT (p = 0.001), and LEFT injury risk score (p = 0.001) than healthy controls. No significant between group difference was found in WBLT and YBT. Diagnostic analysis showed that the AMEDA (p = 0.018), single leg hop test (p = 0.003), figure-of-eight hop test (p = 0.002), and LEFT (p = 0.001) could differentiate between patients with AT and the healthy individuals. The current study demonstrated that ankle proprioception and functional performance involving explosive jump are impaired in patients with AT, suggesting poorer dynamic neuromuscular function and a higher risk of lower limb injury in this population, and furthermore, these tests should be considered in the assessment for AT.</p
Learning from lived experience:rural older Australians’ perspectives of mental health, wellbeing, and support
No full textObjectives: Older adults with poor mental health living in rural areas are seldom heard in research and disadvantaged in health service provision. Consequently, this study aimed to explore rural older Australians’ perspectives of mental health, wellbeing, and access to and receipt of support. Method: Six older adults with recent self- or clinically-diagnosed mental ill-health in rural Australia (mean age 67.33 years; 66% female), and six informal carers of such individuals (67.33 years; 83% female), participated in interviews exploring their lived and living experiences of rural older adult mental health. Results: Four themes describing participant experiences were identified: ‘how perceived attitudes about mental health reduce help-seeking’, ‘the impact of social transparency in rural areas’, ‘the interconnected nature of physical and mental health in later life’, and ‘the contextual complexities in accessing timely and appropriate supports in rural areas’. Conclusion: The identified themes highlight the personal and contextual complexity affecting access to mental health supports for older adults and informal carers in rural areas. These findings provide valuable lived experience insights to support the design and delivery of appropriate and accessible mental health supports that meet the needs of older rural Australians.</p
Theorising digital practices
No full textHistorically, research about young children and digital technologies is informed by technological determinist thinking seeking to understand the impact of technologies on young children. As digital society is increasingly understood to interface social practices with technologies, questions of impact become harder to sustain theoretically. In this chapter, practice theory and critical constructivism are identified and explained leading to a cultural study of technologies. Practices are interpreted as what people do, say and how they relate to material and non-material affordances in their world as motivated by what they want to do or achieve. Critical constructivism explains how design and use values are mediated by people in situ so that technologies are never value-neutral but always in a state of social formation over time. Directing attention to the practices that comprise how people engage with technologies via their social formation comprises a cultural study of technologies.</p
Supporting children’s relationships with digital technologies
No full textThis chapter focuses on the peer-to-peer relationships of very young children that can be formed through the use of digital technologies. Digital technologies are now commonplace in the lives of young children; however, there is a dearth of research relating to children aged 0 to 3 years and their use of digital technology. This chapter draws attention to the often-expressed concern by parents and educators that using technology can be an isolating experience and detrimental to a child’s socialisation. Documented in this chapter will be the philosophical shift that occurred for the educators involved in this Investigation as they utilised technologies to support young children to foster relationships with their peers. It identifies the practices that were found to support young children to positively interact with their peers when using digital technologies as viewing, using, showing, and discussing. The chapter showcases the children and educators engaged in these practices and prompts thinking about how technologies can be used in the best interests of young children to support relationship building.</p
Addressing the omitted variables problem in a three-equation linear system
No full textThe omitted variables problem in regression analysis poses a major challenge for causal inference from observational data. This paper introduces a novel framework for addressing this issue within a three-equation linear system featuring shared omitted variables. As a baseline, we propose the Common Omission Solution (COS) estimator, assuming observed explanatory variables across equations are mutually uncorrelated, and establish its consistency and asymptotic normality. To accommodate more realistic settings with correlated regressors, we develop the Divide-and-Conquer COS (DC-COS) method. It uses clustering and trimming to construct approximately orthogonal data subsets, applies COS within each subset, and aggregates results via robust median pooling. Monte Carlo simulations confirm the estimators' effectiveness, and empirical applications illustrate their utility.</p
Optimising transcranial direct current stimulation application for the enhancement of exercise performance:a review
No full textTranscranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation technique that has shown potential in enhancing performance across a range of exercise types. However, the variability in its effectiveness suggests that outcomes may be contingent on how stimulation is applied. This review evaluates the current evidence surrounding the optimisation of tDCS for performance enhancement, focusing on individual stimulation parameters; timing, intensity, current density, montage, and electrode configuration, and their interactions. We highlight how modifications in these dose components can produce non-linear and sometimes paradoxical effects on corticospinal excitability, the primary mechanistic rationale proposed for tDCS-related performance gains. Evidence suggests that online vs offline stimulation, session duration, dual-dosing protocols, and extracephalic or high-definition montages can all substantially influence psychophysiological outcomes, though findings remain inconsistent. Through the review, we identify significant gaps in comparative data and cautions against assumptions that increased stimulation intensity or duration equates to improved performance. We critique the reliance on outdated methodologies including the use the 10–20 EEG system, and conclude by providing practical recommendations for future research, calling for systematic investigations of dose interactions, protocol standardisation, and direct comparisons of novel and established tDCS methods. These steps are necessary to utilise tDCS to its full potential in the context of exercise performance.</p
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Plasmodium infections and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in relation to disease severity
No full textBACKGROUND: Given the global burden of malaria and its impact on public health, there is a pressing need to understand the role of routine hematological parameters, particularly erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), in malaria diagnosis and prognosis. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to comprehensively examine the differences in ESR between malaria patients and non-malarial controls, as well as between severe and non-severe malaria cases.METHODS: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA guidelines and was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42023482332). Comprehensive searches were conducted in ProQuest, Embase, Ovid, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Google Scholar from inception to July 1, 2025, using terms related to "erythrocyte sedimentation rate" and "malaria." Studies were included if they reported ESR levels in malaria patients compared to non-malarial controls, or in severe versus non-severe malaria cases. Non-original studies, those without extractable ESR data, or those lacking appropriate comparison groups were excluded. Data extraction and quality assessment were independently performed by two reviewers using the Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklists. A meta-analysis using a random-effects model was conducted to estimate standardized mean differences (SMD) in ESR levels between groups. Heterogeneity was assessed with the I² statistic, and further explored through meta-regression, subgroup analyses, and sensitivity analyses. Publication bias was evaluated using funnel plots and Egger's test.RESULTS: The review identified 19 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The qualitative synthesis revealed that a majority of these studies, which employed various research designs, consistently observed elevated ESR in symptomatic malaria cases across different populations and age groups. The meta-analysis confirmed significantly higher ESR levels in malaria patients than non-malarial controls (P = 0.0171, SMD: 3.0037, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.5347-5.4726, random effects model, I 2 = 97.3%, 11 studies). However, a significant publication bias was detected (Egger's test, P = 0.005), suggesting that the pooled estimates may be influenced by selective reporting. The meta-analysis also demonstrated that severe malaria cases have higher ESR levels compared to non-severe cases (P = 0.0014, SMD: 2.2556, 95% CI: 0.8759-3.6354, random effects model, I²: 96.1%, 4 studies). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that elevated ESR is frequently reported in malaria patients and may be more pronounced in severe cases. However, the very high between-study heterogeneity and the presence of publication bias limit confidence in the robustness of these associations. While ESR may hold potential as a supportive diagnostic or prognostic marker when combined with other clinical and laboratory parameters, its independent utility in malaria remains uncertain and requires further investigation.</p