19683 research outputs found
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Quiet Australians: Literary Constructions and Transfigurations of a Cultural Trope
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
A Consumer-perspective Critical Reflection Tool
No full textThe aim of our Consumer-perspective Reflection Appraisal Tool is to provide a resource that allows users to evaluate and assess the quality of research from a consumer perspective. The tool has been designed for use on all research that impacts consumers. While designed for use in this context, the tool may also be adaptable for use in other areas where co-design and/or co-production is relevant. The tool can also be used to evaluate your own projects and in conducting peer review. This tool can be used in addition to other critical reflection tools, or critical appraisal tools. We encourage that the tool be used to evaluate all kinds of research, including quantitative studies (i.e., RCTs) and qualitative research.</p
Trust Not Verify? The Critical Need for Data Curation Standards in Materials Informatics
No full textNo description supplied. </p
Recent Toolboxes for Chemoselective Dual Modifications of Proteins
No full textSite-selective chemical modifications of proteins have emerged as a potent technology in chemical biology, materials science, and medicine, facilitating precise manipulation of proteins with tailored functionalities for basic biology research and developing innovative therapeutics. Compared to traditional recombinant expression methods, one of the prominent advantages of chemical protein modification lies in its capacity to decorate proteins with a wide range of functional moieties, including non-genetically encoded ones, enabling the generation of novel protein conjugates with enhanced or previously unexplored properties. Among these, approaches for dual or multiple modifications of proteins are increasingly garnering attention, as it has been found that single modification of proteins is inadequate to meet current demands. Therefore, in light of the rapid developments in this field, this review provides a timely and comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in chemical and biological approaches for dual functionalization of proteins. It further discusses their advantages, limitations, and potential future directions in this relatively nascent area.</p
The impact of nursing workforce skill-mix on patient outcomes in intensive care units in Victoria, Australia
No full textObjective: This article aims to examine the impact of nursing workforce skill-mix (percentage of critical care registered nurses [CCRN]) in the intensive care unit (ICU) during a patient's stay. Design: Registry linked cohort study of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Adult Patient Database and the Critical Health Resources Information System using real-time nursing workforce data. Settings: Fifteen public and 5 private hospital ICUs in Victoria, Australia. Participants: There were 16,618 adult patients admitted between 1 December 2021 and 30 September 2022. Main outcome measures: Primary outcome: in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes: in-ICU mortality, development of delirium, pressure injury, duration of stay in-ICU and hospital, after-hours discharge from ICU and readmission to ICU. Results: In total, 6563 (39.5%) patients were cared for in ICUs with >75% CCRN, 7695 (46.3%) in ICUs with 50–75% CCRN, and 2360 (14.2%) in ICUs with 75% CCRN. A similar but non-significant trend was seen in ICUs with 75% CCRN. In-ICU mortality, delirium, pressure injuries, after-hours discharge and ICU length of stay were lower in ICUs with CCRN>75%. Conclusion: The nursing skill-mix in ICU impacts outcomes and should be routinely monitored. Health system regulators, hospital administrators and ICU leaders should ensure nursing workforce planning and education align with these findings to maximise patient outcomes
Explaining OER to students as a way of sharing their work
No full textThis presentation is used for explaining OER to students for sharing their work and represent themselves. It is used to support projects for enabling students as OER co-creators.This was originally used as part of the La Trobe eBureau project Making Public Histories.</p
Remaking the ‘angry Narcanned subject’: Affording new subject positions through take-home naloxone training
No full textNaloxone is a medication used to reverse opioid overdose. Alongside its lifesaving effects, it also has a reputation for producing distress, aggression and occasionally violence upon administration. This article analyses how take-home naloxone (THN) training initiatives address naloxone's reputation for producing aggression and conflict, and how new subject positions emerge in the context of this training. While the role of naloxone in producing aggression has been discussed in a range of research, this work emphasises that such conflict is neither inevitable nor even likely because it is contingent on several other issues such as administration practices. Building on this scholarship, we work with Bruno Latour's theorisation of technological ‘affordances’ to analyse THN as a socially co-produced technology that, rather than either determining or neutrally communicating actions and effects, ‘affords’ possibilities, capacities and subjects. Analysing data drawn from observations of THN training in Victoria, Australia, and in-depth interviews with training participants, we argue that the issue of conflict upon revival affords a subject position we term the ‘angry Narcanned subject’. This subject, we note, has come to hold a powerful position in understandings of naloxone, not least because it tends to accord with stereotypes of antisocial drug users. From here, we argue that a much of THN training is focused on challenging and reframing naloxone's reputation for conflict and questioning related subject positions, especially that of the angry Narcanned subject. We argue that this process of challenging and reframing affords two new subject positions for consumers: the ‘capable administrator’ and the ‘calmer revivee’. We conclude that while THN training affords multiple, potentially positive, subject positions, unless these initiatives are accompanied by broader interventions such as decriminalisation campaigns, they may inadvertently responsibilise people who consume opioids for addressing overdose and erase the role of prohibition, criminalisation and stigmatisation in producing overdose events
Tailored environments for directed mesenchymal stromal cell proliferation and differentiation using decellularized extracellular matrices in conjunction with substrate modulus
No full textAbstract: Decellularised extracellular matrix (dECM) produced by mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) is a promising biomaterial for improving the ex vivo expansion of MSCs. The dECMs are often deposited on high modulus surfaces such as tissue culture plastic or glass, and subsequent differentiation assays often bias towards osteogenesis. We tested the hypothesis that dECM deposited on substrates of varying modulus will produce cell culture environments that are tailored to promote the proliferation and/or lineage-specific differentiation of MSCs. dECM was produced on type I collagen-functionalised polyacrylamide hydrogels with discrete moduli (∼4, 10, and 40 kPa) or in a linear gradient of modulus that spans the same range, and the substrates were used as culture surfaces for MSCs. Fluorescence spectroscopy and mass spectrometry characterization revealed structural compositional changes in the dECM as a function of substrate modulus. Softer substrates (4 kPa) with dECM supported the largest number of MSCs after 7 days (∼1.6-fold increase compared to glass). Additionally, osteogenic differentiation was greatest on high modulus substrates (40 kPa and glass) with dECM. Nuclear translocation of YAP1 was observed on all surfaces with a modulus of 10 kPa or greater and may be a driver for the increased osteogenesis on the high modulus surfaces. These data demonstrate that dECM technology can be integrated with environmental parameters such as substrate modulus to improve/tailor MSC proliferation and differentiation during ex vivo culture. These results have potential impact in the improved expansion of MSCs for tailored therapeutic applications and in the development of advanced tissue engineering scaffolds.
Statement of significance: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are extensively used in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine due to their ability to proliferate, differentiate, and modulate the immune environment. Controlling MSC behavior is critical for advances in the field. Decellularised extracellular matrix (dECM) can maintain MSC properties in culture, increase their proliferation rate and capacity, and enhance their stimulated differentiation. Substrate stiffness is another key driver of cell function, and previous reports have primarily looked at dECM deposition and function on stiff substrates such as glass. Herein, we produce dECM on substrates of varying stiffness to create tailored environments that enhance desired MSC properties such as proliferation and differentiation. Additionally, we complete mechanistic studies including quantitative mass spec of the ECM to understand the biological function.</p
Summary of the 2023 international evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome: an Australian perspective
No full textIntroduction: The Australian-led 2023 International evidence-based guideline for the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome was based on best available evidence, clinical expertise and consumer preference. It followed best practice, involved extensive evidence synthesis and applied relevant frameworks across evidence quality, feasibility, acceptability, cost and implementation. Thirty-nine societies and organisations covering 71 countries were engaged. The evidence in the assessment and management of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has generally improved in the past five years, but remains of low to moderate quality. The technical evidence report, 52 systematic reviews and analyses (approximately 6000 pages) underpin 77 evidence-based and 54 consensus recommendations, with 123 practice points. Main recommendations: Changes include: refinement of individual diagnostic criteria, a simplified diagnostic algorithm and inclusion of anti-Müllerian hormone levels as an alternative to ultrasound in adults only, and differentiation of adolescent and adult criteria; strengthening the recognition of broad features of PCOS including metabolic effects, cardiovascular disease, dermatological symptoms, sleep apnoea, a high prevalence of psychological features and a high risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes; emphasising the poorly recognised, diverse burden of disease, the vital need for greater health professional education, evidence-based patient information, improved models of care, shared decision making and research efforts to improve patient experience; maintained emphasis on healthy lifestyle, emotional wellbeing and quality of life, with awareness and consideration of weight stigma; and emphasising evidence-based medical therapy and cheaper and safer fertility management. Changes in management as a result of this guideline: The 2023 guideline is approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council and provides clinicians and patients with clear advice on best practice in a common and neglected condition, based on the best available evidence, expert multidisciplinary input and consumer preferences. It provides vital, extensive patient and provider resources to enhance evidence-based care. </p
Sandy et al., C.gouldii FGM Dataset
No full textValidation of a faecal glucocorticoid metaoblite assay and normative patterns of faecal glucocorticoid metabolites in the Gould’s wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii).</p