19683 research outputs found
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Postoperative Refractive Outcomes in Eyes Undergoing Combined Phacovitrectomy Surgery for Epiretinal Membrane
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Applied Science to the School of Allied Health, Human Services and Sport, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Thinking with snow: rhizomatic mapping and alpine outdoor environmental education
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Education, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Exploring the Relationships Between Body Image, Sexual Well-Being, and Community Connectedness among Gay, Bisexual and Queer+ Men
No full textSexual minority (SM) men are more likely than heterosexual men to experience body dissatisfaction due to prevailing body ideals (e.g. lean and muscular) within the SM community. Negative body image can have harmful effects on well-being, and, by extension, sexual well-being. The current study aimed to investigate whether SM men’s minority identification and LGBTQ+ community connectedness moderates the relationship between drives for muscularity and sexual anxiety. To address this aim, 298 Australian-residing SM men completed an online survey that examined drive for muscularity, sexual anxiety, and connectedness or identification with the LGBTQ+ and SM-specific communities. As hypothesized, the results showed a positive relationship between drive for muscularity and sexual anxiety. Additionally, LGBTQ+ community connectedness, but importantly not SM identification, was found to moderate this relationship, showing a positive association only when connection was at low or average levels. These results highlight the beneficial effects that LGBTQ+ community connection can have for SM men, such as protecting them against the harmful impacts of poor body image on sexual well-being. These results also provide preliminary insights into the need to expand the understandings of bodily diversity, and diversity of sexual well-being experiences, among SM men less connected to the broader LGBTQ+ community.</p
Combined use of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi and alkaline lignin enhance phosphorus nutrition and alleviate cadmium stress in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.)
No full textThe excessive application of phosphorus (P) fertiliser and its poor utilisation efficiency have led to significant amounts of P being retained in agricultural soils in unavailable forms. The application of alkaline lignin to soil and its inoculation with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) have both been shown to improve plant P nutrition. However, their combined effects on soil P transformation remain unclear, particularly in cadmium (Cd)-contaminated soils. A potting experiment was conducted to examine the combined effects of AMF and alkaline lignin on soil P and Cd bioavailability and on the uptake of P and Cd by lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) that were grown for 56 d in a growth chamber. Combined AMF and alkaline lignin treatment increased soil P availability and alkaline phosphatase activity. It furthermore increased bioavailable Cd concentrations of rhizosphere and bulk soils by 48 % and 72 %, respectively, and the Cd concentration in roots by 85 %, but the Cd concentration was not affected in the edible parts (shoots) of the lettuce. Moreover, the combined treatment increased shoot biomass by 26–70 % and root biomass by 99–164 %. Our findings suggested that the combined use of AMF and alkaline lignin mobilised both P and Cd in soil but did not increase the accumulation of Cd in the shoots of plants growing in Cd-contaminated soils, these results would provide guideline for increasing Cd tolerance of plants and their yield.</p
Factors contributing to paramedics’ management of mental health-related presentations
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the La Trobe Rural Health School, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
A 6-Week Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment Intervention to Improve Professional Ballet Dancers' Psychological States Around Performance
No full textBackground: Mindfulness and acceptance-based approaches have been trialled in professional sport. The present pilot study was a randomized controlled trial with professional ballet dancers investigating the effectiveness of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach, developed for athletes, compared to an education program which included topics relevant to ballet and performance. Methods: Participants included 16 professional ballet dancers (2 men and 14 women) who were randomly assigned into either the MAC or education group for 1 session per week, for 6 weeks. Participants were assessed pre-and post-intervention using the Mindfulness Inventory for Sport (MIS) and the Acceptance Action Questionnaire (AAQ-II). Within 2 weeks of the final mindfulness session, all participants completed a semi-structured interview. Results: No differences were found when comparing the questionnaire responses between pre- and post- intervention, nor between the MAC group and the control group at post intervention for all subscales. Although dancers reported in the interviews that the sessions were valuable, they advised their ability to dedicate time to mindfulness ongoing would be challenging. Conclusions: Mindfulness interventions, as explored in this study, show promise to promote the well-being of professional ballet dancers. For consistent and ongoing mindfulness practice, future designs should seek to embed mindfulness practice into dancer and company schedules.</p
Health literacy measurement: a comparison of four widely used health literacy instruments (TOFHLA, NVS, HLS-EU and HLQ) and implications for practice
No full textBackground: Health literacy has evolved from a focus on individual skills to an interactive process influenced by relationships and the health system. Various instruments measure health literacy, developed from different conceptions and often for different measurement purposes. The aim of this study was to compare the properties of four widely used health literacy instruments: Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (TOFHLA), Newest Vital Sign (NVS), European Health Literacy Survey (HLS-EU-Q47), and Health Literacy Questionnaire (HLQ). Methods: This was a within-subject study comparing instrument performance. Composite reliability and Cronbach's alpha was used to measure internal consistency, floor/ceiling effects determined discriminate ability across low-to-high score ranges, and Spearman's R correlation coefficient was used to assess the relationship between instruments, particularly scales aiming to measure similar constructs. Results: Fifty-nine patients consented, with 43 completing all four instruments. Internal consistency was high for all scales (composite reliability range 0.76-0.95). Floor and ceiling effects were observed, with TOFHLA demonstrating the largest ceiling effect (>62) and NVS the only floor effect (18%). Only moderate correlations were found between TOFHLA and NVS (r =0.60) and between HLS-EU-Q47 and HLQ scales (r ~0.6). Conclusion: Our study found low to moderate correlations between the instruments, indicating they measure different constructs of health literacy. Clinicians and researchers should consider the intended measurement purpose and constructs when choosing an instrument. If the purpose of measurement is to understand reading, comprehension, and numeracy skills in individuals and populations, then performance based functional health literacy instruments such as the TOFHLA and NVS will be suitable. However, if the purpose is to generate insights into broader elements of health literacy, including social supports and relationships with health providers, then the HLS-EU and HLQ may be useful. The findings highlight the need for careful instrument selection to ensure meaningful and appropriate data interpretation. As improving population health literacy is a national priority in many countries, it is important that clinicians and researchers understand the measurement differences offered by different instruments to assist them to choose the right instrument for their measurement purpose.</p
‘Betty, I won’t make assumptions’: The narrative jurisprudence of Taylor Swift
No full texthttps://www.lexisnexis.com/assets/en-au/pdf/Media-and-Arts-Law-Review-Volume-26-Parts-1-and-2.pdf https://law.unimelb.edu.au/centres/mclrn/research/publications/malr#past-volumes In the early months of the pandemic, Taylor Swift released her 8th studio album. For a songwriter known for her diaristic body of work, Folklore was a notable stylistic departure. The album was marked by Swift’s attempt to incorporate other voices into her storytelling, written from the perspectives of figures both real and fictional. Amongst the most widely discussed elements of Folklore is a love triangle told over the course of three songs: ‘Cardigan’, ‘August’ and ‘Betty’. Each song is written from the vantage point of a different character, with intertextual references to the other songs filling in the gaps of the story and providing a connecting thread.In this article, I approach Folklore and its central love triangle for the jurisprudential lessons it might offer. A jurisprudent is someone who develops a persona which cares for the conduct of lawful relations. In this article, I ask what forms of training Swift might provide to those of us who care about law. In particular, I approach Swift as a narrative jurisprudent, focusing on how she goes about crafting different personae, how she attempts to take responsibility for each of these personae, how she trains herself through the act of writing other selves, and how she trains her audience to listen well. I place each of these lessons in the context of Swift’s broader oeuvre as a songwriter, while also making a case for how they teach us to better take responsibility for law</p
"These Roaming Ministers of Pleasure" Touring Circuses in Colonial Asia, China and India 1859-1866
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Appraisal of Spatial Distribution and Fibre Degradability of Cereal–Legume Fodders to Enhance the Sustainability of Livestock Feed Supply in Sub-Tropics
No full textFodder scarcity, inadequate nutritional quality, and lack of degradation kinetics research are among the serious concerns hindering sustainable development of livestock globally. Rumen degradation kinetics data on neutral detergent fibre (NDF) in buffaloes are lacking for most tropical forage species. This study evaluated the effect of forage species, family, and growing location on NDF concentration and in situ degradability of six tropical cereal and four legume fodder crops. The fodder crops were grown following uniform recommended agronomic practices at three different agroecological locations and harvested at the appropriate growth stage: cereals at booting and legumes at 50% flowering. Later, the dried ground forage samples were incubated in the four rumen-cannulated Nili-Ravi buffalo cows in a four × two × three split-plot design for 0, 4, 8, 16, 24, 48, 96, and 168 h. The degradation fractions and degradability, expressed either on an NDF or dry matter basis, were considerably affected by forage family (cereal vs. legume) and growing locations and their interaction. Legume fodders degraded more rapidly but to a lesser extent than cereal fodders. The chemical components, notably the NDF, showed a significant but moderate negative relationship with the effective NDF degradability. Among studied fodders, the legumes had a significantly lower NDF concentration and subsequent degradability than the cereals. Although the cereals showed a slower rate of NDF degradation, their overall degradability was higher. The agro-climatic variability among three locations strongly impacted the NDF concentrations and fractions in the tropical forages. Effective NDF degradability was also correlated with the fodders’ NDF concentration, especially in cereals where the nature of the correlation was negative. In conclusion, the nutritional composition and NDF degradation parameters of the fodders were significantly affected by the species, family, and location of growth and their interactions. These results will help to improve agronomy and usage of these important fodder crops.</p