19683 research outputs found
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Autistic and Non-Autistic Experience of the Sensory Aspects of the Church Service
No full textSensory differences in autism can impact many areas of life, including engagement in church. Fewer autistic people attend church than non-autistic people, with qualitative studies finding that the sensory experience is one reason for this. To date, no quantitative studies have investigated the impact of sensory aspects of the church service on autistic people. In this study, 299 participants from a range of denominations (autistic = 82; self-diagnosed autistic = 61; non-autistic = 156; aged 18–82 years) completed an online questionnaire about their sensory experience within the church. A principal components analysis (PCA) was conducted on the questionnaire data, establishing four statistically derived components, which were then compared between diagnostic groups. We found that autistic people experienced significantly more sensory barriers in church services (“Barriers” Component 1), received/required more accommodations (“Accommodations” Component 3), and felt more connected to God when they felt in control of the sensory and social aspects of the service (“Control” Component 4) than non-autistic people. All participants experienced similar enjoyment of some sensory aspects of the service (“Facilitators” Component 2). We also found evidence that the sensory environment can make attending church difficult, or even limit attendance, in our autistic sample. Recommendations for supporting autistic attendance at, and engagement in, church are made.</p
Library systems change: thinking with six books
No full textKeynote address to the ANZREG 2024 conference.</p
Polycultural Identity Experiences: A Qualitative Exploration in Australia
No full textDeveloping cultural identity can be a complex journey in culturally diverse spaces within Australia, where approximately half of the population is either born overseas or has one parent who was. We reflexively and thematically analyzed 45 semi-structured interviews with culturally and demographically diverse Australian residents to gain a deeper understanding of this complex process. Our approach was primarily inductive and data-driven. To explore how identity experiences are tied to societal assumptions about cultural diversity, we shared with participants the notions of multiculturalism and polyculturalism during interviews to facilitate discussion. Five themes were generated: (1) varied identification with heritage culture, (2) questioning Australian identity: what it means to be Australian, (3) being a product of many influences, (4) learning, bridging, and blending cultural influences, and (5) the importance of meaningful social group identities. These themes reflected an array of identity experiences concerning heritage and inclusivity but also appreciation and integration of diverse cultural influences as part of self, including values and worldviews shared within non-heritage social groups. Cultural identity experiences in a pluralistic society may be better seen as a process of active transformations where culture’s influence on the person is partial and plural, consistent with the polyculturalism paradigm rather than general and enduring, as seen in the multiculturalism paradigm.</p
Circulating miRNA-373 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor as Potential Biomarkers for Early Detection of Breast Cancer
No full textNo description supplied.</p
Optimizing purebred selection to improve crossbred performance
No full textCrossbreeding is a widely adopted practice in the livestock industry, leveraging the advantages of heterosis and breed complementarity. The prediction of Crossbred Performance (CP) often relies on Purebred Performance (PB) due to limited crossbred data availability. However, the effective selection of purebred parents for enhancing CP depends on non-additive genetic effects and environmental factors. These factors are encapsulated in the genetic correlation between crossbred and purebred populations ( r p c ). In this study, a two-way crossbreeding simulation was employed to investigate various strategies for integrating data from purebred and crossbred populations. The goal was to identify optimal models that maximize CP across different levels of r p c . Different scenarios involving the selection of genotyped individuals from purebred and crossbred populations were explored using ssGBLUP (single-step Genomic Best Linear Unbiased Prediction) and ssGBLUP-MF (ssGBLUP with metafounders) models. The findings revealed an increase in prediction accuracy across all scenarios as r p c values increased. Notably, in the scenario incorporating genotypes from both purebred parent breeds and their crossbreds, both ssGBLUP and ssGBLUP-MF models exhibited nearly identical predictive accuracy. This scenario achieved maximum accuracy when r p c was less than 0.5. However, at r p c = 0.8, ssGBLUP, which exclusively included sire breed genotypes in the training set, achieved the highest overall prediction accuracy at 73.2%. In comparison, the BLUP-UPG (BLUP with unknown parent group) model demonstrated lower accuracy than ssGBLUP and ssGBLUP-MF across all r p c levels. Although ssGBLUP and ssGBLUP-MF did not demonstrate a definitive trend in their respective scenarios, the prediction ability for CP increased when incorporating both crossbred and purebred population genotypes at lower levels of r p c . Furthermore, when r p c was high, utilizing paternal genotype for CP predictions emerged as the most effective strategy. Predicted dispersion remained relatively similar in all scenarios, indicating a slight underestimation of breeding values. Overall, the r p c value emerged as a critical factor in predicting CP based on purebred data. However, the optimal model to maximize CP depends on the factors influencing r p c . Consequently, ongoing research aims to develop models that optimize purebred selection, further enhancing CP.</p
Development of a core domain set for ankle osteoarthritis: An international consensus study of patients and health professionals
No full textObjectives: To develop an internationally agreed-upon core domain set for ankle osteoarthritis (OA). Methods: In a three-part Delphi process, a group of multidisciplinary health professionals with expertise in ankle OA and people with ankle OA responded to online questionnaires. The questionnaires proposed a list of 29 candidate domains derived from a systematic review of ankle OA research, and interviews with people with ankle OA and health professionals. Consensus was defined a priori as ≥70% agreement in people with ankle OA and health professionals whether a domain should or should not be included in a core domain set. An online consensus meeting was held to discuss and resolve undecided candidate domains. Results: A total of 100 people (75 health professionals and 25 people with ankle OA) from 18 countries (4 continents) participated in this study. Five domains reached consensus for inclusion in a core domain set for ankle OA – pain severity, health-related quality of life, function, disability and ankle range of motion. Twenty-one candidate domains reached agreement not to be included in the core domain set, and three domains remained undecided (ankle instability, physical capacity, and mental health). Conclusion: This international consensus study, which included people with ankle OA and health professionals, has established a core domain set for ankle OA with five domains that should be measured and reported in all ankle OA trials – pain severity, health-related quality of life, function, disability and ankle range of motion. This core domain set will guide the reporting of outcomes in clinical trials on ankle OA. Future research should determine which outcome measurement instruments should be used to measure each of the core domains.</p
Understanding Factors Influencing Participation in Community Gym Settings for Young Adults with Cerebral Palsy
No full textSubmitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Flourine-18 Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging of Peritoneal Carcinomatosis in Lung Cancer: A Case Study
No full textLung cancer with peritoneal carcinomatosis (PC) is a rare disease presentation. The presence of peritoneal disease is a sign of poor prognosis and is hard to diagnose. Flourine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography ( 18 F-FDG PET/CT) is becoming more clinically significant in the management of patients with PC. A 60-year-old male presented with nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and later showed signs of peritoneal disease on 18 F-FDG PET/CT imaging, which subsequently lead to the diagnoses of PC with histopathology from peritoneal biopsy. The patient showed an excellent initial response to their NSCLC treatment but later presented with PC that was shown by FDG-avid ascites and a soft tissue mass in the pelvic area. The abdominal-pelvic lesions were confirmed cytologically to be peritoneal metastatic disease. 18 F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated value in preoperatively directing biopsy for diagnosing PC in this case of NSCLC. Further, 18 F-FDG PET/CT was useful in the monitoring of disease progression and thus influenced management in this case of NSCLC with PC, which is often challenging to detect and manage
Adjustment speed of capital structure: A literature survey of empirical research
No full textWe synthesize empirical studies on the determinants of the heterogeneity in the adjustment speed (speed of adjustment; SOA) of capital structure. These determinants are categorized into six groups, namely, (1) firm-specific characteristics, (2) financial reporting and managerial incentives, (3) corporate governance, (4) informal institutions, (5) financial market attributes and (6) economy-wide attributes. From this analysis, we perceive important potential research questions linked to identifying channels associated with the costs and frictions explaining SOA heterogeneity, including financial reporting quality aspects, firm internal and external monitoring mechanisms and institutional and cultural elements. Interesting avenues for future research also include considering SOA dynamics for comparable cross-country samples and the investigation of the subsequent consequences of capital structure adjustments. </p