19683 research outputs found
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Lived Experiences of Mental Health Recovery in Persons of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) Backgrounds within the Australian Context
No full textLived experience research related to mental health recovery is advancing, but there remains a lack of narrative material from the perspectives of people from under-represented, non-dominant cultural backgrounds in this domain. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of mental health recovery in people of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds in the Australian context. The current study involved a secondary analysis of audio and visual data collected during the digital storytelling project Finding our way in Melbourne, Australia. Thematic analysis was used to understand the lived experience narratives of nine participants in relation to mental health recovery. Five themes were identified through an iterative process of analysis, including Newfound opportunities and care, Family as key motivators and facilitators, Coping and generativity, Cultivating self-understanding and resilience, and Empowerment through social engagement. First person lived experience narratives offer deep insight into understanding the ways in which individuals of marginalised communities conceptualise and embody recovery. These findings further the literature and understanding on how to better serve the needs of people with mental health challenges from CALD communities through informed knowledge of what may be helpful to, and meaningful in, individuals’ recoveries.</p
Vegetarian, vegan, or plant-based? Comparing how different labels influence consumer evaluations of plant-based foods
No full textMarket actors have a role to play in enabling sustainable food transitions. One challenge for these actors is how to promote plant-based foods in ways that appeal to a growing number of consumers. Here we test how different plant-based related labels affect consumer appraisals of a range of foods (cookies, sausages, cheese, chocolate, pasta). In two studies (pre-registered; NUSA = 1148, NGermany = 491), we examined the effects of a ‘vegetarian’, ‘vegan’, or ‘plant-based’ label (compared to no label) on five attributes (healthy, tasty, ethical, pure, environmentally friendly) related to the products. We also measured self-reported likelihood to purchase the products. Overall, the results indicated that the ‘plant-based’ label was slightly more appealing to participants than the ‘vegetarian’ and ‘vegan’ labels. However, contrary to our expectations, neither consumers' information-seeking tendencies nor their pre-existing attitudes toward plant-based foods influenced (i.e., moderated) the effects of the labels. Anticipated taste was a strong and consistent predictor of purchase likelihood for all labeled products, but the ethical and pure attributes also accounted for unique variance in this outcome variable. Taken together, our findings and discussion provide insights into the role of labels and label terminology on consumer appraisals of plant-based foods. </p
Breaking Barriers: A study of Women's Participation and Representation in Local Government
No full textWomen’s equal representation in all tiers of government is far from parity. In Australia, about a third (38%) of the federal House of Representative seats are occupied by women. This makes Australia 36th in the world, up from 57th in 2019, for women’s parliamentary representation but a significant fall from 15th in 1999. One bright spot for women’s representation is local government, which tends to have higher than average rates of women’s representation, with women currently at 43.8% in the state of Victoria and 39.3% nationwide. However, local government is often overlooked as a key area for increasing women’s representation. It tends to hold less power, is more regional and rural, and garners less media attention. Yet, it is crucial to understanding women’s experiences in local government, and the reasons they drop out, mitigating the barriers to equal gender representation at all levels of government. Breaking Barriers provides that detailed view of women's experiences in local government through interviews with Victorian councillors.</p
Practical application of the Crohn's disease exclusion diet as therapy in an adult Australian population
No full textThere is demand from patients and clinicians to use the Crohn's disease exclusion diet (CDED) with or without partial enteral nutrition (PEN). However, the therapeutic efficacy and nutritional adequacy of this therapy are rudimentary in an adult population. This review examines the evidence for the CDED in adults with active luminal Crohn's disease and aims to provide practical guidance on the use of the CDED in Australian adults. A working group of nine inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) dietitians of DECCAN (Dietitians Crohn's and Colitis Australian Network) and an IBD gastroenterologist was established. A literature review was undertaken to examine (1) clinical indications, (2) monitoring, (3) dietary adequacy, (4) guidance for remission phase, and (5) diet reintroduction after therapy. Each diet phase was compared with Australian reference ranges for food groups and micronutrients. CDED with PEN is nutritionally adequate for adults containing sufficient energy and protein and meeting > 80% of the recommended daily intake of key micronutrients. An optimal care pathway for the clinical use of the CDED in an adult population was developed with accompanying consensus statements, clinician toolkit, and patient education brochure. Recommendations for weaning from the CDED to the Australian dietary guidelines were developed. The CDED + PEN provides an alternate partial food-based therapy for remission induction of active luminal Crohn's disease in an adult population. The CDED + PEN should be prioritized over CDED alone and prescribed by a specialist IBD dietitian. DECCAN cautions against using the maintenance diet beyond 12 weeks until further evidence becomes available.</p
Assessment of usefulness and reliability of YouTube™ videos on denture care
No full textIntroduction: The world's population is in a demographic transition with a rising ageing population. Tooth loss is frequent among older people resulting in the replacement of natural teeth using complete or partial dentures. YouTube™ is the second most popular website in the world and is being increasingly used to access health care information. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness and reliability of the information in YouTube™ videos regarding denture care. Methods: The YouTube™ website was used to systematically search for videos using the keyword ‘denture care’. Videos meeting the eligibility criteria were assessed separately by two independent researchers. The usefulness of the videos was assessed using the Global Quality Assessment Scale and a customized usefulness scoring scheme. Based on these scores, the usefulness of the videos was categorized as low, medium and high. A modified DISCERN tool (mDISCERN) was used for assessing reliability with scores ranging from 0 to 5. Other video characteristics like source/ownership of the videos, duration, views, likes, dislikes, number of days posted, like ratio, view ratio, interaction index and Video Power Index were also obtained. Statistical analysis was carried out using the Kruskal-Wallis test, Spearman correlation test and multiple linear regression analysis. Results: A total of 120 videos were included. Based on the usefulness score, the usefulness of 65.8% of videos were classified as low, 32.5% were medium and 1.6% had high usefulness. The mDISCERN score for 74.2% of videos was 2 or below 2 indicating that the majority of videos had low reliability. Video characteristics did not differ significantly according to the usefulness of videos. Videos uploaded by dentists or dental hygienists had significantly higher usefulness scores (p < 0.001) in comparison to videos uploaded by other sources. However, reliability scores did not differ based on the sources of the videos. Video reliability was found to have a significant (B = 2.08, p < 0.001) positive association with video usefulness. Conclusion: YouTube™ cannot be recommended as the only source of information for denture care as most videos received low usefulness and reliability ratings in our study. Dentists and dental health professionals could take an active part in enhancing denture care-related content on YouTube™ and enable patients to have adequate and reliable knowledge of denture hygiene practices
Early closing of hotels: Impacts on alcohol consumption, drunkenness, liver disease and injury mortality
No full textIntroduction: Early (six o'clock) closing of hotels was introduced in 1916 in Australia to curb heavy drinking. It lasted between 21 and 51 years in four Australian states. The aim of this study is to assess the impact of early closing on alcohol consumption, liver disease mortality rates, drunkenness and various forms of injury. Methods: Time series analysis was undertaken using an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Averages modelling technique. Relevant data were derived from annual publications of the Australian Bureau of Statistics and its predecessor organisations. Results: Early closing had a substantial downward effect on alcohol consumption across 1901–2006. It had a substantial and beneficial effect on liver disease mortality. Drunkenness rates declined pre-World War II (WWII), though they increased post-WWII. Rates for homicide decreased substantially, and close to substantially for suicide and female homicide. Early closing impacts were more beneficial pre-WWII than post-WWII. Discussion and Conclusions: Early closing has not been favourably remembered in Australia in recent years. However, all pre-WWII impacts of early closing were beneficial including public drunkenness rates. Post-WWII, beneficial effects were less clear-cut and drunkenness increased. Resistance to early closing may also have arisen in the 1950s as families had more disposable income and ability to consume alcohol. While universal six o'clock closing is no longer feasible or desirable, opening hours and days for hotels are still part of the policy discussion in Australia. The experience of early closing pre-WWII gives confidence that the impacts of these can be beneficial
The role of institutional quality and industry dynamism in explaining firm performance in emerging economies
No full textAbstractResearch Summary: This study explains how heterogeneity in firm competitiveness and performance in emerging economies is influenced jointly by the institutional quality of countries and interindustry variations in technological and market dynamism. The analysis of 12,888 firms from 16 emerging economies shows that while the performance advantages of institutional quality are strengthened for firms in technologically dynamic industries, the opposite pattern emerges in high market-dynamism industries. The study advances the institution-based view by explaining the mechanisms through which such effects occur and why two industry-specific boundary conditions (technological and market dynamism) influence differently the relationship between institutional quality and firm performance. Managerial Summary: This study investigates how the performance of firms in emerging economies is influenced by the quality of institutions in each country as well as by the technological and market dynamism in the industry in which each firm operates. To examine these relationships, the study analyzes a sample of 12,888 firms from 16 emerging economies. The results indicate that institutional quality enhances firm performance and that these positive effects are stronger in technologically dynamic industries than in industries that are less technologically dynamic. However, the opposite pattern of results emerges for market dynamism, indicating that the role of institutional quality in enhancing firm performance is weaker in industries that exhibit a high degree of market dynamism than in industries that are less volatile in market demand.</p
Genome-wide CRISPR screening identifies a role for ARRDC3 in TRP53-mediated responses
No full textWhole-genome screens using CRISPR technologies are powerful tools to identify novel tumour suppressors as well as factors that impact responses of malignant cells to anti-cancer agents. Applying this methodology to lymphoma cells, we conducted a genome-wide screen to identify novel inhibitors of tumour expansion that are induced by the tumour suppressor TRP53. We discovered that the absence of Arrestin domain containing 3 (ARRDC3) increases the survival and long-term competitiveness of MYC-driven lymphoma cells when treated with anti-cancer agents that activate TRP53. Deleting Arrdc3 in mice caused perinatal lethality due to various developmental abnormalities, including cardiac defects. Notably, the absence of ARRDC3 markedly accelerated MYC-driven lymphoma development. Thus, ARRDC3 is a new mediator of TRP53-mediated suppression of tumour expansion, and this discovery may open new avenues to harness this process for cancer therapy
“A sprained ankle is the biggest sign of mental fatigue”: A qualitative study of the perceptions and experiences of mental fatigue in professional ballet
No full textMental fatigue is known to influence endurance, skill, and tactical performance in sport. Research investigating the impact of mental fatigue on tasks that combine physical, cognitive, and aesthetic performance such as professional ballet does not exist. Objective: To understand the perceptions and experiences of mental fatigue in professional ballet. Design: Qualitative, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. Setting: The Australian Ballet. Participants: Thirty-nine professional ballet dancers (53% of the company) and six dance staff members aged 18 years or above (53% female). Main outcome measures: N/a. Results: The average focus group and interview length was 48 ± 7 min and 41 ± 8 min. Key categories were; (1) Dancers and dance staff perceive that new learning contributes to mental fatigue, (2) Dancers perceive changes to their mood and perception of effort when they are mentally fatigued, and (3) Dancers and dance staff perceive that mental fatigue negatively affects their physical and cognitive performance and, increases their risk of injury. Conclusion: This is the first study where participants associated mental fatigue with injury risk and provides a springboard to measure the impact of mental fatigue on learning, injury, and performance in professional ballet
Limit theorems for multifractal products of random fields
No full textThis paper investigates asymptotic properties of multifractal products of random fields and multidimensional multifractal measures. The obtained limit theorems provide sufficient conditions for the convergence of cumulative fields in the spaces Lq. New results on the rate of convergence of cumulative fields are presented. Simple unified conditions for the limit theorems and the calculation of the Rényi function are given. They are less restrictive than those in the known one-dimensional results. The developed methodology is also applied to multidimensional multifractal measures. Finally, an application to a new class of examples of geometric φ-sub-Gaussian random fields is presented. In this case, the general assumptions have a simple form and can be expressed in terms of covariance functions only