19683 research outputs found
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A cross-case study comparison of Australian metropolitan and regional cancer nurses’ experiences of work-related stressors and supports
No full textBACKGROUND: Registered nurses are the largest single professional group working in the field of cancer care and support one of the most vulnerable patient cohorts in the healthcare system. Cancer nurses are known to experience high rates of burnout, but there are significant limitations to current research on the unique stressors experienced by this group of nurses, particularly since the emergence of COVID-19. METHODS: This study employs the Job Demands Resource Model (JD-R model) to better understand the experiences of Victorian cancer nurses' work and describe factors which ameliorate burnout and work-related stress. A multiple case study research design was used in this study, with two groups of cancer nurses making up a total of 30 participants, allocated to separate cases bounded by geographical location. A two-phase study of Victorian cancer nurses in metropolitan and regional healthcare services was conducted from 2019 to 2021. Data included field notes and in-depth interviews. Data analysis used a process of elaborative coding, with a pre-conceived coding framework based on the JD-R model. A combination of thematic analysis and storyline analysis was employed to analyse the data. RESULTS: A cross-case analysis of similarities and differences identified the job demands affecting cancer nurses, and conversely, any positive job resources which may buffer these demands. Job demands identified in both cases appeared to have similar causes but were more explicitly linked to poor resourcing in the regional case. Job resources identified in both cases were similar, but it was noted how few job resources were available to buffer the many demands inherent in cancer nurses' work. This multiple case study found that the work of cancer nurses is high in demands and low in resources. CONCLUSIONS: Despite challenging work conditions, findings identified a highly engaged workforce. The job resources identified in this study suggest there are modifiable strategies to cultivate a supportive work environment for cancer nurses.</p
Expansion of the Rural Health Multidisciplinary Training (RHMT) Programme in Aged Care Services Evaluation Report: February 2025
No full textNo description supplied</p
Intra-Symbol Differential Amplitude Shift Keying-Aided Blind Detector for Ambient Backscatter Communication Systems
No full textAmbient backscatter communications (AmBC) are a promising technology for addressing the energy consumption challenge in wireless communications through the reflection or absorption of surrounding radio frequency (RF) signals. However, it grapples with the intricacies of ambient RF signal and the round-trip path loss. For traditional detectors, the incorporation of pilot sequences results in a reduction in spectral efficiency. Furthermore, traditional energy-based detectors are inherently susceptible to a notable error floor issue, attributed to the co-channel direct link interference (DLI). Consequently, this paper proposes a blind symbol detector without the prior knowledge of the channel state information, signal variance, and noise variance. By leveraging the intra-symbol differential amplitude shift keying (IDASK) scheme, this detector effectively redirects the majority of the DLI energy towards the largest eigenvalue of the received sample covariance matrix, thereby utilizing the second largest eigenvalue for efficient symbol detection. In addition, this paper conducts theoretical performance analyses of the proposed detector in terms of the false alarm probability, missed detection probability, and the bit-error rate (BER) lower bound. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed blind detector exhibits a significant enhancement in symbol detection performance compared to its traditional counterparts.</p
The Product Specificities of Terpinolene Synthase, from Cannabis sativa, Reveals the Plasticity of the Terpene Synthase Active Site<b>: supplementary data</b>
No full textCannabis sativa is a high-value plant renowned for its diverse chemical composition and abundant terpene content, contributing to its unique aroma, flavour, and therapeutic effects. Terpenes significantly influence consumer preference for C. sativa products, driving scientific interest in optimising terpene expression profiles and shaping the selective breeding of terpene profiles in C. sativa cultivars. In particular, the monoterpene, terpinolene, is influential in defining the sensory and therapeutic qualities of many C. sativa strains due to its woody, citrus-like aroma. Here we report the 2.5 Å resolution crystal structure of terpinolene synthase (CsTOS) from C. sativa in its apo form. The structure exhibits the class I monoterpene synthase fold with an open active site conformation. Using site-directed mutagenesis, we identified H618 as a key residues in determining product specificity. Substituting H618 with charged residues resulted in the preferential formation of limonene over terpinolene, highlighting its critical role in stabilising the substrate intermediate. Additionally, novel mutations uncovered an extended epistatic network of residues within 5 Å of the active site, spanning the α-helical bundle of the terpene synthase fold. These interactions contribute to monoterpene formation by modulating substrate positioning and catalytic activity. These insights advance our understanding of monoterpene biosynthesis and enable the targeted engineering of terpene synthases for customised terpene production, offering significant potential for the C. sativa industry.</p
Integrated Platform for Structural and Functional Analyses for the Characterisation of Cannabis sativa Terpene Synthases<b>: raw data</b>
No full textTerpenoids are the largest and most diverse family of natural products. Volatile terpenes from Cannabis sativa are crucial in flavours, fragrances, and pharmaceuticals due to their unique odours and biological activities, including antimalarial, antibacterial, and insecticidal properties. Their synthesis is catalysed by terpene synthase (TPS) enzymes, which perform cyclisation and rearrangement reactions of over 55,000 distinct terpene compounds. However, low catalytic efficiency of C. sativa TPSs limits their use in large-scale commercial production. The complex biochemistry of these reactions is not well understood due to limited enzyme structure information. To address this, we developed a platform for recombinant expression, purification, enzymatic characterisation, and crystallisation of TPS enzymes from C. sativa. This includes comprehensive kinetic, thermostability, structural, and enzymatic analyses, along with a novel directed crystallisation screen informed by data mining existing conditions, facilitating diffraction-quality TPS crystals. Each TPS enzyme showed a distinct product profile, highlighting the need for systematic characterisation of C. sativa terpene biosynthesis.Our findings provide a framework for the structural and functional study of C. sativa TPSs. The developed platform sets the stage for future metabolic engineering aimed at optimising terpene production for pharmaceutical, pest management, and synthetic biology applications.</p
Galanin receptor agonists limit osteoclast number in in vitro mouse models
No full textDespite evidence that galanin-like compounds are potential regulators of bone activity, little research has been undertaken to investigate the role of these compounds on osseous cells. The aim of this study was to elucidate the mechanisms by which the galanin receptor agonist’s galanin and galnon regulate osteoclasts. Osteoclasts were cultured from cells isolated from femurs of C57BL/6 mice and grown to 80% confluence, then differentiated via the application of mCSF and RANKL. Cultures were analyzed for osteoclast number via TRAP staining, qPCR and immunocytochemistry. A moderate dose of both galanin-like compounds decreased osteoclast count in vitro. The moderate dose of galanin also reduced expression of inflammatory markers. These results indicate that both galanin and galnon can act to reduce osteoclast count, although they have led to contradictory responses with respect to inflammatory expression. These results may help to better treatment for bone-resorptive diseases such as osteoporosis.</p
Workplace Strategies to Reduce Burnout in Veterinary Nurses and Technicians: A Delphi Study
No full textVeterinary nurses and technicians are at risk of burnout, which negatively impacts mental and physical health, turnover, and patient care. Workplace contributors to burnout have been identified in this population, but little is known about best practice management strategies. This study used the Delphi method to explore barriers to addressing burnout and develop expert recommendations for workplace management strategies. Forty participants with a minimum of 5 years’ industry experience in leadership, or wellbeing, were recruited via purposive sampling from the USA, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada. Participants completed two anonymous, online, mixed-methods surveys between October 2024 and January 2025. Qualitative survey data were analysed using content analysis to identify codes and categorise solutions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics. Barriers to addressing burnout included industry-wide barriers, such as lack of, or unclear, regulation and lack of leadership knowledge, and clinic-specific barriers, such as poor team culture, unwillingness for change, and existing burnout. Thirty-nine solutions were developed and rated as being highly, or very highly effective. These focused on themes such as improving communication, developing progression pathways, and providing leadership training and support. Existing workplace barriers must be evaluated prior to selecting strategies, to maximise effectiveness in specific contexts.</p
Deep_Time_Detectives_Data_Analysis_Form
No full textThese files are the data analysis forms that will be used by your students in Component 3 of the Deep Time Detectives Program. Full details on how to use these analysis forms, including an exemplar and answer sheet, are available in the Teacher Resource Booklet.Deep Time Detectives: Discover, Analyse, Interpret. © 2025 by Stannard, G.L., E. Mein, L. Ahoy, M.W. Moore, R. Patrick and V. Weisbecker 2025 is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/</p
A research agenda to inform post-disaster transformative adaptation
No full textIn this perspective we argue that disasters associated with extreme weather events can create important opportunities for transformative experimentation and adaptation. We also argue that such opportunities are currently poorly understood and have outlined a research agenda aimed at understanding opportunities and mechanisms for achieving trans formative change after disasters. By pursuing this agenda, researchers and policymakers can develop more effective strategies for leveraging the adaptive capacity to build resilience and reduce disaster risks in the face of future uncertainties.</p
Understanding the Ecology and Distribution of Carpophilus Beetles for Improved IPM in Almonds
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.This thesis was a recipient of the Nancy Millis Award for theses of exceptional merit.</p