1,621 results
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2. ARTHUR ANTHONY PAGE: AT THE FOREFRONT OF QUEENSLAND ASTRONOMY DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY.
- Author
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Anderson, Peter and Orchiston, Wayne
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ACHIEVEMENT ,TWENTIETH century ,CATACLYSMIC variable stars ,ASTRONOMY ,STARS ,STAR maps (Astronomy) - Abstract
Arthur Anthony Page was at the forefront of astronomy in Queensland, Australia, for much of the second half of the twentieth century. This paper explores his life and achievements. He was a talented amateur astronomer who played a key role in the evolution of astronomical societies in the southeastern corner of the State of Queensland. He also was interested in research, especially in flare stars and cataclysmic variables, and built and equipped two observatories so that he could carry out these studies. He had access to some advanced instrumentation, and was keen to adopt new technologies such as photoelectric photometry--which was very unusual for amateur astronomers at this time. One of his discoveries was the chance flaring of the Be star 66 Ophiuchi in 1969. This was significant as this type of star had not previously been known to generate flares. Arthur Page also attended national and international conferences, published research papers in national and international journals, and produced star catalogues and star charts. Over the years, he built an international reputation in the shadowy boundary between professional and amateur astronomy. A long-time Internatonal Astronomical Union (IAU) member, he was an inaugural member of the Astronomical Society of Australia (a rare honour for an amateur astronomer), and was awarded an honorary PhD by the University of Queensland. In 2008 the IAU named asteroid 11516 'Arthur Page' in his honour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Visualising Daily PM10 Pollution in an Open-Cut Mining Valley of New South Wales, Australia—Part II: Classification of Synoptic Circulation Types and Local Meteorological Patterns and Their Relation to Elevated Air Pollution in Spring and Summer.
- Author
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Jiang, Ningbo, Riley, Matthew L., Azzi, Merched, Di Virgilio, Giovanni, Duc, Hiep Nguyen, and Puppala, Praveen
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STRIP mining ,SPRING ,AIR pollution ,POLLUTION ,AIR quality ,COAL mining - Abstract
The Upper Hunter Valley is a major coal mining area in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Due to the ongoing increase in mining activities, PM10 (air-borne particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 10 micrometres) pollution has become a major air quality concern in local communities. The present study was initiated to quantitatively examine the spatial and temporal variability of PM10 pollution in the region. An earlier paper of this study identified two air quality subregions in the valley. This paper aims to provide a holistic summarisation of the relationships between elevated PM10 pollution in two subregions and the local- and synoptic-scale meteorological conditions for spring and summer, when PM10 pollution is relatively high. A catalogue of twelve synoptic types and a set of six local meteorological patterns were quantitatively derived and linked to each other using the self-organising map (SOM) technique. The complex meteorology–air pollution relationships were visualised and interpreted on the SOM planes for two representative locations. It was found that the influence of local meteorological patterns differed significantly for mean PM10 levels vs. the occurrence of elevated pollution events and between air quality subregions. In contrast, synoptic types showed generally similar relationships with mean vs. elevated PM10 pollution in the valley. Two local meteorological patterns, the hot–dry–northwesterly wind conditions and the hot–dry–calm conditions, were found to be the most PM10 pollution conducive in the valley when combined with a set of synoptic counterparts. These synoptic types are featured with the influence of an eastward migrating continental high-pressure system and westerly troughs, or a ridge extending northwest towards coastal northern NSW or southern Queensland from the Tasman Sea. The method and results can be used in air quality research for other locations of NSW, or similar regions elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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4. The impact of transition to a digital hospital on medication errors (TIME study).
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Engstrom, Teyl, McCourt, Elizabeth, Canning, Martin, Dekker, Katharine, Voussoughi, Panteha, Bennett, Oliver, North, Angela, Pole, Jason D., Donovan, Peter J., and Sullivan, Clair
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MEDICATION error prevention ,REHABILITATION centers ,TRANSITIONAL care ,DIGITAL technology ,ACQUISITION of data ,MEDICAL incident reports ,RETROSPECTIVE studies ,TIME series analysis ,MEDICAL records ,ELDER care ,PATIENT safety - Abstract
Digital transformation in healthcare improves the safety of health systems. Within our health service, a new digital hospital has been established and two wards from a neighbouring paper-based hospital transitioned into the new digital hospital. This created an opportunity to evaluate the impact of complete digital transformation on medication safety. Here we discuss the impact of transition from a paper-based to digital hospital on voluntarily reported medication incidents and prescribing errors. This study utilises an interrupted time-series design and takes place across two wards as they transition from a paper to a digital hospital. Two data sources are used to assess impacts on medication incidents and prescribing errors: (1) voluntarily reported medication incidents and 2) a chart audit of medications prescribed on the study wards. The chart audit collects data on procedural, dosing and therapeutic prescribing errors. There are 588 errors extracted from incident reporting software during the study period. The average monthly number of errors reduces from 12.5 pre- to 7.5 post-transition (p < 0.001). In the chart audit, 5072 medication orders are reviewed pre-transition and 3699 reviewed post-transition. The rates of orders with one or more error reduces significantly after transition (52.8% pre- vs. 15.7% post-, p < 0.001). There are significant reductions in procedural (32.1% pre- vs. 1.3% post-, p < 0.001), and dosing errors (32.3% pre- vs. 14% post-, p < 0.001), but not therapeutic errors (0.6% pre- vs. 0.7% post-, p = 0.478). Transition to a digital hospital is associated with reductions in voluntarily reported medication incidents and prescribing errors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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5. Defining 'success' - creating timeless video content on 'how to' adopt key practices
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Brown, Kate, Sallur, Nicole, Ward, Jodie, and Bath, Greg
- Published
- 2024
6. Not just practice change - using KASA based evaluation to demonstrate project impact
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Herrig, Shallan, Quinlivan, Max, and Collins, Rodney
- Published
- 2024
7. The Use of a Constructivist Grounded Theory Method - A Good Fit for Social Work Research.
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Clarke, Annaley, Healy, Karen, Lynch, Deborah, and Featherstone, Gerald
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SOCIAL work research ,KINSHIP care ,SOCIAL services ,SOCIAL ethics - Abstract
This paper explores the application of Constructivist Grounded Theory (C-GT) methodology for social work research. First, it argues that C-GT methodology is well aligned with social work as the two value the individual in the context of their environmental influences. Both also prioritise the importance of respecting and valuing the participant or individual, seeing their perspective as unique and significant. Finally, this research methodology's systematic yet flexible guidelines align with social work ethics, which also focus on the importance of professional integrity. The paper then provides an example of a C-GT PhD study in relation to an area of social work practice, that is, stability in statutory kinship care in Queensland, Australia. The paper details the specific recruitment and sampling of participants, data collection and coding analysis examples from the PhD study. The examples evidence the relevance of C-GT methodology and its application for research in the area of social work practice, specifically statutory kinship care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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8. Connecting Us Back to Ourselves: Aesthetic Experience as a Means to Growth after Trauma.
- Author
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Bennett, Jill, Kenning, Gail, Wobcke, Marianne, and Gitau, Lydia
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SUICIDAL behavior in youth ,AESTHETIC experience ,INDIGENOUS Australians ,MEDICAL terminology ,TRANSGENERATIONAL trauma ,TRANSGENDER youth ,TRADITIONAL knowledge - Abstract
This article examines the experience and effects of a trauma-responsive program that uses creative methods to address the ongoing psychosocial impacts of transgenerational trauma and youth suicide, which disproportionately affect First Nations people in Australia. Our aim is to understand how the aesthetic (sensory-affective) dimensions of such a program serve to promote experiences of growth after trauma, manifesting in a sense of connection to both self and community. The paper focuses on the second of two immersive, experiential workshops delivered seven months apart in the regional town of Warwick in Queensland, Australia. In the light of self-reports of growth and personal transformation following the initial workshop, the paper examines the key drivers of such growth, focusing in particular on how trauma-related experience is metabolised through cultural containment. It builds on Bion's concept of container/contained, combining analysis of the affordances of immersion. Framed in cultural rather than medical terms, the larger goal of the paper is to establish how cultural programs fill a gap in trauma informed support, facilitating the processing of trauma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
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9. A reflection on motivating community action to protect an endangered species using marketing.
- Author
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Rundle-Thiele, Sharyn
- Subjects
COMMUNITIES ,ENDANGERED species ,DOG owners ,MARKETING ,DOG attacks ,KOALA ,SOCIAL marketing - Abstract
Purpose: This paper aims to describe a case that has worked with community aiming to prevent koala deaths and injuries across known causes including dogs. Design/methodology/approach: Over a 6½-year period, a project team has applied the Co-create–Build–Engage (CBE
TM ) process initially delivering a proof-of-concept pilot programme for one threat faced by koalas, which was later scaled to citywide delivery. This approach is now being extended across 12 local government areas, and the author's team is now working across all preventable threats faced by koalas' regionwide. Leave It is now nested as one behaviour change project in a wider project delivered across Southeast Queensland, in partnership with Queensland Government, 12 local government areas, community groups and other organisations. Findings: Underpinned by the pathway to impact and CBETM processes, this paper describes how the 3½-year Leave It project reduced koala deaths from dog attacks by 40% in the Redland City Council area. A reduction in koala deaths will contribute to a measurable increase in the local koala population across successive generations delivering lasting impact. Research limitations/implications: This paper provides an overview of links between inputs, activities, outputs and outcomes to impact. Robust koala population data is needed to precisely measure impact over time. Practical implications: One female koala joey saved equates to seven new koalas in the next generation and prevention of koala deaths can be achieved when people can be motivated to take action. Originality/value: This paper reflects on 6½ years of experience applying marketing to deliver changes in people's behaviour that protect koalas. A high-level overview of the strategic and operational marketing efforts that have been and continue to be applied is described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
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10. The ABCs of Fire as a Weapon and Australia's Experience.
- Author
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Miletta, Sam
- Subjects
SOCIAL unrest ,WEAPONS ,FIRST responders ,EMERGENCY medical services ,PERIODICAL articles - Abstract
In a recent ambush attack on police in Queensland, Australia, fire was used as a weapon alongside firearms. The application of fire as a weapon can be arranged into several categories referred to as the ABCs. These categories are Ambush, Barricade, Civil Unrest, Complex/Coordinated, and, added for this paper, Bushfire. A range of violent actors can employ fire as a weapon, not limited to terrorists, criminals, and those suffering mental health crises. While the risks associated with its use have been published in a previous Salus Journal article, this insight will explore Fire as a Weapon attacks that have occurred in Australia to highlight the broad range of applications this attack method has and the need for an integrated approach by emergency services, especially police and fire rescue services. Fire as a weapon creates a challenging and dangerous situation for first responders by further complicating scenes likely to already have injured victims and armed threats present. This paper illustrates that these events have occurred in Australia and continue to do so, reinforcing a need for discussions on how best to combat them within a multi-agency setting. Further awareness, doctrine, and training should be provided to prepare our first responders for these events to improve their safety and the service and safety they provide to the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
11. Conservation of shibire and RpII215 temperature-sensitive lethal mutations between Drosophila and Bactrocera tryoni.
- Author
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Nguyen, Thu N. M., Choo, Amanda, and Baxter, Simon W.
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LETHAL mutations ,RNA polymerase II ,BACTROCERA ,DROSOPHILA ,FRUIT flies ,WILDLIFE conservation - Abstract
The sterile insect technique can suppress and eliminate population outbreaks of the Australian horticultural pest, Bactrocera tryoni, the Queensland fruit fly. Sterile males mate with wild females that produce inviable embryos, causing population suppression or elimination. Current sterile insect releases are mixed sex, as the efficient removal of unrequired factory-reared females is not yet possible. In this paper, we assessed the known Drosophila melanogaster temperature-sensitive embryonic lethal alleles shibire (G268D, shi
ts1 ) and RNA polymerase II 215 (R977C, RpII215ts ) for potential use in developing B. tryoni genetic sexing strains (GSS) for the conditional removal of females. Complementation tests in D. melanogaster wild-type or temperature-sensitive genetic backgrounds were performed using the GAL4–UAS transgene expression system. A B. tryoni wild-type shibire isoform partially rescued Drosophila temperature lethality at 29°C by improving survivorship to pupation, while expressing B. tryoni shits1 failed to rescue the lethality, supporting a temperature-sensitive phenotype. Expression of the B. tryoni RpII215 wild-type protein rescued the lethality of D. melanogaster RpII215ts flies at 29°C. Overexpressing the B. tryoni RpII215ts allele in the D. melanogaster wild-type background unexpectedly produced a dominant lethal phenotype at 29°C. The B. tryoni shibire and RpII215 wild-type alleles were able to compensate, to varying degrees, for the function of the D. melanogaster temperature-sensitive proteins, supporting functional conservation across species. Shibire and RpII215 hold potential for developing insect strains that can selectively kill using elevated temperatures; however, alleles with milder effects than shits1 will need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2024
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12. Traffic rules compliance checking of automated vehicle maneuvers.
- Author
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Bhuiyan, Hanif, Governatori, Guido, Bond, Andy, and Rakotonirainy, Andry
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AUTONOMOUS vehicles ,TRAFFIC regulations ,TRAFFIC engineering ,AUTOMOTIVE transportation laws ,OVERTAKING ,DEONTIC logic - Abstract
Automated Vehicles (AVs) are designed and programmed to follow traffic rules. However, there is no separate and comprehensive regulatory framework dedicated to AVs. The current Queensland traffic rules were designed for humans. These rules often contain open texture expressions, exceptions, and potential conflicts (conflict arises when exceptions cannot be handled in rules), which makes it hard for AVs to follow. This paper presents an automatic compliance checking framework to assess AVs behaviour against current traffic rules by addressing these issues. Specifically, it proposes a framework to determine which traffic rules and open texture expressions need some additional interpretation. Essentially this enables AVs to have a suitable and executable formalization of the traffic rules. Defeasible Deontic Logic (DDL) is used to formalize traffic rules and reasoning with AV information (behaviour and environment). The representation of rules in DDL helps effectively in handling and resolving exceptions, potential conflicts, and open textures in rules. 40 experiments were conducted on eight realistic traffic scenarios to evaluate the framework. The evaluation was undertaken both quantitatively and qualitatively. The evaluation result shows that the proposed framework is a promising system for checking Automated Vehicle interpretation and compliance with current traffic rules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. Drone-Based Environmental Monitoring and Image Processing Approaches for Resource Estimates of Private Native Forest.
- Author
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Srivastava, Sanjeev Kumar, Seng, Kah Phooi, Ang, Li Minn, Pachas, Anibal 'Nahuel' A., and Lewis, Tom
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IMAGE processing ,ENVIRONMENTAL monitoring ,FOREST surveys ,DIGITAL photogrammetry ,TREE height ,LAND tenure - Abstract
This paper investigated the utility of drone-based environmental monitoring to assist with forest inventory in Queensland private native forests (PNF). The research aimed to build capabilities to carry out forest inventory more efficiently without the need to rely on laborious field assessments. The use of drone-derived images and the subsequent application of digital photogrammetry to obtain information about PNFs are underinvestigated in southeast Queensland vegetation types. In this study, we used image processing to separate individual trees and digital photogrammetry to derive a canopy height model (CHM). The study was supported with tree height data collected in the field for one site. The paper addressed the research question "How well do drone-derived point clouds estimate the height of trees in PNF ecosystems?" The study indicated that a drone with a basic RGB camera can estimate tree height with good confidence. The results can potentially be applied across multiple land tenures and similar forest types. This informs the development of drone-based and remote-sensing image-processing methods, which will lead to improved forest inventories, thereby providing forest managers with recent, accurate, and efficient information on forest resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. Postgraduate work-integrated learning: Using diversity to prepare graduates for a messy and uncertain world.
- Author
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LYONS, KRISTEN, SEINI, MONICA, WEST, CATHERINE COOGAN, RASHIDI, PEDRAM, FREEMAN, CAMILLE, RYALL, GLENN, CHEN, SUSAN, and VU, CIARRA
- Subjects
SCHOOL environment ,PROFESSIONAL practice ,TEACHING methods ,VOCATIONAL guidance ,WORK ,CULTURAL pluralism ,UNCERTAINTY ,LEARNING strategies ,UNIVERSITIES & colleges ,RESEARCH funding ,REFLECTION (Philosophy) - Abstract
Work-integrated learning (WIL) is a teaching and learning approach widely adopted across Australian universities. With inclusion across a wide range of programs and courses, WIL is championed as providing authentic and transformative learning environments that may equip graduates for the world of work. Despite a rapid expansion in WIL scholarship, there remains scant attention at the postgraduate level, including its specific contributions in preparing students for life after completion of postgraduate studies. This paper contributes to nascent literature in this space. Taking the case of the University of Queensland's Master of Development Practice, this paper argues there are challenges in ensuring postgraduate WIL prepares graduates for careers in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous world. The paper concludes that a diverse approach to WIL is vital to provide relevant pedagogical practices that prepare postgraduates for uncertain, and unknowable futures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
15. "It's research, our input can grow": identifying health research priorities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities—study protocol.
- Author
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Massi, Luciana, Weatherall, Loretta, Nielsen, Christine, Toombs, Maree, Fredericks, Bronwyn, and Rae, Kym M.
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INDIGENOUS Australians ,INDIGENOUS children ,COMMUNITIES ,COMMUNITY health services ,RESEARCH protocols ,PUBLIC health research - Abstract
Background: In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) families have strong, cohesive, and nurturing cultural practices that contribute to effective family functioning and child rearing. These practices can lead to positive effects on children and communities, and include kinship relations, traditional knowledge systems, collective community focus, respect for Elders contributions, and spirituality. However, poor health and wellbeing outcomes exist across the lifespan for Indigenous Australians. Health programs, services and research that support Indigenous women, babies and their families are a critical investment to improve birthing and health outcomes and impact the life trajectories of Indigenous Australians. Aim: The Indigenous Health Research Priorities study aims to identify the research priorities for families during the perinatal and early childhood period through a co-designed and collaborative process. This has been led by communities to determine the priorities identified with and for local Indigenous families in Queensland. This paper aims to report on engagement and involvement with Indigenous communities to identity health research priorities for families and presents preliminary findings of the research process including participants' demographic information and feedback on the yarning sessions, as part of the study protocol. Methods: The study protocol showcases the Participatory Action Research approach, yarning sessions with clients and staff of three community-controlled health services to date, and Delphi workshop methods to prioritise the health issues identified during the yarns with corresponding communities. The study will undertake qualitative data collection and analysis to identify and report on community and health service research priorities for Indigenous families in Queensland. A short survey was conducted to collect participants' demographic information. A feedback form with five open-ended questions was also administered to collect data on participants' views and satisfaction with the research process. Preliminary results: This protocol paper reports on the participant demographic information and feedback on the research process and reactions to participating in the yarning sessions. There have been 12 yarning sessions in Far North Queensland to date. The qualitative analysis of these will be reported on in future, with South East Queensland and further sites to follow. Feedback from 61 community members and health professionals has highlighted they valued sharing stories, being heard, and feeling hopeful. Preliminary findings will be reported. Discussion: Identification of health research priorities will allow each organisation and region of Queensland to develop research initiatives and the translational outcomes that are a focus for their community members. Plain English summary: Health programs and services designed to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (herein Indigenous) women, babies and their families are a critical investment to improve birthing and health outcomes, and potentially impact the life course of Indigenous Australians. The Indigenous Health Research Priorities study aims to identify research priorities for families during pregnancy, birthing, and early childhood through a collaborative consultation process. We engaged with community members, both clients and health care staff of three community-controlled health services in Far North Queensland. Yarning sessions were held to identify health research priorities with and for local Indigenous families. Feedback forms were collected to gauge engagement and satisfaction with the research process. Twelve yarning sessions with 61 participants highlighted they valued sharing stories, being heard, having a voice, and feeling hopeful. Identifying health research priorities will allow each organisation and region of Queensland to develop health programs and services and research initiatives that are important for their community members. Once the yarning group data is analysed, we will return to discuss, prioritise, and reach consensus on those health issues identified during the yarns with communities, using a Delphi study. The Delphi will run as an interactive workshop using playing cards and group discussions, where participants will rank the importance of the health issues for their community. Prioritising the top 10 health issues will help to ensure research is designed better for and with communities, so that future research directions meet the needs identified and self-determined by Indigenous communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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16. Winds of Change and Paradigm Shifts: Correspondence, Distance and Open Learning.
- Author
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Higgins, Andrew
- Subjects
DISTANCE education ,OPEN learning ,EDUCATIONAL change - Abstract
This paper uses the origins of and subsequent changes to correspondence education in Queensland and New Zealand to highlight how open and flexible learning practices are influencing the normal paradigm of educational teaching, learning and service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
17. Benchmarking the Effects of Water Demand Management During Water Crisis in a Regional City.
- Author
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Ray Biswas, Rahul, Ray Biswas, Tripti, and Rahman, Anisur
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WATER demand management ,CITIES & towns ,TROPICAL climate ,WATER restrictions ,MUNICIPAL water supply ,DROUGHTS - Abstract
Regional cities are having their unique water security challenges due to regional urban water contexts, regional socio-economic structure, and climate conditions. Regional urban community's perceptions of water usage are expected to be different from the communities in large metropolitan cities. The city of Townsville is the largest regional city in the northern tropical region of the state of Queensland in Australia, and it is known to have its unique dry tropic climate condition. The city faced a water crisis due to a prolonged drought in 2013–2018. As part of this research, at first, a literature review was conducted to understand what water demand management (WDM) tools worked well during urban water crisis in different parts of the world. This paper then investigates how residential water usage changed with the changes in drought measures in the city of Townsville in the last decade. A minimum per capita residential water requirement is established for the study region to benchmark the effects of tools implemented in the region. The paper investigates the WDM policies implemented in the city of Townsville including when the policies were applied and the impacts and efficacy of these policies before water crisis, during water crisis and after water crisis. The most effective WDM tools identified are water restrictions, public awareness raising and education programmes. The impacts of water restriction policies and the perceptions of local water professionals on their success elements are also studied. The results are compared and the reasons behind the findings are investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Development of social functioning in children with cerebral palsy: A longitudinal study.
- Author
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Burgess, Andrea, Sakzewski, Leanne, Whittingham, Koa, Wotherspoon, Jane, Chatfield, Mark D., Ware, Robert S., and Boyd, Roslyn N.
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SOCIAL skills ,COMPUTER adaptive testing ,FLUID intelligence ,LONGITUDINAL method - Abstract
Aim: To describe the development of social function in children with cerebral palsy (CP) classified in all levels of the Communication Function Classification System (CFCS). Method: This prospective, longitudinal population‐based cohort study recruited children with CP born in Queensland, Australia. Social functioning was measured using the Pediatric Evaluation of Disability Inventory (PEDI) social function domain at 2 years, 2 years 6 months, 3 years, 4 years, and 5 years, and the PEDI Computer Adaptive Test (PEDI‐CAT) social/cognitive domain at 8 to 12 years. Results: Seventy‐four children provided 356 observations. PEDI‐CAT social/cognitive scaled scores at 8 to 12 years were (mean [SD] n) CFCS level I, 68.6 (2.7) 45; CFCS level II, 64.0 (3.4) 10; CFCS level III, 63.5 (3.7) 4; CFCS level IV, 56.8 (5.0) 9; CFCS level V, 47.2 (5.8) 6. Scores within expected range for age (not less than 2 SD below mean) at 8 to 12 years were achieved by 35 (78%) children in CFCS level I and four (14%) in CFCS levels II to V. Forty‐nine per cent of children scored at least two standard deviations below the population mean on a proxy measure of fluid intelligence. Intellectual impairment was associated with lower PEDI‐CAT social/cognitive scaled scores in univariable analysis (β = −8.3, 95% confidence interval − 10.91 to −5.63; p < 0.001) but had a smaller effect when modelled together with CFCS. Interpretation: Social function attained by 8 to 12 years of age was strongly related to level of communication function (CFCS). The small number of children classified in CFCS levels II to V necessitates caution when viewing these individual CFCS level trajectories. What this paper adds: There is a strong relation between social functioning and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) levels.At 8 to 12 years, 35 out of 45 children in CFCS level I met social functioning age expectations.Twenty‐five out of 29 in CFCS levels II to V had social functioning below that expected for age.CFCS and age were more strongly associated with development of social functioning than Gross Motor Function Classification System or Manual Ability Classification System and age. What this paper adds: There is a strong relation between social functioning and Communication Function Classification System (CFCS) levels.At 8 to 12 years, 35 out of 45 children in CFCS level I met social functioning age expectations.Twenty‐five out of 29 in CFCS levels II to V had social functioning below that expected for age.CFCS and age were more strongly associated with development of social functioning than Gross Motor Function Classification System or Manual Ability Classification System and age. This original article is commented on by Eslinger on pages 596–597 of this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
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19. Patterns of Variation in the Usage of Fatty Acid Chains among Classes of Ester and Ether Neutral Lipids and Phospholipids in the Queensland Fruit Fly.
- Author
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Prasad, Shirleen S., Taylor, Matthew C., Colombo, Valentina, Yeap, Heng Lin, Pandey, Gunjan, Lee, Siu Fai, Taylor, Phillip W., and Oakeshott, John G.
- Subjects
FRUIT flies ,ETHER lipids ,PHOSPHOLIPIDS ,FATTY acids ,ENZYME specificity ,DROSOPHILA melanogaster ,GLYCERYL ethers - Abstract
Simple Summary: This paper reports the first lipidomic analysis of a tephritid fruit fly. It shows broadly similar lipid profiles to those reported for another dipteran, Drosophila melanogaster, but provides greater specification of the individual hydrocarbon chains on particular lipids than has been previously reported in insects. A level of complexity in the configuration of the hydrocarbon chains not previously described in insects is revealed. Genomic analysis reveals a diversity of genes encoding lipid biosynthesis and remodelling enzymes comparable to that seen in mammals, which could account for the complexity of chain configurations observed. Modern lipidomics has the power and sensitivity to elucidate the role of insects' lipidomes in their adaptations to the environment at a mechanistic molecular level. However, few lipidomic studies have yet been conducted on insects beyond model species such as Drosophila melanogaster. Here, we present the lipidome of adult males of another higher dipteran frugivore, Bactrocera tryoni. We describe 421 lipids across 15 classes of ester neutral lipids and phospholipids and ether neutral lipids and phospholipids. Most of the lipids are specified in terms of the carbon and double bond contents of each constituent hydrocarbon chain, and more ether lipids are specified to this degree than in any previous insect lipidomic analyses. Class-specific profiles of chain length and (un)saturation are broadly similar to those reported in D. melanogaster, although we found fewer medium-length chains in ether lipids. The high level of chain specification in our dataset also revealed widespread non-random combinations of different chain types in several ester lipid classes, including deficits of combinations involving chains of the same carbon and double bond contents among four phospholipid classes and excesses of combinations of dissimilar chains in several classes. Large differences were also found in the length and double bond profiles of the acyl vs. alkyl or alkenyl chains of the ether lipids. Work on other organisms suggests some of the differences observed will be functionally consequential and mediated, at least in part, by differences in substrate specificity among enzymes in lipid synthesis and remodelling pathways. Interrogation of the B. tryoni genome showed it has comparable levels of diversity overall in these enzymes but with some gene gain/loss differences and considerable sequence divergence from D. melanogaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
20. Making a HIIT: co-design of high-intensity interval training workouts with students & teachers within the curriculum.
- Author
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Duncombe, Stephanie L., Barker, Alan R., Price, Lisa, Walker, Jacqueline L., Liu, Yong, Paris, Dewi, and Stylianou, Michalis
- Subjects
HIGH-intensity interval training ,TRAINING of student teachers ,PARTICIPATORY design ,TEACHER health ,CURRICULUM evaluation ,HEALTH education teachers - Abstract
Background: High-intensity interval training (HIIT) interventions are becoming more common in schools. However, limited input has been sought from end-users, which can help design interventions that are more engaging and context appropriate, therefore increasing their potential for successful implementation. One method of engaging end-users is co-design, which involves an active collaboration to design solutions to pre-specified problems. This paper aimed to: (1) describe the methodology and results of the co-design process in Making a HIIT to develop HIIT workouts for a school-based intervention; and (2) evaluate the feasibility and impact of co-designing HIIT workouts with students and teachers within the health and physical education (HPE) curriculum. Methods: The development of the HIIT workouts occurred during obligatory HPE lessons with year seven and eight students. The co-design process included: (1) identifying barriers and facilitators to exercise to create evaluation criteria for creating the HIIT workouts; (2) exploring HIIT; (3) defining HIIT parameters (intensity and interval length); (4) creating HIIT workouts using the parameters and evaluation criteria; (5) trialling and modifying the HIIT workouts based on class feedback and intensity data. To evaluate the feasibility and impact of the co-design process, a thematic analysis was completed using teacher interviews, student discussions, and student surveys. Results: Five classes comprised of 121 students (12–14 years; 49% female) and five teachers were involved in the co-design process across three schools in Queensland, Australia. A total of 33 HIIT workouts were created aimed at satisfying the HIIT parameters and variations of the following evaluation criteria: (1) fun; (2) social; (3) achievable skill level; (4) feeling accomplished; and (5) beneficial for health. From the thematic analysis, three themes (acceptability; implementation; integration) and 12 codes contributed to the overarching understanding of the feasibility of the lessons within the curriculum and a further three themes (perceived changes to lessons; educative outcomes; personal and social capabilities) and three codes contributed towards understanding their impact. Conclusion: Overall, co-designing HIIT workouts was feasible within the HPE curriculum and may have contributed to positive educative outcomes. Using this methodology could improve the implementation of HIIT interventions within HPE while supporting educative benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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21. Cognitive Testing of Items Measuring Movement Behaviours in Young Children Aged Zero to Five Years: Development of the Movement Behaviour Questionnaires for -Baby (MBQ-B) and -Child (MBQ-C).
- Author
-
Byrne, Rebecca, Terranova, Caroline O., Chai, Li Kheng, Brookes, Denise S. K., and Trost, Stewart G.
- Subjects
EXPERIMENTAL design ,PARENT attitudes ,RESEARCH methodology ,RESEARCH methodology evaluation ,COGNITION ,CHILD behavior ,INTERVIEWING ,PHYSICAL activity ,SCREEN time ,SLEEP ,QUALITATIVE research ,BODY movement ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,RESEARCH funding ,VIDEO recording ,EVALUATION ,CHILDREN - Abstract
This paper describes the cognitive interview phase of the development of two brief surveys, the Movement Behaviour Questionnaire-Baby (MBQ-B) and Movement Behaviour Questionnaire-Child (MBQ-C), which measure the duration of physical activity, screen time, and sleep of children aged 0–5 years. The aims were (1) review the format, content, and clarity of questionnaire items and response options, (2) understand how parents retrieve, encode, and formulate responses when asked about their child's movement behaviours, and (3) identify potential sources of response error and make appropriate modifications. Interviews with parents of children aged 0–5 years were conducted using concurrent think-aloud techniques and probing questions. Parents reviewed the MBQ-B and/or MBQ-C depending on the developmental stage of their child(ren). Twenty-nine interviews were conducted with 20 parents, over four iterative rounds. Participants recalled usual family routines and rules when estimating the duration/frequency of behaviours. To estimate active play, parents referred to the child's daily routine considering wake and bedtimes, naps, and mealtimes. Participants were influenced by the examples provided, being unable to interpret these as exemplars only. Decomposing general items into specific questions with examples was well received. Use of numeracy skills when estimating duration was evident. Interviews informed revisions to item wording, examples, and recall prompts, which will be taken forward into the MBQ-B and MBQ-C validation studies. Utilising cognitive interviewing can enhance confidence that questionnaire items are correctly interpreted and understood by participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
22. A Multi-Framework of Google Earth Engine and GEV for Spatial Analysis of Extremes in Non-Stationary Condition in Southeast Queensland, Australia.
- Author
-
Pakdel, Hadis, Paudyal, Dev Raj, Chadalavada, Sreeni, Alam, Md Jahangir, and Vazifedoust, Majid
- Subjects
EXTREME value theory ,PEARSON correlation (Statistics) ,RAINFALL frequencies ,RAINFALL ,WATER storage - Abstract
The frequency and severity of extremes, including extreme precipitation events, extreme evapotranspiration and extreme water storage deficit events, are changing. Thus, the necessity for developing a framework that estimates non-stationary conditions is urgent. The aim of this paper is to develop a framework using the geeSEBAL platform, Generalised Extreme Value (GEV) models and spatiotemporal analysis techniques that incorporate the physical system in terms of cause and effect. Firstly, the geeSEBAL platform has enabled the estimation of actual evapotranspiration (ET
a ) with an unprecedented level of spatial-temporal resolution. Following this, the Non-stationary Extreme Value Analysis (NEVA) approach employs the Bayesian method using a Differential Evolution Markov Chain technique to calculate the frequency and magnitude of extreme values across the parameter space. Station and global climate datasets have been used to analyse the spatial and temporal variation of rainfall, reference evapotranspiration (ETo ), ETa and water storage (WS) variables in the Lockyer Valley located in Southeast Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Frequency analysis of rainfall, ETa , and water storage deficit for 14 stations were performed using a GEV distribution under stationary and non-stationary assumptions. Comparing the ETa , ETo and ERA5 rainfall with station data showed reasonable agreement as follows: Pearson correlation of 0.59–0.75 for ETa , RMSE of 45.23–58.56 mm for ETa , Pearson correlation of 0.96–0.97 for ETo , RMSE of 73.13–87.73 mm for ETo and Pearson correlation of 0.87–0.92 for rainfall and RMSE of 37.53–57.10 mm for rainfall. The lower and upper uncertainty bounds between stationary and non-stationary conditions for rainfall station data of Gatton varied from 550.98 mm (stationary) to 624.97 mm (non-stationary), and for ERA5 rainfall datasets, 441.30 mm (stationary) to 450.77 mm (non-stationary). The results demonstrate that global climate datasets underestimate the difference between stationary and non-stationary conditions by 9.47 mm compared to results of 73.99 mm derived from station data. Similarly, the results demonstrate less variation between stationary and non-stationary conditions in water storage, followed by a sharp variation in rainfall and moderate variation in evapotranspiration. The findings of this study indicate that neglecting the non-stationary condition in some hydrometeorological variables can lead to underestimating their amounts. This framework can be applied to any geographical area for estimating extreme conditions, providing valuable insights for infrastructure planning and design, risk assessment and disaster management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
23. Daughter of the Sun.
- Author
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Prangnell, Jonathan
- Subjects
HISTORICAL archaeology ,HISTORY - Abstract
In this guest editor's introduction to this thematic volume on the historical archaeology of Queensland, Australia, I briefly discuss some of the history and archaeology of Queensland in light of some of the major themes currently being investigated. The papers presented in this volume are also introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
24. LIBRARY RESEARCH SUPPORT IN QUEENSLAND: A SURVEY.
- Author
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Richardson, Joanna, Nolan-Brown, Therese, Loria, Pat, and Bradbury, Stephanie
- Subjects
ACADEMIC libraries ,RESEARCH libraries ,INFORMATION services ,INFORMATION resources ,RESEARCH ,BENCHMARKING (Management) - Abstract
University libraries worldwide are reconceptualising the ways in which they support the research agenda in their respective institutions. This paper is based on a survey completed by member libraries of the Queensland university libraries Office of Cooperation (QulOC), the indings of which may be informative for other university libraries. After briefly examining major emerging trends in research support, the paper discusses the results of the survey specifically focussing on support for researchers and the research agenda in their institutions. All responding libraries offer a high level of research support, however , eResearch support, in general, and research data management support, in particular , have the highest variance among the libraries, and signal possible areas for growth. Areas for follow-up, benchmarking and development are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
25. Topology Detection in Power Distribution Networks: A PMU Based Deep Learning Approach.
- Author
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Amoateng, David Ofosu, Yan, Ruifeng, Mosadeghy, Mehdi, and Saha, Tapan Kumar
- Subjects
POWER distribution networks ,DEEP learning ,PHASOR measurement ,TOPOLOGY ,ERROR rates - Abstract
This paper proposes a novel data driven framework for detecting topology transitions in a distribution network. The framework analyzes data from phasor measurement units (PMUs) and relies on the fact that changes in network topology results in changes in the structure and admittance of the network. Using voltage and current phasors recorded by PMUs, the proposed method approximates network parameters using an ensemble-based deep learning model and thus, it does not require any knowledge of network parameters and load models. Using the prediction error of the proposed model, a connectivity matrix which shows the status of switches is constructed. In contrast to other methods, this proposed framework does not require a library of voltage and current transients associated with possible network transitions. It can also detect simultaneous switching actions and is robust to noise and load variations. The model yields a lower error detection rate, and its performance is validated using a modified version of the IEEE 33 bus network and a real feeder located in Queensland, Australia, under full and partial observability conditions. The proposed model has also been compared with another data driven method in terms of inference time and error detection rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
26. The Dunstan deals: How some geological treasures left Australia
- Author
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Rix, Alan
- Published
- 2023
27. An Australian National Survey of First Nations Careers in Health Services.
- Author
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Nathan, S., Meyer, L., Joseph, T., Blignault, I., Bailey, J., Demasi, K., Newman, J., Briggs, N., Williams, M., and Lew Fatt, E.
- Subjects
INDIGENOUS Australians ,RACISM ,CULTURAL identity ,VOCATIONAL guidance ,SOCIAL support ,ROLE models ,TORRES Strait Islanders ,CROSS-sectional method ,RURAL conditions ,POPULATION geography ,MEDICAL care ,SATISFACTION ,PRIVATE sector ,TRANSCULTURAL medical care ,MENTORING ,SURVEYS ,RESEARCH funding ,DESCRIPTIVE statistics ,PUBLIC sector ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,LOGISTIC regression analysis ,METROPOLITAN areas ,EMPLOYEE retention - Abstract
A strong First Nations health workforce is necessary to meet community needs, health rights, and health equity. This paper reports the findings from a national survey of Australia's First Nations people employed in health services to identify enablers and barriers to career development, including variations by geographic location and organisation type. A cross-sectional online survey was undertaken across professions, roles, and jurisdictions. The survey was developed collaboratively by Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal academics and Aboriginal leaders. To recruit participants, the survey was promoted by key professional organisations, First Nations peak bodies and affiliates, and national forums. In addition to descriptive statistics, logistic regression was used to identify predictors of satisfaction with career development and whether this varied by geographic location or organisation type. Of the 332 participants currently employed in health services, 50% worked in regional and remote areas and 15% in Aboriginal Community-Controlled Health Organisations (ACCHOs) with the remainder in government and private health services. All enablers identified were associated with satisfaction with career development and did not vary by location or organisation type. "Racism from colleagues" and "lack of cultural awareness," "not feeling supported by their manager," "not having role models or mentors," and "inflexible human resource policies" predicted lower satisfaction with career development only for those employed in government/other services. First Nations people leading career development were strongly supported. The implications for all workplaces are that offering even a few career development opportunities, together with supporting leadership by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, can make a major difference to satisfaction and retention. Concurrently, attention should be given to building managerial cultural capabilities and skills in supporting First Nations' staff career development, building cultural safety, providing formal mentors and addressing discriminatory and inflexible human resources policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
28. Increases in income-support payments reduce the demand for charity: A difference-in-difference analysis of charitable-assistance data from Australia over the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Author
-
Ablaza, Christine, Perales, Francisco, Parsell, Cameron, Middlebrook, Nathan, Robinson, Richard N. S., Kuskoff, Ella, and Plage, Stefanie
- Subjects
CHARITIES ,COVID-19 pandemic ,CHARITY ,DATA analysis ,POVERTY reduction - Abstract
Charities play an increasingly important role in helping people experiencing poverty. However, institutionalized charity shifts the burden of poverty reduction away from the state and exposes recipients to stress and stigma. In this paper, we examine whether the need for institutionalized charity can be offset through enhanced state support. As in other countries, the Australian government responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by substantially increasing the level of income support to citizens through several temporary payments. We draw on this natural experiment and time-series data from the two largest charity organizations in Queensland, Australia to examine how these payments altered the demand for institutionalized charity. We model these data using difference-in-difference regression models to approximate causal effects. By exploiting the timing and varying amounts of the payments, our analyses yield evidence that more generous income support reduces reliance on charity. Halving the demand for charity requires raising pre-pandemic income-support by AUD$42/day, with supplements of approximately AUD$18/day yielding the greatest return on investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
29. Pre-Processing Training Data Improves Accuracy and Generalisability of Convolutional Neural Network Based Landscape Semantic Segmentation.
- Author
-
Clark, Andrew, Phinn, Stuart, and Scarth, Peter
- Subjects
CONVOLUTIONAL neural networks ,DEEP learning ,DATA augmentation ,MOTOR imagery (Cognition) ,LAND cover ,AERIAL photography ,AUTOMATIC classification - Abstract
Data pre-processing for developing a generalised land use and land cover (LULC) deep learning model using earth observation data is important for the classification of a different date and/or sensor. However, it is unclear how to approach deep learning segmentation problems in earth observation data. In this paper, we trialled different methods of data preparation for Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) training and semantic segmentation of LULC features within aerial photography over the Wet Tropics and Atherton Tablelands, Queensland, Australia. This was conducted by trialling and ranking various training patch selection sampling strategies, patch and batch sizes, data augmentations and scaling and inference strategies. Our results showed: a stratified random sampling approach for producing training patches counteracted class imbalances; a smaller number of larger patches (small batch size) improves model accuracy; data augmentations and scaling are imperative in creating a generalised model able to accurately classify LULC features in imagery from a different date and sensor; and producing the output classification by averaging multiple grids of patches and three rotated versions of each patch produced a more accurate and aesthetic result. Combining the findings from the trials, we fully trained five models on the 2018 training image and applied the model to the 2015 test image. The output LULC classifications achieved an average kappa of 0.84, user accuracy of 0.81, and producer accuracy of 0.87. Future research using CNNs and earth observation data should implement the findings of this project to increase LULC model accuracy and transferability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
30. Identifying and Attributing Regime Shifts in Australian Fire Climates.
- Author
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Jones, Roger N. and Ricketts, James H.
- Subjects
FIRE risk assessment ,FOREST fires ,FIRE weather ,FIRE management ,RAINFALL ,HUMIDITY ,TREND analysis ,FIREFIGHTING - Abstract
This paper introduces and analyzes fire climate regimes, steady-state conditions that govern the behavior of fire weather. A simple model representing fire climate was constructed by regressing high-quality regional climate averages against the station-averaged annual Forest Fire Danger Index (FFDI) for Victoria, Australia. Four FFD indices for fire years 1957–2021 were produced for 10 regions. Regions with even coverage of station-averaged total annual FFDI (ΣFFDI) from 1971–2016 exceeded Nash–Sutcliffe efficiencies of 0.84, validating its widespread application. Data were analyzed for shifts in mean, revealing regime shifts that occurred between 1996 and 2003 in the southern states and 2012–2013 in Queensland. ΣFFDI shifted up by ~25% in SE Australia to 8% in the west; by approximately one-third in the SE to 7% in the west for days above high fire danger; by approximately half in the SE to 11% in the west for days above very high, with a greater increase in Tasmania; and by approximately three-quarters in the SE to 9% in the west for days above severe FFDI. Attribution of the causes identified regime shifts in the fire season maximum temperature and a 3 p.m. relative humidity, with changing drought factor and rainfall patterns shaping the results. The 1:10 fire season between Regimes 1 and 2 saw a three to seven times increase with an average of five. For the 1:20 fire season, there was an increase of 2 to 14 times with an average of 8. Similar timing between shifts in the Australian FFDI and the global fire season length suggests that these changes may be global in extent. A trend analysis will substantially underestimate these changes in risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
31. Detection of Forest Disturbance With Spaceborne Repeat-Pass SAR Interferometry.
- Author
-
Lei, Yang, Lucas, Richard, Siqueira, Paul, Schmidt, Michael, and Treuhaft, Robert
- Subjects
FORESTS & forestry ,ECOLOGICAL disturbances ,SYNTHETIC aperture radar ,INTERFEROMETRY ,LANDSAT satellites ,TIME series analysis ,STANDARD deviations ,INVERSIONS (Geometry) ,SELECTIVE logging - Abstract
Focusing on open forests and woodlands within the Injune Landscape Collaborative Project research area in central southeast Queensland, Australia, and using dual-pol (HH and HV) ALOS PALSAR repeat-pass InSAR data (temporal baseline of 92 days), this paper explores the detection of forest disturbance from the spaceborne repeat-pass InSAR correlation magnitude by developing a simple and efficient forest disturbance detection approach. In particular, a generic physical InSAR scattering model is derived by accounting for the forest disturbance information as well as the normal temporal decorrelation effects that are later compensated for using the modified Random Volume over Ground model. Based on the generic model, a quantitative indicator of forest disturbance is retrieved, namely, disturbance index that varies from 0 (no disturbance) to 1 (complete deforestation). This index is compared with that identified using a time series of Landsat sensor data over a selective logging area and has a relative root mean square error of 13% at a spatial resolution of 0.8 ha. This paper highlights the use of the co-pol InSAR correlation magnitude for forest disturbance detection, which serves as a complimentary application to using the cross-pol counterpart for forest height inversion in a companion work. Given the global availability of this type of data (e.g., Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency’s ALOS-1/2 and NASA-ISRO’s NISAR), the method is anticipated to contribute to the range of tools being developed for large-scale forest disturbance assessment and monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
32. Finance's Social License? Sugar, Farmland and Health.
- Author
-
Smith, Kiah and Lawrence, Geoffrey
- Subjects
SOCIAL finance ,SOVEREIGN wealth funds ,PRIVATE equity funds ,COMMODITY futures ,AGRICULTURAL industries ,FOOD prices ,SOCIAL impact ,GOVERNMENT business enterprises ,FOOD supply - Abstract
Background: This paper examines the exclusion of public health from social license narratives within an increasingly financialised food system, through a case study of foreign ownership in the Australian sugar industry. As finance actors such as asset management firms, pension funds, private equity funds, state owned enterprises and sovereign wealth funds engage in speculative farmland investment, commodity futures trading, and the conversion of farmland into a financial asset, power within agro-industrial food supply chains becomes increasingly concentrated. This has been associated with increased food prices and more processed food, contributing to obesogenic diets, hunger, and poorer health outcomes for many. The potential for negative social and environmental impacts has prompted awareness of the need for financial actors to demonstrate sustainability, responsibility and accountability in their farmland investments. Methods: This paper uses thematic analysis of qualitative interviews and key documents to assess four recent acquisitions of sugarcane land in North Queensland. We consider how companies' efforts to establish or maintain a social license to operate (SLO) intersect with their capital accumulation strategies. Results: Our findings demonstrate that the link between the commodification of 'unhealthy' food inputs (such as sugar) and financialisation remains outside the purview of financiers. Instead, agribusiness firms use narratives centred on biofuels investment and energy/food security to justify their legitimacy in the sugar sector. We organise our findings according to two 'narratives:' constructing trust and credibility through ethical compliance; and, biofuels expansion as a legitimate response to climate change. The concept of social license is much stronger in the second narrative, but health is largely missing. Conclusion: The 'distancing' between responsibility and health outcomes highlights the limits to principles of responsible financial investment, and to the legitimacy of finance to claim an SLO -- the ongoing approval and acceptance by society to conduct its activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
33. Where are the vulnerable children? Identification and comparison of clusters of young children with health and developmental vulnerabilities across Queensland.
- Author
-
Draidi Areed, Wala, Price, Aiden, Arnett, Kathryn, Mengersen, Kerrie, and Thompson, Helen
- Subjects
CHILDREN'S health ,SCHOOL year ,DATA analysis ,CENSUS - Abstract
This study aimed to better understand the vulnerability of children in their first year of school, aged between 5 years 5 months and 6 years 6 months, based on five health and development domains. Identification of subgroups of children within these domains can lead to more targeted policies to reduce these vulnerabilities. The focus of this study was to determine clusters of geographical regions with high and low proportions of vulnerable children in Queensland, Australia. This was achieved by carrying out a K-means analysis on data from the Australian Early Development Census and the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The clusters were then compared with respect to their geographic locations and risk factor profiles. The results are made publicly available via an interactive dashboard application developed in R Shiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
34. Study protocol of the Our Futures Vaping Trial: a cluster randomised controlled trial of a school-based eHealth intervention to prevent e-cigarette use among adolescents.
- Author
-
Gardner, Lauren A., Rowe, Amy-Leigh, Stockings, Emily, Champion, Katrina E., Hides, Leanne, McBride, Nyanda, Allsop, Steve, O'Dean, Siobhan, Sunderland, Matthew, Lee, Yong Yi, Mihalopoulos, Cathy, Freeman, Becky, Leung, Janni, McRobbie, Hayden, Stapinski, Lexine, Lee, Nicole, Thornton, Louise, Debenham, Jennifer, Teesson, Maree, and Newton, Nicola C.
- Subjects
ELECTRONIC cigarettes ,SMOKING ,RESEARCH protocols ,ADOLESCENT smoking ,ECONOMIC impact ,TEENAGERS - Abstract
Background: Effective and scalable prevention approaches are urgently needed to address the rapidly increasing rates of e-cigarette use among adolescents. School-based eHealth interventions can be an efficient, effective, and economical approach, yet there are none targeting e-cigarettes within Australia. This paper describes the protocol of the OurFutures Vaping Trial which aims to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the first school-based eHealth intervention targeting e-cigarettes in Australia. Methods: A two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted among Year 7 and 8 students (aged 12–14 years) in 42 secondary schools across New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland, Australia. Using stratified block randomisation, schools will be assigned to either the OurFutures Vaping Program intervention group or an active control group (health education as usual). The intervention consists of four web-based cartoon lessons and accompanying activities delivered during health education over a four-week period. Whilst primarily focused on e-cigarette use, the program simultaneously addresses tobacco cigarette use. Students will complete online self-report surveys at baseline, post-intervention, 6-, 12-, 24-, and 36-months after baseline. The primary outcome is the uptake of e-cigarette use at 12-month follow-up. Secondary outcomes include the uptake of tobacco smoking, frequency/quantity of e-cigarettes use and tobacco smoking, intentions to use e-cigarettes/tobacco cigarettes, knowledge about e-cigarettes/tobacco cigarettes, motives and attitudes relating to e-cigarettes, self-efficacy to resist peer pressure and refuse e-cigarettes, mental health, quality of life, and resource utilisation. Generalized mixed effects regression will investigate whether receiving the intervention reduces the likelihood of primary and secondary outcomes. Cost-effectiveness and the effect on primary and secondary outcomes will also be examined over the longer-term. Discussion: If effective, the intervention will be readily accessible to schools via the OurFutures platform and has the potential to make substantial health and economic impact. Without such intervention, young Australians will be the first generation to use nicotine at higher rates than previous generations, thereby undoing decades of effective tobacco control. Trial registration: The trial has been prospectively registered with the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12623000022662; date registered: 10/01/2023). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
35. AllPlay Dance: Two Pilot Dance Projects for Children With Disability, Developed and Assessed With a Dance Studies Approach.
- Author
-
Millard, Olivia, Lindor, Ebony, Papadopoulos, Nicole, Sivaratnam, Carmel, McGillivray, Jane, and Rinehart, Nicole
- Subjects
AUTISM spectrum disorders ,DANCE improvisation ,CHILDREN with cerebral palsy ,CHILDREN with disabilities ,PILOT projects ,SCHOOL psychology ,BALLROOM dancing - Abstract
AllPlay Dance is founded on a collaborative approach to research between the School of Psychology and the School of Communication of Creative Arts, both of Deakin University. The research is also undertaken in partnership with professional ballet company, Queensland Ballet. This paper describes the development and execution of two pilot projects for children with disability, utilizing a dance studies methodology. The projects were conducted in 2018 and 2019 for children with cerebral palsy (CP) and autism spectrum disorder, as part of the AllPlay Dance program. Participants with disabilities ranged in age from 7 to 12 years. As well as describing the approach to the program development, we discuss the involvement of older and more experienced buddies who were included as a method to support the participation in dance of children with disabilities. We will also describe the diffusion of authorship in the making of group dances as a tool for inclusion and the premise of dance as a social practice in which participants inter-subjectively generate meaning and sense making. The AllPlay Dance projects were developed as a series of dance classes in which participants worked with set or learned movement material, dance improvisation, and tasks for movement generation in order to collectively generate a dance for performance. This paper focuses on the aim of developing inclusive approaches to dance classes that challenge "ableist" notions of dance as spectacle to enable to work toward building transferable programs to allow all children who so desire and to participate in dance in their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2021
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
36. Health outcomes of patients with type 2 diabetes following bariatric surgery: Results from a publicly funded initiative.
- Author
-
O'Moore-Sullivan, Trisha, Paxton, Jody, Cross, Megan, Teppala, Srinivas, Chikani, Viral, Hopkins, George, Wykes, Katie, and Scuffham, Paul A.
- Subjects
MORBID obesity ,TYPE 2 diabetes ,BARIATRIC surgery ,SLEEVE gastrectomy ,PATIENT satisfaction ,FOOD habits ,DEEP brain stimulation - Abstract
Objective: Bariatric surgery is an effective treatment for type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity. This paper analyses the clinical and patient-reported outcomes of patients treated through the Bariatric Surgery Initiative, a health system collaboration providing bariatric surgery as a state-wide public service in Queensland, Australia. Research design and methods: A longitudinal prospective cohort study was undertaken. Eligible patients had type 2 diabetes and morbid obesity (BMI ≥ 35 kg/m
2 ). Following referral by specialist outpatient clinics, 212 patients underwent Roux-en-Y gastric bypass or sleeve gastrectomy. Outcomes were tracked for a follow-up of 12-months and included body weight, BMI, HbA1c, comorbidities, health-related quality of life, eating behaviour, and patient satisfaction. Results: Following surgery, patients' average body weight decreased by 23.6%. Average HbA1c improved by 24.4% and 48.8% of patients were able to discontinue diabetes-related treatment. The incidence of hypertension, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, and renal impairment decreased by 37.1%, 66.4%, and 62.3%, respectively. Patients' emotional eating scores, uncontrolled eating and cognitive restraint improved by 32.5%, 20.7%, and 6.9%, respectively. Quality of life increased by 18.8% and patients' overall satisfaction with the treatment remained above 97.5% throughout the recovery period. Conclusions: This study confirmed previous work demonstrating the efficacy of publicly funded bariatric surgery in treating obesity, type 2 diabetes and related comorbidities, and improving patients' quality of life and eating behaviour. Despite the short follow-up period, the results bode well for future weight maintenance in this cohort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
37. The effect of global warming on the Australian endemic orchid Cryptostylis leptochila and its pollinator.
- Author
-
Kolanowska, Marta and Michalska, Ewa
- Subjects
ORCHIDS ,POLLINATION ,GLOBAL warming ,POLLINATORS ,ANIMAL-plant relationships ,PLANT colonization ,BIOLOGICAL fitness ,CHEMICAL composition of plants - Abstract
Ecological stability together with the suitability of abiotic conditions are crucial for long-term survival of any organism and the maintenance of biodiversity and self-sustainable ecosystems relies on species interactions. By influencing resource availability plants affect the composition of plant communities and ultimately ecosystem functioning. Plant-animal interactions are very complex and include a variety of exploitative and mutualistic relationships. One of the most important mutualistic interactions is that between plants and their pollinators. Coevolution generates clustered links between plants and their pollen vectors, but the pollination and reproductive success of plants is reduced by increase in the specialization of plant-animal interactions. One of the most specialized types of pollination is sexual deception, which occurs almost exclusively in Orchidaceae. In this form of mimicry, male insects are attracted to orchid flowers by chemical compounds that resemble insect female sex pheromones and pollinate the flowers during attempted copulations. These interactions are often species-specific with each species of orchid attracting only males of one or very few closely related species of insects. For sexually deceptive orchids the presence of a particular pollen vector is crucial for reproductive success and any reduction in pollinator availability constitutes a threat to the orchid. Because global warming is rapidly becoming the greatest threat to all organisms by re-shaping the geographical ranges of plants, animals and fungi, this paper focuses on predicting the effect of global warming on Cryptostylis leptochila, a terrestrial endemic in eastern Australia that is pollinated exclusively via pseudo copulation with Lissopimpla excelsa. As a species with a single pollinator this orchid is a perfect model for studies on the effect of global warming on plants and their pollen vectors. According to our predictions, global warming will cause a significant loss of suitable niches for C. leptochila. The potential range of this orchid will be 36%-75% smaller than currently and as a result the Eastern Highlands will become unsuitable for C. leptochila. On the other hand, some new niches will become available for this species in Tasmania. Simultaneously, climate change will result in a substantial expansion of niches suitable for the pollinator (44–82%). Currently ca. 71% of the geographical range of the orchid is also suitable for L. excelsa, therefore, almost 30% of the areas occupied by C. leptochila already lack the pollen vector. The predicted availability of the pollen vector increased under three of the climate change scenarios analysed. The predicted habitat loss is a serious threat to this orchid even with the potential colonization of Tasmania by this plant. In the reduced range of C. leptochila the pollen vector will also be present assuring fruit set in populations of this orchid. The genetic pool of the populations in New South Wales and Queensland will probably be lost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
38. Integrating the L (learning) into PAR (participatory action research)
- Author
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Gentry, Jayne, Lawrence, David, Baskerville, Henry, Burrett, Brook, Lester, David, Silburn, Cameron, Sands, Douglas, Macpherson, Isabella, and Agius, Peter
- Published
- 2024
39. HOT OFF THE PRESS.
- Author
-
DUCKER, AMANDA
- Subjects
CHRISTMAS ,ARTISTS ,CERAMICS - Abstract
The article talks about business women Kylie Johnson who is known for launching ceramics studio in Brisbane, Queensland, named Paper Boat Press. It is stated that Paper Boat Press has two components: ceramic ornaments and drape-moulded and pinch-constructed vessels. It is stated that Kylie's little workshop runs like a well-oiled machine.
- Published
- 2011
40. An appraisal of the Queensland flora survey guidelines for protected plants, through a survey of 'Ipomoea antonschmidii', a near threatened plant of the northwest highlands bioregion
- Author
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Williams, Paul R and Clouten, Bree C
- Published
- 2021
41. Integration by design: Driving mineral system knowledge using multi modal, collocated, scale-consistent characterization.
- Author
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Austin, James, Gazley, Michael, Birchall, Renee, Patterson, Ben, Stromberg, Jessica, Willams, Morgan, Björk, Andreas, Gras, Monica Le, Shelton, Tina, Dhnaram, Courteney, Lisitsin, Vladimir, Schlegel, Tobias, McFarlane, Helen, and Walshe, John
- Subjects
- *
REMANENCE , *MAGNETIC anisotropy , *PROSPECTING , *MAGNETIC susceptibility , *ORE deposits - Abstract
Recent decades have seen an exponential rise in the application of machine learning in geoscience. Fundamental differences distinguish geoscience data from most other data types. Geoscience datasets are typically multi-dimensional, and contain 1-D (drillholes), 2-D (maps or cross-sections), and 3-D volumetric and point data (models/voxels). Geoscience data quality is a product of its resolution and the precision of the methods used to acquire it. The dimensionality, resolution, and precision of each layer within a geoscience dataset translates to limitations in spatiality, scale and uncertainty of resulting interpretations. Historically, geoscience datasets were overlaid cartographically, to incorporate subjective, experience-driven knowledge, and variances in scale, and resolution. The nuances and limitations that underpin the reliability of automated interpretation are well understood by geoscientists, but are rarely appropriately transferred to data science. However, for true integration of geoscience data, such issues cannot be overlooked without consequence. To apply data analytics to complex geoscience data (e.g., hydrothermal mineral systems) effectively, methodologies must be used that characterise the system quantitatively, using collocated analyses, at a common scale. This paper provides research and exploration insights from an innovative district-wide, scale-integrated, geoscience data project, which analysed 1,590 samples from 23 mineral deposits and prospects across the Cloncurry District, Queensland, Australia. Ten different analytical techniques, including density, magnetic susceptibility, remanent magnetisation, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, radiometrics, conductivity, scanning electron microscopy (SEM)-based automated mineralogy, geochemistry, and short-wave infrared (SWIR) hyperspectral data with 561 columns of scale-integrated data (+2151 columns of SWIR). All data were collected on 2 cm x 2.5 cm sample cylinders; a scale at which the confidence in coupling of data from techniques can be high. These data are integrated by design, to eliminate the need to downscale coarser measurements via assumptions, inferences, inversions, and interpolations. This scale-consistent approach is critical to the quantitative characterisation of mineral systems and has numerous applications to mineral exploration, such as linking alteration paragenesis with structural controls and petrophysical zonation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2024
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- View/download PDF
42. Impact of a prospective feedback loop on care review activities in older patients at the end of life. A stepped-wedge randomised trial.
- Author
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Brown, Christine, Lee, Xing J., Farrington, Alison, Shield, Carla, Carter, Hannah E., McPhail, Steven M., Cardona, Magnolia, Hillman, Kenneth, Callaway, Leonie, Willmott, Lindy, White, Ben P., Harvey, Gillian, Graves, Nicholas, and Barnett, Adrian G.
- Subjects
OLDER patients ,ELDER care ,OLDER people ,TERMINAL care ,RANDOMIZED controlled trials - Abstract
Background: Hospitalisation rates for older people are increasing, with end-of-life care becoming a more medicalised experience. Innovative approaches are warranted to support early identification of the end-of-life phase, communicate prognosis, provide care consistent with people's preferences, and improve the use of healthcare resources. The Intervention for Appropriate Care and Treatment (InterACT) trial aimed to increase appropriate care and treatment decisions for older people at the end of life, through implementation of a prospective feedback loop. This paper reports on the care review outcomes.Methods: A stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial was conducted in three large acute hospitals in Queensland, Australia between May 2020 and June 2021. The trial identified older people nearing the end of life using two validated tools for detecting deterioration and short-term death. Admitting clinical teams were provided with details of patients identified as at-risk with the goal of increasing awareness that end of life was approaching to facilitate appropriate patient centred care and avoid non-beneficial treatment. We examined the time between when the patient was identified as 'at-risk' and three outcomes: clinician-led care review discussions, review of care directive measures and palliative care referrals. These were considered useful indicators of appropriate care at the end of life.Results: In two hospitals there was a reduction in the review of care directive measures during the intervention compared with usual care at 21 days (reduced probability of - 0.08; 95% CI: - 0.12 to - 0.04 and - 0.14; 95% CI: - 0.21 to - 0.06). In one hospital there was a large reduction in clinician-led care review discussions at 21 days during the intervention (reduced probability of - 0.20; 95% CI: - 0.28 to - 0.13). There was little change in palliative care referrals in any hospital, with average probability differences at 21 days of - 0.01, 0.02 and 0.04.Discussion: The results are disappointing as an intervention designed to improve care of hospitalised older people appeared to have the opposite effect on care review outcomes. The reasons for this may be a combination of the intervention design and health system challenges due to the pandemic that highlight the complexity of providing more appropriate care at the end of life.Trial Registration: Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12619000675123 (registered 6 May 2019). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
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43. Implementation barriers and enablers of midwifery group practice for vulnerable women: a qualitative study in a tertiary urban Australian health service.
- Author
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Smith, Patricia A, Kilgour, Catherine, Rice, Deann, Callaway, Leonie K, and Martin, Elizabeth K
- Subjects
URBAN health ,MIDWIFERY ,MEDICAL care ,HEALTH facilities ,URBAN studies ,CLINICAL supervision ,HOSPITAL maternity services - Abstract
Background: Maternity services have limited formalised guidance on planning new services such as midwifery group practice for vulnerable women, for example women with a history of substance abuse (alcohol, tobacco and other drugs), mental health challenges, complex social issues or other vulnerability. Continuity of care through midwifery group practice is mostly restricted to women with low-risk pregnancies and is not universally available to vulnerable women, despite evidence supporting benefits of this model of care for all women. The perception that midwifery group practice for vulnerable women is a high-risk model of care lacking in evidence may have in the past, thwarted implementation planning studies that seek to improve care for these women. We therefore aimed to identify the barriers and enablers that might impact the implementation of a midwifery group practice for vulnerable women.Methods: A qualitative context analysis using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was conducted at a single-site tertiary health facility in Queensland, Australia. An interdisciplinary group of stakeholders from a purposeful sample of 31 people participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using manual and then Leximancer computer assisted methods. Themes were compared and mapped to the Framework.Results: Themes identified were the woman's experience, midwifery workforce capabilities, identifying "gold standard care", the interdisciplinary team and costs. Potential enablers of implementation included perceptions that the model facilitates a relationship of trust with vulnerable women, that clinical benefit outweighs cost and universal stakeholder acceptance. Potential barriers were: potential isolation of the interdisciplinary team, costs and the potential for vicarious trauma for midwives.Conclusion: There was recognition that the proposed model of care is supported by research and a view that clinical benefits will outweigh costs, however supervision and support is required for midwives to manage and limit vicarious trauma. An interdisciplinary team structure is also an essential component of the service design. Attention to these key themes, barriers and enablers will assist with identification of strategies to aid successful implementation. Australian maternity services can use our results to compare how the perceptions of local stakeholders might be similar or different to the results presented in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
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44. Taking Northern Queensland into Account: Another View of Australian Art.
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Forbes, Celie and Naylor, Stephen
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NARRATIVE art ,HISTORY in art ,AUSTRALIAN history ,ART ,ARTISTS ,SCULPTORS - Abstract
This paper seeks to bridge a gap in Australian art histories by examining the contribution of Northern Queensland to the Australian arts narrative. The story of the visual arts in Australia is often written from the perspective of the southern states, and the story of Queensland art is often written from the perspective of its capital, Brisbane. This is despite the early depiction of the rich flora and fauna of Far North Queensland recognised in early surveys. In examining the history of the arts from the north however, key themes emerge that characterise and challenge understandings of the visual arts in Queensland. By exploring the work of artist Clem Forbes (1938-1997) and sculptor Tom Risley (1947-2010) this paper suggests that the contribution made by artists living and working in Northern Queensland can throw light on what is distinct about the north as a vision of Australian art. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
45. Spatial distribution of fibropapillomatosis in green turtles along the Queensland coast and an investigation into the influence of water quality on prevalence.
- Author
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Jones, Karina, Limpus, Colin J., Brodie, Jon, Jones, Rhondda, Read, Mark, Shum, Edith, Bell, Ian P., and Ariel, Ellen
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GREEN turtle ,WATER quality ,TURTLE conservation ,SEA turtles ,DEMOGRAPHIC surveys ,TURTLES - Abstract
Fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a tumor‐forming disease which affects all species of marine turtle, but predominantly the green turtle (Chelonia mydas). Expression of this disease is thought to be precipitated by poor environmental conditions and often linked to anthropogenically induced environmental changes. Although FP is a globally distributed disease, targeted studies on the spatial distribution of the disease in Australia are limited. Here, we present the first comprehensive report of FP prevalence in Queensland, Australia. A retrospective analysis of 25,645 capture records for 15 sites along the Queensland coast were used to determine FP prevalence and trends in foraging green turtles. Within this data set, 791 turtles (3.1%) with FP tumors were recorded. Our analysis showed that prevalence varies between sites and years, with juvenile turtles being the most frequently affected by the disease. We found that survey method has a significant influence on the apparent FP prevalence detected at each site. That is, surveys which were explicitly FP‐targeted detected higher numbers of individual turtles with FP, and therefore generated higher prevalence rates than comprehensive population surveys. We also report the first attempt at developing water quality indices (WQIs) to compare with FP prevalence data in foraging green turtles. The WQIs were built from metrics published in a range of peer‐reviewed papers, reports, and based on expert opinion. Despite utilizing an extensive data set, a relationship between FP prevalence and WQI rankings at each site could not be quantified. The analysis was confounded by a range of limitations, including data gaps, varying temporal scales and data capture methods in the FP prevalence, and water quality data sets. This study has significant implications for management as it highlights the benefits of designing and collecting centralized data that can be integrated and used across multiple projects or programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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46. Discussion of: Finkl, C.W. and Cathcart, R.B., 2011. The "Morning Glory" Project: A Papua New Guinea-Queensland Australia Undersea Freshwater Pipeline, Journal of Coastal Research, 27(4), 607-618.
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Finlayson, Brian L., Peel, Murray C., and McMahon, Thomas A.
- Subjects
WATER pipelines -- Design & construction ,WATER distribution ,WATER resources development & the environment - Abstract
Finkl and Cathcart have proposed a macroengineering project to deliver water from the Fly River in Papua New Guinea via an undersea pipeline into northeast Australia, routed down the Diamantina River and thence into Lake Eyre. The proposal has historical antecedents but its scientific basis is very weak. No case is made for the usefulness or demand for the water in Australia. Little consideration is given to the environmental, social, and political issues that such a scheme would involve. Scientific papers that are referenced in support of the arguments in the paper in many cases do not deal with the issues on which they are quoted. The authors appear to have little understanding of the geography of the areas they are discussing, which leads them to make many erroneous assertions about these places. The paper contains a considerable amount of irrelevant and trivial material, such as the life history of HMS Fly. The subject matter of the paper lies well outside the stated subject area of the Journal of Coastal Research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
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47. Additional records of the sun moth Synemon laeta Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Castniidae) from the Pilliga Forest in northern inland New South Wales.
- Author
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Murphy, Michael J.
- Subjects
LEPIDOPTERA ,MOTHS ,PYRALIDAE ,RECORDS - Abstract
The sun moth Synemon laeta (Castniidae) was previously only known from Queensland until it was recorded in 2014 at two sites in the northern part of the Pilliga Forest, in the Brigalow Belt South bioregion in northern inland New South Wales. This paper documents a further two recent site records of the species, indicating a broader distribution in the Pilliga Forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
48. Second opinions in medical oncology.
- Author
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Olver, Ian, Carey, Mariko, Bryant, Jamie, Boyes, Allison, Evans, Tiffany, and Sanson-Fisher, Rob
- Subjects
CANCER patients ,CANCER patient medical care ,CONFIDENCE ,MEDICAL referrals ,METROPOLITAN areas ,MINORITIES ,MOTIVATION (Psychology) ,PHYSICIANS ,PUBLIC hospitals ,QUESTIONNAIRES ,SURVEYS ,SOCIOECONOMIC factors - Abstract
Background: The current study aimed to further our understanding of second opinions among medical oncology patients by examining the proportion of patients who sought a second opinion about their cancer treatment, and why. Methods: The study was conducted between 2013 and 2015 in three medical oncology clinics located in public hospitals in Australia: in metropolitan New South Wales, metropolitan Queensland, and in Tasmania. Those patients who provide written informed consent were asked to complete a brief paper and pencil survey in the clinic containing questions on sociodemographic, disease and treatment characteristics. Approximately 1 month later, participants were mailed a second paper and pencil survey which contained questions about whether they had sought a second opinion and their motivation for doing so. Non-responders were followed up by letter at 3 and 6 weeks. Results: Of 823 patients screened for eligibility, 698 eligible patients, 612 provided consent. Of those who consented, 355 completed both the initial survey and the second survey and were included in the analyses. Of the 57 patients who sought a second opinion, the most frequent reasons given for doing so were the need for reassurance (49.1%) and the need to consider the range of treatment options (41.8%). Of the 297 (83.6%) participants who did not seek a second opinion, the main reason was confidence in the first doctor (88.7%). Only 3.1% patients did not know that they could ask for a second opinion. Occasionally the doctor will initiate the referral for a second opinion. Conclusions: Our study suggests that a minority of cancer patients seek a second opinion at some phase during their care. Most did so for reassurance or to ensure that they had covered all of the treatment options and not because of discomfort or distrust of their treating doctor. Few patients reported a lack of awareness of second opinions. This suggests that second opinions form part of a patient-centred approach to information provision about care options. Whether the second opinion improves the quality of care or indeed outcomes has been difficult to demonstrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
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49. Key steps in environmental impact assessment: a comparative study of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal.
- Author
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Aryal, Suman, Maraseni, Tek, Qu, Jianshang, de Bruyn, Lisa Lobry, Dhakal, Yub Raj, and Zeng, Jingjing
- Subjects
CHINA studies ,ENVIRONMENTAL auditing ,ENVIRONMENTAL management ,LEGAL instruments ,COMPARATIVE studies ,ENVIRONMENTAL impact analysis ,SUSTAINABILITY - Abstract
Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has evolved as an environmental management and sustainability tool. Despite common principles shared by EIA globally, there are considerable variations in EIA processes across countries. In this paper, we reviewed and compared EIA processes of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal considering five key steps (selection of consultants, report preparation, public participation, report review and approval, and monitoring and evaluations) of EIA. Our review indicated that the EIA is well recognised in legal instruments in all state and countries under consideration and there are both similarities and differences in key steps of EIA. Monitoring of EIA recommendations and the integration of feedbacks from the past and current practices are important in improving EIA processes. This study also found that there are elements for possible improvement in existing EIA processes by each state and country introducing the best practices from others' EIA system. Some of the practices that Nepal can follow from the EIA processes of Queensland and China are licensing and accreditation of individuals and firms to conduct EIA, establishment of separate monitoring unit within regulating department, development of clear guidelines for approvals and monitoring, and the use of independent third-party auditing in EIA monitoring. The findings of this paper are useful in revising and improving EIA policies, practices and processes in the selected state, countries and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2020
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
50. Challenging the Status Quo ... Co-designing the future of child and youth mental health services with young people.
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Hoyland, Margaret, Moore, Mikaela, Sanderson, Leonie, and Geraghty, Kerry
- Subjects
CHILD mental health services ,YOUTH ,AT-risk youth ,MENTAL health services ,MENTAL health personnel ,CHILDREN'S health - Abstract
Introduction: The commitment to partnering with consumers and carers remains a stable priority for mental health services. This is evidenced by an emerging lived experience workforce. Research demonstrates that when people share their lived experience they can have a positive impact on the recovery journeys of others. Less clear is the role of young people in peer support roles, especially within child and youth mental health settings. There is no known dedicated child and youth mental health peer workforce operating within Queensland public mental health services. This paper will challenge the status quo and pose the question "why not". Furthermore, this paper will examine how a large child and youth mental health service has developed and sustained a model of meaningful consumer and carer participation for more than ten years. It will analyse the key success factors such as organisation readiness, mutuality and co-design practice. This paper will explore the trajectory of consumer and carer participation to the current work occurring to implement a dedicated youth mental health peer workforce. Practice Change Implemented: The experiences of consumers, carers, clinicians and managers over the past decade have driven many practice changes, including defining and refining meaningful consumer and carer particiaption and engagement, governance mechanisms, as well as policies and procedures. The paper will share the lived experience of a young person (coauthor) who has transitioned from service user to valued mental health worker and will explore the key ingredients that have led to the organisational readiness to co-design, develop, implement and evaluate an innovative youth peer support worker model, using a participatory action research approach. Aims: The paper aims to showcase integrated practice and present the voice of lived experience, to shift perceptions about the value of consumers and carers working in partnership with health professionals and improve integrated mental health services for young people and families. Highlights: The paper will showcase lessons learned and common threads gleaned from young people, parents and carers as well as from clinicians and managers including: Value your experiences Listen to young people and what they want Do not reinvent the wheel - learn from others Perseverance is the key ingredient to change, closely followed by commitment and action Co-designing services for young people with young people is hugely rewarding and improves service delivery and consumer outcomes and experiences Furthermore, it will identify the success factors and limitations and barriers to working alongside young people and present the collaborative partnership between Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service and Health Consumers Queensland as we embark on co-designing the youth peer support workforce with young people. Discussion and conclusions: Creating a valued youth peer workforce is more than merely transplanting a model into an organisation, you need to nurture and build the machinery that supports meaningful integration of the lived experience. It is believed that CYMHS has created this foundation and the establishment of a youth peer workforce is a much-desired outcome of years of preparatory work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
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