5107 research outputs found
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Precision Medicine in Lifestyle Medicine: The Way of the Future?
No full textPrecision medicine has captured the imagination of the medical community with visions of therapies precisely targeted to the specific individual’s genetic, biological, social, and environmental profile. However, in practice it has become synonymous with genomic medicine. As such its successes have been limited, with poor predictive or clinical value for the majority of people. It adds little to lifestyle medicine, other than in establishing why a healthy lifestyle is effective in combatting chronic disease. The challenge of lifestyle medicine remains getting people to actually adopt, sustain, and naturalize a healthy lifestyle, and this will require an approach that treats the patient as a person with individual needs and providing them with suitable types of support. The future of lifestyle medicine is holistic and person-centered rather than technological
Purpose Built Offices Replaced by Work From Home (WFH) in a Time of Business Disruption: Hybrid Office Model (HOM)
No full textWith the pandemic of COVID-19 came a time of significant business disruption, particularly in relation to social distancing rules that effectively shut down organisations physical office spaces, and moved employees to work from home (WFH) in a very short space of time. This research looks at the current office space that employees use in a Higher Education Provider, and compares it to the WFH space, while discussing the challenges and opportunities of WFH. The question of the ability to collaborate with colleagues was also researched prior to and during the lock down. The results showed that employees valued their physical office space, but that open plan or shared offices were often noisy and lacked privacy. Most described their office space as personal, comfortable and conducive to productivity. The move to WFH was both swift and unplanned, but most employees felt that they had a good space, were comfortable, had the equipment they needed to do their job and used technology such as Zoom to keep in contact with colleagues and students.
The challenges of WFH included the lack of collegiality, communication issues, equipment/connectivity, community, mental health, work-life-balance and increased workload. Interestingly, of the seven challenges identified, six were also listed as opportunities, these included: collegiality, communication issues, equipment/connectivity, community, mental health and work-life-balance. Three additional opportunities were identified as flexibility, productivity and innovation.
In relation to the ability to work collaboratively with others, the majority of respondents stated this happened in their current office space (87%), and with the move to WFH, 76% stated that they were still able to work collaboratively. The results demonstrate that although there can be challenges in WFH, that there can be advantages to both employees and employers. Employees will no longer need to commute to work, can spend more time perusing personal plans and feel more productive when WFH. For employers, they now have access to a wider pool of talent, can enjoy cost savings and decrease their carbon footprint. The office of the future will be a hybrid model, a combination of people WFH, working in the office and doing both, otherwise known as the Hybrid Office Model (HOM)
Leading Change Without Formal Authority: The ICC Model for the 21st Century
No full textChange seems to be a constant feature of the 21st century workplace. Successful organisations embrace change and make sure the personnel are valued, and that they remain engaged and motivated. Employers do not require to formally be in charge of a group of people to be called leader, but demonstrating leadership is an important feature for employees at every level of an organization. Women face a diverse range of difficulties in today’s workplace, and therefore this study aims to focus on the phenomenon of leading change without formal authority and develop a model for women to bring about change within their working climate. This conceptual research aims to identify novel connections between the concepts of leadership and feminism and in consideration of the features of the 21st century workplace. Reviewing the relevant literature particularly around the leadership qualities (drive, motivation, honesty, self-confidence, cognitive ability, and knowledge of the business) this study proposes dedication, political skill and sincerity as qualities of leadership without formal authority. Since, male and female personalities appear to be different in a number of aspects, the basic five personality qualities (known as the Big Five) are reviewed: neuroticism, extraversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Reviewing models of change as well as females’ qualities, this study suggests a model for leading change without formal authority including Identifying gaps, Connecting with emotions, and Committing to change (ICC model)
Classroom Confirmation Panels: Facilitating Feedback in Communities of Practice in Classroom Learning Groups
No full textThis article explores innovative peer-assessment strategies to create and support lifelong learners. It proposes that the confirmation panel—a formal progression requirement of a postgraduate degree—can effectively facilitate feedback, function as an assessment tool, and meaningfully induct both secondary and undergraduate tertiary students into a community of practice. The confirmation panel offers immediacy and richness of feedback, promotion of accountability, empathy, confidence, content knowledge, and—importantly—the transfer of tacit knowledge specific to a community of practice. Other positive results include: building and (re)structuring metacognitive frameworks, facilitation of self-reflection, and the forming of a creative, collegial environment where standards are clarified and learning is scaffolded
God\u27s Word, Students, and Christian Classrooms: The Why and How
No full textWith ready access to God’s Word, it is challenging and disturbing to read research declaring “that only two in ten Aussie Christians read their Bible daily” (Hughes and Pickering, 2010, para. 1) and see census data showing that Christianity is declining in the community, especially among 18-25-year-olds (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2022). Blair (2016) contends that our culture has become biblically illiterate, lacking basic biblical knowledge. Because Christian education is predicated on God’s Word, Christian schools are in a unique position to contribute to efforts to reverse the current trend of biblical illiteracy. In this chapter, we define biblical literacy and discuss why it is important in contemporary Australian society. We then outline why biblical literacy is such an important aspect of a student’s education in a Christian classroom and consider how Christian teachers can be positively engaged in this journey and quest with their students. Finally, we describe practical ideas, scenarios, and examples of biblical literacy programs currently available in Australia and the South Pacific region
Where to go for a Christian Research Degree? Part 2 of a two-part Report
No full textAvondale University is committed to providing quality higher research degrees. Data on candidate and graduate experiences from the institution and across the sector are central in shaping good practice and informing policy, processes and systems designed to support candidate and supervisor research training (TEQSA, 2018) and employment opportunities (Bentley & Meek, 2018).
This paper reports on research conducted at our institution which focused on the following two questions: What were the differences between the way current candidates and graduates reported on their postgraduate learning experiences in the MPhil or PhD degrees at Avondale? And, what were the differences between the way males and females reported on their postgraduate learning experiences in the MPhil or PhD degrees at Avondale?
In this mixed methods research project questionnaires and interviews were used to determine what is valued by current and past HDR candidates of Avondale and which areas of our HDR programs need further development. This is the second of two papers that report the findings of this project and identifies future research which may further support HDR candidates’ holistic experiences
Innovative Tidal Control Successfully Promotes Saltmarsh Restoration
No full textThe reduction of saltmarsh habitat at a global scale has seen a concomitant loss of associated ecosystem services. As such, there is a need and a push for habitat rehabilitation. This study examined an innovative saltmarsh restoration project in Australia which sought to address the threats of mangrove encroachment and sea level rise. The project was implemented in 2017, using automated hydraulic control gates, termed“SmartGates,”to lower the tidal regime over one site, effectively reversing sea level rise at a local level. Measured indicators of saltmarsh cover, number of species, seedling counts, and saltmarsh assemblages all showed significant positive development over time, with trends varying based on saltmarsh zone. The saltmarsh, predominantly Sarcocornia quinque flora, developed from remnant supralittoral (previously high) marsh which remained at 45% cover to achieve over 15% coverage across the cleared habitat after 3 years. Slower development in the low marsh (\u3c5%) compared to other zones contrasts with other saltmarsh restoration studies which may be due to the unique nature of the restoration method or the nature of Australian saltmarsh species which favor higher elevations and drier conditions. The development of saltmarsh at the treatment site was found to track toward that at comparison sites over time, becoming similar to some comparison sites by the studies end. This study highlights the usefulness of the novel restoration method used and of the measured indicators for assessing saltmarsh development. This innovative tidal control method could play an important role in the future of saltmarsh restoration worldwide
Between Sentimentality, Sentience and Sense Making: The Visual Markers of the Vampire in Online Caricatures
No full textFamous for being deathly serious, the vampire genre has a consistent yet often critically overlooked sub genre--the comedic spoof and satire. This is the first book dedicated entirely to documenting and analyzing the vampire comedy on film and television. Various types of comedy are discussed, outlining the important differences between spoofing, serious-spoofing, parody and satire. Seminal films such as Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, Love at First Bite, Vampire in Brooklyn, Dracula: Dead and Loving It and What We Do In the Shadows are featured. More importantly, this book demonstrates how comedy is central to both the common perception of the vampire and the genre\u27s ever-evolving character, making it an essential read for those interested in the laughing undead and creatures that guffaw in the night
Wilcox, Lyle C. (1891-1970) and Hazel Pearl (Lyle) (1895–1987)
No full textLyle Wilcox served as an educator in California, Washington, and Idaho before he and his wife, Hazel, gave 36 years of mission service in China, the Philippines and Malaya
Barrows, Henry Walter (1886-1961) and Leonora Camilla (Olsen) (1884-1936)
No full textHenry and Leonora Barrows were missionaries in China. Henry Barrows is remembered for his business accounting skills, notably as treasurer and auditor at the Shanghai office of the Asiatic Division and as an auditor at General Conference headquarters, Washington, D.C