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The impact of capital intensity on construction firms’ labor productivity in a developing economy: the effect of market regulation
Get PDFPurpose:The construction industry plays a significant economic role but has struggled with improving labor productivity. Understanding the reasons behind this slow growth is valuable for the industry’s sustainability and improving wages. This study aims to explore the impact of capital intensity and the interaction effect of market regulations on construction labor productivity. Design/methodology/approach: Using two-stage least squares panel data modeling, financial data from 55 Malaysian construction firms and economic data from 2009 to 2020 are analyzed. Findings: The findings reveal that higher capital intensity associated with mechanization and innovation generally boosts labor productivity. However, certain market regulations, such as economic and capital freedom (ECF) and foreign debt rules (FDR), can counteract this positive effect. This suggests that poorly developed financial regulations may lead to inefficient capital allocation, reducing labor productivity in the long run. Originality/value: The study highlights the importance of policymakers understanding these dynamics to develop effective strategies for enhancing labor productivity in the construction industry by considering the impact of capital intensity and the moderating effect of market regulation
Dietary indices to measure diet quality in older cancer survivors: A scoping review on tools, their components and association with health outcomes
No full textBackground:Older cancer survivors live with more comorbidities and have a higher mortality rate compared to the general older population. A high-quality diet that adheres to evidence based dietary recommendations and guidelines may help mitigate these issues. This can be assessed using dietary quality indices (DQIs), which objectively summarize scores for selected dietary components. Objective: Identify the DQIs available in the literature for older cancer survivors, and their associations with health outcomes. Method: Five databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed articles in English, from inception to 12th November 2024. Two researchers independently screened 3,145 studies, extracted and qualitatively assessed data from 28 included reports from 16 studies. Results: 12 DQIs and 40 unique components within these indices were identified and summarised narratively. Total vegetables (n = 8), total fruits (n = 8), whole grains (n = 6), saturated fat (n = 8), and salt/sodium (n = 8) were the most frequently incorporated components within a DQI. All DQIs were derived from evidence-based dietary guidelines. Only three DQIs were specifically designed for oncology population. Higher diet quality was associated with higher HR-QoL in breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer survivors in all but one study. The associations between mortality and diet quality were inconsistent, depending on the type of cancer and the mortality type i.e., cancer-specific or other causes. Conclusions: DQIs are associated with important health outcomes. A major knowledge gap exists in DQIs suitable for older cancer survivors. Future research should develop DQIs to better assess how high-quality diets enhance health outcomes in older cancer survivors
Virtual and augmented reality text environments support self-directed multimodal reading
Get PDFVirtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies are two of the fastest-growing technologies anticipated to peak this decade, with a gap in research to understand the new multimodal affordances for teachers to support students’ self-directed interactive reading. This research aimed to understand early adolescents’ experiences of reading multimodal texts containing written and spoken language and 3D imagery in VR and AR text environments. The study applied thematic coding and multimodal interaction analysis to understand how students engaged with reading 3D, multimodal, non-fiction VR and AR texts in educational games. The findings attend to the following reading practices exhibited by learners: (i) connecting new knowledge to the known, (ii) recalling information; (iii) resolving cognitive disequilibrium, (iv) using haptic interactivity to navigate text pathways, and (v) using selective attention to filter information. The students followed varied text pathways while demonstrating cognitive disequilibrium and resolution when responding to multilayered attentional cues and text pathways, with students encountering multiple cuing systems with VR and AR texts that use different navigation aids than those offered in books. Reading multimodal texts across modes involved attending to several modes, while backgrounding others, with opportunities for extensive haptic interactivity, and requiring selective attention in extended reality environments
The Australian Constitution in a Time of Climate Crisis
Get PDFThe Australian Constitution, although not designed to address the exigencies of climate change, has and could have a role to play in this crisis. Expansive readings of various heads of power ensure that the Commonwealth has legislative power to achieve climate mitigation goals, notwithstanding the constitutional property rights guarantee and phenomenon of state capture. The powerful political influence of the fossil fuel industry could be challenged through s 44. Climate activists have already leveraged the Constitution to challenge a state tax on electric vehicles and an anti-protest law. Finally, recent constitutional case law has significant implications for the climate displaced people of the future
A review of temporal aggregation and systematic sampling on time-series analysis
Get PDFPurpose: This review investigates the effects of temporal aggregation and systematic sampling on time-series analysis, focusing on their influence on data accuracy, interpretability and statistical properties. The purpose of the study is to synthesise existing literature on the topic and offer insights into the trade-offs between these data reduction techniques. Design/methodology/approach: The research methodology is based on an extensive review of theoretical and empirical studies covering univariate and multivariate time series models, focusing on unit roots, ARIMA, GARCH, cointegration properties and Granger Causality.Findings:The key findings reveal that while temporal aggregation simplifies data by emphasising long-term trends, it can obscure short-term fluctuations, potentially leading to biases in analysis. Similarly, systematic sampling enhances computational efficiency but risks information loss, especially in non-stationary data, and may result in biased samples if sampling intervals coincide with data periodicity. The review highlights the complexities and trade-offs involved in applying these methods, particularly in fields like economic forecasting, climate modelling and financial analysis. Originality/value: The originality and value of this study lie in its comprehensive synthesis of the impacts of these techniques across various time series properties. It underscores the importance of context-specific applications to preserve data integrity, offering recommendations for best practices in the use of temporal aggregation and systematic sampling in time-series analysis
ECM-mimicking hydrogel models of human adipose tissue identify deregulated lipid metabolism in the prostate cancer-adipocyte crosstalk under antiandrogen therapy
Get PDFAntiandrogen therapies are effectively used to treat advanced prostate cancer, but eventually cancer adaptation drives unresolved metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). Adipose tissue influences metabolic reprogramming in cancer and was proposed as a contributor to therapy resistance. Using extracellular matrix (ECM)-mimicking hydrogel coculture models of human adipocytes and prostate cancer cells, we show that adipocytes from subcutaneous or bone marrow fat have dissimilar responses under the antiandrogen Enzalutamide. We demonstrate that androgen receptor (AR)-dependent cancer cells (LNCaP) are more influenced by human adipocytes than AR-independent cells (C4-2B), with altered lipid metabolism and adipokine secretion. This response changes under Enzalutamide, with increased AR expression and adipogenic and lipogenic genes in cancer cells and decreased lipid content and gene dysregulation associated with insulin resistance in adipocytes. This is in line with the metabolic syndrome that men with mCRPC under Enzalutamide experience. The all-human, all-3D, models presented here provide a significant advance to dissect the role of fat in therapy response for mCRPC.</p
National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing - An implementation strategy for the National Preventive Health Strategy
Get PDFImproving health and wellbeing across the population is a national policy priority of Australian governments. Good health and wellbeing, including physical, mental, social and cultural wellbeing, enables Australians to lead fulfilling and productive lives, participate in education and employment and contribute positively to their community [18]. The National Preventive Health Strategy 2021-2030 (NPHS), emphasises that preventive health action, informed and co-designed by consumers, is central to achieving a healthier Australia [18]. The development of a National Consumer Engagement Strategy for Health and Wellbeing (this Strategy) is one of the 8 priority actions included in the NPHS [18]. It has been developed to support and inform consumer engagement in health policy-making and to strengthen partnerships between policy-makers and consumers [18]. Trusted partnerships between policy-makers and consumers (and communities more broadly), are integral to ensure that policy is responsive to the diverse social, economic and cultural needs and circumstances that influence the health and wellbeing across the population. Development of this Strategy has been informed by consultations with key stakeholders, underpinned by a review of the evidence relevant to effective consumer engagement and best practice co-design. The primary target audience for this Strategy is policy-makers (both government and non-government). 3 objectives, 5 Consumer Engagement Fundamentals and 10 Good Practice Guidelines make up the core elements of this Strategy (see Strategy overview on next page for further detail). Aligning with the 3 primary objectives are 3 priority policy action areas to support effective implementation of this Strategy. These are to:1.Develop resources to support good practice consumer engagement in health policy-making. 2.Strengthen operational capability to achieve good practice consumer engagement across government and non-government organisations involved in health policy-making. 3.Build the capacity and capability of consumers, particularly those from priority population groups, to engage in health policy-making processes.The Health Engagement Learning Platform (HELP) Toolkit is a supplementary resource to support policy-makers to implement this Strategy. It provides practical guidance to assist with designing, implementing and evaluating consumer engagement activities in health policy development. This includes a high-level overview of common consumer engagement approaches relevant to policy-making and detailed checklists for applying the Good Practice Guidelines. This Strategy and the HELP Toolkit both provide an extensive list of existing resources that may further inform and guide consumer engagement in Australian health policy-making. Links to these can be found in the ‘Other resources’ section at the end of this Strategy and the HELP Toolkit. <br/
Avodah Global: Balancing Social and Financial Goals
No full textAvodah Global (Avodah) is a social enterprise headquartered in Brisbane, Australia, with manufacturing operations in Cambodia. Its vision is to provide safe employment, vocational training, and long-term career opportunities for at-risk women and survivors of human trafficking while disrupting exploitative labour practices in the global garment industry. Avodah differentiates itself through ethical sourcing, fair wages, and B Corp certification, positioning itself as a socially responsible alternative to traditional manufacturers. However, as Avodah has scaled, financial pressures have intensified, resulting from its limited manufacturing capacity and production inefficiencies.In August 2024, co-founder Liz Henderson needed to redefine Avodah’s value proposition to leverage its B Corp certification and social impact mission, determine which product lines would optimize its marketing mix, and determine the most appropriate market segment to target. In addition to the high-level product and market decisions, Henderson needs to improve operational efficiency to build a sustainable future for Avodah and the communities it supports
Student motivations and identity in biomedical sciences: a social cognitive careers theory approach
Get PDFBackground:This research explores the identity and career aspirations of biomedical science students across disciplines such as cell biology, anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, and pathology. The study examines students’ motivations for choosing these programmes and perceptions of career preparation, with analysis by programme, ethnicity, and gender.Methods:Using a longitudinal cross-sectional survey guided by Social Cognitive Career Theory, we gathered responses from 172 students in 2023 and 184 in 2024. The questionnaire included both closed and open-ended questions, which we analysed using descriptive and thematic methods.Results:Most students (76.8%) enrolled due to strong interest in the field. Clinical, research, and industry roles were seen as desirable, while academia, allied health, regulatory affairs, and teaching were less appealing. Postgraduate study became a more prominent career goal for more students enrolled in their capstone courses in the third and final year of the programme (stage III) than for students enrolled in courses/papers taken in the second year of the programme (stage II). Most students (83.7%) felt their programme adequately prepared them for career success, citing labs, field trips, problem-based learning, and assignments as key contributors. However, 22% viewed creativity and entrepreneurship as irrelevant to their future work. Most (73.9%) were confident about career prospects, though grades and competitive entry were concerns.Conclusions:Findings are discussed in relation to Social Cognitive Career Theory, highlighting the importance of authentic work experiences, professional identity development, and clear career pathways for improving student engagement and retention