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Student led community health checks in regional Victoria : a mixed methods study
Get PDFIssue Addressed: Inequitable health care access can be addressed by using community outreach programs. A collaborative, codesigned student-led pop-up health check clinic was conducted in three low-socioeconomic regional communities in Victoria, Australia. Supervised undergraduate nursing students conducted free health checks, practiced assessment and communication skills, and provided health education. Methods: A mixed-method approach was used to evaluate the impact, outcome, and processes used to deliver health checks in three different community settings. Data included post-check surveys and follow-up interviews with community participants, which were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. Results: A total of 166 surveys were collected and 30 interviews conducted from community participants located in three different communities. Participants were very satisfied with the information provided in the clinics and the delivery process. Further analysis also identified three major themes: (1) Defining a need, (2) Reaching the Community, and (3) Health promotion benefits. Conclusions: Community outreach programs are effective in reaching vulnerable populations, improving community access to risk screening, reducing demands, supporting existing services, and providing excellent training opportunities for the future health care workforce within communities. So What?: Further planning and financial investment are required to support community outreach programs that provide disease prevention and risk screening. More investment is needed in promoting outreach services within vulnerable populations, where social determinants contribute to poor health outcomes and access to health care is limited. Collaborative programs such as student-led pop-up clinics, are one way outreach can make a difference to community health. © 2024 The Author(s). Health Promotion Journal of Australia published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australian Health Promotion Association
Munsell soil colour prediction from the soil and soil colour book using patching method and deep learning techniques
Get PDFSoil colour is a key indicator of soil health and the associated properties. In agriculture, soil colour provides farmers and advises with a visual guide to interpret soil functions and performance. Munsell colour charts have been used to determine soil colour for many years, but the process is fallible, as it depends on the user’s perception. As smartphones are widely used and come with high-quality cameras, a popular one was used for capturing images for this study. This study aims to predict Munsell soil colour (MSC) from the Munsell soil colour book (MSCB) by using deep learning techniques on mobile-captured images. MSCB contains 14 pages and 443 colour chips. So, the number of classes for chip-by-chip prediction is very high, and the captured images are inadequate to train and validate using deep learning methods; thus, a patch-based mechanism was proposed to enrich the dataset. So, the course of action is to find the prediction accuracy of MSC for both page level and chip level by evaluating multiple deep learning methods combined with a patch-based mechanism. The analysis also provides knowledge about the best deep learning technique for MSC prediction. Without patching, the accuracy for chip-level prediction is below (Formula presented.), the page-level prediction is below (Formula presented.), and the accuracy with patching is around (Formula presented.) for both, which is significant. Lastly, this study provides insights into the application of the proposed techniques and analysis within real-world soil and provides results with higher accuracy with a limited number of soil samples, indicating the proposed method’s potential scalability and effectiveness with larger datasets. © 2025 by the authors
Smoking among healthcare professionals in australia : a scoping review
Get PDFStudies showed healthcare professionals who are non-smokers are more likely to deliver smoking cessation advice to their patients than those who are smokers. However, healthcare professionals continue to smoke across the globe. This scoping review assessed the available data on the prevalence and predictors of smoking among healthcare professionals in Australia. Following the PRISMA extension for the Scoping Review checklist, a systematic literature search was conducted on CINAHL, MEDLINE, APA PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library in August 2024. Articles published between 1990 and 2024 were considered, and finally, 26 papers met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Australian healthcare professionals showed varying smoking prevalence. For physicians, it was 10.2% in 1990 to 7.4% in 2013; among dentists, 6% in 1993 to 4.9% in 2004; and among nurses, 21.7% in 1991 and 10.3% during 2014–15. The highest smoking rates were observed among Aboriginal health workers (AHWs): 63.6% in 1995 to 24.6% in 2021. Age was a positive predictor for smoking among nurses, and so was male gender among dentists, physicians, and nurses; other predictors included area of specialty, lower emotional wellbeing, etc. This review highlighted a declining trend in smoking among healthcare professionals in Australia; however, it was not proportionate among the different health specialties. © 2025 by the authors
Hope theory as resistance : narratives of South Asian scholars in Australian academia
Get PDFPurpose: Identity, positioning and possibilities intersect differently for South Asian women in white academia. Within a broader migrant community that defines Australian life, these identities and positioning imply great possibility, but pursuing such pathways within academia is a walk on the last strand of resilience. This paper explores this tension of possibilities and constraints, using hope theory to highlight the cognitive resistance evident in the narratives of three South Asian women in Australian academia. Design/methodology/approach: The authors use collaborative autoethnography to share their narratives of working in Australian universities at three different stages of careers, utilising Snyder's model of hope theory to interrogate their own goal-setting behaviours, pathways and agentic thinking. Findings: The authors propose that hope as a cognitive state informs resistance and enables aspirations to contribute within academia in meaningful ways whilst navigating the terrain of inequitable structures. Originality/value: The authors' use of hope theory as a lens on the intersectional experiences of career making, building and progression is a new contribution to scholarship on marginalised women in white academe and the ways in which the pathways of resistance are identified. © 2023, Emerald Publishing Limited
Network effects from the provision of charging stations in the market diffusion of electric vehicles
No full textThis study investigates the long-term effects of charging station construction on electric vehicle (EV) diffusion, considering different deployment approaches and scales. Using China as a case study, we first examined the impact of network effects on consumers’ willingness to purchase EVs through discrete choice experiments. Based on the survey, an agent-based model that integrates agents and geographical context was developed to simulate EV diffusion under various charging station deployment scenarios. The main results are: (i) both direct and indirect network effects jointly influence consumer adoption of EVs (ii) a U-shaped relationship between network effects intensity and charging station scale exists, and (iii) concentrated charging station deployment accelerates EV diffusion more effectively than a systematic approach. These findings provide new evidence and policy implications for the development of the EV industry. © 2024 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group
Predicting the hardgrove grindability index using interpretable decision tree-based machine learning models
Get PDFThe Hardgrove grindability index (HGI) is a crucial indicator for assessing the grindability of coal, and accurate prediction of HGI is essential for improving the production efficiency and economic benefits of the coal industry. This study employed six decision tree-based machine learning models to predict the HGI values of 129 coal samples, with hyperparameter optimization performed using Optuna, and model interpretability analyzed using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). The results showed that the optimized natural gradient boosting (NGBoost) model outperformed all other models, which achieved the highest performance on the test set with a coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.9715, a mean absolute error (MAE) of 1.1507, and a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 1.4735. SHAP analysis further revealed that volatile matter (VM) contributed the most to the model's predictions, while pyrite (FeS2) had the least contribution. This study provides an efficient machine learning approach for accurate HGI prediction, offering excellent predictive performance, interpretability, and application value. © 2024 The Author(s
Experimental and reliability assessment of fire resistance of glue laminated timber beams
Get PDFGlue-laminated timber (GLT) is an engineered wood product widely used in mass timber construction for its strong structural and fire-resistant properties. However, the fire performance of GLT varies significantly due to the natural and uncertain phenomena (moisture, exposure time, isotropic, homogenous properties, etc.) of fire and timber. This makes it difficult to predict the fire behaviour of the GLT structural elements. To ensure building safety, it is crucial to assess GLT's fire behaviour and post-fire structural integrity during the design stages. This study conducted the experimental tests of GLT beams (280 mm × 560 mm) without loading (1.4 m) and under a four-point bending load (5.4 m). Tests identified thermal behaviour and charring rates of GLT beam. Then, the residual stiffness of the GLT beam was calculated, and the charring rates of the beams were compared with Australian and European standards. Reliability analysis was conducted for beams for a fire exposure of 120 min, considering the charring rates observed through the analysis and simulating the fire insulations. Results show that the charring rate of GLT made with spruce pine timber varied between 0.43 and 0.81 mm/min, with a mean rate of 0.7 mm/min, aligning with both Australian and European standards. However, considering timber density and moisture content, the charring rates in Australian standards were conservative. The study also found that structural capacity significantly degrades under fire, with a 22 % reduction in flexural stiffness after 120 min of exposure. Additionally, GLT beams can safely function for 30 min under 75 % of their design moment capacity and for 60 min under 50 % capacity. © 2025 The Author(s
Examining the impact of a health justice partnership service on the health and wellbeing of regional young people
Get PDFIntroduction: Young people with unaddressed legal matters are at risk of adverse consequences to their health and wellbeing. Health justice partnerships (HJPs) can support young people in regional areas to address their legal matters and reduce consequential deleterious impacts. A health justice partnership for youth (HJPY) was established in western Victoria, Australia. The program was unique for both its regional location and focus on supporting young people with their legal matters. This article reports on research that was conducted alongside the program, examining (1) the perceptions of regional young people and workers about the impact of legal matters on the health and wellbeing of young people and (2) the role of this HJPY in addressing these legal matters on the health of young people. Methods: Surveys were used to collect data from young people (n=64) attending the HJPY, and youth and allied health workers (n=48) from partner and other agencies. Data about the program were collected by the legal service operating at the time. Data were collected across multiple time points over 6 years, upon commencement and completion of the program. Results: The findings showed that young people attending the program required assistance for a wide range of legal matters. Upon attending the HJPY, most young people indicated that their unresolved legal matters influenced their health and wellbeing including sleep, stress, concentration and relationships. After attending the program, young people reported perceived improvements in their health and wellbeing, with workers observing improvements in young people’s mental health, mood and self-confidence. Conclusion: The research highlights the importance of HJPs to young people in addressing their unmet legal needs, with resolution of these matters supporting improved health and wellbeing and enabling them to move forward and focus on other areas of their lives. Youth and allied health workers in regional areas are integral in the early identification of young people wit legal matters. They are integral to facilitating suitable referral pathways and services that support young people with their unresolved legal matters. © (James Cook University), (2025). All rights reserved
Digital readiness of the in-home aged care workforce : a latent profile analysis
No full textObjectives: The use of technology could potentially improve the quality of in-home aged care and reduce staff workload. However, there is a lack of research into the digital readiness of the in-home aged care workforce. This study aimed to identify the distinct digital readiness profiles of Australian in-home aged care staff and the demographic characteristics associated with each profile. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at an Australian national in-home aged care provider between May and August 2023, recruiting aged care staff from services in South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia. Data regarding participants' demographic characteristics, personal technology use, digital literacy and attitude towards using technology in in-home aged care were collected. Latent profile analysis and Fisher's exact test were conducted for data analysis. Results: In total, 267 participants completed this study. Three digital readiness profiles (higher, medium and lower) were identified. The largest subgroup was participants with medium digital readiness (64%), followed by participants with higher digital readiness (24%) and lower digital readiness (12%), respectively. Age group (p =.003), education level (p =.03) and role (p =.009) were found to be associated with the digital readiness profile. Conclusions: Three distinct profiles of digital readiness were identified in the Australian in-home aged care workforce. A small but substantial proportion of the workforce had lower digital readiness and may require targeted support to improve their preparedness to use technology in delivering in-home aged care services. © 2025 AJA Inc’
Reimagining the coach–athlete–environment relationships in the digital communications era
Get PDFThe evolution of 4G and 5G digital technologies is (re)shaping contemporary methods of coaching by removing the requirement for coaches to be physically present at practice and competition venues. This technological advance provides opportunities for sports organisations, especially those with limited resources, to implement innovative learning and performance solutions by delivering remote coaching. In this insight paper, we reimagine what “the coaching environment” could look like by considering how the remote context may shape coaching. Currently, there is limited understanding of the use and implementation of such approaches, highlighting a need for further research to be conducted to better understand how online environments may impact the coaching process. We propose how adopting an ecological dynamics approach may align with existing research within coaching science and contemporary theorising in skill acquisition and motor learning, advocating a learner-centred approach to coaching. We then introduce and discuss the work of Roger Barker with a focus on “behaviour settings” and how this perspective may provide a lens for future research to explore different coaching environments. When complemented by ethnographic methodologies, this approach may provide a novel way to understand how coach–athlete interactions are framed in situ