University of the Sunshine Coast
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Field evaluation of a handheld laser meter for pavement surface macro texture measurement
No full textIn the past, pavement surface texture has primarily been measured using volumetric methods, with the sand patch test the most common. However, handheld laser-based devices are now available for measuring a surface profile depth, which is converted to an estimated surface texture. Comparative measurement of 21 different pavement surfaces, of six different types, indicated that the results were consistently less variable for the laser-based device, compared to the sand patch results. The standard (linear) conversion from laser meter profile depth to estimate texture depth was adequate for typical asphalt surfaces (surface texture 0.5–1.5 mm) but an alternate (quadratic) conversion was recommended for better agreement between the laser meter and sand patch results for surfaces with lower (<0.5 mm) and higher (1.5–3.0 mm) surface textures
Review of human resource practices in hospitality and tourism
No full textThis study identifies the human resource practices used in the hospitality and tourism industry through the review of articles published in the hospitality and tourism journals (45 articles, 10 journals) and the other non-hospitality journals (26 articles, 17 journals). The review suggests that key human resource (HR) practices used in the industry are recruitment/selection, performance management, compensation, training and development, employee empowerment, employee recognition and reward. The study also identifies the focus of past HR research in the hospitality and tourism industry. Human resources management (HRM) practices, employee turnover, employee retention/intention to stay or leave, job satisfaction/dissatisfaction, work family conflict/work life balance/work family issues/flexible working/employee well-being, customer satisfaction/firm performance among others have been the dominant aspects of past research. The study also presents a range of gaps in HR research in the hospitality and tourism industry for potential future research
Tertiary water striders (Hemiptera, Gerromorpha, Gerridae) from the central Tibetan Plateau and their palaeobiogeographic implications
No full textThe semi-aquatic hemipteran family Gerridae (water striders), similar to other gerromorphan bugs, is a distinct group noted for their ability to walk on the surface of water, especially with respect to their locomotion, feeding, and behaviour. The three principal Holarctic gerrine genera, Aquarius Schellenberg, Gerris Fabricius and Limnoporus Stål, are important organisms for studies of biogeography, evolutionary trends and ecological adaptations of the Gerridae. Fossil gerrids are comparatively sparse, and direct fossil evidence elucidating the early diversification and biogeography of the extant widespread genus Aquarius remains elusive. Here we redescribe and reinterpret the extinct species Aquarius lunpolaensis (Lin, 1981) based on new well-preserved conspecific specimens from contemporaneous localities in the Lunpola and Nima basins of central Tibet, China. The new fossils confirm the placement of these fossils in Aquarius as evidenced by their large body size, first antennal segment longer than the following two segments combined, and well-developed abdominal connexival spines. The new discovery of a series of larval instars at different developmental stages confirms that “Halobates bagonensis” should be interpreted as an exuvium of the dominant species Aquarius lunpolaensis and demonstrates that the extant western Palaearctic najas-group had a much wider distribution in the late Oligocene (Chattian). The occurrence of an Aquarius water skater supports the hypothesis that the elevation of central Tibet was comparatively low, some 25 million years ago
A review of grouper (Family Serranidae: Subfamily Epinephelinae) aquaculture from a sustainability science perspective
No full textAquaculture of groupers is carried out in tropical and subtropical areas throughout the world, but most production is from Asia, with three countries responsible for an estimated 92% of global production: China (65% of total production), Taiwan Province of China (17%) and Indonesia (11%). We calculate that there are at least 47 grouper species plus 15 grouper hybrids that have been trialled or are currently aquacultured. While grouper aquaculture has undoubtedly provided positive social and economic benefits to coastal communities in Asia, practices associated with grouper aquaculture have also led to widespread concerns regarding its environmental impacts. This paper reviews environmental, economic and social impacts of grouper aquaculture within a sustainability science framework. An update, building on early technical reviews of grouper aquaculture, was used to identify the main environmental, economic and social impacts. The main environmental impacts identified were as follows: seedstock sources, particularly the use of wild-caught postlarval or juvenile fish as seedstock; the use of 'trash' fish as the major feed source; and water quality and substrate impacts of sea cage aquaculture. Significant economic and social impacts arising from grouper aquaculture include employment and income generation, but the economic impacts of disease outbreaks are significant, reducing fish survival to harvest size to around 50-70%. Current approaches to ameliorate negative impacts include the following: development and implementation of better management practices (BMPs) at national level, and the development of a global ecolabel certification scheme by the Aquaculture Stewardship Council. Both these approaches have significant constraints, particularly when applied to small-scale farmers who produce the bulk of farmed grouper. We conclude that there is a need for improved higher level coordination between the major producer countries to address identified sustainability constraints to grouper aquaculture. © 2017 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd
Perspectives from practice: complexities of personal care workers’ education, regulation and practice
No full textPersonal care workers (PCWs) make up the bulk of the workforce in residential and community care services. The knowledge and skill set needed for safe and effective practice in care settings is extensive. A diverse range of registered training organisations (RTOs) offering Certificate III and IV in Individual Support (aging, home and community) are tasked with producing job-ready PCWs. However, the curricula of these programs vary. Additionally, a national code of conduct for healthcare workers became effective in October 2015 as a governance framework for PCWs. The language of the code statements is ambiguous making it unclear how this framework should be translated by RTOs and applied in the preservice practice preparation of PCWs. Employers of PCWs need to feel confident that the content of the preservice education of PCWs satisfactorily prepares them for the diverse contexts of their practice. Likewise, the health professionals who supervise PCWs must be assured about the knowledge and skills of the PCW if they are to safely delegate care activities. The perspectives presented in this discussion make it clear that investigation into the nebulous nature of PCW education, regulation and practice is needed to identify the shortcomings and enable improved practice
Synthesis of lamellar mesostructured phenylene-bridged periodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMO) templated by polyion complex (PIC) micelles
No full textPeriodic mesoporous organosilicas (PMOs), obtained by the surfactant-mediated hydrolysis-condensation of bridged organosilanes, combine versatile organic functionalities with advantages of a stable inorganic framework. Here, we introduce a novel synthesis of lamellar mesostructured phenylene-bridged PMOs templated by polyion complex (PIC) micelles (PICPMOs). The micelles assemble by electrostatic interactions between oppositely charged polyelectrolytes, with one being part of a double-hydrophilic block copolymer (DHBC), and the other being a polybase oligochitosan (OC). The PICPMO material was characterized by a range of techniques, including TEM, IR spectroscopy, SAXS, TGA and elemental analysis, which indicates that the material exhibits long-range ordering with an inter-lamellae distance of around 15 nm. Advantages of the synthetic approach developed, together with potential applications of the PICPOs, are discussed
Towards a complex systems approach in sports injury research: simulating running-related injury development with agent-based modelling
No full textObjectives There have been recent calls for the application of the complex systems approach in sports injury research. However, beyond theoretical description and static models of complexity, little progress has been made towards formalising this approach in way that is practical to sports injury scientists and clinicians. Therefore, our objective was to use a computational modelling method and develop a dynamic simulation in sports injury research. Methods Agent-based modelling (ABM) was used to model the occurrence of sports injury in a synthetic athlete population. The ABM was developed based on sports injury causal frameworks and was applied in the context of distance running-related injury (RRI). Using the acute:chronic workload ratio (ACWR), we simulated the dynamic relationship between changes in weekly running distance and RRI through the manipulation of various ‘athlete management tools’. Results The findings confirmed that building weekly running distances over time, even within the reported ACWR ‘sweet spot’, will eventually result in RRI as athletes reach and surpass their individual physical workload limits. Introducing training-related error into the simulation and the modelling of a ‘hard ceiling’ dynamic resulted in a higher RRI incidence proportion across the population at higher absolute workloads. Conclusions The presented simulation offers a practical starting point to further apply more sophisticated computational models that can account for the complex nature of sports injury aetiology. Alongside traditional forms of scientific inquiry, the use of ABM and other simulation-based techniques could be considered as a complementary and alternative methodological approach in sports injury research
Towards adaptive coastal management: Lessons from a “legal storm” in Byron Shire, Australia
No full textAdaptive management has been advocated as an appropriate approach for the management of social-ecological systems, although its implementation has proven to be a challenge. Legal systems can hinder or facilitate adaptive management. Focusing on legal arrangements, this article explores how adaptive management can be better operationalised in the context of coastal management. Byron Shire, a local government area in New South Wales, Australia, was selected as a case study where we: (a) analysed how the concept of adaptive management has emerged within the evolution of coastal management and its applicable legal framework, and (b) identified juridical constraints to adaptive coastal management. Qualitative methods were used for the analysis of relevant documents and semi-structured interviews with 23 key informants. The results show that a distorted version of adaptive management has been adopted in Byron Shire's draft coastal management plans, which fails to adhere to the formal, structured, and iterative process of adaptive management. A legacy created by the legal effects of past decisions affecting coastal management has led to a path dependency towards protective measures to manage coastal erosion, constraining other management options, particularly managed realignment strategies. Failure to address juridical constraints in the early stages of the adaptive management process can result in stakeholder conflict and litigation. Overlitigation harms adaptive coastal management by pushing the decision-making process away from the pathway offered by the legal framework for preparing and implementing coastal management plans. After recent legislative coastal reform at the state level, there is momentum for the Byron Shire Council to refocus its adaptive management approach. However, overcoming existing juridical constraints will require adaptive governance, in which all levels of government must work collaboratively with the affected stakeholders in the design and implementation of the adaptive management process
Review article: Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patient presentations to the emergency department via police: A scoping review
No full textPeople brought in by police (BIBP) to the ED are a potentially vulnerable group. This narrative scoping review aimed to identify, evaluate and summarise current literature regarding the frequency of presentation, demographic and clinical profile of patients (including reason for presentation), care delivery, and outcomes for people BIBP to the ED, and identify current gaps in knowledge. The review involved searching EMBASE, CINAHL and PubMed using a combination of terms: emergency/ED coupled with police custody/watch house or police presentation, for papers published in English language from January 2006 to November 2017. A total of 20 studies met the inclusion criteria. These included 17 observational (non‐randomised controlled trials) quantitative studies and three descriptive case reports. The proportion of presentations to ED that were BIBP varied depending on the study design and sampling frame. People BIBP often presented with mental health problems, substance use problems, aggressive behaviour and injury caused by self or others. Of studies focused specifically on patients arriving to the ED in mental health crisis (i.e. suicidal ideation or self‐harm), 18–27% were BIBP. ED presentations BIBP were mostly male and typically younger than people arriving by other means. The nature of care provided in the ED and outcomes of the acute episode of care were typically not well described. Limited research regarding people BIBP to the ED limits the ability to comprehensively understand their demographic and clinical profile and outcomes of emergency care. Further research is required to inform if and where in the patient’s journey further improvements may be targeted
An Assessment of Woody Plant Water Source Studies from across the Globe: What Do We Know after 30 Years of Research and Where Do We Go from Here?
No full textIn the face of global climate change, water availability and its impact on forest productivity is becoming an increasingly important issue. It is therefore necessary to evaluate the advancement of research in this field and to set new research priorities. A systematic literature review was performed to evaluate the spatiotemporal dynamics of global research on woody plant water sources and to determine a future research agenda. Most of the reviewed studies were from the United States, followed by China and Australia. The research indicates that there is a clear variation in woody plant water sources in forests due to season, climate, leaf phenology, and method of measurement. Much of the research focus has been on identifying plant water sources using a single isotope approach. Much less focus has been given to the nexus between water source and tree size, tree growth, drought, water use efficiency, agroforestry systems, groundwater interactions, and many other topics. Therefore, a new set of research priorities has been proposed that will address these gaps under different vegetation and climate conditions. Once these issues are resolved, the research can inform forest process studies in new ways