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Fatigue and short-term unplanned absences among police officers
No full textDawson, D ORCiD: 0000-0001-7385-5630Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess whether shift work, sleep loss and fatigue are related to shortterm unplanned absences in policing.
Design/methodology/approach – N 5 367 police officers from the Buffalo Police Department were studied. Day-by-day work and sick leave data were obtained from the payroll. Absenteeism was defined as taking a
single sick day on a regularly scheduled workday. Biomathematical models of fatigue (BMMF) predicted officers’ sleep–wake behaviors and on-duty fatigue and sleepiness. Prior sleep, fatigue and sleepiness were
tested as predictors of absenteeism during the next shift.
Findings – A total of 513,666 shifts and 4,868 cases of absenteeism were studied. The odds of absenteeism increased as on-duty fatigue and sleepiness increased and prior sleep decreased. This was particularly
evident for swing shift officers and night shift officers who were predicted by BMMF to obtain less sleep and have greater fatigue and sleepiness than day shift officers. The odds of absenteeism were higher for
female officers than male officers; this finding was not due to a differential response to sleep loss, fatigue or sleepiness
Prenatal predictors of maternal-infant attachment
No full textMeredith, PJ ORCiD: 0000-0002-2981-9189Background.: Increasingly, occupational therapists are working with women in the perinatal period, including supporting the developing mother-child relationship. Purpose.: To examine prenatal predictors of maternal-infant attachment (maternal-fetal attachment, sensory patterns, adult attachment, perinatal loss, and mental health) that may provide possible avenues for assessment and intervention by occupational therapists. Method.: Women (N = 60) were assessed during pregnancy and within one year postpartum in a cohort study. Independent t-tests, correlations, and multivariate regression models were conducted. Findings.: Low threshold maternal sensory patterns, more insecure adult attachment, and poorer quality of maternal-fetal attachment were each correlated with less optimal maternal-infant attachment. Quality of prenatal attachment was the best predictor of overall postnatal attachment in multivariate regression models. Implications.: Occupational therapists working in a range of clinical settings (e.g., mental health, substance use, and perinatal care) may work with women during pregnancy to promote their relationship with their developing baby in utero and after birth. © CAOT 2020
Application of infrared spectroscopy for the prediction of nutritional content and quality assessment of faba bean (Vicia faba L.)
No full textJohnson, JB ORCiD: 0000-0002-9172-8587; Naiker, M ORCiD: 0000-0002-6844-8325; Walsh, KB ORCiD: 0000-0002-3033-8622With growing consumer interest and demand for health-benefiting functional foodssuch as faba beans, particularly evident in developed countries, commercial produc-tion of this crop is increasing. In concert with increased production levels comes anequally great need for the inexpensive rapid measurement of nutritional parametersfor quality determining purposes. As an analytical tool, near-infrared spectroscopyhas been well explored for the quantification of proximate nutritional composition,such as protein, starch and oil contents in faba bean and faba bean-derived products.Near-infrared spectroscopy has also been demonstrated to have potential for thenoninvasive prediction of low-level micronutrients such as the total polyphenol con-tent in faba bean and faba bean-derived products, although further exploration in thisarea is required to provide a more acceptable model. In some instances, the authorsmay be inadvertently measuring micronutrient concentrations through a secondarycorrelation with certain macronutrients. It is particularly difficult to determine if thisis the case if exacerbated by the lack of an independent validation test set in thepaper in question. The associated technique of mid-infrared spectroscopy shows par-ticular promise for the rapid, noninvasive characterisation of structural componentsof faba bean, such as carbohydrates and proteins. Complementary applications ofthese two technologies are likely to yield a wealth of potential applications
Solvent extractions and spectrophotometric protocols for measuring the total anthocyanin, phenols and antioxidant content in plums
No full textJohnson, JB ORCiD: 0000-0002-9172-8587; Naiker, M ORCiD: 0000-0002-6844-8325; Walsh, KB ORCiD: 0000-0002-3033-8622Total monomeric anthocyanins from six commercial plum varieties were extracted using two protocols, viz methanol/water extraction through end-over-end shaking and ethanol/water extraction in a shaking water bath; adapted from the Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI) standard method. Anthocyanins were determined using the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) standard protocol and a modification of the AWRI method. The mean relative standard deviation was found to be similar between methods, at 13.5% and 9.9%, respectively. On average, the anthocyanin concentrations given by the AWRI method were 27% higher than those obtained using the AOAC standard method. This was attributed to the AWRI method not correcting for haze or matrix interference, but estimating the anthocyanin concentration from the absorbance at a single wavelength. Anthocyanin measurements on the two extractions using the same measurement protocol supported this, indicating that the methanolic extracts gave a higher anthocyanin yield than the ethanolic extracts. Furthermore, HPLC profiling of the anthocyanin content demonstrated significantly more anthocyanins were extracted through the methanol extraction protocol. The methanol/water extraction protocol and AOAC standard method are much simpler to perform than the AWRI method and appear to be at least as precise. Thus this extraction and spectrophotometric protocol is well suited to future work on plum matrices. The extraction method is also more suitable for the subsequent photometric and/or HPLC determination of phenolic and total antioxidant contents
Accounting for automatic processes in sleep health
No full textFerguson, SA ORCiD: 0000-0002-9682-7971; Rebar, A ORCiD: 0000-0003-3164-993X; Reynolds, AC ORCiD: 0000-0001-9534-8699Mead and Irish's (2019) review highlights the absence of behavioural
theory from most sleep hygiene interventions. A strong theoretical
foundation can bolster the effectiveness, uptake and translation of
behaviour change interventions (Prestwich et al., 2014; Rothman,
Baldwin, Hertel, & Fuglestad, 2004). Mead and Irish (2019) extolled
the virtues of expectancy-value theories, which portray behaviour
as an output of deliberation over expected outcomes and the subjective
value assigned to those outcomes, as mediated by the formation
of intentions to act. These theories may not be the most
useful behavioural theories for sleep health research. We believe
that attempts to harness behavioural science should move beyond
expectancy-value theories and embrace dual-process models, which
account also for automatic processes that influence much of human
behaviour
Developing jazz communities in regional Australia: A multi-site qualitative study on Cairns and Mackay, north Queensland
No full textThe mention of jazz in Australia might conjure up thoughts of performances in trendy laneway venues in Melbourne or other metropolitan cities. However, jazz is performed throughout the country in many smaller regional centres. These regions often have highly skilled musicians who enjoy the support of a small, but passionate, community. This thesis documents a qualitative exploration of the question: What factors influence the development and sustainability of a jazz community in regional Australia?
The study focussed on Cairns and Mackay in North Queensland, Australia, and applied grounded theory methodology to data from 24 semi-structured interviews with community members in both regions. The data collection also included a survey of audience members associated with the jazz community in Mackay.
The study investigated topics associated with performance, sociological, governmental and educational factors in both communities, and through the grounded theory process it uncovered three major influences: venues, regionality and education.
It was discovered that both communities shared similar challenges in relation to jazz musicians performing in venues, working with venue owners, and attracting audiences. Both regions also shared issues relating to geographical isolation, economic impacts, transient populations, and parochialism from the general public. While there were some similarities in the factors that contributed to the development of the jazz communities in Cairns and Mackay, the study also uncovered significant differences based on the distinct geographical, economic, sociological and educational influences within each region.
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This study provided an opportunity to explore multiple approaches to building and sustaining two North Queensland jazz communities. Since some of these approaches might be applicable to jazz communities in other regional areas, a series of practical recommendations have been drawn from this investigation
‘We had no sanitiser, no soap and minimal toilet paper’: Here’s how teachers feel about going back to the classroom
No full textMude, WW ORCiD: 0000-0003-1961-5681After weeks of remote learning due to COVID-19, many school students in New South Wales began a staggered return to classrooms this week. Students in other states, such as some in Queensland, were also back in the classroom from Monday. Others like Victoria are weeks away from returning. Premier Daniel Andrews said some students (in prep, years 1 and 2, and years 11 and 12) will go back to school on May 26. And Western Australia’s Premier Mark McGowan announced all school students in the state must return to the classroom from May 18. We surveyed more than 10,000 public school teachers in NSW to find out how they felt about being at school at the end of term one, their thoughts on remote learning and feelings about returning to school
Integrating pharmacists into Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (IPAC project): Protocol for an interventional, non-randomised study to improve chronic disease outcomes
No full textPreston, RG ORCiD: 0000-0003-4700-1521The IPAC project will determine if including a non-dispensing registered pharmacist as part of the primary health care (PHC) team within ACCHSs (the intervention) leads to improvements in the quality of the care received by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with chronic diseases.
The IPAC project is a pragmatic, non-randomized, prospective, pre and post quasi-experimental study (Trial Registration Number andRegister: ACTRN12618002002268). The intervention is the integration of a registered pharmacist within the ACCHS primary healthcare teamfor a 15-month period. Up to 22 ACCHS sites will be recruited for the project across three jurisdictions: Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory to ensure a sampling frame that best informs external validity of the outcomes across varied services and patient populations
Depression, anxiety and stress during COVID-19: Associations with changes in physical activity, sleep, tobacco and alcohol use in Australian adults
No full textAlley, SJ ORCiD: 0000-0001-9666-5071; Khalesi, S ORCiD: 0000-0002-8208-2518; Stanton, R ORCiD: 0000-0002-6684-5087; To, GQ ORCiD: 0000-0002-3355-6326; Vandelanotte, CL ORCiD: 0000-0002-4445-8094; Williams, SL ORCiD: 0000-0003-4289-9248The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has enforced dramatic changes to daily living including economic and health impacts. Evidence for the impact of these changes on our physical and mental health and health behaviors is limited. We examined the associations between psychological distress and changes in selected health behaviors since the onset of COVID-19 in Australia. An online survey was distributed in April 2020 and included measures of depression, anxiety, stress, physical activity, sleep, alcohol intake and cigarette smoking. The survey was completed by 1491 adults (mean age 50.5 ± 14.9 years, 67% female). Negative change was reported for physical activity (48.9%), sleep (40.7%), alcohol (26.6%) and smoking (6.9%) since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Significantly higher scores in one or more psychological distress states were found for females, and those not in a relationship, in the lowest income category, aged 18–45 years, or with a chronic illness. Negative changes in physical activity, sleep, smoking and alcohol intake were associated with higher depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. Health-promotion strategies directed at adopting or maintaining positive health-related behaviors should be utilized to address increases in psychological distress during the pandemic. Ongoing evaluation of the impact of lifestyle changes associated with the pandemic is needed. © 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
Research on the compression stability mechanism and its optimisation of coupler with arc surface contact
No full textCole, CR ORCiD: 0000-0001-8840-7136; Wu, Q ORCiD: 0000-0001-9407-5617In order to improve the adaptability of the coupler with arc surface contact to the demanding operating environment of heavy-haul trains, the compression stability mechanisms were analysed. The angle evolution process of the force transmission line when the coupler is gradually rotated from the centring state to the maximum structure angle is derived, as well as a proposal for the coupler self-stabilising ability. Based on the theoretical analysis, a more detailed dynamic model of the coupler with arc surface contact has been established in which the friction and contact characteristics of both coupler tail and coupler head are considered. Then the model is used to simulate the dynamic behaviour of the coupler with different radius matching relationships. The research results indicate that the effective way to improve the running safety of a heavy-haul locomotive under buff condition is to make full use of the self-stabilising ability of the coupler on the premise of not affecting the adhesion ability of the coupler tail. Based on the above research work, an improved scheme is proposed in this paper. © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group