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From music performance to prescription: A guide for musicians and health professionals
Get PDFThrough social prescribing, healthcare systems can systematically support musical care by connecting individuals with community music programs and skilled practitioners. Social prescribing is a non-medical approach to health in which individuals with unmet social needs are referred to community programs like choir singing and music-making. This article addresses the challenges of integrating music programs into healthcare—music on prescription—despite growing interest in the benefits. For instance, musicians may be enthusiastic but lack preparation for working in health and social care settings. On the other hand, healthcare professionals may either be unfamiliar with the benefits of music prescription or uncertain about implementing referral pathways. The historical divide between the arts and health sectors further complicates the implementation of music prescription programs. Drawing on our expertise in arts in health, music performance and education, community music, clinical psychology, and medicine, the article highlights how musicians’ skills and professional identities evolve across performance, education, and health domains. We also offer advice for health professionals on developing referral pathways to music prescription programs. The article emphasizes the importance of music education in preparing musicians and concludes by encouraging collaboration between musicians and healthcare providers to develop sustainable music prescription programs. By establishing structured referral pathways, social prescribing offers a systematic framework for delivering musical care within healthcare settings, while ensuring that music interventions remain focused on addressing participants’ social and health needs
Board gender diversity at target firms and acquisition decisions of gender diverse bidders
No full textWe examine whether gender diversity at the target firm influences acquisition decisions by gender-diverse firms. Our findings show that gender-diverse acquirers are more likely to select gender-diverse targets over male-only firms. This preference is driven by specific attributes of female directors at the target firm, such as their educational and professional qualifications, networking abilities, functional experience, and industry expertise. Gender-diverse acquirers pay a lower premium to gender-diverse targets compared to male-only targets, and these acquisitions are positively received by the market, reflected in significant announcement-period abnormal returns. Additionally, gender-diverse firms that acquire gender-diverse targets show stronger post-acquisition performance compared to those acquiring male-only targets. These findings remain robust after addressing potential endogeneity concerns, including omitted variable bias and reverse causality
Terra Australis Incognita: A Comparative Outlook
Get PDFAbstract: Terra Australis Incognita: una prospettiva comparativa – This essay argues that comparative law analyses between highly diverse legal systems are likely to yield significant cognitive advances in understanding legal systems and developing new methodologies. The unique characteristics of the Australian systems enhance the value of their comparison, both as a standalone initiative and within a combined comparative framework. The essay is structured into two parts, preceded by an introduction and followed by a conclusion. The first part applies a similar process to the Australian legal system, with a focus on the judiciary. The second part examines the uncommon regime of judicial bias
Talking Renewables (Second Edition): A renewable energy primer for everyone
No full textSince the publication of the first edition of this book, the role of renewable energy within the energy sector has transformed. This new edition responds to the increased demand for information on renewables, driven by the growing interest in the field and the Paris Agreement. The second edition maintains the original aim of providing an introductory book on renewables. However, it expands its content to address the evolving role of renewable energy in the energy transition. The four-part book begins with an introduction to the science, technology, and production of renewable energy. It then explores energy security and climate change mitigation, and concludes with a new section on the role of renewable energy in climate change mitigation, the Paris Agreement, and net-zero strategies (including a critique of nuclear energy as a clean energy alternative). Part of IOP Series in Renewable and Sustainable Power
Trumpism Echoes Timothy McVeigh's Right-Wing Extremism, 30 Years After the Oklahoma Bombing
Get PDFThis week, it will be 30 years since the Oklahoma bombing. On the morning of April 19 1995, anti-government right-wing extremist Timothy McVeigh parked a Ryder truck loaded with 5,000 pounds of agricultural fertiliser and diesel fuel at the front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. At 9am, McVeigh lit two separate fuses – in case one failed. Two minutes later, the bomb exploded, killing 168 people (including 19 children) and injuring close to 700. Today, the bombing remains the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in United States history. But in the cultural memory, Oklahoma was eclipsed by 9/11, when America – and the world – shifted their attention to the threat posed by radical Islamic extremism. Three decades on, the bombing is back on the cultural agenda, as the right-wing extremism that drove McVeigh is on the rise
Economic evaluations of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for delirium: A systematic review and meta-analysis
Get PDFBackground: Delirium, a prevalent cognitive dysfunction in older adults, particularly in hospital and surgical settings, significantly increases patient morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. However, economic evaluations of healthcare interventions aimed at its prevention, management, and treatment are scant. This study synthesized the available economic evaluation evidence on both pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted on studies published from January 1, 2000, to December 31, 2023, across multiple databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, and EBSCOhost (CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ECOLIT). We adhered to the PICOS framework for inclusion and exclusion criteria and followed PRISMA guidelines for the analysis. The quality of the studies included was assessed using the CHEERS checklist. The meta-analysis of the cost-effectiveness of multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention was evaluated using incremental net benefits (INB).
Results: Sixteen eligible studies met the inclusion criteria including four cost-effectiveness analyses (CEA), two cost-benefit analyses (CBA), three cost-consequence analyses (CCA), and seven cost-saving/minimization analyses. The majority (14/16 studies) evaluated non-pharmacological interventions, while only two studies assessed the cost-effectiveness of drug interventions (i.e. dexmedetomidine). Besides the cost-effective multicomponent interventions, pharmacological intervention was also associated with a cost reduction of a maximum of US8014 (95% CI=US14,969; p-value<0.05) with significant heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 100%; p-value<0.01). The pooled INB was US$2657 higher for the model-based economic evaluation studies compared to within-trial evaluation.
Conclusion: The estimated INB indicated that multicomponent non-pharmacological intervention was a cost-effective strategy to prevent and manage delirium cases which indicates improved patient outcomes and potential cost savings. Future research should focus on low-resource settings and direct comparisons of pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches to further enhance delirium management practices
Inequalities in the utilisation of mental health services amongst different clusters of Australian children and adolescents
Get PDFAims: To investigate the inequalities in mental health service utilisation amongst socio-demographic classes of Australian children and adolescents diagnosed with major mental and/or behavioural disorders, and suicidality.
Methods: A nationally representative sample of Australian children and adolescents was assessed, comprising 2898 parent and 1736 child participants. The Bolck, Croon, and Hagenaars (BCH) method was applied to pre-identified latent classes to determine adjusted class membership. Logistic regressions and predictive marginal analysis examined associations between these classes and mental health service utilisation in three scenarios: overall, with mental and/or behavioural disorders, and with suicidality.
Results: Children and adolescents in Class 1 (Underprivileged) characterised by low socio-economic status and non-intact families showed the highest prevalence of mental and/or behavioural disorders and suicidality and the highest utilisation of mental health services. Classes 2 (Low-Skilled but Cohesive) and 4 (Affluent Single Parent) had higher prevalence rates of disorders and suicidality than Classes 3 (Stable Middle Class) and 5 (Privileged). However, Class 4 utilised services less than Classes 3 and 5, while Class 2 had the lowest utilisation amongst all classes, despite higher disorder prevalence.
Conclusions: The study highlights significant disparities in mental health service utilisation across socio-demographic classes. Children and adolescents from underprivileged and non-intact family backgrounds face the highest burden of mental health issues but also utilise services more frequently. In contrast, Classes 2 and 4, despite higher disorder prevalence, underutilise services, indicating barriers to access. Government initiatives should focus on improving parental awareness, family structures, and socio-economic conditions to enhance service utilisation and reduce mental health disparities
Physical activity, and improvement in health-related quality of life among Australian middle-aged and older adults living with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Get PDFBackground
Physical inactivity is a major global public health concern and a recognized risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, the relationship between physical activity and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in people with T2DM using longitudinal data remains underexplored. We aim to identify the improvement in HRQOL associated with physical activity in Australian middle-aged and older adults using population-based longitudinal data.
Methods
Data for this study were drawn from waves 9, 13, 17, and 21 of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey. We constructed an unbalanced panel consisting of 2,472 person-year observations from 1,270 unique individuals living with T2DM. We used a random effects Generalized Least Squares (GLS) model to examine the relationship between physical activity and HRQOL in people with T2DM.
Results
The regression results showed that physical activity is positively associated with physical component summary (PCS), mental components summary (MCS), and health state utility value (SF-6D). People with T2DM engaging in physical activity less than once or 1 or 2 times per week had a higher mean score for PCS (β = 4.28, 95% CI: 3.38, 5.17), MCS (β = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.38, 3.34), and SF-6D utility value (β = 0.04, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.05) than their counterparts engaged in no physical activity. Similarly, engaging in physical activity three times daily per week had a further elevated mean score for PCS (β = 6.65, 95% CI : 5.72, 7.60), MCS (β = 3.75, 95% CI: 2.71, 4.79), and SF-6D utility value (β = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.06, 0.08).
Conclusion
Our results showed that physical activity is positively associated with improved HRQOL among people with T2DM. Public health initiatives should prioritize health education and community programs to promote physical activity across all demographics to enhance HRQOL in people living with T2DM
Histidine limitation alters plant development and influences the TOR network
Get PDFPlant growth depends on growth regulators, nutrient availability, and amino acid levels, all of which influence cell wall formation and cell expansion. Cell wall integrity and structures are surveyed and modified by a complex array of cell wall integrity sensors, including leucine-rich repeat (LRR)-extensins (LRXs) that bind RALF (rapid alkalinization factor) peptides with high affinity and help to compact cell walls. Expressing the Arabidopsis root hair-specific LRX1 without the extensin domain, which anchors the protein to the cell wall (LRX1 Delta E14), has a negative effect on root hair development. The mechanism of this negative effect was investigated by a suppressor screen, which led to the identification of a sune (suppressor of dominant-negative LRX1 Delta E14) mutant collection. The sune82 mutant was identified as an allele of HISN2, which encodes an enzyme essential for histidine biosynthesis. This mutation leads to reduced accumulation of histidine and an increase in several amino acids, which appears to have an effect on the TOR (target of rapamycin) network, a major controller of eukaryotic cell growth. It also represents an excellent tool to study the effects of reduced histidine levels on plant development, as it is a rare example of a viable partial loss-of-function allele in an essential biosynthetic pathway. Partial loss of function of HISN2 in sune82 results in a significant reduction in histidine content, which subsequently alters plant development and the TOR network
Statistical properties of multi-year droughts in climate models and observations with corresponding theoretical estimates
Get PDFMulti-year droughts (MYDs) can have major impacts on ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, economies, people and societies. Here, we examine statistical properties of MYDs consisting of uninterrupted sequences of years in which annual precipitation falls below a given threshold. We examine statistics including the proportion of years that are part of droughts of duration ≥ n years, the proportion of droughts that have duration ≥ n years, and both the duration and the number of droughts with duration ≥ n years, in thirty-eight 200-year-long simulations of CMIP6 coupled global climate models under pre-industrial control conditions. We also derive formulae that approximate the average value of these and other statistics using simple stochastic models. The theoretical values obtained agree reasonably well with their Multi-Model Mean (MMM) climate model counterparts over the globe. Regional contrasts in the value of the statistics for MYDs consisting of uninterrupted sequences of years with below-average precipitation can be largely explained by spatial variations in the percentile of the mean. Corresponding formulae that account for non-zero temporal autocorrelation tend to agree somewhat more closely with the MMM values. MYD statistics are estimated using observational data and compared with theoretical and climate model estimates. The formulae incorporating non-zero autocorrelation provide a better estimate of the observational values than do MMM values or formulae derived assuming zero autocorrelation