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You Matter: The Australian Historical Association’s Casualisation Survey
Get PDF“Copyright 2019 Australian Historical Association. Published version of the report reproduced here courtesy of the publisher.”You Matter: The Australian Historical Association’s Casualisation Survey Report.
On behalf of the AHA Executive, Dr Romain Fathi and Dr Lyndon Megarrity conducted a survey on the experiences of casual academics in the History discipline regarding the nature of their employment, and its impact upon their career path and personal life. The initiative was designed to facilitate discussion about casualisation in the History discipline in the tertiary education sector, as well as to consider ways that permanent academic staff, university departments, the AHA and other stakeholders could address the problems encountered by casual teaching and research staff. The survey report provides a fresh look at the experiences of casually paid historians in Australian universities. It also highlights constructive ideas for improving their terms and conditions of employment
To what extent can the activities of the South Australian Health in All Policies initiative be linked to population health outcomes using a program theory-based evaluation?
Get PDF© The Author(s) 2019.
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Abstract
Background
This paper reports on a five-year study using a theory-based program logic evaluation, and supporting survey and interview data to examine the extent to which the activites of the South Australian Health in All Policies initiative can be linked to population health outcomes.
Methods
Mixed-methods data were collected between 2012 and 2016 in South Australia (144 semi-structured key informant interviews; two electronic surveys of public servants in 2013 (n = 435) and 2015 (n = 483); analysis of state government policy documents; and construction of a program logic model to shape assessment of the feasibility of attribution to population health outcomes).
Results
Multiple actions on social determinants of health in a range of state government sectors were reported and most could be linked through a program logic model to making some contribution to future population health outcomes. Context strongly influences implementation; not all initiatives will be successful and experimentation is vital. Successful initiatives included HiAP influencing the urban planning department to be more concerned with the health impacts of planning decisions, and encouraging the environment department to be concerned with the health impacts of its work.
Conclusions
The theory-based program logic suggests that SA HiAP facilitated improved population health through working with multiple government departments. Public servants came to appreciate how their sectors impact on health. Program logic is a mechanism to evaluate complex public health interventions in a way that takes account of political and economic contexts. SA HiAP was mainly successful in avoiding lifestyle drift in strategy. The initiative encouraged a range of state government departments to tackle conditions of daily living. The broader underpinning factors dictating the distribution of power, money and resources were not addressed by HiAP. This reflects HiAP’s use of a consensus model which was driven by (rather than drove) state priorities and sought ‘win-win’ strategies
NAV-KIDS2 trial: protocol for a multi-centre, staggered randomised controlled trial of a patient navigator intervention in children with chronic kidney disease
Get PDF© The Author(s). 2019
This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Abstract
Background
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a devastating illness associated with increased mortality, reduced quality of life, impaired growth, neurocognitive impairment and psychosocial maladjustment in children. There is growing evidence of socioeconomic disparities in health outcomes among children with CKD. Patient navigators are trained non-medical personnel who assist patients with chronic conditions journey through the continuum of care and transit across different care settings. They help vulnerable and underserved populations to better understand their diagnosis, treatment options, and available resources, guide them through complex medical systems, and help them to overcome barriers to health care access. Given the complexity and chronicity of the disease process and concerns that current models of care may not adequately support the provision of high-level care in children with CKD from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, a patient navigator program may improve the provision of care and overall health of children with CKD.
Methods
The NAV-KIDS2 trial is a multi-centre, staggered entry, waitlisted randomised controlled trial assessing the health benefits and costs of a patient navigator program in children with CKD (stages 3–5, on dialysis, and with kidney transplants), who are of low socioeconomic backgrounds. Across 5 sites, 210 patients aged from 3 to 17 years will be randomised to immediate receipt of a patient navigator intervention for 24 weeks or waitlisting with standard care until receipt of a patient navigator at 24 weeks. The primary outcome is child self-rated health (SRH) 6-months after completion of the intervention. Other outcomes include utility-based quality of life, caregiver SRH, satisfaction with healthcare, progression of kidney dysfunction, other biomarkers, missed school days, hospitalisations and mortality. The trial also includes an economic evaluation and process evaluation, which will assess the cost-effectiveness, fidelity and barriers and enablers of implementing a patient navigator program in this setting.
Discussion
This study will provide clear evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a new intervention aiming to improve overall health and well-being for children with CKD from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds, through a high quality, well-powered clinical trial.
Trial registration
Prospectively registered (12/07/2018) on the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618001152213)
Calculated meteoroid production of hydroxyl in the atmosphere of Jupiter
Get PDF© 2018 Elsevier. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
24 month embargo from date of publication (March 2019) per publisher’s policyThe atmosphere of Jupiter is mainly hydrogen and methane, with a large number of hydrocarbons calculated to be produced by photodissociation and subsequent reactions. It is assumed that oxygen is added by meteoroids. Recent studies have found that photochemistry does not explain the measured ratios of water to carbon monoxide, if it is assumed that water is the major constituent of meteoroids and vapourises. A possible explanation is that processes that occur during or soon after the meteoroid's passage change the proportions of the oxygen-bearing constituents. In this paper, the processes considered are dissociation, ionization of the original molecules and ionization of dissociated products. The difference between applying these processes in the bulk atmosphere and in the meteor trail itself is investigated, as is the possibility of methane being dissociated in a shock wave produced by the meteoroid. In all cases, there was no significant change to the predicted density of water at the height of a measurement. However, the density of hydroxyl relative to water differed depending on the assumed process, thus presenting the possibility that measurements of electron-driven emissions from hydroxyl could be used for remote sensing of the actual processes occurring
Deficiencies in the scientific assessment of the Carmichael Mine impacts to the Doongmabulla Springs
Get PDFThis work is made available with the Creative Commons, Attribution License CC-BY https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Copyright (2019) Flinders University.Key points:
(1) Adani appears likely to have significantly under-estimated future impacts to the Doongmabulla Springs Complex (DSC) arising from the Carmichael Mine.
(2) Should the Carmichael Mine cause springs within the DSC to cease flowing, this impact may be irreversible.
(3) The safeguard against DSC impacts proposed by Adani, namely Adaptive Management, is unsuitable and unlikely to protect the DSC from severe degradation or cessation of flow.
(4) Possible cumulative impacts to the DSC from other mining activities in the Galilee Basin have not been adequately considered.
We conclude that the DSC face a legitimate threat of extinction due to the Carmichael Mine project
Variables Impacting the Time Taken to Wean Children From Enteral Tube Feeding to Oral Intake
Get PDFMade available per the LWW Author Permission Guidelines.
Copyright © 2019 Espghan and Naspghan.
This author accepted manuscript is made available following 12 month embargo from date of publication (June 2019) in accordance with the publisher’s archiving policyObjectives: This study investigated biological factors, which may influence the time taken for children to wean from enteral to oral intake.
Methods: Retrospective case-note audit of 62 tube-fed children (nasogastric or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) aged 6 months to 8 years, participating in an intensive tube weaning program. Program design included family-focused mealtimes, child autonomy, and appetite stimulation. A regression model was developed, which shows the combination of variables with the most predictive power for time taken to wean.
Results: Data from 62 children who were highly dependent (minimum 93% of calories provided enterally) on tube feeding for an extended period of time (mean = 2.1 years) were analysed. Children's mean body mass index z score at time of weaning was -0.47 (standard deviation 1.03) (mean weight = 10.54 kg) and 54 (87%) presented with a range of medical conditions. Forty-four children (71%) remained completely tube free at 3 months postintervention and an additional 5 children (10%) were fully tube weaned within 10 months of program commencement. Type of feeding tube, medical complexity, age, and length of time tube fed all significantly correlated with time taken to wean. Logistic regression modelling indicated that the type of feeding tube in combination with the degree of medical complexity and time tube fed were the strongest predictors of time taken to wean.
Conclusions: Biological factors usually considered to impact on successful weaning from tube feeding (volume of oral intake, oral skill, or mealtime behaviours) were not relevant; however, the type of feeding tube in combination with the degree of medical complexity and time tube fed were the strongest predictors. The impact of psychosocial factors should be investigated to identify if these mitigated the effects of the biological variables
The Image of ruins in Greek aestheticism: evoking the distant past and reflecting the human emotion
Get PDF© 2019 the authorThe purpose of this work is to present the image of ruins in Greek Aestheticism, as it appeared in the last decade of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century in Greek literature. This research will be mainly focused on the works of Nikolaos Episkopopoulos, Constantinos Christomanos and Platon Rodokanakis, who are the writers mostly connected to the Aestheticism in Greek literature. The image of ruins, literally or metaphorically used, has different functions in their works as it either evokes the glorious distant past, or it reflects the inner world and the intimate thoughts of the main characters. Ruins become the means to experience a historical reality, to express melancholy or even emotional and spiritual devastation. Moreover, this work presents the interrelation that exists between the European Aesthetic Movement in literature and Aestheticism as it appeared and evolved in Greece, pinpointing at the same time the assimilation of the European characteristics of Aestheticism in Greek literature
Effectiveness of novel fabrics to resist punctures and lacerations from white shark (Carcharodon carcharias): implications to reduce injuries from shark bites
No full text© Flinders University made available with a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0: Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International licenseIncreases in the number of shark bites, along with increased media attention on shark-human interactions has led to growing interest in preventing injuries from shark bites through the use of personal mitigation measures. The leading cause of fatality from shark bite victims is blood loss; thus reducing haemorrhaging may provide additional time for a shark bite victim to be attended to by emergency services. Despite previous shark-proof suits being bulky and cumbersome, new technological advances in fabric has allowed the development of lightweight alternatives that can be incorporated onto traditional wetsuits. The ability for these fabrics to withstand shark bites has not been scientifically tested. In this report, we compared two types of recently developed protective fabrics that incorporated ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) fibre onto neoprene (SharkStop and ArmourTX) and compared them to standard neoprene alternatives. We tested nine different fabric variants using three different tests, laboratory-based puncture and laceration tests, along with field-based trials involving white sharks Carcharodon carcharias. Field-based trials consisted of measuring C. carcharias bite force and quantifying damages to the new fabrics following a bite from 3–4 m total length C. carcharias. We found that SharkStop and ActionTX fabric variants were more resistant to puncture, laceration, and bites from C. carcharias. More force was required to puncture the new fabrics compared to control fabrics (laboratory-based tests), and cuts made to the new fabrics were smaller and shallower than those on standard neoprene for both types of test, i.e. laboratory and field tests. Our results showed that UHMWPE fibre increased the resistance of neoprene to shark bites. Although the use of UHMWPE fibre (e.g. SharkStop and ArmourTX) may therefore reduce blood loss resulting from a shark bite, research is needed to assess if the reduction in damages to the fabrics extends to human tissues and decreases injuries
Australasian Groundwater Conference: Groundwater in a Changing World
Get PDF© Copyright is retained by the author/s of each abstract.The Australasian Groundwater Conference (AGC) was held in Brisbane Queensland, 24-27 November 2019. This conference was an epic event filled with informative presentations, entertaining networking events and stunning field trips exploring the sights and sounds that this subtropical dynamic region has to offer.
The AGC 2019 featured a stimulating technical program around the theme of “Groundwater in a Changing World” that covered a broad range of applications to resources, infrastructure and environment. The program included stimulating plenary speakers, engaging panel discussions and enticing social events.
Over 600 groundwater researchers, industry professionals and policy development specialists from around the region attended this unique event. There were many opportunities on offer for delegates to share their experiences, inform best practice, and identify the steps they can take to bring about lasting improvements to the management of our vital groundwater resources.
Our hard working volunteer organisational team wishes to thank sponsors, speakers, delegates, exhibitors and volunteers for making the conference such a huge success
Readiness to change and commitment as predictors of therapy compliance in adolescents with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder
Get PDF© 2018 Elsevier B.V. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
12 month embargo from date of publication (Dec 2018) per publisher’s policyObjectives
Recent evidence indicates that adolescents' motivation to change sleep-wake patterns is low, despite significant impact of adolescent sleep problems on many areas of daytime functioning. The aim of the present study is to evaluate components of adolescents' motivation, and subsequent changes in behaviour.
Methods
Fifty-six adolescents, aged 13–23 (M = 15.8 ± 2.3 y; 38% m) diagnosed with Delayed Sleep-Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD) underwent three therapy sessions involving bright light therapy to phase advance sleep patterns. Adolescents were instructed to advance wake-up times by 30-min daily. Motivation ratings of desire, ability, reason, need and commitment to change sleep patterns were taken at baseline. Sleep diaries were taken at the end of treatment session 1, with sequentially earlier wake-up times in 30-min intervals indicating compliance.
Results
At the outset of therapy, adolescents indicated strong desire, reasons and need, yet moderate ability and commitment to advance their sleep-wake patterns. Following therapy, sleep-onset times were significantly advanced, total sleep time increased and sleep latency decreased (all p 0.05). Adolescents' desire to change (r = 0.30, p = 0.03) and commitment (r = 0.30, p = 0.03) were positively correlated with behaviour change, but their need, ability and reasons were not. A mediation analysis showed that ability and desire were important in predicting behaviour change, by total effects through commitment (ie, indirectly and directly).
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that the total effects of ability (ie, confidence) and desire to change are the best predictors of behavioural changes, thus clinicians should focus on these components of the readiness to change model when undertaking treatments with sleep-disordered adolescents