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Solution processed graphene structures for perovskite solar cells
No full textOpen Access Article. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.Organometallic trihalide perovskite light absorber based solar cells have drawn increasing attention because of their recent rapid increase in power conversion efficiency (PCE). These photovoltaic cells have relied significantly on transparent conducting oxide (TCO) electrodes which are costly and brittle. Herein, solution processed transparent conductive graphene films (TCGFs) are utilized, for the first time, as an alternative to traditional TCO electrodes at the electron collecting layer in perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By investigating and optimizing the trade-off between transparency and sheet resistance (Rs) of the graphene films, a PCE of 0.62% is achieved. This PCE is further improved to 0.81% by incorporating graphene structures into both compact and mesoporous TiO2 layers of the solar cell. We anticipate that the present study will lead to further work to develop graphene-based transparent conductive electrodes for future solar cell devices
Structural diversity and chemical synthesis of peroxide and peroxide-derived polyketide metabolites from marine sponges
No full textOpen Access Article. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence.Marine sponges are widely known as a rich source of natural products, especially of polyketide origin, with a wealth of chemical diversity. Within this vast collection, peroxide and peroxide-derived secondary metabolites have attracted significant interest in the fields of natural product isolation and chemical synthesis for their structural distinction and promising in vitro antimicrobial and anticancer properties. In this review, peroxide and peroxide-derived polyketide metabolites isolated from marine sponges in the past 35 years are summarised. Efforts toward their synthesis are detailed with a focus on methods that utilise or attempt to elucidate the complex biosynthetic interrelationships of these compounds beyond enzymatic polyketide synthesis. Recent isolations, advances in synthetic methodology and theories of biogenesis are highlighted and critically evaluated
Editor's note and contents page for Volume 8, no. 2, May 2016
No full textEditor's note and contents page for Volume 8, no. 2, May 2016 of Transnational Literatur
High‐resolution impedance manometry parameters enhance the esophageal motility evaluation in non‐obstructive dysphagia patients without a major Chicago Classification motility disorder
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© 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All rights reserved.Background
High‐resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) allows evaluation of esophageal bolus retention, flow, and pressurization. We aimed to perform a collaborative analysis of HRIM metrics to evaluate patients with non‐obstructive dysphagia.
Methods
Fourteen asymptomatic controls (58% female; ages 20–50) and 41 patients (63% female; ages 24–82), 18 evaluated for dysphagia and 23 for reflux (non‐dysphagia patients), with esophageal motility diagnoses of normal motility or ineffective esophageal motility, were evaluated with HRIM and a global dysphagia symptom score (Brief Esophageal Dysphagia Questionnaire). HRIM was analyzed to assess Chicago Classification metrics, automated pressure‐flow metrics, the esophageal impedance integral (EII) ratio, and the bolus flow time (BFT).
Key Results
Significant symptom‐metric correlations were detected only with basal EGJ pressure, EII ratio, and BFT. The EII ratio, BFT, and impedance ratio differed between controls and dysphagia patients, while the EII ratio in the upright position was the only measure that differentiated dysphagia from non‐dysphagia patients.
Conclusions & Inferences
The EII ratio and BFT appear to offer an improved diagnostic evaluation in patients with non‐obstructive dysphagia without a major esophageal motility disorder. Bolus retention as measured with the EII ratio appears to carry the strongest association with dysphagia, and thus may aid in the characterization of symptomatic patients with otherwise normal manometry
Regionalisation of health services: Benefits and impact
Get PDFProviding a well-integrated, cost-effective, quality health care system that meets the needs of the population is challenging for governments worldwide. In Australia, this challenge is complicated by a geographically and culturally diverse population; and complex funding and responsibilities across different levels of government. Regionalisation in health care is about enabling appropriate allocation and integration of resources according to the local population health needs, and community engagement and quality improvement to optimise delivery. From a governance perspective, control and accountability for allocation of resources and delivery of services may be centralised, decentralised, or a mixture of both. This review examines the different approaches that have been used in Australia; and assesses what is known of their effectiveness in terms of: patient health outcomes and experience, cost containment, economies of scale, accountability, citizen participation in decision-making, integration of services, and quality and equity of care. An overview of the current global trends in regionalisation is also presented
Expectations & Realities of International Development Volunteering
Get PDFCopyright © Flinders University 2016. This report is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/The research sought to capture the distinctive contributions of international development volunteerism (IDV) to development assistance and people-to-people links. It asked: 1. How does IDV enable the building of development partnerships? 2. To what extent does IDV produce or consolidate cosmopolitan orientations in volunteers and host organisations?
This report presents a preliminary analysis of data collected in two surveys of volunteers – one conducted a week or so before the volunteers’ departure from Australia, and the other conducted within 6 months of their return to Australia. The response rate for the Pre-Placement Survey was 66 percent while the response rate for the Returned Volunteer Survey was an estimated 20%. Comparisons between the surveys should therefore be drawn with caution
Public housing renewal and social determinants of health
No full text© 2016 Taylor & FrancisThis article draws on the concept of residential context of housing and its relationship to health. It considers a bundle of changes through implementation of a housing renewal initiative as part of the Carlton Housing Estate Upgrading Project in Melbourne, Australia. Beyond the quality and appropriateness of the housing, pertinent factors explored include social networks, safety and security, and green open space. Data collection for the research project included in-depth interviews with public housing tenants, private residents, and service providers who live on and service the estate, as well as neighborhood observations and participation in on-site events. A key finding was that the relational processes of how tenants were related to by others–specifically, the way housing was reallocated during the processes of renewal–affected social housing tenants’ self-perceived health and well-being
‘Yarning up with Koori kids’ – hearing the voices of Australian urban Indigenous children about their health and well-being
No full text© 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis GroupObjective: Australian Indigenous children experience some of the most substantial health inequalities globally. In this context, research regarding their health and well-being has overemphasised physical illnesses with limited exploration of a diverse range of dimensions and determinants, particularly those based on Indigenous holistic understandings of health and well-being. This deficit-based approach has thus missed many strengths and assets of Indigenous children. This research aimed to gain insight into the perspectives of Indigenous children about their health and well-being in an urban setting in Australia. It joins a limited international literature examining views and experiences of non-majority children.
Design: Participatory and qualitative child-friendly research methods were utilised. The project was developed in partnership with Indigenous community organisations and members. Photo-elicitation activities and focus groups were conducted with 31 Indigenous children aged 8–12 years. Qualitative data were analysed thematically, combining focus group and interview data.
Results: It was evident an urban Indigenous child perspective of health and well-being includes rich understandings of the interconnectedness of physical, social-emotional and cultural dimensions of holism, as well as the integral importance of family and community relationships. The study also found that specific worries regarding loss of loved ones and racism were highly salient in Indigenous children’s lives.
Conclusion: The overwhelming conclusion to be drawn from this research is that Indigenous children in urban areas need ongoing recognition of both their agency and resilience in the face of adversity, within a wider context of historical and contemporary racialisation and racism
Measuring Relationship Quality in an International Study: Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Validity
Get PDFCopyright © the authors 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 License (http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/) which permits non-commercial use, reproduction and distribution of the work without further permission provided the original work is attributed as specified on the SAGE and Open Access pages (https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/open-access-at-sage).Objective:
This study reports on the operationalization and testing of the newly developed Relationship Quality (RQ) scale, designed to assess an individual’s perception of his or her RQ in their current partnership.
Methods:
Data were generated through extended sampling from an original U.K.-based research project, Enduring Love? Couple relationships in the 21st century. This mixed methods study was designed to investigate how couples experience, understand, and sustain their long-term relationships. This article utilizes the cross-sectional, community sample (N = 8,132) from this combined data set, drawn primarily from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. A two-part approach to scale development was employed. An initial 15-item pool was subjected to exploratory factor analysis leading into confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling.
Results:
The final 9-item scale evidenced convergent construct validity and known-groups validity along with strong reliability.
Conclusion:
Implications for future research and professional practice are discussed
Management of food incidents by Australian food regulators
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© 2016 Dietitians Association of Australia.
All rights reserved.Aim
This paper explores how food regulators respond to food incidents and the barriers and enablers associated with doing so.
Methods
Twenty‐six semi‐structured interviews lasting between 30 and 60 minutes were undertaken with Australian food regulators. Regulators worked across food policy development, implementation, enforcement and standards setting. These interviews ascertained food regulators' views on food safety and responses to real and hypothetical food incidents. Data were analysed using thematic analysis.
Results
Food regulators reported that working together with other food regulators is an important part of effective food regulation and response to food incidents. Strategies for working together included clarifying expectations and developing formal documents such as a memorandum of understanding. However, challenges in working together were reported, including different risk thresholds, different political agendas and a lack of clarity on regulators' roles.
Conclusions
A focus on partnerships and good communication between food regulators is likely to facilitate effective management of food incidents, and maximise the chances that food incidents do not lead to increased consumer morbidity and mortality as a result of a poor response to a food incident