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Live Entertainment in a Fairytale Art-Peripheral Tourist Setting
No full textThis article introduces a multidisciplinary study in which the different fields of musicology, social sciences and children’s ‘fairytale’ literature blend together. The interest in this topic came from a lack of attention in past studies on the art-peripheral performers’ and audiences’ experiences with the more popular form of entertainment in art-peripheral tourist settings. Another fundamental purpose for this research is to explore the important role of the art-peripheral ‘fairytale’ settings in transforming the different groups of hosts’ and guests’ everyday rational characters and performances, as they transgress from their cultural norms, and move through the liminal spaces of the sea. Consequently, new identities in Hurghada’s hotels’ fairytale scenes are being formed, and which are the outcome of localized and western, cultural, political, economic, and social constructions. The empirical method in this study puts emphasis on the texts of classical fairytale stories, which are used as an architextual model developed in the course of earlier research undertaken by the author. It is also well worth mentioning, that Hurghada’s art-peripheral hotel settings generate cultural tourism from the simple consumption of entertainment and popular music
The Performance of Identity in Kamila Shamsie’s Burnt Shadows
No full textThe paper discusses the processes of identity construction enacted by the main character in the novel Burnt Shadows by Kamila Shamsie focusing on the performative relationship existing between agency and identity. The aim is to explore the ways in which the author portrays the relationship between relevant political facts and the dynamics of identity formation. Such events can indeed become a driving force to enact a process of identity formation that questions certain social conventions. In the novel historical events become a drive to agency and thus to the performative construction of the self. Such a construction process brings the protagonist of Shamsie’s novel to develop a position highly critical of nationalisms and nationalistic policies and to embrace the idea of possible transnational solidarities
Osteology Supports a Stem-Galliform Affinity for the Giant Extinct Flightless Bird Sylviornis neocaledoniae (Sylviornithidae, Galloanseres)
No full textThis is an open
access article distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits
unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any
medium, provided the original author and source are
credited.The giant flightless bird Sylviornis neocaledoniae (Aves: Sylviornithidae) existed on La
Grande Terre and Ile des Pins, New Caledonia, until the late Holocene when it went extinct
shortly after human arrival on these islands. The species was generally considered to be a
megapode (Megapodiidae) until the family Sylviornithidae was erected for it in 2005 to
reflect multiple cranial autapomorphies. However, despite thousands of bones having been
reported for this unique and enigmatic taxon, the postcranial anatomy has remained largely
unknown.We rectify this deficiency and describe the postcranial skeleton of S. neocaledoniae
based on ~600 fossils and use data from this and its cranial anatomy to make a comprehensive
assessment of its phylogenetic affinities. Sylviornis neocaledoniae is found to
be a stem galliform, distant from megapodiids, and the sister taxon to the extinct flightless
Megavitiornis altirostris from Fiji, which we transfer to the family Sylviornithidae. These two
species form the sister group to extant crown-group galliforms. Several other fossil galloanseres
also included in the phylogenetic analysis reveal novel hypotheses of their relationships
as follows: Dromornis planei (Dromornithidae) is recovered as a stem galliform rather
than a stem anseriform; Presbyornis pervetus (Presbyornithidae) is the sister group to
Anseranatidae, not to Anatidae; Vegavis iaai is a crown anseriform but remains unresolved
relative to Presbyornis pervetus, Anseranatidae and Anatidae. Sylviornis neocaledoniae
was reconstructed herein to be 0.8 m tall in a resting stance and weigh 27–34 kg. The postcranial
anatomy of S. neocaledoniae shows no indication of the specialised adaptation to
digging seen in megapodiids, with for example, its ungual morphology differing little from
that of chicken Gallus gallus. These observations and its phylogenetic placement as stem
galliforms makes it improbable that this species employed ectothermic incubation or was a
mound-builder. Sylviornis neocaledoniae can therefore be excluded as the constructor of
tumuli in New Caledonia
The connecting health and technology study: a 6-month randomized controlled trial to improve nutrition behaviours using a mobile food record and text messaging support in young adults.
No full text© 2016 Kerr et al. Open Access 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.BACKGROUND:
Early adulthood represents the transition to independent living which is a period when changes in diet and body weight are likely to occur. This presents an ideal time for health interventions to reduce the effect of health problems and risk factors for chronic disease in later life. As young adults are high users of mobile devices, interventions that use this technology may improve engagement. The Connecting Health and Technology study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of tailored dietary feedback and weekly text messaging to improve dietary intake of fruit, vegetables and junk food over 6 months among a population-based sample of men and women (aged 18-30 years).
METHODS:
A three-arm, parallel, randomized control trial was conducted. After baseline assessments, participants were randomized to one of three groups: A) dietary feedback and weekly text messages, B) dietary feedback only or C) control group. Dietary intake was assessed using a mobile food record App (mFR) where participants captured images of foods and beverages consumed over 4-days at baseline and post-intervention. The primary outcomes were changes in serves of fruits, vegetables, energy-dense nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods and sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). The intervention effects were assessed using linear mixed effect models for change in food group serves.
RESULTS:
Young adults (n = 247) were randomized to group A (n = 82), group B (n = 83), or group C (n = 82). Overall, no changes in food group serves for either intervention groups were observed. An unanticipated outcome was a mean weight reduction of 1.7 kg (P = .02) among the dietary feedback only. Men who received dietary feedback only, significantly reduced their serves of EDNP foods by a mean of 1.4 serves/day (P = .02). Women who received dietary feedback only significantly reduced their intake of SSB (P = .04) by an average of 0.2 serves/day compared with controls.
CONCLUSIONS:
Tailored dietary feedback only resulted in a decrease in EDNP foods in men and SSB in women, together with a reduction in body weight. Using a mobile food record for dietary assessment and tailored feedback has great potential for future health promotion interventions targeting diet and weight in young adults.
TRIAL REGISTRATION:
Australian Clinical Trials Registry Registration number: ACTRN12612000250831
Message on a bottle: are alcohol warning labels about cancer appropriate?
No full textOpen AccessThis 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.Background
Although most Australians are unaware of the risk, there is strong evidence for a direct link between alcohol consumption and many types of cancer. Warning labels on alcohol products have been proposed as a cost-effective strategy to inform the community of this health risk. We aimed to identify how Australians might respond to such an approach.
Methods
We conducted a national online survey canvassing responses to four separate cancer warning messages on labels. The graphically presented messages were informed by qualitative data from a series of focus groups among self-identified ‘light-to-moderate’ drinkers. For each label, participants were asked their level of agreement with impact statements about raising awareness, prompting conversation, influencing drinking behaviour and educating others about cancer risk. We analysed responses according to demographic and other factors, including self-reported drinking behaviour (using the 3-item Alcohol Use Disorder Test – AUDIT-C – scores).
Results
Approximately 1600 participants completed the survey, which was open to all Australian adults over a period of 1 month in 2014. Overall, the labels were well received, with the majority (>70 %) agreeing all labels could raise awareness and prompt conversations about the cancer risk associated with alcohol. Around 50 % or less agreed that the labels could influence drinking behaviour, but larger proportions agreed that the labels would prompt them to discuss the issue with family and friends. Although sex, AUDIT-C score and age were significantly associated with agreement on bivariate analysis, multivariate analyses demonstrated that being inclined to act upon warning label recommendations in general was the most important predictor of agreement with all of the impact statements. Having a low AUDIT-C score also predicted agreement that the labels might prompt behaviour change in friends.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that providing detailed warnings about cancer risk on alcohol products is a viable means of increasing public awareness of the health risks associated with alcohol consumption. Further research is needed to explore the ability of such warnings to influence behavioural intentions and actual drinking behaviour
Climate change not to blame for late Quaternary megafauna extinctions in Australia
No full textThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. The images or other third party material in this
article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise
in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license,
users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material.
To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Late Quaternary megafauna extinctions impoverished mammalian diversity worldwide. The causes of these extinctions in Australia are most controversial but essential to resolve, because this continent-wide event presaged similar losses that occurred thousands of years later on other continents. Here we apply a rigorous metadata analysis and new ensemble-hindcasting approach to 659 Australian megafauna fossil ages. When coupled with analysis of several high-resolution climate records, we show that megafaunal extinctions were broadly synchronous among genera and independent of climate aridity and variability in Australia over the last 120,000 years. Our results reject climate change as the primary driver of megafauna extinctions in the world’s most controversial context, and instead estimate that the megafauna disappeared Australia-wide ~13,500 years after human arrival, with shorter periods of coexistence in some regions. This is the first comprehensive approach to incorporate uncertainty in fossil ages, extinction timing and climatology, to quantify mechanisms of prehistorical extinctions
PHCRIS Annual Report 2015
No full textEach year PHCRIS produces an Annual Report summarising its activities and achievements. These reports available in both PDF and HTML format and date back to 1998
High performance flexible metal oxide/silver nanowire based transparent conductive films by a scalable lamination-assisted solution method
Get PDFis an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Flexible MoO3/silver nanowire (AgNW)/MoO3/TiO2/Epoxy electrodes with comparable performance to ITO were fabricated by a scalable solution-processed method with lamination assistance for transparent and conductive applications. Silver nanoparticle-based electrodes were also prepared for comparison. Using a simple spin-coating and lamination-assisted planarization method, a full solution-based approach allows preparation of AgNW-based composite electrodes at temperatures as low as 140 °C. The resulting flexible AgNW-based electrodes exhibit higher transmittance of 82% at 550 nm and lower sheet resistance about 12–15 Ω sq−1, in comparison with the values of 68% and 22–25 Ω sq−1 separately for AgNP based electrodes. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Atomic force microscopy (AFM) reveals that the multi-stacked metal-oxide layers embedded with the AgNWs possess lower surface roughness (<15 nm). The AgNW/MoO3 composite network could enhance the charge transport and collection efficiency by broadening the lateral conduction range due to the built of an efficient charge transport network with long-sized nanowire. In consideration of the manufacturing cost, the lamination-assisted solution-processed method is cost-effective and scalable, which is desire for large-area fabrication. While in view of the materials cost and comparable performance, this AgNW-based transparent and conductive electrodes is potential as an alternative to ITO for various optoelectronic applications
Understanding everyday money skills for young people with disabilities
Get PDF© [2016] Flinders University / Australian Industrial Transformation InstituteFinancial literacy is commonly recognised as referring to the skills, knowledge and confidence that support individuals making informed and effective decisions about the use and management of their money across a range of contexts. Financial literacy is not static but grows and expands throughout life. It requires the integration of basic maths, personal experience, attitudes and values along with the use of both cognitive and practical financial literacy skills. And critically, it requires confidence to ask questions, seek advice and make decisions (OECD, 2013).
Increasingly countries, including Australia, have become concerned about the level of financial literacy evident in their populations (Financial Literacy Foundation, 2007; OECD, 2013; Orton, 2007; Worthington, 2013). Barriers to understanding and accessing financial services are experienced by many. However, people who are socially and economically disadvantaged and those with literacy and numeracy difficulties are likely to face the biggest hurdles with understanding and access (Conroy & O'Leary, 2005; SEDI, 2008). Poor financial literacy, financial hardship and financial exclusion are often intertwined with social exclusion. However, improving financial literacy can positively impact individuals through the promotion of financial resilience, and by improving financial decision making, asset building and social engagement (Drew, 2013; Mittapalli, 2009)
Neighbourhood, Disorder, Safety and Reputation and the Built Environment: Perceptions of Low Income Individuals and Relevance for Health
No full text© 2016 Editorial Board, Urban Policy and ResearchStudies have consistently shown that living in disadvantaged neighbourhoods is associated with poor health. There is also some evidence that low income individuals may benefit from living in more advantaged neighbourhoods. However, while neighbourhoods are regarded by policy makers as key social determinants of health and important intervention sites for addressing health inequalities, the exact mechanisms linking neighbourhoods to health remain unclear. Key aspects of neighbourhoods previously shown to be associated with neighbourhood health are neighbourhood reputation, safety and disorder, which have also been linked to the built environment. Residents in disadvantaged neighbourhoods tend to perceive these aspects of their neighbourhood less favourably than residents of advantaged areas.
This paper uses Bourdieu’s critical theory of the social reproduction of inequalities to explore how different perceptions of safety, disorder and reputation in contrasting socioeconomic neighbourhoods may influence the health and wellbeing of low-income residents. We identified a group of low income individuals residing in divergent socioeconomic areas in Adelaide, South Australia and explored their neighbourhood perceptions, using survey, in-depth and photo voice interviews. Our findings suggest that low-income individuals benefited from living in an advantaged area where the built environment was well resourced by the economic, cultural and social capital present in the neighbourhood resulting in a more positive perception of the built environment with few signs of disorder, which in turn promoted healthy behaviour and community engagement. However, the impact of the built environment and perception of disorder and safety seemed to affect individual’s health behaviour and wellbeing differently depending on their individual circumstances. Overall this study found that perception of the neighbourhood’s built environment reflected the area’s reputation and levels of disorder and safety, which were influenced by resources of neighbourhood capital suggesting that neighbourhoods can be sites of inequalities for people who are already disadvantaged.
大量研究表明，在贫困社区居住与较差的健康状况有关联。也有证据显示居住在富裕社区对低收入者有利。然而，尽管政策制定者认为社区是决定健康状况的关键因素，是解决健康不平等问题的重要干预场域，人们并不清楚究竟是什么机制将社区与健康联系在一起。此前使社区与健康相关联的主要因素包括社区声誉、安全与混 乱，这些都与人造环境相关。贫困社区的居民对这些方面的评分低于富裕社区的居 民。本文借鉴布迪厄关于不平等的社会再生产的理论，考察社会经济状况迥异的小 区中居民对安全、混乱和小区声誉的评分如何影响低收入居民的身心健康。我们在 南澳大利亚的阿德莱德选出一组低收入人群，他们分布在社会经济条件不同的社区。 我们用问卷、深度访谈和语音访谈的方法，考察了他们对各自社区的感受。研究结 果发现住在富裕社区对低收入个人有利，这些社区经济、文化和社会资源丰富，人 造环境较好，混乱迹象较少，于是居民行为较为健康，对社区参与较多。不过人造 环境和安全/混乱评分对个人身心健康的影响也因人而异。总而言之，本研究发现对 社区人造环境的评分反映了相关地区的声誉和混乱/安全水平，并受到社区资本多少 的影响。这说明社区的确是导致弱势人群遭受不平等的场