19683 research outputs found
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What is known about population level programs designed to address gambling-related harm: rapid review of the evidence
No full textBackground: Gambling and gambling-related harm attract significant researcher and policy attention. The liberalisation of gambling in most western countries is strongly associated with a marked rise in gambling activity and increases in gambling-related harm experienced at the population level. Programs to address gambling-related harm have traditionally focused on individuals who demonstrate problematic gambling behaviour, despite clear evidence of the effectiveness of a public health approach to high-risk activities like gambling. Little is known about the availability or efficacy of programs to address gambling-related harm at a population level. Methods: The Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation commissioned a rapid evidence review of the available evidence on programs designed to reduce gambling-related harm at a population level. The review was conducted using a public health and harm reduction lens. MEDLINE, ProQuest Central and PsychInfo databases were searched systematically. Included studies were published in English between 2017 – 2023 from all countries with gambling policy contexts and public health systems comparable to Australia’s; included primary data; and focused on primary and/or secondary prevention of gambling-related harm or problems. Results: One hundred and sixty-seven articles were eligible for inclusion. Themes identified in the literature included: risk and protective factors; primary prevention; secondary prevention; tertiary prevention; target population group; and public health approach. The evidence review revealed a gap in empirical evidence around effective interventions to reduce gambling-related harm at the population level, particularly from a public health perspective. Conclusions: Addressing gambling-related harm requires a nuanced, multi-layered approach that acknowledges the complex social, environmental, and commercial nature of gambling and associated harms. Moreover, evidence demonstrates community programs to reduce gambling-related harm are more successful in reducing harm when based on sound theory of co-design and address the social aspects that contribute to harm.</p
Accountability ecosystems political economy analysis: Kiribati country study
No full text“Strong accountability measures throughout Kiribati are buttressed at multiple levels. Social closeness and the eminence of churches and traditional leaders encourage egalitarian and communal customs, both through appeals to local values and the natural oversight that comes with living in close communities. While in the public service, private sector and civil society, robust legislation and accountability institutions help identify impropriety and work collaboratively with individuals and organisations to improve their own accountability practices.”</p
Biochar-based urea increases soil methane uptake in a subtropical forest
No full textNovel biochar-based fertilizers, produced by combining biochar particles with chemical fertilizers, have strong potential to enrich soil with carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), and to increase plant productivity. Application of biochar-based fertilizers modifies soil microbial community compositions, thereby influencing greenhouse gas emissions, including methane (CH4) fluxes. Due to the improved aeration in soils amended with biochar particles, we hypothesized that biochar-based urea would decrease CH4 production and increase CH4 oxidation, leading to increase of total CH4 uptake by soil. A three-year field experiment was conducted in a subtropical Moso bamboo forest to compare the impacts of biochar-based urea and traditional urea on seasonal CH4 uptake by soil, as well as on soil physicochemical and microbial attributes. Urea application lowered the annual soil CH4 uptake by 6 % and 16 % at 100 and 300 kg N/ha, respectively, within the first year. Biochar-based urea application at 300 kg N/ha increased the annual CH4 uptake by 12 % in both the first and second years, whereas the effects weakened over time. Soil CH4 uptake was positively correlated with CH4 oxidation rate but negatively with CH4 production rate. The urea-induced decrease in CH4 uptake was attributed to the increased NH4+ and NO3− contents and mcrA gene abundance as well as decreased pmoA/mcrA ratio, thereby increasing CH4 production rate. The biochar-based urea increased CH4 uptake by enhanced soil aeration and labile C supply, which created favorable conditions for methanotrophs. This resulted in increased pmoA gene abundance and the pmoA/mcrA ratio, thereby accelerating CH4 oxidation. Overall, these findings underscore the potential of biochar-based fertilizers in augmenting CH4 uptake within subtropical forest soils. Notably, the transition from traditional urea to biochar-based urea in China Moso bamboo forests alone has the potential to lift annual soil CH4 uptake by an estimated 4450 t.</p
Older, Wiser, and Active: An Examination of the Impact of the Home Environment on the Physical Activity Behaviour of the Over 80s Living in Retirement Villages
No full textA thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Assessing Perceptions and Attitudes Toward Web-Based Technologies for Diabetes Self-Management Among Arabic-Speaking Immigrants in Australia and Saudi Arabia
No full textThesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Agriculture, Biomedicine and Environment, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis; Molecular characterisaton and improved diagnostics
No full textSubmitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Applied Systems Biology, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
LGBTQA+ Mental Health and Suicidality: Queensland Briefing Paper
No full textSuicidality and mental ill-health are serious concerns that impact all parts of the population in Australia, although some are disproportionately affected. LGBTQA+ people are recognised in numerous Commonwealth, State and Territory mental health and suicide prevention strategies or action plans.However, LGBTQA+ people continue to face barriers to accessing affirming healthcare and, to-date, limited comprehensive data exists on the mental health and healthcare experiences of LGBTQA+ people. This briefing paper outlines findings from three major surveys of LGBTQA+ people and aims to:Highlight the extent and nature of mental ill-health and suicidality among LGBTQA+ young people and adults in Queensland (QLD).Explore the factors that can put people at greater risk of suicide or mental ill-health, as well as those that reduce their risk of suicide.Examine mental health service engagement and preferences among LGBTQA+ people in QLD.Draw comparisons between experience of LGBTQA+ people in QLD compared to other jurisdictions in Australia, and where possible, comparisons between LGBTQA+ people in QLD to the general population using the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS; 2022-2022).</p
Factors associated with health CEO turnover - a scoping review
No full textBackground: Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) are integral leaders of health care organisation. Over the last two decades in United States (US) hospitals, it has been noted that CEO turnover rates are increasing, and it was reported that the CEO turnover rates have augmented from 14% in 2008 to 18% in 2017 in the private sector. In Australia, it was discovered that during two years, 41 executives had 18 distinct positions. It has been highlighted that the increasing CEO turnover is a major issue for Australian and international health care organisations. Some of the negative consequences of CEO turnover include organisational instability, high financial costs, loss of human capital and adverse effects on staff morale and patient care. Objective: Our scoping review aimed to map and summarise the evidence associated with CEO turnovers in both health and non-health setting, and answer the following questions: 1. What are the reasons for CEO departure?, 2. What are the strategies to minimise CEO turnover? Results: A protocol explaining the objectives, inclusion criteria and methods for this scoping review were specified in advance and published. This scoping review included 17 studies (13 health and 4 non-health setting) published over a 31-year period that investigated and described the increasing CEO turnover rates. All 17 studies identified causes of CEO turnover along with certain studies identifying facilitators of CEO retention. We classified CEO’s departure reasons into three major themes: organizational, performance, and personal. Organisational factors include CEO departures due to issues within the organisation, performance factors include issues with CEO’s work and personal factors captures personal reasons for CEO’s leaving their job. Conclusion: CEOs are under immense pressure to deliver good results and drive growth while satisfying the interests of internal and external stakeholders. There are various reasons for CEO’s departure however the most common factor identified is organisational.</p
A Lifecycle Approach for Artificial Intelligence Ethics in Energy Systems
No full textDespite the increasing prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) ethics frameworks, the practical application of these frameworks in industrial settings remains limited. This limitation is further augmented in energy systems by the complexity of systems composition and systems operation for energy generation, distribution, and supply. The primary reason for this limitation is the gap between the conceptual notion of ethics principles and the technical performance of AI applications in energy systems. For instance, trust is featured prominently in ethics frameworks but pertains to limited relevance for the robust operation of a smart grid. In this paper, we propose a lifecycle approach for AI ethics that aims to address this gap. The proposed approach consists of four phases: design, development, operation, and evaluation. All four phases are supported by a central AI ethics repository that gathers and integrates the primary and secondary dimensions of ethical practice, including reliability, safety, and trustworthiness, from design through to evaluation. This lifecycle approach is closely aligned with the operational lifecycle of energy systems, from design and production through to use, maintenance, repair, and overhaul, followed by shutdown, recycling, and replacement. Across these lifecycle stages, an energy system engages with numerous human stakeholders, directly with designers, engineers, users, trainers, operators, and maintenance technicians, as well as indirectly with managers, owners, policymakers, and community groups. This lifecycle approach is empirically evaluated in the complex energy system of a multi-campus tertiary education institution where the alignment between ethics and technical performance, as well as the human-centric application of AI, are demonstrated
Patient and Staff Insights on Digital Care Pathways for Patients With Low Back Pain in the Emergency Department: A Qualitative Study
No full textBackground: Back pain is a huge global problem. For some people, the pain is so severe that they feel the need to present to an emergency department (ED). Our aim was to explore patient and staff perspectives for the development of a digital care pathway (DCP) for people with back pain who have presented to ED, including acceptability, barriers and facilitators. Methods: We used a descriptive phenomenology approach using semi-structured interviews with patient and staff participants at a tertiary hospital. Interviews were transcribed and data codes were developed using inductive thematic analysis. Themes were discussed between researchers until consensus was achieved. Results: A total of 16 interviews were carried out, half of which involved patient participants. We identified three major themes: (i) expectations and experiences of staff and patients with low back pain in ED; (ii) a digital care pathway can empower patients and support clinicians in providing care; and (iii) acceptability, barriers, facilitators and recommendations of engaging with a DCP to track the trajectory of back pain. Each theme was further categorised into subthemes. Conclusion: Introducing a DCP was perceived as acceptable and beneficial by patients and staff. Both groups were aware of the potential participant burden if surveys were too long. Introducing a DCP could be a valuable adjunct to current management care models, providing a standardised source of education with the potential for individualised tracking and monitoring. The design and development of a DCP will need to consider reported facilitators and address perceived barriers for engagement. Patient or Public Contribution: This project sought insights from patients and staff about a digital care pathway. This forms the first step of patient and consumer consultation before implementing a digital care pathway. All consumers were offered the opportunity to review their responses and our interpretation