Preface to the proceedings of the 16th Computational Techniques and Applications Conference

CTAC2012 was the 16th biennial Computational Techniques and Applications Conference, and took place at Queensland University of Technology from 23 - 26 September, 2012. The ANZIAM Special Interest Group in Computational Techniques and Applications is responsible for the CTAC meetings, the first of which was held in 1981.

New graduate occupational therapists feelings of preparedness for practice in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand

Aim The development of competent future allied health professionals through academic programmes, professional support and practical education is continually evolving. The aim of this study was to explore the feelings of newly graduated occupational therapists in Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand regarding their education and work preparedness. Methods Newly graduated occupational therapists from Australia (n = 178) and Aotearoa/New Zealand (n = 53) who had completed their occupational therapy studies in 2007 were recruited. Participants completed an online survey which explored their preparedness for work; based on professional competencies. Results Most newly graduated occupational therapists felt somewhat prepared for practice. However, only 17.1% of Australian new graduates, and even fewer (8.5%) of Aotearoa/New Zealand new graduates felt very well prepared. Participants felt more prepared for the competencies required for ‘managing inwards’ (including interpersonal skills) and less prepared for those required for ‘managing outwards’ (including evidence-based practice). Conclusions This study provides the first international comparison into the feelings of competence and preparedness for practice of new graduates of occupational therapy from Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand. Given the importance of competencies, such as evidence-based practice to the progress of the profession, there is a need to further explore methods to increase feelings of preparedness in these areas.

The new normativity : the innovation imperative

At a quite fundamental level, the very way in which Public Service Broadcasting (PSB) may envisage its future usually captured in the semantic shift from PSB to Public Service Media (PSM) is at stake when considering the recent history of public value discourse and the public value test. The core Reithian PSB idea assumed that public value would be created through the application of core principles of universality of availability and appeal, provision for minorities, education of the public, distance from vested interests, quality programming standards, program maker independence, and fostering of national culture and the public sphere. On the other hand, the philosophical import of the public value test is that potentially any excursion into the provision of new media services needs to be justified ex ante. In this era of New Public Management, greater transparency and accountability, and the proposition that resources for public value deliverables be contestable and not sequestered in public sector institutions, what might be the new Archimedean point around which a contemporised normativity for PSM be built? This paper will argue for the innovation imperative as an organising principle for contemporary PSM. This may appear counterintuitive, as it is precisely PSB’s predilection for innovating in new media services (in online, mobile, and social media) that has produced the constraining apparatus of the ex ante/public value/Drei-Stufen-Test in Europe, based on principles of competitive neutrality and transparency in the application of public funds for defined and limited public benefit. However, I argue that a commitment to innovation can define as complementary to, rather than as competitive ‘crowding out’, the new products and services that PSM can, and should, be delivering into a post-scarcity, superabundant all-media marketplace. The evidence presented in this paper for this argument is derived mostly from analysis of PSM in the Australian media ecology. While no PSB outside Europe is subject to a formal public value test, the crowding out arguments are certainly run in Australia, particularly by powerful commercial interests for whom free news is a threat to monetising quality news journalism. Take right wing opinion leader, herself a former ABC Board member, Judith Sloan: ‘… the recent expansive nature of the ABC – all those television stations, radio stations and online offerings – is actually squeezing activity that would otherwise be undertaken by the private sector. From partly correcting market failure, the ABC is now causing it. We are now dealing with a case of unfair competition and wasted taxpayer funds’ (The Drum, 1 August http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2818220.html). But I argue that the crowding out argument is difficult to sustain in Australia because of the PSB’s non-dominant position and the fact that much of innovation generated by the two PSBs, the ABC and the SBS, has not been imitated by or competed for by the commercials. The paper will bring cases forward, such as SBS’ Go Back to Where you Came From (2011) as an example of product innovation, and a case study of process and organisational innovation which also has resulted in specific product and service innovation – the ABC’s Innovation Unit. In summary, at least some of the old Reithian dicta, along with spectrum scarcity and market failure arguments, have faded or are fading. Contemporary PSM need to justify their role in the system, and to society, in terms of innovation.

Hepatitis B knowledge, testing, and vaccination among Chinese and Vietnamese adults in Australia

Hepatitis B is a significant public health challenge within some subpopulations in Australia, including Chinese and Vietnamese migrants. There has been limited research on hepatitis B knowledge and actions in these communities. The authors conducted a self-administered survey among 442 Chinese and 433 Vietnamese in Brisbane. Generally, the knowledge is best described as “moderate.” One in 2 could not identify the sexual transmission risk and less than one third knew that sharing foods or drinks did not spread the disease. The majority of Vietnamese (80%) and 60% of Chinese respondents indicated prior testing. Vaccination was reported in 60% of the Vietnamese and in 52% of the Chinese. Knowledge was better among Chinese people who had been tested and vaccinated compared with those who were nontested and nonvaccinated. Only 3.5% of the Chinese, but 11.6% of the Vietnamese, indicated having a positive test result hepatitis B virus. This study helps identify strategies for programs targeting both communities and practitioners.

An informal community of practice : the case of the DEHub Virtual Worlds Working Group

The DEHub Virtual Worlds Working Group has an informal membership of nearly 200 members with an interest in education and virtual worlds within the Australian and New Zealand context. Members come from a variety of academic disciplines and may be teaching or research academics, Research Higher Degree candidates, project managers, virtual world builders and developers. The group acts as an informal Community of Practice, facilitating learning and the transfer of skills through social contact, opportunities to collaborate on projects and publications, and through the sharing of knowledge and experience. This poster provides a snapshot of the activity of this highly active group.

The OO files : providing online formative feedback on Contract Law learning in a narrative setting

Feedback, both formative and summative, enables students to reflect on their understandings and to restructure their thinking to develop their capabilities. It can also encourage positive motivation and help boost self-esteem. Online multiple choice questions can be an efficient and effective means of providing timely formative feedback. At the same time, locating learning in a narrative environment can facilitate engaging and effective learning experiences. Narratives can help learners to navigate through information and support cognitive and imaginative engagement. This article will discuss The 00 Files, an online suite of modules containing multiple choice questions situated in the narrative of a fictional law firm. It notes student responses to the program and discusses lessons that may be learnt from its development which may be of assistance to academics considering the development of similar programs for their courses.

Do cyberbullies suffer too? Cyberbullies' perceptions of the harm they cause to others and to their own mental health

While it is recognised that there are serious correlates for students who are victims of cyberbullying including depression, anxiety, lower self-esteem and social difficulties, there has been little research attention paid to the mental health of students who cyberbully. It is known that students who traditionally bully report they feel indifferent to their victims, showing a lack of empathy and that they themselves are at increased risk for psychosocial adjustment. However, there is scant research on the mental health associations of students who cyberbully or their awareness of their impact on others. The current study sought to ascertain from Australian students who reported cyberbullying others in years 6 to 12 (10-19 years of age), their perceptions of their mental health and the harm they caused to and the impact their actions had, on their victims. Most students who cyberbullied did not think that their bullying was harsh or had an impact on their victims. They reported more social difficulties and higher scores on stress, depression and anxiety scales than those students who were not involved in any bullying. The implications of these findings for the mental health of the cyberbullies and for psychologists in schools who assist them, are dis-cussed.

A leap into foodservice satisfaction in the private acute care setting

Monitoring foodservice satisfaction is a risk management strategy for malnutrition in the acute care sector, as low satisfaction may be associated with poor intake. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between age and foodservice satisfaction in the private acute care setting. Patient satisfaction was assessed using a validated tool, the Acute Care Hospital Foodservice Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire for data collected 2008–2010 (n = 779) at a private hospital, Brisbane. Age was grouped into three categories; <50 years, 51–70 years and >70 years. Fisher’s exact test assessed independence of categorical responses and age group; ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis test was used for continuous variables. Dichotomised responses were analysed using logistic regression and odds ratios (95% confidence interval, p < 0.05). Overall foodservice satisfaction (5 point scale) was high (≥4 out of 5) and was independent of age group (p = 0.377). There was an increasing trend with age in mean satisfaction scores for individual dimensions of foodservice; food quality (p < 0.001), meal service quality (p < 0.001), staff service issues (p < 0.001) and physical environment (p < 0.001). A preference for being able to choose different sized meals (59.8% > 70 years vs 40.6% ≤50 years; p < 0.001) and response to ‘the foods are just the right temperature’ (55.3% >70 years vs 35.9% ≤50 years; p < 0.001) was dependent on age. For the food quality dimension, based on dichotomised responses (satisfied or not), the odds of satisfaction was higher for >70 years (OR = 5.0, 95% CI: 1.8–13.8; <50 years referent). These results suggest that dimensions of foodservice satisfaction are associated with age and can assist foodservices to meet varying generational expectations of clients.

Non-contact ACL injuries : association with clegg soil impact test values for sports fields, soil moisture and prevailing weather

Introduction: There is a recognised relationship between dry weather conditions and increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Previous studies have identified 28 day evaporation as an important weather-based predictor of non-contact ACL injuries in professional Australian Football League matches. The mechanism of non-contact injury to the ACL is believed to increased traction and impact forces between footwear and playing surface. Ground hardness and the amount and quality of grass are factors that would most likely influence this and are inturn, related to the soil moisture content and prevailing weather conditions. This paper explores the relationship between soil moisture content, preceding weather conditions and the Clegg Soil Impact Test (CSIT) which is an internationally recognised standard measure of ground hardness for sports fields. Methodology: The 2.25 kg Clegg Soil Impact Test and a pair of 12 cm soil moisture probes were used to measure ground hardness and percentage moisture content. Five football fields were surveyed at 13 prescribed sites just before seven football matches from October 2008 to January 2009 (an FC Women’s WLeague team). Weather conditions recorded at the nearest weather station were obtained from the Bureau of Meteorology website and total rainfall less evaporation was calculated for 7 and 28 days prior to each match. All non-contact injuries occurring during match play and their location on the field were recorded. Results/conclusions: Ground hardness varied between CSIT 5 and 17 (x10G) (8 is considered a good value for sports fields). Variations within fields were typically greatest in the centre and goal areas. Soil moisture ranged from 3 to 40% with some fields requiring twice the moisture content of others to maintain similar CSIT values. There was a non-linear, negative relationship for ground hardness versus moisture content and a linear relationship with weather (R2, of 0.30 and 0.34, respectively). Three non-contact ACL injuries occurred during the season. Two of these were associated with hard and variable ground conditions.

Proceedings of the Fourth Australasian Workshop on Health Informatics and Knowledge Management [Volume 120]

We are pleased to present the papers from the Australasian Health Informatics and Knowledge Management (HIKM) conference stream held on 20 January 2011 in Perth as a session of the Australasian Computer Science Week (ASCW) 2011. Formerly HIKM was named Health Data and Knowledge Management, however the inclusion of the health informatics term is timely given the current health reform. The submissions to HIKM 2011 demonstrated that Australasian researchers lead with many research and development innovations coming to fruition. Some of these innovations can be seen here, and we believe further recognition will accomplish by continuation to HIKM in the future. The HIKM conference is a review of health informatics related research, development and education opportunities. The conference papers were written to communicate with other researchers and share research findings, capturing each and every aspect of the health informatics field. They are namely: conceptual models and architectures, privacy and quality of health data, health workflow management patient journey analysis, health information retrieval, analysis and visualisation, data integration/linking, systems for integrated or coordinated care, electronic health records (EHRs) and personally controlled electronic health records (PCEHRs), health data ontologies, and standardisation in health data and clinical applications.

Analysing the Sri Lankan conflict using Michael Mann's four-dimensional model of social power

This thesis provides an overview of the Sri Lankan civil war with a view to identifying some of the factors that contributed to the dispute between the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. It adopts a multi-causal explanation of the conflict by reference to the theories of social power developed by Michael Mann. The conflict has been variously described as an ethnic or political conflict, or has been characterised as a determined by a number of interacting factors (including colonialism, ethnicity, religion, economy, politics and globalisation). Mann’s four-dimensional model of social power is deployed to analyse the causal relationships, together with their inter-connections, which clarify the origins of the dispute. It argues that Mann’s theoretical framework helps to highlight some of the interconnected elements that contributed to the conflict.

Humanised xenograft models of bone metastasis revisited : novel insights into species-specific mechanisms of cancer cell osteotropism

The determinants and key mechanisms of cancer cell osteotropism have not been identified, mainly due to the lack of reproducible animal models representing the biological, genetic and clinical features seen in humans. An ideal model should be capable of recapitulating as many steps of the metastatic cascade as possible, thus facilitating the development of prognostic markers and novel therapeutic strategies. Most animal models of bone metastasis still have to be derived experimentally as most syngeneic and transgeneic approaches do not provide a robust skeletal phenotype and do not recapitulate the biological processes seen in humans. The xenotransplantation of human cancer cells or tumour tissue into immunocompromised murine hosts provides the possibility to simulate early and late stages of the human disease. Human bone or tissue-engineered human bone constructs can be implanted into the animal to recapitulate more subtle, species-specific aspects of the mutual interaction between human cancer cells and the human bone microenvironment. Moreover, the replication of the entire "organ" bone makes it possible to analyse the interaction between cancer cells and the haematopoietic niche and to confer at least a partial human immunity to the murine host. This process of humanisation is facilitated by novel immunocompromised mouse strains that allow a high engraftment rate of human cells or tissue. These humanised xenograft models provide an important research tool to study human biological processes of bone metastasis.

Ruptures in the heterosexual matrix through teenage flows and multiplicities

This article analyzes a series of stories and artworks that were produced in a collective biography workshop. It explores Judith Butler’s concept of the heterosexual matrix combined with a Deleuzian theoretical framework. The article begins with an overview of Butler’s concept of the heterosexual matrix and her theorizations on how it might be disrupted. It then suggests how a Deleuzian framework offers other tools for analyzing these ruptures at the micro level of girls’ everyday interactions.

Preventing public sector corruption : the relationship between parliamentary committees and corruption commissions

Parliamentary committees fulfil several important functions within the Parliament, with one of these being the oversight of various agencies including those that are designed to reduce corruption within the police service and other public sector agencies. The cross-party nature of committees combined with the protections of Parliament make them powerful agencies. Prenzler & Faulkner (2010) suggest that the ideal system for an agency that has oversight of a public sector integrity commission should include monitoring by a parliamentary committee, with an inspector attached to the committee. This occurs in Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. There has been very little research conducted on the role of parliamentary committees with oversight responsibilities for public sector integrity agencies. This paper will address this gap by examining the relationship between a parliamentary committee, a parliamentary inspector and a corruption commission. Queensland’s Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee (PCMC/the Committee) and the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner (the Commissioner) provide oversight of the Crime and Misconduct Commission (CMC). By focussing on the PCMC and the Commissioner, the paper will examine the legislative basis for the Committee and Commissioner and their respective roles in providing oversight of the CMC. One key method by which the PCMC provides oversight of the CMC is to conduct and publish a review of the CMC every three years. Additionally, the paper will identify some of the similarities and differences between the PCMC and other committees that operate within the Queensland Parliament. By doing so, the paper will provide insights into the relationships that exist between corruption commissions, parliamentary committees and parliamentary inspectors and demonstrate the important role of the parliamentary committee in preventing instances of public sector corruption.

Health complaints commissions in Australia : Time for a national approach to data collection

Health complaint commissions in Australia: Time for a national approach • There is considerable variation between jurisdictions in the ways complaint data are defined, collected and recorded by the Health complaint commissions. • Complaints from the public are an important accountability mechanism and an indicator of service quality. • The lack of a consistent approach leads to fragmentation of complaint data and a lost opportunity to use national data to assist policy development and identify the main areas causing consumers to complain. • We need a national approach to complaints data collection by the Health complaints commissions in order to better respond to patients’ concerns