How to be masculine in the block area

This article focuses on the social interactions of several boys aged 3-5 years in the block area of a preschool classroom in a childcare setting. Using transcripts of video segments showing these boys engaged in daily play and interactions, the article analyses two episodes that occurred in the first weeks of the school year. At first glance, both episodes appear chaotic, with little appearance of order among the players. A closer analysis reveals a finely organized play taking place, with older boys teaching important lessons to the newcomers about how to be masculine in the block area. These episodes illustrate that masculinity is not a fixed character trait, but is determined through practice and participation in the activities of masculinity. Play and conflict are the avenues through which this occurs.

The use of Creative Commons licensing to enable open access to public sector information and publicly funded research results : an overview of recent Australian developments

This chapter provides an account of the use of Creative Commons (CC) licensing as a legally and operationally effective means by which governments can implement systems to enable open access to and reuse of their public sector information (PSI). It describes the experience of governments in Australia in applying CC licences to PSI in a context where a vast range of material and information produced, collected, commissioned of funded by government is subject to copyright. By applying CC licences, governments can give effect to their open access policies and create a public domain of PSI which is available for resue by other governmental agencies and the community at large.

Modeling factors that influence exercise and dietary change among midlife Australian women: results from the Healthy Aging of Women Study

The objective of this study was to investigate the factors that influence midlife women to make positive exercise and dietary changes. In late 2005 questionnaires were mailed to 866 women aged 51–66 years from rural and urban locations in Queensland, Australia and participating in Stage 2 of the Healthy Aging of Women Study. The questionnaires sought data on socio-demographics, body mass index (BMI), chronic health conditions, self-efficacy, exercise and dietary behavior change since age 40, and health-related quality of life. Five hundred and sixty four (69%) were completed and returned by early 2006. Data analysis comprised descriptive and bivariate statistics and structural equation modeling. The results showed that midlife is a significant time for women to make positive health behavior changes. Approximately one-third of the sample (34.6%) indicated that they had increased their exercise and around 60% had made an effort to eat more healthily since age 40. Modeling showed self-efficacy to be important in making both exercise and dietary changes. Although education appeared to influence self-efficacy in relation to exercise change, this was not the case for dietary change. The study has application for programs promoting healthy aging among women, and implies that those with low education, high BMI and poor mental health may need considerable support to improve their lifestyles.

Use of face masks by non-scrubbed operating room staff : a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Ambiguity remains about the effectiveness of wearing surgical face masks. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact on surgical site infections when non-scrubbed operating room staff did not wear surgical face masks. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Participants: Patients undergoing elective or emergency obstetric, gynecological, general, orthopaedic, breast or urological surgery in an Australian tertiary hospital. Intervention: 827 participants were enrolled and complete follow-up data was available for 811 (98.1%) patients. Operating room lists were randomly allocated to a ‘Mask roup’ (all non-scrubbed staff wore a mask) or ‘No Mask group’ (none of the non-scrubbed staff wore masks). Primary end point: Surgical site infection (identified using in-patient surveillance; post discharge follow-up and chart reviews). The patient was followed for up to six weeks. Results: Overall, 83 (10.2%) surgical site infections were recorded; 46/401 (11.5%) in the Masked group and 37/410 (9.0%) in the No Mask group; odds ratio (OR) 0.77 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49 to 1.21), p = 0.151. Independent risk factors for surgical site infection included: any pre-operative stay (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.43 (95% CI, 0.20; 0.95), high BMI aOR, 0.38 (95% CI, 0.17; 0.87), and any previous surgical site infection aOR, 0.40 (95% CI, 0.17; 0.89). Conclusion: Surgical site infection rates did not increase when non-scrubbed operating room personnel did not wear a face mask.

Soil management effects on organic carbon in isolated fractions of a Gray Luvisol

Agricultural management affects soil organic matter, which is important for sustainable crop production and as a greenhouse gas sink. Our objective was to determine how tillage, residue management and N fertilization affect organic C in unprotected, and physically, chemically and biochemically protected soil C pools. Samples from Breton, Alberta were fractionated and analysed for organic C content. As in previous report, N fertilization had a positive effect, tillage had a minimal effect, and straw management had no effect on whole-soil organic C. Tillage and straw management did not alter organic C concentrations in the isolated C pools, while N fertilization increased C concentrations in all pools. Compared with a woodlot soil, the cultivated plots had lower total organic C, and the C was redistributed among isolated pools. The free light fraction and coarse particulate organic matter responded positively to C inputs, suggesting that much of the accumulated organic C occurred in an unprotected pool. The easily dispersed silt-sized fraction was the mineral-associated pool most responsive to changes in C inputs, whereas the microaggregate-derived silt-sized fraction best preserved C upon cultivation. These findings suggest that the silt-sized fraction is important for the long-term stabilization of organic matter through both physical occlusion in microaggregates and chemical protection by mineral association.

Coast control for mass rapid transit railways with searching methods

With daily commercial and social activity in cities, regulation of train service in mass rapid transit railways is necessary to maintain service and passenger flow. Dwell-time adjustment at stations is one commonly used approach to regulation of train service, but its control space is very limited. Coasting control is a viable means of meeting the specific run-time in an inter-station run. The current practice is to start coasting at a fixed distance from the departed station. Hence, it is only optimal with respect to a nominal operational condition of the train schedule, but not the current service demand. The advantage of coasting can only be fully secured when coasting points are determined in real-time. However, identifying the necessary starting point(s) for coasting under the constraints of current service conditions is no simple task as train movement is governed by a large number of factors. The feasibility and performance of classical and heuristic searching measures in locating coasting point(s) is studied with the aid of a single train simulator, according to specified inter-station run times.

Deleuze and "The Intercessors"

The late French philosopher Gilles Deleuze has enjoyed significant notoriety and acclaim in American academia over the last 20 years. The unique disciplinary focus of the contemporary discussion has derived from Deleuze the architectural possibilities of biotechnology, systems theory, and digital processualism. While the persistence of Deleuze’s theory of science and the formalist readings of Mille Plateaux and Le Bergsonisme have dominated the reception since the 1990s, few are aware of a much earlier encounter between Deleuze and architects, beginning at Columbia University in the 1970s, which converged on the radical politics of Anti-OEdipus and its American reception in the journal Semiotext(e), through which architecture engaged a much broader discourse alongside artists, musicians, filmmakers, and intellectuals in the New York aesthetic underground, of which Deleuze and Félix Guattari were themselves a part.

Celebrity entrepreneurship and celebrity endorsement : similarities, differences and the effect of deeper engagement

Increasingly, celebrities appear not only as endorsers for products but are apparently engaged in entrepreneurial roles as initiators, owners and perhaps even managers in the ventures that market the products they promote. Despite being extensively referred to in popular media, scholars have been slow to recognise the importance of this new phenomenon. This thesis argues theoretically and shows empirically that celebrity entrepreneurs are more effective communicators than typical celebrity endorsers because of their increased engagement with ventures. I theorise that greater engagement increases the celebrity‘s emotional involvement as perceived by consumers. This is an endorser quality thus far neglected in the marketing communications literature. In turn, emotional involvement, much like the empirically established dimensions trustworthiness, expertise and attractiveness, should affect traditional outcome variables such as attitude towards the advertisement and brand. On the downside, increases in celebrity engagement may lead to relatively stronger and worsening changes in attitudes towards the brand if and when negative information about the celebrity is revealed. A series of eight experiments was conducted on 781 Swedish and Baltic students and 151 Swedish retirees. Though there were nuanced differences and additional complexities in each experiment, participants‘ reactions to advertisements containing a celebrity portrayed as a typical endorser or entrepreneur were recorded. The overall results of these experiments suggest that emotional involvement can be successfully operationalised as distinct from variables previously known to influence communication effectiveness. In addition, emotional involvement has positive effects on attitudes toward the advertisement and brand that are as strong as the predictors traditionally applied in the marketing communications literature. Moreover, the celebrity entrepreneur condition in the experimental manipulation consistently led to an increase in emotional involvement and to a lesser extent trustworthiness, but not expertise and attractiveness. Finally, negative celebrity information led to a change in participants‘ attitudes towards the brand which were more strongly negative for celebrity entrepreneurs than celebrity endorsers. In addition, the effect of negative celebrity information on a company‘s brand is worse when they support the celebrity rather than fire them. However, this effect did not appear to interact with the celebrity‘s purported engagement.

Anna Clark (2008) History’s Children: History Wars in the Classroom. UNSW Press, Sydney, 178 pages

“History’s Children” stems from Anna Clark’s 2004 postdoctoral research into the ways in which Australian students connect with the past, and aims at bringing some classroom perspectives into the public debates about Australian history education. Although the title makes reference to the “History Wars”, there is little evidence of contestation, engagement, passion or intellectual excitement in Clark’s conclusions about what happens in history classrooms. Rather, Clark’s small focus groups with 182 high school students in 34 high schools around Australia indicate that “it got a bit dismal hearing student after student being so dismissive of Australian history” (p. 143). Apart from some enthusiasm for the study of Australians at war, a sort of resigned boredom seems to characterise what students have to say about learning Australian history, despite their acknowledgement that it is important to “know about” it.

Survey of Viruses Affecting Faba Bean in Six Arab Countries

A field survey of faba bean (Vicia [aba L.) for viruses in six Arab countries showed the presence of nine viruses. Bean leaf roll virus (BLRV), bean yellow mosaic virus (BYMV), broad bean mottle virus (BBMV) and to a lesser extent broad bean stain virus (BBSV) were the most common. When testing with ELISA 789 samples with symptoms suggestive of virus infection collected from Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Sudan, Syria and Tunisia, BBMV was detected in 203 samples, BBSV in 151, broad bean true mosaic virus (BBTMV) in 7, broad bean wilt virus (BBWV) in 47, BYMV in 314, cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) in 96, pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) in 31, and pea seed-borne mosaic virus (PSbMV) in 49 samples. Identity of selected field isolates was confirmed by electron microscopy and host reaction studies. In a yield experiment, infection with BYMV, BBMV and BBSV 11 weeks after sowing (pre-flowering) led to 81, 54 and 84% yield loss, respectively. Inoculation with the same viruses 15 weeks after sowing (flowering) and 20 weeks after sowing (pod setting) led to 56, 84 and 18%, and 39, 37 and 18% yield loss, respectively.

Simple Serological Assays for Detecting Rice Tungro Viruses

An attempt was made to produce sensitive and specific polyclonal antisera against the viruses causing rice tungro disease, and to assess their potential for use in simple diagnostic tests. Using a multiple, sequential injection procedure, seven batches of polyclonal antisera against rice tungro bacilliform virus (RTBV) and rice tungro spherical virus (RTSV) were produced. These were characterized for their sensitivity and specificity using ring-interface precipitin test and double antibody sandwich (DAS) ELISA. Thirty-one weeks after the first immunization, antiserum batch B6b for RTBV showed the highest ring interface titer (DEP = 1:1920). For RTSV, batches S3, S4b and S5b all had similar titres (DEP = 1:640). In DAS-ELISA, however, significant differences among purified antisera (IgG) batches were observed only at IgG dilution of 10-3. At that dilution, IgGB4b showed the greatest sensitivity, while IgGS3 showed greatest sensitivity for RTSV. When all IgG batches were tested against 11 tungro field isolates (dual RTBV-RTSV infections) at sample dilution of 1:10, IgGB4b and IgGB6b for RTBV and IgGS3 and IgGS6b for RTSV performed equally well. However, after cross adsorption with healthy plant extracts in a specially prepared healthy plant-Sepharose affinity column, only IgGB6b could be used specifically to detect RTBV in a simple tissue-print assay.

Reference bias : presentation of extreme health states prior to EQ-VAS improves health-related quality of life scores. A randomised crossover trial.

Background: Clinical practice and clinical research has made a concerted effort to move beyond the use of clinical indicators alone and embrace patient focused care through the use of patient reported outcomes such as healthrelated quality of life. However, unless patients give consistent consideration to the health states that give meaning to measurement scales used to evaluate these constructs, longitudinal comparison of these measures may be invalid. This study aimed to investigate whether patients give consideration to a standard health state rating scale (EQ-VAS) and whether consideration of good and poor health state descriptors immediately changes their selfreport. Methods: A randomised crossover trial was implemented amongst hospitalised older adults (n = 151). Patients were asked to consider descriptions of extremely good (Description-A) and poor (Description-B) health states. The EQ-VAS was administered as a self-report at baseline, after the first descriptors (A or B), then again after the remaining descriptors (B or A respectively). At baseline patients were also asked if they had considered either EQVAS anchors. Results: Overall 106/151 (70%) participants changed their self-evaluation by ≥5 points on the 100 point VAS, with a mean (SD) change of +4.5 (12) points (p < 0.001). A total of 74/151 (49%) participants did not consider the best health VAS anchor, of the 77 who did 59 (77%) thought the good health descriptors were more extreme (better) then they had previously considered. Similarly 85/151 (66%) participants did not consider the worst health anchor of the 66 who did 63 (95%) thought the poor health descriptors were more extreme (worse) then they had previously considered. Conclusions: Health state self-reports may not be well considered. An immediate significant shift in response can be elicited by exposure to a mere description of an extreme health state despite no actual change in underlying health state occurring. Caution should be exercised in research and clinical settings when interpreting subjective patient reported outcomes that are dependent on brief anchors for meaning. Trial Registration: Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (#ACTRN12607000606482) http://www.anzctr. org.au

Uncertainties that matter : risk, response-ability, ethics and the moment of exchange in Live Art

This article examines the moment of exchange between artist, audience and culture in Live Art. Drawing on historical and contemporary examples, including examples from the Exist in 08 Live Art Event in Brisbane, Australia, in October 2008, it argues that Live Art - be it body art, activist art, site-specific performance, or other sorts of performative intervention in the public sphere - is characterised by a common set of claims about activating audiences, asking them to reflect on cultural norms challenged in the work. Live Art presents risky actions, in a context that blurs the boundaries between art and reality, to position audients as ‘witnesses’ who are personally implicated in, and responsible for, the actions unfolding before them. This article problematises assumptions about the way the uncertainties embedded in the Live Art encounter contribute to its deconstructive agenda. It uses the ethical theory of Emmanuel Levinas, Hans-Thies Lehmann and Dwight Conquergood to examine the mechanics of reductive, culturally-recuperative readings that can limit the efficacy of the Live Art encounter. It argues that, though ‘witnessing’ in Live Art depends on a relation to the real - real people, taking real risks, in real places - if it fails to foreground theatrical frame it is difficult for audients to develop the dual consciousness of the content, and their complicity in that content, that is the starting point for reflexivity, and response-ability, in the ethical encounter.

Modification and validation of a microwave-assisted digestion method for subsequent ICP-MS determination of selected heavy metals in sediment and fish samples in Agusan River, Philippines

This study investigated, validated, and applied the optimum conditions for a modified microwave assisted digestion method for subsequent ICP-MS determination of mercury, cadmium, and lead in two matrices relevant to water quality, that is, sediment and fish. Three different combinations of power, pressure, and time conditions for microwave-assisted digestion were tested, using two certified reference materials representing the two matrices, to determine the optimum set of conditions. Validation of the optimized method indicated better recovery of the studied metals compared to standard methods. The validated method was applied to sediment and fish samples collected from Agusan River and one of its tributaries, located in Eastern Mindanao, Philippines. The metal concentrations in sediment ranged from 2.85 to 341.06 mg/kg for Hg, 0.05 to 44.46 mg/kg for Cd and 2.20 to 1256.16 mg/kg for Pb. The results indicate that the concentrations of these metals in the sediments rapidly decrease with distance downstream from sites of contamination. In the selected fish species, the metals were detected but at levels that are considered safe for human consumption, with concentrations of 2.14 to 6.82 μg/kg for Hg, 0.035 to 0.068 μg/kg for Cd, and 0.019 to 0.529 μg/kg for Pb.