Factors influencing research engagement : research interest, confidence and experience in an Australian speech-language pathology workforce

Background Recent initiatives within an Australia public healthcare service have seen a focus on increasing the research capacity of their workforce. One of the key initiatives involves encouraging clinicians to be research generators rather than solely research consumers. As a result, baseline data of current research capacity are essential to determine whether initiatives encouraging clinicians to undertake research have been effective. Speech pathologists have previously been shown to be interested in conducting research within their clinical role; therefore they are well positioned to benefit from such initiatives. The present study examined the current research interest, confidence and experience of speech language pathologists (SLPs) in a public healthcare workforce, as well as factors that predicted clinician research engagement. Methods Data were collected via an online survey emailed to an estimated 330 SLPs working within Queensland, Australia. The survey consisted of 30 questions relating to current levels of interest, confidence and experience performing specific research tasks, as well as how frequently SLPs had performed these tasks in the last 5 years. Results Although 158 SLPs responded to the survey, complete data were available for only 137. Respondents were more confident and experienced with basic research tasks (e.g., finding literature) and less confident and experienced with complex research tasks (e.g., analysing and interpreting results, publishing results). For most tasks, SLPs displayed higher levels of interest in the task than confidence and experience. Research engagement was predicted by highest qualification obtained, current job classification level and overall interest in research. Conclusions Respondents generally reported levels of interest in research higher than their confidence and experience, with many respondents reporting limited experience in most research tasks. Therefore SLPs have potential to benefit from research capacity building activities to increase their research skills in order to meet organisational research engagement objectives. However, these findings must be interpreted with the caveats that a relatively low response rate occurred and participants were recruited from a single state-wide health service, and therefore may not be representative of the wider SLP workforce.

Sejong Park's Birthday Boy and Korean-Australian encounters

This chapter focuses on some of the flows of film work between Australia and South Korea and some of the roles taken by Australians in the performance (and particularly the sound) of Koreanness in different film contexts. We explore Korean-Australian collaboration on film, through case studies of Sejong Park's Oscar nominated short animated film Birthday Boy (2004) and two Korean feature films - Musa (Kim Sung-su, 2001) and Shadowless Sword (Kim Young-jun, 2005) - for which Australian firms provided sound post-production services. We show how these films instanciate and expand Korean, Australian, diasporic and transnational filmmaking.

Building the computer mediated distance learning community: Issues and observations drawn from teaching and learning

This paper discusses computer mediated distance learning on a Master's level course in the UK and student perceptions of this as a quality learning environment.

Young people, children and their social and spatial citizenship rights

The use of public space by young people and children is a major issue in a number of countries and a range of measures are deployed to to control public space which restrict their social and spatial citizenship rights.

Let the children (and young people) play-where, how, why?

This paper reports on current research work with children and young people on the importance of public and private space for good health, wellbeing, social, educational and developmental outcomes. In many urban locations in Australia and elsewhere, public space is under attack from developers and attempts by authorities to control public space (Watson 2006). Private space in the home and garden-backyard is also under attack from development densification and trends towards bigger houses on smaller plots of land where gardens disappear altogether or a postage stamp remains (Gleeson and Sipe 2006). At the same time public policy advocates the benefits of outdoor exercise, set alongside fears about using public space exacerbated by notions of ‘stranger danger’ and control measures such as child and youth ‘curfews’. In this increasingly complex context, it is important to discover what children and young people value and need most in using private (home) and public space. In conjunction with the University of Otago, New Zealand, children and young people are consulted to discover how they use public space in parks and shopping centres and home space and the issues encountered and their proposals for improvement, to better inform policy debate, planning and formulation (ARACY 2009).

The effect of MC1R variants and sunscreen on the response of human melanocytes in vivo to ultraviolet radiation and implications for melanoma.

We conducted a clinical trial to compare the molecular and cellular responses of human melanocytes and keratinocytes in vivo to solar-simulated ultraviolet radiation (SSUVR) in 57 Caucasian participants grouped according to MC1R genotype. We found that, on average, the density of epidermal melanocytes 14 days after exposure to 2 minimal erythemal dose (MED) SSUVR was twofold higher than baseline (unirradiated) skin. However, the change in epidermal melanocyte counts among people carrying germline MC1R variants (97% increase) was significantly less than those with wild-type MC1R (164% increase; P = 0.01). We also found that sunscreen applied to the skin before exposure to 2 MED SSUVR completely blocked the effects of DNA damage, p53 induction, and cellular proliferation in both melanocytes and keratinocytes.

SettleMEN-2: Displaced twice? Impact of the Queensland floods on men from refugee backgrounds living in Brisbane and Toowoomba. Broadsheet No. 1: Exposure to and impact of the floods

Between 2008 and 2010, the SettleMEN study followed a group of 233 recently arrived men from refugee backgrounds living in urban and regional Southeast Queensland with the aim of documenting their health and settlement experiences. The study found that overall, these men bring important resources that may help them to cope better with the challenges of settlement: good levels of subjective health status, mental health and wellbeing; good family and social support; and good levels of engagement in tertiary/trade education in Australia. Over time, however, their levels of wellbeing decreased as they experienced barriers to social participation and inclusion within their host community, including: unemployment and difficulties securing good jobs (even for those with tertiary/trade qualifications obtained in Australia), financial stress, difficulties accessing housing, limited interactions with neighbours, and experiences of racism and discrimination. Importantly, although men living in the Toowoomba acknowledged some of the benefits of regional settlement, they faced greater barriers to participation in the labour market, reported lower job satisfaction, and were more likely to experience social exclusion overall. In 2012 method approach and a peer interviewer model, we were able to conduct a follow 141 (61%) of the original 233 SettleMEN participants to document the impact of the January 2011 Queensland floods on their health and settlement. This broadsheet focuses on participants’ degree of exposure to and impact of the floods, their perceptions of safety and security, and their vulnerability and adaptive capacity to extreme weather events.

Role salience and support as moderators of demand/conflict relationships in China

This study examined the effects of role demand on both work–family conflict and family–work conflict, and the moderating effects of role salience and support on these relationships. Based on 391 dual-career (managerial and blue-collar employees) couples from a Taiwanese company in China, the results of this survey study showed clear gender differences in the patterns of relationships observed. For men, the most important demands that negatively impacted on work–family conflict were frequency of overtime and frequency of socializing for work purposes (yingchou), and supervisory support buffered the negative impact of frequent overtime. For women however, strong supervisory support and low work role salience were more important for reducing work–family conflict, and there was no significant main effect found for any of the role demand factors. Furthermore, women with high work role salience were more likely to feel the impact of yingchou on work–family conflict. In the family domain, the most influential demand for men was hours spent on household tasks, but for women, it was the frequency of family-related leave. Interestingly, males reported higher family role salience than females and spouse support intensified rather than buffered the positive impact of hours spent on household tasks on family–work conflict for males.

Excursion guidance criteria to guide control of peak emission and exposure to airborne engineered particles

The overall aim of our research was to characterize airborne particles from selected nanotechnology processes and to utilize the data to develop and test quantitative particle concentration-based criteria that can be used to trigger an assessment of particle emission controls. We investigated particle number concentration (PNC), particle mass (PM) concentration, count median diameter (CMD), alveolar deposited surface area, elemental composition, and morphology from sampling of aerosols arising from six nanotechnology processes. These included fibrous and non-fibrous particles, including carbon nanotubes (CNTs). We adopted standard occupational hygiene principles in relation to controlling peak emission and exposures, as outlined by both Safe Work Australia, (1) and the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH®). (2) The results from the study were used to analyses peak and 30-minute averaged particle number and mass concentration values measured during the operation of the nanotechnology processes. Analysis of peak (highest value recorded) and 30-minute averaged particle number and mass concentration values revealed: Peak PNC20–1000 nm emitted from the nanotechnology processes were up to three orders of magnitude greater than the local background particle concentration (LBPC). Peak PNC300–3000 nm was up to an order of magnitude greater, and PM2.5 concentrations up to four orders of magnitude greater. For three of these nanotechnology processes, the 30-minute average particle number and mass concentrations were also significantly different from the LBPC (p-value < 0.001). We propose emission or exposure controls may need to be implemented or modified, or further assessment of the controls be undertaken, if concentrations exceed three times the LBPC, which is also used as the local particle reference value, for more than a total of 30 minutes during a workday, and/or if a single short-term measurement exceeds five times the local particle reference value. The use of these quantitative criteria, which we are terming the universal excursion guidance criteria, will account for the typical variation in LBPC and inaccuracy of instruments, while precautionary enough to highlight peaks in particle concentration likely to be associated with particle emission from the nanotechnology process. Recommendations on when to utilize local excursion guidance criteria are also provided.

Student and supervisor productivity change during nutrition and dietetic practice placements : A cohort study

Aim This study aimed to demonstrate how supervisors and students use their time during the three domains of nutrition and dietetic clinical placement and to what extent patient care and non-patient activities change during placement compared to pre- and post- placement. Methods A cohort survey design was used with students from two Queensland universities, and their supervisors in 2010. Participants recorded their time use in either a paper-based or an electronic survey. Supervisors’ and students’ time-use was calculated as independent daily means according to time use categories reported over the length of the placement. Mean daily number of occasions of service, length of occasions of service, project and other time use in minutes was reported as productivity output indicators and the data imputed. A linear mixed modelling approach was used to describe the relationship between the stage of placement and time use in minutes. Results Combined students’ (n= 21) and supervisors’ (n=29) time use as occasions of service or length of occasions of service in patient care activities were significantly different pre, during and post placement. On project-based placements in food service management and community public health nutrition, supervisors’ project activity time significantly decreased during placements with students undertaking more time in project activities. Conclusions This study showed students do not reduce occasions of service in patient care and they enhance project activities in food service and community public health nutrition while on placement. A larger study is required to confirm these results.

A systematic approach for selecting lean strategies and assessing leanness in manufacturing organizations

Lean strategies have been developed to eliminate or reduce manufacturing waste and thus improve operational efficiency in manufacturing processes. However, implementing lean strategies requires a large amount of resources and, in practice, manufacturers encounter difficulties in selecting appropriate lean strategies within their resource constraints. There is currently no systematic methodology available for selecting appropriate lean strategies within a manufacturer's resource constraints. In the lean transformation process, it is also critical to measure the current and desired leanness levels in order to clearly evaluate lean implementation efforts. Despite the fact that many lean strategies are utilized to reduce or eliminate manufacturing waste, little effort has been directed towards properly assessing the leanness of manufacturing organizations. In practice, a single or specific group of metrics (either qualitative or quantitative) will only partially measure the overall leanness. Existing leanness assessment methodologies do not offer a comprehensive evaluation method, integrating both quantitative and qualitative lean measures into a single quantitative value for measuring the overall leanness of an organization. This research aims to develop mathematical models and a systematic methodology for selecting appropriate lean strategies and evaluating the leanness levels in manufacturing organizations. Mathematical models were formulated and a methodology was developed for selecting appropriate lean strategies within manufacturers' limited amount of available resources to reduce their identified wastes. A leanness assessment model was developed by using the fuzzy concept to assess the leanness level and to recommend an optimum leanness value for a manufacturing organization. In the proposed leanness assessment model, both quantitative and qualitative input factors have been taken into account. Based on program developed in MATLAB and C#, a decision support tool (DST) was developed for decision makers to select lean strategies and evaluate the leanness value based on the proposed models and methodology hence sustain the lean implementation efforts. A case study was conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of these proposed models and methodology. Case study results suggested that out of 10 wastes identified, the case organization (ABC Limited) is able to improve a maximum of six wastes from the selected workstation within their resource limitations. The selected wastes are: unnecessary motion, setup time, unnecessary transportation, inappropriate processing, work in process and raw material inventory and suggested lean strategies are: 5S, Just-In-Time, Kanban System, the Visual Management System (VMS), Cellular Manufacturing, Standard Work Process using method-time measurement (MTM), and Single Minute Exchange of Die (SMED). From the suggested lean strategies, the impact of 5S was demonstrated by measuring the leanness level of two different situations in ABC. After that, MTM was suggested as a standard work process for further improvement of the current leanness value. The initial status of the organization showed a leanness value of 0.12. By applying 5S, the leanness level significantly improved to reach 0.19 and the simulation of MTM as a standard work method shows the leanness value could be improved to 0.31. The optimum leanness value of ABC was calculated to be 0.64. These leanness values provided a quantitative indication of the impacts of improvement initiatives in terms of the overall leanness level to the case organization. Sensitivity analsysis and a t-test were also performed to validate the model proposed. This research advances the current knowledge base by developing mathematical models and methodologies to overcome lean strategy selection and leanness assessment problems. By selecting appropriate lean strategies, a manufacturer can better prioritize implementation efforts and resources to maximize the benefits of implementing lean strategies in their organization. The leanness index is used to evaluate an organization's current (before lean implementation) leanness state against the state after lean implementation and to establish benchmarking (the optimum leanness state). Hence, this research provides a continuous improvement tool for a lean manufacturing organization.

Soundage : a practice-led approach to Gertrude Stein, sound, and generative language

In this practice-led research project I work to show how a re-reading and a particular form of listening to the sound-riddled nature of Gertrude Stein's work, Two: Gertrude Stein and her Brother, presents us with a contemporary theory of sound in language. This theory, though in its infancy, is a particular enjambment of sounded language that presents itself as an event, engaged with meaning, with its own inherent voice. It displays a propensity through engagement with the 'other' to erupt into love. In this thesis these qualities are reverberated further through the work of Seth Kim-Cohen's notion of the non-cochlear, Simon Jarvis's notion of musical thinking, Jean-Jacques Lecercle's notion of délire or nonsense, Luce Irigaray's notion of jouissant love and the Bracha Ettinger's notion of the generative matrixial border space. This reading then is simultaneously paired with my own work of scoring and creating a digital opera from Stein's work, thereby testing and performing Stein's theory. In this I show how a re-reading and relistening to Stein's work can be significant to feminist ethical language frames, contemporary philosophy, sonic art theory and digital language frames. Further significance of this study is that when the reverberation of Stein's engagements with language through sound can be listened to, a pattern emerges, one that encouragingly problematizes subjectivity and interweaves genres/methods and means, creating a new frame for sound in language, one with its own voice that I call soundage.

Clinical outcomes of vitamin D deficiency and supplementation in cancer patients

Results of recent studies suggest that circulating levels of vitamin D may play an important role in cancer-specific outcomes. The present systematic review was undertaken to determine the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<25 nmol/L) and insufficiency (25-50 nmol/L) in cancer patients and to evaluate the association between circulating calcidiol (the indicator of vitamin D status) and clinical outcomes. A systematic search of original, peer-reviewed studies on calcidiol at cancer diagnosis, and throughout treatment and survival, was conducted yielding 4,706 studies. A total of 37 studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Reported mean blood calcidiol levels ranged from 24.7 to 87.4 nmol/L, with up to 31% of patients identified as deficient and 67% as insufficient. The efficacy of cholecalciferol supplementation for raising the concentration of circulating calcidiol is unclear; standard supplement regimens of <1,000 IU D3 /day may not be sufficient to maintain adequate concentrations or prevent decreasing calcidiol. Dose-response studies linking vitamin D status to musculoskeletal and survival outcomes in cancer patients are lacking.

Heat and mass transfer modeling of the osmo-convective drying of yacon roots (Smallanthus sonchifolius)

Osmotic treatments are often applied prior to convective drying of foods to impart sensory appeal aspects. During this process a multicomponent mass flow, composed mainly of water and osmotic agent, takes place. In this work, a heat and mass transfer model for the osmo-convective drying of yacon was developed and solved by the Finite Element Method using COMSOL Multiphysics®, considering a 2-D axisymmetric geometry and moisture dependent thermophysical properties. Yacon slices were osmotically dehydrated for 2 hours in a solution of sucralose and then dried in a tray dryer for 3 hours. The model was validated by experimental data of temperature, moisture content and sucralose uptake (R²> 0.90).

Cyclone intensity categories

The weather forecast centers in Australia and many other countries use a scale of cyclone intensity categories (categories 1-5) in their cyclone advisories, which are considered to be indicative of the cyclone damage potential. However, this scale is mainly based on maximum gust wind speeds. In a recent research project involving computer modeling of cyclonic wind forces on roof claddings and fatigue damage to claddings, it was found that cyclone damage not only depends on the maximum gust wind speed, but also on two other cyclone parameters, namely, the forward speed and radius to maximum winds. This paper describes the computer model used in predicting the cyclone damage to claddings and investigates the damage potential of a cyclone as a function of all the relevant cyclone parameters, based on which it attempts to refine the current scale of cyclone intensity categories.