Specificity and context in post-exercise recovery: It is not a one-size-fits-all approach

The concept of specificity of exercise prescription and training is a longstanding and widely accepted foundation of the exercise sciences. Simply, the principle holds that training adaptations are achieved relative to the stimulus applied. That is, the manipulation of training variables (e.g. intensity or loading, mode, volume and frequency) directly influences the acute training stimulus, and so the long-term adaptive response (Young et al., 2001; Bird et al., 2005). Translating this concept to practice then recommends that exercise be prescribed specific to the desired outcomes, and the more closely this is achieved, the greater the performance gain is likely to be. However, the cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations traditionally associated with long, slow distance training types, similarly achieved using high-intensity training methods (for a review see Gibala et al., 2012), highlights understanding of underlying physiology as paramount for effective training program design. Various other factors including illness, sleep and psychology also impact on the training stimulus (Halson, 2014) and must be managed collectively with appropriate post-exercise recovery to continue performance improvements and reduce overtraining and injury risks (Kenttä and Hassmén, 1998).

Links between unlicensed and unregistered driving: Literature review. Report to Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads

Vehicle registration represents an important component of the management of the road transport system in Queensland, with most vehicles required to be registered before they can be driven or parked on a public road (Department of Transport and Main Roads, 2010b). In addition to the collection of taxes for road construction and maintenance, the current registration system also: • Sets the safety standards required for vehicles to be allowed on public roads; • Allows driver behaviour to be managed by identifying vehicles, and the responsible owners of vehicles, for enforcement purposes; and • Facilitates the collection of insurance premiums for the Queensland Compulsory Third Party (CTP) insurance scheme.

Fractional models in space for diffusive processes in heterogeneous media with applications in cell motility and electrical signal propagation

This work addresses fundamental issues in the mathematical modelling of the diffusive motion of particles in biological and physiological settings. New mathematical results are proved and implemented in computer models for the colonisation of the embryonic gut by neural cells and the propagation of electrical waves in the heart, offering new insights into the relationships between structure and function. In particular, the thesis focuses on the use of non-local differential operators of non-integer order to capture the main features of diffusion processes occurring in complex spatial structures characterised by high levels of heterogeneity.

Comparing the effect of inadequate documentation to the cost management and tendering processes in managing contractor and fixed lump sum contracts in Australia

Purpose of this paper This research aims to examine the effects of inadequate documentation to the cost management & tendering processes in Managing Contractor Contracts using Fixed Lump Sum as a benchmark. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was conducted with industry practitioners to solicit their views on documentation quality issues associated with the construction industry. This is followed by a series of semi-structured interviews with a purpose of validating survey findings. Findings and value The results showed that documentation quality remains a significant issue, contributing to the industries inefficiency and poor reputation. The level of satisfaction for individual attributes of documentation quality varies. Attributes that do appear to be affected by the choice of procurement method include coordination, build ability, efficiency, completeness and delivery time. Similarly the use and effectiveness of risk mitigation techniques appears to vary between the methods, based on a number of factors such as documentation completeness, early involvement, fast tracking etc. Originality/value of paper This research fills the gap of existing body of knowledge in terms of limited studies on the choice of a project procurement system has an influence on the documentation quality and the level of impact. Conclusions Ultimately research concludes that the entire project team including the client and designers should carefully consider the individual projects requirements and compare those to the trade-offs associated with documentation quality and the procurement method. While documentation quality is definitely an issue to be improved upon, by identifying the projects performance requirements a procurement method can be chosen to maximise the likelihood that those requirements will be met. This allows the aspects of documentation quality considered most important to the individual project to be managed appropriately.

Scoping study into wound management nurse practitioner models of practice

Objectives The primary objective of this research was to investigate wound management nurse practitioner (WMNP) models of service for the purposes of identifying parameters of practice and how patient outcomes are measured. Methods A scoping study was conducted with all authorised WMNPs in Australia from October to December 2012 using survey methodology. A questionnaire was developed to obtain data on the role and practice parameters of authorised WMNPs in Australia. The tool comprised seven sections and included a total of 59 questions. The questionnaire was distributed to all members of the WMNP Online Peer Review Group, to which it was anticipated the majority of WMNPs belonged. Results Twenty-one WMNPs responded (response rate 87%), with the results based on a subset of respondents who stated that, at the time of the questionnaire, they were employed as a WMNP, therefore yielding a response rate of 71% (n≤15). Most respondents (93%; n≤14) were employed in the public sector, with an average of 64 occasions of service per month. The typical length of a new case consultation was 60min, with 32min for follow ups. The most frequently performed activity was wound photography (83%; n≤12), patient, family or carer education (75%; n≤12), Doppler ankle-brachial pressure index assessment (58%; n≤12), conservative sharp wound debridement (58%; n≤12) and counselling (50%; n≤12). The most routinely prescribed medications were local anaesthetics (25%; n≤12) and oral antibiotics (25%; n≤12). Data were routinely collected by 91% of respondents on service-related and wound-related parameters to monitor patient outcomes, to justify and improve health services provided. Conclusion This study yielded important baseline information on this professional group, including data on patient problems managed, the types of interventions implemented, the resources used to accomplish outcomes and how outcomes are measured.

The disaster flood experience: Older people’s poetic voices of resilience

This paper explores the experiences of older community-dwelling Australians evacuated from their homes during the 2011 and 2013 Queensland floods, applying the novel creative methodology of poetic inquiry as an analysis and interpretative tool. As well as exploring how older adults managed during a natural disaster, the paper documents the process and potential of poetic inquiry in gerontological research. The first and second poems highlight the different social resources older people have to draw on in their lives, especially during a crisis. Poem 1 (“Nobody came to help me”) illustrates how one older resident felt all alone during the flood, whereas Poem 2 (“They came from everywhere”), Poem 3 ("The Girls") and Poem 5 (“Man in Blue Shirt”) shows how supported – from both family and the wider community - other older residents felt. Poem 4 (“I can’t swim”) highlights one participant’s fear as the water rises. To date, few studies have explicitly explored older adult’s disaster experience, with this paper the first to utilise a poetic lens. We argue that poetic presentation enhances understanding of older residents’ unique experiences during a disaster, and may better engage a wider audience of policy-makers, practitioners, the general community and older people themselves in discussion about, and reflection on, the impact and experience of disasters.

Impact of a stroke unit on length of hospital stay and in-hospital case fatality

Background and Purpose Randomized trials have demonstrated reduced morbidity and mortality with stroke unit care; however, the effect on length of stay, and hence the economic benefit, is less well-defined. In 2001, a multidisciplinary stroke unit was opened at our institution. We observed whether a stroke unit reduces length of stay and in-hospital case fatality when compared to admission to a general neurology/medical ward. Methods A retrospective study of 2 cohorts in the Foothills Medical Center in Calgary was conducted using administrative databases. We compared a cohort of stroke patients managed on general neurology/medical wards before 2001, with a similar cohort of stroke patients managed on a stroke unit after 2003. The length of stay was dichotomized after being centered to 7 days and the Charlson Index was dichotomized for analysis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare the length of stay and case fatality in 2 cohorts, adjusted for age, gender, and patient comorbid conditions defined by the Charlson Index. Results Average length of stay for patients on a stroke unit (n=2461) was 15 days vs 19 days for patients managed on general neurology/medical wards (n=1567). The proportion of patients with length of stay >7 days on general neurology/medical wards was 53.8% vs 44.4% on the stroke unit (difference 9.4%; P<0.0001). The adjusted odds of a length of stay >7 days was reduced by 30% (P<0.0001) on a stroke unit compared to general neurology/medical wards. Overall in-hospital case fatality was reduced by 4.5% with stroke unit care. Conclusions We observed a reduced length of stay and reduced in-hospital case-fatality in a stroke unit compared to general neurology/medical wards.

Intravascular device administration sets: Replacement after standard versus prolonged use in hospitalised patients--a study protocol for a randomised controlled trial (The RSVP Trial)

Introduction Vascular access devices (VADs), such as peripheral or central venous catheters, are vital across all medical and surgical specialties. To allow therapy or haemodynamic monitoring, VADs frequently require administration sets (AS) composed of infusion tubing, fluid containers, pressure-monitoring transducers and/or burettes. While VADs are replaced only when necessary, AS are routinely replaced every 3–4 days in the belief that this reduces infectious complications. Strong evidence supports AS use up to 4 days, but there is less evidence for AS use beyond 4 days. AS replacement twice weekly increases hospital costs and workload. Methods and analysis This is a pragmatic, multicentre, randomised controlled trial (RCT) of equivalence design comparing AS replacement at 4 (control) versus 7 (experimental) days. Randomisation is stratified by site and device, centrally allocated and concealed until enrolment. 6554 adult/paediatric patients with a central venous catheter, peripherally inserted central catheter or peripheral arterial catheter will be enrolled over 4 years. The primary outcome is VAD-related bloodstream infection (BSI) and secondary outcomes are VAD colonisation, AS colonisation, all-cause BSI, all-cause mortality, number of AS per patient, VAD time in situ and costs. Relative incidence rates of VAD-BSI per 100 devices and hazard rates per 1000 device days (95% CIs) will summarise the impact of 7-day relative to 4-day AS use and test equivalence. Kaplan-Meier survival curves (with log rank Mantel-Cox test) will compare VAD-BSI over time. Appropriate parametric or non-parametric techniques will be used to compare secondary end points. p Values of <0.05 will be considered significant.

Practical guidelines for planning and implementing fauna translocations

A successful translocation involves many complex factors, including a genetically appropriate source population that can sustain harvest, social and governmental support, assessment of disease transmission risk and a release site with appropriately secure habitat that can support population establishment and persistance. This information is typically discussed during staturory approval processes and can take considerable time. However, following approval, for translocations of most fauna, the initial critical step involves the inherently stressful process of capture, holding, transportation and release. This process is unpredictable and novel, and is especially challenging for wild animals when they are confined in close proximity to conspecifics and humans. In contrast, captive-reared animals have to cope with the unfamiliar challenges of finding food and shelter, along with coping with competition and predation. Little has been written in the scientific literature about the translocation process. This is unsurprising because this process has usually been the realm of skilled practioners, often with animal husbandry backgrounds, rather than research scientists. Highly skilled intuition, observation and the translocation practioner's equivalent of a 'green thumb' often guides the way. However, theory and experimentation, particularly on the effects of stress, is available and this work is invaluable for a successful translocation. Here, we provide a brief description of the translocation process, and discussion of what stress is and how it can be managed. We then provide practical guidelines for the successful translocation of invertebrates, lizards, turtles, passerine birds, marsupials and bats, using examples from Australia and New Zealand.

Making connections within the Asia-Pacific region: Case study around the Mentoring for Effective Teaching (MET) program

University strategic plans emphasise the essential nature of partnerships at national and international levels. Along with establishing collaborative research partnerships, providing professional development to key stakeholders is considered a crucial activity for making and sustaining partnerships. Utilising knowledge from professional development in Australian contexts can be managed creatively for making connections internationally. Indeed, knowledge transfer is a cornerstone for the globalisation of education and needs to occur as a multiplex dialogue between participating countries. This paper presents a qualitative study around the Mentoring for Effective Teaching (MET) program, its growth and development nationally (e.g., scope and impact) along with insights into making connections within the Asia-Pacific region. At a national level, we outline how to facilitate a program though relationship building and face-to-face implementation of professional learning. Internationally, we highlight how to mould and shape Australian professional learning for the Asia-Pacific region, particularly with regard to facilitating fluid interactions within environments outside of Australia. The contexts for the study include a university in Hong Kong and another university in the Philippines. In this presentation, examples will be provided from the MET program to demonstrate contextual differences and similarities for implementation in Australian and Asian contexts. For instance, determining strategies for mentoring pedagogical knowledge can elicit viewpoints that align between cultures (e.g., use of specific teaching and questioning strategies) and also present alternative ideas as a result of cultural differences. We have learnt about having a structured program that draws on the research yet has sufficient flexibility to cater for cultures and contexts. With openmindedness, facilitating professional learning can become a two-way knowledge transfer, where learnings from other cultures and contexts can be refined for advancing programs in Australia.

The role of knowledge integration in innovation and capability development

Purpose This paper investigates the interrelationships between knowledge integration (KI), product innovation and capability development to enhance our understanding of how firms can develop capability at the firm level, which in turn enhances their performance. One of the critical underlying mechanisms for capability building identified in the literature is the role of knowledge integration, which operates within product innovation projects and contributes to dynamic capability development. Therefore, the main research question is “how does the integration of knowledge across product innovation projects lead to the development of capability?” Design/methodology/approach We adopted a case-based approach and investigated the case of a successful firm that was able to sustain its performance through a series of product innovation projects. In particular this research focused on the role of KI and firm-level capability development over the course of four projects, during which the firm successfully managed the transformation of its product base and renewal of its competitive advantage. For this purpose an in-depth case study of capability development was undertaken at the Iran Khodro Company (IKCO), the key player in the Iranian auto industry transformation. Originality/value This research revealed that along with changes at each level of product architecture “design knowledge” and “design capability” have been developed at the same level of product architecture, leading to capability development at that level. It can be argued that along the step by step maturation of radical innovation across the four case projects, architectural knowledge and capability have been developed at the case company, resulting in the gradual emergence of a modular product and capability architecture across different levels of product architecture. Such findings basically add to extensive emphasis in the literature on the interrelationship of the concept of modularity with knowledge management and capability development. Practical implications Findings of this study indicate that firms manage their knowledge in accordance with the level of specialization in knowledge and capability. Furthermore, firms design appropriate knowledge integration mechanisms within and among functions in order dynamically align knowledge processes at different levels of the product architecture. Accordingly, the outcomes of this study may guide practitioners in managing their knowledge processes, through dynamically employing knowledge integration modes step-by-step and from the part level to the architectural level of product architecture across a sequence of product innovation projects to encourage learning and radical innovation.

The sequence: Inside the race for the human genome

The human genome project was a grand scientific enterprise which attracted both hyperbole and ridicule alike. The project was lauded as “the moon shot of the life sciences”, the “holy grail of man”, “the code of codes”, and “the book of life”. Such rhetoric has also received scorn. President George Bush senior managed to deflate the pretensions of the project with the accidental slip that it was the “human gnome initiative”. In The Sequence, Kevin Davies seeks to go beyond such metaphors, and provide a candid and honest account of the race of the human genome project. The author is indebted to the authoritative book The Gene Wars, which considered the early struggles over the human genome project. Robert Cook-Deegan observes that there was initially much debate over whether there should be a Human Genome Project at all: The debate became one of “big” science versus “small” science. The reliance on systematic technology development and goal-directed gene-mapping efforts presaged a new style for biology, one that elicited excitement from those attracted to whiz-bang technologies but drew gasps of revulsion from those who aspired to cultivate biology on a more modest scale and with decentralized organisation. The battle was, among other things, over whose vision would control the budget and which scientific aesthetic would prevail.

Developing pictorial conceptual metaphors as a means of understanding and changing the Australian health system for Indigenous people

This paper describes the development of Pictorial Conceptual Metaphors, created out of a literature review on gendered Indigenous health and wellbeing that depicts the inherited effects of the ‘system’ past, present and future. The Pictorial Conceptual Metaphors are pictures that were created to tell the story of colonisation and its inherited and ongoing impacts on Indigenous people’s health and wellbeing. Aboriginal historical experiences, past, present and future are briefly overviewed in order to unpack and communicate to readers the significance and impact of these experiences on Aboriginal health, and ultimately, to bring about understanding to initiate change within the Australian health system. Systemic racism, embedded in the Australian health system, excludes and discriminates against Indigenous peoples through a lack of cultural consideration resulting in a cumulative and ongoing negative effect on Indigenous people’s health (Dudgeon et al. 2014; Fredericks 2008; Marmot 2011; Queensland Government 2012). Systemic action research identifies actions and processes in large systems such as health and education in order to bring about systemic change. Our intention to highlight the systemic changes needed in the Australian health system to improve Indigenous people’s health and wellbeing require us to understand the processes involved in bringing about systemic change. For this to occur, we needed to ‘see the system’ in order to identify the system dynamics in operation. The Pictorial Conceptual Metaphors are the first step in ‘seeing the system’; they illustrate the past and the present, and identify the preferred future for Indigenous health and wellbeing outcomes

Academic Freedom and University Autonomy

This chapter examines the law in relation to the doctrines of university autonomy and academic freedom, in the Australian context. It first considers some traditional misconceptions and surrounding these doctrines, which seem to have obscured the real nature of the relationship between universities and the state. It then examines some laws and legal instruments at an international, federal and State level which define and regulate these freedoms. It considers some contemporary controversies, to illustrate both the strengths and weaknesses surrounding how alleged infringements of academic freedom and independence have been managed. It concludes with a look at an important emerging challenge which has implications for how we might avoid and manage such controversies in the future.

Knowledge transfer through a transnational program partnership between Indonesian and Australian universities

As transnational programs are often advocated as a knowledge transfer opportunity between the partner universities, this case study investigated the knowledge transfer (KT) processes between Indonesian and Australian universities through an undergraduate transnational program partnership (TPP). An inter-organisational KT theoretical framework from the business sector was adapted and used to guide the study. The data were generated through semi-structured interviews with key university officers and document analysis from two partner universities. Based on the thematic analysis of the data, the findings demonstrated that the curriculum mapping process facilitated KT. However, different intentions of the partner universities in establishing the program led to declining interest to conduct more KT when expectations were not met. The Indonesian university’s existing knowledge, acquired from other sources through processes that were serendipitous and based on individual lecturers’ personal experience, meant that KT opportunities through the TPP were not always pursued despite written agreement to exchange knowledge with the Australian partner. While KT most evidently resulted in institutional capacity development for the Indonesian university’s school that managed the TPP, dissemination of knowledge to other units within the university was more challenging due to communication problems between the units. Hence, other universities seeking to conduct KT through TPPs need to understand each partner university's intention in establishing the partnerships, identify the institutions' needs before seeking knowledge input from the partner university and improve the communication between and within the universities for sustainable benefits.