Young People and Crime in Rural Communities

Because childhood and adolescence are crucial phases in psycho-social development and the formation of responsible citizens, an unusual degree of attention and supervision is directed at the young (Bittner, 1976; Rose, 1989). Such is the moral frailty of youth that mere presence or 11 doing nothing" (Corrigan, 1979) can, under certain circumstances, excite adult anxieties as a harbinger of immediate or later danger. Delinquency and adolescent antisocial behaviour are not, therefore, a matter of objective, positivistic measurement and control, but are bound up with larger patterns of intergenerational relationships. These relationships are also conditioned by social and spatial environments.

“You could scream the place down”: Five poems on the experience of aged care

This article presents five poems constructed from interviews with older people adjusting to living in residential aged care. They are part of the “Inside Aged Care” project, on-going longitudinal phenomenological research tracking the lived experience of aged care from the perspective of residents, family members and service providers. Poetry, through the process of poetic transcription, provided an engaging, evocative and almost visceral way to help us appreciate what it might be like to be ageing in aged care. To date, despite a growing body of work documenting the importance and impact of research in the form of poetry, applying a literary lens is rare in gerontological research. At a very practical level, therefore, we hope these poems help older people, their families, students and those working in aged care better understand the unique world and perspective of new aged care residents.

A framework for people capability enhancement to support sustainable facility management practices

Spanning over a considerable length of time, facility management is a key phase in the development cycle of built assets. Therefore facility managers are in a commanding position to maximise the potential of sustainability through the operation, maintenance and upgrade of built facilities leading to decommission and deconstruction. Sustainability endeavours in facility management practices will not only contribute to reducing energy consumption, waste and running costs, but also help improve organisational productivity, financial returns and community standing of the organisation. At the forefront facing sustainability challenge, facility manager should be empowered with the necessary knowledge and capabilities. However, literature studies show a gap between the current level of awareness and the specific knowledge and necessary skills required to pursue sustainability in the profession. People capability is considered as the key enabler in managing the sustainability agenda as well as being central to the improvement of competency and innovation in an organization. This paper aims to identify the critical factors for enhancing people capabilities in promoting the sustainability agenda in facility management practices. Starting with a total of 60 factors identified through literature review, the authors conducted a questionnaire survey to assess the perceived importance of these factors. The findings reveal 23 critical factors as significantly important. They form the basis of a mechanism framework developed to equip facility managers with the right knowledge, to continue education and training and to develop new mind-sets to enhance the implementation of sustainability measures in FM practices.

Setting measureable goals with young people : qualitative feedback from the Goal Attainment Scale in youth mental health

Introduction Measuring occupational performance is an essential part of clinical practice; however, there is little research on service user perceptions of measures. The aim of this investigation was to explore the acceptability and utility of one occupational performance outcome measure, Goal Attainment Scaling, with young people (12–25 years old) seeking psychological help. Method Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten young people seeking help from a youth mental health clinic. Interviews were audio taped and a field diary kept. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. Results were verified by member checking. Results All participants were able to engage in using Goal Attainment Scaling to set goals for therapy, and reported the process to be useful. The participants identified the physical location and ownership of the scale was important to help motivate them to work on their goals. Conclusion Young help-seekers see Goal Attainment Scaling as an acceptable tool to facilitate the establishment of functional goals. Young service users were particularly keen to maintain control over the physical location of completed forms.

A hybrid maximum power point tracking for partially shaded photovoltaic systems in the tropics

Partial shading and rapidly changing irradiance conditions significantly impact on the performance of photovoltaic (PV) systems. These impacts are particularly severe in tropical regions where the climatic conditions result in very large and rapid changes in irradiance. In this paper, a hybrid maximum power point (MPP) tracking (MPPT) technique for PV systems operating under partially shaded conditions witapid irradiance change is proposed. It combines a conventional MPPT and an artificial neural network (ANN)-based MPPT. A low cost method is proposed to predict the global MPP region when expensive irradiance sensors are not available or are not justifiable for cost reasons. It samples the operating point on the stairs of I–V curve and uses a combination of the measured current value at each stair to predict the global MPP region. The conventional MPPT is then used to search within the classified region to get the global MPP. The effectiveness of the proposed MPPT is demonstrated using both simulations and an experimental setup. Experimental comparisons with four existing MPPTs are performed. The results show that the proposed MPPT produces more energy than the other techniques and can effectively track the global MPP with a fast tracking speed under various shading patterns.

A systematic review of prescribing criteria to evaluate appropriateness of medications in frail older people

This study systematically reviews the published literature regarding inappropriate prescribing in frail individuals aged at least 65 years. Twenty-five of 466 identified studies met the inclusion criteria. All papers measured some surrogate indicators of frailty, such as performance-based tests, cognitive function and functional dependency. Beers criteria were used in 20 studies (74%) to evaluate inappropriate medication use and 36% (9/25) studies used more than one criterion. The prevalence of inappropriate medications ranged widely from 11 to 92%. Only a few studies reported the relationship between potentially inappropriate medication use and surrogate measures of frailty. These diverse findings indicate the need for a standardized measure for assessing appropriateness of medication in frail older individuals. Prescribing tools should address both medication and patient-related factors such as life expectancy and functional status to minimize inappropriate prescribing in frail individuals.

Sustainability literacy of older people in retirement villages

With many developed countries experiencing the aging of the population, older people play a large role in contributing to environmental problems but also to environmental solutions. The purpose of this research is to understand the awareness and behavior of current older people living in retirement villages towards sustainability development. To achieve this, a sustainability literacy survey was conducted with 65 older residents of a private retirement village located 10 Km outside the Brisbane, Australia’s central business district (CBD). Most of residents recognized the importance of environment protection and would like to lead a more environmentally friendly lifestyle. In addition, the majority were willing to pay higher prices for a living environment with sustainable features. The importance of positive social communications was emphasized with most residents having established good relationships with others in the village. The findings provide an important insight into consumer perspectives regarding the sustainable features that should and can be incorporated into the village planning and development.

Better health outcomes for people with physical disabilities in China through audits of mobility related access : a research and implementation need

China has 85 million people with disabilities, 30% of whom have a physical disability(1). Up to 2006, overall disability rates increased by 0.5% per year, more for males and in rural areas, and rates of physical disability increased by 11.2% per year(2). With population ageing the proportion of people with disability will increase even faster. In May 2014 the 67th World Health Assembly adopted a resolution endorsing the WHO Global Disability Action Plan 2014–2021. One of its three objectives is “to remove barriers and improve access to health services and programmes”. Access to transport contributes to positive health outcomes both directly and indirectly (e.g. access to economic opportunities, which is associated with better health)(3). However, once people with physical disabilities leave their dwellings they are confronted with physical barriers to their mobility, ranging from the condition/provision of paths to the cost/availability of transport and access to buildings. In addition, their mobility restrictions increase their vulnerability as road users, exposing them to a higher risk of injury through road crashes. QUT's School of Public Health and Social Work (PHSW) and and Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety-Queensland (CARRS-Q) CARRS-Q have been collaborating on development of a combined disability audit and road safety access tool that can identify transport barriers and safety issues along the routes taken by people with disabilities, to enable prioritisation of actions to address these issues. There are also spin-off benefits for other road users from addressing the rising toll of disability through road crashes in China(4). The tool has undergone initial proof-of-concept testing in India and Viet Nam, and is currently being assessed in Cambodia and Laos. Given the rapid development of China, increases in rates of physical disability and the impacts of an ageing population, it is proposed to establish collaborative research through the Australia-China Centre for Public Health to (1) tailor the combined road safety audit and disability access tool for use in China; (2) evaluate its use on a sample of routes; (3) develop plans for changes to the routes in consultation with local authorities; (4) evaluate the effectiveness of implemented changes in terms of access and health. 1. Zheng, Q, et al, 2014. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 12:25. 2. Zheng, X, et al, 2011. Bull World Health Org, 89:788–797. 3. Götschi, T & Kahlmeier, S, 2011. Integrated Transport, Health, and Sustainability Assessment (INTHESA): Final Report. Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Zurich. 4. Lin, T, et al, 2013. J Public Health, 35:541–547.

Modeling kinect sensor noise for improved 3D reconstruction and tracking

We contribute an empirically derived noise model for the Kinect sensor. We systematically measure both lateral and axial noise distributions, as a function of both distance and angle of the Kinect to an observed surface. The derived noise model can be used to filter Kinect depth maps for a variety of applications. Our second contribution applies our derived noise model to the KinectFusion system to extend filtering, volumetric fusion, and pose estimation within the pipeline. Qualitative results show our method allows reconstruction of finer details and the ability to reconstruct smaller objects and thinner surfaces. Quantitative results also show our method improves pose estimation accuracy. © 2012 IEEE.

The Thoughts Questionnaire (TQ) for family caregivers of people with dementia

Objectives: To develop a new measure of dysfunctional thoughts for family caregivers of people living with dementia. These thoughts can contribute to negative outcomes, but they may be modifiable. Method: A stepwise process was used to develop the Thoughts Questionnaire, commencing with item generation, concept mapping, and pilot testing in a sample of professional and nonprofessional caregivers of people with dementia (n = 18). Next, an independent sample of 35 family caregivers of people with dementia (30 female; M age = 64.30, standard deviation = 10.65) completed: (a) the Thoughts Questionnaire; (b) an existing measure of dysfunctional thoughts, the Dementia Thoughts Caregivers Questionnaire; and (c) separate validated measures of depressive symptoms, caregiver stress, and coping, respectively. Results: The level of agreement with dysfunctional thought statements from the Dementia Thoughts Caregivers Questionnaire and Thoughts Questionnaire was low. However, a small number of Thoughts Questionnaire statements were strongly endorsed by over 85% of the sample. Both dysfunctional thought measures had adequate reliability, but total scores were not significantly intercorrelated (r = .287, p = .095). Only the Thoughts Questionnaire was significantly, positively correlated with most caregiver stress measures. Thoughts Questionnaire items required a much lower reading level than the Dementia Thoughts Caregivers Questionnaire items. Discussion: This study provides preliminary data on a tool for assessing the negative role-related thoughts that family caregivers of people with dementia may experience. Given that these thoughts are implicated in depression but they may be modified, the capacity to identify dysfunctional thoughts may prove useful in caregiver support programs.

4D GPR tracking of water infiltration in fractured high-porosity limestone

Three thousand liters of water were infiltrated from a 4 m diameter pond to track flow and transport inside fractured carbonates with 20-40 % porosity. Sixteen time-lapse 3D Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) surveys with repetition intervals between 2 hrs and 5 days monitored the spreading of the water bulb in the subsurface. Based on local travel time shifts between repeated GPR survey pairs, localized changes of volumetric water content can be related to the processes of wetting, saturation and drainage. Deformation bands consisting of thin sub vertical sheets of crushed grains reduce the magnitude of water content changes but enhance flow in sheet parallel direction. This causes an earlier break through across a stratigraphic boundary compared to porous limestone without deformation bands. This experiment shows how time-lapse 3D GPR or 4D GPR can non-invasively track ongoing flow processes in rock-volumes of over 100 m3.

A critical evaluation of written discharge advice for people with mild traumatic brain injury : what should we be looking for?

Objective: To formally evaluate the written discharge advice for people with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). Methods: Eleven publications met the inclusion criteria: (1) intended for adults; (2) ≤two A4 pages; (3) published in English; (4) freely accessible; and (5) currently used (or suitable for use) in Australian hospital emergency departments or similar settings. Two independent raters evaluated the content and style of each publication against established standards. The readability of the publication, the diagnostic term(s) contained in it and a modified Patient Literature Usefulness Index (mPLUI) were also evaluated. Results: The mean content score was 19.18 ± 8.53 (maximum = 31) and the mean style score was 6.8 ± 1.34 (maximum = 8). The mean Flesch-Kincaid reading ease score was 66.42 ± 4.3. The mean mPLUI score was 65.86 ± 14.97 (maximum = 100). Higher scores on these metrics indicate more desirable properties. Over 80% of the publications used mixed diagnostic terminology. One publication scored optimally on two of the four metrics and highly on the others. Discussion: The content, style, readability and usefulness of written mTBI discharge advice was highly variable. The provision of written information to patients with mTBI is advised, but this variability in materials highlights the need for evaluation before distribution. Areas are identified to guide the improvement of written mTBI discharge advice.

Perceived barriers and facilitators to increasing physical activity among people with musculoskeletal disorders : a qualitative investigation to inform intervention development

Purpose Musculoskeletal conditions can impair people’s ability to undertake physical activity as they age. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate perceived barriers and facilitators to undertaking physical activity reported by patients accessing ambulatory hospital clinics for musculoskeletal disorders. Patients and methods A questionnaire with open-ended items was administered to patients (n=217, 73.3% of 296 eligible) from three clinics providing ambulatory services for nonsurgical treatment of musculoskeletal disorders. The survey included questions to capture the clinical and demographic characteristics of the sample. It also comprised two open-ended questions requiring qualitative responses. The first asked the participant to describe factors that made physical activity more difficult, and the second asked which factors made it easier for them to be physically active. Participants’ responses to the two open-ended questions were read, coded, and thematically analyzed independently by two researchers, with a third researcher available to arbitrate any unresolved disagreement. Results The mean (standard deviation) age of participants was 53 (15) years; n=113 (52.1%) were male. A total of 112 (51.6%) participants reported having three or more health conditions; n=140 (64.5%) were classified as overweight or obese. Five overarching themes describing perceived barriers for undertaking physical activity were "health conditions", "time restrictions", "poor physical condition", "emotional, social, and psychological barriers", and "access to exercise opportunities". Perceived physical activity facilitators were also aligned under five themes, namely "improved health state", "social, emotional, and behavioral supports", "access to exercise environment", "opportunities for physical activities", and "time availability". Conclusion It was clear from the breadth of the data that meaningful supports and interventions must be multidimensional. They should have the capacity to address a variety of physical, functional, social, psychological, motivational, environmental, lifestyle, and other perceived barriers. It would appear that for such interventions to be effective, they should be flexible enough to address a variety of specific concerns.

Increasing the confidence and knowledge of occupational therapy and physiotherapy students when communicating with people with aphasia: A pre–post intervention study

This study investigated occupational therapy and physiotherapy students' level of confidence and knowledge of strategies for communicating with people with aphasia (PWA) before and after a communication partner-training (CPT) program. Twenty-eight physiotherapy and occupational therapy students participated in a pre–post CPT program. Students completed a customized mixed-methods questionnaire before and after the intervention. The CPT program involved a lecture about effective communication strategies followed by a conversation with PWA to practice strategies learnt. Before CPT, students were not confident with the possibility of communicating with PWA. Students demonstrated rudimentary knowledge of supported conversation, identifying a maximum of five strategies for communicating effectively with PWA. Following intervention, students demonstrated increased confidence. Students' knowledge of effective communication strategies improved, with students identifying a maximum of 16 suitable strategies post-training. The results suggest that occupational therapy and physiotherapy students have potential to benefit from practical training in supported communication with PWA, which may assist them during placements in clinical settings with neurological patients or subsequent employment.