Antidepressant direct-to-consumer prescription drug advertising and public stigma of depression : the mediating role of perceived prevalence of depression

This study examines whether memory of antidepressant direct-to-consumer (DTC) prescription drug advertising is associated with the public stigma attached to depression. Results indicate that those who better remember antidepressant DTC ads tend to have a higher perceived prevalence of depression (i.e., more people suffer from depression). And, the perceived prevalence of depression is inversely associated with the public stigma toward depression. That is, those who have a higher perceived prevalence of depression report that they are more supportive of and comfortable with people who have depression. The results suggest that the perceived prevalence of depression is a mediating variable that accounts for the relationship between memory of antidepressant DTC ads and the public stigma toward depression. The implications and limitations of the study, as an exploratory investigation, are discussed.

Moving forwards with the aim of going backwards fast : high performance rowing as a learning environment

Background and Purpose: - This paper focuses on the learning culture within the high performance levels of rowing. In doing so, we explore the case of an individual’s learning as he moves across athletic, coaching and administrative functions. This exploration draws on a cultural learning framework and complementary theorisings related to reflexivity. Method - This study makes use of an intellectually, morally and collaboratively challenging approach whereby one member of the research team was also the sole participant of this study. The participant’s careers as a high performance athlete, coach and administrator, coupled with his experience in conducting empirical research presented a rare opportunity to engage in collaborative research (involving degrees of insider and outsider status for each of the research team). We acknowledge that others have looked to combine roles of coach / athlete / administrator with that of researcher however few (if any) have attempted to combine them all in one project. Moreover, coupled with the approach to reflexivity adopted in this study and the authorship contributions we consider this scholarly direction uncommon. Data were comprised of recorded research conversations, a subsequently constructed learning narrative, reflections on the narrative, a stimulated reflective piece from the participant, and a final (re)construction of the participant’s story. Accordingly, data were integrated through an iterative process of thematic analysis. Results - The cultural (i.e., the ways things get done) and structural (e.g., the rules and regulations) properties of high performance rowing were found to shape both the opportunities to be present (e.g., secure a place in the crew) and to learn (e.g., learn the skills required to perform at an Olympic level). However, the individual’s personal properties were brought to bear on re-shaping the constraints such that many limitations could be overcome. In keeping with the theory of learning cultures, the culture of rowing was found to position individuals (a coxswain in this case) differentially. In a similar manner, a range of structural features was found to be important in shaping the cultural and personal elements in performance contexts. For example, the ‘field of play’ was found to be important as a structural feature (i.e., inability of coach to communicate with athletes) in shaping the cultural and personal elements of learning in competition (e.g., positioning the coxswain as an in-boat coach and trusted crewmate). Finally, the cultural and structural elements in rowing appeared to be activated by the participant’s personal elements, most notably his orientation towards quality performance. Conclusion - The participant in this study was found to be driven by the project that he cares about most and at each turn he has bent his understanding of his sport back on itself to see if he can find opportunities to learn and subsequently explore ways to improve performance. The story here emphasises the importance of learner agency, and this is an aspect that has often been missing in recent theorising about learning. In this study, we find an agent using his ‘personal emergent powers to activate the resources in the culture and structure of his sport in an attempt to improve performance. We conclude from this account that this particular high performance rowing culture is one that provided support but nonetheless encouraged those involved, to ‘figure things out’ for themselves – be it as athletes, coaches and/or administrators.

User perceived video quality modelling on mobile devices for Vp9 and H265 encoders

This study constructs performance prediction models to estimate the end-user perceived video quality on mobile devices for the latest video encoding techniques –VP9 and H.265. Both subjective and objective video quality assessments were carried out for collecting data and selecting the most desirable predictors. Using statistical regression, two models were generated to achieve 94.5% and 91.5% of prediction accuracies respectively, depending on whether the predictor derived from the objective assessment is involved. These proposed models can be directly used by media industries for video quality estimation, and will ultimately help them to ensure a positive end-user quality of experience on future mobile devices after the adaptation of the latest video encoding technologies.

The timing of solid introduction in an ‘obesogenic’ environment : a narrative review of the evidence and methodological issues.

Objective To evaluate the evidence for association between obesity risk outcomes >12 months of age and timing of solid introduction in healthy term infants in developed countries, the large majority of whom are not exclusively breastfed to 6 months of age. Methods Studies included were published 1990-March 2013. Results Twenty-six papers with weight status or obesity prevalence outcomes were identified. Studies were predominantly cohort design, most with important methodological limitations. Ten studies reported a positive association. Of these only two were large good quality studies and both examined the outcome of early (<4 months) solid introduction. None of the four good quality studies that directly evaluated current guidelines provided evidence of any clinically relevant protective effect of solid introduction from 4-5 versus ≥ 6 months of age. Conclusion Overall the introduction of solids prior to 4 months may result in increased risk of childhood obesity but there is little evidence of adverse weight status outcomes associated with introducing solids at 4-6 rather than at 6 months. Implications More and better quality evidence is required to inform guidelines on the ‘when, what and how’ of complementary feeding.

Suppression of cluster ions during rapidly increasing particle number concentration events in the environment

We show that the cluster ion concentration (CIC) in the atmosphere is significantly suppressed during events that involve rapid increases in particle number concentration (PNC). Using a neutral cluster and air ion spectrometer, we investigated changes in CIC during three types of particle enhancement processes – new particle formation, a bushfire episode and an intense pyrotechnic display. In all three cases, the total CIC decreased with increasing PNC, with the rate of decrease being greater for negative CIC than positive. We attribute this to the greater mobility, and hence the higher attachment coefficient, of negative ions over positive ions in the air. During the pyrotechnic display, the rapid increase in PNC was sufficient to reduce the CIC of both polarities to zero. At the height of the display, the negative CIC stayed at zero for a full 10 min. Although the PNCs were not significantly different, the CIC during new particle formation did not decrease as much as during the bushfire episode and the pyrotechnic display. We suggest that the rate of increase of PNC, together with particle size, also play important roles in suppressing CIC in the atmosphere.

Segmenting Australian high school students : two-step cluster analysis preliminary results

A one size fits all approach dominates alcohol programs in school settings (Botvin et al., 2007), which may limit program effectiveness (Snyder et al., 2004). Programs tailored to the meet the needs and wants of adolescent groups may be more effective. Limited attention has been directed towards employing a full segmentation process. Where segmentation has been examined, the focus has remained on socio-demographic characteristics and more recently psychographic variables (Mathijssen et al., 2012). The current study aimed to identify whether the addition of behaviour could be used to identify segments. Variables included attitudes towards binge drinking (α = 0.86), behavioral intentions’ (α = 0.97), perceived behavioral control (PBC), injunctive norms (α = 0.94); descriptive norms (α = 0.87), knowledge and reported behaviour. Data was collected from five schools, n = 625 (32.96% girls). Two-Step cluster analysis produced a sample (n = 625) with a silhouette measure of cohesion and separation of 0.4. The intention measure and whether students reported previously consuming alcohol were the most distinguishing characteristics - predictor importance scores of (1.0). A four segment solution emerged. The first segment (“Male abstainers” – 37.2%) featured the highest knowledge score (M: 5.9) along with the lowest-risk drinking attitudes and intentions to drink excessively. Segment 2 (“At risk drinkers” - 11.2%) were characterised by their high-risk attitudes and high-risk drinking intentions. Injunctive (M: 4.1) and descriptive norms (M: 4.9) may indicate a social environment where drinking is the norm. Segment 3 (”Female abstainers” – 25.9%) represents young girls, who have the lowest-risk attitudes and low intentions to drink excessively. The fourth and final segment (boys = 67.4%) (“Moderate drinkers” – 25.7%) all report previously drinking alcohol yet their attitudes and intentions towards excessive alcohol consumption are lower than other segments. Segmentation focuses on identifying groups of individuals who feature similar characteristics. The current study illustrates the importance of including reported behaviour in addition to psychographic and demographic characteristics to identify unique groups to inform intervention planning and design. Key messages The principle of segmentation has received limited attention in the context of school-based alcohol education programs. This research identified four segments amongst 14-16 year high school students, each of which can be targeted with a unique, tailored program to meet the needs and wants of the target audience.

Coverage algorithms for an under-actuated car-like vehicle in an uncertain environment

A coverage algorithm is an algorithm that deploys a strategy as to how to cover all points in terms of a given area using some set of sensors. In the past decades a lot of research has gone into development of coverage algorithms. Initially, the focus was coverage of structured and semi-structured indoor areas, but with time and development of better sensors and introduction of GPS, the focus has turned to outdoor coverage. Due to the unstructured nature of an outdoor environment, covering an outdoor area with all its obstacles and simultaneously performing reliable localization is a difficult task. In this paper, two path planning algorithms suitable for solving outdoor coverage tasks are introduced. The algorithms take into account the kinematic constraints of an under-actuated car-like vehicle, minimize trajectory curvatures, and dynamically avoid detected obstacles in the vicinity, all in real-time. We demonstrate the performance of the coverage algorithm in the field by achieving 95% coverage using an autonomous tractor mower without the aid of any absolute localization system or constraints on the physical boundaries of the area.

Optimising ketocarotenoid production in potato tubers : effect of genetic background, transgene combinations and environment

Astaxanthin is a high value carotenoid produced by some bacteria, a few green algae, several fungi but only a limited number of plants from the genus Adonis. Astaxanthin has been industrially exploited as a feed supplement in poultry farming and aquaculture. Consumption of ketocarotenoids, most notably astaxanthin, is also increasingly associated with a wide range of health benefits,as demonstrated in numerous clinical studies. Currently astaxanthin is produced commercially by chemical synthesis or from algal production systems. Several studies have used a metabolic engineering approach to produce astaxanthin in transgenic plants. Previous attempts to produce transgenic potato tubers biofortified with astaxanthin have met with limited success. In this study we have investigated approaches to optimising tuber astaxanthin content. It is demonstrated that the selection of appropriate parental genotype for transgenic approaches and stacking carotenoid biosynthetic pathway genes with the cauliflower Or gene result in enhanced astaxanthin content, to give six-fold higher tuber astaxanthin content than has been achieved previously. Additionally we demonstrate the effects of growth environment on tuber carotenoid content in both wild type and astaxanthin-producing transgenic lines and describe the associated transcriptome and metabolome restructuring.

Investigation into chemistry of new particle formation and growth in subtropical urban environment

The role of different chemical compounds, particularly organics, involved in the new particle formation (NPF) and its consequent growth are not fully understood. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the chemistry of aerosol particles during NPF events in an urban subtropical environment. Aerosol chemical composition was measured along with particle number size distribution (PNSD) and several other air quality parameters at five sites across an urban subtropical environment. An Aerodyne compact Time-of-Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (c-TOF-AMS) and a TSI Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS) measured aerosol chemical composition and PNSD, respectively. Five NPF events, with growth rates in the range 3.3-4.6 nm, were detected at two sites. The NPF events happened on relatively warmer days with lower humidity and higher solar radiation. Temporal percent fractions of nitrate, sulphate, ammonium and organics were modelled using the Generalised Additive Model (GAM), with a basis of penalised spline. Percent fractions of organics increased after the NPF events, while the mass fraction of ammonium and sulphate decreased. This uncovered the important role of organics in the growth of newly formed particles. Three organic markers, factors f43, f44 and f57, were calculated and the f44 vs f43 trends were compared between nucleation and non-nucleation days. f44 vs f43 followed a different pattern on nucleation days compared to non-nucleation days, whereby f43 decreased for vehicle emission generated particles, while both f44 and f43 decreased for NPF generated particles. It was found for the first time that vehicle generated and newly formed particles cluster in different locations on f44 vs f43 plot and this finding can be used as a tool for source apportionment of measured particles.

Implicating animals: The symbolic power of scapegoating animals in marine pollution debates

Animals are often used as symbols in policy debates and media accounts of marine pollution. Images of miserable oil-soaked marine birds and mammals are prominent following high profile oil spills such as the Exxon Valdez, Prestige and Pacific Adventurer incidents. Portrayed as hapless victims, these animal actors are not only cast as powerful symbols of the effects of anthropogenic pollution but also represent an environment in crisis. Animals, like the broader environment, are seen as something which is acted upon. Less attention has been given to the ways in which animals have been cast as either the cause of marine pollution or as having the potential to actively mitigate the potential impacts of anthropogenic marine pollution. This article explores how animals are constructed with respect to vessel-sourced sewage pollution. Through a process of interpretive policy analysis, drawing on media reports and responses to an Australian regulatory review process this study found that, when defending the perceived right to pollute recreational boaters implicated animals such as dogs, fish, turtles, dolphins and seabirds in their pollution discourses. Scapegoating was an important rhetorical feature of claims-making strategies designed to avoid responsibility for changing sewage disposal practices.

Emotional effort and perceived support in renal nursing: A comparative interview study

Background: Social support is an important moderator of poor well-being outcomes for nurses engaged in emotional labour with patients; however, the most effective support for renal nurses is not well understood compared with other specialties. Objectives: To identify patterns and themes in how renal nurses and two other specialties engage with patients’ emotional expressions, express their own emotion and access and provide support for emotional expenditure. Method: Renal, emergency and palliative care nurses from Perth, Western Australia, were interviewed. Results: Renal nurses engage in significant amounts of emotional labour with patients, and identify co-workers as the most important source of support due to their availability and a sense of shared experience. However, comparative analysis showed that renal nurses do not recognise their emotional expenditure as readily and have less certainty of co-worker support. Conclusions: Because their high levels of emotional engagement with patients are mostly positive, renal nurses are less prepared than other nurses to manage difficult emotional situations. As co-worker support is highly valued, organisations should train renal nurses specifically to support one another.

MITIE C-Arm - Advanced innovation in education

Aim: In 2013 QUT introduced the Medical Imaging Training Immersive Environment (MITIE) as a virtual reality (VR) platform that allowed students to practice general radiography. The system software has been expanded to now include C-Arm. The aim of this project was to investigate the use of this technology in the pedagogy of undergraduate medical imaging students who have limited to no experience in the use of the C-Arm clinically. Method: The Medical Imaging Training Immersive Environment (MITIE) application provides students with realistic and fully interactive 3D models of C-Arm equipment. As with VR initiatives in other health disciplines (1–2) the software mimics clinical practice as much as possible and uses 3D technology to enhance 3D spatial awareness and realism. The application allows students to set up and expose a virtual patient in a 3D environment as well as creating the resultant “image” for comparison with a gold standard. Automated feedback highlights ways for the student to improve their patient positioning, equipment setup or exposure factors. The students' equipment knowledge was tested using an on line assessment quiz and surveys provided information on the students' pre-clinical confidence scale, with post-clinical data comparisons. Ethical approval for the project was provided by the university ethics panel. Results: This study is currently under way and this paper will present analysis of initial student feedback relating to the perceived value of the application for confidence in a high risk environment (i.e. operating theatre) and related clinical skills development. Further in-depth evaluation is ongoing with full results to be presented. Conclusion: MITIE C-Arm has a development role to play in the pre-clinical skills training for Medical Radiation Science students. It will augment their theoretical understanding prior to their clinical experience. References 1. Bridge P, Appleyard R, Ward J, Phillips R, Beavis A. The development and evaluation of a virtual radiotherapy treatment machine using an immersive visualisation environment. Computers and Education 2007; 49(2): 481–494. 2. Gunn T, Berry C, Bridge P et al. 3D Virtual Radiography: Development and Initial Feedback. Paper presented at the 10th Annual Scientific Meeting of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy, March 2013 Hobart, Tasmania.

Detection of rain in acoustic recordings of the environment using machine learning techniques

This thesis is concerned with the detection and prediction of rain in environmental recordings using different machine learning algorithms. The results obtained in this research will help ecologists to efficiently analyse environmental data and monitor biodiversity.

Contracted site: Artist on paper, drawing

Traditionally the notion of drawing in-situ has suggested the physical presence of the artist in the environment under scrutiny. The assumption here of enhanced connectivity, however, is hasty in light of the idea that situation implies a relative spatial value determined by the interplay of subject and location, where the possibility of not being “in-situ” is problematic. The fact that traditional drawing in-situ, such as the rendering of landscape, requires a framing of the world “out there” suggests a distance between the perceived object of representation and the drawing surface. Rather than suggesting that some drawing is situated and other sorts of drawing are not, however, I argue that situation or site is variously extended and intensified depending on the nature of mediation between surface and environment. The suggestion here is that site is not so much a precondition as a performative function, developed in the act of drawing and always implicating the drawing surface. In my discussion I focus on specific works by Toba Khedoori and Cameron Robbins. As well, in using my own recent drawing practice as a case study, I argue that the geography of site is delimited neither by horizon nor the boundaries of the paper. Rather, I propose that site and drawing surface coincide in variously intensive and extensive ways.