The Donald Mackay Churchill Fellowship to study methods of preventing and supporting victims of online fraud

Every day inboxes are being flooded with invitations to invest money in overseas schemes, notifications of overseas lottery wins and inheritances, as well as emails from banks and other institutions asking for customers to confirm information about their identity and account details. While these requests may seem outrageous, many believe the request to be true and respond, through the sending of money or personal details. This can have devastating consequences, financially, emotionally and physically. While enforcement action is important, greater success is likely to come in the area of prevention, which avoids victim losses in the first place. Considerable victim support is also required by victims who have suffered significant losses, in trying to get their lives back on track. This project examined fraud prevention strategies and support services for victims of online fraud across the United Kingdom, United States of America and Canada. While much work has already been undertaken in Queensland, there is considerable room for improvement and a great deal can be learnt from these overseas jurisdictions. There are several examples of innovative and effective responses, particularly in the area of victim support, that are highlighted throughout this report. It is advocated that Australia can continue to improve its position regarding the prevention and support of online fraud victims, by applying the knowledge and expertise learnt overseas to a local context.

Supporting the learning of rapid application development in a database environment

Intelligent Tutoring Systems (ITSs) are computer systems designed to provide individualised help to students, learning in a problem solving context. The difference between an ITS and a Computer Assisted Instruction (CAI) system is that an ITS has a Student Model which allows it to provide a better educational environment. The Student Model contains information on what the student knows, and does not know, about the domain being learnt, as well as other personal characteristics such as preferred learning style. This research has resulted in the design and development of a new ITS: Personal Access Tutor (PAT). PAT is an ITS that helps students to learn Rapid Application Development in a database environment. More specifically, PAT focuses on helping students to learn how to create forms and reports in Microsoft Access. To provide an augmented learning environment, PAT’s architecture is different to most other ITSs. Instead of having a simulation, PAT uses a widelyused database development environment (Microsoft Access). This enables the students to ask for help, while developing real applications using real database software. As part of this research, I designed and created the knowledge base required for PAT. This contains four models: the domain, student, tutoring and exercises models. The Instructional Expert I created for PAT provides individualised help to the students to help them correctly finish each exercise, and also proposes the next exercise that a student should work on. PAT was evaluated by students enrolled in the Databases subject at QUT, and by staff members involved in teaching the subject. The results of the evaluation were positive and are discussed in the thesis.

An integrated approach to supporting land-use decisions in site redevelopment for urban renewal in Hong Kong

Urban renewal is a significant issue in developed urban areas, with a particular problem for urban planners being redevelopment of land to meet demand whilst ensuring compatibility with existing land use. This paper presents a geographic information systems (GIS)-based decision support tool (called LUDS) to quantitatively assess land-use suitability for site redevelopment in urban renewal areas. This consists of a model for the suitability analysis and an affiliated land-information database for residential, commercial, industrial, G/I/C (government/institution/community) and open space land uses. Development has occurred with support from interviews with industry experts, focus group meetings and an experimental trial, combined with several advanced techniques and tools, including GIS data processing and spatial analysis, multi-criterion analysis, as well as the AHP method for constructing the model and database. As demonstrated in the trial, LUDS assists planners in making land-use decisions and supports the planning process in assessing urban land-use suitability for site redevelopment. Moreover, it facilitates public consultation (participatory planning) by providing stakeholders with an explicit understanding of planners' views.

Supporting risk-informed decisions during business process execution

This paper proposes a technique that supports process participants in making risk-informed decisions, with the aim to reduce the process risks. Risk reduction involves decreasing the likelihood and severity of a process fault from occurring. Given a process exposed to risks, e.g. a financial process exposed to a risk of reputation loss, we enact this process and whenever a process participant needs to provide input to the process, e.g. by selecting the next task to execute or by filling out a form, we prompt the participant with the expected risk that a given fault will occur given the particular input. These risks are predicted by traversing decision trees generated from the logs of past process executions and considering process data, involved resources, task durations and contextual information like task frequencies. The approach has been implemented in the YAWL system and its effectiveness evaluated. The results show that the process instances executed in the tests complete with substantially fewer faults and with lower fault severities, when taking into account the recommendations provided by our technique.

Transferring a successful strategy for supporting accelerated nursing students from a small to a large cohort

In 2009 and 2010, withdrawal rates from a Pharmacology unit of accelerated QUT nursing students in the first year of their degree, were higher than for continuing students. The cohort of 216 accelerated students in 2011 had university or non-university qualification or equivalent experience and included domestic and international students. A previously tested intervention was introduced in 2011 to improve retention rates and support all Pharmacology students in their first year of nursing. The intervention involved a community website, on-line tutors and an “O week” workshop comprising information about library resources, effective learning strategies and learning tips from a previous student as well as review anatomy, physiology and microbiology lectures. Withdrawal rates for accelerated students in the Pharmacology unit improved and all students found the workshop and review lectures to be informative and valuable. The intervention was therefore successfully transferred to a large, diverse cohort of accelerated nursing students.

Mobile social tool for supporting responsible drinking in yourng women

Binge drinking is an important issue in Australia and worldwide. Existing studies have shown that mobile tools provide an effective method to self-monitor drink sessions, whereas social tool such as Facebook, can be used to construct social drinker identity (thus normalizing binge drinking), but if used among a peer-support that promotes the importance of responsible drinking, it potentially can be effective in moderating alcohol consumption. To combine mobile and social tool approaches, the study involves two complementary and largely qualitative studies to inform a novel design of an engaging mobile social tool for supporting responsible drinking among young women: (1) a survey of literature and mobile tools on alcohol related studies and interventions; (2) an in-depth focus group interview among young women aged 18 to 24. The results and discussions provide some valuable insights for future research and development in the field.

Evidence supporting exercise interventions for persons in early-stage Alzheimer’s disease

The purpose of this article is to grade research evidence supporting exercise-based interventions for persons with early-stage dementias and to report the recommendations of a consensus panel. The search produced 11 data based articles testing the effects of exercise interventions on a variety of outcomes. The body of evidence to support exercise interventions in the prevention and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease is growing and has potential as a treatment modality following translational studies in recreation therapy and other fields.

Supporting blended workflows

Despite advances in the field of workflow flexibility, there is still insufficient support for dealing with unforeseen exceptions. In particular, it is challenging to find a solution which preserves the intent of the process as much as possible when such exceptions are encountered. This challenge can be alleviated by making the connection between a process and its objectives more explicit. This paper presents a demo illustrating the blended workflow approach where two specifications are fused together, a "classic" process model and a goal model. End users are guided by the process model but may deviate from this model whenever unexpected situations are encountered. The two models involved provide views on the process and the demo shows how one can switch between these views and how they are kept consistent by the blended workflow engine. A simple example involving the making of a doctor's appointment illustrates the potential advantages of the proposed approach to both researchers and developers.

The feral horse foot. Part B : radiographic, gross visual and histopathological parameters of foot health in 100 Australian feral horses

Background It has been proposed that the feral horse foot is a benchmark model for foot health in horses. However, the foot health of feral horses has not been formally investigated. Objectives To investigate the foot health of Australian feral horses and determine if foot health is affected by environmental factors, such as substrate properties and distance travelled. Methods Twenty adult feral horses from five populations (n = 100) were investigated. Populations were selected on the basis of substrate hardness and the amount of travel typical for the population. Feet were radiographed and photographed, and digital images were surveyed by two experienced assessors blinded to each other's assessment and to the population origin. Lamellar samples from 15 feet from three populations were investigated histologically for evidence of laminitis. Results There was a total of 377 gross foot abnormalities identified in 100 left forefeet. There were no abnormalities detected in three of the feet surveyed. Each population had a comparable prevalence of foot abnormalities, although the type and severity of abnormality varied among populations. Of the three populations surveyed by histopathology, the prevalence of chronic laminitis ranged between 40% and 93%. Conclusions Foot health appeared to be affected by the environment inhabited by the horses. The observed chronic laminitis may be attributable to either nutritional or traumatic causes. Given the overwhelming evidence of suboptimal foot health, it may not be appropriate for the feral horse foot to be the benchmark model for equine foot health.

The feral horse foot. Part A : observational study of the effect of environment on the morphometrics of the feet of 100 Australian feral horses

Aim To better understand the morphology of, and the effect of different travel patterns and varying substrate environments on, the feral horse foot to better manage the feet of domestic horses. Methods The left forefeet of 20 adult feral horses from each of five geographically separated populations in Australia (n = 100) were investigated. Populations were selected on the basis of substrate hardness under foot and the amount of travel typical for the population. Feet were radiographed and photographed and 40 morphometric measurements of each foot were obtained. Results Of the 40 parameters, 37 differed significantly (P < 0.05) among the populations, which suggested that substrate hardness and travel distance have an effect on foot morphology. Harder substrates and longer travel distances were associated with short hoof walls and minimal hoof wall flaring. Softer substrates and moderate travel distances were associated with long flared walls, similar to that of typical untrimmed feet of domestic horses. Conclusions The morphology of the feral horse foot appeared to be affected by the distance travelled and by the abrasive qualities and mechanical properties of the substrate under foot. There were marked differences in some conformation parameters between the feral horses in the current study and domestic horses in previous studies. Although the conformation of the feral horse foot may have some prescriptive value, concerns regarding abnormal foot anatomy warrant further investigation.

Supporting the development of inclusive products : the effects of everyday ambient illumination levels and contrast on older adults' near visual acuity

Current older adult capability data-sets fail to account for the effects of everyday environmental conditions on capability. This article details a study that investigates the effects of everyday ambient illumination conditions (overcast, 6000 lx; in-house lighting, 150 lx and street lighting, 7.5 lx) and contrast (90%, 70%, 50% and 30%) on the near visual acuity (VA) of older adults (n= 38, 65-87 years). VA was measured at a 1-m viewing distance using logarithm of minimum angle of resolution (LogMAR) acuity charts. Results from the study showed that for all contrast levels tested, VA decreased by 0.2 log units between the overcast and street lighting conditions. On average, in overcast conditions, participants could detect detail around 1.6 times smaller on the LogMAR charts compared with street lighting. VA also significantly decreased when contrast was reduced from 70% to 50%, and from 50% to 30% in each of the ambient illumination conditions. Practitioner summary: This article presents an experimental study that investigates the impact of everyday ambient illumination levels and contrast on older adults' VA. Results show that both factors have a significant effect on their VA. Findings suggest that environmental conditions need to be accounted for in older adult capability data-sets/designs.

Discrete loading of the foot during hurdle drills: A pilot investigation

Introduction: Lower limb function in hurdling is patently asymmetrical. The lead limb undertakes the preparatory and landing steps while the trail limb contends with the hurdle and recovery steps. Discrete loading profiles of these steps will reflect the asymmetrical function and may provide useful insight into injury mechanisms. A pilot study was undertaken to determine the loading profiles of the hurdle, landing and recovery steps of elite male hurdlers. Equivalent data for steps between hurdles, where the running action is more symmetrical, were used for the purpose of comparison, simultaneously minimising the confounding effect of speed. Methodology: In-shoe pressures were recorded (FScan, 200 Hz) for four elite male hurdlers while they completed a routine hurdle drill at a self-selected fast but sub-race speed. The drill comprised of three consecutive hurdles. Data for the hurdle, landing and recovery steps of the first and second hurdles, along with data for the running steps between hurdles 1 and 2, and 2 and 3, were used for the purpose of analysis. Peak pressures within 1cm2 masks were determined for the hallux, first, central and fifth metatarsals (T1, M1, M2–4 and M5 respectively). Peak pressure (kPa) and loading duration (ms) for the hurdle, landing and recovery steps are reported as a percentage of the respective limb-matched values for between-hurdle steps. Results/discussion: For between-hurdle steps, T1, M1 and M2–4 peak pressures were 312/357, 356/306 and 362/368 kPa, lead/trail limbs respectively. For the hurdle, landing and recovery steps, pressures at T1 and M1 increased. For T1 the increases were in the order of 17%, 36% and 8% (hurdle, landing and recovery steps, respectively) while the corresponding increases at M1 were 7%, 54% and 20%. Pressures at M2–4 were similar for all steps, while M5 loaded erratically. For the between-hurdle steps, the loading durations at T1, M1 and M2–4, were 160/162, 170/142 and 190/191 ms, respectively. For the landing step, loading duration decreased for T1, M1and M2–4 (−8%, −19% and −18%, respectively). In the hurdle step, loading duration decreased for the metatarsals but not for T1. Conclusions: The hurdling action leads to regional pressure increases that act for shorter durations in comparison to the between-hurdle running steps. These changes are most notable at the first metatarsal, a common site of foot injury.

Supporting children's language and literacy skills : the effectiveness of shared book reading intervention strategies with parents

Parents are encouraged to read with their children from an early age because shared book reading helps children to develop their language and early literacy skills. A pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) research design was adopted to investigate the influence of two forms of a shared reading intervention (Dialogic Reading and Dialogic Reading with the addition of Print Referencing) on children’s language and literacy skills. Dialogic reading is a validated shared reading intervention that has been shown to improve children’s oral language skills prior to formal schooling (Whitehurst & Lonigan, 1998). Print referencing is another form of shared reading intervention that has the potential to have effects on children’s print knowledge as they begin school (Justice & Ezell, 2002). However, training parents to use print referencing strategies at home has not been researched extensively although research findings indicate its effectiveness when used by teachers in the early years of school. Eighty parents of Preparatory year children from three Catholic schools in low income areas in the outer suburbs of a metropolitan city were trained to deliver specific shared reading strategies in an eight-week home intervention. Parents read eight books to their children across the period of the intervention. Each book was requested to be read at least three times a week. There were 42 boys and 38 girls ranging in age from 4.92 years to 6.25 years (M=5.53, SD=0.33) in the sample. The families were randomly assigned to three groups: Dialogic Reading (DR); Dialogic Reading with the addition of Print Referencing (DR + PR); and a Control group. Six measures were used to assess children’s language skills at pre and post, and follow-up (three months after the intervention). These measures assessed oral language (receptive and expressive vocabulary), phonological awareness skills (rhyme, word completion), alphabet knowledge, and concepts about print. Results of the intervention showed that there were significant differences from pre to post between the two intervention groups and the control group on three measures: expressive vocabulary, rhyme, and concepts about print. The shared reading strategies delivered by parents of the dialogic reading, and dialogic reading with the addition of print referencing, showed promising results to develop children’s oral language skills in terms of expressive vocabulary and rhyme, as well as understanding of the concepts about print. At follow-up, when the children entered Year 1, the two intervention groups (DR and DR + PR) group had significantly maintained their knowledge of concepts about prints when compared with the control group. Overall, the findings from this intervention study did not show that dialogic reading with the addition of print referencing had stronger effects on children’s early literacy skills than dialogic reading alone. The research also explored if pre-existing family factors impacted on the outcomes of the intervention from pre to post. The relationships between maternal education and home reading practices prior to intervention and child outcomes at post were considered. However, there were no significant effects of maternal education and home literacy activities on child outcomes at post. Additionally, there were no significant effects for the level of compliance of parents with the intervention program in terms of regular weekly reading to children during the intervention period on child outcomes at post. These non-significant findings are attributed to the lack of variability in the recruited sample. Parents participating in the intervention had high levels of education, although they were recruited from schools in low socio-economic areas; parents were already highly engaged in home literacy activities at recruitment; and the parents were highly compliant in reading regularly to their child during the intervention. Findings of the current study did show that training in shared reading strategies enhanced children’s early language and literacy skills. Both dialogic reading and dialogic reading with the addition of print referencing improved children’s expressive vocabulary, rhyme, and concepts about print at post intervention. Further research is needed to identify how, and if, print referencing strategies used by parents at home can be effective over and above the use of dialogic reading strategies. In this research, limitations of sample size and the nature of the intervention to use print referencing strategies at home may have restricted the opportunities for this research study to find more effects on children’s emergent literacy skills or for the effectiveness of combining dialogic reading with print referencing strategies. However, these results did indicate that there was value in teaching parents to implement shared reading strategies at home in order to improve early literacy skills as children begin formal schooling.

A Worthwhile Exchange - a Guide to Indigenous Philanthropy: research findings and success stories from philanthropy supporting Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander People.

The Guide includes research findings from the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Non Profit Studies at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). This research probed the experiences of fourteen Indigenous people who have had different degrees of success in seeking funding from philanthropic organisations. This research shows how grantmakers can make a significant difference in the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.