TOF-SIMS analysis using C60. Effect of impact energy on yield and damage

C₆₀ has been shown to give increased sputter yields and, hence, secondary ions when used as a primary particle in SIMS analysis. In addition, for many samples, there is also a reduction in damage accumulation following continued bombardment with the ion beam. In this paper, we report a study of the impact energy (up to 120 keV) of C₆₀ on the secondary ion yield from a number of samples with consideration of any variation in yield response over mass ranges up to m/z 2000. Although increased impact energy is expected to produce a corresponding increase in sputter yield/rate, it is important to investigate any increase in sample damage with increasing energy and, hence, efficiency of the ion beams. On our test samples including a metal, along with organic samples, there is a general increase in secondary ion yield of high-mass species with increasing impact energy. A corresponding reduction in the formation of low-mass fragments is also observed. Depth profiling of organic samples demonstrates that when using C₆₀, there does not appear to be any increase in damage evident in the mass spectra as the impact energy is increased.

The impact of learning in the workplace policy on differing ICT degrees

At Victoria University, the release of a new Learning in the Workplace and Community (LiWC) policy has been introduced to ensure that graduates are job and career ready. The policy underlines the importance of workplace contextual learning in all course deliveries and is scheduled for progressive implementation by 2010. For each degree, the policy mandates that a minimum of 25% of program content and assessment must be related to work integrated learning.

Compliance with the 25% shift poses significant challenges for its implementation upon all undergraduate programs since the policy is expected to impact upon program structures, unit deliveries, assessment practices, and course administrations. In particular, there has been an extensive review of existing approaches to learning and teaching in the programs that deliver information and communications technology (ICT) degrees across business and science faculties. This paper describes the current Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Bachelor of Business in Information Systems programs identifying similarities and differences between the two offerings with respect to their learning in workplace components. It explores possible synergies between the two programs that could be capitalized upon to implement the LiWC policy and details the challenges to both faculties in mounting a coordinated response.

Planning helps : the impact of release planning on subsequent re-entry experiences of child sex offenders

Recent research has demonstrated that poor release planning is associated with sex offender recidivism; however, whether release planning correlates with actual re-entry experiences has not been investigated systematically. Accordingly, in the present study release planning was rated for 16 child sex offenders, and semi-structured interviews about re-entry experiences were conducted at one, three and six months following their release from prison. As expected, significant positive correlations were found between release planning and re-entry experiences across the follow-up period, indicating that higher-quality release planning is associated with more positive re-entry experiences. Accordingly, it can be assumed that re-entry experiences differ between recidivists and non-recidivists, and hence positive re-entry experiences contribute to a reduction in sex offender recidivism. The implications for the management of offender release, policy makers and society as a whole are discussed.

Assessing the impact of diabetes on the quality of life of older adults living in a care home : validation of the ADDQoL senior

Aims  Around a quarter of UK care-home residents have diabetes. Diabetes is known to impact quality of life but existing diabetes-specific quality of life measures are unsuitable for elderly care-home residents. We aimed to develop and evaluate a new measure for use with older adults, to be particularly suitable for use with care-home residents: the Audit of Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL) Senior†.

Methods  Content and format changes were made to the 19-domain ADDQoL, informed by related measures for people with visual impairments (12 domain-specific items were retained, four items were revised/added and three items were removed). This revision was modified further following cognitive debriefing interviews with three older adults living in a care home. Psychometric evaluation of the newly developed 17-domain ADDQoL Senior was conducted using data from 90 care-home residents with diabetes who took part in a broader intervention study.

Results  The life domains most impacted by diabetes were ‘independence’ and ‘freedom to eat as I wish’. The ADDQoL Senior demonstrated good factor structure and internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.924). Domain scores were, as expected, significantly intercorrelated.

Conclusions  The ADDQoL Senior measures the perceived impact of diabetes on quality of life in older adults, and has been found to be suitable for those living in care homes if administered by interview. The scale has demonstrated acceptability and excellent psychometric properties. It is anticipated that the number of items may be reduced in the future if our current findings can be replicated.

The impact of an exercise physiologist coordinated resistance exercise program on the physical function of people receiving hemodialysis: a stepped wedge randomised control study

Background:

Cultural diversity through transformative action research: translating ideas into real world impact

According to the World Bank, in 2013 more than 215 million people were living outside their countries of birth, and the United Nations Population Fund outlined that if all international migrants lived in the same place they would constitute the world’s fifth most populous country. In other words, the world’s migrant population is greater than at any other time in history and is expected to grow further. As a result of this ever-increasing human mobility, cultural diversity is a fait accompli. For this reason the mission of the Alfred Deakin Research Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation (ADRI-CG), since its inception in 2001, has been to work towards fostering intercultural understanding, human rights and social inclusion through transformative action research and within multidisciplinary approaches. Further, the Institute is mindful that academic work alone is not enough to effect lasting change in both policy and practice, and as such continually seeks strategic partnerships and effective dissemination strategies to influence public policy, and reach communities both locally and globally.

Prevalence of disability in Australian elderly: impact of trends in obesity and diabetes

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to estimate the impact of past and future changes in obesity and diabetes prevalence in mid-life on disability prevalence for adult Australians. METHODS: We analysed data from the Australian Diabetes, Obesity and Lifestyle study (AusDiab) including participants aged 45-64years, disability-free at baseline (1999/2000) with disability information at follow-up (2011/12) (n=2107). We used coefficients from multinomial logistic regression to predict 10-year probabilities of disability and death from baseline predictors (age, sex, obesity, smoking, diabetes and hypertension). We estimated the prevalence of disability attributable to past (1980) and expected future (2025) changes in obesity and diabetes prevalence using the life table approach. RESULTS: We estimated that the prevalence of disability for those aged between 55 and 74years would have been 1697 cases per 100,000 persons less in 2010 (10.3% less) if the rates of obesity and diabetes observed in 2000 had been as low as the levels observed in 1980. However, if instead the prevalence of obesity and diabetes had been as high as the levels expected in 2025, then the prevalence of disability would have been an additional 2173 per 100,000 persons (an additional 13.2%). CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate, for the first time, a substantial potential impact of obesity and diabetes trends on disability amongst those aged 55-74years. In Australian adults by 2025 we estimate that around 26% of disability cases would have been avoidable if there had been no change in obesity and diabetes prevalence since 1980. A similar impact is likely around the world in developed countries.

The impact of a suicide prevention strategy on reducing the economic cost of suicide in the New South Wales construction industry

BACKGROUND: Little research has been conducted into the cost and prevention of self-harm in the workplace. AIMS: To quantify the economic cost of self-harm and suicide among New South Wales (NSW) construction industry (CI) workers and to examine the potential economic impact of implementing Mates in Construction (MIC). METHOD: Direct and indirect costs were estimated. Effectiveness was measured using the relative risk ratio (RRR). In Queensland (QLD), relative suicide risks were estimated for 5-year periods before and after the commencement of MIC. For NSW, the difference between the expected (i.e., using NSW pre-MIC [2008-2012] suicide risk) and counterfactual suicide cases (i.e., applying QLD RRR) provided an estimate of potential suicide cases averted in the post-MIC period (2013-2017). Results were adjusted using the average uptake (i.e., 9.4%) of MIC activities in QLD. Economic savings from averted cases were compared with the cost of implementing MIC. RESULTS: The cost of self-harm and suicide in the NSW CI was AU $527 million in 2010. MIC could potentially avert 0.4 suicides, 1.01 full incapacity cases, and 4.92 short absences, generating annual savings of AU $3.66 million. For every AU $1 invested, the economic return is approximately AU $4.6. CONCLUSION: MIC represents a positive economic investment in workplace safety.

Variation in the impact of non-native seaweeds along gradients of habitat degradation: a meta-analysis and an experimental test

Biological invasions are acknowledged among the main drivers of global changes in biodiversity. Despite compelling evidence of species interactions being strongly regulated by environmental conditions, there is a dearth of studies investi-gating how the effects of non-native species vary among areas exposed to different anthropogenic pressures. Focusing on marine macroalgae, we performed a meta-analysis to test whether and how the direction and magnitude of their effects on resident communities and species varies in relation to cumulative anthropogenic impact levels. The relationship between human impact levels and non-native species impact intensity emerged only for a reduced subset of the response variables examined. Yet, there was a trend for the effects of non-native species on community biomass and abundance and on species abundance to become less negative at heavily impacted sites. By contrast, the magnitude of negative effects of seaweed on community evenness tended to increase with human impact levels. The hypothesis of decreasing severity of invader’ impacts along a gradient of habitat degradation was also tested experimentally at a regional scale by comparing the effects of the removal of non-native alga,
Caulerpa cylindracea, on resident assemblages among rocky reefs exposed to different anthropogenic pressures. Assemblages at urban and pristine site did not differ when invaded, but did so when C. cylindracea was removed. Our results suggest that, despite the generally weak relationship between human impacts levels and non-native species impacts, more negative impacts can be expected in less stressful environments (i.e. less degraded or pristine sites), where competitive interactions are presumably the driving force structuring resident communities. Implementing strategies for controlling the establishment of non-native seaweeds should be, thus, considered a priority for preserving biodiversity in relatively pristine areas. On the other hand, control of invaders at degraded sites could be warranted to lessen their role as propagule sources

The impact of occupant behaviour on residential greenhouse gas emissions reduction

In 2011-12, greenhouse gas emissions from the Australian residential sector were 101.6 Mt and are expected to grow by 38% by 2050. In order to reduce these emissions, much emphasis has been placed on increasing the energy efficiency of buildings and appliances. Occupant behaviour, however, is probably the single most significant factor which determines energy use and emissions. This paper describes research undertaken to rank the most common occupant behaviours, based upon their impact on greenhouse gas emissions associated with residential energy use, in an architect-designed house in Australia. The occupant behaviours investigated were changing: the heating and cooling temperature set points, window openings, external blind use and lighting use. Simulations were carried out using Primero and EnergyPlus software. Based on the simulation results of greenhouse gas emissions, the following ranking of overall influence (from most influential to the least) has been determined: external blind use was one of the most effective measures to reduce emissions. Cooling set point temperature was similarly important with the magnitude of impact depending on the set point e.g. a 2°C increase had an impact comparable to the use of external blinds. The impact of the heating set point temperature was also dependent on the set point and overall slightly lower compared to the cooling set point temperature. Lighting use was the least influential parameter in the context of this study.

Bonding beyond the pair in a monogamous bird: Impact on social structure in adult rooks (Corvus frugilegus)

The formation of social bonds outside the mated pair is not frequently reported in monogamous birds, although it may be expected in some species like rooks, living in groups all year round. Here we explore the social structure of captive adult rooks over three breeding seasons. We recorded proximities and affiliations (i.e., allofeeding, allopreening, contact-sit) to classify relationships according to their strength. Three categories of relationships emerged: primary (i.e., pairs), secondary and weak relationships. Affiliations and sexual behaviours were not restricted to pairs, and secondary relationships were clearly recognizable. Mixed-sex secondary relationships were qualitatively equivalent to pairs (i.e., same behaviours in the same proportions), although they were quantitatively less intense. Same sex pairs occurred, and were qualitatively equivalent to mixedsex pairs. Overall we found that rooks social structure is more than just an aggregation of pairs, which highlights the importance of considering extra-pair relationships in socially monogamous birds.