The 45 year old health check - feasibility and impact on practices and patient behaviour

Background: The 45 year old health check (MBS item 717) for patients aged 45-49 years was introduced in 2006. This study evaluated its impact on preventive care and patient reported risk factors. Methods: A quantitative and qualitative study was conducted in eight general practices in Sydney, New South Wales. It involved follow up surveys of 118 patients taken both before the check and 3 months after. Practice staff were trained and supported to conduct the health checks and appropriate interventions. Results: There was ambivalence among some of the general practitioners toward the health check, but most found it feasible. The reported frequency of GP advice relating to each of the SNAP (smoking, nutrition, alcohol, and physical activity) risk factors increased; patient referrals, however, were infrequent. Patients' readiness to change their diet and exercise habits improved as a result of the check, with respondents showing an increase in both the consumption of vegetables and the frequency of physical activity. There was no change in body mass index, smoking or alcohol consumption. Discussion: The health check was associated with a short term improvement in diet and physical activity behaviours. Mechanisms to enhance referral need to be developed.

Radicalisation theories, policing practices, and “the future of terrorism?”

This article explores how theories of radicalisation have placed an emphasis on the development of an indicators-based approach to identify individuals who might engage in politically motivated violence. We trace how policing agencies have juxtaposed the search for indicators as a defence against criticisms of racial profiling. However, through an analysis of Canadian counter-terrorism training programmes, we demonstrate that the search for radicalisation indicators reaffirms pre-emptive and discriminatory security practices. We insist that despite efforts to theorise radicalisation outside of the practices of the “war on terror”, current trends risk rationalising prejudicial policing that affirms social exclusion and injustice.

Investment opportunity set, corporate governance practices and firm performance

Prior research on the relationship between corporate controls and firm performance is premised on the notion that, in theory, there is direct association between corporate governance and firm performance. However, extensive research has produced mixed and often weak results. In this paper, we posit, as a primary relationship, a negative association between growth and firm performance and then examine whether corporate governance variables moderate this negative relationship. Our results support this notion and show that the role of corporate governance variables in firm performance should be evaluated in the context of the firm’s external environment measured in this study in terms of growth opportunities.

Shifting practices and frames: literacy, learning and computer games

Digital culture and the online world have profound implications for contemporary notions of literacy, learning and curriculum. The increasing integration of digital culture and technologies into young people’s lives reflects the energy and excitement offered by online worlds. Online forms of text and communication are shaping students’ experience of the world, including expectations and experiences about learning and literacy. While print literacies remain important, for schools to prepare students to participate in critical and agential ways in the contemporary and future world, they need also to teach them to be fully literate in digital and multimodal literacies, and at ease and in control in the online world. Computer games, and other forms of digital games, teach and exemplify multimodal forms of literacy. Schools can capitalize on their potential and work with them productively. Doing so however, entails recognizing the messy complexity of schooling, and the practicalities of classroom lives. This chapter reports on a three year project in five schools concerned with literacy and computer games, and discusses the important role of teachers as on-the- ground leaders in pioneering new conceptions of literacy, and of curriculum change, and the importance of school structures and support to enable such change to happen.

International commercial law : principles and practices

International Commercial Law: Principles and practices considers the multifaceted nature of international commercial law and explains the rules, principles, policies and practices that comprise this area of law and the wide-ranging influences that shape it

The book provides an extensive analysis of the wider policy, moral, economic and political considerations underpinning international commercial law.
- It analyses and evaluates existing standards and practices, and suggests proposals for reform.
- It encourages readers to make informed judgments regarding the interpretation of relevant legal standards and to make predictions about how the law is likely to develop.

Spatial and temporal distribution of solute leaching in heterogeneous soils: analysis and application to multisampler lysimeter data

Accurate assessment of the fate of salts, nutrients, and pollutants in natural, heterogeneous soils requires a proper quantification of both spatial and temporal solute spreading during solute movement. The number of experiments with multisampler devices that measure solute leaching as a function of space and time is increasing. The breakthrough curve (BTC) can characterize the temporal aspect of solute leaching, and recently the spatial solute distribution curve (SSDC) was introduced to describe the spatial solute distribution. We combined and extended both concepts to develop a tool for the comprehensive analysis of the full spatio-temporal behavior of solute leaching. The sampling locations are ranked in order of descending amount of total leaching (defined as the cumulative leaching from an individual compartment at the end of the experiment), thus collapsing both spatial axes of the sampling plane into one. The leaching process can then be described by a curved surface that is a function of the single spatial coordinate and time. This leaching surface is scaled to integrate to unity, and termed S can efficiently represent data from multisampler solute transport experiments or simulation results from multidimensional solute transport models. The mathematical relationships between the scaled leaching surface S, the BTC, and the SSDC are established. Any desired characteristic of the leaching process can be derived from S. The analysis was applied to a chloride leaching experiment on a lysimeter with 300 drainage compartments of 25 cm2 each. The sandy soil monolith in the lysimeter exhibited fingered flow in the water-repellent top layer. The observed S demonstrated the absence of a sharp separation between fingers and dry areas, owing to diverging flow in the wettable soil below the fingers. Times-to-peak, maximum solute fluxes, and total leaching varied more in high-leaching than in low-leaching compartments. This suggests a stochastic–convective transport process in the high-flow streamtubes, while convection–dispersion is predominant in the low-flow areas. S can be viewed as a bivariate probability density function. Its marginal distributions are the BTC of all sampling locations combined, and the SSDC of cumulative solute leaching at the end of the experiment. The observed S cannot be represented by assuming complete independence between its marginal distributions, indicating that S contains information about the leaching process that cannot be derived from the combination of the BTC and the SSDC.

Human resource practices, unionization and the organizational efficiency of French industry

Organizational performance improves through several channels, including changes in efficiency, innovation and technological change. Most of the extant research has focused on overall performance, often measured by partial measures of productivity, with little attention given to the components of performance. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of HR practices and unionization on one important channel - organization efficiency - as measured by technical and scale efficiency. Using French industry survey data, the paper shows that HR practices do influence efficiency, but this is moderated by the existence of unions. The results show a rather complex set of associations. We find robust results that show that in France, HR practices have a positive effect on scale efficiency but this effect is dampened in the presence of unions. On their own, HRpractices have no effect on technical efficiency. However, some of the results suggest that HR practices can exert a positive influence when combined with unions.

Promoting comprehensive sun protection policies and practices in outdoor sports: a qualitative study of perceived priorities and practicalities

Sun protection policies, environments, practices, and attitudes in sporting club contexts might be significant determinants of sun exposure among adult sporting participants. Face-to-face interviews, using standardised, open-ended questions were conducted with 20 club officials from four sports: soccer, hockey, tennis and surf lifesaving. Thematic content analysis identified a number of salient themes. Formal sun protection policies were well-implemented in surf lifesaving, but less so in soccer, hockey and tennis clubs, which often had informal sun protection practices in place. Officials perceived sun protection to be important, which was related to perceived exposure levels, the type of sport, length of time played and the season. Consistent logistical and practical considerations emerged, including limited resources, availability of shade, and lack of control over sporting facilities, uniform regulations and games scheduling. Sun protection efforts often focused on children more than adult players. Reciprocal responsibility was an important theme, where it was perceived that responsibility for sun protection should be equally shared between the club and the member. In this study it was found that reciprocal responsibility, duty of care and sport-specific practical requirements might significantly influence the success of policy, environmental and education initiatives for sun protection in sporting settings.

Exclusions and inclusions: multiculturalism in contemporary Taiwanese and Australian picturebooks

In a 1990 essay on multiculturalism and Australian children's literature, John Stephens points out that in texts of the 1970s and 1980s, examinations of multicultural issues are conducted within a relatively conservative set of paradigms where views of cultures other than Anglo-Celtic are filtered through the perspectives of Anglo-Celtic, middle-class characters, and multiculturalism is valued only in so far as it is seen to contribute to the wellbeing (economic and psychological) of the dominant culture. In Taiwan, as social groups previously marginalised seek justice through the practices and policies of multiculturalism, long-standing resentment at the authoritarian conduct of the Nationalists has manifested in texts which examine the political conflicts and cultural clashes of the past: the silenced truth is uncovered and the stigmatisation of certain ethnic groups is gradually removed.\n But these texts typically address ideas of cultural difference obliquely and by way of analogies, rather than through the realist representations of WhoeverYou Are and Fang Fang's Chinese NewYear.

Fat content of chips, quality of frying fat and deep-frying practices in New Zealand fast food outlets

Objectives: To collect baseline data on the fat content of hot chips, quality (degradation) of cooking fat, deep-frying practices and related attitudes in fast food outlets in New Zealand. To identify the key determinants of the fat content of chips and quality of cooking fat. Methods: A nationally representative sample of fast food outlets (n=150, response rate 80%) was surveyed between September 1998 and March 1999. Data collected included a questionnaire, observation of cooking practices and analysis of cooked chips and frying fat. Results: Only 8% of independent operators had formal training in deep frying practices compared with 93% of chain operators. There was a wide range of fat content of chips (5%-20%, mean 11.5%). The use of thinner chips, crinkle cut chips and lower fryer fat temperature were associated with higher chip fat content. Eighty-nine per cent of chain outlets used 6–10 mm chips compared with 83% of independent outlets that used chips ≥12 mm. A wide range of frying temperatures was recorded (136–233°C) with 58% of outlets frying outside the reference range (175–190°C). As indices of fat degradation, fat acid and polar compound values above the recommended levels occurred in 54% and 5% of outlets respectively. Operators seemed willing to learn more about best practice techniques, with lack of knowledge being the main barrier to change. Conclusions and implications: Deep frying practices could be improved through operator training and certification options. Even a small decrease in the mean fat content of chips would reduce the obesogenic impact of this popular food.

Bayesian classification of catchments using spatial data: a first step to improved modelling of catchment effects on stream ecological condition

A major challenge facing freshwater ecologists and managers is the development of models that link stream ecological condition to catchment scale effects, such as land use. Previous attempts to make such models have followed two general approaches. The bottom-up approach employs mechanistic models, which can quickly become too complex to be useful. The top-down approach employs empirical models derived from large data sets, and has often suffered from large amounts of unexplained variation in stream condition.

We believe that the lack of success of both modelling approaches may be at least partly explained by scientists considering too wide a breadth of catchment type. Thus, we believe that by stratifying large sets of catchments into groups of similar types prior to modelling, both types of models may be improved. This paper describes preliminary work using a Bayesian classification software package, ‘Autoclass’ (Cheeseman and Stutz 1996) to create classes of catchments within the Murray Darling Basin based on physiographic data.

Autoclass uses a model-based classification method that employs finite mixture modelling and trades off model fit versus complexity, leading to a parsimonious solution. The software provides information on the posterior probability that the classification is ‘correct’ and also probabilities for alternative classifications. The importance of each attribute in defining the individual classes is calculated and presented, assisting description of the classes. Each case is ‘assigned’ to a class based on membership probability, but the probability of membership of other classes is also provided. This feature deals very well with cases that do not fit neatly into a larger class. Lastly, Autoclass requires the user to specify the measurement error of continuous variables.

Catchments were derived from the Australian digital elevation model. Physiographic data werederived from national spatial data sets. There was very little information on measurement errors for the spatial data, and so a conservative error of 5% of data range was adopted for all continuous attributes. The incorporation of uncertainty into spatial data sets remains a research challenge.

The results of the classification were very encouraging. The software found nine classes of catchments in the Murray Darling Basin. The classes grouped together geographically, and followed altitude and latitude gradients, despite the fact that these variables were not included in the classification. Descriptions of the classes reveal very different physiographic environments, ranging from dry and flat catchments (i.e. lowlands), through to wet and hilly catchments (i.e. mountainous areas). Rainfall and slope were two important discriminators between classes. These two attributes, in particular, will affect the ways in which the stream interacts with the catchment, and can thus be expected to modify the effects of land use change on ecological condition. Thus, realistic models of the effects of land use change on streams would differ between the different types of catchments, and sound management practices will differ.

A small number of catchments were assigned to their primary class with relatively low probability. These catchments lie on the boundaries of groups of catchments, with the second most likely class being an adjacent group. The locations of these ‘uncertain’ catchments show that the Bayesian classification dealt well with cases that do not fit neatly into larger classes.

Although the results are intuitive, we cannot yet assess whether the classifications described in this paper would assist the modelling of catchment scale effects on stream ecological condition. It is most likely that catchment classification and modelling will be an iterative process, where the needs of the model are used to guide classification, and the results of classifications used to suggest further refinements to models.

Re/de/signing the world : postructuralism, deconstruction and 'reality' in outdoor/environmental education research

This paper examines rhetorical constructions of ‘reality’ in selected outdoor/environmental education discourses-practices.1 Many outdoor/environmental educators privilege philosophical realism coupled with suspicion towards poststructuralism(s) and deconstruction. From a postlogographic position on language, we argue that producing texts is a method of inquiry, an experience and performance of semiosis-in-use as we sign (and de/sign) the world into existence. This re/de/signed world never represents the ‘real’ world precisely or completely, and in this paper we explore and enact modes of textual (and extratextual) production that struggle to retain a poststructuralist skepticism towards representational claims without falling into antirealist language games. We focus in particular on Deleuzean concepts of ‘rhizomatic’ inquiry and nomadic textuality as enabling dispositions for re/de/signing worlds in which realities and representations are mutually constitutive (rather than dialectically related).

Spatial ability is impaired and mineralcorticoid receptor mRNA expression in zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) selected for acute high corticosterone response to stress

In mammals, stress hormones have profound influences on spatial learning and memory. Here, we investigated whether glucocorticoids influence cognitive abilities in birds by testing a line of zebra finches selectively bred to respond to an acute stressor with high plasma corticosterone (CORT) levels. Cognitive performance was assessed by spatial and visual one-trial associative memory tasks. Task performance in the high CORT birds was compared with that of the random-bred birds from a control breeding line. The birds selected for high CORT in response to an acute stressor performed less well than the controls in the spatial task, but there were no significant differences between the lines in performance during the visual task. The birds from the two lines did not differ in their plasma CORT levels immediately after the performance of the memory tasks; nevertheless, there were significant differences in peak plasma CORT between the lines. The high CORT birds also had significantly lower mineralocorticoid receptor mRNA expression in the hippocampus than the control birds. There was no measurable difference between the lines in glucocorticoid receptor mRNA density in either the hippocampus or the paraventricular nucleus. Together, these findings provide evidence to suggest that stress hormones have important regulatory roles in avian spatial cognition.

Intranet and internet uptake and usage within UK building surveying practices. A user based evaluation of advantages and disadvantages

The ‘single most important technological discovery since the birth of the p.c.’, (Gates, 1996). The swift increase in Internet utilisation within businesses and surveying has changed working methods within UK based Surveying practices. User numbers expanded rapidly since the early 1990’s and estimates place a figure of 150 million internet users globally (www.Yahoo.com, 2000). Sloan and Kee Low (2000) established that ‘e-commerce’ is a revolutionary way of trading and conducting business activities. There are opportunities for surveying practices including, reducing communication time, increasing revenues from new and existing sources, enhanced client satisfaction and competitive advantage (Cronin, 1996). Others (Dixon, 1998) perceive threats, such as ‘disintermediation’, to the traditional role of the surveyor.

This research examined the levels of internet and intranet access within the UK Building and Quantity Surveying practices and corporate firms to establish how the internet has affected working methods and client requirements. The research method comprised a qualitative approach using an email and postal questionnaire survey of a random sample of practices. The questionnaire findings formed the basis of semi structured interviews conducted with senior management of large practices to gain a deeper understanding of the issues identified within the survey.

Data analysis revealed the traditional role of the surveyor as a broker of information may be under threat in the long term. Generally levels of internet access in the sample exceed that of general business levels (Dti, 2000) with the largest growth pre 1997. The perceived advantages and barriers to Intranet and Internet usage were identified by the research.