Costs, benefits and risks of IT in construction

Construction organisations were found to be reluctant to invest in IT due to the lack of a technique that accurately assesses the costs, benefits and risks. More importantly the associated indirect costs that are often overlooked can constitute up to 80% of costs related to investing in IT.

Comparison of pQCT parameters between ulna and radius in retired elite gymnasts : the skeletal benefits associated with long-term gymnastics are bone- and site-specific

Objectives: To compare the skeletal benefits associated with gymnastics between ulna and radius.
Methods: 19 retired artistic gymnasts, aged 18-36 years, were compared to 24 sedentary women. Bone mineral content (BMC), total and cortical bone area (ToA, CoA), trabecular and cortical volumetric density (TrD, CoD) and cortical thickness (CoTh) were measured by pQCT at the 4% and 66% forearm.
Results: At the 4% site, BMC and ToA were more than twice greater at the radius than ulna whereas at the 66% site, BMC, ToA, CoA, CoTh and SSIpol were 20 to 51% greater at the ulna than radius in both groups (p<0.0001). At the 4% site, the skeletal benefits in BMC of the retired gymnasts over the non-gymnasts were 1.9 times greater at the radius than ulna (p<0.001), with enlarged bone size at the distal radius only. In contrast, the skeletal benefits at the 66% site were twice greater at the ulna than radius for BMC and CoA (p<0.01).
Conclusion: Whereas the skeletal benefits associated with long-term gymnastics were greater at the radius than ulna in the distal forearm, the reverse was found in the proximal forearm, suggesting both bones should be analysed when investigating forearm strength.

Skeletal benefits after long-term retirement in former elite female gymnasts

Bone strength benefits after long-term retirement from elite gymnastics in terms of bone geometry and volumetric BMD were studied by comparing retired female gymnasts to moderately active age-matched women. In a cross-sectional study, 30 retired female gymnasts were compared with 30 age-matched moderately active controls. Bone geometric and densitometric parameters were measured by pQCT at the distal epiphyses and shafts of the tibia, femur, radius, and humerus. Muscle cross-sectional areas were assessed from the shaft scans. Independent t-tests were conducted on bone and muscle variables to detect differences between the two groups. The gymnasts had retired for a mean of 6.1 ± 0.4 yr and were engaged in ≤2 h of exercise per week since retirement. At the radial and humeral shafts, cortical cross-sectional area (CSA), total CSA, BMC, and strength strain index (SSIpol) were significantly greater (13–38%, p ≤ 0.01) in the retired gymnasts; likewise, BMC and total CSA were significantly greater at the distal radius (22–25%, p ≤ 0.0001). In the lower limbs, total CSA and BMC at the femur and tibia shaft were greater by 8–11%, and trabecular BMD and BMC were only greater at the tibia (7–8%). Muscle CSA at the forearm and upper arm was greater by 15–17.6% (p ≤ 0.001) but was not different at the upper and lower leg. Past gymnastics training is associated with greater bone mass and bone size in women 6 yr after retirement. Skeletal benefits were site specific, with greater geometric adaptations (greater bone size) in the upper compared with the lower limbs.

Fundamental movement skills in children and adolescents : review of associated health benefits

The mastery of fundamental movement skills (FMS) has been purported as contributing to children's physical, cognitive and social development and is thought to provide the foundation for an active lifestyle. Commonly developed in childhood and subsequently refined into context- and sport-specific skills, they include locomotor (e.g. running and hopping), manipulative or object control (e.g. catching and throwing) and stability (e.g. balancing and twisting) skills. The rationale for promoting the development of FMS in childhood relies on the existence of evidence on the current or future benefits associated with the acquisition of FMS proficiency. The objective of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between FMS competency and potential health benefits in children and adolescents. Benefits were defined in terms of psychological, physiological and behavioural outcomes that can impact public health. A systematic search of six electronic databases (EMBASE, OVID MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus and SportDiscus) was conducted on 22 June 2009. Included studies were cross-sectional, longitudinal or experimental studies involving healthy children or adolescents (aged 3–18 years) that quantitatively analysed the relationship between FMS competency and potential benefits. The search identified 21 articles examining the relationship between FMS competency and eight potential benefits (i.e. global self-concept, perceived physical competence, cardio-respiratory fitness [CRF], muscular fitness, weight status, flexibility, physical activity and reduced sedentary behaviour). We found strong evidence for a positive association between FMS competency and physical activity in children and adolescents. There was also a positive relationship between FMS competency and CRF and an inverse association between FMS competency and weight status. Due to an inadequate number of studies, the relationship between FMS competency and the remaining benefits was classified as uncertain. More longitudinal and intervention research examining the relationship between FMS competency and potential psychological, physiological and behavioural outcomes in children and adolescents is recommended.

Measuring the intrinsic benefits of arts attendance

There is an emerging dissatisfaction with the current evaluative regimes for the quality and effectiveness of funded arts organizations. Far too much evaluation rests on audience satisfaction surveys and quantitative measures of audience attendance numbers, production numbers and revenue sources. The intrinsic benefits of the arts to audiences and to society are recognized to be of major importance, but the means to measure these in an acceptable and on-going manner has not been found. This article changes that. It shows, through almost three years of data collection on arts audiences, that a newly developed and tested Arts Audience Experience Index can be used and embedded by companies and government funding agencies to measure the audience experience of quality, alongside other acquittal tools.

Benefits and disadvantages of sharing the principalship

Trials are occurring around Australia and across education systems to test the veracity and feasibility of various models of job sharing in the Principalship. Currently it appears that Catholic schools are more likely to entertain such arrangements than other schooling sectors (Di Stephano, 2002), however, trials are currently underway in government schools in several Australian states (Department of Education and Children's Services, 2009). These trials arise from the need to encourage more people into the Principalship and to retain experienced Principals. There is scarce research in this area in Australia, but job sharing is an emerging trend in the Principalship that could grow in popularity. There are many reasons given for job-sharing in the Principalship. First is the incumbent's desire to acquire 'worldlife balance'. With an average working week of sixty hours or more (DEl 2004), sharing the leadership load is attractive. Principals currently trialling a shared arrangement cite the desire for more personal time, age and stage issues such as the need to care for ageing parents, and the hope for a transition period to retirement. Education departments see the part-time/shared option as being attractive to leadership aspirants at a time when there's a shortage of Principals and the increasing 'baby-boomer retirement problem to address. Another reason is an emerging interest in re-designing the Principalship, with various constructions being explored (Lacey, 2006). This article considers these new configurations of the Principalship.

The mobile skilled workforce : optimising benefits for rural communities

Many small rural communities with ageing populations and limited opportunities for young people are not attracting skilled workers, but have a flow of skilled people through the community as locums, seasonal workers or contractors. This project investigated the question: how can rural communities capture maximum benefit from professional and other highly skilled workers in the context of an increasingly mobile and transitory workforce? It found that rural communities derive a wide range of benefits from mobile skilled workers. Effectiveness of the integration process determines the nature and extent of mobile skilled worker contribution to the community. Community settings that encourage and support mobile skilled worker integration are identified in terms of culture, leadership and interactional infrastructure. These same settings also influence mobile skilled worker retention in rural communities. Rural communities need to be proactive in matching worker and community characteristics, and this begins with the recruitment process. Mobile skilled workers need assistance and support to develop a primary social contract, and the process needs to be monitored. This is a community-wide responsibility and requires a coordinated, whole-of-community approach. This is the first Australian study to explore how rural communities can capture the advantages from highly skilled mobile workers. Rural communities that make the most of the available pool of skills can increase resilience, identification and uptake of opportunities such as new enterprises, good practice in natural resource management, enhanced social and leisure opportunities, and the quality and range of local services. The importance of this report is that it provides a broad range of strategies for rural communities wanting to know how to optimise the benefits they derive from mobile skilled workers, regardless of their location or rural industry base.

Integrating sociological concepts into the study of accounting : yielding the benefits of team teaching

In response to recent criticisms of business and accounting education, a team of educators introduced a new course in social and critical perspectives on accounting. The course sought to integrate sociological concepts into the study of accounting, with key themes of social construction and social power forming a core of the course. The express intention was to raise student awareness of the nature and functions of accounting in contemporary society. The core teaching strategy involved team teaching, which was used to enhance learning and develop higher order generic skills. Feedback from two diverse cohorts of students vindicated the approach undertaken and reinforced the importance of linking teaching and research in accounting programs. Change in accounting education can be directed towards regaining and rebuilding social relevance for a discipline too often associated with a narrow economic imperative rather than the broader public interest.