Childhood neurodevelopmental factors and risk of psychotic experiences in early adolescence: genotypic variation and developmental endophenotypes

This thesis was about understanding the childhood developmental factors that may lead to psychotic experiences in early adolescence. It also contributed to efforts towards preventative strategies for children with a high risk of psychotic symptoms, and arguably schizophrenia. Based on the findings, the author concluded, that further research on this topic should focus on the development of early detection methods and interventions for high risk children.

Maltreatment and family dysfunction in childhood and the subsequent adjustment of children and adults

The adjustment problems associated with sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, neglect, and witnessing family violence during childhood were examined in three studies. Study 1 demonstrated significant overlap between maltreatment types in parent reports (N = 50) of maltreatment experiences of their child aged 5–12 years. Parental sexual punitiveness, traditionality, family adaptability and family cohesion significantly predicted scores on 4 maltreatment scales and children's externalizing behavior problems. Level of maltreatment predicted internalizing, externalizing, and sexual behavior problems. In Study 2, significant overlap was found between adults' retrospective reports (N = 138) of all 5 types of maltreating behaviors. Parental sexual punitiveness, traditionality, family adaptability, and family cohesion during childhood predicted the level of maltreatment and current psychopathology. Although child maltreatment scores predicted psychopathology, childhood family variables were better predictors of adjustment. Study 3 demonstrated that child maltreatment scores predicted positive aspects of adult adaptive functioning (N = 95).

General anaesthesia or conscious sedation for painful procedures in childhood cancer: the family's perspective

Background: Until recently, midazolam sedation was routinely used in our institution for bone marrow aspirates and lumbar punctures in children with cancer. It has been perceived by many doctors and nurses as being well tolerated by children and their families.

Aim: To compare the efficacy of inhalational general anaesthesia and midazolam sedation for these procedures.

Methods: A total of 96 children with neoplastic disorders, who received either inhalational general anaesthesia with sevoflurane, nitrous oxide, and oxygen (GA) or sedation with oral or nasal midazolam (SED) as part of their routine preparation for procedures were studied. The experiences of these childen were examined during their current procedure and during their first ever procedure. Main outcome measures were the degree of physical restraint used on the child, and the levels of distress and pain experienced by the child during the current procedure and during the first procedure. The family‘s preference for future procedures was also determined.

Results: During 102 procedures under GA, restraint was needed on four occasions (4%) when the anaesthetic mask was first applied, minimal pain was reported, and children were reported as distressed about 25% of the time. During 80 SED procedures, restraint was required in 94%, firm restraint was required in 66%, the child could not be restrained in 14%, median pain score was 6 (scale 0 (no pain) to 6 (maximum pain)), and 90% of the parents reported distress in their child. Ninety per cent of families wanted GA for future procedures. Many families reported dissatisfaction with the sedation regime and raised concerns about the restraint used on their child.

Conclusions: This general anaesthetic regime minimised the need for restraint and was associated with low levels of pain and distress. The sedation regime, by contrast, was much less effective. There was a significant disparity between the perceptions of health professionals and those of families with respect to how children coped with painful procedures.

Leisure experiences in tourist attractions : exploring the motivations of local residents

This study was conducted to explore leisure motivations with regard to tourist attractions. A survey of a convenience sample of residents of Melbourne, Australia, was conducted. The sample was then segmented based on the likelihood of visiting a cross-section of Melbourne's tourist attractions in the next 6 months. Analysis using Unger and Kernan's (1983) Subjective Leisure Scale (SLS) was then undertaken to explore whether there were differences across the segments in terms of their leisure motivations. The results highlight that, within this context, intrinsic satisfaction, perceived freedom and arousal emerged as stronger underlying dimensions of motivations to visit tourist attractions, rather than mastery, spontaneity and involvement. This information provides insights for marketers of tourist attractions with regard to what residents are seeking when they visit local tourist attractions. The information can be used to develop more positive experiences at tourist attractions for this important sector of the market.

Environmental management systems auditing:Auditors' experiences in Australia

The last decade of the 20th century witnessed rapid growth in the adoption of various environmental management systems (EMS) within organisations. Environmental consultants and auditors play an intricate role in the  interpretation, implementation and certification of an EMS. This paper presents the experiences of eight leading auditors with respect to the adoption of EMS/ISO 14001 by Australian organisations. The benefits and issues relating to the auditing process are discussed.

Interventions for preventing obesity in childhood. A systematic review

Background The prevalence of obesity and overweight is increasing worldwide. Obesity in children impacts on their health in both short- and long-term. Obesity prevention strategies are poorly understood.

Objective To assess the effectiveness of interventions designed to prevent obesity in childhood.

Search strategy Electronic databases were searched from January 1985 to October 1999.

Selection criteria Data from randomized control trials and non-randomized trials with concurrent control group were included. A priori, studies with follow up of 1 year minimum were selected however, this was subsequently amended to include studies with a minimum follow up of three months.

Data collection & analysis Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality.

Main results Seven studies were included, three long-term (>1 years) and four short-term (>3 months and <1 years). The studies included were diverse in terms of study design and quality, target population, theoretical underpinning of intervention approach, and outcome measures. As such, it was not appropriate to combine study findings using statistical methods.

Conclusions Two of the long-term studies (one focused on dietary education and physical activity vs. control, and the other only on dietary education vs. control), resulted in a reduction in the prevalence on obesity, but the third, which focused on dietary education and physical activity, found no effect. Of the four short-term studies, three focused simply on physical activity/reduction of sedentary behavious vs. control. Two of these studies resulted in a reduction in the prevalence of obesity in intervention groups compared with control groups, and another study found a non-significant reduction. The fourth study focused on dietary education and physical activity, and did not find an effect on obesity, but did report a reduction in fat intake. Overall, the findings of the review suggest that currently there is limited quality data on the effectiveness of obesity prevention programmes and as such no generalizable conclusions can be drawn. The need for well-designed studies that examine a range of interventions remains a priority.

Recounting a difficult past : a South African accounting firm's "experiences in transformation"

This article examines the role of oral history in the social construction of collective memory and forgetting. The article presents a case study of a South African public accounting firm's attempt to document the history of race relations within the firm through the publication of a collection of oral histories. The research draws from the sociology of memory and recent scholarship on individual and collective memory in South Africa to analyze the firm's account of its experiences in making the transition from Apartheid to a multiracial democracy. The analysis finds that the firm's portrayal of its history reflects a narrative of reconciliation and redemption that minimizes the deep social and economic divisions that characterize South Africa's past, their relevance to accounting history, and the continuing salience of race to employment in public accounting.

Risk factors for violence and relational aggression in adolescence

Analyses examined risk factors for seventh- and ninth-grade youth  categorized as nonoffenders, physically violent, relationally aggressive, and both violent and relationally aggressive. Bivariate and multivariate results showed that relationally aggressive youth were elevated on most risks above levels for nonoffenders but lower than those for youth who were violent alone or violent in combination with relational aggression. Youth who were both relationally aggressive and violent did not differ from those who were violent alone on most risk factors examined. Peer, individual, and family risks were among the strongest predictors.

Parenting a preterm infant: experiences in a regional neonatal health services programme

In an Australian regional health service, parents’ experiences of the neonatal intensive care (NICU), neonatal nurseries and a community discharge programme were investigated. Parents from 12 families participated in an in-depth interview. Three themes captured a partial, yet significant, view of these parents’ experiences as they strived to develop their identity and competence as parents. The findings are explored as they reveal issues associated with the provision of family centred, developmental care in neonatal services. Opportunities for nurses in this context to expand and clarify their role in ways that are responsive to parenting needs are discussed.

EBanking adaptation and dot.com viability : a comparison of Australian and Indian experiences in the banking sector

With the advent of widely-accepted eBusiness activities, many banks have floated dot.com entities to create a presence on the Internet and take advantage of its power and reach. Like many other businesses, banks expected an increase in market capitalisation as a result of their dot.com floats, perceived broadly as a measure of growing profitability. Despite the negative publicity that the recent spate of dot.com crashes has generated, banks seem to continue floating online spin-offs. Our exploratory study investigates this phenomenon, studying the drivers for change in the evolution of the banking sector, and the move towards electronic banking. We focussed on two economies – Australia and India – to aggregate the major factors in this evolution from the perspective of two disparate economies.

The paper describes our qualitative, document-based investigation of the Australian and Indian banking sectors, and subsequent quantitative analysis of the impact of dot.com floats on market capitalisation within this market sector. We then describe the effect of applying both Transaction Cost Economics to our findings, which indicates that the cost of transacting business has been reduced overall by the creation of dot.com entities; and “catch-up, fall-behind, forge ahead” theory to gain an economic perspective. The paper provides both practical assistance for banks in making decisions regarding e-portfolios, as well as for policy makers in the economies reviewed; and has the potential to contribute to academic research into eBanking more generally.

To stay or to go? 'At risk' young women speak about their influences and experiences in making decisions about post-compulsory schooling

Recent research indicates that young women who leave school early (ie at or before year 10) are the group most 'at risk' of becoming only marginally attached to the labour force or unemployed. Young women from low socio-economic backgrounds are more often those who 'choose' to leave schooling, often for complex reasons, some of which are only marginally connected to their schooling experiences. In order to better understand-and address-the needs of this cohort, it is necessary to examine the multi layered connections between students' lives in and out of school.

This paper reports on the initial stage of a three year ARC-funded study, 'Young women negotiating from the margins of education and work.' In interviews and focus groups, young women identified as 'at risk' of leaving school early speak about the factors that have influenced their decisions. We examine the data with specific reference to the question: what type of social capital do these young women deploy in making their choices? Recent research (Croninger & Lee, 2001) suggest that teachers' support and guidance are a form of social capital that can make a difference, particularly in regards to students from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We discuss the young women's and teachers' interview data in light of recent debates about social capital and education.