Anecdotes and antidotes: stories as balms, storytelling as healing

The following article refers to a performed presentation, from the Double Dialogues Conference, Art & Pain, at The University of Melbourne, May 10, 2003. The presentation involved an audio-visual configuration in which I was speaking whilst simultaneously vision-mixing ‘live’ images from a camera and images from a pre-recorded videotape. The pre-recorded images were from the creative video practice at the centre of my higher degree research. The ‘live’ mixing was projected on a video screen. A separate video camera recorded the images that act as parentheses to the following text. The images that accompany the text are from the performed presentation.

The consequences of land use change on nutrient exports: a regional scale assessment in south-west Victoria, Australia

Estimation of nutrient load production based on multi-temporal remotely sensed land use data for the Glenelg–Hopkins region in south-west Victoria, Australia, is discussed. Changes in land use were mapped using archived Landsat data and computerised classification techniques. Land use change has been rapid in recent history with 16% of the region transformed in the last 22 years. Total nitrogen and phosphorus loads were estimated using an export coefficient model. The analysis demonstrates an increase in modelled nitrogen and phosphorus loadings from 1980 to 2002. Whilst such increases were suspected from past anecdotal and ad-hoc evidence, our modelling estimated the magnitude of such increases and thus demonstrated the enormous potential of using remote sensing and GIS for monitoring regional scale environmental processes.

Touch it, feel it and experience it: developing professional IS skills using interview-style experiential simulations

The IS education field has made increasing use of computerised experiential simulations, but few attempts have been made to create an authentic learning environment that combines and balances elements of video-based computer simulation with real-life learning activities. This paper explores the design principles used to develop a CD-ROM simulation where learners use interviewing skills to elicit system requirements from simulated employees in an authentic context. The employees are videoed actors who converse with each other and with learners within a dynamic interaction model. The paper also describes how we combined this simulation with other teaching approaches such as in-class discussions, student team work, formal presentations, etc.

How should activity guidelines for young people be operationalised?

Background: If guidelines regarding recommended activity levels for young people are to be meaningful and comparable, it should be clear how they are operationalised. It is usually open to interpretation whether young people are required to meet activity and screen time targets (1) all days of the week, (2) on most days of the week, (3) on average across all days, or (4) whether compliance should be understood as the probability that a randomly selected young person meets the guidelines on a randomly selected day. This paper studies this question using data drawn from the Australian Health of Young Victorians study.


Methods: The subjects for this study were 885 13–19 year olds who recalled four days of activities using a computerised use-of-time instrument, the Multimedia Activity Recall for Children and Adolescents (MARCA). Daily minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and screen time were calculated. The prevalence of compliance to Australian guidelines (≥ 60 min/day of MVPA and ≤ 120 min/day of screen time outside of school hours) was calculated using the four methods.


Results: The four methods resulted in significantly different prevalence estimates for compliance to the MVPA guideline (20–68%), screen guideline (12–42%) and both guidelines (2–26%). Furthermore, different individuals were identified as compliant by the different methods.


Conclusion: Clarification of how compliance to guidelines should be operationalised would assist in comparisons between studies, and in consistency in determining correlates of compliance.

Personality, behavioural and affective characteristics of hazardous drinkers

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of appetitive and aversive motivation on hazardous drinking behaviour by drawing on Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). A between-groups design examined differences between hazardous drinkers and matched controls on self-report and behavioural appetitive and aversive motivation. The relationship between motivational processes and changes in affective states following behavioural task performance was also examined. Data from 27 hazardous drinkers (M = 21.88 years, SD = 3.29) and 27 gender and age matched controls (M = 21.85 years, SD = 4.08) were utilised. The Card Arranging Reward Responsivity Objective Test (CARROT) assessed behavioural appetitive motivation and the computerised Q-TASK provided an index of behavioural aversive motivation. Self-report appetitive and aversive motivation was measured using the Sensitivity to Punishment and Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). Brief scales tapping state positive and negative affect were also administered. Hazardous drinkers were significantly higher than controls on self-report but not behavioural measures of appetitive motivation. Results also indicated that hazardous drinkers reported significantly higher levels of negative affect. These data suggest that hazardous drinkers are characterised by high trait appetitive motivation and state negative affect. It was suggested that RST may provide a useful framework for understanding both the appetitive and aversive motivational processes involved in drinking behaviour.

E-government in developing countries: a Sri Lankan experience

Even though there is an emerging literature on information age reform of the public sector, research focused on potential and problems related to introduction of information-based reforms in developing countries is still limited. Thus in this chapter, experience in one developing country, Sri Lanka, is examined. Problems related to information-based technology is analysed and the lacuna in the literature is narrowed. It is argued that despite the great potential for IT in enhancing effective and efficient public sector in Sri Lanka, there are a number of difficulties hindering the development of computerised information systems. The upgrading of infrastructure facilities in Sri Lanka is long overdue. A lack of competent and committed individuals who could provide effective guidance in developing IT services in the public sector is another concern. The issues such as appropriate training, attractive promotion systems and remunerations for public officials need to be addressed urgently. Reforming existing organizational structures and changing officials' attitudes towards change are essential. The increasing public awareness of the potential of IT services enhancing the quality and timeliness of the public service is essential.

Automated attention flags in chronic disease care planning

Objectives: To assess the value of computerised decision support in the management of chronic respiratory disease by comparing agreement between three respiratory specialists, general practitioners (care coordinators), and decision support software.
Methods: Care guidelines for two chronic obstructive pulmonary disease projects of the SA HealthPlus Coordinated Care Trial were formulated. Decision support software, Care Plan On-Line (CPOL), was created to represent the intent of these guidelines via automated attention flags to appear in patients' electronic medical records. For a random sample of 20 patients with care plans, decisions about the use of nine additional services (eg,.smoking cessation, pneumococcal vaccination) were compared between the respiratory specialists, the patients' GPs and the CPOL attention flags.
Results: Agreement among the specialists was at the lower end of moderate (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC], 0.48; 95% CI, 0.39-0.56), with a 20% rate of contradictory decisions. Agreement with recommendations of specialists was moderate to poor for GPs (le, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.33-0.66) and moderate to good for CPOL (K, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.55-0.90). CPOL agreement with GPs was moderate to poor (le, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.24-0.58). GPs were less likely than specialists or CPOL to decide in favour of an additional service (P< 0.001). CPOL was 87% accurate as an indicator of specialist decisions. It gave a 16% false-positive rate according to specialist decisions, and flagged 61% of decisions where GPs said No and specialists said Yes.
Conclusions: Automated decision support may provide GPs with improved access to the intent of guidelines; however, further investigation is required.

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials of sildenafil (Viagra®) in the treatment of male erectile dysfunction.

Background: Sildenafil (Viagra®), a new oral drug for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, was licensed for use across Europe in 1998. Aim: To examine the effectiveness and safety of sildenafil as an oral treatment for erectile dysfunction. Design of study: Systematic review and meta-analysis.
Setting: All published or unpublished randomised controlled trials comparing sildenafil with a placebo or alternative therapies. Method: Published studies were sought by computerised searches of electronic databases using the keywords ‘sildenafil’ and ‘Viagra’. A hand search was also done of the British Medical Journal, Lancet, Journal of the American
Medical Association, New England Journal of Medicine, British Journal of General Practice, Drug, Inpharma and Scrip. An assessment of quality of all identified studies and data extraction was undertaken independently by two researchers. Results were combined in a meta-analysis where appropriate, using RevMan version 3. Results: Twenty-one trials were identified. All trials showed a statistically significant improvement in erectile or sexual function in patients using sildenafil compared with a placebo. A meta-analysis of 16 trials reporting a global efficacy response showed that men were 3.57 (95% CI = 2.93–4.43) times as likely to have improved erections on sildenafil compared with those on a placebo. The number needed to treat to have one man with improved erections was two. The drug has a relatively safe side-effect profile. Conclusions: Available research shows that sildenafil is an effective treatment for male erectile dysfunction. Many trial participants had some baseline erectile function and it is probable that in clinical practice, where the erectile function tends to be more impaired, the number needed to treat may be higher.

Nutrition and mental health research in Australia and New Zealand: A review of progress and directions for the future

This review summarises nutrition and mental health research in Australia and New Zealand between 1986 and 2006. The method used to identify papers for inclusion was a search of computerised databases: Medline, Cinahl and Meditext 1986–2006, with subsequent bibliographical review. Key search words were nutrition, diet, mental disorder, mental illness, weight, physical health, Australia and New Zealand. Inclusion criteria included: English language, original data in peer reviewed journals, and examination of some component of nutrition in people with a mental illness. The review of thirteen papers found that the evidence base for dietetic practice in mental health has developed through small assessment and interventional research, often with multidisciplinary collaboration. Future research should include quality and outcome measures with intersectoral partnerships. Dietitians are well positioned to lead and participate in mental health research and to implement research findings to improve the nutritional status of this vulnerable group.

Expectancy violation and perceptions of rape victim credibility

Purpose. Rape victims have been found to have a heightened risk of secondary victimization in the legal system through biased perceptions of their credibility. In this study, participants observed a video of a rape victim reporting the crime and evaluated her credibility, to establish the influence of victim emotional expressiveness on evaluations of victim credibility. Methods. The nonverbal (eye-contact, crying) and paralinguistic (tone of voice) behaviour of the rape victim was manipulated such that the emotional presentation viewed by observers was either expressive, or not expressive. One hundred and thirty seven participants were randomly allocated to observe a videotape of either an expressive or a non-expressive victim. Participants' specific expectations about the emotional expressiveness of rape victims in general were also measured. Results. Results revealed no significant main effect of emotional expressiveness on perceptions of credibility. However, among participants with a strong expectation of emotional expressiveness, a rape victim who was emotionally expressive was perceived to be significantly more credible than a victim who was not emotionally expressive. Conclusions. It appears to be expectancy violation rather than emotional expressiveness per se that biases observers' perceptions of rape victim credibility.

How do we compare? - Applying UK pay for performance indicators to an Australian general practice

BACKGROUND United Kingdom general practitioners receive payment based on their performance in multiple clinical indicators. We set out to apply the same indicators in an Australian general practice to benchmark our performance and to see how much work was required to obtain the data.

METHODS Clinical indicators for the 2008–2009 UK Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF) cycle were examined and achievement levels measured in a large rural Australian general practice, mainly by computer searching of the clinical database.

RESULTS Outcome measures were obtainable for 79 out of 80 indicators. Manual perusal of computer records was required for 16 indicators. Data collection takes approximately 130 hours. The Australian general practice achieved 66% of available pay for performance points compared to the UK average of 97%.

DISCUSSION United Kingdom QOF clinical data is obtainable relatively easily in a well computerised Australian rural general practice. The exercise identified significant areas in which clinical performance could be improved.

Online communication of brand personality : a study of MBA programs of top business schools

Brand personality has often been considered from the perspective of products, corporate brands or countries, but rarely among service offerings. Moreover, there remains the consideration of how these entities are communicated online. This article explores the brand personality dimensions that business schools communicate and whether they differ in putting across clear and distinctive brand personalities in cyberspace. Three clusters from the Financial Times' top 100 full-time global MBA programs in 2005 are used to undertake a combination of computerised content and correspondence analyses. The content analysis was structured using Aaker's five-dimensional framework whilst the positioning maps were produced by examining the data using correspondence analysis. Results indicate that some schools have clear brand personalities while others fail to communicate their brand personalities in a distinct way. This study also illustrates a powerful, but simple and relatively inexpensive way for organisations and brand researchers to study the brand personalities actually being communicated.

Evaluation of Bayesian belief networks for diagnosis of psychotic disorders

The thesis examined the inter-rater reliability and procedural validity of four computerised Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) which were developed to assist with the diagnosis of psychotic disorders. The results of this research indicated that BBNs can significantly improve diagnostic reliability and may represent an important advance over current diagnostic methods. The professional portfolio investigated, through the presentation of case studies and review of literature relevant to each case study, how comorbidity and context of depression may impact on cognitive behavioural therapy treatment.

Influence of gender and pair-type on preschool children's learning in computing context

The thesis examined early differences between girls and boys in their attitudes and social behaviour which might help explain why girls and women continue to reject computing. The behaviour of preschool children playing freely for three supervised sessions in either same-gender or mixed-gender pairs with a computerised robot was studied, and then their individual programming performance was measured. Conclusions were that social interaction and computer programming performance were not differentiated by gender. Mixed-gender pairs had a significant effect on both children's style of social interaction and their performance, an impact that was particularly negative for girls.

Layered fragment architecture for situational methodology engineering

Many organizations make use of information system development methodologies to guide their staff in developing computerised information systems. This thesis contributes to methodology engineering research by introducing a number of important innovations in methodology fragment architectures.