Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA)

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) is the professional association for the Australian library and information services sector. It seeks to empower the profession in the development, promotion and delivery of quality library and information services to the nation, through leadership, advocacy, and mutual support. The ALIA represents the interest of 6000 members, the profession and Australia's 12 million library users. The objects of the Association are listed in its constitution. They are To promote the free flow of information and ideas in the interest of all Australians and a thriving culture, economy, and democracy. To promote and improve the services provided by all kinds of library and information agencies. To ensure the high standard of personnel engaged in information provision and foster their professional interests and aspirations. To represent the interests of members to governments, other organizations, and the community. To encourage people to contribute to the improvement of library and information services through support and membership of the association.

Commercial friendships between gay sales associates and straight female customers in luxury settings: A proposed theoretical framework

This study investigates friendships between gay sales associates and heterosexual female customers in luxury retail settings. By employing grounded theory methodology, the study integrates theories and findings from diverse literature streams into an original conceptual framework to illustrate the resources gay sales associates and straight female customers receive from and provide to each other during retail exchanges. The study explains why gay male–straight female friendships are uniquely suited for luxury consumption settings. Female customers characterize their friendships with gay sales associates as providing honesty, security, trust, and comfort, which stems from the absence of sexual interest and a lack of inter-female competition. Gay sales associates receive acceptance for who they are and for their displays of unconventional masculinity in retail settings. They also obtain a temporary rite from their female customers, a so-called mandate of privacy, which permits both parties to ignore the bounds of modesty and accept a degree of intimacy. Such intimacy facilitates transactions that require both personalization and customer–employee closeness, such as the selling of high-end apparel, accessories, and jewelry.

Evaluation of the relationship between Chlamydia pecorum sequence types and disease using a species-specific multi-locus sequence typing scheme (MLST)

Chlamydia pecorum is globally associated with several ovine diseases including keratoconjunctivitis and polyarthritis. The exact relationship between the variety of C. pecorum strains reported and the diseases described in sheep remains unclear, challenging efforts to accurately diagnose and manage infected flocks. In the present study, we applied C. pecorum multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) to C. pecorum positive samples collected from sympatric flocks of Australian sheep presenting with conjunctivitis, conjunctivitis with polyarthritis, or polyarthritis only and with no clinical disease (NCD) in order to elucidate the exact relationships between the infecting strains and the range of diseases. Using Bayesian phylogenetic and cluster analyses on 62 C. pecorum positive ocular, vaginal and rectal swab samples from sheep presenting with a range of diseases and in a comparison to C. pecorum sequence types (STs) from other hosts, one ST (ST 23) was recognised as a globally distributed strain associated with ovine and bovine diseases such as polyarthritis and encephalomyelitis. A second ST (ST 69) presently only described in Australian animals, was detected in association with ovine as well as koala chlamydial infections. The majority of vaginal and rectal C. pecorum STs from animals with NCD and/or anatomical sites with no clinical signs of disease in diseased animals, clustered together in a separate group, by both analyses. Furthermore, 8/13 detected STs were novel. This study provides a platform for strain selection for further research into the pathogenic potential of C. pecorum in animals and highlights targets for potential strain-specific diagnostic test development.

Criminal histories of crash and non-crash involved Queensland speeding offenders: Evidence supporting the idea that we drive as we live

Evidence increasingly suggests that our behaviour on the road mirrors our behaviour across other aspects of our life. The idea that we drive as we live, described by Tillman and Hobbs more than 65 years ago when examining off-road behaviours of taxi drivers (1949), is the focus of the current paper. As part of a larger study examining the impact of penalty changes on a large cohort of Queensland speeding offenders, criminal (lifetime) and crash history (10 year period) data for a sub-sample of 1000 offenders were obtained. Based on the ‘drive as we live’ maxim, it was hypothesised that crash-involved speeding offenders would be more likely to have a criminal history than non-crash involved offenders. Overall, only 30% of speeding offenders had a criminal history. However, crash-involved offenders were significantly more likely to have a criminal history (49.4%) than non-crash involved offenders (28.6%), supporting the hypothesis. Furthermore, those deemed ‘most at fault’ in a crash were the group most likely to have at least one criminal offence (52.2%). When compared to the non-crash involved offenders, those deemed ‘not most at fault’ in a crash were also more likely to have had at least one criminal offence (46.5%). Therefore, when compared to non-crash involved speeding offenders, those offenders involved in a crash were more likely to have been convicted of at least one criminal offence, irrespective of whether they were deemed ‘most at fault’ in that crash. Implications for traffic offender management and policing are discussed.

Creating a standardised teaching and learning framework for social work field placements

Mapping and evaluating a student's progress on placement is a core element of social work education but there has been scant attention to indicate how to effectively create and assess student learning and performance. This paper outlines a project undertaken by the Combined Schools of Social Work to develop a common learning and assessment tool that is being used by all social work schools in Victoria. The paper describes how the Common Assessment Tool (CAT) was developed, drawing on the Australian Association of Social Work Practice Standards, leading to seven key learning areas that form the basis of the assessment of a student's readiness for practice. An evaluation of the usefulness of the CAT was completed by field educators, liaison staff, and students, which confirmed that the CAT was a useful framework for evaluating students' learning goals. The feedback also identified a number of problematic features that were addressed in a revised CAT and rating scale.

Parental divorce and adjustment in adulthood: Findings from a community sample

The current study examines the link between the experience of divorce in childhood and several indices of adjustment in adulthood in a large community sample of women. Results replicated previous research on the long-term correlation between parental divorce and depression and divorce in adulthood. Results further suggested that parental divorce was associated with a wide range of early risk factors, life course patterns, and several indices of adult adjustment. Regression analyses indicated that the long-term correlation between parental divorce and depression in adulthood is explained by quality of parent-child and parental marital relations (in childhood), concurrent levels of stressful life events and social support, and cohabitation. The long-term association between parental divorce and experiencing a divorce in adulthood was partly mediated through quality of parent-child relations, teenage pregnancy, leaving home before 18 years, and educational attainment.

Family type and depression in pregnancy: Factors mediating risk in a community sample

The rate of severe depression among women in single-parent and biological families and in a variety of stepfamilies was examined in a large community sample of 13,088 pregnant women in the United Kingdom. Compared with women in biological families and published population rates, women in single-parent families and step-families reported significantly elevated rates of depression. Family-type differences in several risk factors were examined, including cohabiting (vs. married) status, relationship history, and socioeconomic and psychosocial risks, such as crowding, social support, and stressful life events. Family-type differences in depression were mediated partly by differences in social support, stressful life events, and crowding, but a main effect of family type in predicting depression remained after statistically controlling for these risks.

Local immune response against larvae of Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus in Bos taurus indicus and Bos taurus taurus cattle.

Bos taurus indicus cattle are less susceptible to infestation with Rhipicephalus (Boophilus) microplus than Bos taurus taurus cattle but the immunological basis of this difference is not understood. We compared the dynamics of leukocyte infiltrations (T cell subsets, B cells, major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II-expressing cells, granulocytes) in the skin near the mouthparts of larvae of R. microplus in B. t. indicus and B. t. taurus cattle. Previously naïve cattle were infested with 50,000 larvae (B. t. indicus) or 10,000 larvae (B. t. taurus) weekly for 6 weeks. One week after the last infestation all of the animals were infested with 20,000 larvae of R. microplus. Skin punch biopsies were taken from all animals on the day before the primary infestation and from sites of larval attachment on the day after the first, second, fourth and final infestations. Infiltrations with CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ and [gamma][delta] T cells followed the same pattern in both breeds, showing relatively little change during the first four weekly infestations, followed by substantial increases at 7 weeks post-primary infestation. There was a tendency for more of all cell types except granulocytes to be observed in the skin of B. t. indicus cattle but the differences between the two breeds were consistently significant only for [gamma][delta] T cells. Granulocyte infiltrations increased more rapidly from the day after infestation and were higher in B. t. taurus cattle than in B. t. indicus. Granulocytes and MHC class II-expressing cells infiltrated the areas closest to the mouthparts of larvae. A large volume of granulocyte antigens was seen in the gut of attached, feeding larvae.

Reproduction of portrait of Olga Fantl nee Kraus, Ottokar Fantl, Ottokar's wife, and Hugo Fantl; Liberec, Czechoslovakia Portraits Groups

Digital Image

Combat sports analytics: Boxing punch classification using overhead depth imagery

In competitive combat sporting environments like boxing, the statistics on a boxer's performance, including the amount and type of punches thrown, provide a valuable source of data and feedback which is routinely used for coaching and performance improvement purposes. This paper presents a robust framework for the automatic classification of a boxer's punches. Overhead depth imagery is employed to alleviate challenges associated with occlusions, and robust body-part tracking is developed for the noisy time-of-flight sensors. Punch recognition is addressed through both a multi-class SVM and Random Forest classifiers. A coarse-to-fine hierarchical SVM classifier is presented based on prior knowledge of boxing punches. This framework has been applied to shadow boxing image sequences taken at the Australian Institute of Sport with 8 elite boxers. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, with the hierarchical SVM classifier yielding a 96% accuracy, signifying its suitability for analysing athletes punches in boxing bouts.

Water, water everywhere: Dehydration in the midst of plenty: An observational study of barriers and enablers to adequate hydration in older hospitalized patients

While dehydration is common in older patients and is associated with poor outcomes, it has been infrequently studied in the hospital setting. Thus, the aim of this study was to identify potential barriers and enablers to the maintenance of adequate hydration in older patients in an acute hospital environment. An observational study, involving patients aged 60 years and older admitted to an acute care hospital in Queensland, Australia, was undertaken. Forty-four patients were observed during mealtimes, and chart and room audits were performed to identify hydration management strategies, weight records and the presence or absence of fluid balance charts. Results revealed a number of system and practice-related barriers including patient difficulties with opening fluid containers and low levels of documentation of hydration management strategies. Addressing these issues is an important first step towards improving the management of hydration in medically ill older hospital patients.

Auditing design and innovation programmes within a multinational insurance provider

The financial services industry is key to the success of the Australian economy, however even established businesses need to continually push to innovate. At present, design is becoming widely accepted as means to innovate and many companies currently have design and innovation programmes. The goal of these programmes is to foster a design capability amongst staff members. However, little is known as to the impact of the innovation capabilities such design programmes claim to instil. Therefore, this paper seeks to investigate how a financial services firm is currently attempting to build a design capability amongst staff members. Using a case study approach the research team audited four design capability programmes currently being deployed by the case firm. The study highlights the strengths and weaknesses of current efforts by the firm and current barriers to achieving design capability. The implications of this paper include key insights for both academics and industry.

Pastoral care in times of high stakes testing and accountability

The unknown future is a challenge to educators in preparing young people for life post school. While history can be said to repeat itself, the reality is that each generation is faced with new challenges and threats. Therefore, the challenge for contemporary schooling is to prepare students to live in a fast paced, complex world where threats such as terrorism, cyberbullying and depleted resources are juggled with high stakes testing and curriculum accountability. This presentation draws on the notion of a future of supercomplexity while critically examining current pastoral care delivery in schools to develop a new model of practice in preparing students for an unknown future.

ACE Research Vignette #52: Business growth and new initiatives in small and medium manufacturing enterprises from a design innovation program

This series of research vignettes is aimed at sharing current and interesting research findings from our team of international Entrepreneurship researchers. This vignette, written by Dr Judy Matthews examines the effects of firm engagement with design innovation programs on entrepreneurial activities of small and medium enterprises.