Assessment of pre- and post-flood groundwater recharge via 3D visualisation, Lockyer Valley, southeast Queensland

The Lockyer Valley in southeast Queensland supports important and intensive irrigation which is dependant on the quality and availability of groundwater. Prolonged drought conditions from ~1997 resulted in a depletion of the alluvial aquifers, and concern for the long-term sustainability of this resource. By 2008, many areas of the valley were at < 20% of storage. Some relief occurred with rain events in early 2009, then in December 2010 - January 2011, most of southeast Queensland experienced unprecedented flooding. These storm-based events have caused a shift in research focus from investigations of drought conditions and mitigation to flood response analysis. For the alluvial aquifer system of the valley, a preliminary assessment of groundwater observation bore data, prior to and during the flood, indicates that there is a spatially variable aquifer response. While water levels in some bores screened in unconfined shallow aquifers have recovered by more than 10 m within a short period of time (months), others show only a small or moderate response. Measurements of pre- and post-flood groundwater levels and high-resolution time-series records from data loggers are considered within the framework of a 3D geological model of the Lockyer Valley using Groundwater Visualisation System(GVS). Groundwater level fluctuations covering both drought and flood periods are used to estimate groundwater recharge using the water table fluctuation method (WTF), supplemented by estimates derived using chloride mass balance. The presentation of hydraulic and recharge information in a 3D format has considerable advantages over the traditional 2D presentation of data. The 3D approach allows the distillation of multiple types of information(topography, geological, hydraulic and spatial) into one representation that provides valuable insights into the major controls of groundwater flow and recharge. The influence of aquifer lithology on the spatial variability of groundwater recharge is also demonstrated.

Post-disaster housing reconstruction : challenges for effective community participation

The extant literature suggests that community participation is an important ingredient for the successful delivery of post-disaster housing reconstruction projects. Even though policy-makers, international funding bodies and non-governmental organisations broadly appreciate the value of community participation, post-disaster reconstruction practices systematically fail to follow, or align with, existing policy statements. Research into past experiences has led many authors to argue that post-disaster reconstruction is the least successful physically visible arena of international cooperation. Why is the principle of community participation not evident in the veracity of reconstructions already carried out on the ground? This paper discusses and develops the concepts of, and challenges to, community participation and the subsequent negative and positive effects on post-disaster reconstruction projects outcomes.

The coming of post-reflexive society : a critique of the political economy of digital capitalism

Language is a unique aspect of human communication because it can be used to discuss itself in its own terms. For this reason, human societies potentially have superior capacities of co-ordination, reflexive self-correction, and innovation than other animal, physical or cybernetic systems. However, this analysis also reveals that language is interconnected with the economically and technologically mediated social sphere and hence is vulnerable to abstraction, objectification, reification, and therefore ideology – all of which are antithetical to its reflexive function, whilst paradoxically being a fundamental part of it. In particular, in capitalism, language is increasingly commodified within the social domains created and affected by ubiquitous communication technologies. The advent of the so-called ‘knowledge economy’ implicates exchangeable forms of thought (language) as the fundamental commodities of this emerging system. The historical point at which a ‘knowledge economy’ emerges, then, is the critical point at which thought itself becomes a commodified ‘thing’, and language becomes its “objective” means of exchange. However, the processes by which such commodification and objectification occurs obscures the unique social relations within which these language commodities are produced. The latest economic phase of capitalism – the knowledge economy – and the obfuscating trajectory which accompanies it, we argue, is destroying the reflexive capacity of language particularly through the process of commodification. This can be seen in that the language practices that have emerged in conjunction with digital technologies are increasingly non-reflexive and therefore less capable of self-critical, conscious change.

Correction to “The Importance of Convexity in Learning With Squared Loss” [Sep 98 1974-1980]

The paper "the importance of convexity in learning with squared loss" gave a lower bound on the sample complexity of learning with quadratic loss using a nonconvex function class. The proof contains an error. We show that the lower bound is true under a stronger condition that holds for many cases of interest.

Post-PC devises : a summary of early iPad technology

In just under 3 months worldwide sales of Apple's iPad tablet device stood at over 3 million units sold. The iPad device, along with rival products signify a shift in the way in which print and other media products are purchased and consumed by users. While facing initial skepticism about the uptake of the device numerous industries have been quick to adapt the device to their specific needs. Based around a newly developed six point typology of “post PC” device utility this project undertook a significant review of publicly available material to identify worldwide trends in iPad adoption and use within the tertiary sector.

Intrinsically photosensitive melanopsin retinal ganglion cell contributions to the post-illumination pupil response and circadian rhythm

Intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs) in the eye transmit the environmental light level, projecting to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) (Berson, Dunn & Takao, 2002; Hattar, Liao, Takao, Berson & Yau, 2002), the location of the circadian biological clock, and the olivary pretectal nucleus (OPN) of the pretectum, the start of the pupil reflex pathway (Hattar, Liao, Takao, Berson & Yau, 2002; Dacey, Liao, Peterson, Robinson, Smith, Pokorny, Yau & Gamlin, 2005). The SCN synchronizes the circadian rhythm, a cycle of biological processes coordinated to the solar day, and drives the sleep/wake cycle by controlling the release of melatonin from the pineal gland (Claustrat, Brun & Chazot, 2005). Encoded photic input from ipRGCs to the OPN also contributes to the pupil light reflex (PLR), the constriction and recovery of the pupil in response to light. IpRGCs control the post-illumination component of the PLR, the partial pupil constriction maintained for > 30 sec after a stimulus offset (Gamlin, McDougal, Pokorny, Smith, Yau & Dacey, 2007; Kankipati, Girkin & Gamlin, 2010; Markwell, Feigl & Zele, 2010). It is unknown if intrinsic ipRGC and cone-mediated inputs to ipRGCs show circadian variation in their photon-counting activity under constant illumination. If ipRGCs demonstrate circadian variation of the pupil response under constant illumination in vivo, when in vitro ipRGC activity does not (Weng, Wong & Berson, 2009), this would support central control of the ipRGC circadian activity. A preliminary experiment was conducted to determine the spectral sensitivity of the ipRGC post-illumination pupil response under the experimental conditions, confirming the successful isolation of the ipRGC response (Gamlin, et al., 2007) for the circadian experiment. In this main experiment, we demonstrate that ipRGC photon-counting activity has a circadian rhythm under constant experimental conditions, while direct rod and cone contributions to the PLR do not. Intrinsic ipRGC contributions to the post-illumination pupil response decreased 2:46 h prior to melatonin onset for our group model, with the peak ipRGC attenuation occurring 1:25 h after melatonin onset. Our results suggest a centrally controlled evening decrease in ipRGC activity, independent of environmental light, which is temporally synchronized (demonstrates a temporal phase-advanced relationship) to the SCN mediated release of melatonin. In the future the ipRGC post-illumination pupil response could be developed as a fast, non-invasive measure of circadian rhythm. This study establishes a basis for future investigation of cortical feedback mechanisms that modulate ipRGC activity.

The psychosocial factors influencing aggressive driving behaviour

Many drivers in highly motorised countries believe that aggressive driving is increasing. While the prevalence of the behaviour is difficult to reliably identify, the consequences of on-road aggression can be severe, with extreme cases resulting in property damage, injury and even death. This research program was undertaken to explore the nature of aggressive driving from within the framework of relevant psychological theory in order to enhance our understanding of the behaviour and to inform the development of relevant interventions. To guide the research a provisional ‘working’ definition of aggressive driving was proposed encapsulating the recurrent characteristics of the behaviour cited in the literature. The definition was: “aggressive driving is any on-road behaviour adopted by a driver that is intended to cause physical or psychological harm to another road user and is associated with feelings of frustration, anger or threat”. Two main theoretical perspectives informed the program of research. The first was Shinar’s (1998) frustration-aggression model, which identifies both the person-related and situational characteristics that contribute to aggressive driving, as well as proposing that aggressive behaviours can serve either an ‘instrumental’ or ‘hostile’ function. The second main perspective was Anderson and Bushman’s (2002) General Aggression Model. In contrast to Shinar’s model, the General Aggression Model reflects a broader perspective on human aggression that facilitates a more comprehensive examination of the emotional and cognitive aspects of aggressive behaviour. Study One (n = 48) examined aggressive driving behaviour from the perspective of young drivers as an at-risk group and involved conducting six focus groups, with eight participants in each. Qualitative analyses identified multiple situational and person-related factors that contribute to on-road aggression. Consistent with human aggression theory, examination of self-reported experiences of aggressive driving identified key psychological elements and processes that are experienced during on-road aggression. Participants cited several emotions experienced during an on-road incident: annoyance, frustration, anger, threat and excitement. Findings also suggest that off-road generated stress may transfer to the on-road environment, at times having severe consequences including crash involvement. Young drivers also appeared quick to experience negative attributions about the other driver, some having additional thoughts of taking action. Additionally, the results showed little difference between males and females in the severity of behavioural responses they were prepared to adopt, although females appeared more likely to displace their negative emotions. Following the self-reported on-road incident, evidence was also found of a post-event influence, with females being more likely to experience ongoing emotional effects after the event. This finding was evidenced by ruminating thoughts or distraction from tasks. However, the impact of such a post-event influence on later behaviours or interpersonal interactions appears to be minimal. Study Two involved the quantitative analysis of n = 926 surveys completed by a wide age range of drivers from across Queensland. The study aimed to explore the relationships between the theoretical components of aggressive driving that were identified in the literature review, and refined based on the findings of Study One. Regression analyses were used to examine participant emotional, cognitive and behavioural responses to two differing on-road scenarios whilst exploring the proposed theoretical framework. A number of socio-demographic, state and trait person-related variables such as age, pre-study emotions, trait aggression and problem-solving style were found to predict the likelihood of a negative emotional response such as frustration, anger, perceived threat, negative attributions and the likelihood of adopting either an instrumental or hostile behaviour in response to Scenarios One and Two. Complex relationships were found to exist between the variables, however, they were interpretable based on the literature review findings. Factor analysis revealed evidence supporting Shinar’s (1998) dichotomous description of on-road aggressive behaviours as being instrumental or hostile. The second stage of Study Two used logistic regression to examine the factors that predicted the potentially hostile aggressive drivers (n = 88) within the sample. These drivers were those who indicated a preparedness to engage in direct acts of interpersonal aggression on the road. Young, male drivers 17–24 years of age were more likely to be classified as potentially hostile aggressive drivers. Young drivers (17–24 years) also scored significantly higher than other drivers on all subscales of the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992) and on the ‘negative problem orientation’ and ‘impulsive careless style’ subscales of the Social Problem Solving Inventory – Revised (D’Zurilla, Nezu & Maydeu-Olivares, 2002). The potentially hostile aggressive drivers were also significantly more likely to engage in speeding and drink/drug driving behaviour. With regard to the emotional, cognitive and behavioural variables examined, the potentially hostile aggressive driver group also scored significantly higher than the ‘other driver’ group on most variables examined in the proposed theoretical framework. The variables contained in the framework of aggressive driving reliably distinguished potentially hostile aggressive drivers from other drivers (Nagalkerke R2 = .39). Study Three used a case study approach to conduct an in-depth examination of the psychosocial characteristics of n = 10 (9 males and 1 female) self-confessed hostile aggressive drivers. The self-confessed hostile aggressive drivers were aged 24–55 years of age. A large proportion of these drivers reported a Year 10 education or better and average–above average incomes. As a group, the drivers reported committing a number of speeding and unlicensed driving offences in the past three years and extensive histories of violations outside of this period. Considerable evidence was also found of exposure to a range of developmental risk factors for aggression that may have contributed to the driver’s on-road expression of aggression. These drivers scored significantly higher on the Aggression Questionnaire subscales and Social Problem Solving Inventory Revised subscales, ‘negative problem orientation’ and ‘impulsive/careless style’, than the general sample of drivers included in Study Two. The hostile aggressive driver also scored significantly higher on the Barrett Impulsivity Scale – 11 (Patton, Stanford & Barratt, 1995) measure of impulsivity than a male ‘inmate’, or female ‘general psychiatric’ comparison group. Using the Carlson Psychological Survey (Carlson, 1982), the self-confessed hostile aggressive drivers scored equal or higher scores than the comparison group of incarcerated individuals on the subscale measures of chemical abuse, thought disturbance, anti-social tendencies and self-depreciation. Using the Carlson Psychological Survey personality profiles, seven participants were profiled ‘markedly anti-social’, two were profiled ‘negative-explosive’ and one was profiled as ‘self-centred’. Qualitative analysis of the ten case study self-reports of on-road hostile aggression revealed a similar range of on-road situational factors to those identified in the literature review and Study One. Six of the case studies reported off-road generated stress that they believed contributed to the episodes of aggressive driving they recalled. Intense ‘anger’ or ‘rage’ were most frequently used to describe the emotions experienced in response to the perceived provocation. Less frequently ‘excitement’ and ‘fear’ were cited as relevant emotions. Notably, five of the case studies experienced difficulty articulating their emotions, suggesting emotional difficulties. Consistent with Study Two, these drivers reported negative attributions and most had thoughts of aggressive actions they would like to take. Similarly, these drivers adopted both instrumental and hostile aggressive behaviours during the self-reported incident. Nine participants showed little or no remorse for their behaviour and these drivers also appeared to exhibit low levels of personal insight. Interestingly, few incidents were brought to the attention of the authorities. Further, examination of the person-related characteristics of these drivers indicated that they may be more likely to have come from difficult or dysfunctional backgrounds and to have a history of anti-social behaviours on and off the road. The research program has several key theoretical implications. While many of the findings supported Shinar’s (1998) frustration-aggression model, two key areas of difference emerged. Firstly, aggressive driving behaviour does not always appear to be frustration driven, but can also be driven by feelings of excitation (consistent with the tenets of the General Aggression Model). Secondly, while the findings supported a distinction being made between instrumental and hostile aggressive behaviours, the characteristics of these two types of behaviours require more examination. For example, Shinar (1998) proposes that a driver will adopt an instrumental aggressive behaviour when their progress is impeded if it allows them to achieve their immediate goals (e.g. reaching their destination as quickly as possible); whereas they will engage in hostile aggressive behaviour if their path to their goal is blocked. However, the current results question this assertion, since many of the hostile aggressive drivers studied appeared prepared to engage in hostile acts irrespective of whether their goal was blocked or not. In fact, their behaviour appeared to be characterised by a preparedness to abandon their immediate goals (even if for a short period of time) in order to express their aggression. The use of the General Aggression Model enabled an examination of the three components of the ‘present internal state’ comprising emotions, cognitions and arousal and how these influence the likelihood of a person responding aggressively to an on-road situation. This provided a detailed insight into both the cognitive and emotional aspects of aggressive driving that have important implications for the design of relevant countermeasures. For example, the findings highlighted the potential value of utilising Cognitive Behavioural Therapy with aggressive drivers, particularly the more hostile offenders. Similarly, educational efforts need to be mindful of the way that person-related factors appear to influence one’s perception of another driver’s behaviour as aggressive or benign. Those drivers with a predisposition for aggression were more likely to perceive aggression or ‘wrong doing’ in an ambiguous on-road situation and respond with instrumental and/or hostile behaviour, highlighting the importance of perceptual processes in aggressive driving behaviour.

Pre-Admission and Post-Hospital Management of Heart Failure in Patients not Enrolled in Specialist Programs

Aim: To review the management of heart failure in patients not enrolled in specialist multidisciplinary programs. Method: A prospective clinical audit of patients admitted to hospital with either a current or past diagnosis of heart failure and not enrolled in a specialist heart failure program or under the direct care of the cardiology unit. Results: 81 eligible patients were enrolled (1 August to 1 October 2008). The median age was 81 9.4 years and 48% were male. Most patients (63%) were in New York Heart Association Class II or Class III heart failure. On discharge, 59% of patients were prescribed angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and 43% were prescribed beta-blockers. During hospitalisation, 8.6% of patients with a past diagnosis of heart failure were started on an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor and 4.9% on a beta-blocker. There was evidence of suboptimal dosage on admission and discharge for angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (19% and 7.4%) and beta-blockers (29% and 17%). The results compared well with international reports regarding the under-treatment of heart failure. Conclusion: The demonstrated practice gap provides excellent opportunities for the involvement of pharmacists to improve the continuation of care for heart failure patients discharged from hospital in the areas of medication management review, dose titration and monitoring.