Lying in all honesty : capturing truth in women’s confessional memoir

This paper explores the slippery nature of illness and diagnosis in Lauren Slater’s memoir, Lying: a Metaphorical Memoir (2000). Speaking from the shadowy intersection of childhood and adolescence, Slater’s narrator, Lauren, uses the metaphor of epilepsy to describe her own predilection for exaggeration. In exploiting the fallibility of the first-person narrator, Slater insists on the legitimacy of metaphor in accounts of childhood illness that are more concerned with narrative truth than historical accuracy. The result of this playfulness and general misrule is that Slater writes herself into a double bind: on one side, she is the child narrator who inadvertently misrepresents events and misdirects readers, and on the other side, she is the untrustworthy author who employs metaphor as a licence to lie.

Psychometric properties of the modified RESIDE physical activity questionnaire among low-income overweight women

Objectives This study explored the criterion-related validity and test-retest reliability of the modified RESIDential Environment physical activity questionnaire and whether the instrument's validity varied by body mass index, education, race/ethnicity, or employment status. Design Validation study using baseline data collected for randomized trial of a weight loss intervention. Methods Participants recruited from health departments wore an ActiGraph accelerometer and self-reported non-occupational walking, moderate and vigorous physical activity on the modified RESIDential Environment questionnaire. We assessed validity (n = 152) using Spearman correlation coefficients, and reliability (n = 57) using intraclass correlation coefficients. Results When compared to steps, moderate physical activity, and bouts of moderate/vigorous physical activity measured by accelerometer, these questionnaire measures showed fair evidence for validity: recreational walking (Spearman correlation coefficients 0.23–0.36), total walking (Spearman correlation coefficients 0.24–0.37), and total moderate physical activity (Spearman correlation coefficients 0.18–0.36). Correlations for self-reported walking and moderate physical activity were higher among unemployed participants and women with lower body mass indices. Generally no other variability in the validity of the instrument was found. Evidence for reliability of RESIDential Environment measures of recreational walking, total walking, and total moderate physical activity was substantial (intraclass correlation coefficients 0.56–0.68). Conclusions Evidence for questionnaire validity and reliability varied by activity domain and was strongest for walking measures. The questionnaire may capture physical activity less accurately among women with higher body mass indices and employed participants. Capturing occupational activity, specifically walking at work, may improve questionnaire validity.

Collagen induced MMP-2 activation in human breast cancer

Matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), a zymogen requiring proteolytic activation for catalytic activity, has been implicated broadly in the invasion and metastasis of many cancer model systems, including human breast cancer (HBC). MMP-2 has been immunolocalized to carcinomatous human breast, where the degree of activation of MMP-2 correlates well with tumor grade and patient prognosis. Using Matrigel assays, we have stratified HBC cell lines for invasiveness in vitro, and compared this to their potential for metastatic spread in nude mice. HBC cell lines expressing the mesenchymal marker protein vimentin were found to be highly invasive in vitro, and tended to form metastases in nude mice. We have further discovered that culture on collagen-I gels (Vitrogen(TM): Vg) induces MMP-2-activator in highly invasive but not poorly invasive HBC cell lines. As seen for other MMP-2-activator inducing regimens, this induction requires protein synthesis and an intact MMP-2 hemopexin-like domain, appears to be mediated by a cell surface activity, and can be inhibited by metalloproteinase inhibitors. The induction is highly specific to collagen I, and is not seen with thin coatings of collagen I, collagen IV, laminin, or fibronectin, or with 3-dimensional gels of laminin, Matrigel, or gelatin. This review focuses on collagen I and MMP- 2, their localization and source in HBC, and their relationship(s) to MMP-2 activation and HBC metastasis. The relevance of collagen I in activation of MMP-2 in vivo is discussed in terms of stromal cell: tumor cell interaction for collagen I deposition, MMP-2 production and MMP-2-activation. Such cooperativity may exist in vivo for MMP-2 participation in HBC dissemination. A more complete understanding of the regulation of MMP-2-activator by type I collagen may provide new avenues for improved diagnosis and prognosis of human breast cancer.

Comparison of three generations of ActiGraph (TM) activity monitors in children and adolescents

In this study, we evaluated agreement among three generations of ActiGraph (TM) accelerometers in children and adolescents. Twenty-nine participants (mean age = 14.2 +/- 3.0 years) completed two laboratory-based activity sessions, each lasting 60 min. During each session, participants concurrently wore three different models of the ActiGraph (TM) accelerometers (GT1M, GT3X, GT3X+). Agreement among the three models for vertical axis counts, vector magnitude counts, and time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical exercise (MVPA) was evaluated by calculating intraclass correlation coefficients and Bland-Altman plots. The intraclass correlation coefficient for total vertical axis counts, total vector magnitude counts, and estimated MVPA was 0.994 (95% CI = 0.989-0.996), 0.981 (95% CI = 0.969-0.989), and 0.996 (95% CI = 0.989-0.998), respectively. Inter-monitor differences for total vertical axis and vector magnitude counts ranged from 0.3% to 1.5%, while inter-monitor differences for estimated MVPA were equal to or close to zero. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that there is strong agreement between the GT1M, GT3X, and GT3X+ activity monitors, thus making it acceptable for researchers and practitioners to use different ActiGraph (TM) models within a given study.

Federal Court Rules 027 r 11 - Subpoena to give evidence

In Australian Prudential Regulation Authority v Rural and General Insurance Let [2004] FCA 933, Gyles J considered what he described as "a novel question", namely, whether taking steps to prepare to give oral evidence when subpoenaed to attend for that purpose, including the obtaining of legal advice and assistance, could be recovered by the witness under O 27 r 11 of the Federal Court Rules

Practice and Procedure - Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 r 212(2) - whether draft expert reports must be disclosed

In Mitchell Contractors Pty Ltd v Townsville-Thuringowa Water Supply Joint Board [2004] QSC 329, Douglas J considered the issue of broad significance for litigation practitioners of whether draft expert reports fall within the description in r212(2) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999 (Qld) of documents "consisting of a statement or report of an expert" and are therefore not privileged from disclosure.

A fast track SAP R/3 implementation at Guilbert Niceday

This paper examines the approach of Guilbert, a European stationery company, which has chosen a fast track strategy towards implementation of enterprise resource planning.

Efficiently capturing large, complex cultural heritage sites with a handheld mobile 3D laser mapping system

Accurate three-dimensional representations of cultural heritage sites are highly valuable for scientific study, conservation, and educational purposes. In addition to their use for archival purposes, 3D models enable efficient and precise measurement of relevant natural and architectural features. Many cultural heritage sites are large and complex, consisting of multiple structures spatially distributed over tens of thousands of square metres. The process of effectively digitising such geometrically complex locations requires measurements to be acquired from a variety of viewpoints. While several technologies exist for capturing the 3D structure of objects and environments, none are ideally suited to complex, large-scale sites, mainly due to their limited coverage or acquisition efficiency. We explore the use of a recently developed handheld mobile mapping system called Zebedee in cultural heritage applications. The Zebedee system is capable of efficiently mapping an environment in three dimensions by continually acquiring data as an operator holding the device traverses through the site. The system was deployed at the former Peel Island Lazaret, a culturally significant site in Queensland, Australia, consisting of dozens of buildings of various sizes spread across an area of approximately 400 × 250 m. With the Zebedee system, the site was scanned in half a day, and a detailed 3D point cloud model (with over 520 million points) was generated from the 3.6 hours of acquired data in 2.6 hours. We present results demonstrating that Zebedee was able to accurately capture both site context and building detail comparable in accuracy to manual measurement techniques, and at a greatly increased level of efficiency and scope. The scan allowed us to record derelict buildings that previously could not be measured because of the scale and complexity of the site. The resulting 3D model captures both interior and exterior features of buildings, including structure, materials, and the contents of rooms.

The feasibility, delivery and cost effectiveness of drink driving interventions : a qualitative analysis of professional stakeholders

Many intervention programs have been designed to decrease the rate of drink driving by altering the behavioural characteristics that may lead a person to drink and drive. However, most programs target high risk and repeat offenders. There is very little research on the feasibility and effectiveness of first offender programs. This project is part of a larger program of research that focuses on first time offenders, in order to reduce the rate of subsequent drink driving which may result in a repeat offence. A number of professional stakeholders were approached and interviewed with a view to capturing and reflecting current drink driving related concerns while developing an intervention in the context of Australian drink driving related legislation. The qualitative interviews involved open ended questioning which led to the themes discussed in the analysis. Included in the interviews were senior representatives from the Magistrates Court, Queensland Transport, Probation & Parole, Queensland Corrective Services, Royal Automobile Club Queensland (RACQ), Intraface Consulting (drug & alcohol EAP), Brisbane Police Prosecution Corps, Queensland Police Service and private practice psychology. Issues such as delivery of interventions, feasibility and cost-effectiveness were discussed, as were potential content and design. It was generally agreed that a tailored online intervention imposed as a sentencing option would be the most effective for first time offenders in terms of cost, ease of delivery and feasibility. The development of an online intervention program for first offenders is widely supported by professional stakeholders.

What Next? Future Directions for R&D Investment

Professor Peter Barrett at the 2013 CIB World Building Congress1 (WBC13) presented a timely context for the future of research and development (R&D) investment in the global construction industry (Barrett, 2013). He called for a shift in the focus from lessons learned and doing things better to what is the right thing to do and developing a new paradigm for achieving this. This shift requires empathy with industry and users; a desire to generate and transmit knowledge; an opportunity to study deeply and over the long term; and with an objective stance towards fJositive and negative findings. This shift includes the creation of sta11dards for the holistic impact of spaces through exemplary pilot projects creating evidence for policy makers and clients (Barrett, 2013)...