Does occupational aggregation matter in determining the size of the gender wage gap?

The traditional decomposition of the gender wage gap distinguishes between a component attributable to gender differences in productivity-related characteristics and a residual component that is often taken as a measure of discrimination. This study of data from the 1989 Canadian Labour Market Activity Survey shows that when occupation is treated as a productivity-related characteristic, the proportion of the gender wage gap labeled explained increases with the number of occupational classifications distinguished. However, on the basis of evidence that occupational differences reflect the presence of barriers faced by women attempting to enter male-dominated occupations, the authors conclude that occupation should not be treated as a productivity-related characteristic; and in a decomposition of the gender wage gap that treats occupation as endogenously determined, they find that the level of occupational aggregation has little effect on the size of the "explained" component of the gap.

Expression of MUC1 and MUC2 mucins in epithelial ovarian tumours

This is the first study to describe the association between expression of MUC1 and MUC2 mucins and prognosis in ovarian cancer. Paraffin sections of epithelial ovarian tumours (n=182: 29 benign, 21 low malignant potential, and 132 invasive tumours) were analysed immunohistochemically for expression of MUC1 and MUC2 mucin core proteins. Most benign, low malignant potential, and invasive tumours showed high MUC1 expression in the cytoplasm. Low cytoplasmic expression of MUC1 was a predictor for good prognosis, particularly within stage III tumours. A minority of benign epithelial tumours, but most low malignant potential and invasive non-mucinous tumours, showed high MUC1 expression on the cell membrane. High apical MUC1 reactivity was associated with non-mucinous tumours. Low expression of MUC1 in the apical membrane was associated with early stage and good outcome for invasive tumours. Most benign and low malignant potential tumours, but only a minority of invasive tumours, showed MUC2 expression. MUC2 was found in non-mucinous as well as in mucinous tumours. The presence of MUC2 was inversely associated with high tumour grade but was not associated with altered survival. These results support experimental evidence that MUC1 influences the metastatic ability of ovarian cancer.

Can a childcare practicum encourage degree qualified staff to enter the childcare workforce?

Concern to ensure that all children have access to high quality educational experiences in the early years of life has instigated moves to increase qualifications of staff in the childcare workforce, in particular to increase the number of degree qualified teachers. However existing data suggest that work in the childcare sector is viewed less favourably by those undertaking early childhood education degrees. For most, childcare is not a preferred place of employment. This study asked whether a practicum in a childcare setting would improve attitudes to childcare and willingness to consider working in childcare settings. In a study of a cohort of Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) students, measures of attitudes to childcare and willingness to work in childcare were taken before and after practicum. Additionally students provided accounts of their practicum experiences. Results indicate a trend in which there was a group increase in positive attitudes and willingness to consider work in childcare but considerable individual differences influenced by the quality of the practicum experience. The relationship with, and model provided by, centre directors and the group leader in the practicum class was identified as key influencing factors. Results are discussed in term of models of pedagogical leadership.

Emerging work practice with a telehealth stethoscope

We investigated the collaboration of ten doctor-nurse pairs with a prototype digital telehealth stethoscope. Doctors could see and hear the patient but could not touch them or the stethoscope. The nurse in each pair controlled the stethoscope. For ethical reasons, an experimenter stood in for a patient. Each of the ten interactions was video recorded and analysed to understand the interaction and collaboration between the doctor and nurse. The video recordings were coded and transformed into maps of interaction that were analysed for patterns of activity. The analysis showed that as doctors and nurses became more experienced at using the telehealth stethoscope their collaboration was more effective. The main measure of effectiveness was the number of corrections in stethoscope placement required by the doctor. In early collaborations, the doctors gave many corrections. After several trials, each doctor and nurse had reduced corrections and all pairs reduced their corrections. The significance of this research is the identification of the qualities of effective collaboration in the use of the telehealth stethoscope and telehealth systems more generally.

Factors influencing caregiver : care receiver communication and its impact on the well-being of older care receivers

Examined communication between frail older people and their caregiving spouses (CGSs), and its relation to well-being in older care receivers. 53 community residing spousal dyads completed questionnaires about their well-being, relational satisfaction, and communication patterns. Conversations between the dyads were also videotaped and analyzed. The type of communication used by the CGSs was influenced by their sex, their earlier relationship with their spouse, and their level of well-being. CGSs who used an overly directive communication tone with their spouse were likely to be wives and CGSs who had a high degree of autonomy in their earlier relationship with their spouse. Low levels of life satisfaction and high affect balance in CGSs were associated with CGSs using a more patronizing tone. The well-being of care receivers was also related to their perceptions of their CGSs' communication. Care receivers who perceived their CGSs' communication as patronizing reported low levels of affect balance and high levels of conflict in the relationship. Findings suggest that certain characteristics of CGSs are related to the type of communication they use when conversing with their partner, although the relations are not always as expected.

Adaptive stepsize based on control theory for stochastic differential equations

The numerical solution of stochastic differential equations (SDEs) has been focused recently on the development of numerical methods with good stability and order properties. These numerical implementations have been made with fixed stepsize, but there are many situations when a fixed stepsize is not appropriate. In the numerical solution of ordinary differential equations, much work has been carried out on developing robust implementation techniques using variable stepsize. It has been necessary, in the deterministic case, to consider the "best" choice for an initial stepsize, as well as developing effective strategies for stepsize control-the same, of course, must be carried out in the stochastic case. In this paper, proportional integral (PI) control is applied to a variable stepsize implementation of an embedded pair of stochastic Runge-Kutta methods used to obtain numerical solutions of nonstiff SDEs. For stiff SDEs, the embedded pair of the balanced Milstein and balanced implicit method is implemented in variable stepsize mode using a predictive controller for the stepsize change. The extension of these stepsize controllers from a digital filter theory point of view via PI with derivative (PID) control will also be implemented. The implementations show the improvement in efficiency that can be attained when using these control theory approaches compared with the regular stepsize change strategy.

Efficient solution of two-sided nonlinear space-fractional diffusion equations using fast Poisson preconditioners

We develop a fast Poisson preconditioner for the efficient numerical solution of a class of two-sided nonlinear space fractional diffusion equations in one and two dimensions using the method of lines. Using the shifted Gr¨unwald finite difference formulas to approximate the two-sided(i.e. the left and right Riemann-Liouville) fractional derivatives, the resulting semi-discrete nonlinear systems have dense Jacobian matrices owing to the non-local property of fractional derivatives. We employ a modern initial value problem solver utilising backward differentiation formulas and Jacobian-free Newton-Krylov methods to solve these systems. For efficient performance of the Jacobianfree Newton-Krylov method it is essential to apply an effective preconditioner to accelerate the convergence of the linear iterative solver. The key contribution of our work is to generalise the fast Poisson preconditioner, widely used for integer-order diffusion equations, so that it applies to the two-sided space fractional diffusion equation. A number of numerical experiments are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the preconditioner and the overall solution strategy.

Corporate climate change-related governance practices and related disclosures : evidence from Australia

This paper investigates the climate change-related corporate governance disclosure practices of five major Australian energy-intensive companies over a 16-year period. In doing so, a content analysis instrument is developed to identify disclosures made in relation to various policies and procedures the organisations have in place for addressing the issues associated with climate change. This instrument is applied to the respective companies' annual reports and sustainability reports. An increasing trend is found in companies' climate change-related corporate governance disclosures over time; however, in many instances the disclosures provide limited insights into the climate change-related risks and opportunities confronting the sample companies.

Which cultural values matter to business process management? Results from a global Delphi study

Purpose – Business process management (BPM) requires a holistic perspective that includes managing the culture of an organization to achieve objectives of efficient and effective business processes. Still, the specifics of a BPM-supportive organizational culture have not been examined so far. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of a cultural setting supportive of BPM objectives. Design/methodology/approach – The paper examines the constituent values of a BPM-supportive cultural setting through a global Delphi study with BPM experts from academia and practice and explore these values in a cultural value framework. Findings – The paper empirically identifies and defines four key cultural values supporting BPM, viz., customer orientation, excellence, responsibility, and teamwork. The paper discusses the relationships between these values and identifies a particular challenge in managing these seemingly competing values. Research limitations/implications – The identification and definition of these values represents a first step towards the operationalization (and empirical analysis) of what has been identified as the concept of BPM culture, i.e. a culture supportive of achieving BPM objectives. Practical implications – Identifying these cultural values provides the basis for developing an instrument that can measure how far an existing cultural context is supportive of BPM. This, in turn, is fundamental for identifying measures towards achieving a BPM culture as a necessary, yet not sufficient means to obtain BPM success. Originality/value – The paper examines which cultural values create an environment receptive for BPM and, thus, specifies the important theoretical construct BPM culture. In addition, the paper raises awareness for realizing these values in a BPM context.

Understanding body image disturbance in the promotion of mental health : a discourse analytic study

Health care interventions in the area of body image disturbance and eating disorders largely involve individual treatment approaches, while prevention and health promotion are relatively underexplored. A review of health promotion activities in the area of body image in Australia revealed three programmes, the most extensive and longest standing having been established in 1992. The aims of this programme are to reduce body image dissatisfaction and inappropriate eating behaviour, especially among women. Because health promotion is concerned with the social aspects of health, it was hypothesized by the authors that a social understanding of body image and eating disorders might be advanced in a health promotion setting and reflected in the approach to practice. In order to examine approaches to body image in health promotion, 10 health professionals responsible for the design and management of this programme participated in a series of semi-structured interviews between 1997 and 2000. Three discursive themes were evident in health workers' explanations of body image problems: (1) cognitive-behavioural themes; (2) gender themes; and (3) socio-cultural themes. While body image problems were constructed as psychological problems that are particularly experienced by women, their origins were largely conceived to be socio-cultural. The implications of these constructions are critically discussed in terms of the approach to health promotion used in this programme.

Are boards flying blind when it comes to enterprise technology governance?

Considering the sheer speed, complexity and ever changing risk in today’s technology saturated business environment, it’s hardly surprising that the call for digitally savvy directors is increasing. Emerging research suggests serious consequences for boards that continue to ignore or delegate enterprise-level technology governance.

Can emotion provide a new approach to business model innovation?

Companies require new strategies to drive growth and survival, as the fast pace of change has created the need for greater business flexibility. Therefore, industry leaders are looking to business innovation as a principle source of differentiation and competitive advantage. However, most companies rely heavily on either technology or products to provide business innovation, yet competitors can easily and rapidly surpass these forms of innovation. Business model innovation expands beyond innovation in isolated areas, such as product innovation, to create strategies that incorporate many business avenues to work together to create and deliver value to its customers. Existing literature highlights that a business model’s central role is ‘customer value’. However, the emotional underpinnings of customer value within a business model are not well understood. The integration of customer emotion into business model design and value chain can be viewed as a way to innovate beyond just products, services and processes. This paper investigates the emotional avenues within business strategy and operations, business model innovation and customer engagement. Three propositions are outlined and explored as future research. The significance of this research is to provide companies with a new approach to innovation through a deeper understanding and integration of their customers’ emotions.

Estimation of disability weights on malignant neoplasms in Shandong province [山东省现患恶性肿瘤残疾权重的测量]

Objective To determine stage-specific and average disability weights (DWs) of malignant neoplasm and provide support and evidence for study on burden of cancer and policy development in Shandong province. Methods Health status of each cancer patient identified during the cancer prevalence survey in Shandong, 2007 was investigated. In line with the GBD methodology in estimating DWs, the disability extent of every case was classified and evaluated according to the Six-class Disability Classification version and then the stage-specific weights and average DWs with their 95 % confidence intervals were calculated, using SAS software. Results A total of 11 757 cancer cases were investigated and evaluated. DWs of specific stage of therapy, remission, metastasis and terminal of all cancers were 0.310, 0.218, 0.450 and 0.653 respectively. The average DW of all cancers was 0.317(95 % CI:0.312-0.321). Weights of different stage and different cancer varied significantly, while no significant differences were found between males and females. DWs were found higher (>0.4) for liver cancer, bone cancer, lymphoma and pancreas cancer. Lower DWs (<0.3) were found for breast cancer, cervix uteri, corpus uteri, ovarian cancer, larynx cancer, mouth and oropharynx cancer. Conclusion Stage-specific and average DWs for various cancers were estimated based on a large sample size survey. The average DWs of 0.317 for all cancers indicated that 1/3 healthy year lost for each survived life year of them. The difference of DWs between different cancer and stage provide scientific evidence for cancer prevention strategy development. Abstract in Chinese 目的 测算各种恶性肿瘤的分病程残疾权重和平均残疾权重,为山东省恶性肿瘤疾病负担研究及肿瘤防治对策制定提供参考依据. 方法 在山东省2007年恶性肿瘤现患调查中对所有恶性肿瘤患者的健康状况进行调查,参考全球疾病负担研究的方法 ,利用六级社会功能分级标准对患者残疾状况进行分级和赋值,分别计算20种恶性肿瘤的分病程残疾权重和平均残疾权重及其95%CI. 结果 共调查恶性肿瘤患者11757例,所有恶性肿瘤治疗期、恢复期、转移期和晚期的残疾权重分别为0.310、0.218、0.450和0.653,平均残疾权重为0.317(95%CI:0.312～0.321).不同恶性肿瘤和不同病程阶段的残疾权重差别显著,性别间差异无统计学意义.肝癌、骨癌、淋巴瘤和胰腺癌平均残疾权重较高(>0.4),乳腺癌、子宫体癌、子宫颈癌、卵巢癌、喉癌和口咽部癌症相对较低(<0.3). 结论 山东省恶性肿瘤平均残疾权重为0.317,即恶性肿瘤患者每存活1年平均损失近1/3个健康生命年;不同恶性肿瘤和不同病程阶段的残疾权重差别为肿瘤防治对策的制定具有重要意义.

Current dementia research in Australia : a report from the Alzheimer's Australia 15th National Conference

The Alzheimer’s Australia 15th National Conference held on 14–17 May 2013 in Hobart (Tasmania, Australia) attracted a wide range of attendees, including people living with dementia, family caregivers, health professionals and researchers. The conference theme, The Tiles of Life Coloring the Future, invoking a vision of a better future for those affected by dementia, had seven subthemes: liberation, rehabilitation, leisure,service, creativity, wellbeing and research.

The link between infrastructure charges and housing affordability in Australia: Where is the empirical evidence?

Developer paid charges or contributions are a commonly used infrastructure funding mechanism for local governments. However, developers claim that these costs are merely passed on to home buyers, with adverse effects to housing affordability. Despite a plethora of government reports and industry advocacy, there remains no empirical evidence in Australia to confirm or quantify this passing on effect to home buyers and hence no data for which governments to base policy decision upon. This paper examines the question of who really pays for urban infrastructure and the impact of infrastructure charges on housing affordability. It presents the findings of a number of international empirical studies that provide evidence that infrastructure charges do increase house prices. Based on international findings, and in the absence of any Australian research, then these findings suggest that if the international findings are transferable, then there is empirical evidence to support the proposition that developer paid infrastructure charges are a significant contributor to increasing house prices.