Consumer product-related injuries in Queensland children : A snapshot of current problem areas for potential action

This report presents a snapshot from work which was funded by the Queensland Injury Prevention Council in 2010-11 titled “Feasibility of Using Health Data Sources to Inform Product Safety Surveillance in Queensland children”. The project provided an evaluation of the current available evidence-base for identification and surveillance of product-related injuries in children in Queensland and Australia. A comprehensive 300 page report was produced (available at: http://eprints.qut.edu.au/46518/) and a series of recommendations were made which proposed: improvements in the product safety data system, increased utilisation of health data for proactive and reactive surveillance, enhanced collaboration between the health sector and the product safety sector, and improved ability of health data to meet the needs of product safety surveillance. At the conclusion of the project, a Consumer Product Injury Research Advisory group (CPIRAG) was established as a working party to the Queensland Injury Prevention Council (QIPC), to prioritise and advance these recommendations and to work collaboratively with key stakeholders to promote the role of injury data to support product safety policy decisions at the Queensland and national level. This group continues to meet monthly and is comprised of the organisations represented on the second page of this report. One of the key priorities of the CPIRAG group for 2012 was to produce a snapshot report to highlight problem areas for potential action arising out of the larger report. Subsequent funding to write this snapshot report was provided by the Institute for Health and Biomedical Innovation, Injury Prevention and Rehabilitation Domain at QUT in 2012. This work was undertaken by Dr Kirsten McKenzie and researchers from QUT's Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety - Queensland. This snapshot report provides an evidence base for potential further action on a range of children’s products that are significantly represented in injury data. Further information regarding injury hazards, safety advice and regulatory responses are available on the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) Queensland website and the Product Safety Australia websites. Links to these resources are provided for each product reviewed.

State asset management reform in Indonesia : a wicked problem

Efficient state asset management is crucial for government departments that rely on the operations of their state assets in order to fulfil their public functions, which include public service provision and others. These assets may be expensive, extensive and or, complex, and can have a major impact on the ability of governments to perform its function over extended periods. Various governments around the world have increasingly recognised the importance of an efficient state asset management laws, policies, and practices; exemplified by the surge in state asset management reform. This phenomenon is evident in Indonesia, in particular through the establishment of the Directorate General of State Assets in 2006, who was appointed as the ultimate state asset manager (of Republic of Indonesia) and the proprietor of state asset management reform. The Directorate General of State Assets too has pledged its adherence to good governance principles within its state asset management laws and policies reform. However the degree that good governance principles are conceptualised is unknown, resulting in questions of how and to what extent is good governance principles evident within Indonesia's reformed state asset management laws and policies. This study seeks to understand the level of which good governance principles are conceptualised and understood within reformed state asset management policies in Indonesia (as a case study), and identify the variables that play a role in the implementation of said reform. Although good governance improvements has been a central tenet in Indonesian government agenda, and state asset management reform has propelled in priority due to found neglect and unfavourable audit results; there is ambiguity in regards to the extent that good governance is conceptualised within the reform, how and whether this relationship is understood by state asset managers (i.e government officials), and what (and how) other variables play a supporting and/or impeding role in the reform. Using empirical data involving a sample of four Indonesian regional governments and 70 interviews; discrepancy in which good governance principles are conceptualised, the level it is conceptualised, at which stage of state asset management practice it is conceptualised, and the level it is understood by state asset managers (i.e government officials) was found. Human resource capacity and capability, the notion of 'needing more time', low legality, infancy of reform, and dysfunctional sense of stewardship are identified as specific impeding variables to state asset management reform; whilst decentralisation and regional autonomy regime, political history, and culture play a consistent undercurrent key role in good governance related reforms within Indonesia. This study offers insights to Indonesian policy makers interested in ensuring the conceptualisation and full implementation of good governance in all areas of governing, particularly within state asset management practices. Most importantly, this study identifies an asymmetry in good governance understanding, perspective, and assumptions between policy maker (i.e high level government officials) and policy implementers (i.e low level government officials); to be taken into account for future policy evolvements and/or writing. As such, this study suggests the need for a modified perspective and approach to good governance conceptualisation and implementation strategies, one that acknowledges and incorporates a nation's unique characteristics and no longer denies the double-edged sword of simplified assumptions of governance.

Naming or creating a problem?

In this chapter, we are going to consider how language and practice interact in the process of supporting the learning of students with diverse abilities. You will learn that it is necessary for teachers to understand that while labels carry an administrative function in schools, when used carelessly they operate to stigmatise and exclude those whom we are working to include. This chapter will introduce the concept of equity and explain how the dilemma of difference emerges when we try to determine who should receive support and how. The chapter will also explain how an appreciation of language can help to inform and transform our pedagogy. An example of inclusion in action is provided to illustrate how inclusive language in practice can promote deep cultural changes that benefit both students and teachers. The process of determining appropriate and effective education of students with additional support requirements is troubled by what some refer to as the ‘dilemma of difference’. This dilemma derives mainly from the nature of language and our need to use certain words, terms and categories in order to share common understandings. Without these, educators cannot hope to arrive on the same page, yet such words can take on a life of their own; influencing thoughts, perspectives and attitudes in ways that far outstrip original intentions. The drive for clarity, however, through definition and diagnostic classification can ultimately obscure because of the cultural meanings that become invested within these terms through their use over time and in different professional contexts. In effect, trying to define “difference” in order to provide the right support to particular students is a process that entrenches normative boundaries that in turn create, accentuate and stigmatise whatever we have decided constitutes difference. Language is thus a powerful and dangerous weapon but, like other weapons, language can both hurt and defend. Understanding the power of language enables educators to use it both wisely and safely to the maximum benefit of their students. This chapter will discuss how teachers can recognise and support their students in ways that avoid stigma and the closure of stereotyping.

ActiGraph GT3X determined variations in “free-living” standing, lying, and sitting duration among sedentary adults

Background Overweight and obesity has become a serious public health problem in many parts of the world. Studies suggest that making small changes in daily activity levels such as “breaking-up” sedentary time (i.e., standing) may help mitigate the health risks of sedentary behavior. The aim of the present study was to examine time spent in standing (determined by count threshold), lying, and sitting postures (determined by inclinometer function) via the ActiGraph GT3X among sedentary adults with differing weight status based on body mass index (BMI) categories. Methods Participants included 22 sedentary adults (14 men, 8 women; mean age 26.5 ± 4.1 years). All subjects completed the self-report International Physical Activity Questionnaire to determine time spent sitting over the previous 7 days. Participants were included if they spent seven or more hours sitting per day. Postures were determined with the ActiGraph GT3X inclinometer function. Participants were instructed to wear the accelerometer for 7 consecutive days (24 h a day). BMI was categorized as: 18.5 to <25 kg/m2 as normal, 25 to <30 kg/m2 as overweight, and ≥30 kg/m2 as obese. Results Participants in the normal weight (n = 10) and overweight (n = 6) groups spent significantly more time standing (after adjustment for moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity and wear-time) (6.7 h and 7.3 h respectively) and less time sitting (7.1 h and 6.9 h respectively) than those in obese (n = 6) categories (5.5 h and 8.0 h respectively) after adjustment for wear-time (p < 0.001). There were no significant differences in standing and sitting time between normal weight and overweight groups (p = 0.051 and p = 0.670 respectively). Differences were not significant among groups for lying time (p = 0.55). Conclusion This study described postural allocations standing, lying, and sitting among normal weight, overweight, and obese sedentary adults. The results provide additional evidence for the use of increasing standing time in obesity prevention strategies.

Prediction of age at menopause from assessment of ovarian reserve may be improved by using body mass index and smoking status

Objective: Menopause is the consequence of exhaustion of the ovarian follicular pool. AMH, an indirect hormonal marker of ovarian reserve, has been recently proposed as a predictor for age at menopause. Since BMI and smoking status are relevant independent factors associated with age at menopause we evaluated whether a model including all three of these variables could improve AMH-based prediction of age at menopause. Methods: In the present cohort study, participants were 375 eumenorrheic women aged 19–44 years and a sample of 2,635 Italian menopausal women. AMH values were obtained from the eumenorrheic women. Results: Regression analysis of the AMH data showed that a quadratic function of age provided a good description of these data plotted on a logarithmic scale, with a distribution of residual deviates that was not normal but showed significant leftskewness. Under the hypothesis that menopause can be predicted by AMH dropping below a critical threshold, a model predicting menopausal age was constructed from the AMH regression model and applied to the data on menopause. With the AMH threshold dependent on the covariates BMI and smoking status, the effects of these covariates were shown to be highly significant. Conclusions: In the present study we confirmed the good level of conformity between the distributions of observed and AMH-predicted ages at menopause, and showed that using BMI and smoking status as additional variables improves AMH-based prediction of age at menopause.

Nutritional analysis of gastric contents and body condition score at a single time point in feral horses in Australia

Objective: To determine the impact of a free-choice diet on nutritional intake and body condition of feral horses. Animals: Cadavers of 41 feral horses from 5 Australian locations. Procedures: Body condition score (BCS) was determined (scale of 1 to 9), and the stomach was removed from horses during postmortem examination. Stomach contents were analyzed for nutritional variables and macroelement and microelement concentrations. Data were compared among the locations and also compared with recommended daily intakes for horses. Results: Mean BCS varied by location; all horses were judged to be moderately thin. The BCS for males was 1 to 3 points higher than that of females. Amount of protein in the stomach contents varied from 4.3% to 14.9% and was significantly associated with BCS. Amounts of water-soluble carbohydrate and ethanol-soluble carbohydrate in stomach contents of feral horses from all 5 locations were higher than those expected for horses eating high-quality forage. Some macroelement and microelement concentrations were grossly excessive, whereas others were grossly deficient. There was no evidence of ill health among the horses. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: Results suggested that the diet for several populations of feral horses in Australia appeared less than optimal. However, neither low BCS nor trace mineral deficiency appeared to affect survival of the horses. Additional studies on food sources in these regions, including analysis of water-soluble carbohydrate, ethanol-soluble carbohydrate, and mineral concentrations, are warranted to determine the provenance of such rich sources of nutrients. Determination of the optimal diet for horses may need revision.

Male reproductive health disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men : a hidden problem?

OBJECTIVE: To better understand help-seeking behaviours and reproductive health disorders among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: A cross-sectional mixed-methods study conducted from 1 May 2004 to 30 April 2005 of 293 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men aged 18 years and over from urban, rural and remote communities in the Northern Territory and Queensland. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Subscale of the International Index of Erectile Function, self-reported help-seeking behaviours for erectile dysfunction (ED) and prostate disease, thematic analysis of semi-structured interviews and focus groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of moderate-to-severe ED increased across age groups, from about 10% in younger men (under 35 years) to 28% in men aged 55-74 years. Moderate-to-severe ED was strongly associated with reporting a chronic condition (odds ratio [OR], 3.67) and residing in a remote area (OR, 2.94). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men aged 40-59 years showed similar low levels of help-seeking behaviours compared with non-Indigenous men from a comparable population-based study. About half of the men with ED saw a doctor or received treatment for ED in each population. While prostate cancer rates were low in both studies, testing for prostate problems was less frequent in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men (11.4%) than in non-Indigenous men (34.1%, P < 0.001), despite similar levels of concern about prostate cancer. Barriers to help-seeking included shame, culturally inappropriate services and lack of awareness. CONCLUSION: This study, the first to investigate reproductive health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men, found low levels of help-seeking behaviours for reproductive health disorders, with implications for missing a predictor of chronic disease and late diagnosis of prostate disease.

Body temperature and its effect on leukocyte mobilization, cytokines and markers of neutrophil activation during and after exercise

We investigated the influence of rectal temperature on the immune system during and after exercise. Ten well-trained male cyclists completed exercise trials (90 min cycling at 60% VO(2max) + 16.1 - km time trial) on three separate occasions: once in 18 degrees C and twice in 32 degrees C. Twenty minutes after the trials in 32 degrees C, the cyclists sat for approximately 20 min in cold water (14 degrees C) on one occasion, whereas on another occasion they sat at room temperature. Rectal temperature increased significantly during cycling in both conditions, and was significantly higher after cycling in 32 degrees C than in 18 degrees C (P < 0.05). Leukocyte counts increased significantly during cycling but did not differ between the conditions. The concentrations of serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and IL-10, plasma catecholamines, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor, myeloperoxidase and calprotectin increased significantly following cycling in both conditions. The concentrations of serum IL-8 (25%), IL-10 (120%), IL-1 receptor antagonist (70%), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (17%), plasma myeloperoxidase (26%) and norepinephrine (130%) were significantly higher after cycling in 32 degrees C than in 18 degrees C. During recovery from exercise in 32 degrees C, rectal temperature was significantly lower in response to sitting in cold water than at room temperature. However, immune changes during 90 min of recovery did not differ significantly between sitting in cold water and at room temperature. The greater rise in rectal temperature during exercise in 32 degrees C increased the concentrations of serum IL-8, IL-10, IL-1ra, TNF-alpha and plasma myeloperoxidase, whereas the greater decline in rectal temperature during cold water immersion after exercise did not affect immune responses.

Numerical methods of the variable-order Rayleigh-Stokes problem for a heated generalized second grade fluid with fractional derivative

Rayleigh–Stokes problems have in recent years received much attention due to their importance in physics. In this article, we focus on the variable-order Rayleigh–Stokes problem for a heated generalized second grade fluid with fractional derivative. Implicit and explicit numerical methods are developed to solve the problem. The convergence, stability of the numerical methods and solvability of the implicit numerical method are discussed via Fourier analysis. Moreover, a numerical example is given and the results support the effectiveness of the theoretical analysis.

A critical assessment of the Australian OHS accreditation system's "Body of Knowledge (BoK)"

In response to an increasing perception of poor OHS consultancy quality amongst the Australian public, regulator and OHS professionals, the Safety Institute Australia (SIA) was tasked by the Victorian government to establish an accreditation process for OHS professionals. The OHS accreditation board decided to base its accreditation on a core "body of knowledge" (BoK), against which applicants are assesssed. While the foundation and structure of the BoK is unclear, the BoK consists of a collection of essays from a variety of invited authors. The BoK comprises about 811 pages in 34 chapters, with significant redundancy and considerable subjective components. The SIA BoK is benchmarked against two international best-practices, the German "Core Definition, Object Catalog and Research Domains of Labour Science (Ergonomics)" (Luzcak, Volpert, Raeithel & Schwier, 1989)(100 pages) and the American "Core Competency Model" for the "Master's Degree in Public Health" (Association of Schools of Public Health, 2006) (21 pages). Both "core definition" and "core competency model" are on a comparative level to the BoK. While the German expert panel consisted of 14 eminent professors, the American panel consisted of 135 members, organized in 6 groups chaired by discipline leading academics. The Australian approach employed a broad approach, where 137 professionals, consultants, emerging academics and academics contributed to 8 workshops. Both the German and the American panels maintained an open communication amongst members and with the discipline community throughout the process, whereas SIA applied an open and directed peer-review process. Moreover, the German process involved an analysis of all congress content and journal publications in the scientific domain in a set timeframe, which were then systematically clustered. These results were further expanded by structured interviews with 38 professors in the discpline, grasping their research and teaching practice. The American workgroup however assumed core scientific areas, underlying the domain. Based upon the a-priori assumption, they then established well defined competencies across all areas using a modified Delphi process. Although the BoK attempts to explore the knowledge in the OHS domain without an imposed structure in a bottom-up approach, it does not result in a structured systematic of the science. We conclude that the outcome of the German, rigorous academic approach, and the US American democratic approach under unambiguous academic leadership both outperform the Australian advocacy group approach. This product was determined for both structure and content of the taxonomy delivered through the processes.

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.

Mathematical modelling of controlled drug release from polymer micro-spheres : incorporating the effects of swelling, diffusion and dissolution via moving boundary problems

Controlled drug delivery is a key topic in modern pharmacotherapy, where controlled drug delivery devices are required to prolong the period of release, maintain a constant release rate, or release the drug with a predetermined release profile. In the pharmaceutical industry, the development process of a controlled drug delivery device may be facilitated enormously by the mathematical modelling of drug release mechanisms, directly decreasing the number of necessary experiments. Such mathematical modelling is difficult because several mechanisms are involved during the drug release process. The main drug release mechanisms of a controlled release device are based on the device’s physiochemical properties, and include diffusion, swelling and erosion. In this thesis, four controlled drug delivery models are investigated. These four models selectively involve the solvent penetration into the polymeric device, the swelling of the polymer, the polymer erosion and the drug diffusion out of the device but all share two common key features. The first is that the solvent penetration into the polymer causes the transition of the polymer from a glassy state into a rubbery state. The interface between the two states of the polymer is modelled as a moving boundary and the speed of this interface is governed by a kinetic law. The second feature is that drug diffusion only happens in the rubbery region of the polymer, with a nonlinear diffusion coefficient which is dependent on the concentration of solvent. These models are analysed by using both formal asymptotics and numerical computation, where front-fixing methods and the method of lines with finite difference approximations are used to solve these models numerically. This numerical scheme is conservative, accurate and easily implemented to the moving boundary problems and is thoroughly explained in Section 3.2. From the small time asymptotic analysis in Sections 5.3.1, 6.3.1 and 7.2.1, these models exhibit the non-Fickian behaviour referred to as Case II diffusion, and an initial constant rate of drug release which is appealing to the pharmaceutical industry because this indicates zeroorder release. The numerical results of the models qualitatively confirms the experimental behaviour identified in the literature. The knowledge obtained from investigating these models can help to develop more complex multi-layered drug delivery devices in order to achieve sophisticated drug release profiles. A multi-layer matrix tablet, which consists of a number of polymer layers designed to provide sustainable and constant drug release or bimodal drug release, is also discussed in this research. The moving boundary problem describing the solvent penetration into the polymer also arises in melting and freezing problems which have been modelled as the classical onephase Stefan problem. The classical one-phase Stefan problem has unrealistic singularities existed in the problem at the complete melting time. Hence we investigate the effect of including the kinetic undercooling to the melting problem and this problem is called the one-phase Stefan problem with kinetic undercooling. Interestingly we discover the unrealistic singularities existed in the classical one-phase Stefan problem at the complete melting time are regularised and also find out the small time behaviour of the one-phase Stefan problem with kinetic undercooling is different to the classical one-phase Stefan problem from the small time asymptotic analysis in Section 3.3. In the case of melting very small particles, it is known that surface tension effects are important. The effect of including the surface tension to the melting problem for nanoparticles (no kinetic undercooling) has been investigated in the past, however the one-phase Stefan problem with surface tension exhibits finite-time blow-up. Therefore we investigate the effect of including both the surface tension and kinetic undercooling to the melting problem for nanoparticles and find out the the solution continues to exist until complete melting. The investigation of including kinetic undercooling and surface tension to the melting problems reveals more insight into the regularisations of unphysical singularities in the classical one-phase Stefan problem. This investigation gives a better understanding of melting a particle, and contributes to the current body of knowledge related to melting and freezing due to heat conduction.

Footprint-based estimates of arch structure are confounded by body composition in adults

Previous research employing indirect measures of arch structure, such as those derived from footprints, have indicated that obesity results in a “flatter” foot type. In the absence of radiographic measures, however, definitive conclusions regarding the osseous alignment of the foot cannot be made. We determined the effect of body mass index (BMI) on radiographic and footprint‐based measures of arch structure. The research was a cross‐sectional study in which radiographic and footprint‐based measures of foot structure were made in 30 subjects (10 males, 20 female) in addition to standard anthropometric measures of height, weight, and BMI. Multiple (univariate) regression analysis demonstrated that both BMI ( β  = 0.39, t 26  = 2.12, p  = 0.04) and radiographic arch alignment ( β  = 0.51, t 26  = 3.32, p  < 0.01) were significant predictors of footprint‐based measures of arch height after controlling for all variables in the model ( R 2  = 0.59, F 3,26  = 12.3, p  < 0.01). In contrast, radiographic arch alignment was not significantly associated with BMI ( β  = −0.03, t 26  = −0.13, p  = 0.89) when Arch Index and age were held constant ( R 2  = 0.52, F 3,26  = 9.3, p  < 0.01). Adult obesity does not influence osseous alignment of the medial longitudinal arch, but selectively distorts footprint‐based measures of arch structure. Footprint‐based measures of arch structure should be interpreted with caution when comparing groups of varying body composition.

Performance of elite seated discus throwers in F30s classes : part I: does whole body positioning matter?

Background: Studies on the relationship between performance and design of the throwing frame have been limited and therefore require further investigation. Objectives: The specific objectives were to provide benchmark information about performance and whole body positioning of male athletes in F30s classes. Study Design: Descriptive analysis. Methods: A total of 48 attempts performed by 12 stationary discus throwers in F33 and F34 classes during seated discus throwing event of 2002 International Paralympic Committee Athletics World Championships were analysed in this study. The whole body positioning included overall throwing posture (i.e. number of points of contact between the thrower and the frame, body position, throwing orientation and throwing side) and lower limb placements (i.e. seating arrangements, points of contact on the both feet, type of attachment of both legs and feet). Results: Three (25%), five (42%), one (8%) and three (25%) athletes used from three to six points of contact, respectively. Seven (58%) and five (42%) athletes threw from a standing or a seated position, respectively. A straddle, a stool or a chair was used by six (50%), four (33%) or two (17%) throwers, respectively. Conclusions: This study provides key information for a better understanding of the interaction between throwing technique of elite seated throwers and their throwing frame.

Revisiting the concept of the ‘problem young driver’ within the context of the ‘young driver problem’ : Who are they?

For decades there have been two young driver concepts: the ‘young driver problem’ where the driver cohort represents a key problem for road safety; and the ‘problem young driver’ where a sub-sample of drivers represents the greatest road safety problem. Given difficulties associated with identifying and then modifying the behaviour of the latter group, broad countermeasures such as graduated driver licensing (GDL) have generally been relied upon to address the young driver problem. GDL evaluations reveal general road safety benefits for young drivers, yet they continue to be overrepresented in fatality and injury statistics. Therefore it is timely for researchers to revisit the ‘problem young driver’ concept to assess its potential countermeasure implications. This is particularly relevant within the context of broader countermeasures that have been designed to address the ‘young driver problem’. Personal characteristics, behaviours and attitudes of 378 Queensland novice drivers aged 17-25 years were explored during their pre-, Learner and Provisional 1 (intermediate) licence as part of a larger longitudinal project. Self-reported risky driving was measured by the Behaviour of Young Novice Drivers Scale (BYNDS), and five subscale scores were used to cluster the drivers into three groups (high risk n=49, medium risk n=163, low risk n=166). High risk ‘problem young drivers’ were characterised by greater self-reported pre-Licence driving, unsupervised Learner driving, and speeding, driving errors, risky driving exposure, crash involvement, and offence detection during the Provisional period. Medium risk drivers were also characterised by more risky road use than the low risk group. Interestingly problem young drivers appear to have some insight into their high-risk driving, since they report significantly greater intentions to bend road rules in future driving. The results suggest that tailored intervention efforts may need to target problem young drivers within the context of broad countermeasures such as GDL which address the young driver problem in general. Experiences such as crash-involvement could be used to identify these drivers as a pre-intervention screening measure.