Cluster randomised-control trial for an Australian child protection education program: Study protocol for the Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™

Background Child maltreatment has severe short-and long-term consequences for children’s health, development, and wellbeing. Despite the provision of child protection education programs in many countries, few have been rigorously evaluated to determine their effectiveness. We describe the design of a multi-site gold standard evaluation of an Australian school-based child protection education program. The intervention has been developed by a not-for-profit agency and comprises 5 1-h sessions delivered to first grade students (aged 5–6 years) in their regular classrooms. It incorporates common attributes of effective programs identified in the literature, and aligns with the Australian education curriculum. Methods/Design A three-site cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) of Learn to be safe with Emmy and friends™ will be conducted with children in approximately 72 first grade classrooms in 24 Queensland primary (elementary) schools from three state regions, over a period of 2 years. Entire schools will be randomised, using a computer generated list of random numbers, to intervention and wait-list control conditions, to prevent contamination effects across students and classes. Data will be collected at baseline (pre-assessment), immediately after the intervention (post-assessment), and at 6-, 12-, and 18-months (follow-up assessments). Outcome assessors will be blinded to group membership. Primary outcomes assessed are children’s knowledge of program concepts; intentions to use program knowledge, skills, and help-seeking strategies; actual use of program material in a simulated situation; and anxiety arising from program participation. Secondary outcomes include a parent discussion monitor, parent observations of their children’s use of program materials, satisfaction with the program, and parental stress. A process evaluation will be conducted concurrently to assess program performance. Discussion This RCT addresses shortcomings in previous studies and methodologically extends research in this area by randomising at school-level to prevent cross-learning between conditions; providing longer-term outcome assessment than any previous study; examining the degree to which parents/guardians discuss intervention content with children at home; assessing potential moderating/mediating effects of family and child demographic variables; testing an in-vivo measure to assess children’s ability to discriminate safe/unsafe situations and disclose to trusted adults; and testing enhancements to existing measures to establish greater internal consistency.

Identification of the fungal catabolic D-galacturonate pathway

Pectin is a natural polymer consisting mainly of D-galacturonic acid monomers. Microorganisms living on decaying plant material can use D-galacturonic acid for growth. Although bacterial pathways for D-galacturonate catabolism had been described previously, no eukaryotic pathway for D-galacturonate catabolism was known at the beginning of this work. The aim of this work was to identify such a pathway. In this thesis the pathway for D-galacturonate catabolism was identified in the filamentous fungus Trichoderma reesei. The pathway consisted of four enzymes: NADPH-dependent D-galacturonate reductase (GAR1), L-galactonate dehydratase (LGD1), L-threo-3-deoxy-hexulosonate aldolase (LGA1) and NADPH-dependent glyceraldehyde reductase (GLD1). In this pathway D-galacturonate was converted to pyruvate and glycerol via L-galactonate, L-threo-3-deoxy-hexulosonate and L-glyceraldehyde. The enzyme activities of GAR1, LGD1 and LGA1 were present in crude mycelial extract only when T. reesei was grown on D-galacturonate. The activity of GLD1 was equally present on all the tested carbon sources. The corresponding genes were identified either by purifying and sequencing the enzyme or by expressing genes with homology to other similar enzymes in a heterologous host and testing the activities. The new genes that were identified were expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and resulted in active enzymes. The GAR1, LGA1 and GLD1 were also produced in S. cerevisiae as active enzymes with a polyhistidine-tag, and purified and characterised. GAR1 and LGA1 catalysed reversible reactions, whereas only the forward reactions were observed for LGD1 and GLD1. When gar1, lgd1 or lga1 was deleted in T. reesei the deletion strain was unable to grow with D-galacturonate as the only carbon source, demonstrating that all the corresponding enzymes were essential for D-galacturonate catabolism and that no alternative D-galacturonate pathway exists in T. reesei. A challenge for biotechnology is to convert cheap raw materials to useful and more valuable products. Filamentous fungi are especially useful for the conversion of pectin, since they are efficient producers of pectinases. Identification of the fungal D-galacturonate pathway is of fundamental importance for the utilisation of pectin and its conversion to useful products.

Material characterisation and numerical modelling of gypsum plasterboards in fire

The fire resistance characteristic of LSF wall systems mainly depends on the protective linings in use, commonly gypsum plasterboards. However, unclassified boards with varying composition and more notably with ambiguous thermal properties are increasingly becoming available in the market. Therefore a study was undertaken with an aim to set minimum standards for fire protective boards used in LSF wall applications. This paper presents the details of this study based on material characterisation and finite element thermal modelling of the most commonly used fire protective board, gypsum plasterboards, to address these critical issues related to fire safety design. In the material characterisation phase of this study, thermal properties of three different gypsum plasterboards manufactured in Australia were measured, analysed and compared. Subsequently, it proposes a thermal property based “k-factor” capable of giving an overall measure of the fire performance of boards, so that it can be used in appropriately classifying fire protective boards. As it is not known how this factor relates to the overall fire performance of LSF wall systems, numerical models were also developed and used to simulate the performance of LSF walls exposed to the standard fire. Finally, a correlation between time-temperature profiles from numerical analyses and calculated k-factors was established.

Principals of audit: Testing, data and ‘implicated advocacy’

Historically, school leaders have occupied a somewhat ambiguous position within networks of power. On the one hand, they appear to be celebrated as what Ball (2003) has termed the ‘new hero of educational reform'; on the other, they are often ‘held to account’ through those same performative processes and technologies. These have become compelling in schools and principals are ‘doubly bound’ through this. Adopting a Foucauldian notion of discursive production, this paper addresses the ways that the discursive ‘field’ of ‘principal’ (within larger regimes of truth such as schools, leadership, quality and efficiency) is produced. It explores how individual principals understand their roles and ethics within those practices of audit emerging in school governance, and how their self-regulation is constituted through NAPLAN – the National Assessment Program, Literacy and Numeracy. A key effect of NAPLAN has been the rise of auditing practices that change how education is valued. Open-ended interviews with 13 primary and secondary school principals from Western Australia, South Australia and New South Wales asked how they perceived NAPLAN's impact on their work, their relationships within their school community and their ethical practice.

Study of fracture behaviour of bond coats on nickel superalloy by three-point bending of microbeams

A microbeam testing geometry is designed to study the variation in fracture toughness across a compositionally graded NiAl coating on a superalloy substrate. A bi-material analytical model of fracture is used to evaluate toughness by deconvoluting load-displacement data generated in a three-point bending test. It is shown that the surface layers of a diffusion bond coat can be much more brittle than the interior despite the fact that elastic modulus and hardness do not display significant variations. Such a gradient in toughness allows stable crack propagation in a test that would normally lead to unstable fracture in a homogeneous, brittle material. As the crack approaches the interface, plasticity due to the presence of Ni3Al leads to gross bending and crack bifurcation.

Nd2O3 : Eu3+ nanocrystalline phosphor - a new potential thermoluminescing material for dosimetry

Nanoparticles of trivalent Eu3+-doped Nd2O3 phosphors have been prepared using a low-temperature solution combustion method with metal nitrate as precursor and oxalyldihydrazide as a fuel at a fairly low temperature (<500 degrees C) and in a very short time (<5 min). A powder X-ray diffraction pattern reveals that cubic Nd2O3 : Eu3+ crystallites are directly obtained without the requirement of further calcinations. The crystallite size, evaluated from Scherer's formula, was found to be in the range of 20-30 nm. The microstructure and morphology were studied by scanning electron microscopy, which showed the phosphor to be foamy and fluffy in nature. Thermoluminescence characteristics of the Nd2O3 : Eu3+ have been studied using gamma irradiation. These demonstrate that the phosphor is suitable for use as a dosimeter.

A numerical study of projectile impact on thin aluminium plates

This article deals with a simulation-based Study of the impact of projectiles on thin aluminium plates using LS-DYNA by modelling plates with shell elements and projectiles with solid elements. In order to establish the required modelling criterion in terms of element size for aluminium plates, a convergence Study of residual velocity has been carried Out by varying mesh density in the impact zone. Using the preferred material and meshing criteria arrived at here, extremely good prediction of test residual velocities and ballistic limits given by Gupta et al. (2001) for thin aluminium plates has been obtained. The simulation-based pattern of failure with localized bulging and jagged edge of perforation is similar to the perforation with petalling seen in tests. A number Of simulation-based parametric studies have been carried out and results consistent with published test data have been obtained. Despite the robust correlation achieved against published experimental results, it would be prudent to conduct one's own experiments, for a final correlation via the present modelling procedure and analysis with the explicit LS-DYNTA 970 solver. Hence, a sophisticated ballistic impact testing facility and a high-speed camera have been used to conduct additional tests on grade 1100 aluminium plates of 1 mm thickness with projectiles Of four different nose shapes. Finally, using the developed numerical simulation procedure, an excellent correlation of residual velocity and failure modes with the corresponding test results has been obtained.

Malaria rapid diagnostic test performance: Results of WHO product testing of malaria RDTs: Round 6 (2014-2015)

Overview This report, published in conjunction with a summary overview of results of rounds 1–6, is the sixth in a series of laboratory-based evaluations of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for malaria. It provides a comparative measure of their performance in a standardized way to distinguish between well and poorly performing tests. It can be used by malaria control programmes and guide WHO procurement recommendations for these diagnostic tools. The evaluation reported here was a joint project of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) within the WHO-FIND Malaria RDT Evaluation Programme. The project was financed by FIND through a grant from UNITAID.

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.

Material matters [curators]

The exhibition material matters brings together new works by Amy Commins, Jamie Behrendorff, Grace Kevill-Davies, Zoe Knight, Ruth McConchie and Courtney Pedersen – Brisbane-based artists whose experimental practices engage with materiality in specific ways. These works explore incidental viewpoints, suspended moments, constructed environments, cultural memory and repetitive processes. The artists in the exhibition investigate the temporal in terms of making and experiencing art in various modes – installation, sculpture, video, sound and works on paper. Through these material engagements, the artists question and re-imagine ways of connecting in the contemporary world, drawing together considerations of humour, history, politics, nature and everyday life. This exhibition was part of the 2014 Brisbane Experimental Art Festival, held at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts.

Randomised Evaluation of New Technologies within the Population‐Based Cervical Cancer Screening Programme in Finland: Cross‐Sectional Performance and Validity

A randomised and population-based screening design with new technologies has been applied to the organised cervical cancer screening programme in Finland. In this experiment the women invited to routine five-yearly screening are individually randomised to be screened with automation-assisted cytology, human papillomavirus (HPV) test or conventional cytology. By using the randomised design, the ultimate aim is to assess and compare the long-term outcomes of the different screening regimens. The primary aim of the current study was to evaluate, based on the material collected during the implementation phase of the Finnish randomised screening experiment, the cross-sectional performance and validity of automation-assisted cytology (Papnet system) and primary HPV DNA testing (Hybrid Capture II assay for 13 oncogenic HPV types) within service screening, in comparison to conventional cytology. The parameters of interest were test positivity rate, histological detection rate, relative sensitivity, relative specificity and positive predictive value. Also, the effect of variation in performance by screening laboratory on age-adjusted cervical cancer incidence was assessed. Based on the cross-sectional results, almost no differences were observed in the performance of conventional and automation-assisted screening. Instead, primary HPV screening found 58% (95% confidence interval 19-109%) more cervical lesions than conventional screening. However, this was mainly due to overrepresentation of mild- and moderate-grade lesions and, thus, is likely to result in overtreatment since a great deal of these lesions would never progress to invasive cancer. Primary screening with an HPV DNA test alone caused substantial loss in specificity in comparison to cytological screening. With the use of cytology triage test, the specificity of HPV screening improved close to the level of conventional cytology. The specificity of primary HPV screening was also increased by increasing the test positivity cutoff from the level recommended for clinical use, but the increase was more modest than the one gained with the use of cytology triage. The performance of the cervical cancer screening programme varied widely between the screening laboratories, but the variation in overall programme effectiveness between respective populations was more marginal from the very beginning of the organised screening activity. Thus, conclusive interpretations on the quality or success of screening should not be based on performance parameters only. In the evaluation of cervical cancer screening the outcome should be selected as closely as possible to the true measure of programme effectiveness, which is the number of invasive cervical cancers and subsequent deaths prevented in the target population. The evaluation of benefits and adverse effects of each new suggested screening technology should be performed before the technology becomes an accepted routine in the existing screening programme. At best, the evaluation is performed randomised, within the population and screening programme in question, which makes the results directly applicable to routine use.

Functional Imagery Training to reduce snacking: Testing a novel motivational intervention based on Elaborated Intrusion theory

Functional Imagery Training (FIT) is a new theory-based, manualized intervention that trains positive goal imagery. Multisensory episodic imagery of proximal personal goals is elicited and practised, to sustain motivation and compete with less functional cravings. This study tested the impact of a single session of FIT plus a booster phone call on snacking. In a stepped-wedge design, 45 participants who wanted to lose weight or reduce snacking were randomly assigned to receive a session of FIT immediately or after a 2-week delay. High-sugar and high-fat snacks were recorded using timeline follow back for the previous 3 days, at baseline, 2 and 4 weeks. At 2 weeks, snacking was lower in the immediate group than in the delayed group, and the reduction after FIT was replicated in the delayed group between 2 and 4 weeks. Frequencies of motivational thoughts about snack reduction rose following FIT for both groups, and this change correlated with reductions in snacking and weight loss. By showing that FIT can support change in eating behaviours, these findings show its potential as a motivational intervention for weight management.

Microtribology and Friction-Induced Material Transfer in Layered MoS2 Nanoparticles Sprayed on a Steel Surface

Frictional performance of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) particles sprayed on a substrate is investigated in a ball-on-disc tribometer. The ability of large (similar to 2 mu m) and small (similar to 50 nm) particles to generate low-friction transfer film is investigated with a view to elucidate the requirement for film formation. Particle migration, particle stability in the contact region, oxidation potential, and particle adhesion to the substrate are explored within a span of operating parametersp; normal load, and sliding velocity. It is found that the larger particles are able to migrate to the contact to raise a homogeneous but nonuniform low-friction transfer film that flows plastically to yield large contact areas, which aid in wear protection. Within the present load and speed range, the inability of small particles to stay in the contact region and undergo basal slip militates against the formation of a low-friction transfer film.

Ce0.67Cr0.33O2.11: A New Low-Temperature O-2 Evolution Material and H-2 Generation Catalyst by Thermochemical Splitting of Water

Ce0.67Cr0.33O2.11 was synthesized by hydrothermal method using diethylenetriamine as complexing agent (Chem. Mater. 2008, 20, 7268). Ce0.67Cr0.33O2.11 being the only compound likes UO2+delta to have excess oxygen, it releases a large proportion of its lattice oxygen (0.167 M [O]/mole of compound) at relatively low temperature (465 degrees C) directly and it has been utilized for generation of H-2 by thermo-splitting of water. An almost stoichiometric amount of H-2 (0.152 M/Mole of compound) is generated at much lower temperature (65 degrees C). There is an almost comparable amount of oxygen release and hydrogen generation over this material at very low temperature comparedto other CeO2-MOx (Mn, Fe, Cu, and Ni) mixed-oxide solid solutions (O-2 evolution >= 1300 degrees C and H-2 generation at 1000 degrees C). The reversible nature of oxygen release and intake of this material is attributed to its fluorite Structure and coupling between the Ce4+/Ce3+ and Cr4+/6+/Cr3+ redox couples. Compound shows reversible oxygen release and intake by H2O absorption and subsequent hydrogen release to gain parent structure and hence this material can be utilized for generation of H-2 at very low temperature by thermo-chemical splitting of water.