Assessing health risk of reclaimed water using human cell culture.

For risk analysis of reclaimed water, current animal and toxicity testing may not detect subtle effects such as interactions that could contribute to complex diseases such as cancers that develop over a long period of time. There is a need for assays that can be validated against known human physiological processes. We have previously validated sensitive human cell culture assays for their responsiveness to agents that induce carcinogenesis in vivo. In this initial study we analysed the effects of three batches of reclaimed water on human colonic cells. At concentrations of up to 10-fold, they had no significant effect on the cellular markers, indicating an overall lack of biological activity. The assay has potential but needs to be refined to maximise its sensitivity.

Hagia Sofia (532–537AD) : a study of centrality, interiority and transcendence in architecture

The study by Robin Evans of the centralised churches of the Renaissance explores the idea of centrality, and argues that architecture does not simply invest in one geometric centre. Evans&rsquo;s analysis makes detours into the histories of theology, geometry and mathematics attempting to find how architecture participates with these fields. In a footnote, he suggests that architecture in its singular artistic physicality &lsquo;suspends our disbelief in the ideal&rsquo;, offering a world that does not reflect culture, in all its fullness, but rather supplements culture&rsquo;s incompleteness. This idea reiterates psychoanalytic theories of Freud and Kristeva that qualify the notion of transcendence with the psychoanalytic concept of transference. Architecture, like art, is able to resolve that which in society and in other fields remains a contradiction, giving a picture (albeit fictional) of a harmonious and unified order and wholeness. In this essay, I turn to Hagia Sofia (532&ndash;537AD) in present-day Istanbul, a church that marks the beginning of a Christian empire relocated to Constantinople, East of Rome, and built one thousand years before the Renaissance churches discussed by Evans. Hagia Sofia is a building that symbolises the shift towards a domed centralised form, away from a basilica form, and a building that develops an innovative interior. Hagia Sofia is usually observed and described in a devotional manner, as though addressing the architecture of the church is equivalent to a pious person addressing the church itself, and more significantly, addressing the Divine figure of God, through the architecture of the church. Its influence on Islamic mosque design has been noted. What r&ocirc;le does Hagia Sofia play in the kind of artistic mastery that Evans is proposing, and what other dimensions of centrality and transcendence in architecture are offered by a study of Hagia Sofia?<br />

Perspectives on culture : meeting points and divergences

In a post-modern world of diversity, difference and melting social, political, economic and cultural boundaries, there is a fundamental tension between the preservation of cultural identity and the cultural homogenisation that defines a globalised world. <br /><br />This paper reports on a collaborative, international study between researchers in Thailand, Japan and Australia which examines perceptions of conceptual differences and meeting points in the cultural views of their three communities of teachers. In doing so, it attempts to move beyond post-modernism and the reality of globalism by proposing a new methodology for facilitating intercultural understanding.<br />

Barriers to blood donation in African communities in Australia: the role of home and host country culture and experience

<b>BACKGROUND:</b> An influx of African migrants and refugees can strain a host country's blood services, because often migrants have unique blood needs that cannot be sourced from local donors. To increase blood donation by the new migrants, host country blood services need to understand how blood and blood donations are viewed by immigrant communities, because recruitment models that are not culturally adapted may have limited success.<br /><b><br />STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS:</b> Nine focus groups representing a cross-section of Australian-based African communities were conducted in multiple languages, facilitated by bilingual workers. The qualitative protocol was guided by the literature on blood donation by African migrants and communities in Africa. Thematic analysis identified the relevance of issues previously included in the literature and whether other issues facilitated or prohibited blood donation.<br /><br /><b>RESULTS:</b> Home country cultural issues were not generally raised as barriers to donation, and respondents were positively disposed toward donation. Home country experiences shaped respondents' views in Australia. Participants focused on assisting &ldquo;individuals in need,&rdquo; rather than giving to a blood service that many viewed with suspicion because of issues in their home country. There was a lack of knowledge about the donation process in Australia. More importantly, respondents perceived that their blood would not be wanted, based on a perception of host country mistrust and discrimination.<br /><br /><b>CONCLUSION: </b>Developing an intervention that encourages migrants to donate blood needs to be culturally focused. It appears that addressing perceptions based on home country experiences is essential. Overcoming a general perception of discrimination is beyond any blood service, but there can be an attempt to ensure that blood donation is seen as an inclusive process&mdash;blood from everyone, for everyone.<br />

Investigating modifiable organizational factors relating to workability: a focus on gendered culture

This study aimed to investigate the relationships between workability, organizational factors and psychosocial factors related to worker health and wellbeing. The cross sectional study involved participants from a general worker population (N = 305). Surveys were distributed through participants' organizations. and completed online. Findings of this study. suggest that many of the factors that predict workability are in fact modifiable organizational factors. Findings suggested whilst individual factors remained important predictors of work ability, organizational nurturance values, leadership effectiveness, occupational stress and job satisfaction were significant organizational factors.<br />

The interaction of discipline and culture in academic writing

Work in contrastive rhetoric has often sought to examine the impact of culturally-based writing conventions on text production and has outlined cultural differences in texts in different languages. At the same time. the study of specialised languages has often claimed a degree of uniformity in text construction both at the level of culture and at the level of the discipline. It appears however that approaches which consider just culture or just discipline miss part of the picture. This paper argues that considerations of discipline and culture are. complex and interrelated and that this complexity and interrelationship can be seen at several different levels in specialised academic texts.<br />

Total safety culture by behavior-based safety approach

Safety is a social responsibility and providing a safe working environment is the obligation of a responsible employer. Working safely can generate direct financial benefits. However, poor safety planning and management may lead to tremendous adverse effects on cost, time and quality of a project. Statutory liabilities and heavy fines directly increase project cost; losing working hours as a result of safety incident impacts on the project programme. When tradesmen are working in an unsafe site environment, the project quality may be affected. Therefore, promoting &quot;safety&quot; is always the very first and utmost priority in any large scale projects. Bodley (2000) argues that culture involves what people think, what they do, and what they produce. In order to provide a safe working environment, one of the best ways is to create a safety culture within the organization, because organizational-cultural factors play an important role in safety management. Geller emphasises the importance of safety culture and further states that behaviour-based safety (BBS) is a useful approach to uphold organizational safety culture. The basic premise of BBS is self-perception and the degree of self-perception will lead to pleasant safety outcomes. This degree can be measured by level of workers' involvement. When everyone in the project is accountable to safety, they will contribute positively. This paper is a case study reviewing how BBS approach fosters safety culture leading to ultimate success. The model illustrated by the case study will be useful to analyze the organizational safety culture quantitatively.

Traditional environmental knowledge and community perceptions in sustaining the forest environment : case study of Minahasa ethnic community in the surrounding of Lake Tondano, North Sulawesi - Indonesia

The idea of sustainable development is distinct from the idea of restoring or conserving nature. This concept is embedded in the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992) which Indonesia and several countries around the world have signed. Sustainable development seeks to interlace humans and nature, while restoration (especially at the large scale) often allows nature to be addressed separately, sometimes out of remorse for the damage caused by humans. In terms of attaining sustainable natural resource development, the opportunities offered by traditional ecological knowledge documentation are considered essential in enabling the achievement of sustainability because most of these Indigenous and/or local communities are situated in areas where many species have been historically cultivated and used in a sustainable way for thousands of years. The skill and techniques of these local communities can provide valuable information for the global community to evaluate current environmental policies. Such research and evaluation is often robustly and best undertaken through ethnoecological methodological paradigms. This paper examines the traditional environment knowledge of the Minahasan ethnic community, who live in the surrounds of Lake Tondano in the North Sulawesi, together with the Minahasan conscious and unconscious actions in conserving their forest ecology in addition to their knowledge of culture about forest protection in the region. In particular, contemporary use of traditional environmental knowledge is examined in terms of its relevance to in traditional resource management and land use planning, as avenues to better curate and manage natural resources through informed regional planning strategies and mechanisms.

Safety management on construction management : a case study review

Poor safety management in construction management may adversely affect cost, schedule and quality of a project. Heavy fines upon safety offence becomes a burden to the budget; losing working hours as a result of safety incident impacts on the schedule, and compromising quality is always an indirect consequence when workers perform duties in an unsafe site environment. Therefore, promotion of safety management becomes the top priority in any construction manager&rsquo;s agenda. Working safely will benefit construction project and lead to a &ldquo;real&rdquo; success. This paper is a case study, based upon &ldquo;Geller&rsquo;s 10 principles for achieving a total safety culture&rdquo;, reviewing how a Hong Kong leading construction company fosters the safety culture and possesses a pleasant safety record over years. Its safety performance is not only well ahead the local industry, but also ranges top within the Asia Pacific region and comparable to those mature Western industries. The review concluded that safety culture is one of the major components in construction management and collaboration is the essence to realize this positive culture within an organization. Safety management is not merely a &ldquo;top down&rdquo; approach, but requires the positive &ldquo;bottom up&rdquo; actions from the other end. The successful story of this company can demonstrate the contribution of safety management in construction management.

Knowledge management culture, strategy and process in Malaysian firms

Malaysia is one of the leading countries in Asia that are at the forefront in the development of a knowledge-based economy (KBE). The Malaysian government has been making substantial investments in both physical and technological infrastructure to facilitate knowledge-intensive economic activities. Foreign and local firms in Malaysia are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunities brought by the emerging KBE. However, little is known as to how firms in Malaysia respond to this new trajectory of economic development. In particular, there is paucity in the literature as to how Malaysian firms manage knowledge in their organizations as they strive to achieve sustainable competitive performance. Little is known as to how and why firms in Malaysia develop and manage their intangible and knowledge-based resources as they operate and respond to the modern knowledge-based competitive economic arena. This paper examines a type of organizational culture that supports and promotes knowledge management (KM) within firms in Malaysia. The paper argues that KM-oriented culture shapes the overall KM strategy of firms, which consequently shapes the organizational process required to manage the firm's knowledge-based resources. The study uses survey data from a sample of 153 firms from Malaysia. Structural equation modelling was used to develop and test the measurement model of KM-oriented culture, KM strategy and KM process of the sample firms, as well as the structural model of their hypothesized relationships. The results show that firms with high level of KM-oriented culture demonstrated well-defined KM strategies. Firms that implemented well-defined KM strategies also reported that they have better KM processes in place. Building a KM-oriented culture within the organization is a pre-requisite to the implementation of any KM systems in Malaysian firms. Successful implementation of KM strategies, processes and the supporting technological infrastructure depends on whether organizational members consider KM as a norm within the firm. The study's focus on the linkages between KM-oriented culture, strategy and process in the context of Malaysian firms contributes to a more nuanced understanding of KM among firms in the Asian context in general, and in the Malaysian context in particular.

Developing a culturally-specific peace curriculum for Vietnamese primary schools : a case study of participatory action research in cross-cultural design

In 2003 the International Conflict Resolution Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia, produced a primary school teaching manual for UNESCO Vietnam in consultation with ASP schoolteachers and principals. The finished manual included lessons plans and materials for a five year, 50 lesson peace education course. The Manual is one of the first examples of a systematic core national curriculum in peace education worldwide.<br /><br />Development of the Teaching Manual posed a number of challenges including differences in language, culture, government and education system. To meet these challenges, a Participatory Action Research approach was central in the project&rsquo;s development and curriculum design. This case study is offered as a model for effective cross-cultural curriculum development of peace education materials. In particular, the creation of a systematic core course in peace education and the use of UNESCO&rsquo;s peace keys are outlined as innovative aspects of the project.

Developing a peace education curriculum for Vietnamese primary schools : a case study of participatory action research in cross-cultural design

In 2003, the International Conflict Resolution Centre at the University of Melbourne, Australia, produced a primary school teaching manual for UNESCO Vietnam. The finished manual included lesson plans and materials for a five year, 50 lesson peace education course. The manual is one of the first examples of a systematic core national curriculum in peace education worldwide. Development of the Teaching Manual posed a number of challenges including differences in language, culture, government and education system. To meet these challenges, a participatory action research approach was central in the project&rsquo;s development and curriculum design. This case study is offered as a model for effective crosscultural curriculum development of peace education materials. In particular, the use of games and reflective materials and the use of UNESCO&rsquo;s peace keys are outlined as innovative outcomes of the project.

A cross-sectional study of the individual, social, and built environmental correlates of pedometer based physical activity among elementary school children

<b>Background:</b> Children who participate in regular physical activity obtain health benefits. Preliminary pedometerbased cut-points representing sufficient levels of physical activity among youth have been established; however limited evidence regarding correlates of achieving these cut-points exists. The purpose of this study was to identify correlates of pedometer-based cut-points among elementary school-aged children.<br /><b>Method:</b> A cross-section of children in grades 5-7 (10-12 years of age) were randomly selected from the most (n = 13) and least (n = 12) &lsquo;walkable&rsquo; public elementary schools (Perth, Western Australia), stratified by socioeconomic status. Children (n = 1480; response rate = 56.6%) and parents (n = 1332; response rate = 88.8%) completed a survey, and steps were collected from children using pedometers. Pedometer data were categorized to reflect the sex-specific pedometer-based cut-points of &ge;15000 steps/day for boys and &ge;12000 steps/day for girls. Associations between socio-demographic characteristics, sedentary and active leisure-time behavior, independent mobility, active transportation and built environmental variables - collected from the child and parent surveys - and meeting pedometer-based cut-points were estimated (odds ratios: OR) using generalized estimating equations.<br /><b>Results:</b> Overall 927 children participated in all components of the study and provided complete data. On average, children took 11407 &plusmn; 3136 steps/day (boys: 12270 &plusmn; 3350 vs. girls: 10681 &plusmn; 2745 steps/day; p &lt; 0.001) and 25.9% (boys: 19.1 vs. girls: 31.6%; p &lt; 0.001) achieved the pedometer-based cut-points. After adjusting for all other variables and school clustering, meeting the pedometer-based cut-points was negatively associated (p &lt; 0.05) with being male (OR = 0.42), parent self-reported number of different destinations in the neighborhood (OR 0.93), and a friend&rsquo;s (OR 0.62) or relative&rsquo;s (OR 0.44, boys only) house being at least a 10-minute walk from home. Achieving the pedometer-based cut-points was positively associated with participating in screen-time &lt; 2 hours/day (OR 1.88), not being driven to school (OR 1.48), attending a school located in a high SES neighborhood (OR 1.33), the average number of steps among children within the respondent&rsquo;s grade (for each 500 step/day increase: OR 1.29), and living further than a 10-minute walk from a relative&rsquo;s house (OR 1.69, girls only).<br /><b>Conclusions:</b> Comprehensive multi-level interventions that reduce screen-time, encourage active travel to/from school and foster a physically active classroom culture might encourage more physical activity among children.<br />

Characteristics of physically active and inactive men from low socioeconomic communities and housing estates : a qualitative study using the socioecological model

This qualitative study compares experiences of men from low socioeconomic status (SES) communities who achieved sufficient physical activity (PA) with those who did not. The socioecological model of health guided interviews with men (n=25) and community health workers (n=4) to explore individual, interpersonal, organizational, community, environmental and policy influences on PA participation. Men generally reported that they had poor health, financial barriers, were unfamiliar with community PA facilities and programs, had limited social support, and lived in unsafe neighbourhoods. There were clear differences between active and inactive men. Inactive men described their inability to cope with poor health, and consequent perceptions of disconnection. They did not identify positive PA outcomes and seemed consumed by stressful life situations. Active men identified barriers to existing programs such as the exclusive culture of PA facilities. It is important that personal circumstances are understood, and financial and cultural barriers addressed to promote PA among men from low SES communities.<br />

A cross-national study of teaching and learning in primary science classrooms

This presentation reports on the methodological issues confronting an Australian-German-Taiwanese team planning comparative video ethnographic research into primary science classrooms. The issues that will be canvassed include: the benefits of cross-cultural comparisons in providing perspectives on local practice, the theoretical justifications of such comparisons, selection of cases for comparison and possibilities for claiming cultural representativeness, the planning of appropriate data sets, the different comparative stories offered by different analytical frames, practical issues of communication and data sharing, and issues of entanglement of language and culture in the analysis.