Intercomparison study of six HTDMAs: results and recommendations

We report on an inter-comparison of six different hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analysers (HTDMAs). These HTDMAs are used worldwide in laboratories and in field campaigns to measure the water uptake of aerosol particles and were never intercompared. After an investigation of the different design of the instruments with their advantages and inconveniencies, the methods for calibration, validation and analysis are presented. Measurements of nebulised ammonium sulphate as well as of secondary organic aerosol generated from a smog chamber were performed. Agreement and discrepancies between the instrument and to the theory are discussed, and final recommendations for a standard instrument are given, as a benchmark for laboratory or field experiments to ensure a high quality of HTDMA data.

Use of Probe Vehicles to Increase Traffic Estimation Accuracy in Brisbane

Traffic congestion is an increasing problem with high costs in financial, social and personal terms. These costs include psychological and physiological stress, aggressivity and fatigue caused by lengthy delays, and increased likelihood of road crashes. Reliable and accurate traffic information is essential for the development of traffic control and management strategies. Traffic information is mostly gathered from in-road vehicle detectors such as induction loops. Traffic Message Chanel (TMC) service is popular service which wirelessly send traffic information to drivers. Traffic probes have been used in many cities to increase traffic information accuracy. A simulation to estimate the number of probe vehicles required to increase the accuracy of traffic information in Brisbane is proposed. A meso level traffic simulator has been developed to facilitate the identification of the optimal number of probe vehicles required to achieve an acceptable level of traffic reporting accuracy. Our approach to determine the optimal number of probe vehicles required to meet quality of service requirements, is to simulate runs with varying numbers of traffic probes. The simulated traffic represents Brisbane’s typical morning traffic. The road maps used in simulation are Brisbane’s TMC maps complete with speed limits and traffic lights. Experimental results show that that the optimal number of probe vehicles required for providing a useful supplement to TMC (induction loop) data lies between 0.5% and 2.5% of vehicles on the road. With less probes than 0.25%, little additional information is provided, while for more probes than 5%, there is only a negligible affect on accuracy for increasingly many probes on the road. Our findings are consistent with on-going research work on traffic probes, and show the effectiveness of using probe vehicles to supplement induction loops for accurate and timely traffic information.

Identification of barriers to and facilitators for the implementation of occupational road safety initiatives

To explore potential barriers to and facilitators for implementing occupational road safety initiatives, in-depth interviews were conducted with personnel from four major Australian organizations. Twenty-four participants were involved in the interviews comprising 16 front line employees and eight managers. The interviews identified that employees perceived six organizational characteristics as potential barriers to implementing occupational road safety initiatives. These included: prioritisation of production over safety; complacency towards occupational road risks; insufficient resources; diversity; limited employee input in safety decisions; and a perception that road safety initiatives were an unnecessary burden. Of these organizational characteristics, prioritisation of production over safety and complacency were the most frequently cited barriers. In regards to facilitators, participants perceived three organizational characteristics as potential facilitators to implementing occupational road safety initiatives. These included: management commitment; the presence of existing systems that could support the implementation of initiatives; and supportive relationships. Of these organizational characteristics, management commitment was the most frequently cited facilitator.

Disclosing donation decisions : the role of organ donor prototypes in an extended theory of planned behaviour

This study explored the role of donor prototype evaluations (perceptions of the typical organ donor) in organ donation communication decisions using an extended theory of planned behaviour (TPB) model. The model incorporated attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, moral norm, self-identity, and donor prototype evaluations to predict intentions to record consent on an organ donor register and discuss the organ donation decision with significant others. Participants completed surveys assessing the extended TPB constructs related to registering (n = 359) and discussing (n = 282). Results supported a role for donor prototype evaluations in predicting discussing intentions only. Both extended TPB structural equation models were a good fit to the data, accounting for 74 and 76% of the variance in registering and discussing intentions, respectively. Participants’ self-reported discussing behaviour (but not registering behaviour given low numbers of behavioural performers) was assessed 4 weeks later, with discussing intention as the only significant predictor of behaviour (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.11). These findings highlight the impact of people's perceptions of a typical donor on their decisions to discuss their organ donation preference, assisting our understanding of the factors influencing individuals' communication processes in efforts to bridge the gap between organ supply and demand.

Ultrafine particles in indoor air of a school : possible role of secondary organic aerosols

The aim of this work was to investigate ultrafine particles (< 0.1 μm) in primary school classrooms, in relation to the classrooms activities. The investigations were conducted in three classrooms during two measuring campaigns, which together encompassed a period of 60 days. Initial investigations showed that under the normal operating conditions of the school there were many occasions in all three classrooms where indoor particle concentrations increased significantly compared to outdoor levels. By far the highest increases in the classroom resulted from art activities (painting, gluing and drawing), at times reaching over 1.4 x 105 particle cm-3. The indoor particle concentrations exceeded outdoor concentrations by approximately one order of magnitude, with a count median diameter ranging from 20-50 nm. Significant increases also occurred during cleaning activities, when detergents were used. GC-MS analysis conducted on 4 samples randomly selected from about 30 different paints and glues, as well as the detergent used in the school, showed that d-limonene was one of the main organic compounds of the detergent, however, it was not detected in the samples of the paints and the glue. Controlled experiments showed that this monoterpene, emitted from the detergent, reacted with O3 (at outdoor ambient concentrations ranging from 0.06-0.08ppm) and formed secondary organic aerosols. Further investigations to identify other liquids which may be potential sources of the precursors of secondary organic aerosols, were outside the scope of this project, however, it is expected that the problem identified by this study could be more widely spread, since most primary schools use liquid materials for art classes, and all schools use detergents for cleaning. Further studies are therefore recommended to better understand this phenomenon and also to minimize school children exposure to ultrafine particles from these indoor sources.

Assessment of Health Impacts of Heatwaves in Brisbane, Australia : How to Best Define A Heatwave?

Background and Objective: As global warming continues, the frequency, intensity and duration of heatwaves are likely to increase. However, a heatwave is unlikely to be defined uniformly because acclimatisation plays a significant role in determining the heat-related impact. This study investigated how to best define a heatwave in Brisbane, Australia. Methods: Computerised datasets on daily weather, air pollution and health outcomes between 1996 and 2005 were obtained from pertinent government agencies. Paired t-tests and case-crossover analyses were performed to assess the relationship between heatwaves and health outcomes using different heatwave definitions. Results: The maximum temperature was as high as 41.5°C with a mean maximum daily temperature of 26.3°C. None of the five commonly-used heatwave definitions suited Brisbane well on the basis of the health effects of heatwaves. Additionally, there were pros and cons when locally-defined definitions were attempted using either a relative or absolute definition for extreme temperatures. Conclusion: The issue of how to best define a heatwave is complex. It is important to identify an appropriate definition of heatwave locally and to understand its health effects.

Exercise and cancer recovery workshop

Cancer represents a major public health concern in Australia, with 100,000 new cancer cases diagnosed each year. Physical activity level (specifically lack of physical activity) is considered a known risk factor, particularly for breast and colorectal cancers. Physical activity also plays a role following a cancer diagnosis; being regularly active during and following treatment for cancer has been associated with improvements in psychosocial and physical outcomes, as well as better compliance with treatment regimens, reduced impact of disease symptoms and treatment-related side effects, and survival benefits for particular cancers. This workshop will provide an overview of the work presented in the recently published AAESS position stand on exercise and cancer recovery. A summary of the cancer and exercise literature, in particular the purpose of exercise following diagnosis of cancer, the potential benefits derived by cancer patients and survivors from participating in exercise programs, and exercise prescription guidelines and contraindications or considerations for exercise prescription with this special population, will be given. A case summary will also be presented and discussed.

The impact of child sexual abuse on victims/survivors: Exploring posttraumatic outcomes as a function of childhood sexual abuse

There is sparse systematic examination of the potential for growth as well as distress that may occur for some adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. The presented study explored posttraumatic growth and its relationship with negative posttrauma outcomes within the specific population of survivors of childhood sexual abuse (N = 40). Results showed that 95% of the participants experienced clinically significant post-traumatic stress disorder symptomatology related to their childhood sexual abuse. In conjunction with these high levels of negative symptoms, the population evidenced posttraumatic growth levels that were comparable to other trauma samples. This research has clinical relevance in terms of adding to the knowledge base on sexual abuse and the usefulness of this knowledge in therapeutic interventions and relationships.

Exercise and lymphoedema : Is it good or bad?

Being physically active during and following treatment for breast cancer has been associated with a range of benefits including improved fitness and function, body composition and immune function and reductions in stress, depression and anxiety, as well as the number and severity of treatment-related side-effects such as nausea, fatigue and pain, all of which contribute to improvements in quality of life. There is also emerging evidence linking active lifestyles with improved survival. Therefore, there is little doubt that participating in regular exercise following breast cancer is ‘good’. Unfortunately, research investigating the role of exercise for women considered at high-risk of lymphoedema or who have developed lymphedema following breast cancer is lacking. For fear of initiating or exacerbating lymphoedema, these women have traditionally been cautioned rather than encouraged to be regularly active. However, recent preliminary findings suggest that being inactive may increase risk of developing lymphedema, and that for those with lymphoedema, participation in an exercise program does not exacerbate the condition. This presentation will address what we know about the role of exercise following a breast cancer diagnosis and will provide some practical recommendations about becoming and staying regularly active following breast cancer, for those with and without lymphoedema.

Using resilience to reconceptualise child protection workforce capacity

Current approaches to managing and supporting staff and addressing turnover in child protection predominantly rely on deficit-based models that focus on limitations, shortcomings, and psychopathology. This article explores an alternative approach, drawing on models of resilience, which is an emerging field linked to trauma and adversity. To date, the concept of resilience has seen limited application to staff and employment issues. In child protection, staff typically face a range of adverse and traumatic experiences that have flow-on implications, creating difficulties for staff recruitment and retention and reduced service quality. This article commences with discussion of the multifactorial influences of the troubled state of contemporary child protection systems on staffing problems. Links between these and difficulties with the predominant deficit models are then considered. The article concludes with a discussion of the relevance and utility of resilience models in developing alternative approaches to child protection staffing issues.

Mobile phone use while driving : an investigation of the beliefs influencing drivers’ hands-free and hand-held mobile phone use.

This study explored the psychological influences of hands-free and hand-held mobile phone use while driving. Participants were 796 Australian drivers aged 17 to 76 years who owned mobile phones. A cross-sectional survey assessed frequency of calling and text messaging while driving (overall, hands-free, hand-held) as well as drivers’ behavioural, normative, and control beliefs relating to mobile phone use while driving. Irrespective of handset type, 43% of drivers reported answering calls while driving on a daily basis, followed by making calls (36%), reading text messages (27%), and sending text messages (18%). In total, 63.9% of drivers did not own hands-free kits and, of the drivers that owned hand-free kits, 32% did not use it most or all of the time. Significant differences were found in the behavioural, normative, and control beliefs of frequent and infrequent users of both types of handset while driving. As expected, frequent users reported more advantages of, more approval from others for, and fewer barriers that would prevent them from, using either a hands-free or a hand-held mobile phone while driving than infrequent users. Campaigns to reduce mobile phone use while driving should attempt to minimise the perceived benefits of the behaviour and highlight the risks of this unsafe driving practice.

Motorcycle rider protective apparel wearing : observational study results from the Brisbane and Canberra regions

The continued growth in popularity of motorcycling is an area of concern within the road safety domain due to the vulnerability of motorcyclists sustaining injury in the event of a crash. Currently in Australia only motorcycle helmets are mandatory for motorcyclists or pillions to wear and there is no legislative standard for other protective apparel. This paper reports the results obtained from a series of motorcyclists’ apparel observational studies undertaken in the Brisbane and Canberra regions. The sites selected for the research were designed to enable the observation of both recreational and commuter riders. The results highlight both similarities and differences in the type of protective apparel worn by motorcyclists and pillions observed across the two regions. Encouragingly, across all the sites the majority of riders were wearing protective apparel on their upper body. However, a lower proportion of riders were observed wearing protective apparel on their lower body, particularly at the commuter sites in Brisbane. Similarly, the wearing of full face helmets was very high, except at the commuter sites in Brisbane. The generally lower use of protective apparel among commuter riders in Brisbane would appear to reflect both situational factors, such as climate, and the higher proportion of scooters observed at the sites. The implications of these results are discussed and recommendations are made for future research to identify factors that influence the wearing of protective motorcycle apparel.

Detecting and monitoring of lymphoedema

Much of what we know about lymphoedema is derived from studies involving cancer cohorts, in particular breast cancer. Yet even within this setting, and despite the known profound physical, social and psychological effects, our understanding of associated risk factors and effectiveness of prevention and treatment strategies is poorly studied with inconsistent results. The limitations of our current methods to detect and monitor lymphoedema contribute to our lack of understanding of this condition. Current measurement approaches applied in the clinical and research setting will be described during this presentation. The strengths, limitations and practical considerations relevant to measurement methods will also be addressed. Improving the way we detect and monitor lymphoedema is necessary and critical for advancing the lymphoedema field and is relevant for the detection and monitoring of lymphoedema in the clinic as well as in research.