Differences within and between travel preference, planned travel and choice behavior of Australians traveling to Asian and oversea destinations

This study seeks to examine differences in travel preference, travel intention and destination choice behavior of an aggregated set of Australian travelers. Additionally the study seeks to relate income, age, gender, life cycle and life style of Australians to the preference, planning and choice of Asian and overseas destinations. A large representative sample of 49,000 Australian respondents is utilized. Binomial regression is used to profile travelers to Asia and overseas in general. Specific significant variables and differences are highlighted. There are consistent relationships between travel preference, planning and choice and the set of independent variables of income, life cycle and life style. Age nor gender are not consistently related to travel planning or travel choice. It is apparent that a combination of demographics, e.g. age, income and life cycle, combined with life style will provide a more valuable basis for segmentation of Asian and overseas travel markets. The study aims to profile potential Australian tourists thereby making a contribution to tourism knowledge and market segmentation practice.

From student to therapist : follow up of a first cohort of Bachelor of occupational therapy students

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the perception of graduate students on their preparation for practice, at 7 months post graduation.
Method: Using an anonymous postal questionnaire, 18 respondents (58% response rate) provided data on the nature of current employment, the experience as a graduate therapist, and perceptions of their undergraduate experience in preparing them for practice.
Results: Fifty percent of the respondents were practising in a rural environment. There was a significant positive relationship between respondents perception of their curriculum and fieldwork experiences and their preparation for practice (rho = 0.52, p < 0.05, and rho = 0.55, p < 0.05, respectively). Of the fieldwork experiences, respondents rated block placements as more beneficial to practice than non-traditional placements. However, a correlational analysis showed the non-traditional placement was significantly related to preparation for practice (rho = 0.54, p < 0.05). On a sevenpoint Likert scale, respondents rated themselves from 5.2 to 5.7 for perceived self-competence as a newly graduated practitioner with community-based graduates having the higher rating. Confidence in clinical decision-making was rated 5.0 to 5.6 with community-based graduates having higher rating. Respondents reported a positive perception that the undergraduate program prepared them to enter the workforce and practise as an occupational therapist (mean ratings 5.5 to 6.2).
Conclusion: Respondents felt adequately prepared to enter the occupational therapy profession and workforce. Strengths and weaknesses in their preparation are discussed as well as the need for further research.

Ultraviolet vision and mate choice in zebra finches

SEXUAL selection is one of the most actively studied areas of evolutionary biology(1-3), and ever since Darwin(1) birds have been probably the most popular taxon for testing the predictions about colour variation. Humans have been used to assess 'colour', an approach which may be flawed(4,5) as many birds see in the ultraviolet (to which humans are blind), and have at least four spectral classes of retinal cone cells (humans have only three), Here we report experiments on zebra finches which test the hypothesis that the ultraviolet waveband (300-400 nm) is used in avian mate-choice decisions. We found that the ultraviolet is used, and that it probably contributes to hue perception. This finding may have,vide implications for future studies of avian sexual selection and colour, and supports one hypothesized function of avian ultraviolet vision, the role of which is largely unknown.(4,6,7)

The effect of flicker from fluorescent lights on mate choice in captive birds

The visual systems of birds are hypothesized to have higher temporal resolution than those of humans, suggesting that they may be able to perceive the flicker emitted from conventional low-frequency fluorescent lights (LF; 100 Hz in Europe, 120 Hz in the U.S.A.). These lights are commonly used in the housing of captive birds and this may affect both their welfare and performance in experiments. We carried out mate choice experiments on European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, under both low- and high-frequency fluorescent lights (HF; > 30 kHz, at which flicker is imperceptible). Indicators of male condition and size, together with the reflectance spectra and length of the males' throat feathers, were also recorded to ascertain which variables correlated with female preference. Females ranked males consistently under HF, but not LF, lighting, and individual females chose different males under the two lighting types. Under HF lighting, females chose to spend more time with males that had longer throat feathers. The flicker rate of the light clearly affected the choices made by the females, possibly because of nonspecific stress effects or decreased discrimination ability. Our results imply that careful interpretation of mate choice experiments is needed, especially with regard to the lighting types used, to elucidate the real cause behind any variation shown. (c) 2006 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the ultraviolet waveband a special communication channel in avian mate choice?

There is growing evidence that ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths play an important role in avian mate choice. One of the first experiments to support this idea showed that female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) prefer UV-reflecting males to males whose ultraviolet reflection has been removed. The effect was very strong despite little or no UV reflection from several plumage areas. However, it is not clear how the importance of the UV waveband compares to other regions of the bird-visible spectrum. We tested whether the response of female zebra finches to the removal of male UV reflection is greater than to the removal of other wavebands. We presented females with a choice of males whose appearance was manipulated using coloured filters. The filters removed single blocks of the avian visible spectrum corresponding closely to the spectral sensitivities of each of the zebra finch's single cone classes. This resulted in males that effectively had no UV (UV-), no short-wave (SW-), no medium-wave (MW-) or no long-wave (LW-) plumage reflection. Females preferred UV- and SW- males. LW- and MW- males were least preferred, suggesting that female zebra finches show the greatest response to the removal of longer wavelengths. Quantal catches of the single cone types viewing body areas of the male zebra finch are presented for each treatment. Our study suggests it is important to consider the role of the UV waveband in avian mate choice in conjunction with the rest of the avian visible spectrum.

Context-dependent visual preferences in starlings and blue tits: mate choice and light environment

There is considerable interest in the role that ultraviolet (UV) cues play in the foraging and mate choice decisions of birds. However, with the exception of the zebra finch, Taeniopygia guttata, it is not yet clear whether ultraviolet preferences are context specific, or whether birds show a general preference for full-avian-spectrum environments 320-700 nm) irrespective of the activity in which they are engaged. We investigated whether European starlings, Sturnus vulgaris, and blue tits, Parus caeruleus, show general (nonresource based) or context-specific preferences for full-spectrum environments. We found that neither species showed a general preference for UV-present (UV+) over UV-deficient (UV-) environments, when those environments contained no resources (experiment 1). Furthermore, neither species showed a UV+ preference when cages contained food, water and perches (starlings; experiment 2) or food, perches and heterospecifics (blue tits; Hunt et al. 1999. Animal Behaviour, 58, 809-815). However, both species did show highly significant preferences for UV+ conditions when viewing potential mates. Such experiments are necessary before one can conclude that particular wavebands have specific relevance to mate choice. In fact, our results suggest that the importance of particular wavelength compositions do indeed vary with behavioural context. (C) 2002 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Ultraviolet vision, fluorescence and mate choice in a parrot, the budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus

As in many parrots, the plumage of the budgerigar Melopsittacus undulatus reflects near-ultraviolet (UVA) wavelengths (300-400 nm) and exhibits UVA-induced fluorescence. However, there have, to our knowledge, been no tests of whether the yellow fluorescence observed under intense UVA illumination has any role in signalling. Four experiments were carried out on wild-type budgerigars, where the presence and absence of UV reflectance and fluorescence were manipulated using filters. Few studies have attempted to separate the contribution of UV reflectance to plumage hue as opposed to brightness or distinguish between a role in sexual as opposed to social preferences. However, our first experiments show that not only do females consistently prefer UV-reflecting males, but also that the observed preferences are due to removal of UV affecting the perceived hue rather than brightness. Furthermore, we found no effect Of the light environment on male response to females, suggesting that the female preferences relate to plumage colour per se. Whilst UV reflectance appears important in heterosexual choice by, females, it has no detectable influence on same-sex association preferences. The results from the second series of experiments suggest that enhancement of the budgerigar's yellow coloration through fluorescence has no effect on male attractiveness. However, the fluorescent plumage may play a role in signalling by virtue of the fact that it absorbs UVA and so increases contrast with nearby UV-reflecting plumage. Our study provides convincing evidence that UV reflectances can play a role in mate choice in non-passerines, but no evidence that the yellow fluorescence observed under UVA illumination is itself important as a signal.

The role of ultraviolet-A reflectance and ultraviolet-A-induced fluorescence in budgerigar mate choice

Many parrots have plumage that either reflects strongly in the ultraviolet-A (UVA) waveband, between 315-400 nm, or exhibits UVA-induced fluorescence. Previous experimental work on budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) suggests that UVA reflectance plays a role in mate choice, as in other diurnal birds, but evidence for fluorescent cues playing a role is unconvincing. Here we report two experiments on budgerigars, designed to determine whether fluorescent cues play a role in signalling when UVA reflectances are absent, an approach which separates removal of UVA reflectance from removal of fluorescence. First, we determined whether the choices of different females are correlated under these treatment conditions. Secondly, we investigated female preferences for fluorescing and non-fluorescing males when UVA reflections are absent, to determine whether the yellow emissions of fluorescence are playing a role in mate choice. Results from experiment 1 do not suggest that females agree on which males are attractive when UVA reflectances are absent, with only half of the subjects choosing the same male. Neither did different females make the same choices in experiment 2. This lack of agreement provides further evidence that UVA reflectances from males play an important role in female choice in this species. Experiment 2 provides no evidence to suggest that UVA-induced fluorescence plays a role in mate choice. Overall, our study supports previous findings showing that UVA reflectance plays a role in sexual signalling in this species, but provides no evidence to suggest the same for fluorescence when UVA reflectances are absent.

Ultraviolet vision and mate choice in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Ultraviolet (UV) vision is well documented for many species of vertebrates. UV cues are known to be used in foraging, navigation and in mate choice. We conducted a series of behavioral experiments to investigate the role of UV perception in mate choice in both female and male guppies (Poecilia reticulata). In our experiments the visual appearance of potential mates was manipulated using either UV transmitting (UV+) or UV blocking (UV-) filters. Female guppies significantly preferred UV+ males. Male guppies tended to prefer UV- females, but their preferences were marginally nonsignificant. Further experiments investigating the role of luminance, indicate that UV wavelengths are probably being used for color discrimination rather than for detecting differences in brightness. These experiments raise the possibility that UV is used in mate assessment in different ways by male and female guppies. This may reflect the different strategies that the two sexes have in order to maximize reproductive success. To our knowledge, these are the first data showing that UV is used by any fish species in mate selection.

Exposure estimation, uncertainty and variability in occupational hygiene retrospective assessment

This thesis reports on a quantitative exposure assessment and on an analysis of the attributes of the data used in the estimations, in particular distinguishing between its uncertainty and variability. A retrospective assessment of exposure to benzene was carried out for a case control study of leukaemia in the Australian petroleum industry. The study used the mean of personal task-based measurements (Base Estimates) in a deterministic algorithm and applied factors to model back to places, times etc for which no exposure measurements were available. Mean daily exposures were estimated, on an individual subject basis, by summing the task-based exposures. These mean exposures were multiplied by the years spent on each job to provide exposure estimates in ppm-years. These were summed to provide a Cumulative Estimate for each subject. Validation was completed for the model and key inputs. Exposures were low, most jobs were below TWA of 5 ppm benzene. Exposures in terminals were generally higher than at refineries. Cumulative Estimates ranged from 0.005 to 50.9 ppm-years, with 84 percent less than 10 ppm-years. Exposure probability distributions were developed for tanker drivers using Monte Carlo simulation of the exposure estimation algorithm. The outcome was a lognormal distribution of exposure for each driver. These provide the basis for alternative risk assessment metrics e.g. the frequency of short but intense exposures which provided only a minimal contribution to the long-term average exposure but may increase risk of leukaemia. The effect of different inputs to the model were examined and their significance assessed using Monte Carlo simulation. The Base Estimates were the most important determinant of exposure in the model. The sources of variability in the measured data were examined, including the effect of having censored data and the between and within-worker variability. The sources of uncertainty in the exposure estimates were analysed and consequential improvements in exposure assessment identified. Monte Carlo sampling was also used to examine the uncertainties and variability associated with the tanker drivers' exposure assessment, to derive an estimate of the range and to put confidence intervals on the daily mean exposures. The identified uncertainty was less than the variability associated with the estimates. The traditional approach to exposure estimation typically derives only point estimates of mean exposure. The approach developed here allows a range of exposure estimates to be made and provides a more flexible and improved basis for risk assessment.

Occupational health and safety management systems : system types and effectiveness

The aim of this thesis is to develop a framework to evaluate the relative performance of different types of health and safety management system. This objective is an analytical one, but it stems from a policy issue of public importance. Over the past decade Australia, like other countries, has seen the emergence and growth of interest in developing health and safety management systems. But are they all the same, and if not, do they differ in their effectiveness? The thesis does not seek to give a definitive answer to these questions. Given the novelty of the phenomenon and the lack of research on this subject, the research is exploratory. An hypothesis about the effectiveness of different health and safety management systems is developed rather than tested. The thesis proceeds by first defining health and safety management systems as a combination of the planning and review, the management arrangements, the consultative arrangements and the specific program elements that work together in an integrated way to improve health and safety performance. A research procedure is described involving twenty exploratory case studies. The thesis then - develops - from the literature and the case study research - an analytical framework to evaluate the performance of different health and safety management systems. That framework has two parts. First is a typology of health and safety management systems. This is constructed from two distinctions - between 'safe place' and 'safe person' approaches to health and safety; and between 'innovative' and traditional' management methods and structures. These distinctions yield four types of system. The typology was applied to the case studies which yielded a reasonable fit in most instances. The second part of the framework is a 'process evaluation' technique akin to Quality standards. Derived from the Victorian SafetyMAP audit criteria, the "e;process evaluation tool "e; is preferred to traditional outcome measures such as incident or claim rates. Using this measure, the twenty case study enterprises were classified as above average, average or below average in performance. These results correlated poorly with traditional incident trend and benchmark measures. The two elements of the framework are then combined to explore the relationship between the different types of system and their performance. Evidence from the twenty case studies showed a tendency for innovative/safe place firms to perform better than traditional/safe person firms. This finding can form the basis for a hypothesis that may be subject to statistical testing on a generalisable sample. In addition five 'best practice' cases were selected and subjected to a cross case analysis to search for common characteristics that might explain their performance. This analysis suggests the importance of a number of factors: senior managers who drive health and safety change and mobilise all possible resources in the pursuit of change; health and safety representatives who work with managers in a 'joint regulatory relationship' across system activities; the involvement of employees more generally, but not as a substitute for action by managers and health and safety representatives; a comprehensive approach to elimination of all hazards; and the introduction of innovative programs to continually improve systems and facilitate employee involvement in health and safety.

Dividend policy choice : do earnings or investment opportunities matter?

The aim of this paper is to analyse the influence of a company's level of earnings and growth opportunities in determining the dividend policy choice of Malaysian-listed firms. The analysis is based on a sample of 136 firms listed on the Bursa Malaysia Index over a period of six years, from 1990 to 1996. The evidence suggests that the payers are more profitable than non-payers. Likewise, investment opportunity, which is measured by (∂At /At-1) and (Vt /At), differed for both payers and non-payers. The regression estimates from Logit model suggest that the average coefficient for EATA is a significant determinant for firm's dividend policy choice in Malaysia. This is consistent with the supposition that profitable firms are more likely to pay dividends than less profitable firms. Although investment opportunities, the firm's size and leverage were not found to be statistically significant, they provided some explanation for the dividend policy choice.