Description:
This study sought to examine the attitudes of heterosexual university students to peer suicide when that peer was gay, lesbian, or heterosexual. University students (n = 206) completed several questionnaires, including The Suicide Attitude Vignette Experience. Results indicated that the suicide act was seen as more justified, acceptable, and necessary when the adolescent was gay or lesbian. Further, gay and lesbian youth suicide victims were shown significantly less empathy than heterosexual suicide victims. Participants' level of homophobia was found to be a significant predictor of attitudes toward gay and lesbian youth suicide. Results indicate that the peer group of gay and lesbian youth is unsupportive of their sexual orientation, and these attitudes may be an additional risk factor for gay and lesbian youth suicide.
Description:
A key departure in this study from many earlier studies is that, on the continuum of financial stress from nil to very high, both very high levels of stress and very low levels are seen as being harmful and potential harbinger of a financial-market crisis. Specifically, a surfeit of stress can act as a tipping point into crisis and a dearth of stress can encourage hubris and increase a nation’s susceptibility to financial contagion from another nation; even one that is far removed by geographic and/or economic distance. This paper focuses on developing financial stress indices for the US and Australia using composite market indices, trade weight indices and yields on securities with different maturity dates. Monthly data from January 1989 to December 2011 was sourced from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA), the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB), the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), the Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis website, Bank of Canada, Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Yahoo finance website. For purposes of this study the aggregate measures of stress consists of inverted yield spreads, volatility measures for market indices, volatility measures of trade weighted indexes, risk spreads, credit risk spreads and a measures of risk in the equity market.
Description:
Despite its demonstrated benefits, cardiac rehabilitation (CR) attendance, and completion is suboptimal, particularly in women. The aims of this study were (i) to develop and pilot test a women-only yoga-based CR programme (the Women's Yoga CR Programme WYCRP) (ii) to investigate programme acceptability and (iii) to investigate attendance and completion of the WYCRP and continuation to Phase III community-based CR. Women eligible for CR at a tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia were recruited. Over a 6-month period in 2019, they were offered the WYCRP or usual CR. The WYCRP involved attendance at a 1-h yoga session following the usual 1-h mixed-sex education session, over a 7-week period. Participants completed pre- and post-programme questionnaires and attended focus groups to assess programme acceptability. Rates of attendance, completion, and continuation for the WYCRP were recorded and compared to those for the standard CR programme offered in 2018. In total, 27 women were eligible for the study and attended the initial CR assessment. Of those, 22 (81%) attended the WYCRP, 1 (4%) attended usual CR, and 4 (15%) did not attend CR. Ratings of programme acceptability were consistently positive qualitative comments highlighted both physical and emotional benefits. While attendance at the WYCRP was not significantly higher than for usual CR the previous year (81% vs. 76% P = 0.40), CR completion, and continuation were (95% vs. 56% P = 0.02, and 72% vs. 12% P < 0.001, respectively). This pilot study has demonstrated that women-only yoga-based CR is appealing to women and can improve women's CR completion and continuation. These preliminary findings support further development of women-only and yoga-based CR options.
Description:
On 4 August 1888, Reefton became the first town in New Zealand to have its own public electricity supply powered by hydrogeneration. In Australia, the first supply of electricity to the public at large was in two small country towns in New South Wales. Tamworth, with a population of 3,000, switched on arc and incandescent street lighting on 9 November 1888. In April 1889, the smaller town of Young switched on its incandescent street lighting and shortly thereafter went on to connect shops, offices, and homes within reach of its lines. However, the history of electricity supply in Australia traces back earlier, with Brisbane as one of the first cities in Australia to use electricity commercially, in 1882. Thus, electricity utilization down under coincided with the history of its emergence among the countries of the Northern Hemisphere.
Description:
In the 1920s and 1930s working-class people from the inner suburbs of Melbourne, Australia took to the foothills of the nearby Dandenong ranges on weekends and public holidays to enjoy a bush picnic or holiday. It was a time in both Britain and Australia when working people were able to take family holidays in greater numbers. Unstructured interviews with former female visitors began with the purpose of gaining an insight into the leisure of the time. Information obtained along the way about working lives reinforced the importance of thinking about work and leisure in association with each other. The incidents that some women remembered from their working lives presented a strong and autonomous view of themselves. While such power could be seen as a realistic view of their holidays in the bush, it appears that the context of the interview relationship contributed to the highlighting of an assertive and lively work identity.
Description:
In the 1920s and 1930s working-class people from the inner suburbs of Melbourne, Australia took to the foothills of the nearby Dandenong ranges on weekends and public holidays to enjoy a bush picnic or holiday. It was a time in both Britain and Australia when working people were able to take family holidays in greater numbers. Unstructured interviews with former female visitors began with the purpose of gaining an insight into the leisure of the time. Information obtained along the way about working lives reinforced the importance of thinking about work and leisure in association with each other. The incidents that some women remembered from their working lives presented a strong and autonomous view of themselves. While such power could be seen as a realistic view of their holidays in the bush, it appears that the context of the interview relationship contributed to the highlighting of an assertive and lively work identity.
Description:
The rural decline in Australian industry restructuring and the withdrawal of infrastructural services (ABS, 1998), gives rise to the hope of a turnaround in regional and rural Australia arising from the growth of new business ventures. There has been a trend towards an increase in both small business and the involvement of women in recent years (ABS 1301.0, 1997). This combination is important for a sustainable rural future, and therefore, a greater understanding is needed of how women stand in relation to sound business preparation, and attitudes to professional training.
Description:
The rural decline in Australian industry restructuring and the withdrawal of infrastructural services (ABS, 1998), gives rise to the hope of a turnaround in regional and rural Australia arising from the growth of new business ventures. There has been a trend towards an increase in both small business and the involvement of women in recent years (ABS 1301.0, 1997). This combination is important for a sustainable rural future, and therefore, a greater understanding is needed of how women stand in relation to sound business preparation, and attitudes to professional training.
Description:
A large number of Australian railway bridges were constructed over 80 years ago and have become increasingly costly to maintain. Infrastructure managers are under pressure to maintain bridge structures to a specified performance level with less maintenance funding and fewer resources. Currently, some rail operators maintain bridges through generic asset management systems which are simplistic and only address immediate operational issues. This is despite the fact that a life cycle cost analysis is proven to strategically maintain bridge assets and reduce costs over their operational life. A new bridge management system (BMS) framework which consists of a life cycle cost analysis and strategy model is proposed in this paper. The model can provide solutions at the element, bridge and network levels. A brief background is provided on Australian railway bridge operational history. Finally, a new maintenance cycle is proposed and its components are discussed.
Description:
Organ transplantation is the most effective treatment for end-stage organ failure and is a much sought-after therapy. Efforts are under way to maximise the number of families who agree to organ donation on behalf of a newly deceased relative in Australia, with the hope of easing the burden for dying and incapacitated patients and to reduce health care costs. Objective: To present initial findings from a study which asked families who had been required to make a deceased organ donation decision about their experience, and the factors that contributed to their decision to either agree to or decline organ donation. Methods: Following ethics approval, an exploratory multiple case study was conducted. Twenty-two family members from nine families who had experienced the death of a relative within the previous three years from five of Australia's state and territories contributed to the study in 17 recorded, transcribed and analysed interviews. Findings: Broad themes emerged that included the importance of time and location, perceptions of suffering, information and help for the families, and the need for families to assure themselves that the deceased's needs were addressed before and after death. Conclusion: The findings suggest families require trust that their family member was not suffering before and after death. The affirmation of this trust was helped by prior information about the organ donation process and sensory affirmation that their loved one was at peace. Family decisions about organ donation, hopes and 'deep hopes' were dependent on this trust.
Description:
This article is based on recent Ph.D research. The practices for appointing Vice Chancellors (VC’s) in Australian Universities were examined, together with the changing role of the VC and new demographic patterns in VC backgrounds. A number of other issues were also examined, including the training and preparation of VC’s, mentoring and the changing skill base required to be effective in the role. In addition, the paradox was investigated of appointing academics from the ranks of individuals with non-business backgrounds, to run large enterprises which are being compelled to adopt an increasingly business-oriented focus.
Description:
This article is based on recent Ph.D research. The practices for appointing Vice Chancellors (VC’s) in Australian Universities were examined, together with the changing role of the VC and new demographic patterns in VC backgrounds. A number of other issues were also examined, including the training and preparation of VC’s, mentoring and the changing skill base required to be effective in the role. In addition, the paradox was investigated of appointing academics from the ranks of individuals with non-business backgrounds, to run large enterprises which are being compelled to adopt an increasingly business-oriented focus.
Description:
The story of early aviation in Australia is enthusiastic expectations and recurrent frustrations, attended by no small danger to those intrepid aviators who lifted themselves skyward in an array of hot-air and gas-filled balloons. Sooner of later, something of a spectacular nature was bound to occur. When it did it was three Melburnians who, on two separate occasions through their aeronautical endeavour, visited social chaos upon the citizens of Sydney. In consequence of a misreporting of one of these events, an inexactitude crept into Australia's aviation history that this article aims to correct.
Description:
Sports have a focus on increasing participation, which contributes to increasing population levels of physical activity, social cohesion and longevity of the sport. The primary aim of this study was to examine reasons for drop-out of a popular team sport in Australia, Field Hockey and identify opportunities to increase participation. This longitudinal study obtained routinely collected registered player data from Hockey New South Wales over two consecutive years, and survey data from registered players who dropped out. Logistic regression models identified demographic subgroups who were more likely to drop out of sport, and the reasons for dropping out. In 2018, 8463 (31%) of hockey players did not return to play hockey after the previous season and 805 (10%) of these completed a survey. Specific groups who were more likely to stop playing included 5-6 years (OR: 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.6 reference: 12-17 years), females (OR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2 reference: males), Indigenous (OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4 reference: non-Indigenous), most disadvantaged (OR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2 reference: least disadvantaged) or regional and remote (1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2 reference: major cities). Top reasons for drop out were medical/age (17%), change in circumstances (16%) and high cost (13%), lack of time (13%) and lack of enjoyment (7%). Although Hockey successfully reaches a large proportion of underrepresented groups in sport, these groups are more likely to drop out. Sports should consult these groups to develop enjoyable, flexible, and modifiable versions of the game that are appropriate to their needs.
Description:
Sports have a focus on increasing participation, which contributes to increasing population levels of physical activity, social cohesion and longevity of the sport. The primary aim of this study was to examine reasons for drop-out of a popular team sport in Australia, Field Hockey and identify opportunities to increase participation. This longitudinal study obtained routinely collected registered player data from Hockey New South Wales over two consecutive years, and survey data from registered players who dropped out. Logistic regression models identified demographic subgroups who were more likely to drop out of sport, and the reasons for dropping out. In 2018, 8463 (31%) of hockey players did not return to play hockey after the previous season and 805 (10%) of these completed a survey. Specific groups who were more likely to stop playing included 5-6 years (OR: 2.1, 95% CI 1.8-2.6 reference: 12-17 years), females (OR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2 reference: males), Indigenous (OR: 1.2, 95% CI 1.1-1.4 reference: non-Indigenous), most disadvantaged (OR: 1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2 reference: least disadvantaged) or regional and remote (1.1, 95% CI 1.0-1.2 reference: major cities). Top reasons for drop out were medical/age (17%), change in circumstances (16%) and high cost (13%), lack of time (13%) and lack of enjoyment (7%). Although Hockey successfully reaches a large proportion of underrepresented groups in sport, these groups are more likely to drop out. Sports should consult these groups to develop enjoyable, flexible, and modifiable versions of the game that are appropriate to their needs.