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Organisational resilience within a complexity science framework : A case study of Ballarat City Council

  • Authors: Stockton, Imogen
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: Understanding the resilience of organisations, their vulnerabilities and capacity to adapt to an unknown future is critical because modern society is dependent upon the continuation of these systems or alternative systems which support humans, their communities and the environment. The challenge for organisations assessing their resilience is to find a way to undertake this assessment that best meets the needs of the organisation and the context in which it operates. Thus this study aims to develop an understanding of resilience, in particular, organisational resilience and develop a means of identifying resilience in an organisation. A conceptual model of organisational resilience was developed together with an operational Framework of Analysis which was then applied to the Ballarat City Council as a single case study. The conceptual model proposes that resilience is a state of being, that is a proximity to the edge of chaos, where the connections between agents within a system are most flexible. The absence of rigid, inflexible connections enables agents within a complex adaptive system to innovate, co-evolve and adapt to changing circumstances. This is achieved by having an awareness of the fitness landscape, having the flexibility to manage vulnerabilities and being able to adapt. Coevolution, adaptation and creativity occur most readily from close proximity to the edge of chaos. Using a Critical Realist approach, the Ballarat City Council case study evaluates the Framework of Analysis. Data collection occurred over a six month period with primary sources of data being an organisational document analysis, interviews and an infrastructure assessment. The results indicate that situational awareness, the identification and management of keystone vulnerabilities and an increase in adaptive capacity act as mechanisms of adaptation and are integral to an organisation achieving a position of resilience. This research presents a new perspective to the concept of resilience, in which resilience is a position relative to the edge of chaos, rather than a process or set of characteristics.
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy

Parental and peer influences on emerging adult problem gambling : Does exposure to problem gambling reduce stigmatizing perceptions and increase vulnerability?

  • Authors: Gay, Jessica , Gill, Peter , Corboy, Denise
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Gambling Issues Vol. 2016, no. 33 (2016), p. 30-51
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  • Description: Research has identified 18 to 30 years olds as the biggest spenders on gambling activities, with significantly higher prevalence of gambling problems than other age groups. Identifying the factors that influence the development of gambling problems in young people is important for guiding prevention strategies. This study aimed to analyse how emerging adult problem gambling is influenced by the people around them. In particular, we explored whether perceived parental and peer problem gambling predicted emerging adult problem gambling, and whether reduced gambling self-stigma mediated these relationships. A community sample of 188. Australian gamblers aged 18 to 29 (M = 21.41, SD = 2.99) completed three versions of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) and the Gambling Perception Scale. Results indicated that perceived parental and peer gambling were positively related to emerging adult problem gambling. While reduced gambling helping stigma was related to higher problem gambling, stigma did not mediate the links between significant others’ gambling and emerging adult problem gambling. We conclude that social influences are important in the development of problem gambling for young people, and that older male emerging adults who have a gambling mother are at most risk of problem gambling. © 2016, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. All rights reserved.

Peer learning a pedagogical approach to enhance online learning: A qualitative exploration

  • Authors: Raymond, Anita , Jacob, Elisabeth , Jacob, Darren , Lyons, Judith
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Nurse Education Today Vol. 44, no. (2016), p. 165-159
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  • Description: Abstract Background Flexible online programs are becoming increasingly popular method of education for students, allowing them to complete programs in their own time and cater for lifestyle differences. A mixture of delivery modes is one way which allows for enhanced learning. Peer learning is another method of learning which is shown to foster collaboration and prepare healthcare students for their future careers. This paper reports on a project to combine peer and online learning to teach pharmacology to nursing students. Objectives To explore undergraduate nursing student opinions of working in peer groups for online learning sessions in a pharmacology course. Design A qualitative study utilising a self-reported questionnaire. Setting A rural campus of an Australian university. Participants Second year nursing students enrolled in a Bachelor of Nursing Program. Methods A hard copy questionnaire was distributed to all students who attended the final semester lecture for the course. Content analysis of open-ended survey questions was used to identify themes in the written data. Results Of the 61 students enrolled in the nursing subject, 35 students chose to complete the survey (57%). Students reported a mixed view of the benefits and disadvantages of peer online learning. Sixty 6% (66%) of students liked peer online learning, whilst 29% disliked it and 6% were undecided. Convenience and ease of completion were reported as the most common reason to like peer online learning, whilst Information Technology issues, communication and non-preferred learning method were reasons for not liking peer online learning. Conclusion Peer online learning groups’ acted as one further method to facilitate student learning experiences. Blending peer online learning with traditional face-to-face learning increases the variety of learning methods available to students to enhance their overall learning experience.

Percy : A life in China - The life and times of Percy Nettle : 1886-1964

  • Authors: Nettle, Rodney
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: This thesis is about the transnational life of Percival Edward Nettle (1886-1964), a young man born in Ballarat who moved from Australia to Shanghai at the end of 1906 on his way to San Francisco. He never did get to San Francisco but lived in and out of China until he died in 1964. This thesis tells his story and also addresses the perennial human management problem of achieving a co-operative fit between people from different cultural backgrounds. Percy Nettle achieved this fit with the Chinese through developing an exceptional rapport with Chinese people from the time he commenced working with them in 1907 on engineering projects, and later during and through wars and other civil engagements. He was a great success in China, the key to which was his skill with the language and later from his ability to culturally adapt and empathise with the people in the environments in which he was living at the time. Percy also found that his ‘Wesleyan’ approach to people conveniently dovetailed with the ‘Confucian’ values approach of the Chinese. Percy was able to communicate with Chinese people from Viceroys to infantry men and bandits and could win their trust regardless of social levels. Percy documented his ‘fitting in’ experience with the Chinese in his diaries, letters and journals over a fifty-five-year period until his death in Hong Kong in 1964. The analysis and contextualisation of his original records form the basis of this thesis and what is learned from this study of his exceptional life is the importance of achieving a very high level of cultural empathy and understanding with the people we deal with beginning with learning how to speak with them in their own language. Percy was also able to demonstrate the universal efficacy of strong ethical values even when they are transposed from one cultural setting to another.
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy

Performance evaluation of a process bus architecture in a zone substation based on IEC 61850-9-2

  • Authors: Kumar, Shantanu , Das, Narottam , Islam, Syed
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Conference proceedings , Conference paper
  • Relation: IEEE PES Asia-Pacific Power and Energy Engineering Conference, APPEEC 2015; Brisbane, Australia; 15th-18th November 2015 Vol. 2016, p. 1-5
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  • Description: Ethernet communication has been the back bone of high speed communication in digital substations from protection relaying, control and automation perspective. Major substation manufacturers have been constantly upgrading softwares and adding new features in their Intelligent Electronic Devices (IED's) to carry out multiple functions in process bus devices. This paper presents simulation results with respect to the delay in packets transfer in an Ethernet environment. Understanding the delay in packet transfer of Generic Object Oriented Substation Event (GOOSE) and Sampled Values (SV) shall assist the user in understanding the substation automation, control and protection of substation primary plants such as current transformers (CT's), voltage transformers (VT's), circuit breakers etc. connected in the network during a fault condition Conventional substation uses Merging Units (MU's) to communicate with the IED's featuring IEC 61850-9-2 standard. This standard exhibits transparency and standardization of data communication while addressing issues related to reliability, packet sharing, and maintainability, etc. However, process bus architecture is yet to be widely accepted in the industry and needs further validation due to lack of confidence. This paper evaluates the performance of a digital protection scheme in a zone substation operating at 132kV, featuring IEC 61850-9-2 IED's and using an optimized network engineering tool (OPNET) simulator. Understanding the delay in receiving time critical GOOSE and sampled value SV messages from protection perspective is critical as loss of data could cause malfunction in the protection jeopardizing vital substation plants.

Performance monitoring of a PMU in a microgrid environment based on IEC 61850-90-5

  • Authors: Kumar, Shantanu , Das, Narottam , Islam, Syed
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Conference proceedings , Conference paper
  • Relation: 2016 Australasian Universities Power Engineering Conference, AUPEC 2016; Brisbane, Australia; 25th-28th September 2016 p. 1-5
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  • Description: Reliable protection, communication and control are the key features of a digital protection scheme in a utility substation. Microgrid is an alternative solution of installing long Transmission & Distribution lines could be cost prohibitive. There are number of Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) which could find applications in controlling and monitoring of power network in a Microgrid set up and one such device is Phasor Measurement Unit (PMU). It is a microprocessor based intelligent device which gathers high-resolution data, checks the power quality and records disturbances. However, few issues that remains to be addressed such as, interoperability in a multi-vendor equipment and coordination between individual control systems in an integrated scheme. In this paper, an Operational Network Technology (OPNET) software model of a PMU has been designed and tested for its performance in a Microgrid environment based on IEC 61850-90-5 standard.

Performative trolling: Szubanski, Gillard, Dawson and the nature of the utterance

  • Authors: Morrissey, Belinda Caroline , Yell, Susan
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Persona Studies Vol. 2, no. 1 (2016), p. 26-40
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  • Description: In 2012 the Australian public witnessed three important examples of trolling play out in the public sphere that are the focus of this paper: the trolling of Julia Gillard’s Facebook page when she attempted to discuss education policy, the anonymous trolling of Charlotte Dawson’s Twitter page, and the trolling of Magda Szubanski on YouTube after she came out on The Project. These attacks may seem similar in that a public persona has been ridiculed and denigrated in flamboyant onslaughts. However, we will argue that there are important differences in the effects of these attacks, and that underpinning these are differences relating to the individual persona, the social medium and the nature of the utterance. The attacks on Gillard and Szubanski are primarily descriptive attacks on a deliberate and somewhat stage-managed public performance of identity, not a call to action. On the other hand, the anonymous trolling of Charlotte Dawson, which led directly to her attempted suicide, is clearly a performative utterance from the start, meant to have consequences on the object of attack. In Dawson’s case, the separation between her public persona and her private self is far less distinct than in the case of Gillard or Szubanski. These instances demonstrate that trolling exists on a performative continuum, engaging in constant disruption, but also lending itself to the production of social action. The kind of impact trolling will have depends, thus, on the affordances of social media, the persona under attack, and on the very nature of the utterance itself.

Perinatal maternal depression and cortisol function in pregnancy and the postpartum period: a systematic literature review

  • Authors: Seth, Sunaina , Lewis, Andrew , Galbally, Megan
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: BMC Pregnancy Childbirth Vol. 16, no. 1 (2016), p. 124-124
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  • Description: Perinatal depression has a significant impact on both mother and child. However, the influence of hormonal changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period remains unclear. This article provides a systematic review of studies examining the effects of maternal cortisol function on perinatal depression. A systematic search was conducted of six electronic databases for published research on the relationship between cortisol and perinatal depression. The databases included MEDLINE complete, PsychINFO, SCOPUS, Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Science Direct and EBSCO, for the years 1960 to May 2015. Risk of bias was assessed and data extraction verified by two investigators. In total, 47 studies met criteria and studies showed considerable variation in terms of methodology including sample size, cortisol assays, cortisol substrates, sampling processes and outcome measures. Those studies identified as higher quality found that the cortisol awakening response is positively associated with momentary mood states but is blunted in cases of major maternal depression. Furthermore, results indicate that hypercortisolemia is linked to transient depressive states while hypocortisolemia is related to chronic postpartum depression. Future research should aim to improve the accuracy of cortisol measurement over time, obtain multiple cortisol samples in a day and utilise diagnostic measures of depression. Future studies should also consider both antenatal and postnatal depression and the differential impact of atypical versus melancholic depression on cortisol levels, as this can help to further clarify the relationship between perinatal depression and maternal cortisol function across pregnancy and the postpartum period.

Phosphorus distribution in soils from Australian dairy and beef rearing pastoral systems

  • Authors: Adeloju, Samuel , Webb, Benjamin , Smernik, Ronald
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Applied Sciences (Switzerland) Vol. 6, no. 2 (2016), p. 1-19
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  • Description: The influence of soil type and management practices on P distribution in soils from Australian dairy and beef rearing pastoral systems has been investigated by chemical measurements and phosphorus-31 (31P) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The amount and forms of P within the soil profile varied with soil type, with the acidic red Ferrosols containing relatively high orthophosphate concentrations, averaging 72.2% compared with 66.8% for Dermosols, under similar management conditions. Soil from Sodosol sites which received less fertiliser P addition had the lowest orthophosphate concentration with only 57.6%. In contrast, relatively high proportions of organic P were found in soil samples from unfertilised Sodosol sites. On average, soil from Sodosol sites contained 37.5% organic P (combined monoester P and diester P), while those from Dermosol and Ferrosol sites contained 31.7% and 25.8%, respectively. Of these, the highest monoester phosphate proportions of 44.6% (site M3) and 46.4% (site M4) were found in Sodosol sites with no recent P inputs, but the highest proportion of diester phosphate (5.7%) was found in an unclassified grey sandy loam Dermosol. The higher organic P concentrations in soil from Sodosol sites may be associated with more regular moisture input from both rainfall and boarder-check (flood) irrigation. The highest level of pyrophosphate (8.5%) was also found in a grey/yellow Sodosol. Overall, the results indicate that P speciation in the Australian soils is strongly influenced by soil type, fertiliser P application rate and timing, and moisture variations. © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Physiological and acoustic characteristics of the male music theatre voice

  • Authors: Bourne, Tracy , Garnier, Maeva , Samson, Adeline
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of the Acoustical Society of America Vol. 140, no. 1 (2016), p. 610-621
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  • Description: Six male music theatre singers were recorded in three different voice qualities: legit and two types of belt ("chesty" and "twangy"), on two vowels ([e] and [O]), at four increasing pitches in the upper limit of each singer's belt range (similar to 250-440 Hz). The audio signal, the electroglottographic (EGG) signal, and the vocal tract impedance were all measured simultaneously. Voice samples were analyzed and then evaluated perceptually by 16 expert listeners. The three qualities were produced with significant differences at the physiological, acoustical, and perceptual levels: Singers produced belt qualities with a higher EGG contact quotient (CQ(EGG)) and greater contacting speed quotient (Qcs), greater sound pressure level (SPL), and energy above 1 kHz (alpha ratio), and with higher frequencies of the first two vocal tract resonances (f(R1), f(R2)), especially in the upper pitch range when compared to legit. Singers produced the chesty belt quality with higher CQ(EGG), Qcs, and SPL values and lower alpha ratios over the whole belt range, and with higher f(R1) at the higher pitch range when compared to twangy belt. Consistent tuning of f(R1) to the second voice harmonic (2f(0)) was observed in all three qualities and for both vowels. Expert listeners tended to identify all qualities based on the same acoustical and physiological variations as those observed in the singers' intended qualities. (C) 2016 Acoustical Society of America.

Population levels of sport participation : Implications for sport policy

  • Authors: Eime, Rochelle , Harvey, Jack , Charity, Melanie , Payne, Warren
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: BMC Public Health Vol. 16, no. 1 (2016), p. 1-8
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  • Description: Background: Participation in sport can contribute to health-enhancing levels of leisure-time physical activity. There are recent reports that participation in sport in Australia is decreasing. However, these studies are limited to ages 15 years and over. Methods: This study integrates sports club membership data from five popular team sports and investigates sport participation across the lifespan (4-100 years) by sex and region (metropolitan/non-metropolitan). Results: Overall participant numbers per annum increased from 414,167 in 2010 to 465,403 in 2012 corresponding to a rise in the proportion of Victorian's participating in these sports from 7.5 % in 2010 to 8.3 % in 2012. The highest proportion of participants was in the 10-14 year age range, with participation rates of 36 % in 2010 and 40 % in 2012. There was a considerably lower participation rate in the 15-19 year age group compared to the 10-14 age group, in all three years studied, and the decline continued progressively with increasing age. Male and female age profiles of participation were generally similar in shape, but the female peak at age 10-14 was sharper than for the males, and conversely there were very few 4 year old female participants. Participation rates were generally higher in non-metropolitan than metropolitan areas; the difference increased with increasing age from 4 to 34 years, then steadily declined, reaching parity at around 60 years of age. Conclusions: It is a positive sign that participation in these popular sports increased by over 50,000 participants from 2010 to 2012. Large proportions of the population aged 5-14 participate in club based sport. Participation rates decline sharply in late adolescence, particularly for females, and while this may not be a concern from a broad health perspective so long as they transition into other forms of physical activity, it is certainly a matter of concern for the sport sector. It is recommended that sport policy places a higher priority on grass-roots participation and that sporting organisations are supported to prioritise the retention issues occurring during adolescence, particularly for females so as to maximise the potential for sport to maintain its positive contribution to population wellbeing. © 2016 The Author(s).

Precipitation and evaporative aspects of the terrestrial water balance in Central Victoria and their relationship to large-scale climate drivers during the growing season

  • Authors: Marshall, Adam
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Thesis , Masters
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  • Description: Terrestrial Water Balance (TWB) incorporates the combined effects of precipitation and evaporation, and is an important factor influencing agricultural and hydrological processes and management. This study analyses the TWB components at five stations in central Victoria from 1972 - 2013, a region which spans a range of agricultural and hydrological regimes. These stations represent distinct climatic and geographic locations including the dry inland plains, the Great Dividing Range and the southern coastal area. This research focuses on the „Growing Season‟ from March - November; a period where increased availability of moisture is critical for commencing, maintaining and ceasing a variety of agricultural practices. Moisture surplus is known as „Effective Precipitation‟ and is represented by a Precipitation/Evaporation (P-E) ratio >1. Whilst the combined P-E ratio is significant, an emphasis is placed upon examining individual meteorological components which determine the TWB. Hence rainfall and pan evaporation characteristics are analysed on both monthly and seasonal timescales within the 'Growing Season'. Trends in rainfall are fairly consistent across all stations with ongoing declines generally observed in all months except November, most notable in April, May and October. Pan evaporation displays much more variation between stations with both strong positive and negative trends evident throughout the station network in each season. The varying trends in pan evaporation between the stations suggest that the same large scale conditions can result in vastly different effects locally, owing to topographic and geographic factors. The influence of El Niño - Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) on pan evaporation is widespread and statistically significant during Winter and Spring. The Southern Annular Mode (SAM) displays marked intra-seasonal influence which appears to be highly location dependent. Consistent with the literature, rainfall shows increasing correlations with ENSO and IOD through Winter before peaking in Spring at all stations. Interestingly, despite changes in teleconnection strength over time, these tropical climate drivers display a stronger relationship with pan evaporation than rainfall over the full analysis period. Therefore an opportunity may exist to use such relationships to develop seasonal forecasts of evaporation, similar to what is currently employed for seasonal rainfall forecasting. This is important as Effective Precipitation is significantly influenced by the evaporative component of the TWB. Critically, this study shows that variations in such elements need to be considered on a regional basis, bearing in mind differences in geographic and topographic location, as well as intra-seasonal regimes within the overall Growing Season.
  • Description: Master of Applied Science

Predicting the geographical distributions of the macaque hosts and mosquito vectors of Plasmodium knowlesi malaria in forested and non-forested areas

  • Authors: Moyes, Catherine , Shearer, Freya , Huang, Zhi , Wiebe, Antoinette , Gibson, Harry , Nijman, Vincent , Mohd-Azlan, Jayasilan , Brodie, Jebediah , Malaivijitnond, Suchinda , Linkie, Matthew , Samejima, Hiromitsu , O'Brien, Timothy , Trainor, Colin , Hamada, Yuzuru , Giordano, Anthony , Kinnaird, Margaret , Elyazar, Iqbal , Sinka, Marianne , Vythilingam, Indra , Bangs, Michael , Pigott, David , Weiss, Daniel , Golding, Nick , Hay, Simon
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Parasites and Vectors Vol. 9, no. 1 (2016), p. 1-12
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  • Description: Background: Plasmodium knowlesi is a zoonotic pathogen, transmitted among macaques and to humans by anopheline mosquitoes. Information on P. knowlesi malaria is lacking in most regions so the first step to understand the geographical distribution of disease risk is to define the distributions of the reservoir and vector species. Methods: We used macaque and mosquito species presence data, background data that captured sampling bias in the presence data, a boosted regression tree model and environmental datasets, including annual data for land classes, to predict the distributions of each vector and host species. We then compared the predicted distribution of each species with cover of each land class. Results: Fine-scale distribution maps were generated for three macaque host species (Macaca fascicularis, M. nemestrina and M. leonina) and two mosquito vector complexes (the Dirus Complex and the Leucosphyrus Complex). The Leucosphyrus Complex was predicted to occur in areas with disturbed, but not intact, forest cover (> 60 % tree cover) whereas the Dirus Complex was predicted to occur in areas with 10-100 % tree cover as well as vegetation mosaics and cropland. Of the macaque species, M. nemestrina was mainly predicted to occur in forested areas whereas M. fascicularis was predicted to occur in vegetation mosaics, cropland, wetland and urban areas in addition to forested areas. Conclusions: The predicted M. fascicularis distribution encompassed a wide range of habitats where humans are found. This is of most significance in the northern part of its range where members of the Dirus Complex are the main P. knowlesi vectors because these mosquitoes were also predicted to occur in a wider range of habitats. Our results support the hypothesis that conversion of intact forest into disturbed forest (for example plantations or timber concessions), or the creation of vegetation mosaics, will increase the probability that members of the Leucosphyrus Complex occur at these locations, as well as bringing humans into these areas. An explicit analysis of disease risk itself using infection data is required to explore this further. The species distributions generated here can now be included in future analyses of P. knowlesi infection risk. © 2016 Moyes et al.

Prediction of drillability of rocks with strength properties using a hybrid GA-ANN technique

  • Authors: Khandelwal, Manoj , Armaghani, Danial
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Geotechnical and Geological Engineering Vol. 34, no. 2 (2016), p. 605-620
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  • Description: The purpose of this paper is to provide a proper, practical and convenient drilling rate index (DRI) prediction model based on rock material properties. In order to obtain this purpose, 47 DRI tests were used. In addition, the relevant strength properties i.e. uniaxial compressive strength and Brazilian tensile strength were also used and selected as input parameters to predict DRI. Examined simple regression analysis showed that the relationships between the DRI and predictors are statistically meaningful but not good enough for DRI estimation in practice. Moreover, multiple regression, artificial neural network (ANN) and hybrid genetic algorithm (GA)-ANN models were constructed to estimate DRI. Several performance indices i.e. coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error and variance account for were used for evaluation of performance prediction the proposed methods. Based on these results and the use of simple ranking procedure, the best models were chosen. It was found that the hybrid GA-ANN technique can performed better in predicting DRI compared to other developed models. This is because of the fact that the proposed hybrid model can update the biases and weights of the network connection to train by ANN.
  • Description: The purpose of this paper is to provide a proper, practical and convenient drilling rate index (DRI) prediction model based on rock material properties. In order to obtain this purpose, 47 DRI tests were used. In addition, the relevant strength properties i.e. uniaxial compressive strength and Brazilian tensile strength were also used and selected as input parameters to predict DRI. Examined simple regression analysis showed that the relationships between the DRI and predictors are statistically meaningful but not good enough for DRI estimation in practice. Moreover, multiple regression, artificial neural network (ANN) and hybrid genetic algorithm (GA)-ANN models were constructed to estimate DRI. Several performance indices i.e. coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error and variance account for were used for evaluation of performance prediction the proposed methods. Based on these results and the use of simple ranking procedure, the best models were chosen. It was found that the hybrid GA-ANN technique can performed better in predicting DRI compared to other developed models. This is because of the fact that the proposed hybrid model can update the biases and weights of the network connection to train by ANN. © 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Predictors of condom use behaviour among male street labourers in urban Vietnam using a modified Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model

  • Authors: Van Huy, Nguyen , Dunne, Michael , Debattista, Joseph
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Culture, Health and Sexuality Vol. 18, no. 3 (2016), p. 321-336
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  • Description: HIV risk in vulnerable groups such as itinerant male street labourers is often examined via a focus on individual determinants. This study provides a test of a modified Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills (IMB) model to predict condom use behaviour among male street workers in urban Vietnam. In a cross-sectional survey using a social mapping technique, 450 male street labourers from 13 districts of Hanoi, Vietnam were recruited and interviewed. Collected data were first examined for completeness; structural equation modelling was then employed to test the model fit. Condoms were used inconsistently by many of these men, and usage varied in relation to a number of factors. A modified IMB model had a better fit than the original IMB model in predicting condom use behaviour. This modified model accounted for 49% of the variance, versus 10% by the original version. In the modified model, the influence of psychosocial factors was moderately high, whilst the influence of HIV prevention information, motivation and perceived behavioural skills was moderately low, explaining in part the limited level of condom use behaviour. This study provides insights into social factors that should be taken into account in public health planning to promote safer sexual behaviour among Asian male street labourers. © 2015 Taylor & Francis.

Preparing pre-service teachers for professional engagement through place/community pedagogies and partnerships

  • Authors: Green, Monica
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australian Journal of Teacher Education Vol. 41, no. 11 (2016), p. 44-60
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  • Description: There is an expectation that Australian teachers engage professionally in all aspects of teaching and learning, including engagement with teaching networks and broader communities. This paper reports on a partnership between a teacher educator and an environmental educator who set out to expand pre-service teachers' professional knowledge, engagement and practice in an undergraduate Bachelor of Education (primary) course. The paper reports on a study about teacher education students' perspectives of fieldwork-based learning and its potential to inform students' future engagement with the broader school community. Using a conceptual framework of place- and community based education, the study examined data from an electronic survey and student teacher fieldwork reflections to better understand how pre-service teachers interpret the benefits of working with local schools, and communitybased representatives. Findings suggest pre-service teachers' professional engagement was significantly enhanced as a consequence of partnership fieldwork. The implications for teacher education and future teacher practice are discussed.

Preventing Australian football injuries with a targeted neuromuscular control exercise programme: comparative injury rates from a training intervention delivered in a clustered randomised controlled trial

  • Authors: Finch, Caroline , Twomey, Dara , Fortington, Lauren , Doyle, Tim , Elliott, Bruce , Akram, Muhammad , Lloyd, David
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Injury Prevention Vol. 22, no. 2 (Apr 2016), p. 123-128
  • Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
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  • Description: Background Exercise-based training programmes are commonly used to prevent sports injuries but programme effectiveness within community men's team sport is largely unknown. Objective To present the intention-to-treat analysis of injury outcomes from a clustered randomised controlled trial in community Australian football. Methods Players from 18 male, non-elite, community Australian football clubs across two states were randomly allocated to either a neuromuscular control (NMC) (intervention n=679 players) or standard-practice (control n=885 players) exercise training programme delivered as part of regular team training sessions (2x weekly for 8-week preseason and 18-week regularseason). All game-related injuries and hours of game participation were recorded. Generalised estimating equations, adjusted for clustering (club unit), were used to compute injury incidence rates (IIRs) for all injuries, lower limb injuries (LLIs) and knee injuries sustained during games. The IIRs were compared across groups with cluster-adjusted Injury Rate Ratios (IRRs). Results Overall, 773 game injuries were recorded. The lower limb was the most frequent body region injured, accounting for 50% of injuries overall, 96 (12%) of which were knee injuries. The NMC players had a reduced LLI rate compared with control players (IRR: 0.78 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.08), p=0.14.) The knee IIR was also reduced for NMC compared with control players (IRR: 0.50 (95% CI 0.24 to 1.05), p=0.07). Conclusions These intention-to-treat results indicate that positive outcomes can be achieved from targeted training programmes for reducing knee and LLI injury rates in men's community sport. While not statistically significant, reducing the knee injury rate by 50% and the LLI rate by 22% is still a clinically important outcome. Further injury reductions could be achieved with improved training attendance and participation in the programme.

Priorities for injury prevention in women's Australian football : A compilation of national data from different sources

  • Authors: Fortington, Lauren , Finch, Caroline
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine Vol. 2, no. 1 (2016), p. e000101
  • Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/1058737
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  • Description: BACKGROUND/AIM: Participation in Australian football (AF) has traditionally been male dominated and current understanding of injury and priorities for prevention are based solely on reports of injuries in male players. There is evidence in other sports that indicates that injury types differ between males and females. With increasing participation in AF by females, it is important to consider their specific injury and prevention needs. This study aimed to provide a first injury profile from existing sources for female AF. METHODS: Compilation of injury data from four prospectively recorded data sets relating to female AF: (1) hospital admissions in Victoria, 2008/09-13/14, n=500 injuries; (2) emergency department (ED) presentations in Victoria, 2008/09-2012/13, n=1,879 injuries; (3) insurance claims across Australia 2004-2013, n=522 injuries; (4) West Australian Women's Football League (WAWFL), 2014 season club data, n=49 injuries. Descriptive results are presented as injury frequencies, injury types and injury to body parts. RESULTS: Hospital admissions and ED presentations were dominated by upper limb injuries, representing 47% and 51% of all injuries, respectively, primarily to the wrist/hand at 32% and 40%. Most (65%) insurance claim injuries involved the lower limb, 27% of which were for knee ligament damage. A high proportion of concussions (33%) were reported in the club-collected data. CONCLUSIONS: The results provide the first compilation of existing data sets of women's AF injuries and highlight the need for a rigorous and systematic injury surveillance system to be instituted.

Problem gambling and intimate partner violence : a systematic review and meta-analysis

  • Authors: Dowling, Nicki , Suomi, Aino , Jackson, Alun , Lavis, Tiffany , Thomas, Shane
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Trauma, Violence, and Abuse Vol. 17, no. 1 (2016), p. 43-61
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  • Description: This study provides a systematic review of the empirical evidence related to the association between problem gambling and intimate partner violence (IPV). We identified 14 available studies in the systematic search (8 for victimisation only, 4 for perpetration only and 2 for both victimisation and perpetration). Although there were some equivocal findings, we found that most of the available research suggests that there is a significant relationship between problem gambling and being a victim of IPV. There was more consistent evidence that there is a significant relationship between problem gambling and perpetration of IPV. Meta-analyses revealed that over one third of problem gamblers report being victims of physical IPV (38.1%) or perpetrators of physical IPV (36.5%) and that the prevalence of problem gambling in IPV perpetrators is 11.3%. Although the exact nature of the relationships between problem gambling and IPV is yet to be determined, the findings suggest that less than full employment and clinical anger problems are implicated in the relationship between problem gambling and IPV victimization and that younger age, less than full employment, clinical anger problems, impulsivity, and alcohol and substance use are implicated in the relationship between problem gambling and IPV perpetration. The findings highlight the need for treatment services to undertake routine screening and assessment of problem gambling, IPV, alcohol and substance use problems, and mental health issues and provide interventions designed to manage this cluster of comorbid conditions. Further research is also required to investigate the relationship between problem gambling and violence that extends into the family beyond intimate partners. © 2014, The Author(s) 2014. **Please note that there are multiple authors for this article therefore only the name of the first 5 including Federation University Australia affiliate “Shane Thomas” is provided in this record**

Progressive rebels of Boy's Own Adventure? The 1935 Australian Cricket tour of India; breaking down social and racial barriers

  • Authors: Ponsford, Megan
  • Date: 2016
  • Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
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  • Description: In October 1935, a touring party embarked on the inaugural tour of India by an Australian cricket team. To a great, and somewhat stereotypical, extent popular representations of IndianeAustralian relations are viewed through the lens of cricket – the national game in both countries. This dissertation about a significant, yet overlooked, chapter in sporting history examines the Australian cricketers’ response to the social, racial and political hierarchies of lateecolonial India. The experience of the touring party encouraged a reeimagining of ideological perspectives and this thesis identifies a uniquely Australian subjectivity to the British colonisation of India. The tour between the colony (India) and the dominion (Australia) can be interpreted as an antie imperial gesture. Both countries were attempting to forge relationships that would be independent from Britain. The role of cricket, itself experiencing a renaissance during the 1930s as it transformed from a largely amateur pursuit to an increasingly professional occupation is interrogated. As part of this transformation international cricket positioned itself as an increasingly politicised global entity within the broader turbulence of the firstehalf of the twentieth century. All those involved in the tour are now dead. However a close historical analysis of previously lost, highly personalised, primary material (letters, manuscripts, photographs and cricket ephemera) enables an interpretation of the players’ experience. This thesis argues that sporting events can be interpreted as cultural ciphers yet scholars and the wider sportsewriting community have neglected the historical significance of the 1935/36 tour. The unofficial status of the tour and its highly professional emphasis alienated it from the amateur ideals of Australian cricket. This transnational, multiedisciplinary approach addresses a lacunae in the professional trajectory of cricket. It also provides a new understanding and historical counter narrative of idetwentieth century IndianeAustralian sporting history and cultural exchange.
  • Description: Doctor of Philosophy