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A dispersed refuge model for women escaping domestic violence : A regional case study

  • Authors: McDonald, John , Green, Rosemary
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australian Journal of Primary Health Vol. 7, no. 1 (2001), p. 85-89
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  • Description: Refuges for women escaping domestic violence have traditionally been communal residences located in metropolitan areas. More recently, alternative service models have been funded to provide for clients with multiple and complex needs. This paper evaluates the first year of operation of an innovative refuge model for women and their children. "Marg's Place" is a statewide, high security, dispersed accommodation support model located in a regional setting. Evaluation methods included interviews, surveys, and analysis of client databases and program documents. Thirty-five women and 42 children used the service for an average stay of 20 days during the first 12 months. The main findings were that the dispersed model can cater for a wide range of service users, including those with multiple and complex needs, who would be unlikely to be successfully accommodated in a communal refuge. There was little evidence that the dispersed model contributes to feelings of isolation or loneliness for women or children. The regional setting presented both advantages and disadvantages for women wanting to resettle in the area. Women reported significantly enhanced levels of empowerment, and the high security provisions met their needs for safety. Overall, this refuge model provides an accessible, responsive and effective service.
  • Description: 2003004475

A phi-model solution for the inverse position problem of calibrated robots using virtual elementary motions

  • Authors: Sultan, Ibrahim , Wager, John
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Inverse Problems in Engineering Vol. 9, no. 3 (2001), p. 261-285
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  • Description: It is central to the control of manipulators to calculate the set/sets of joint-displacements which correspond to a given spatial pose (position and orientation) of the end-effector. This problem, which is referred to as the inverse position problem, represents one of the most difficult mathematical challenges in the field of robotics, particularly when performed for calibrated robots (or robots with general structures). In such cases, closed form solutions are too impractical to implement and iterative solutions suffer from numerical singularities. In the present work a procedure is introduced to obtain multiple inverse position solutions for serial robotic structures. For calibrated robots, the procedure involves a simple iterative technique designed to ensure fast convergence and eliminate the occurrence of singularity. However, inverse position solutions for spherical-wrist manipulators will be obtained in a straight-forward non-iterative fashion. A published kinematic notation, referred to as the phi -model, was used to develop the system equations.

A problem of modal control in a linear neutral system

A prospective study of injuries in basketball : A total profile and comparison by gender and standard of competition

  • Authors: McKay, Gaylene , Goldie, P. A. , Payne, Warren , Oakes, B. W. , Watson, L. F.
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 4, no. 2 (2001), p. 196-211
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  • Description: The study aimed to determine prospectively a basketball injury profile, including severity of injury, and to compare the injury profile by gender and standard of competition. Trained observers viewed basketball games, noting the occurrence of injuries, and confirmed injuries by questioning all players on site after the game. Injured players completed a questionnaire and the progress of their injury was monitored by telephone interview. A total of 10,393 basketball participations were observed. An overall injury rate was documented of 18.3 per 1,000 participations (24.7 per 1,000 playing hours), and was comparable by gender and standard of competition. Serious injuries (missing one or more weeks of play) occurred at a rate of 2.89/1,000 participations; with the ankle joint the most common serious injury (1.25/1,000 participations), followed by the calf/anterior leg (0.48/1,000 participations) and knee joint (0.29/1,000 participations). The severity of the injury was significantly associated with the body region injured, with more serious injuries incurred to the lower limb than other body regions (p <.05). The severity of the injury incurred was not related to the standard of competition, gender, age, height, number of games played per week, amount of training undertaken, type of injury, or the mechanism of injury (p> .05).
  • Description: 2003002666

A study of effects of municipal landfill leachate on a basaltic clay soil

  • Authors: Jayasekera, Samudra , Mohajerani, Abbas
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australian Geomechanics Journal Vol. 36, no. 3 (2001), p.
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  • Description: The performance of a landfill clay liner is generally evaluated using the hydraulic conductivity values obtained from laboratory tests during the design stage. Laboratory tests for the determination of hydraulic conductivity are frequently carried out either using water as the permeating liquid or some times using a chemical permeant to represent leachate. However, any investigations incorporating time as a variable in analysing the effects of leachate on various other soil properties that can influence the hydraulic conductivity are very limited. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of landfill leachate on the performance of a compacted basaltic clay soil, over a period of time. For this purpose, a typical Melbourne basaltic clay with varying percentages of montmorillonite clay was selected and a synthetic leachate was developed based on the composition of typical municipal waste landfill leachate reported in the literature. The clay -leachate interactions were allowed take place under controlled anaerobic laboratory conditions. Samples were then tested at different time periods to identify possible variations of engineering properties such as volume change, consistency and grain size distribution due to the effect ofleachate over time, since variation of these soil properties can affect the hydraulic conductivity of a clay soil. The analysis of test results suggests that the behaviour of a basaltic clay liner could be significantly affected by clay leachate interactions over time, due to possible alterations to physical and mineralogical properties of the clay.
  • Description: 2003004211

A technique for the independent-axis calibration of robot manipulators with experimental verification

  • Authors: Sultan, Ibrahim , Wager, John
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: International Journal of Computer Integrated Manufacturing Vol. 14, no. 5 (2001), p. 501-512
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  • Description: Accurate use of robots in an off-line programming mode is only possible through a proper calibration procedure. In this procedure, the end-effector is made to move along a set of known spatial poses where the positional errors are to be measured and employed in mathematical models. The models are subsequently solved for the manipulator dimensions (geometric parameters) using suitable regression techniques. Calibration is usually performed using either aggregate or independent-axis models. While the aggregate models result in all the system parameters being worked out simultaneously, the independent-axis models are meant to work out the geometric particulars of each joint-axis individually. In the present work, the independent-axis technique is used for the analysis with new mathematical models proposed to overcome the drawbacks of the existing methods. Moreover, the techniques employed here result in the prediction of transmission error functions and the modelling of the joint motion dependencies. This is a new concept in the field of robot calibration. Finally, the models proposed have been used to calibrate an ASEA IRB/L6 robot and the results are reported at the end of the paper.

Acute effects of static stretching, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation stretching, and maximum voluntary contractions on explosive force production and jumping performance

An algorithm for monotonic global optimization problems

  • Authors: Rubinov, Alex , Tuy, Hoang , Mays, Heather
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Optimization Vol. 49, no. 3 (2001), p. 205-221
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  • Description: We propose an algorithm to locate a global maximum of an increasing function subject to an increasing constraint on the cone of vectors with nonnegative coordinates. The algorithm is based on the outer approximation of the feasible set. We establish the convergence of the algorithm and provide a number of numerical experiments. We also discuss the types of constraints and objective functions for which the algorithm is best suited. © 2001 OPA (Overseas Publishers Association) N.V. Published by license under the Gordon and Breach Science Publishers imprint.

An eminent Victorian : James Oddie and his contribution to Ballarat

Ankle injuries in basketball : Injury rate and risk factors

  • Authors: McKay, Gaylene , Goldie, P. A. , Payne, Warren , Oakes, B. W.
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: British Journal of Sports Medicine Vol. 35, no. 2 (Apr 2001), p. 103-108
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  • Description: Objectives-To determine the rate of ankle injury and examine risk factors of ankle injuries in mainly recreational basketball players. Methods-Injury observers sat courtside to determine the occurrence of ankle injuries in basketball. Ankle injured players and a group of non-injured basketball players completed a questionnaire. Results-A total of 10 393 basketball participations were observed and 40 ankle injuries documented. A group of noninjured players formed the control group (n = 360). The rate of ankle injury was 3.85 per 1000 participations, with almost half (45.9%) missing one week or more of competition and the most common mechanism being landing (45%). Over half (56.8%) of the ankle injured basketball players did not seek professional treatment. Three risk factors for ankle injury were identified: (1) players with a history of ankle injury were almost five times more likely to sustain an ankle injury (odds ratio (OR) 4.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.95 to 12.48); (2) players wearing shoes with air cells in the heel were 4.3 times more likely to injure an ankle than those wearing shoes without air cells (OR 4.34, 95% CI 1.51 to 12.40); (3) players who did not stretch before the game were 2.6 times more likely to injure an ankle than players who did (OR 2.62, 95% CI 1.01 to 6.34). There was also a trend toward ankle tape decreasing the risk of ankle injury in players with a history of ankle injury (p = 0.06). Conclusions-Ankle injuries occurred at a rate of 3.85 per 1000 participations. The three identified risk factors, and landing, should all be considered when preventive strategies for ankle injuries in basketball are being formulated.
  • Description: 2003002663

Argumentation structures that integrate dialectical and non-dialectical reasoning

  • Authors: Stranieri, Andrew , Zeleznikow, John , Yearwood, John
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Knowledge Engineering Review Vol. 16, no. 4 (Dec 2001), p. 331-348
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  • Description: Argumentation concepts have been applied to numerous knowledge engineering endeavours in recent years. For example, a variety of logics have been developed to represent argumentation in the context of a dialectical situation such as a dialogue. In contrast to the dialectical approach, argumentation has also been used to structure knowledge. This can be seen as a non-dialectical approach. The Toulmin argument structure has often been used to structure knowledge non-dialectically yet most studies that apply the Toulmin structure do not use the original structure but vary one or more components. Variations to the Toulmin structure can be understood as different ways to integrate a dialectical perspective with a non-dialectical one. Drawing the dialectical/non-dialectical distinction enables the specification of a framework called the generic actual argument model that is expressly non-dialectical. The framework enables the development of knowledge-based systems that integrate a variety of inference procedures, combine information retrieval with reasoning and facilitate automated document drafting. Furthermore, the non-dialectical framework provides the foundation for simple dialectical models. Systems based on our approach have been developed in family law, refugee law, determining eligibility for government legal aid, copyright law and e-tourism.
  • Description: C1
  • Description: 2003002516

Attitudinal gender bias : Individual differences in implicit self-esteem and gender identity override gender differences in implicit same-sex favouring

Ballarat health consortium : A case study of influential factors in the development and maintenance of a health partnership

  • Authors: McDonald, John , Murphy, Angela , Payne, Warren
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Australian Journal of Primary Health Vol. 7, no. 2 (2001), p. 75-82
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  • Description: Intersectoral partnerships in health have a central role in current policy and programs. Partnerships are seen to be an effective strategy for maximising health outcomes. However, theoretical models of health partnerships are underdeveloped. Moreover, the research literature contains inconsistent findings about their effectiveness, and there has been very little evaluative research on health partnerships in this country. This paper reports on a case study of an intersectoral consortium using a health promotion approach to cardiovascular disease. A model of partnership formation and development is presented. From this, a research strategy was devised and carried out. Results indicate that the health consortium was formed inresponse to a critical health issue, and as a separate legal entity without recurrent funding, it has been sustained through the commitment of individual members. Project funding has, in large part, dictated its operations. The case study reveals the strengths, vulnnerabilities and achievements of this consortium over five years. To produce sustainable health outcomes, the researchers conclude, partnerships require strategic management to capitalise on individual endeavours, organisational alignments, and government or funder priorities. Ideological zeal for intersectoral health partnerships must be balanced by rigorous evaluation; together with more sophisticated indicators for measuring success in partnerships in health promotion. Theoretical development of models of health partnerships will also contribute to their enhanced effectiveness.
  • Description: 2003004325

Celebrating and commemorating nation and empire in Ballarat

Comparing levels of spiritual well-being in state, catholic and independent schools in Victoria, Australia

  • Authors: Fisher, John
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Beliefs & Values: Studies in Religion & Education Vol. 22, no. 1 (2001), p. 99-105
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  • Description: This article reports on a survey completed by Chaplains, Religious Education and Student Welfare Coordinators in State, Catholic and Independent schools in Victoria. Results from this survey support the model of spiritual well-being, which was seen to be reflected in the quality of relationships that people develop with themselves, others, the environment, and with a Transcendent Other. The staff surveyed generally reported positively on current practice and expressed high priorities for action in nurturing their students' spiritual well-being. School type contributed to significant differences in each of these four sets of relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Composition of pecan cultivars Wichita and Western Schley [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] grown in Australia

  • Authors: Wakeling, Lara , Mason, Richard , D'Arcy, Bruce , Caffin, Nola
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry Vol. 49, no. 3 (2001), p. 1277-1281
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  • Description: Pecans from the cultivars Wichita and Western Schley [Carya illinoinensis (Wangenh.) K. Koch] collected over three years were analyzed for the following constituents: total lipid content; fatty acid profiles; sucrose content; protein; total dietary fiber; the minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, sulfur, phosphorus, boron, copper, iron, manganese, sodium, zinc, and aluminum; vitamin C; and lipase and lipoxygenase activities. Year of harvest and cultivar had little effect on the composition of the pecans. Overall, protein content was the only constituent that differed between pecans grown in Australia and those grown in the United States. This difference is probably related to differences in growing location and horticultural practices between the two countries.

Computerized interaction simulation in the assessment of aggression-related response style and dispositions

Cortical association-limbic forebrain. constructed in imagery and procedural pain management in children

Development of the Workload Analysis Scale (WAS) for the assessment and rehabilitation services of Ballarat Health Services

  • Authors: Gathercole, Michael , DeMello, Lesley
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Social Work in Health Care Vol. 34, no. 1-2 (2001), p. 143-160
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  • Description: This study describes the development of the Workload Analysis Scale (WAS), designed to predict the likely workload involved for social workers working with clients in the assessment and rehabilitation areas of Ballarat Health Services (BHS). Such a scale would allow more equitable case allocation, flagging of difficult cases, better work prioritisation, training of new staff and tracking changes over time. Items for the scale were developed in consultation with workers. Initially the scale consisted of 33 items divided into five subscales, relating respectively to treatment factors, demographics, psychosocial complexity, planned interventions and variable staff factors. Eight staff members of BHS contributed to the completion of the scale for 111 clients seen over a four month period on the rehabilitation and assessment wards. Initial analysis of the data led to a modification of the scale and subsequent satisfactory measures of reliability and validity. © 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

Difference inclusions with delay of economic growth

  • Authors: Dzalilov, Zari , Ivanov, Anatoli , Rubinov, Alex
  • Date: 2001
  • Type: Text , Journal article
  • Relation: Dynamic Systems and Applications Vol. 10 , no. (2001), p. 283-293
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  • Description: A difference inclusion wit.h delay is proposed as a modified model of maeroe<.'onomical growth. The classical assumpt.ion of t.he homogeneity of the nonlinear feedback involved in the model implies t.he existence of a ray of equilibria. Any dynamics in the model is shown to be convergent. t.o either an equilibrium on the ray or to the zero equilibrium.
  • Description: C1
  • Description: 2003002561