Improving the engagement of Aboriginal families with maternal and child health services : a new model of care
- Austin, Catherine, Arabena, Kerry
- Authors: Austin, Catherine , Arabena, Kerry
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Public Health Research and Practice Vol. 31, no. 2 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: Access in the early years to integrated community-based services that are flexible in their approach, holistic and culturally strong is a proven critical predictor of a child's successful transition to school and lifelong education and employment outcomes, providing long-term wellbeing. Studies show that participation in maternal and child health (MCH) services in Victoria, Australia, improve health outcomes for children and families, particularly for Aboriginal families. Poorer health outcomes and lower participation rates for these families in MCH services suggest there is a need for an urgent review of the current service model. The purpose of this paper is to outline the Early Assessment Referral Links (EARL) concept that was trialled in the Glenelg Shire in Victoria, Australia (2009-2014) to improve the engagement of Aboriginal families in MCH services. Methods: Development of EARL involved the core principles of appreciative inquiry to change existing patterns of conversation and give voice to new and diverse perspectives. A broad cross-section of the Aboriginal community and their early years health service providers were consulted and stakeholders recruited. Regular meetings between these stakeholders, in consultation with the Aboriginal community, were held to identify families that weren't engaged in MCH services and also to identify families who required further assessment, intervention, referral and/or support, ideally from the preconception or antenatal periods. Outcome measures used to evaluate the EARL concept include stakeholder meetings data, numbers of referrals, and participation rates of women and children in MCH services. Results: Participation of Aboriginal women and children in MCH services was consistently above the state average during the pilot period, and significant numbers of Aboriginal women and children were referred to EARL stakeholders and other health professionals via EARL referrals. Additionally, there were increases in Aboriginal children being breastfed, fully immunised and attending Early Start Kindergarten. Identification of Aboriginal women and children at risk of vulnerability also improved with a dramatic increase in referrals for family violence and child protection, and decreased episodes of out-of-home care (OoHC) for children. Conclusions: Evaluation of pilot outcomes indicate that the EARL concept improved women and children's access to and engagement with MCH services, and identified more families at risk of vulnerability than the traditional MCH service model, particularly for Aboriginal women and children. © 2020 Austin and Arabena.
- Authors: Austin, Catherine , Arabena, Kerry
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Public Health Research and Practice Vol. 31, no. 2 (2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Objectives: Access in the early years to integrated community-based services that are flexible in their approach, holistic and culturally strong is a proven critical predictor of a child's successful transition to school and lifelong education and employment outcomes, providing long-term wellbeing. Studies show that participation in maternal and child health (MCH) services in Victoria, Australia, improve health outcomes for children and families, particularly for Aboriginal families. Poorer health outcomes and lower participation rates for these families in MCH services suggest there is a need for an urgent review of the current service model. The purpose of this paper is to outline the Early Assessment Referral Links (EARL) concept that was trialled in the Glenelg Shire in Victoria, Australia (2009-2014) to improve the engagement of Aboriginal families in MCH services. Methods: Development of EARL involved the core principles of appreciative inquiry to change existing patterns of conversation and give voice to new and diverse perspectives. A broad cross-section of the Aboriginal community and their early years health service providers were consulted and stakeholders recruited. Regular meetings between these stakeholders, in consultation with the Aboriginal community, were held to identify families that weren't engaged in MCH services and also to identify families who required further assessment, intervention, referral and/or support, ideally from the preconception or antenatal periods. Outcome measures used to evaluate the EARL concept include stakeholder meetings data, numbers of referrals, and participation rates of women and children in MCH services. Results: Participation of Aboriginal women and children in MCH services was consistently above the state average during the pilot period, and significant numbers of Aboriginal women and children were referred to EARL stakeholders and other health professionals via EARL referrals. Additionally, there were increases in Aboriginal children being breastfed, fully immunised and attending Early Start Kindergarten. Identification of Aboriginal women and children at risk of vulnerability also improved with a dramatic increase in referrals for family violence and child protection, and decreased episodes of out-of-home care (OoHC) for children. Conclusions: Evaluation of pilot outcomes indicate that the EARL concept improved women and children's access to and engagement with MCH services, and identified more families at risk of vulnerability than the traditional MCH service model, particularly for Aboriginal women and children. © 2020 Austin and Arabena.
Cosmopolitan or cultural dissonance? Middle-class encounters with the other
- Authors: Earl, Catherine
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 17th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) p. 1-15
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Authors: Earl, Catherine
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: 17th Biennial Conference of the Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) p. 1-15
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
The Older Worker : Identifying a critical research agenda
- Taylor, Philip, Loretto, Wendy, Marshall, Victor, Earl, Catherine, Phillipson, Christopher
- Authors: Taylor, Philip , Loretto, Wendy , Marshall, Victor , Earl, Catherine , Phillipson, Christopher
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Social Policy and Society Vol. 15, no. 4 (2016), p. 675-689
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The roles that older workers play in labour markets has received a great deal of policy and academic scrutiny in response to economic crises and demographic change. As a starting point, this focus has paradoxically resulted in insufficient attention to older workers themselves. The article is thus concerned with refocusing the agenda for research onto the older worker. Building on an extensive literature review, four gaps in knowledge are identified: who might be researched; what the focus of that research might be; the role of theory informing the research; and how the research might be conducted. The article identifies a particular need for research on 'work' as opposed to 'retirement' and how the changing nature of work may influence future patterns of later life labour market engagement and retirement. It is argued that better public policy will result from more critical and socially embedded research that recognises the heterogeneity of 'older workers' and their motivations. © Cambridge University Press 2016.
- Authors: Taylor, Philip , Loretto, Wendy , Marshall, Victor , Earl, Catherine , Phillipson, Christopher
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article , Review
- Relation: Social Policy and Society Vol. 15, no. 4 (2016), p. 675-689
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The roles that older workers play in labour markets has received a great deal of policy and academic scrutiny in response to economic crises and demographic change. As a starting point, this focus has paradoxically resulted in insufficient attention to older workers themselves. The article is thus concerned with refocusing the agenda for research onto the older worker. Building on an extensive literature review, four gaps in knowledge are identified: who might be researched; what the focus of that research might be; the role of theory informing the research; and how the research might be conducted. The article identifies a particular need for research on 'work' as opposed to 'retirement' and how the changing nature of work may influence future patterns of later life labour market engagement and retirement. It is argued that better public policy will result from more critical and socially embedded research that recognises the heterogeneity of 'older workers' and their motivations. © Cambridge University Press 2016.
Access and engagement of First Nations women in maternal and child health services
- Authors: Austin, Catherine
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis explores and describes the engagement of First Nations women, with children from birth to five years of age, with Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services in Victoria, Australia. Identification of the factors that facilitate, support or hinder these women’s engagement with MCH services could strengthen the model of care to effectively engage First Nations women with these services. Access in the early years of a child’s life to integrated, effective, community-based services is a well-established predictor of a child’s successful transition to school and their lifelong education and employment outcomes. Such access is crucial in a child’s first 2,000 days (the period from conception to the child’s fifth year), which forms the foundation for a child’s lifetime development and health. Prior evaluative studies have shown that participation in MCH services in Victoria improves the health outcomes for children and families, particularly First Nations families. However, First Nations women and their children in Victoria show poorer health outcomes and lower participation in MCH services compared to non-Indigenous persons; this suggests a need to improve the current Victorian MCH service model. This thesis contributes recommendations for such improvements. The literature review (Chapter 2) identified the absence of a synthesis of qualitative studies of models of care to help guide MCH practice and innovation for all families, especially those at risk of child abuse and neglect. To address this gap, a three-phase qualitative study was conducted in the Glenelg Shire, Victoria, Australia, using narrative inquiry integrated with the Indigenous philosophy ‘Dadirri’. ‘Dadirri’, which emphasises deep and respectful listening, guided the development of the research design; this methodology assisted in understanding Indigenous culture and its sensitivities, building trust with the First Nations peoples involved in the studies, developing open-ended and conversational dialogue, and building respectful relationships. This method enabled First Nations women’s voices to be heard and the collection of rich data based on participants’ perspectives of and experiences with MCH services in Victoria. Study One (Chapter 4) recruited First Nations women residing in the Glenelg Shire, with at least one child aged birth to five years, to explore their perceptions and experiences of MCH services and barriers to accessing and engaging with MCH services. Study Two (Chapter 5) compared Study One data with accounts from MCH nurses working in Glenelg Shire. Study Three (Chapter 6) reviewed a piloting of the Early Assessment Referral Links (EARL) concept (developed by the researcher) that aims to improve First Nations women and their children’s access to and engagement with MCH services. EARL involved the core principles of narrative inquiry integrated with ‘Dadirri’. Study One and Two found that enabling factors for access and engagement include interventions that are culturally sensitive and effective; recognise the social determinates of health (SDOH) and social and emotional wellbeing; are timely, appropriate, culturally strong, flexible, holistic and community-based; support continuity of care and communication; and encourage early identification of risk, particularly of family violence (FV), and further assessment, intervention, referral and support in the child’s first 2,000 days. Barriers to access and engagement include an ineffective service model built on mistrust, poor communication due to cultural differences between client and provider (particularly around identification and disclosure of woman’s risk of FV), lack of continuity of care between services, limited flexibility of service delivery to suit individual needs, and a service model that does not recognise the importance of the SDOH and social and emotional wellbeing. Study Three results showed that participation of First Nations families in MCH services was consistently above the state average during the pilot period, and several First Nations families were referred to EARL stakeholders and other health professionals during the pilot. Further, there were increases in First Nations children being breastfed, fully immunised and attending Early Start Kindergarten, and identification of First Nations children at risk of abuse or neglect improved (with a significant increase in referrals for FV and child protection and significant decrease in episodes of out-of-home care). This thesis’s findings can support policy development. This research shows that timely, effective, holistic engagement with First Nations women in their child’s first 2,000 days, that respects their culture and facilitates genuine partnerships built on co-design and shared decision-making with the Indigenous community, needs to be an essential part of the MCH service model. Additionally, this thesis recommends adopting a strengths-based approach that respects First Nations peoples’ child-rearing practices and culture, and providing necessary training to MCH nurses who work with First Nations families. Keywords: child family health, continuity of care, First Nations women
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Austin, Catherine
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis explores and describes the engagement of First Nations women, with children from birth to five years of age, with Maternal and Child Health (MCH) services in Victoria, Australia. Identification of the factors that facilitate, support or hinder these women’s engagement with MCH services could strengthen the model of care to effectively engage First Nations women with these services. Access in the early years of a child’s life to integrated, effective, community-based services is a well-established predictor of a child’s successful transition to school and their lifelong education and employment outcomes. Such access is crucial in a child’s first 2,000 days (the period from conception to the child’s fifth year), which forms the foundation for a child’s lifetime development and health. Prior evaluative studies have shown that participation in MCH services in Victoria improves the health outcomes for children and families, particularly First Nations families. However, First Nations women and their children in Victoria show poorer health outcomes and lower participation in MCH services compared to non-Indigenous persons; this suggests a need to improve the current Victorian MCH service model. This thesis contributes recommendations for such improvements. The literature review (Chapter 2) identified the absence of a synthesis of qualitative studies of models of care to help guide MCH practice and innovation for all families, especially those at risk of child abuse and neglect. To address this gap, a three-phase qualitative study was conducted in the Glenelg Shire, Victoria, Australia, using narrative inquiry integrated with the Indigenous philosophy ‘Dadirri’. ‘Dadirri’, which emphasises deep and respectful listening, guided the development of the research design; this methodology assisted in understanding Indigenous culture and its sensitivities, building trust with the First Nations peoples involved in the studies, developing open-ended and conversational dialogue, and building respectful relationships. This method enabled First Nations women’s voices to be heard and the collection of rich data based on participants’ perspectives of and experiences with MCH services in Victoria. Study One (Chapter 4) recruited First Nations women residing in the Glenelg Shire, with at least one child aged birth to five years, to explore their perceptions and experiences of MCH services and barriers to accessing and engaging with MCH services. Study Two (Chapter 5) compared Study One data with accounts from MCH nurses working in Glenelg Shire. Study Three (Chapter 6) reviewed a piloting of the Early Assessment Referral Links (EARL) concept (developed by the researcher) that aims to improve First Nations women and their children’s access to and engagement with MCH services. EARL involved the core principles of narrative inquiry integrated with ‘Dadirri’. Study One and Two found that enabling factors for access and engagement include interventions that are culturally sensitive and effective; recognise the social determinates of health (SDOH) and social and emotional wellbeing; are timely, appropriate, culturally strong, flexible, holistic and community-based; support continuity of care and communication; and encourage early identification of risk, particularly of family violence (FV), and further assessment, intervention, referral and support in the child’s first 2,000 days. Barriers to access and engagement include an ineffective service model built on mistrust, poor communication due to cultural differences between client and provider (particularly around identification and disclosure of woman’s risk of FV), lack of continuity of care between services, limited flexibility of service delivery to suit individual needs, and a service model that does not recognise the importance of the SDOH and social and emotional wellbeing. Study Three results showed that participation of First Nations families in MCH services was consistently above the state average during the pilot period, and several First Nations families were referred to EARL stakeholders and other health professionals during the pilot. Further, there were increases in First Nations children being breastfed, fully immunised and attending Early Start Kindergarten, and identification of First Nations children at risk of abuse or neglect improved (with a significant increase in referrals for FV and child protection and significant decrease in episodes of out-of-home care). This thesis’s findings can support policy development. This research shows that timely, effective, holistic engagement with First Nations women in their child’s first 2,000 days, that respects their culture and facilitates genuine partnerships built on co-design and shared decision-making with the Indigenous community, needs to be an essential part of the MCH service model. Additionally, this thesis recommends adopting a strengths-based approach that respects First Nations peoples’ child-rearing practices and culture, and providing necessary training to MCH nurses who work with First Nations families. Keywords: child family health, continuity of care, First Nations women
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Cathy Laudenbach: Please be careful
- Authors: Forbes, Rodney
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Visual art work
- Full Text:
- Authors: Forbes, Rodney
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Visual art work
- Full Text:
- Authors: Mestrom, Sanne
- Date: 2012
- Type: Text , Visual art work
- Full Text:
Soil moisture, organic carbon, and nitrogen content prediction with hyperspectral data using regression models
- Datta, Dristi, Paul, Manoranjan, Murshed, Manzur, Teng, Shyh Wei, Schmidtke, Leigh
- Authors: Datta, Dristi , Paul, Manoranjan , Murshed, Manzur , Teng, Shyh Wei , Schmidtke, Leigh
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22, no. 20 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Soil moisture, soil organic carbon, and nitrogen content prediction are considered significant fields of study as they are directly related to plant health and food production. Direct estimation of these soil properties with traditional methods, for example, the oven-drying technique and chemical analysis, is a time and resource-consuming approach and can predict only smaller areas. With the significant development of remote sensing and hyperspectral (HS) imaging technologies, soil moisture, carbon, and nitrogen can be estimated over vast areas. This paper presents a generalized approach to predicting three different essential soil contents using a comprehensive study of various machine learning (ML) models by considering the dimensional reduction in feature spaces. In this study, we have used three popular benchmark HS datasets captured in Germany and Sweden. The efficacy of different ML algorithms is evaluated to predict soil content, and significant improvement is obtained when a specific range of bands is selected. The performance of ML models is further improved by applying principal component analysis (PCA), a dimensional reduction method that works with an unsupervised learning method. The effect of soil temperature on soil moisture prediction is evaluated in this study, and the results show that when the soil temperature is considered with the HS band, the soil moisture prediction accuracy does not improve. However, the combined effect of band selection and feature transformation using PCA significantly enhances the prediction accuracy for soil moisture, carbon, and nitrogen content. This study represents a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of established ML regression models using data preprocessing, effective band selection, and data dimension reduction and attempt to understand which feature combinations provide the best accuracy. The outcomes of several ML models are verified with validation techniques and the best- and worst-case scenarios in terms of soil content are noted. The proposed approach outperforms existing estimation techniques.
- Authors: Datta, Dristi , Paul, Manoranjan , Murshed, Manzur , Teng, Shyh Wei , Schmidtke, Leigh
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 22, no. 20 (2022), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Soil moisture, soil organic carbon, and nitrogen content prediction are considered significant fields of study as they are directly related to plant health and food production. Direct estimation of these soil properties with traditional methods, for example, the oven-drying technique and chemical analysis, is a time and resource-consuming approach and can predict only smaller areas. With the significant development of remote sensing and hyperspectral (HS) imaging technologies, soil moisture, carbon, and nitrogen can be estimated over vast areas. This paper presents a generalized approach to predicting three different essential soil contents using a comprehensive study of various machine learning (ML) models by considering the dimensional reduction in feature spaces. In this study, we have used three popular benchmark HS datasets captured in Germany and Sweden. The efficacy of different ML algorithms is evaluated to predict soil content, and significant improvement is obtained when a specific range of bands is selected. The performance of ML models is further improved by applying principal component analysis (PCA), a dimensional reduction method that works with an unsupervised learning method. The effect of soil temperature on soil moisture prediction is evaluated in this study, and the results show that when the soil temperature is considered with the HS band, the soil moisture prediction accuracy does not improve. However, the combined effect of band selection and feature transformation using PCA significantly enhances the prediction accuracy for soil moisture, carbon, and nitrogen content. This study represents a comprehensive analysis of a wide range of established ML regression models using data preprocessing, effective band selection, and data dimension reduction and attempt to understand which feature combinations provide the best accuracy. The outcomes of several ML models are verified with validation techniques and the best- and worst-case scenarios in terms of soil content are noted. The proposed approach outperforms existing estimation techniques.
The intellectual life of Catherine Helen Spence
- Authors: McFarland, Michele
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis will argue that Catherine Helen Spence, a writer, preacher and reformer who migrated from Scotland to Australia in 1839, performed the role of a public intellectual in Australia similar to that played by a number of women of letters in Victorian England. While her ideas were strongly influenced by important British and European nineteenth-century intellectual figures and movements, as well as by Enlightenment thought, her work also reflects the different socio-political, historical and cultural environment of Australia. These connections and influences can be seen in her engagement with what were some of the "big ideas" of the nineteenth century, including feminism, socialism, religious scepticism, utopianism and the value of progress. In arguing that Spence was a public intellectual, I will consider the ways in which she used the literary genres of fiction and journalism, as well as her sermons, to try to help her fellow citizens make sense of the world, attempting to organise and articulate some of the significant ideas affecting the political, social and cultural climates in which they lived. Through the exploration of Spence's intellectual work, I will show how she can be regarded as making a significant contribution to nineteenth-century Australian intellectual life, one that has been under-recognised and under-valued.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: McFarland, Michele
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: This thesis will argue that Catherine Helen Spence, a writer, preacher and reformer who migrated from Scotland to Australia in 1839, performed the role of a public intellectual in Australia similar to that played by a number of women of letters in Victorian England. While her ideas were strongly influenced by important British and European nineteenth-century intellectual figures and movements, as well as by Enlightenment thought, her work also reflects the different socio-political, historical and cultural environment of Australia. These connections and influences can be seen in her engagement with what were some of the "big ideas" of the nineteenth century, including feminism, socialism, religious scepticism, utopianism and the value of progress. In arguing that Spence was a public intellectual, I will consider the ways in which she used the literary genres of fiction and journalism, as well as her sermons, to try to help her fellow citizens make sense of the world, attempting to organise and articulate some of the significant ideas affecting the political, social and cultural climates in which they lived. Through the exploration of Spence's intellectual work, I will show how she can be regarded as making a significant contribution to nineteenth-century Australian intellectual life, one that has been under-recognised and under-valued.
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Atkins, Rosalind
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Visual art work
- Full Text:
FOMO : The fear of missing out
- Authors: Ives, Bryce
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Visual art work
- Full Text:
- Authors: Ives, Bryce
- Date: 2014
- Type: Text , Visual art work
- Full Text:
Efficient data gathering in 3D linear underwater wireless sensor networks using sink mobility
- Akbar, Mariam, Javaid, Nadeem, Khan, Ayesha, Imran, Muhammad, Shoaib, Muhammad, Vasilakos, Athanasios
- Authors: Akbar, Mariam , Javaid, Nadeem , Khan, Ayesha , Imran, Muhammad , Shoaib, Muhammad , Vasilakos, Athanasios
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sensors (Switzerland) Vol. 16, no. 3 (2016), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Due to the unpleasant and unpredictable underwater environment, designing an energy-efficient routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) demands more accuracy and extra computations. In the proposed scheme, we introduce a mobile sink (MS), i.e., an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), and also courier nodes (CNs), to minimize the energy consumption of nodes. MS and CNs stop at specific stops for data gathering; later on, CNs forward the received data to the MS for further transmission. By the mobility of CNs and MS, the overall energy consumption of nodes is minimized. We perform simulations to investigate the performance of the proposed scheme and compare it to preexisting techniques. Simulation results are compared in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss, transmission loss and packet drop ratio. The results show that the proposed technique performs better in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss and scalability. © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
- Authors: Akbar, Mariam , Javaid, Nadeem , Khan, Ayesha , Imran, Muhammad , Shoaib, Muhammad , Vasilakos, Athanasios
- Date: 2016
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Sensors (Switzerland) Vol. 16, no. 3 (2016), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Due to the unpleasant and unpredictable underwater environment, designing an energy-efficient routing protocol for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) demands more accuracy and extra computations. In the proposed scheme, we introduce a mobile sink (MS), i.e., an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV), and also courier nodes (CNs), to minimize the energy consumption of nodes. MS and CNs stop at specific stops for data gathering; later on, CNs forward the received data to the MS for further transmission. By the mobility of CNs and MS, the overall energy consumption of nodes is minimized. We perform simulations to investigate the performance of the proposed scheme and compare it to preexisting techniques. Simulation results are compared in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss, transmission loss and packet drop ratio. The results show that the proposed technique performs better in terms of network lifetime, throughput, path loss and scalability. © 2016 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
The impact of social determinants of health of Australian Indigenous women on access and engagement in maternal child health services
- Authors: Austin, Catherine
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 79, no. 5 (2023), p. 1815-1829
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aims: To explore the impact of social determinants of health and health outcomes of Australian Indigenous women on their access and engagement in maternal child health services. Design: A qualitative study, guided by the methodological principles of narrative inquiry integrated with the Indigenous philosophy ‘Dadirri’, and thematic analysis of the data. Methods: Interviews of 35 Aboriginal mothers with children aged birth to 5 years in December 2021, to explore factors that influence their access and engagement in maternal child health services. Results: Enabling factors that influence access and engagement of Indigenous women in maternal child health services include service models or interventions that are culturally sensitive and effective. Models that recognize the social determinants of health and well-being, are timely, appropriate, culturally strong, flexible, holistic and effective community-based services that support continuity of care and communication and encourage earlier identification of risk and further assessment, intervention, referral and support from the antenatal period to the child's fifth birthday (the first 2000 days), also support access and engagement. Barriers to access and engagement include an ineffective service model built on mistrust and poor communication from cultural differences between client and provider, a lack of continuity of care between services, limited flexibility of service delivery to suit individual needs and a healthcare model that does not recognize the importance of the social determinants of health and well-being. Conclusion: Nurses' understanding of Indigenous culture, and the impact of the social determinants of health and health outcomes on the well-being of Indigenous women, is critical to improve their access and engagement in maternal child health services. Impact: The findings of this research support the benefit of models or interventions that recognize the interactions and effects of the social determinants of health and health outcomes of Indigenous women and their healthcare access. Patient or Public Contribution: Data from Indigenous mothers residing in the Glenelg Shire with at least one child aged birth to 5 years were collected through face-to-face, in-depth semi-structured discussion (‘yarning’) at the Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service and the Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation Aboriginal and Community Controlled Health Organizations (ACCHO's) in December 2021, co-facilitated by key staff from the ACCHO's. To ensure cultural safety and an Indigenous lens to the research, consultation with traditional owners residing in the Glenelg Shire was sourced to assist with the development of the research guide and to develop interview questions. A panel of experts was then consulted to clarify the relevance and clarity of each question/discussion prompt on the indicative interview schedule and establish face validity. The panel of experts comprised of the research project team, an experienced Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurse researcher and key representatives from the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization (VACCHO) and the ACCHO sites. A small number of the target group, independent of the research, piloted the questions. Any valid suggestions from the expert panel and pilot testing were incorporated into the interview schedule design and clarifications were made to the questions/prompts where appropriate. Following full approval of the research, the Chief Executive Officers (CEO's) of the two ACCHO's were provided with an overview of the project and timeframes, and an Indigenous employee within each ACCHO was appointed by the CEO as a ‘site coordinator’ to act as the chief point of contact with the project team and assist with recruitment of discussion participants. Women who met the inclusion criteria were then invited to participate in the research. To ensure procedural and interpretative rigour, and to gain a deeper, comprehensive insight and understanding of First Nation women's access and engage ent in MCH Services, the ACCHO Site Coordinators, key staff from VACCHO and an Indigenous academic consultant with research experience interviewing Indigenous mothers in ‘the first 1000 days’ of their child's life, also participated in the analysis of the data. © 2022 The Author. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Authors: Austin, Catherine
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 79, no. 5 (2023), p. 1815-1829
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aims: To explore the impact of social determinants of health and health outcomes of Australian Indigenous women on their access and engagement in maternal child health services. Design: A qualitative study, guided by the methodological principles of narrative inquiry integrated with the Indigenous philosophy ‘Dadirri’, and thematic analysis of the data. Methods: Interviews of 35 Aboriginal mothers with children aged birth to 5 years in December 2021, to explore factors that influence their access and engagement in maternal child health services. Results: Enabling factors that influence access and engagement of Indigenous women in maternal child health services include service models or interventions that are culturally sensitive and effective. Models that recognize the social determinants of health and well-being, are timely, appropriate, culturally strong, flexible, holistic and effective community-based services that support continuity of care and communication and encourage earlier identification of risk and further assessment, intervention, referral and support from the antenatal period to the child's fifth birthday (the first 2000 days), also support access and engagement. Barriers to access and engagement include an ineffective service model built on mistrust and poor communication from cultural differences between client and provider, a lack of continuity of care between services, limited flexibility of service delivery to suit individual needs and a healthcare model that does not recognize the importance of the social determinants of health and well-being. Conclusion: Nurses' understanding of Indigenous culture, and the impact of the social determinants of health and health outcomes on the well-being of Indigenous women, is critical to improve their access and engagement in maternal child health services. Impact: The findings of this research support the benefit of models or interventions that recognize the interactions and effects of the social determinants of health and health outcomes of Indigenous women and their healthcare access. Patient or Public Contribution: Data from Indigenous mothers residing in the Glenelg Shire with at least one child aged birth to 5 years were collected through face-to-face, in-depth semi-structured discussion (‘yarning’) at the Dhauwurd Wurrung Elderly and Community Health Service and the Winda-Mara Aboriginal Corporation Aboriginal and Community Controlled Health Organizations (ACCHO's) in December 2021, co-facilitated by key staff from the ACCHO's. To ensure cultural safety and an Indigenous lens to the research, consultation with traditional owners residing in the Glenelg Shire was sourced to assist with the development of the research guide and to develop interview questions. A panel of experts was then consulted to clarify the relevance and clarity of each question/discussion prompt on the indicative interview schedule and establish face validity. The panel of experts comprised of the research project team, an experienced Maternal and Child Health (MCH) nurse researcher and key representatives from the Victorian Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organization (VACCHO) and the ACCHO sites. A small number of the target group, independent of the research, piloted the questions. Any valid suggestions from the expert panel and pilot testing were incorporated into the interview schedule design and clarifications were made to the questions/prompts where appropriate. Following full approval of the research, the Chief Executive Officers (CEO's) of the two ACCHO's were provided with an overview of the project and timeframes, and an Indigenous employee within each ACCHO was appointed by the CEO as a ‘site coordinator’ to act as the chief point of contact with the project team and assist with recruitment of discussion participants. Women who met the inclusion criteria were then invited to participate in the research. To ensure procedural and interpretative rigour, and to gain a deeper, comprehensive insight and understanding of First Nation women's access and engage ent in MCH Services, the ACCHO Site Coordinators, key staff from VACCHO and an Indigenous academic consultant with research experience interviewing Indigenous mothers in ‘the first 1000 days’ of their child's life, also participated in the analysis of the data. © 2022 The Author. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Conical averagedness and convergence analysis of fixed point algorithms
- Bartz, Sedi, Dao, Minh, Phan, Hung
- Authors: Bartz, Sedi , Dao, Minh , Phan, Hung
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Global Optimization Vol. 82, no. 2 (2022), p. 351-373
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: We study a conical extension of averaged nonexpansive operators and the role it plays in convergence analysis of fixed point algorithms. Various properties of conically averaged operators are systematically investigated, in particular, the stability under relaxations, convex combinations and compositions. We derive conical averagedness properties of resolvents of generalized monotone operators. These properties are then utilized in order to analyze the convergence of the proximal point algorithm, the forward–backward algorithm, and the adaptive Douglas–Rachford algorithm. Our study unifies, improves and casts new light on recent studies of these topics. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
- Authors: Bartz, Sedi , Dao, Minh , Phan, Hung
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Global Optimization Vol. 82, no. 2 (2022), p. 351-373
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: We study a conical extension of averaged nonexpansive operators and the role it plays in convergence analysis of fixed point algorithms. Various properties of conically averaged operators are systematically investigated, in particular, the stability under relaxations, convex combinations and compositions. We derive conical averagedness properties of resolvents of generalized monotone operators. These properties are then utilized in order to analyze the convergence of the proximal point algorithm, the forward–backward algorithm, and the adaptive Douglas–Rachford algorithm. Our study unifies, improves and casts new light on recent studies of these topics. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.
Magic and antimagic labeling of graphs
- Authors: Sugeng, Kiki Ariyanti
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: "A bijection mapping that assigns natural numbers to vertices and/or edges of a graph is called a labeling. In this thesis, we consider graph labelings that have weights associated with each edge and/or vertex. If all the vertex weights (respectively, edge weights) have the same value then the labeling is called magic. If the weight is different for every vertex (respectively, every edge) then we called the labeling antimagic. In this thesis we introduce some variations of magic and antimagic labelings and discuss their properties and provide corresponding labeling schemes. There are two main parts in this thesis. One main part is on vertex labeling and the other main part is on edge labeling."
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
- Authors: Sugeng, Kiki Ariyanti
- Date: 2005
- Type: Text , Thesis , PhD
- Full Text:
- Description: "A bijection mapping that assigns natural numbers to vertices and/or edges of a graph is called a labeling. In this thesis, we consider graph labelings that have weights associated with each edge and/or vertex. If all the vertex weights (respectively, edge weights) have the same value then the labeling is called magic. If the weight is different for every vertex (respectively, every edge) then we called the labeling antimagic. In this thesis we introduce some variations of magic and antimagic labelings and discuss their properties and provide corresponding labeling schemes. There are two main parts in this thesis. One main part is on vertex labeling and the other main part is on edge labeling."
- Description: Doctor of Philosophy
Contextual factors influencing patients' experiences of acute deterioration and medical emergency team (MET) encounter : a grounded theory study
- Chung, Catherine, McKenna, Lisa, Cooper, Simon
- Authors: Chung, Catherine , McKenna, Lisa , Cooper, Simon
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 78, no. 12 (2022), p. 4062-4070
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aim: This paper explores the personal, social and structural factors that influence patients' experiences of acute deterioration and medical emergency team (MET) encounter. Background: Patient experience is recognized as a means of assessing healthcare delivery with a positive experience being linked to high-quality healthcare, improved patient safety and reduced length of stay. The experience of acute deterioration is unique, extensive and complex. However, little is known about this experience from the patient's perspective. Design: Constructivist grounded theory, informed by Kathy Charmaz, was used to explore the personal, social and structural factors that influence patients' experiences of acute deterioration and MET encounter. Methods: Using a semi-structured interview guide, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 27 patients from three healthcare services in Victoria, Australia. Data were collected over a 12-month period from 2018 to 2019. Interview data were analysed using grounded theory processes. Findings: Contextual factors exert a powerful influence on patients' experiences of acute deterioration and MET encounter. The most significant factors identified include patients' expectations and illness perception, relationship with healthcare professionals during MET call and past experiences of acute illness. The expectations and perceptions patients had about their disease can condition their overall experience. Healthcare professional–patient interactions can significantly impact quality of care, patient experience and recovery. Patients' experiences of illness and healthcare can impact a person's future health-seeking behaviour and health status. Conclusion: Patients' actions and processes about their experiences of acute deterioration and MET encounter are the result of the complex interface of contextual factors. Impact: The findings from this study have highlighted the need for revised protocols for screening and management of patients who experience acute deterioration. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
- Authors: Chung, Catherine , McKenna, Lisa , Cooper, Simon
- Date: 2022
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Advanced Nursing Vol. 78, no. 12 (2022), p. 4062-4070
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Aim: This paper explores the personal, social and structural factors that influence patients' experiences of acute deterioration and medical emergency team (MET) encounter. Background: Patient experience is recognized as a means of assessing healthcare delivery with a positive experience being linked to high-quality healthcare, improved patient safety and reduced length of stay. The experience of acute deterioration is unique, extensive and complex. However, little is known about this experience from the patient's perspective. Design: Constructivist grounded theory, informed by Kathy Charmaz, was used to explore the personal, social and structural factors that influence patients' experiences of acute deterioration and MET encounter. Methods: Using a semi-structured interview guide, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with 27 patients from three healthcare services in Victoria, Australia. Data were collected over a 12-month period from 2018 to 2019. Interview data were analysed using grounded theory processes. Findings: Contextual factors exert a powerful influence on patients' experiences of acute deterioration and MET encounter. The most significant factors identified include patients' expectations and illness perception, relationship with healthcare professionals during MET call and past experiences of acute illness. The expectations and perceptions patients had about their disease can condition their overall experience. Healthcare professional–patient interactions can significantly impact quality of care, patient experience and recovery. Patients' experiences of illness and healthcare can impact a person's future health-seeking behaviour and health status. Conclusion: Patients' actions and processes about their experiences of acute deterioration and MET encounter are the result of the complex interface of contextual factors. Impact: The findings from this study have highlighted the need for revised protocols for screening and management of patients who experience acute deterioration. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Small firms & e-business uptake : Embracing an incremental learning approach
- Braun, Patrice, Harman, Jessie
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Harman, Jessie
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 17th Annual Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference, Brisbane : 26 - 27th September, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: To date, most research into the implications of the Internet for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) has focused on individual business barriers to information and communication technologies (ICT) and e-business adoption. Such research has shown that SMEs tend to be time and resource-poor, with their size being their main disadvantage vis-à-vis ICT adoption. Government intervention designed to overcome such barriers and facilitate adoption of ICT has not markedly increased the uptake of e-business by SMEs. In this discussion paper, the authors posit that the current approach to ICT adoption interventions fail to take into account the incremental nature of the SMEs e-business learning processes. An incremental learning model adapted from Earl (2000) is presented that positions ICT adoption as an evolutionary process and stresses the need for continuous learning and change. To help small business owners articulate, value and meet their evolving e-business needs, the authors suggest that ICT adoption strategies should focus on facilitating not only the acquisition of skills and knowledge, but also the development of e-business networks which underpin the SME ICT adoption process.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000795
- Authors: Braun, Patrice , Harman, Jessie
- Date: 2004
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at the 17th Annual Small Enterprise Association of Australia and New Zealand Conference, Brisbane : 26 - 27th September, 2004
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: To date, most research into the implications of the Internet for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) has focused on individual business barriers to information and communication technologies (ICT) and e-business adoption. Such research has shown that SMEs tend to be time and resource-poor, with their size being their main disadvantage vis-à-vis ICT adoption. Government intervention designed to overcome such barriers and facilitate adoption of ICT has not markedly increased the uptake of e-business by SMEs. In this discussion paper, the authors posit that the current approach to ICT adoption interventions fail to take into account the incremental nature of the SMEs e-business learning processes. An incremental learning model adapted from Earl (2000) is presented that positions ICT adoption as an evolutionary process and stresses the need for continuous learning and change. To help small business owners articulate, value and meet their evolving e-business needs, the authors suggest that ICT adoption strategies should focus on facilitating not only the acquisition of skills and knowledge, but also the development of e-business networks which underpin the SME ICT adoption process.
- Description: E1
- Description: 2003000795
An effective simulated annealing refined replica exchange Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm for the infectious disease model of H1N1 influenza pandemic
- Authors: Zhang, Jiapu
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: World Journal of Modelling and Simulation Vol. 7, no. 1 (2011), p. 29-39
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper is concerned with a computational algorithm for fitting a deterministic MSEIRS (immune-susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-susceptible) epidemic model for the transmission of influenza (H1N1) to mortality data. The model-fitting is carried out using a simulated annealing refined replica exchange Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. The effectiveness of the algorithm is illustrated using the triple wave data from five English towns collected during the 1918 ~ 1919 influenza pandemic. Numerical results show that the replica exchange (refined by simulated annealing) sampling technique is superior to other existing sampling techniques such as the Gibbs sampling technique, the Metropolis-Hastings sampling technique, the Multiple-try Metropolis technique for the Markov chain Monte Carlo computation. The algorithm presented in this paper has great promise to be used for carrying out some numerical computations of the current complex 2009 ∼ 2010 influenza pandemic.
- Authors: Zhang, Jiapu
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: World Journal of Modelling and Simulation Vol. 7, no. 1 (2011), p. 29-39
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: This paper is concerned with a computational algorithm for fitting a deterministic MSEIRS (immune-susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered-susceptible) epidemic model for the transmission of influenza (H1N1) to mortality data. The model-fitting is carried out using a simulated annealing refined replica exchange Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithm. The effectiveness of the algorithm is illustrated using the triple wave data from five English towns collected during the 1918 ~ 1919 influenza pandemic. Numerical results show that the replica exchange (refined by simulated annealing) sampling technique is superior to other existing sampling techniques such as the Gibbs sampling technique, the Metropolis-Hastings sampling technique, the Multiple-try Metropolis technique for the Markov chain Monte Carlo computation. The algorithm presented in this paper has great promise to be used for carrying out some numerical computations of the current complex 2009 ∼ 2010 influenza pandemic.
Virtual SME networks : Pathways towards online collaboration
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: New Business Ideas and Trends Vol. 1, no. 2 (2003), p. 10-20
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Internet and portability of technologies are changing the way we are doing business. Electronic business and commerce (e-commerce) platforms purportedly provide companies of all sizes with opportunities for economies of scale, process efficiencies and mechanisms for electronic advertising, retailing, trading and transaction. Australian small and medium size enterprises (SME) have, however, been reluctant to embrace information and communication technologies (ICT) and e-commerce because they fail to see the value of such tools. While SME are still coming to terms with core ICT adoption and strategic e-commerce directions, individual SME connectivity and e-commerce adoption inertia has been upstaged by collaborative network trends. Competitive advantage is becoming embedded in collaboration, networking and (virtual) clustering. This paper discusses the pathways towards online collaboration that address both industry or network needs and the capabilities, needs and attitudes of individual SME.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000610
- Authors: Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2003
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: New Business Ideas and Trends Vol. 1, no. 2 (2003), p. 10-20
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Internet and portability of technologies are changing the way we are doing business. Electronic business and commerce (e-commerce) platforms purportedly provide companies of all sizes with opportunities for economies of scale, process efficiencies and mechanisms for electronic advertising, retailing, trading and transaction. Australian small and medium size enterprises (SME) have, however, been reluctant to embrace information and communication technologies (ICT) and e-commerce because they fail to see the value of such tools. While SME are still coming to terms with core ICT adoption and strategic e-commerce directions, individual SME connectivity and e-commerce adoption inertia has been upstaged by collaborative network trends. Competitive advantage is becoming embedded in collaboration, networking and (virtual) clustering. This paper discusses the pathways towards online collaboration that address both industry or network needs and the capabilities, needs and attitudes of individual SME.
- Description: C1
- Description: 2003000610
Strongly regular points of mappings
- Abbasi, Malek, Théra, Michel
- Authors: Abbasi, Malek , Théra, Michel
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Fixed Point Theory and Algorithms for Sciences and Engineering Vol. 2021, no. 1 (Journal article 2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, we use a robust lower directional derivative and provide some sufficient conditions to ensure the strong regularity of a given mapping at a certain point. Then, we discuss the Hoffman estimation and achieve some results for the estimate of the distance to the set of solutions to a system of linear equalities. The advantage of our estimate is that it allows one to calculate the coefficient of the error bound. © 2021, The Author(s).
- Authors: Abbasi, Malek , Théra, Michel
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Fixed Point Theory and Algorithms for Sciences and Engineering Vol. 2021, no. 1 (Journal article 2021), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: In this paper, we use a robust lower directional derivative and provide some sufficient conditions to ensure the strong regularity of a given mapping at a certain point. Then, we discuss the Hoffman estimation and achieve some results for the estimate of the distance to the set of solutions to a system of linear equalities. The advantage of our estimate is that it allows one to calculate the coefficient of the error bound. © 2021, The Author(s).
On graphs with cyclic defect or excess
- Delorme, Charles, Pineda-Villavicencio, Guillermo
- Authors: Delorme, Charles , Pineda-Villavicencio, Guillermo
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Electronic Journal of Combinatorics Vol. 17, no. 1 (2010), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Moore bound constitutes both an upper bound on the order of a graph of maximum degree d and diameter D = k and a lower bound on the order of a graph of minimum degree d and odd girth g = 2k + 1. Graphs missing or exceeding the Moore bound by ε are called graphs with defect or excess ε, respectively. While Moore graphs (graphs with ε = 0) and graphs with defect or excess 1 have been characterized almost completely, graphs with defect or excess 2 represent a wide unexplored area. Graphs with defect (excess) 2 satisfy the equation Gd,k(A) = Jn +B (Gd,k(A) = Jn - B), where A denotes the adjacency matrix of the graph in question, n its order, Jn the n × n matrix whose entries are all 1's, B the adjacency matrix of a union of vertex-disjoint cycles, and Gd,k(x) a polynomial with integer coefficients such that the matrix Gd,k(A) gives the number of paths of length at most k joining each pair of vertices in the graph. In particular, if B is the adjacency matrix of a cycle of order n we call the corresponding graphs graphs with cyclic defect or excess; these graphs are the subject of our attention in this paper. We prove the non-existence of infinitely many such graphs. As the highlight of the paper we provide the asymptotic upper bound of O(64/3 d3/2) for the number of graphs of odd degree d ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess. This bound is in fact quite generous, and as a way of illustration, we show the non-existence of some families of graphs of odd degree d ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess. Actually, we conjecture that, apart from the Möbius ladder on 8 vertices, no non-trivial graph of any degree ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess exists.
- Authors: Delorme, Charles , Pineda-Villavicencio, Guillermo
- Date: 2010
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Electronic Journal of Combinatorics Vol. 17, no. 1 (2010), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: The Moore bound constitutes both an upper bound on the order of a graph of maximum degree d and diameter D = k and a lower bound on the order of a graph of minimum degree d and odd girth g = 2k + 1. Graphs missing or exceeding the Moore bound by ε are called graphs with defect or excess ε, respectively. While Moore graphs (graphs with ε = 0) and graphs with defect or excess 1 have been characterized almost completely, graphs with defect or excess 2 represent a wide unexplored area. Graphs with defect (excess) 2 satisfy the equation Gd,k(A) = Jn +B (Gd,k(A) = Jn - B), where A denotes the adjacency matrix of the graph in question, n its order, Jn the n × n matrix whose entries are all 1's, B the adjacency matrix of a union of vertex-disjoint cycles, and Gd,k(x) a polynomial with integer coefficients such that the matrix Gd,k(A) gives the number of paths of length at most k joining each pair of vertices in the graph. In particular, if B is the adjacency matrix of a cycle of order n we call the corresponding graphs graphs with cyclic defect or excess; these graphs are the subject of our attention in this paper. We prove the non-existence of infinitely many such graphs. As the highlight of the paper we provide the asymptotic upper bound of O(64/3 d3/2) for the number of graphs of odd degree d ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess. This bound is in fact quite generous, and as a way of illustration, we show the non-existence of some families of graphs of odd degree d ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess. Actually, we conjecture that, apart from the Möbius ladder on 8 vertices, no non-trivial graph of any degree ≥ 3 and cyclic defect or excess exists.