Showing papers by "Deakin University published in 2006"

Healthy nature healthy people: 'Contact with nature' as an upstream health promotion intervention for populations.

Abstract: Whilst urban-dwelling individuals who seek out parks and gardens appear to intuitively understand the personal health and well-being benefits arising from ﾑcontact with natureﾒ, public health strategies are yet to maximize the untapped resource nature provides, including the benefits of nature contact as an upstream health promotion interventionfor populations. Initial findings indicate that nature plays a vital role in human health and well-being, and that parks and nature reserves play a significant role by providing access to nature for individuals. Implications suggest contact with nature may provide an effective population-wide strategy in prevention of mental ill health, with potential application for sub-populations, communities and individuals at higher risk of ill health. Recommendations include further investigation of ﾑcontact with natureﾒ in population health, and examination of the benefits of nature-based interventions.

Donepezil for dementia due to Alzheimer's disease

Abstract: Background Alzheimer's disease is the most common cause of dementia in older people. One of the aims of therapy is to inhibit the breakdown of a chemical neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, by blocking the relevant enzyme. This can be done by a group of chemicals known as cholinesterase inhibitors. Objectives The objective of this review is to assess whether donepezil improves the well-being of patients with dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Search methods The Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group's Specialized Register was searched using the terms 'donepezil', 'E2020' and 'Aricept' on 5 April 2006. This Register contains up-to-date records of all major health care databases and many ongoing trial databases. Members of the Donepezil Study Group and Eisai Inc were contacted. Selection criteria All unconfounded, double-blind, randomized controlled trials in which treatment with donepezil was compared with placebo for patients with mild, moderate or severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease. Data collection and analysis Data were extracted by one reviewer (JSB), pooled where appropriate and possible, and the pooled treatment effects, or the risks and benefits of treatment estimated. Main results 24 trials are included, involving 5796 participants, of which 15 reported results in sufficient detail for the meta-analyses. Most trials were of 6 months or less duration in selected patients. Patients in 20 trials had mild to moderate disease, in two trials moderate to severe, and in two severe disease. Available outcome data cover domains including cognitive function, activities of daily living, behaviour, global clinical state, adverse events and health care resource costs. For cognition there is a statistically significant improvement for both 5 and 10 mg/day of donepezil at 24 weeks compared with placebo on the ADAS-Cog scale (-2.01 points MD, 95%CI -2.69 to -1.34, P < 0.00001); -2.80 points, MD 95% CI -3.74 to -2.10, P < 0.00001) and for 10 mg/day donepezil compared with placebo at 24 weeks (5.55 SIB points, 95% CI 3.60 to 7.49, p<0.00001) and 52 weeks (1.84 MMSE points, 95% CI, 0.53 to 3.15, P =0.006). The results show some improvement in global clinical state (assessed by a clinician) in people treated with 5 and 10 mg/day of donepezil compared with placebo at 24 weeks for the number of patients showing improvement (OR 2.38, 95% CI 1.78 to 3.19, P = < 0.00001, OR 1.82, 95% CI 1.42 to 2.35, P < 0.00001). Benefits of treatment were also seen on measures of activities of daily living and behaviour, but not on the quality of life score. There were significantly more withdrawals before the end of treatment from the 10 mg/day (289/1125 24% 10 mg/day vs 219/1079 20% placebo, OR 1.35, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.65, P = 0.003) but not the 5 mg/day, (100/561 18% 5 mg/day vs 109/568 19% placebo, OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.24, P = 0.56) donepezil group compared with placebo which may have resulted in some overestimation of beneficial changes at 10 mg/day. Benefits on the 10 mg/day dose were marginally larger than on the 5 mg/day dose. The results were similar for all severities of disease. Two studies presented results for health resource use, and the associated costs. There were no significant differences between treatment and placebo for any item, the cost of any item, and for the total costs, and total costs including the informal carer costs. Many adverse events were recorded, with more incidents of nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle cramps, dizziness, fatigue and anorexia (significant risk associated with treatment) in the 10 mg/day group, compared with placebo. There were more incidents of anorexia, diarrhoea, and muscle cramps in the 5 mg/day group compared with placebo, but not of dizziness, fatigue, nausea or vomiting. Very few patients left a trial as a direct result of the intervention. Authors' conclusions People with mild, moderate or severe dementia due to Alzheimer's disease treated for periods of 12, 24 or 52 weeks with donepezil experienced benefits in cognitive function, activities of daily living and behaviour. Study clinicians rated global clinical state more positively in treated patients, and measured less decline in measures of global disease severity. There is some evidence that use of donepezil is neither more nor less expensive compared with placebo when assessing total health care resource costs. Benefits on the 10 mg/day dose were marginally larger than on the 5 mg/day dose. Taking into consideration the better tolerability of the 5 mg/day donepezil compared with the 10 mg/day dose, together with the lower cost, the lower dose may be the better option. The debate on whether donepezil is effective continues despite the evidence of efficacy from the clinical studies because the treatment effects are small and are not always apparent in practice.

Trading on Time

Abstract: The authors determine how time delays affect international trade using newly collected World Bank data on the days it takes to move standard cargo from the factory gate to the ship in 126 countries. They estimate a modified gravity equation, controlling for endogeneity and remoteness. On average, each additional day that a product is delayed prior to being shipped reduces trade by at least 1 percent. Put differently, each day is equivalent to a country distancing itself from its trade partners by 70 kilometers on average. Delays have an even greater impact on developing country exports and exports of time-sensitive goods, such as perishable agricultural products. In particular, a day's delay reduces a country's relative exports of time-sensitive to time-insensitive agricultural goods by 6 percent.

Helping Doctoral Students Write: Pedagogies for supervision

Abstract: Helping Doctoral Students Write offers a new approach to doctoral writing. By treating research as writing and writing as research, the authors offer pedagogical strategies for doctoral supervisors that will assist the production of well-argued and lively dissertations." "It is clear that many doctoral candidates find research writing complicated and difficult, but the advice they receive often glosses over the complexities of writing and/or locates the problem in the writer. Rejecting the DIY websites and manuals that promote a privatized, skills-based approach to writing research, Kamler and Thomson provide a new framework for scholarly work that is located in personal institutional and cultural contexts. Their discussion of the complexities of forming a scholarly identity is illustrated by stories and writings of actual doctoral students. The pedagogical approach developed in the book is based on the notion of writing as a social practice. This approach allows supervisors to think of doctoral writers as novices who need to learn new ways with words as they enter the discursive practices of scholarly communities. This involves learning sophisticated writing practices with specific sets of conventions and textual characteristics. The authors offer supervisors practical advice on helping with commonly encountered writing tasks such as the proposal, the journal abstract, the literature review and constructing the dissertation argument." "In conclusion, they present a persuasive argument that universities must move away from simply auditing supervision to supporting the development of scholarly research communities. Any doctoral supervisor keen to help their students develop as academics will find the new ideas presented in this book fascinating and insightful reading.

The relationship between organization strategy, total quality management (TQM), and organization performance -- The mediating role of TQM

Abstract: The study presented in this paper examines the fit of total quality management (TQM) practices in mediating the relationship between organization strategy and organization performance. By examining TQM in relation to organization strategy, the study seeks to advance the understanding of TQM in a broader context. It also resolves some controversies that appear in the literature concerning the relationship between TQM and differentiation and cost leadership strategies as well as quality and innovation performance. The empirical data for this study was drawn from a survey of 194 middle/senior managers from Australian firms. The analysis was conducted using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique by examining two competing models that represent full and partial mediation. The findings indicate that TQM is positively and significantly related to differentiation strategy, and it only partially mediates the relationship between differentiation strategy and three performance measures (product quality, product innovation, and process innovation). The implication is that TQM needs to be complemented by other resources to more effectively realize the strategy in achieving a high level of performance, particularly innovation.

Trading on Time

Abstract: We determine how time delays affect international trade, using newly-collected World Bank data on the days it takes to move standard cargo from the factory gate to the ship in 126 countries. We estimate a modified gravity equation, controlling for endogeneity and remoteness. On average, each additional day that a product is delayed prior to being shipped reduces trade by at least 1 percent. Put differently, each day is equivalent to a country distancing itself from its trade partners by 70 km on average. Delays have an even greater impact on developing country exports and exports of time-sensitive goods, such as perishable agricultural products. In particular, a day's delay reduces a country's relative exports of time-sensitive to time-insensitive agricultural goods by 6 percent.

Family food environment and dietary behaviors likely to promote fatness in 5-6 year-old children.

Abstract: Background: The family food environment (FFE) is likely to exert important influences on young children's eating. Examination of multiple aspects of the FFE may provide useful insights regarding which of these might most effectively be targeted to prevent childhood obesity. Objective: To assess the associations between the FFE and a range of obesity-promoting dietary behaviors in 5-6-year-old children. Design: Cross-sectional study. Subjects: Five hundred and sixty families sampled from three socio-economically distinct areas. Measurements: Predictors included parental perceptions of their child's diet, food availability, child feeding practices, parental modeling of eating and food preparation and television (TV) exposure. Dietary outcomes included energy intake, vegetable, sweet snack, savory snack and high-energy (non-dairy) fluid consumption. Results: Multiple linear regression analyses, adjusted for all other predictor variables and maternal education, showed that several aspects of the FFE were associated with dietary outcomes likely to promote fatness in 5-6-year-old children. For example, increased TV viewing time was associated with increased index of energy intake, increased sweet snack and high-energy drink consumption, and deceased vegetable intake. In addition, parent's increased confidence in the adequacy of their child's diet was associated with increased consumption of sweet and savory snacks and decreased vegetable consumption. Conclusion: This study substantially extends previous research in the area, providing important insights with which to guide family-based obesity prevention strategies.

Understanding Consumer Adoption of Internet Banking: An Interpretive Study in the Australian Banking Context

Abstract: This paper reports key findings from an interpretive study of Australian banking consumer experiences with the adoption of internet banking. The paper provides an understanding of how and why specific factors affect the consumer decision whether or not to bank on the internet, in the Australian context. A theoretical framework is provided that conceptualizes and links consumer-oriented issues influencing adoption of internet banking. The paper also provides a set of recommendations for Australian banks. Specifically, the findings suggest that convenience is the main motivator for consumers to bank on the internet, while there is a range of other influential factors that may be modulated by banks. The findings also highlight increasing risk acceptance by consumers in regard to internet-based services and the growing importance of offering deep levels of consumer support for such services. Gender differences are also highlighted. Finally, the paper suggests that banks will be better able to manage consumer experiences with moving to internet banking if they understand that such experiences involve a process of adjustment and learning over time, and not merely the adoption of a new technology.

Socio-economic inequalities in women`s fruit and vegetable intakes: a multilevel study of individual, social and environmental mediators

Abstract: Objective: This study employed a multilevel design to test the contribution of individual, social and environmental factors to mediating socio-economic status (SES) inequalities in fruit and vegetable consumption among women. Design: A cross-sectional survey was linked with objective environmental data. Setting: A community sample involving 45 neighbourhoods. Subjects: In total, 1347 women from 45 neighbourhoods provided survey data on their SES (highest education level), nutrition knowledge, health considerations related to food purchasing, and social support for healthy eating. These data were linked with objective environmental data on the density of supermarkets and fruit and vegetable outlets in local neighbourhoods. Results: Multilevel modelling showed that individual and social factors partly mediated, but did not completely explain, SES variations in fruit and vegetable consumption. Store density did not mediate the relationship of SES with fruit or vegetable consumption. Conclusions: Nutrition promotion interventions should focus on enhancing nutrition knowledge and health considerations underlying food purchasing in order to promote healthy eating, particularly among those who are socio-economically disadvantaged. Further investigation is required to identify additional potential mediators of SES–diet relationships, particularly at the environmental level.

Learning from facial aging patterns for automatic age estimation

Abstract: Age Specific Human-Computer Interaction (ASHCI) has vast potential applications in daily life. However, automatic age estimation technique is still underdeveloped. One of the main reasons is that the aging effects on human faces present several unique characteristics which make age estimation a challenging task that requires non-standard classification approaches. According to the speciality of the facial aging effects, this paper proposes the AGES (AGing pattErn Subspace) method for automatic age estimation. The basic idea is to model the aging pattern, which is defined as a sequence of personal aging face images, by learning a representative subspace. The proper aging pattern for an unseen face image is then determined by the projection in the subspace that can best reconstruct the face image, while the position of the face image in that aging pattern will indicate its age. The AGES method has shown encouraging performance in the comparative experiments either as an age estimator or as an age range estimator.

‘Dig In’ to Social Capital: Community Gardens as Mechanisms for Growing Urban Social Connectedness

Abstract: This article reports on research undertaken with members of a Melbourne urban community garden to explore the extent to which such a natural amenity provides opportunities for enhancing social capital. It is apparent even from this small qualitative study that membership of ‘Dig In’ community garden offers many benefits to its members. These benefits include increased social cohesion (the sharing of values enabling identification of common aims and the sharing of codes of behaviour governing relationships), social support (having people to turn to in times of crisis) and social connections (the development of social bonds and networks). However, the study indicates that, at least in the early stages of development, such benefits do not necessarily extend beyond the garden setting. This raises a question about the time required to develop high levels of social capital, and points to the need for further research into ‘time’ and ‘space’ aspects of community gardens.

Quantitative microbial risk assessment models for consumption of raw vegetables irrigated with reclaimed water

Abstract: Quantitative microbial risk assessment models for estimating the annual risk of enteric virus infection associated with consuming raw vegetables that have been overhead irrigated with nondisinfected secondary treated reclaimed water were constructed. We ran models for several different scenarios of crop type, viral concentration in effluent, and time since last irrigation event. The mean annual risk of infection was always less for cucumber than for broccoli, cabbage, or lettuce. Across the various crops, effluent qualities, and viral decay rates considered, the annual risk of infection ranged from 10−3 to 10−1 when reclaimed-water irrigation ceased 1 day before harvest and from 10−9 to 10−3 when it ceased 2 weeks before harvest. Two previously published decay coefficients were used to describe the die-off of viruses in the environment. For all combinations of crop type and effluent quality, application of the more aggressive decay coefficient led to annual risks of infection that satisfied the commonly propounded benchmark of ≤10−4, i.e., one infection or less per 10,000 people per year, providing that 14 days had elapsed since irrigation with reclaimed water. Conversely, this benchmark was not attained for any combination of crop and water quality when this withholding period was 1 day. The lower decay rate conferred markedly less protection, with broccoli and cucumber being the only crops satisfying the 10−4 standard for all water qualities after a 14-day withholding period. Sensitivity analyses on the models revealed that in nearly all cases, variation in the amount of produce consumed had the most significant effect on the total uncertainty surrounding the estimate of annual infection risk. The models presented cover what would generally be considered to be worst-case scenarios: overhead irrigation and consumption of vegetables raw. Practices such as subsurface, furrow, or drip irrigation and postharvest washing/disinfection and food preparation could substantially lower risks and need to be considered in future models, particularly for developed nations where these extra risk reduction measures are more common.

Understanding environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors: where should we look and what should we count?

Abstract: Research interest in the influence of environmental factors on nutrition and physical activity behaviors has surged internationally in recent years. This is evident from a rapidly expanding literature and facilitated by advances in methodological and analytical approaches to assessing multiple levels of influence on health behaviors. However, a number of conceptual challenges complicate research endeavours in this field. The purpose of this paper is to provide a 'state of the science' overview of evidence regarding environmental influences on nutrition and physical activity behaviors. We focus particularly on a number of key conceptual and methodological issues, including: a consideration of how the environment is defined; the selection and operationalization of environmental exposures; and the importance of integrating existing understanding of individual influences on behavior with the emerging data on the role of the environment. We draw on examples from the published literature including our own research studies to illustrate these issues. We conclude by proposing a research agenda to progress understanding of the influences of the environment on population nutrition and physical activity behaviors.

Adolescent Body Image and Psychosocial Functioning

Abstract: Researchers have highlighted the significance of a poor body image in the development of dysfunctional eating but have systematically investigated few other outcomes. The authors examined the relationships between different aspects of body image and psychosocial functioning. Participants were 245 boys and 173 girls from Grades 8 and 9 (M age = 13.92 years, SD = 0.69 years). Respondents completed measures of physical attractiveness, body satisfaction, body image importance, body image behaviors, appearance comparison, social physique anxiety, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and same-sex and opposite-sex relations. Whereas girls tended to report a more negative body image than did boys, the relevance of body image to self-esteem was similar for boys and girls. Concern about others' evaluation of their bodies was especially important in understanding low female self-esteem, whereas for boys, ratings of general attractiveness most strongly predicted self-esteem. The authors found a negative body image to be unrelated to symptoms of negative affect but to be strongly associated with poor opposite-sex peer relationships, especially among boys. A negative body image also affected same-sex relations among girls.

Television viewing habits associated with obesity risk factors: a survey of Melbourne schoolchildren.

Abstract: Objectives: To examine whether children’s television viewing may be a useful indicator of risk of obesity-promoting versus healthy eating behaviours, low-level physical activity (PA) and overweight or obesity among children of primary school entry and exit ages. Design: Cross-sectional study, stratified by area-level socioeconomic status. Participants and setting: 1560 children (613 aged 5–6 years [50% boys], and 947 aged 10–12 years [46% boys]) from 24 primary schools in Melbourne, Australia, randomly selected proportionate to school size between 1 November 2002 and 30 December 2003 . Main outcome measures: Parents’ reports of the time their child spends watching television, their participation in organised physical activities (PA), and their food intake; each child’s measured height and weight and their PA levels as assessed by accelerometry for one week. Results: After adjusting for the age and sex of child, the parents’ level of education, clustering by school, and all other health behaviour variables, children who watched television for > 2 h/day were significantly more likely than children who watched television for ≤ 2 h/day to: to have one or more serves/day of high energy drinks (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 2.31; 95% CI, 1.61–3.32), and to have one or more serves/day of savoury snacks (AOR, 1.50; 95% CI, 1.04–2.17). They were also less likely to have two or more serves/day of fruit (AOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.46–0.74), or to participate in any organised PA (AOR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.34–0.80). Conclusions: Health practitioners in the primary care setting may find that asking whether a child watches television for more than 2 hours daily can be a useful indicator of a child’s risk of poor diet and low physical activity level.

Tris(2,2´-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) chemiluminescence

Abstract: This paper critically reviews analytical applications of the chemiluminescence from tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II) and related compounds published in the open literature between mid-1998 and October 2005. Following the introduction, which summarises the reaction chemistry and reagent generation, the review divides into three major sections that focus on: (i) the techniques that utilise this type of detection chemistry, (ii) the range of analytes that can be determined, and (iii) analogues and derivatives of tris(2,2′-bipyridyl)ruthenium(II).

Paediatric quality of life instruments: a review of the impact of the conceptual framework on outcomes.

Abstract: With an increasing number of paediatric quality of life (QOL) instruments being developed, it is becoming difficult for researchers and clinicians to select the most appropriate instrument. Reviews of QOL instruments tend to report only basic properties of the instruments such as domains and psychometric properties. This paper seeks to appraise critically the conceptual underpinnings of paediatric QOL instruments. A systematic review was conducted to identify QOL instruments for children aged 0 to 12 years, and to examine and compare their conceptual frameworks, definitions employed, and structure. Both generic and condition-specific measures were reviewed. Fourteen generic and 25 condition-specific QOL instruments were identified. Eleven types of definition of QOL and health-related QOL and three theories of QOL were identified. QOL was measured by a variety of domains including emotional, social and physical health, and well-being. Items commonly assessed difficulties, or intensity/frequency of feelings/symptoms, in contrast to positive aspects of life and happiness. The findings highlight the diversity that is apparent in the conceptualization of paediatric QOL and draw attention to the lack of empirical evidence for many of the fundamental assumptions. The impact of the conceptual underpinnings of the instruments on the resulting QOL scores is discussed.

Early childhood caries: Current evidence for aetiology and prevention

Abstract: Background: Despite the fact that it is largely preventable, dental caries (decay) remains one of the most common chronic diseases of early childhood. Dental decay in young children frequently leads to pain and infection necessitating hospitalization for dental extractions under general anaesthesia. Dental problems in early childhood have been shown to be predictive of not only future dental problems but also on growth and cognitive development by interfering with comfort nutrition, concentration and school participation. Objective: To review the current evidence base in relation to the aetiology and prevention of dental caries in preschool-aged children. Methods: A search of MEDLINE, CINALH and Cochrane electronic databases was conducted using a search strategy which restricted the search to randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, clinical trials, systematic reviews and other quasi-experimental designs. The retrieved studies were then limited to articles including children aged 5 years and under and published in English. The evidence of effectiveness was then summarized by the authors. Conclusions: The review highlighted the complex aetiology of early childhood caries (ECC). Contemporary evidence suggests that potentially effective interventions should occur in the first 2 years of a child's life. Dental attendance before the age of 2 years is uncommon; however, contact with other health professionals is high. Primary care providers who have contact with children well before the age of the first dental visit may be well placed to offer anticipatory advice to reduce the incidence of ECC.

Accounting graduates’ perceptions of skills emphasis in undergraduate courses: an investigation from two Victorian universities

Abstract: This study investigated the emphasis placed on technical and generic skills developed during undergraduate accounting courses from the graduate perspective. It is motivated by two issues. First, calls by the accounting profession and international education committees regarding the professional adequacy of graduates. Second, the challenge facing educators and professional bodies to design accounting courses that address a diverse range of needs from students, the educational philosophy of the institution, and the changing dynamics of global business. Data obtained from 310 graduates from two Victorian universities provided insights into the types of skills development considered necessary for a successful accounting career.

Properties of hemp fibre reinforced concrete composites

Abstract: This research is concerned with the mechanical and physical properties of hemp fibre reinforced concrete (HFRC). An experimental program was developed based on the statistical method of fractional factors design. The variables for the experimental study were: (1) mixing method; (2) fibre content by weight; (3) aggregate size; and (4) fibre length. Their effects on the compressive and flexural performance of HFRC composites were investigated. The specific gravity and water absorption ratio of HFRC were also studied. The results indicate that the compressive and flexural properties can be modelled using a simple empirical linear expression based on statistical analysis and regression, and that hemp fibre content (by weight) is the critical factor affecting the compressive and flexural properties of HFRC.