Flinders University

About: Flinders University is a education organization based out in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 12033 authors who have published 32831 publications receiving 973172 citations. The organization is also known as: Flinders University of South Australia.

Workplace violence directed at nursing staff at a general hospital in southern Thailand.

Abstract: This study aimed to document the characteristics of workplace violence directed at nursing staff, an issue which has rarely been studied in a developing country. Two study methods, a survey and a key informant interview, were conducted at a general hospital in southern Thailand. A total of 545 out of 594 questionnaires sent were returned for statistical analysis (response rate=91.7%). The 12-month prevalence of violence experience was 38.9% for verbal abuse, 3.1% for physical abuse, and 0.7% for sexual harassment. Psychological consequences including poor relationships with colleagues and family members were the major concerns. Patients and their relatives were the main perpetrators in verbal and physical abuse while co-workers were the main perpetrators in cases of sexual harassment. Common factors to incidents of violence were psychological setting, illness of the perpetrators, miscommunication, and alcohol use. Logistic regression analysis showed younger age to be a personal risk factor. Working in the out-patient unit, trauma and emergency unit, operating room, or medical or surgical unit increased the odds of violence by 80%. Training related to violence prevention and control was found to be effective and decreased the risk of being a victim of violence by 40%. We recommend providing training to high risk groups as a means of controlling workplace violence directed at nursing staff.

A channel-like transporter for NH 4 + on the symbiotic interface of N 2 -fixing plants

Abstract: SYMBIOSIS with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (rhizobia) allows legumes to survive in nitrogen-poor soils. The nitrogen-fixing bacteroids are found inside root nodule cells within the symbiosome, an organelle bounded by the peribacteroid membrane1. Across this membrane the plant receives fixed nitrogen in exchange for reduced carbon2. It has been assumed that fixed nitrogen is released from the symbiosome as either NH3 or NH4+ , but until now the transport mechanism was unknown3–5. We report here the use of patch-clamp techniques to show, in membrane patches on isolated symbiosomes, smoothly activating currents that are passive and equivalent to the influx of cations to the plant cytoplasm. The currents are largest with NH4+ as the cation at physiological concentration and they are blocked by calcium ions on the bacteroid side of the membrane. The characteristics of the currents are more like those of a channel than of carrier-mediated transport. In vivo nitrogen would move passively as NH4+ to the cytoplasm upon energization of the membrane and calcium ions may be involved in regulation of the flux.

500 ka precipitation record from southeastern Australia: Evidence for interglacial relative aridity

Abstract: 230 Th/ 234 U dating of speleothems from southeastern Australia documents changes in effective precipitation over the past 500 k.y. at a temporal resolution not previously achieved. Results show that the highest effective precipitation for the southeastern interior of Australia occurred during stadials and cool interstadials of the past four glacial cycles. Interglacials and warm interstadials, as well as glacial maxima, are comparatively arid. We suggest that lower regional temperatures over the continent and changes in atmospheric circulation (stronger Walker circulation) produced the observed periods of increased effective precipitation.

First-Time Fathers' Study: psychological distress in expectant fathers during pregnancy

Abstract: Objective: High levels of distress have previously been reported among expectant fathers, with the level of distress for new fathers falling after the birth and during the first year of their infants’ lives. The aim of the present study was to report on the associations with the fathers’ initial high levels of distress.Method: The men completed a series of questionnaires on various aspects of their psychological functioning at a baseline assessment when their partners were in the late first trimester of their pregnancy. The General Health Questionnaire-28 (GHQ-28) was the key measure of psychological distress for the present study. Men scoring >5 on the GHQ were considered to be cases of distress. The cases and non-cases were contrasted on the baseline psychosocial measures.Results: A total of 312 men completed the questionnaires, of whom 18.6% were designated as cases. GHQ caseness was associated with high levels of symptoms on other measures of psychological distress, higher levels of alcohol consumptio...