Showing papers by "Griffith University published in 1997"
TL;DR: The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) as mentioned in this paper is a development of work originally carried out at Lancaster University in the 1980s and is used as a measure of perceived teaching quality in degree programs in national annual surveys of all graduates in the Australian higher education system.
Abstract: The Course Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) is a development of work originally carried out at Lancaster University in the 1980s. It is used as a measure of perceived teaching quality in degree programmes in national annual surveys of all graduates in the Australian higher education system and is increasingly being employed as a measure of the quality of teaching in universities in the UK. This article discusses the development and use of the CEQ and the construction of a new generic skills scale. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of large multidisciplinary samples of students and graduates from several universities established the reliability and validity of both the full and short forms of the instrument, and identified a two-factor higher order structure. The criterion validity of the instrument was also established, with scores on the CEQ demonstrating positive correlations with students' approaches to learning, perceived course satisfaction, academic achievement and reported generic...
493 citations
TL;DR: Overall, the results showed that anxiety problems and disorders identified using child and teacher reports can be successfully targeted through an early intervention school-based program.
Abstract: The Queensland Early Intervention and Prevention of Anxiety Project evaluated the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral and family-based group intervention for preventing the onset and development of anxiety problems in children. A total of 1,786 7- to 14-year-olds were screened for anxiety problems using teacher nominations and children's self-report. After recruitment and diagnostic interviews, 128 children were selected and assigned to a 10-week school-based child- and parent-focused psychosocial intervention or to a monitoring group. Both groups showed improvements immediately postintervention. At 6 months follow-up, the improvement maintained in the intervention group only, reducing the rate of existing anxiety disorder and preventing the onset of new anxiety disorders. Overall, the results showed that anxiety problems and disorders identified using child and teacher reports can be successfully targeted through an early intervention school-based program.
478 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a parametric sensitivity analysis (SA) was conducted on a well known model for the production of a key sulphur bearing compound from algal biota, which is of interest because of the climatic relevance of the gas (dimethylsulphide, DMS), an initiator of cloud particles.
264 citations
TL;DR: The contribution of mangroves/terrestrial sources to the food webs of juvenile prawns appears to be limited to a very small spatial scale – within the mangrove fringe of small creeks and mainly during the wet season.
Abstract: We used multiple stable-isotope analysis to investigate the importance of seagrasses, mangroves and other primary sources (macroalgae, seston) to the food webs supporting penaeid prawns in the Embley River estuary and adjacent off-shore waters in the north-eastern Gulf of Carpentaria, Australia. Mangroves, seagrass and macroalgae/seston were well separated on the basis of their δ13C values in both the dry and the wet seasons. In contrast, only macroalgae and seston (phytoplankton and zooplankton), which had similar δ13C values, were separated by their δ15N values. The primary source of carbon supporting food webs of several species of juvenile penaeid prawns clearly depended on the location within the estuary. The δ13C values of juvenile prawns (Penaeus esculentus, P. semisulcatus and Metapenaeus spp.) in seagrass beds were close to those of seagrass and seagrass epiphytes, particularly in the dry season. This was despite the proximity of the seagrass to mangroves and the presence of mangrove detritus in the seagrass beds. Juvenile prawns (P. merguiensis, P. semisulcatus, and Metapenaeus spp.) in an upstream mangrove creek had δ13C values that were midway between those of mangroves and seagrass, and close to those of macroalgae and seston during the dry season. Mangroves could have made a significant contribution to the carbon assimilated by juvenile prawns at this site, but only if it is assumed that the remainder of the carbon is ultimately derived from a seagrass source. The δ13C values of adults of three species of prawns in offshore waters were very similar and were much higher than those of mangroves. The considerable amount of mangrove/terrestrial carbon exported from tropical Australian estuaries during the wet season is therefore unlikely to contribute to offshore food webs supporting adult prawns. Furthermore, the contribution of mangrove/terrestrial sources to the food webs of juvenile prawns appears to be limited to a very small spatial scale – within the mangrove fringe of small creeks and mainly during the wet season.
258 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors describe the initiation and development of a corporate identity/visual identity program, using a major UK university as a case study, and conclude that assessing a visual identity can be useful in identifying organizational weaknesses.
Abstract: Describes the initiation and development of a corporate identity/visual identity programme, using a major UK university as a case study. Concludes that assessing a visual identity can be useful in identifying organizational weaknesses. However, whereas a weak visual identity may be a symptom of corporate malaise, a new visual identity, although powerful, should be used as part of an integrated approach when repositioning an organization.
255 citations
TL;DR: Aerosol samples for PM 10 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 um) were collected from September 1993 to August 1994 at five sites representing the major land use patterns in Brisbane, a subtropical coastal city in Australia as mentioned in this paper.
245 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a method of modeling the three-dimensional microstructure of random isotropic two-phase materials is proposed to predict the effective macroscopic properties of random materials (such as electrical and thermal conductivity, permeability and elastic moduli).
Abstract: A method of modeling the three-dimensional microstructure of random isotropic two-phase materials is proposed. The information required to implement the technique can be obtained from two-dimensional images of the microstructure. The reconstructed models share two-point correlation and chord-distribution functions with the original composite. The method is designed to produce models for computationally and theoretically predicting the effective macroscopic properties of random materials (such as electrical and thermal conductivity, permeability and elastic moduli). To test the method we reconstruct the morphology and predict the conductivity of the well known overlapping sphere model. The results are in very good agreement with data for the original model.
227 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a model of migrant psychological distress was developed in which ethnic identity was predicted to influence personal coping resources (i.e., self-esteem, self-mastery, interpersonal trust) and external coping resources that, in turn, were predicted to affect migrants' psychological well-being.
Abstract: Although a considerable amount of research has addressed aspects of refugee and migrant adjustment to their new country of residence, little attention has been given to the causal impact of migrant ethnic identity on the adjustment process. To assess this issue, a model of migrant psychological distress was developed in which ethnic identity was predicted to influence personal coping resources (i.e., self-esteem, self-mastery, interpersonal trust) and external coping resources (i.e., tangible, appraisal, esteem, and sense of belonging social support) that, in turn, were predicted to influence migrants' psychological well-being. The model was tested on a sample of 270 male and female Vietnamese migrants. The results revealed that ethnic identity was a significant but not a strong predictor of migrant distress, via self-esteem. The implications of the findings for theories of identity and migrant adaptation are discussed.
205 citations
201 citations
TL;DR: The evidence suggests that mental imagery can facilitate or diminish the outcome of classical conditioning in humans and, more tentatively, that mental images can substitute for actual US and CS in autonomic conditioning and argues that researchers should explore the role of mental imagery in conditioning through the use of advances in the measurement of imagery.
Abstract: Many clinical strategies use patients' imagery to explore and treat phobic and posttrauma reactions, however little attention has been paid to the underlying assumption that imagery of relevant stimuli may help maintain conditioned behavior. In this article, the authors examine the premise that mental images can potentiate and substitute for physical stimuli in human classical conditioning. The authors review empirical evidence to detail the role of images of conditioned stimuli (CS) and unconditioned stimuli (US) during pre-exposure to stimuli, the actual pairing of the CS and US, and extinction when the CS is presented alone. The evidence suggests that mental imagery can facilitate or diminish the outcome of classical conditioning in humans and, more tentatively, that mental images can substitute for actual US and CS in autonomic conditioning. They argue that researchers should explore the role of mental imagery in conditioning through the use of advances in the measurement of imagery. Finally, they analyze anxiety and trauma reactions as examples of how applied areas can be used to explore and benefit from developments in this area.
170 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report an empirical investigation, based on triangulation methods, of how a set of environmental facts affect budgeting characteristics in the nationalised jute mills of Bangladesh.
Abstract: This paper reports an empirical investigation, based on triangulation methods, of how a set of environmental facts affect budgeting characteristics in the nationalised jute mills of Bangladesh. The key factors were derived from intensive fieldwork. Five external factors (political climate, industrial relations, competition, aid agencies and government regulations) were deemed to affect budget-related factors (such as participation, accountability for budget, budget evaluation, budget analysis, interactions among managers and budget flexibility). Data from 38 state-owned jute mills within the Bangladesh Jute Mills Corporation (BJMC) are used to test the propositions. The analyses of data reveal a significant relationship between environmental factors and budget-related behaviour. Political factors, industrial relations and market competition were major influences on how budgeting systems were perceived. The study shows how political volatility and industrial relations can render the formal systems...
TL;DR: In this paper, a major dust plume passed over the area, following a dust storm near Gao, 500 km to the east, however the contribution of this plume to overall deposition was surprisingly small.
Abstract: Dust deposition samples were collected during April and May (1990) at four sites on the inland delta region of Mali in West Africa. High dust deposition rates were measured and characterised by considerable variations between sites. A major dust plume passed over the area, following a dust storm near Gao, 500 km to the east, however the contribution of this plume to overall deposition was surprisingly small.
Dust particle-size characteristics indicate mixing of dusts from three sources. Long-distance dust deposition producing fine deposits (mainly < 5 μm); dust from regional sources producing deposits mainly in the size range 20–40 μm; and local dust arising from human activities, particularly vehicle and livestock movements, producing relatively coarse material in the size range 50–70 μm, plus some fines. Local dusts appear to have made the greatest contribution to deposition, with a moderate (though less than expected) contribution from the plume and a minor contribution from long-distance dusts.
These results have implications for dust deposition studies aimed at quantifying dust contributions to soils. Although these Mali dust deposition rates are high (2.5–28.6 t−1 km−2 day−1), the significant proportion of locally derived dust means that new dust inputs to the soils of the Inland Delta region of Mali are small.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors examined the sources of stress among front office and housekeeping operational staff in four star international standard hotels on the Gold Coast (Queensland, Australia) with a view to exploring the management implications of this phenomenon.
TL;DR: A self-administered questionnaire to vacation farm operators in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan revealed that the typical enterprise was established during the 1990s in order to supplement the income base, consisted of a 459-hectare site, offered 6.2 visitor bed spaces, and operated mainly in the summer.
TL;DR: These studies indicate that flk‐1 is expressed in groups of endothelial precursor cells which will form the major blood vessels of the embryo, including the posterior cardinal veins, the dorsal aorta, the vitelline veins, and the endocardium, and that ectopic VEGF is capable of altering the architecture of the developing vascular network.
Abstract: The receptor tyrosine kinase, Flk-1 or VEGFR-2, and its ligand, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are required for the development of the embryonic vasculature. Targeted disruption of either gene in mice results in the failure of vascular system formation. The Xenopus homologues of flk-1 and VEGF have been cloned and their expression has been examined throughout early embryonic development. These studies indicate that flk-1 is expressed in groups of endothelial precursor cells which will form the major blood vessels of the embryo, including the posterior cardinal veins, the dorsal aorta, the vitelline veins, and the endocardium. VEGF expression is found in tissues adjacent to the mesenchyme containing the flk-1-expressing endothelial precursors. Expression of both flk-1 and VEGF is transient, appearing as the primary vascular plexus is forming and declining steadily after the onset of functional embryonic circulation. After establishment of the primary vascular structures, flk-1 expression is also observed in the intersegmental veins which form by an angiogenic mechanism. Overall, these results support a role for VEGF/flk-1 signaling in both vasculogenesis and angiogenesis in the Xenopus embryo. When VEGF is expressed ectopically in Xenopus embryos by microinjection of either plasmid DNA or synthetic mRNA, large, disorganized vascular structures are produced. This result indicates that ectopic VEGF is capable of altering the architecture of the developing vascular network.
TL;DR: This paper examined the dynamics of parents' and children's enduring involvement in youth sport and found that parents' involvement in sport provides an instructive context for study of reciprocal socialization between parents and children.
Abstract: Youth sport provides an instructive context for study of reciprocal socialization between parents and children. This study examines the dynamics of parents' and children's enduring involvement in y...
TL;DR: In the 1980s, there were major challenges to feminist theory by women of color and by postmodern/poststructuralist theorists as mentioned in this paper, and three modes of feminist enquiry responded to these challenges: class-rac...
Abstract: In the 1980s there were major challenges to feminist theory by women of color and by postmodern/poststructuralist theorists. Three modes of feminist enquiry responded to these challenges: class-rac...
TL;DR: In this paper, it was shown that the oxide/SiC interface would be inferior to the Si interface for both N-type and P-type SiC, if it were not for the beneficial effects of nitrogen incorporation.
Abstract: This letter addresses the question of why it is possible to grow high-quality oxide films on N-type but not on P-type SiC. It provides results which indicate that the oxide/SiC interface would be inferior to the oxide/Si interface for both N-type and P-type SiC, if it were not for the beneficial effects of nitrogen incorporation. The letter presents, for the first time, results on nitridation of thermally grown oxides in NO and N/sub 2/O. The results demonstrate that the oxides grown on P-type can be improved by NO annealing, but not by N/sub 2/O annealing.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors investigated the effect of empowerment on customer satisfaction and service quality of front-line staff in terms of the degree to which the employee is empowered, and the employee's communication style.
Abstract: Empowering front-line staff to deal with service failures has been proposed as a method of recovering from service breakdown and ensuring greater customer satisfaction. However, no empirical study has investigated consumer responses to empowerment strategies. This research investigates the effect on customer satisfaction and service quality of two employee characteristics: the degree to which the employee is empowered (full, limited, and none), and the employee's communication style (accommodative - informal and personal, and underaccommodative-formal and impersonal). These employee characteristics are studied within the context of service failures. Subjects were shown videotaped service scenarios, and asked to complete satisfaction and service quality ratings. Results revealed that the fully empowered employee produced more customer satisfaction than the other conditions, but only when the service provider used an accommodating style of communication. Fully empowered and nonempowered employees were not judged differently when an underaccommodating style of communication was adopted. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: The internet resources on suicide and the issue of interactive suicide notes are discussed and case examples of interactive notes followed by suicide fatalities are used to illustrate the potential influence of the internet on those who wish to share their suicidal ideation with others.
Abstract: As we approach the new millennium a new dimension in interactive communications has arrived. The internet is one such medium, and while it remains a relatively new form of information sharing, it has not escaped the attention of vulnerable young people. This paper discusses the internet resources on suicide and the issue of interactive suicide notes. Case examples of interactive notes followed by suicide fatalities are used to illustrate the potential influence of the internet on those who wish to share their suicidal ideation with others. Issues to do with modeling, ambivalence, group death wishes, research, and ethics are discussed. Finally, some recommendations are made for further studies.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors demonstrate the use of switched parasitic elements in electronic beam steering applications for tracking polar orbiting satellites using a linearly polarised five element steerable patch antenna array operating at 1.55 GHz.
Abstract: A new technique is presented demonstrating the use of switched parasitic elements in electronic beam steering applications. Experimental and theoretical results are presented for a linearly polarised five element steerable patch antenna array operating at 1.55 GHz. Shorted parasitic elements have been used to steer the beam in two directions for tracking polar orbiting satellites. The minimum gain of the system for elevation angles >20/spl deg/ above the horizon is -1.5 dBi in the forward direction.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated police officers' judgements of blame to both victims and assailants of family violence and the impact of these judgements on the reported likelihood of charging the assailants with assault was examined.
Abstract: This study investigated police officers‘ judgements of blame to both victims and assailants of family violence. Furthermore, the impact of these judgements on the reported likelihood of charging the assailants with assault was examined. The sample was selected from operational police officers of the Queensland Police Service. The sample included 51 male officers and 46 female officers. Ethnicity was not examined. However; 1.3% of police oficers identify as Indigenous and 5.8% of officers come from non-English speaking backgrounds. The subjects were presented with one of eight case vignettes of assault. In these vignettes two factors were varied, the victim gender (male and female), and alcohol consumption of the victim and assailant (both the assailant and the victim were drunk, neither were drunk, the assailant was sober and the victim drunk, and the assailant was drunk and the victim sober). A third independent variable was included, gender of the police officer Male and female police officers showed no differences in judgement of blame and reported likelihood of charging. However; the level of blame attributed to both the assailant and the victim vaned with the victim gender and the alcohol consumption of the disputants. Male victims were more likely to be blamed than female victims. Drunk victims were blamed more than sober victims. Furthermore,a relationship was found between the level of blame allocated to the victim and the reported likelihood of charging the assailant. These results indicate that police officers hold gender stereotypes that influence the way they respond to family violence.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated bird use of riparian corridors in pastoral and urban surroundings and riparian linear remnants within an urban context and compared the avifauna of these remnants with dryland and dryland sites within continuous bushland.
Abstract: Within the southeastern region of Queensland, Australia, native forest cover ( bushland) has been greatly reduced and fragmented, and clearing is still occurring. Many of the region’s bird species are being increasingly restricted to isolated habitat remnants. However, little is known about the habitat value of these remnants and whether their value is influenced by their degree of connection. We investigated bird use of riparian corridors in pastoral and urban surroundings and riparian linear remnants within an urban context. We compared the avifauna of these remnants with dryland and riparian sites within continuous bushland. We also assessed their use by previously derived response-guilds of birds to bushland clearing. We counted 3567 individuals of 102 bird species. Riparian bushland supported more species and had greater bird abundances than dryland bushland. Corridors and linear remnants supported densities of many bushland-dependent species similar to those in bushland; this varied with species’ patterns of large-scale migration and residency. Bushland-dependent winter migrants used both corridors and linear remnants extensively. Bushland-dependent residents were most abundant in continuous bushland and least abundant in linear remnants, possibly reflecting the constraints of central place foraging. Effects of isolation were only evident in resident bushland-dependent species. Local habitat variables were significantly associated with variation in abundance of some types of birds within corridors and linear remnants; however, the differences in bird abundances attributable to spatial characteristics were greater than those attributable to habitat characteristics. The effects of bushland fragmentation and isolation were mediated by the extent to which species are dependent upon bushland and their patterns of large-scale migration or residency. Local habitat, and possibly more importantly altitude, may influence site use by winter migrants and generalist species.
TL;DR: The results indicated that the associations between total daily mortality and particulate levels found in studies in the United States and other countries may be applicable in Brisbane, Australia.
Abstract: The results of several studies have indicated significant associations between daily mortality and air pollution, with little evidence of a threshold. In the current study, the authors examined daily mortality during the period 1987-1993 for the Brisbane region, which is the fastest-growing urban region in Australia (annual average concentration of particulate matter less than 10 microm in diameter = 27 microg/m3, maximum hourly sulfur dioxide level = 60 ppb, and maximum daily ozone hourly level = 118 ppb). The authors conducted a general estimating equation analysis, and they used autoregressive Poisson models for daily mortality to examine associations with air pollution variables. The authors used research methods developed in the Air Pollution on Health, European Approach (APHEA), project to control confounding effects of weather and temporal trends. The air pollutants examined included particulate pollution (measured by nephelometry [bsp data]), sulfur dioxide, ozone, and nitrogen dioxide. The results indicated that the associations between total daily mortality and particulate levels found in studies in the United States and other countries may be applicable in Brisbane, Australia. Ozone levels were also associated significantly with total daily mortality. There was little evidence of interaction between the ozone effects (mainly in summer) and particulates or with sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The associations between pollutants (ozone, bsp) and daily mortality were significant only for individuals who were older than 65 y of age; positive associations were also found with cardiovascular disease categories, and the regression coefficients--when significant--were higher than those for total mortality. The results indicated a possible threshold for ozone levels, but a similar result for particulate levels was not apparent.
TL;DR: The prevalence and nature of child sexual abuse in Queensland have not been researched, and Queensland is considered one of the most politically and socially conservative states in Australia, has a hotter climate, and is less developed than other Australian states.
TL;DR: The Hermitian optical phase operator cannot be represented exactly in the usual-infinite Hilbert space but can be constructed in a subspace of it and provides a valid representation of phase if used together with a suitable limiting procedure.
Abstract: Simple physical ideas lead us to identify the phase of a single mode of the electromagnetic field as the quantity conjugate to the photon number. This in turn leads to the form of the phase probability distribution. The phase operator cannot be represented in the conventional infinite dimensional Hilbert space but can be expressed by means of a finite-dimensional state space together with a suitable limiting procedure. We introduce the Hermitian optical phase operator and describe its most important properties.
TL;DR: In this article, a sample of 121 university students completed the NEO-FFI either as part of a norming exercise (honest condition) or under explicit instructions to create a favorable impression of themselves (fake good condition) and subsequently had judges who knew them for at least 12 months rate them using scales based on the NEO.
TL;DR: The results suggest that the extension of the theory of reasoned action which incorporates past behavior provides the best fit to the data, and the importance of focusing on normative influences and past behavior in explaining young adult alcohol use.
Abstract: Objective: The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of various attitude-behavior theories in explaining alcohol use among young adults. The theory of reasoned action (TRA), the theory of planned behavior and an extension of the TRA that incorporates past behavior were compared by the method of maximum-likelihood estimation, as implemented in LISREL for Windows 8.12. Method: Respondents consisted of 122 university students (82 female) who were questioned about their attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, past behavior and intentions relating to drinking behavior. Students received course credit for their participation in the research. Results: Overall, the results suggest that the extension of the theory of reasoned action which incorporates past behavior provides the best fit to the data. For these young adults, their intentions to drink alcohol were predicted by their past behavior as well as their perceptions of what important others think they should do (subjective norm). Conclusions: The main conclusions drawn from the research concern the importance of focusing on normative influences and past behavior in explaining young adult alcohol use. Issues regarding the relative merit of various alternative models and the need for greater clarity in the measure of attitudes are also discussed.
TL;DR: A role for apoptosis in the development of microvascular rarefaction in hypertension is demonstrated and these results may now be used to direct site-specific anti-apoptosis therapy for treatment of structural raref action, at present unaffected by conventional anti-hypertensive therapies.
TL;DR: A strictly anaerobic, moderately halophilic, Gram-negative, nonmotile rod-shaped bacterium was isolated from an oil-well head sample of an offshore Congolese oil field as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: A strictly anaerobic, moderately halophilic, Gram-negative, non-motile rod-shaped bacterium was isolated from an oil-well head sample of an offshore Congolese oil field. The strain, designated SEBR 4224T (T=type strain), grew optimally at 42°C and pH 7.0 in a complex medium containing 10% NaCl with a generation time of 2.5 h. Strain SEBR 4224T grew on a range of carbohydrates including fructose, galactose, d-glucose, maltose, d-mannose, d-ribose, sucrose, and trehalose. Yeast extract and/or bio-Trypcase was required for growth on carbohydrates and could not be replaced with amino acids and/or vitamins. The end-products from glucose fermentation were acetate, H2, and CO2. Thiosulfate and elemental sulfur were used as electron acceptors. Thiosulfate improved carbohydrate utilization and biomass yields. The G+C content of the isolate was 34 mol%. Ribosomal 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed that strain SEBR 4224T is a new member of the genus Haloanaerobium. The lack of DNA homology with H. acetoethylicum, its closest relative, as determined by DNA-DNA hybridization supports the designation of strain SEBR 4224T as a new species, Haloanaerobium congolense sp. nov. The type strain is SEBR 4224T (=DSM 11287).