Showing papers by "Griffith University published in 1999"
TL;DR: Cutaneous squamous- cell carcinoma, but not basal-cell carcinoma seems to be amenable to prevention through the routine use of sunscreen by adults for 4.5 years, and there was no beneficial or harmful effect on the rates of either type of skin cancer, as a result of betacarotene supplementation.
872 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used two basic approaches to assess stream ecosystem response to catchment disturbance and, particularly, to the loss of riparian vegetation in different forested biomes across Australia.
Abstract: SUMMARY 1. Measurements of ecological patterns are often used as primary biological indicators of river health. However, these patterns provide little information about important stream ecosystem processes (e.g. the sources and fate of energy and nutrients). The direct measurement of these processes is considered fundamental to the determination of the health of stream and river ecosystems. 2. In this paper we used two basic approaches to assess stream ecosystem response to catchment disturbance and, particularly, to the loss of riparian vegetation in different forested biomes across Australia. Benthic gross primary production (GPP) and respiration (R24) provided measures of the amounts of organic carbon produced and consumed within the system, respectively. Stable isotope analysis was used to trace the fate of terrestrial and instream sources of organic matter in the aquatic food web. In a focal catchment in SE Queensland, additional measurements were taken of riparian attributes, catchment features and water quality. 3. Baseline measurements of GPP and R24 from undisturbed forest streams provided reference values for healthy streams for comparison with sites where the catchment or riparian vegetation had been disturbed. These values of metabolism were low by world standards in all biomes examined. Preliminary data from the Mary River catchment in SE Queensland indicated that these parameters were sensitive to variations in riparian canopy cover and, to a lesser extent, catchment clearing, and predictive models were developed. The ratio P : R (GPP : R24) was used to determine whether sites were net consumers (P R) of carbon but this was not considered a reliable indicator of stream health on its own. 4. Although forest streams were typically net consumers of carbon (P << R), stable isotope analysis of metazoan food webs indicated a high dependence on inconspicuous epilithic algae in some biomes. 5. A dramatic decline in the health of forest streams was observed when GPP substantially exceeded R24, especially when instream primary producers shifted from palatable unicellular algae to prolific filamentous green algae and macrophytes. These sources of instream production do not appear to enter aquatic food webs, either directly through grazing or indirectly through a detrital loop. Accumulation of these plants has led to changes in channel morphology, loss of aquatic habitat and often a major decline in water quality in some of the streams studied.
507 citations
TL;DR: The short form of the Sense of Community Index (SCI) was assessed in terms of the four dimensions of psychological sense of community (PSC) proposed by McMillan and Chavis (1986).
Abstract: The short form of the Sense of Community Index (SCI) (Chavis, Hogge, McMillan, & Wandersman, 1986) was assessed in terms of the four dimensions of psychological sense of community (PSC) proposed by McMillan and Chavis (1986). Four sets of data were used. They measured PSC in the neighborhood for adults and adolescents, and workplace PSC for adults, using true/false and three-point response formats. Reliabilities for the total SCI scores ranged from .64 to .69. Most subscale reliabilities were below acceptable levels, ranging from a low of .16 to a high of .72. Factor analyses showed some support for the existence of the four dimensions of the McMillan and Chavis PSC model in the SCI. However, they were not consistent across data sets. Further work to develop the SCI as a measure representative of the PSC model is outlined, with implications for adult and adolescent populations. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
395 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the results of a study which offers an explanation for the relationship between intensity of market competition and business unit performance, by incorporating into the model managers use of the information provided by the management accounting system (MAS).
331 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, Australian marine algae (Durvillaea potatorum and Ecklonia radiata) based biosorbents were developed and studied for their heavy metal removal properties from aqueous solutions.
309 citations
TL;DR: The initial stages of validation of the 64-item Test of Performance Strategies, a self-report instrument designed to measure the psychological skills and strategies used by athletes in competition and during practice, are reported.
Abstract: We report the initial stages of validation of the 64-item Test of Performance Strategies, a self-report instrument designed to measure the psychological skills and strategies used by athletes in competition and during practice. Data were obtained from a sample of 472 athletes competing across a range of performance standards in a wide variety of sports. Exploratory factor analyses of their responses produced eight competition strategy subscales and eight practice strategy subscales,each consisting of four items.Internal consistencies of the subscales ranged from 0.66 to 0.81 (x=0.75). Correlations among strategies were examined within and between performance contexts. Subgroups defined by age, sex and current standard of performance in sport differed significantly in their psychological skills and strategies.
288 citations
TL;DR: The authors investigated the use of reflective journals to facilitate student learning during a teacher education practicum and found that students found it easier to write an experiential than a cognitive journal, there were no overall differences in the quality of reflection achieved under the two conditions.
Abstract: This paper investigates the use of reflective journals to facilitate student learning during a teacher education practicum. Thirty‐five student teachers undertaking a 1‐year Graduate Diploma of Education submitted weekly journal entries during their 11‐week practicum and were interviewed at several stages about their educational beliefs and practices. Students were randomly assigned to four intervention conditions which varied the content of journalling (experiential or cognitive) and the context (provision of reflective dialogue based on journal entries or self‐analysis). The evidence reported here includes the focus and level of students’ reflections, the effects of the intervention conditions, and students’ perceptions of the value of journalling. Although there was some evidence that students found it easier to write an experiential than a cognitive journal, there were no overall differences in the quality of reflection achieved under the two conditions. Students receiving supervised dialogue...
288 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, a study was conducted on a cohort of Australian and international students to measure student satisfaction of the assessment process and found that there were high levels of student satisfaction with groupwork and in the adopted assessment method.
Abstract: The efficiency and effectiveness of learning outcomes in groupwork and in peer assessment is well attested in the higher education literature. However, there is little evidence that any quantitative measures of student satisfaction have been undertaken with the group process and peer assessment. In this paper a peer assessment method is explained and a study detailed which was undertaken on a cohort of 261 students to measure student satisfaction of the assessment process. It was found that there were high levels of student satisfaction with groupwork and in the adopted assessment method. Further analysis revealed that there were no effects on the levels of satisfaction of students with the independent variables gender and age. Yet, there was a fairly significant difference in the levels of satisfaction of students having work experience favouring those without. Finally, there was found to be a substantial difference in the levels of satisfaction between Australian and international students with...
272 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the adsorption capacity of pre-treated biomass of D. potatorum was investigated and it was shown that pre-treatment of the native biomass with calcium chloride and subsequent thermal treatment considerably improved the swelling properties and physical stability of the biomass granules.
269 citations
TL;DR: Fitting of parasitaemia and anaemia data from neurosyphilis patients undergoing malaria therapy to a mathematical model shows that in these patients, an average of 8.5 erythrocytes were destroyed in addition to each ERYthrocyte observed to become parasitized, and showed that dyserythropoiesis plays an insignificant role in the resulting anaemia.
Abstract: While anaemia has long been recognized as a consequence of acute infections with malaria, the relative contributions of direct erythrocyte destruction by parasites, destruction of uninfected erythrocytes and changes in erythropoiesis have been unclear. Fitting of parasitaemia and anaemia data from neurosyphilis patients undergoing malaria therapy to a mathematical model shows that in these patients, an average of 8.5 erythrocytes were destroyed in addition to each erythrocyte observed to become parasitized. The model also showed that dyserythropoiesis plays an insignificant role in the resulting anaemia. The anaemia occurs before a substantial antibody response to parasites or erythrocytes could be generated. We postulate that uninfected erythrocyte destruction occurs through phagocytosis of erythrocytes bound to merozoites killed as a result of the accompanying malaria paroxysms.
244 citations
TL;DR: The authors argue that the Chaos/Complexity perspective provides a potentially useful alternative framework for providing insights into the underlying dynamics of tourism development and a case study involving the examination of entrepreneurial activity on the Gold Coast in Australia is used for illustrative purposes.
TL;DR: The results indicated that the biomass of the marine algae is suitable for the development of efficient biosorbents for the removal and recovery of heavy metals from waste water.
TL;DR: This project aimed to evaluate the impact of a home visiting programme that targeted families where the child was at great risk of poor health and developmental outcomes.
Abstract: Objective: This project aimed to evaluate the impact of a home visiting programme that targeted families where the child, for environmental reasons, was at great risk of poor health and developmental outcomes.
Methodology: Women in the immediate postpartum period were recruited to a randomized double-blind controlled trial on the basis of self-reported vulnerability factors and were randomly assigned to receive either a structured programme of nurse home visiting, supported by a social worker and paediatrician (n = 90), or assigned to a comparison group receiving standard community child health services (n = 91). Parenting stress and maternal depression were measured at enrolment and at 6 weeks. Preventive health behaviour, service satisfaction and home environment outcomes were tested at 6 weeks, as were child health outcomes.
Results: At six weeks, women receiving the home-based programme had significant reductions in postnatal depression screening scores as well as improvements in their experience of the parental role and improvement in the ability to maintain their own identity. Maternal–infant interactions were more likely to be positive, with significantly higher (better) scores in aspects of the home environment related to optimal development in children, particularly maternal–infant secure attachment. Intervention group mothers were significantly more satisfied with the community child health service.
Conclusions: This form of intervention for families is effective in promoting secure maternal–infant attachment, preventing maternal mood disorder and is welcomed by the families receiving it. These findings may predict long-term benefits for the healthy development of children otherwise at risk of a range of poor health and development outcomes.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present two basic quadratic programming approaches for identifying those funds that are strictly dominated, regardless of the weighting on the different time horizons being considered, relative to their mean returns and risks.
Abstract: With over 6500 mutual funds available to investors, industry data show that consumers pay a great deal of attention to the ratings of mutual funds. In spite of this attention, however, much controversy surrounds the various industry approaches to the rating of mutual funds. Many industry rating approaches use subjective weights to integrate fund performances over different time horizons; this can give rise to quite different ratings, depending upon the relative importances assigned to different horizons. In this paper, we present two basic quadratic programming approaches for identifying those funds that are strictly dominated, regardless of the weightings on the different time horizons being considered, relative to their mean returns and risks. This effort can be viewed as a novel application of the philosophy of data envelopment analysis, a relatively new, non-parametric frontier estimation technique which focuses on estimating `radial' contraction/expansion potentials. These approaches eliminate any need for subjective tradeoffs, vis-a-vis the importance or meaningfulness of performances over the different horizons. Finally, much useful sensitivity information is automatically provided. Also, in contrast to many studies of mutual fund performance, our approaches endogenously determine a custom-tailored benchmark portfolio to which each mutual fund's performance is compared. All of our approaches are illustrated on a sample of twenty-six actual mutual funds.
TL;DR: In this article, a review of the literature on brand loyalty, destination choice and repeat visitation behavior is presented, which suggests that there is a close linkage between previous destination purchase history and future purchase behavior.
Abstract: Successfully predicting tourism destination choice by potential travellers would be an invaluable advantage to managers and marketers. This paper reviews the literature on brand loyalty, destination choice and repeat visitation behaviour. Based on this review it argues that previous destination choice over a long time period would provide the necessary information to segment (potential) tourists into loyalty segments which in turn will provide destination marketers with valuable information for more cost-effective target marketing. While this article does not test the predictive value of the loyalty typology, it suggests that there is a close linkage between previous destination purchase history and future purchase behaviour.
TL;DR: In this article, the academic adjustment and learning processes of international and local first-year students were examined, and the impact of particular teaching processes were considered, and implications for teaching and learning in the first year were discussed.
Abstract: This article examines the academic adjustment and learning processes of international and local first‐year students. Twenty first‐year local and international students participated in a semi‐structured interview study upon the completion of their first year in a Faculty of Commerce and Management. Students reported positive and negative critical incidents which helped or hindered their learning during the first year. In addition, students described their feelings, thoughts and behaviours in relation to these incidents. Critical incidents were coded, themes identified, and comparisons made across local and international student groups. The impact of particular teaching processes are considered, and implications for teaching and learning in the first year are discussed.
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance efficiency of the wetlands and nutrient bioaccumulation in wetland plants were examined in nine pilot wetlands (eight free water surface and one subsurface flow) to treat municipal wastewater.
TL;DR: It may be that for males the threshold for diagnosing and treating major depression needs to be lowered, and patients with a history of hospitalisation; comorbidity, especially for substance abuse; and who are male, require greater vigilance for suicide risk.
TL;DR: In this paper, the results of a survey appraising the frequency and perceived helpfulness of competitor-focused accounting practices are reported, given the limited attention afforded the subject in the management accounting literature, CFA usage has been found to be higher than what might have been reasonably anticipated.
Abstract: The results of a survey appraising the frequency and perceived helpfulness of competitor-focused accounting (CFA) practices are reported. Given the limited attention afforded the subject in the management accounting literature, CFA usage has been found to be higher than what might have been reasonably anticipated. Three factors have been found to play statistically significant contingent roles in connection with CFA usage and perceived helpfulness: company size, competitive strategy and strategic mission. Little evidence of any systematic relationship between industry type and CFA has been found.
TL;DR: In this article, a qualitative study of the environmental attitudes of young people across their final two years of secondary school in the two Australian cities of Melbourne and Brisbane was conducted. But the results showed that the ambivalence towards the environment that results, together with the individualistic frameworks for explaining environmental issues that were displayed, point to areas for renewed curriculum attention in secondary schools and directions for future research.
Abstract: SUMMARY This article presents a range of findbigs from a qualitative study of the environmental attitudes of young people across their final 2 years of secondary school in the two Australian cities of Melbourne and Brisbane. Focus groups comprising the same 16‐ to 17‐year‐old students in 12 schools were interviewed twice, 12 months apart. Several minor differences were found in the attitudes of students between the two cities, but these pale alongside the common, indeed, overwhelming feelings of environmental concern mixed with frustration, cynicism and action paralysis that were reported. The ambivalence towards the environment that results, together with the individualistic frameworks for explaining environmental issues that were displayed, point to areas for renewed curriculum attention in secondary schools and directions for future research.
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that a portion of ATM co-localizes with catalase, that ATM is present in purified mouse peroxisomes, and that there are reduced levels of ATM in the post-mitochondrial membrane fraction of cells from a patient with a peroxISome biogenesis disorder.
TL;DR: Nonlinear responses of larval fish to their noisy physical environment may offer a general explanation for the erratic, often episodic, replenishment of open marine populations.
Abstract: The lack of a clear relationship between spawning output and recruitment success continues to confound attempts to understand and manage temporally variable fish populations. This relationship for a common reef fish is shown to be obscured by nonlinear processes in operation during the larval phase. Nonlinear responses of larval fish to their noisy physical environment may offer a general explanation for the erratic, often episodic, replenishment of open marine populations.
TL;DR: Various ways in which authentic assessment is being interpreted are explored and the relationship between these different interpretations and the original focus of authenticity in learning are explored.
Abstract: The term 'authentic assessment' has recently gained widespread use in education. This paper explores various ways in which authentic assessment is being interpreted and the relationship between these different interpretations and the original focus of authenticity in learning. The paper explores briefly the ways in which implicit and explicit beliefs about the nature of learning and knowledge formation direct the ways in which authentic assessment is interpreted and used. Educational issues that arise from some implementations of authentic assessment, identified as camouflage, simulation and abstraction, are discussed. The need for authentic assessment to be contextualised through a coherent teaching, learning and assessment domain is stressed.
TL;DR: The results suggest that specific alleles of the VDR gene located near the 3′ region may identify an increased risk for breast cancer and justify further investigation of the role of VDR in breast cancer.
Abstract: Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among Australian women and its incidence is annually increasing. Genetic factors are involved in the complex etiology of breast cancer. The seco-steroid hormone, 1.25 dihydroxy vitamin D3 can influence breast cancer cell growth in vitro. A number of studies have reported correlations between vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene polymorphisms and several diseases including prostate cancer and osteoporosis. In breast cancer, low vitamin D levels in serum are correlated with disease progression and bone metastases, a situation also noted in prostate cancer and suggesting the involvement of the VDR. In our study, 2 restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) in the 3' region (detected by Apa1 and Taq1) and an initiation codon variant in the 5' end of the VDR gene (detected by Fok1) were tested for association with breast cancer risk in 135 females with sporadic breast cancer and 110 cancer-free female controls. Allele frequencies of the 3' Apa1 polymorphism showed a significant association (p = 0.016; OR = 1.56, 95% CI = 1.09-2.24) while the Taq1 RFLP showed a similar trend (p = 0.053; OR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.00-2.00). Allele frequencies of the Fok1 polymorphism were not significantly different (p = 0.97; OR = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.69-1.43) in the study population. Our results suggest that specific alleles of the VDR gene located near the 3' region may identify an increased risk for breast cancer and justify further investigation of the role of VDR in breast cancer.
TL;DR: This article explored the relative contribution of each factor in a specific context and found that risk-reduction tendencies associated with long-haul travel, variations in mobility, multiple-benefit seeking, and information sources used by visitors prior to their trips contributed to destination marketing by enabling identification of potential multidestination marketing synergies.
Abstract: Tourists frequently undertake multidestination trips to maximize the benefits of travel. A more detailed understanding of this phenomenon contributes to destination marketing by enabling identification of potential multidestination marketing synergies. For individual destinations lacking the critical mass of attractions, such synergies provide a foundation for leveraging strategies. While research has revealed a range of factors associated with variations in travel patterns, no attempt has been made to explore the relative contribution of each factor in a specific context. Research conducted to date has focused primarily on domestic recreational travel (largely in the United States) rather than international tourism. This study uses an Australian database on international visitor travel patterns in Queensland to do this. It is revealed that risk-reduction tendencies associated with long-haul travel, variations in mobility, multiple-benefit seeking, and information sources used by visitors prior to their t...
TL;DR: In an attempt to explain data indicating CYN alone does not account for the toxicity of freeze dried cultures of C. raciborskii, the structure of an analog of CYN is purified and characterized, deoxycylindrospermopsin (deoxy‐CYN).
Abstract: Cylindrospermopsin (CYN) is a hepatotoxic alkaloid found in the blue-green alga Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii (C. raciborskii). Data indicating CYN alone does not account for the toxicity of freeze dried cultures of C. raciborskii have been presented recently. In an attempt to explain these data, we have purified and characterized the structure of an analog of CYN, deoxycylindrospermopsin (deoxy-CYN). Three mice dosed intraperitoneally (IP) with 0.8 mg/kg of deoxy-CYN showed no toxicity after 5 days. Comparison with the toxicity of CYN (5 day median lethal dose approximately 0.2 mg/kg IF) and its relative abundance in C. raciborskii suggest deoxy-CYN does not contribute significantly to the toxicity of C. raciborskii. The additional toxicity of freeze dried C. raciborskii over pure CYN, therefore, remains unexplained. (C) 1999 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors report the first microscopic (RPA) calculation of the van der Waals interaction between two self-consistent jellium metal slabs, from asymptotic separations down to full contact.
Abstract: We report the first microscopic (RPA) calculation of the van der Waals interaction between two self-consistent jellium metal slabs---from asymptotic separations down to full contact. We also present the first test of a recently proposed seamless van der Waals density functional, which reproduces the RPA results satisfactorily at all separations.
TL;DR: A review of the options available for immobilisation of biocomponents and signal generation using conducting polymer-based biosensors can be found in this article, where a range of biological moieties (enzymes, antibodies and even whole living cells) are incorporated into the polymer structure.
Abstract: Conductive electroactive polymers are materials discovered just on two decades ago. Originally heralded for their high conductivity/weight ratio, it is the unique chemical properties they possess that now arouse much attention. The ability to synthesise these materials under mild conditions enables a range of biological moieties (enzymes, antibodies and even whole living cells) to be incorporated into the polymer structure. The unique electronic properties then allow direct and interactive communication with the biochemistries incorporated to produce a range of analytical signals. This work reviews the options available for immobilisation of biocomponents and signal generation using conducting polymer-based biosensors.
TL;DR: A two-parameter Rasch rating scale model was developed to measure visual discomfort as mentioned in this paper, and it was found that participants reporting frequent severe headache, reading difficulties of a visual nature, and short effective reading times experienced more severe visual discomfort.
Abstract: A two-parameter Rasch Rating Scale model was developed to measure visual discomfort. Initially it was found that participants reporting frequent severe headache, reading difficulties of a visual nature, and short effective reading times experienced more severe visual discomfort. The validity of this measurement instrument was tested in four experiments. In Experiments 1 and 2 reports of unpleasant somatic and perceptual side-effects or ratings of unpleasantness were obtained for low, moderate, and high scorers on the Visual Discomfort Scale. It was found that those with higher scores reported a greater number of unpleasant side-effects and rated square-wave patterns across the spatial frequency range, and a letter pattern as more unpleasant and distorted to view than those with low scores on the scale. In Experiments 3 and 4 these subjective findings were extended to performance. Efficiency was measured using a copying and reading task. It was found that those obtaining high scores on the Visual Discomfor...
TL;DR: Perinatal assessment of child abuse risk is possible and simple and is related to perceived stressors at the time surrounding delivery, independent of a range of demographic variables traditionally thought to predict high risk.