Griffith University

About: Griffith University is a education organization based out in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Poison control. The organization has 13830 authors who have published 49318 publications receiving 1420865 citations.

Three Gorges Project: Efforts and challenges for the environment

Abstract: The Three Gorges Project has been subject to intense debates regarding its benefits and costs. The environmental impacts of this huge project have been an important focus of these debates since the project planning stage. After the operation of the Three Gorges Dam at full capacity at the end of 2008, new environmental and ecological issues are emerging. This paper gives a brief description of the Three Gorges Project and its environmental impact assessment process, as well as major efforts to control environmental problems brought about by the project. From the long and complicated evaluation process, it is clear that there are large uncertainties and competing opinions regarding the benefits and costs, especially the ecological and environmental ones, of the project even after great research effort. Emphasis here is given to the environmental challenges including: (1) water quality control; (2) water and sediment regulation; (3) biodiversity conservation in the riparian and aquatic ecosystems; (4) environmentally friendly dam operation and regional sustainable development. Opportunities often grow out of the challenges. The Three Gorges Project provides opportunities for grand-scale experiments on the environmental, ecological, and socio-economic impacts of large dams. Local, national, and international concerted efforts and concrete actions should be directed to the mitigation and control of the negative impacts as well as securing the positive contributions of the project across scales.

The Effectiveness of Social Robots for Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies.

Abstract: Background and Objectives: Social robots may promote the health of older adults by increasing their perceived emotional support and social interaction. This review aims to summarize the effectiveness of social robots on outcomes (psychological, physiological, quality of life, or medications) of older adults from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Research Design and Methods: A mixed-method systematic review of RCTs meeting the study inclusion criteria was undertaken. Eight databases were electronically searched up to September 2017. Participants’ characteristics, intervention features, and outcome data were retrieved. The mean difference and standardized mean difference with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were synthesized to pool the effect size. Results: A total of 13 articles from 11 RCTs were identified from 2,204 articles, of which 9 studies were included in the meta-analysis. Risk of bias was relatively high in allocation concealment and blinding. Social robots appeared to have positive impacts on agitation, anxiety, and quality of life for older adults but no statistical significance was found in the meta-analysis. However, results from a narrative review indicated that social robot interactions could improve engagement, interaction, and stress indicators, as well as reduce loneliness and the use of medications for older adults. Discussion and Implications: Social robots appear to have the potential to improve the well-being of older adults, but conclusions are limited due to the lack of high-quality studies. More RCTs are recommended with larger sample sizes and rigorous study designs.

Are mangroves and seagrasses sources of organic carbon for penaeid prawns in a tropical Australian estuary? A multiple stable-isotope study

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.

Implementing 5S within a Japanese context: an integrated management system

Abstract: Purpose – Building on previous studies of the managerial application and development of the 5S concept (5S), this research aims to identify and present key concepts of 5S from a Japanese management perspective. These findings link 5S to aspects of Japanese management approach, which are aligned to an integrated management system rather than a simple management tool or technique.Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from Japanese companies that use 5S as a core management approach and use their organisational web sites to disseminate information in regard to this practise. The data were examined by the use of computer‐aided lexical analysis (Leximancer), which provided an insight into the nature of 5S within the original Japanese context.Findings – The research found several key concepts behind the Japanese approach to 5S management. These findings demonstrate the importance of both the technical (visible) and philosophical (invisible) approaches required for each of the 5S components and are d...