RMIT University

About: RMIT University is a education organization based out in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Health care. The organization has 40468 authors who have published 82923 publications receiving 1729499 citations. The organization is also known as: Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology & Melbourne Technical College.

Perceived job insecurity as a risk factor for incident coronary heart disease: systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: To determine the association between self reported job insecurity and incident coronary heart disease. A meta-analysis combining individual level data from a collaborative consortium and published studies identified by a systematic review. We obtained individual level data from 13 cohort studies participating in the Individual-Participant-Data Meta-analysis in Working Populations Consortium. Four published prospective cohort studies were identified by searches of Medline (to August 2012) and Embase databases (to October 2012), supplemented by manual searches. Prospective cohort studies that reported risk estimates for clinically verified incident coronary heart disease by the level of self reported job insecurity. Two independent reviewers extracted published data. Summary estimates of association were obtained using random effects models. The literature search yielded four cohort studies. Together with 13 cohort studies with individual participant data, the meta-analysis comprised up to 174,438 participants with a mean follow-up of 9.7 years and 1892 incident cases of coronary heart disease. Age adjusted relative risk of high versus low job insecurity was 1.32 (95% confidence interval 1.09 to 1.59). The relative risk of job insecurity adjusted for sociodemographic and risk factors was 1.19 (1.00 to 1.42). There was no evidence of significant differences in this association by sex, age (<50 v ≥ 50 years), national unemployment rate, welfare regime, or job insecurity measure. The modest association between perceived job insecurity and incident coronary heart disease is partly attributable to poorer socioeconomic circumstances and less favourable risk factor profiles among people with job insecurity.

Design and performance of small printed antennas

Abstract: Electrically small microstrip patches incorporating shorting posts are thoroughly investigated. These antennas are suitable for mobile communications handsets where limited antenna size is a premium. Techniques to enhance the bandwidth of these antennas are presented and performance trends are established. From these trends, valuable insight to the optimum design, namely broad bandwidth, small size, and ease of manufacturing, is given.

Can sample size in qualitative research be determined a priori

Abstract: There has been considerable recent interest in methods of determining sample size for qualitative research a priori, rather than through an adaptive approach such as saturation. Extending previous literature in this area, we identify four distinct approaches to determining sample size in this way: rules of thumb, conceptual models, numerical guidelines derived from empirical studies, and statistical formulae. Through critical discussion of these approaches, we argue that each embodies one or more questionable philosophical or methodological assumptions, namely: a naive realist ontology; a focus on themes as enumerable ‘instances’, rather than in more conceptual terms; an incompatibility with an inductive approach to analysis; inappropriate statistical assumptions in the use of formulae; and an unwarranted assumption of generality across qualitative methods. We conclude that, whilst meeting certain practical demands, determining qualitative sample size a priori is an inherently problematic approach...

Burnout in relation to specific contributing factors and health outcomes among nurses: a systematic review.

Abstract: Nurses have been found to experience higher levels of stress-related burnout compared to other health care professionals. Despite studies showing that both job satisfaction and burnout are effects of exposure to stressful working environments, leading to poor health among nurses, little is known about the causal nature and direction of these relationships. The aim of this systematic review is to identify published research that has formally investigated relationships between these variables. Six databases (including CINAHL, COCHRANE, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PROQUEST and PsyINFO) were searched for combinations of keywords, a manual search was conducted and an independent reviewer was asked to cross validate all the electronically identified articles. Of the eighty five articles that were identified from these databases, twenty one articles were excluded based on exclusion criteria; hence, a total of seventy articles were included in the study sample. The majority of identified studies exploring two and three way relationships (n = 63) were conducted in developed countries. Existing research includes predominantly cross-sectional studies (n = 68) with only a few longitudinal studies (n = 2); hence, the evidence base for causality is still very limited. Despite minimal availability of research concerning the small number of studies to investigate the relationships between work-related stress, burnout, job satisfaction and the general health of nurses, this review has identified some contradictory evidence for the role of job satisfaction. This emphasizes the need for further research towards understanding causality.

Biosensors Based on Two-Dimensional MoS2

Abstract: The unique properties of two-dimensional molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS2) have so far led to immense research regarding this material’s fundamentals, applications, and, more recently, its potential for biosensing. 2D MoS2 has properties that make it of great interest for developing biosensors. These properties include large surface area, tunable energy band diagrams, a comparatively high electron mobility, photoluminescence, liquid media stability, relatively low toxicity, and intercalatable morphologies. In this Review, the current progress on 2D MoS2 based biosensors is presented and the prospects for future possibilities of expanding its applications for a variety of biosensing applications are discussed.