Showing papers by "University of Wollongong published in 2005"

Young people’s help-seeking for mental health problems

Abstract: This paper summarises an ambitious research agenda aiming to uncover the factors that affect help-seeking among young people for mental health problems. The research set out to consider why young people, and particularly young males, do not seek help when they are in psychological distress or suicidal; how professional services be made more accessible and attractive to young people; the factors that inhibit and facilitate help-seeking; and how community gatekeepers can support young people to access services to help with personal and emotional problems. A range of studies was undertaken in New South Wales, Queensland and the ACT, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches. Data from a total of 2721 young people aged 14-24 years were gathered, as well as information from some of the community gatekeepers to young people’s mental health care. Help-seeking was measured in all the studies using the General Help Seeking Questionnaire (Wilson, Deane, Ciarrochi & Rickwood, 2005), which measures future help-seeking intentions and, through supplementary questions, can also assess prior help-seeking experience. Many of the studies also measured recent help-seeking behaviour using the Actual Help Seeking Questionnaire. The types of mental health problems examined varied across the studies and included depressive symptoms, personal-emotional problems, and suicidal thoughts. The help-seeking process was conceptualised using a framework developed during the research program. This framework maintains that help-seeking is a process of translating the very personal domain of psychological distress to the interpersonal domain of seeking help. Factors that were expected to facilitate or inhibit this translation process were investigated. These included factors that determine awareness of the personal domain of psychological distress and that affect the ability to articulate or express this personal domain to others, as well as willingness to disclose mental health issues to other people. The results are reported in terms of: patterns of help-seeking across adolescence and young adulthood; the relationship of help-seeking intentions to behaviour; barriers to seeking help—lack of emotional competence, the help-negation effect related to suicidal thoughts, negative attitudes and beliefs about helpseeking and fear of stigma; and facilitators of seeking help—emotional competence, positive past experience, mental health literacy, and supportive social influences. The paper considers the implications of the findings for the development of interventions to encourage young people to seek help for their mental health problems, and concludes by identifying gaps in the help-seeking research and literature and suggesting future directions.

Atroposelective Synthesis of Axially Chiral Biaryl Compounds

Abstract: A rotationally hindered and thus stereogenic biaryl axis is the structurally and stereochemically decisive element of a steadily growing number of natural products, chiral auxiliaries, and catalysts. Thus, it is not surprising that significant advances have been made in the asymmetric synthesis of axially chiral biaryl compounds over the past decade. In addition to the classic approach (direct stereoselective aryl-aryl coupling), innovative concepts have been developed in which the asymmetric information is introduced into a preformed, but achiral-that is, symmetric or configurationally labile-biaryl compound, or in which an aryl--C single bond is stereoselectively transformed into an axis. This Review classifies these strategies according to their underlying concepts and critically evaluates their scope and limitations with reference to selected model reactions and applications. Furthermore, the preconditions required for the existence of axial chirality in biaryl compounds are discussed.

The Obesity Epidemic: Science, Morality and Ideology

Abstract: Increasing obesity levels are currently big news but do we think carefully enough about what this trend actually means? Everybody – including doctors, parents, teachers, sports clubs, businesses and governments – has a role to play in the ‘war on obesity’. But is talk of an obesity ‘crisis’ justified? Is it the product of measured scientific reasoning or age-old ‘habits of mind’? Why is it happening now? And are there potential risks associated with talking about obesity as an ‘epidemic’? The Obesity Epidemic proposes that obesity science and the popular media present a complex mix of ambiguous knowledge, familiar (yet unstated) moral agendas and ideological assumptions.

Emotional intelligence and its relationship to workplace performance outcomes of leadership effectiveness

Abstract: Purpose – This study seeks to investigate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI), personality, cognitive intelligence and leadership effectivenessDesign/methodology/approach – Senior executives (n=41) completed an ability measure of EI (MSCEIT), a measure of personality (16PF5) and a measure of cognitive ability (the Wechsler abbreviated scale of intelligence (WASI)) Leadership effectiveness was assessed using an objective measure of performance and a 360° assessment involving each leader's subordinates and direct manager (n=149)Findings – Correlational and regression analyses revealed that higher EI was associated with higher leadership effectiveness, and that EI explained variance not explained by either personality or IQOriginality/value – This paper establishes a link between EI and workplace measures of leadership effectiveness

Measuring help-seeking intentions: Properties of the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire

Abstract: Understanding help seeking intentions and behaviour is fundamental to the identification of factors that can be modified to increase engagement in counselling. Despite considerable research on these variables, integrating prior research has been impeded by a lack of consistent and psychometrically sound help-seeking measures. The General Help-Seeking Questionnaire (GHSQ) was developed to assess intentions to seek help from different sources and for different problems. Using a sample of 218 high school students, the GHSQ was found to have satisfactory reliability and validity, and appears to be a flexible measure of help-seeking intentions that can be applied to a range of contexts.

The collaboration index: a measure for supply chain collaboration

Abstract: Purpose – This paper proposes an instrument to measure the extent of collaboration in a supply chain consisting of two members, suppliers and retailers.Design/methodology/approach – The proposed model for collaboration incorporates collaborative practices in information sharing, decision synchronisation and incentive alignment. A collaboration index is introduced to measure the level of collaborative practices. A survey of companies in New Zealand was conducted to obtain data to test and evaluate the collaboration index.Findings – The survey results confirmed the reliability and validity of the proposed collaboration index measure for measuring collaboration. The findings also showed that the collaboration index was positively associated with operational performance.Research limitations/implications – Future research could consider larger sample sizes and cover other industry types.Practical implications – Supply chain participants will be able to measure the extent of their collaboration and seek improve...

The heating of gas in a galaxy cluster by X-ray cavities and large-scale shock fronts

Abstract: Most of the baryons in galaxy clusters reside between the galaxies in a hot, tenuous gas The densest gas in their centres should cool and accrete onto giant central galaxies at rates of 10-1,000 solar masses per year No viable repository for this gas, such as clouds or new stars, has been found New X-ray observations, however, have revealed far less cooling below X-ray temperatures than expected, altering the previously accepted picture of cooling flows As a result, most of the gas must be heated to and maintained at temperatures above approximately 2 keV (ref 3) The most promising heating mechanism is powerful radio jets emanating from supermassive black holes in the central galaxies of clusters Here we report the discovery of giant cavities and shock fronts in a distant (z = 022) cluster caused by an interaction between a radio source and the hot gas surrounding it The energy involved is approximately 6 x 10(61) erg, the most powerful radio outburst known This is enough energy to quench a cooling flow for several Gyr, and to provide approximately 1/3 keV per particle of heat to the surrounding cluster

Pharmaceutical Retention Mechanisms by Nanofiltration Membranes

Abstract: This study investigates the retention mechanisms of three pharmaceuticals-sulfamethoxazole, carbamazepine, and ibuprofen-by nanofiltration (NF) membranes. Laboratory-scale experiments were carried out with two well-characterized NF membranes, with the goal of relating pharmaceutical retention behavior to membrane characteristics, physicochemical properties of the pharmaceutical molecules, and solution chemistry. Results show that retention of pharmaceuticals by a tight NF membrane is dominated by steric (size) exclusion, whereas both electrostatic repulsion and steric exclusion govern the retention of ionizable pharmaceuticals by a loose NF membrane. In the latter case, speciation of pharmaceuticals may lead to a dramatic change in retention as a function of pH, with much greater retention observed for ionized, negatively charged pharmaceuticals. For uncharged pharmaceutical species, intrinsic physicochemical properties of the pharmaceutical molecules can substantially affect their retention. In its neutral form, ibuprofen adsorbs considerably to the membrane because of its relatively high hydrophobicity. Similarly, polarity (represented by the dipole moment) can influence the separation of molecules that are cylindrical in shape because they can be directed to approach the membrane pores head-on due to attractive interaction between the molecule polar centers and fixed charged groups on the membrane surface. This phenomenon is probably inherent for high dipole moment organic compounds, and the governing retention mechanism remains steric in nature.

Design research: A socially responsible approach to instructional technology research in higher education

Abstract: DESIGN RESEARCH has grown in importance since it was first conceptualized in the early 90s, but it has not been adopted for research in instructional technology in higher education to any great extent. Many researchers continue to conduct studies that principally seek to determine the effectiveness of the delivery medium, rather than the instructional strategies and tasks. This article explores the various incentives for conducting research on the impact of computing and other technologies in higher education, examines the social relevance of that research, and recommends design research as a particularly appropriate approach to socially responsible inquiry. A description of the characteristics of design research is given, together with an argument for the more widespread adoption of this approach to enhance the quality and usefulness of research in computers and other technologies in education.

Accumulators from bilinear pairings and applications

Abstract: We propose a dynamic accumulator scheme from bilinear pairings and use it to construct an identity-based (ID-based) ring signature scheme with constant-size signatures and to provide membership revocation to group signature schemes, identity escrow schemes and anonymous credential systems. The ID-based ring signature scheme and the group signature scheme have very short signature sizes. The size of our group signatures with membership revocation is only half the size of those in the well-known ACJT00 scheme, which does not provide membership revocation. The schemes do not require trapdoor, so system parameters can be shared by multiple groups belonging to different organizations. All schemes are provably secure in formal models. We generalize the definition of accumulators and provide formal models for ID-based ad-hoc anonymous identification schemes and identity escrow schemes with membership revocation.

Public Key Encryption with Keyword Search Revisited.

Abstract: The public key encryption with keyword search (PEKS) scheme recently proposed by Boneh, Di Crescenzo, Ostrovsky, and Persiano enables one to search encrypted keywords without compromising the security of the original data. In this paper, we address three important issues of a PEKS scheme, “refreshing keywords”, “removing secure channel”, and “processing multiple keywords”, which have not been considered in Boneh et. al.’s paper. We argue that care must be taken when keywords are used frequently in the PEKS scheme as this situation might contradict the security of PEKS. We then point out the inefficiency of the original PEKS scheme due to the use of the secure channel. We resolve this problem by constructing an efficient PEKS scheme that removes secure channel. Finally, we propose a PEKS scheme that encrypts multiple keywords efficiently.

Consumer understanding and use of health claims for foods.

Abstract: Health claims for foods are permitted in an increasing number of countries, but there are very few studies evaluating their effect on purchase behavior and consumer health. There are significant differences between countries but, in general, consumers see health claims as useful; they prefer short, succinct wording rather than long and complex claims; and they believe that claims should be approved by the government. Consumers view a food as healthier if it carries a health claim and this “halo” effect may discourage them from seeking further nutrition information. Consumers do not clearly distinguish between nutrient content, structure-function, and health claims. There is some evidence that the use of health claims improves the quality of dietary choices and knowledge of diet-disease relationships.

The pros and cons of RFID in supply chain management

Abstract: This paper presents the pros and cons of using radio-frequency identification (RFID) in supply chain management (SCM). While RFID has a greater number of benefits than its predecessor, the bar code, it currently comes at a price that many businesses still consider prohibitive. On the one hand, RFID is advantageous because it does not require line-of-sight scanning, it acts to reduce labor levels, enhances visibility, and improves inventory management. On the other hand, RFID is presently a costly solution, lacking standardization, it has a small number of suppliers developing end-to-end solutions, suffers from some adverse deployment issues, and is clouded by privacy concerns. Irrespective of these factors, the ultimate aim of RFID in SCM is to see the establishment of item-level tracking which should act to revolutionize SCM practices, introducing another level of efficiencies never before seen.

Dietary fats and membrane function: implications for metabolism and disease

Abstract: Lipids play varied and critical roles in metabolism, with function dramatically modulated by the individual fatty acid moities in complex lipid entities. In particular, the fatty acid composition of membrane lipids greatly influences membrane function. Here we consider the role of dietary fatty acid profile on membrane composition and, in turn, its impact on prevalent disease clusters of the metabolic syndrome and mental illness. Applying the classical physiological conformer-regulator paradigm to quantify the influence of dietary fats on membrane lipid composition (i.e. where the membrane variable is plotted against the same variable in the environment--in this case dietary fats), membrane lipid composition appears as a predominantly regulated parameter. Membranes remain relatively constant in their saturated (SFA) and monounsaturated (MUFA) fatty acid levels over a wide range of dietary variation for these fatty acids. Membrane composition was found to be more responsive to n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) levels in the diet and most sensitive to n-3 PUFA and to the n-3/n-6 ratio. These differential responses are probably due to the fact that both n-6 and n-3 PUFA classes cannot be synthesised de novo by higher animals. Diet-induced modifications in membrane lipid composition are associated with changes in the rates of membrane-linked cellular processes that are major contributors to energy metabolism. For example, in the intrinsic activity of fundamental processes such as the Na+/K+ pump and proton pump-leak cycle. Equally, dietary lipid profile impacts substantially on diseases of the metabolic syndrome with evidence accruing for changes in metabolic rate and neuropeptide regulation (thus influencing both sides of the energy balance equation), in second messenger generation and in gene expression influencing a range of glucose and lipid handling pathways. Finally, there is a growing literature relating changes in dietary fatty acid profile to many aspects of mental health. The understanding of dietary lipid profile and its influence on membrane function in relation to metabolic dysregulation has exciting potential for the prevention and treatment of a range of prevalent disease states.

Reversible thermoelectric nanomaterials

Abstract: A nanostructured thermoelectric material is described. There is a spatial variation in temperature between a first end (108) and a second end (109, 110) of the material. The material has a substantially delta-like density of states (DOS) and a spatial variation in an energy gap between a central energy of the DOS and a quasi-Fermi energy of the material is proportional to the spatial variation in temperature such that the Seebeck coefficient of the material is substantially spatially invariant. The spatial variation in the energy gap may be determined by inhomogeneous doping (7) or by a spatial variation in the energy of the miniband (102, 104) of the material.

Doing Discourse Analysis

Abstract: My hope in writing this chapter is to generate enthusiasm for geographical research employing discourse analysis. My intention is to provide some advice on doing discourse analysis to facilitale the design of research. I first outline why some geographers have been inspired by this approach. I suggest how Foucauldian discourse analysis is a break from other critical methods applied to textual analysis, including content analysis, semiology, and iconography. The theoretical underpinnings of the method provided by Michel Foucault, a French poststructuralist philosopher, is a key source of difference. I therefore condense Michel Foucault's contribution to discourse analysis by sketching out his key theoretical concepts and their methodological implications. To discuss the methodological implications 0f doing discourse analysis I draw upon the advice of feminist geographer Gillian Rose and linguist Norman Fairclough. I provide a list of questions to help implement a Foucauldian approach to discourse analysis and illustrate their implications lor 'doing' geography by drawing upon examples. This chapter should therefore be read only as an appetiser as there are many forms of discourse analysis. The suggested readings provide a much larger selection of the theoretical and methodological possibilities.

Cultural Economy: A Critical Review

Abstract: This article reviews work on `cultural economy', particularly from within geography, and from other disciplines, where there are links to overtly geographical debates. We seek to clarify different ...

Enhanced stiffness modeling, identification and characterization for robot manipulators

Abstract: This paper presents the enhanced stiffness modeling and analysis of robot manipulators, and a methodology for their stiffness identification and characterization. Assuming that the manipulator links are infinitely stiff, the enhanced stiffness model contains: 1) the passive and active stiffness of the joints and 2) the active stiffness created by the change in the manipulator configuration, and by external force vector acting upon the manipulator end point. The stiffness formulation not accounting for the latter is known as conventional stiffness formulation, which is obviously not complete and is valid only when: 1) the manipulator is in an unloaded quasistatic configuration and 2) the manipulator Jacobian matrix is constant throughout the workspace. The experimental system considered in this study is a Motoman SK 120 robot manipulator with a closed-chain mechanism. While the deflection of the manipulator end point under a range of external forces is provided by a high precision laser measurement system, a wrist force/torque sensor measures the external forces. Based on the experimental data and the enhanced stiffness model, the joint stiffness values are first identified. These stiffness values are then used to prove that conventional stiffness modeling is incomplete. Finally, they are employed to characterize stiffness properties of the robot manipulator. It has been found that although the component of the stiffness matrix differentiating the enhanced stiffness model from the conventional one is not always positive definite, the resulting stiffness matrix can still be positive definite. This follows that stability of the stiffness matrix is not influenced by this stiffness component. This study contributes to the previously reported work from the point of view of using the enhanced stiffness model for stiffness identification, verification and characterization, and of new experimental results proving that the conventional stiffness matrix is not complete and is valid under certain assumptions.

Further evidence for small-bodied hominins from the Late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia

Abstract: The discovery of a small-bodied hominin from the late Pleistocene of Flores, Indonesia, caused a great deal of interest. Its classification as a new species was controversial, but now there is more evidence for the endemic human species, Homo floresiensis. The remains excavated at Liang Bua on Flores include another tiny adult mandible, 15,000 years old, and the right arm bones of the original find, known as LB1. The new findings confirm the presence of a long-term dwarfed population from before 74,000 to 12,000 years ago and argue against the idea that LB1 was an individual with a growth disorder. There is also evidence for the use of fire, and butchery of the mammoth-like Stegodon. Homo floresiensis was recovered from Late Pleistocene deposits on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, but has the stature, limb proportions and endocranial volume of African Pliocene Australopithecus1. The holotype of the species (LB1), excavated in 2003 from Liang Bua, consisted of a partial skeleton minus the arms. Here we describe additional H. floresiensis remains excavated from the cave in 2004. These include arm bones belonging to the holotype skeleton, a second adult mandible, and postcranial material from other individuals. We can now reconstruct the body proportions of H. floresiensis with some certainty. The finds further demonstrate that LB1 is not just an aberrant or pathological individual, but is representative of a long-term population that was present during the interval 95–74 to 12 thousand years ago. The excavation also yielded more evidence for the depositional history of the cave and for the behavioural capabilities of H. floresiensis, including the butchery of Stegodon and use of fire.

Principal leadership for outstanding educational outcomes

Abstract: Purpose – Aims to explore the role of Principals in producing outstanding education outcomes in Years 7 to 10 in New South Wales (Australia) government schools.Design/methodology/approach – Sites where “outstanding” educational outcomes were believed to be occurring were selected using a variety of data including performance in standardised tests, public examinations, various value added measures and nominations from various stakeholders. Sites were of two types: subject departments responsible for teaching certain subjects and teams responsible for cross‐school programs in Years 7 to 10. Sites were selected to be broadly representative. Some schools had more than one site, e.g. Mathematics and Student Welfare. A total of 50 sites across NSW from 38 secondary schools were studied.Findings – With both subject departments and teams responsible for cross‐school programs, leadership was found to be a key factor in the achievement of outstanding educational outcomes. Often, this leadership was exercised by the...

Atropselektive Synthese axial‐chiraler Biaryle

Abstract: Eine rotationsgehinderte und dadurch stereogene Biarylachse ist das strukturell und stereochemisch entscheidende Element einer standig wachsenden Zahl von Naturstoffen, chiralen Auxiliaren und Katalysatoren. Daher ist es nicht uberraschend, dass im letzten Jahrzehnt bedeutende Fortschritte in der asymmetrischen Synthese axial-chiraler Biaryle erzielt worden sind. Neben dem klassischen Zugangsweg, der direkten Aryl-Aryl-Kupplung, sind innovative Konzepte entwickelt worden, in denen die asymmetrische Information in ein schon vorhandenes, aber nicht optisch aktives – symmetrisches oder konfigurativ labiles – Biaryl eingefuhrt oder eine Aryl-C-Einfachbindung stereoselektiv in eine Achse umgewandelt wird. In diesem Aufsatz werden die Strategien nach den zugrunde liegenden Konzepten klassifiziert, und ihre Anwendungsbreite und ihre Beschrankungen werden anhand ausgewahlter Beispiele kritisch beurteilt. Ferner werden die Voraussetzungen fur das Auftreten von Axialchiralitat diskutiert.

On the security of certificateless signature schemes from asiacrypt 2003

Abstract: In traditional digital signature schemes, certificates signed by a trusted party are required to ensure the authenticity of the public key. In Asiacrypt 2003, the concept of certificateless signature scheme was introduced. In the new paradigm, the necessity of certificates has been successfully removed. The security model for certificateless cryptography was also introduced in the same paper. However, as we shall show in this paper, the proposed certificateless signature is insecure in their defined model. We provide an attack that can successfully forge a certificateless signature in their model. We also fix this problem by proposing a new scheme.

Reflections of Active Galactic Nucleus Outbursts in the Gaseous Atmosphere of M87

Abstract: We combined deep Chandra, ROSAT HRI, and XMM-Newton observations of M87 to study the impact of active galactic nucleus (AGN) outbursts on its gaseous atmosphere. Many X-ray features appear to be a direct result of repetitive AGN outbursts. In particular, the X-ray cavities around the jet and counterjet are likely due to the expansion of radio plasma, while rings of enhanced emission at 14 and 17 kpc are probably shock fronts associated with outbursts that began 1-2 × 107 yr ago. The effects of these shocks are also seen in brightenings within the prominent X-ray arms. On larger scales, ~50 kpc from the nucleus, depressions in the surface brightness may be remnants of earlier outbursts. As suggested for the Perseus Cluster by Fabian and his coauthors, our analysis of the energetics of the M87 outbursts argues that shocks may be the most significant channel for AGN energy input into the cooling-flow atmospheres of galaxies, groups, and clusters. For M87, the mean power driving the shock outburst, 2.4 × 1043 ergs s-1, is 3 times greater than the radiative losses from the entire cooling flow. Thus, even in the absence of other energy inputs, outbursts every 3 × 107 yr are sufficient to quench the flow.

The Cluster-Scale AGN Outburst in Hydra A

Abstract: Deep Chandra observations of the Hydra A Cluster reveal a feature in the X-ray surface brightness that surrounds the 330 MHz radio lobes of the AGN at the cluster center. Surface brightness profiles of this feature and its close association with the radio lobes argue strongly that it is a shock front driven by the expanding radio lobes. The Chandra image also reveals other new structure on smaller scales that is associated with the radio source, including a large cavity and filament. The shock front extends 200-300 kpc from the AGN at the cluster center, and its strength varies along the front, with Mach numbers in the range ~1.2-1.4. It is stronger where it is more distant from the cluster center, as expected for a shock driven by expanding radio lobes. Simple modeling gives an age for the shock front of ~1.4 × 108 yr and a total energy driving it of ~1061 ergs. The mean mechanical power driving the shock is comparable to quasar luminosities, well in excess of that needed to regulate the cooling core in Hydra A. This suggests that the feedback regulating cooling cores is inefficient, in that the bulk of the energy is deposited beyond the cooling core. In that case, a significant part of cluster "preheating" is a by-product of the regulation of cooling cores.