The Hydrologic Engineering Center, Corps of Engineers, has prepared a manual entitled 'Feasibility Studies for Small Scale Hydropower Additions'. The manual provides technical data and procedural guidance for the systematic... more
The Hydrologic Engineering Center, Corps of Engineers, has prepared a manual entitled 'Feasibility Studies for Small Scale Hydropower Additions'. The manual provides technical data and procedural guidance for the systematic appraisal of the viability of potential small hydropower additions and focuses upon the concepts, technology, and economic and financial issues unique to these additions. This paper presents the significant findings and conclusions that became evident from the studies performed during preparation of the manual.
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Church-based health promotion has increasingly gained attention in strategies to address health disparities. In Australia, we have limited understanding of the role of local churches in health promotion and without this, how they might be... more
Church-based health promotion has increasingly gained attention in strategies to address health disparities. In Australia, we have limited understanding of the role of local churches in health promotion and without this, how they might be involved in meaningful partnerships to tackle public health challenges. The objective of this qualitative study was to explore how churches are involved in health promotion in the state of Victoria. The research involved in-depth interviews with ministers from 30 churches in urban and rural Victoria, and case studies with 10 of these churches to enable further exploration. These case studies, conducted in 2010, included interviews with church staff, focus groups with volunteers, participant observation and document analysis. Analysis was iterative, utilising open, axial and thematic coding. Three different expressions of church - traditional, new modern and emerging - were identified and found to differentiate the levels and types of health promotion activity. Case studies illustrate the different expressions of how church mission influences health promotion activity. The traditional churches were involved particularly in disease screening and health education activities with their own, predominantly older congregation members. The new modern churches tended to have the material and human resources to be harnessed in health promotion activities involving congregation members and others. Emerging churches, in contrast, engaged in broad health-promoting activities, including disease prevention, lifestyle activities and socio-ecological approaches at a community level. These research findings highlight the opportunities and challenges of engaging with local churches in health promotion efforts and public health programmes to address health inequities.
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The genotoxicity of a library of 70 flavour and fragrance substances having a high proportion of in vivo and/or carcinogenicity test data has been assessed using the GADD45a-GLuc 'BlueScreen HC' genotoxicity assay, with and... more
The genotoxicity of a library of 70 flavour and fragrance substances having a high proportion of in vivo and/or carcinogenicity test data has been assessed using the GADD45a-GLuc 'BlueScreen HC' genotoxicity assay, with and without exogenous metabolic activation. There are only limited genotoxicity and carcinogenicity study data for compounds in this applicability domain, but this study allowed the following conclusions: (i) The BlueScreen HC results are highly predictive of positive results from regulator-required in vitro genotoxicity assays for the test set of materials; the moderate negative predictivity of BlueScreen HC from the in vitro test set of material is mainly due to the high rate of false positive in regulatory in vitro mammalian tests. (ii) BlueScreen HC negative results are predictive of negative in vivo results and provide a specific prediction of in vivo genotoxicity assay results. (iii) In this applicability domain, which comprises a large proportion of re...
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ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to review the four stages of approval and describe the process of building certification. It reviews a sample of the inspection and certification records of 109 houses in south-east... more
ABSTRACT Purpose ‐ The purpose of this paper is to review the four stages of approval and describe the process of building certification. It reviews a sample of the inspection and certification records of 109 houses in south-east Queensland and analyses their progress through each of the stages. The incidence of minor faults and failures is examined, together with requests for further information. Trends in these incidents are enumerated, described and analysed with a view to improving the process. Design/methodology/approach ‐ Access to a private certifier's inspection data base was given and 109 houses were randomly selected. All the houses were built in 2010 in south-east Queensland from the Gold Coast, Brisbane and stretching up to the Sunshine Coast. The full range of inspections was conducted to completion. The records of each house inspection at each of the stages were examined, with the detailed notes of each inspection reviewed and analysed. The inspector's notes were often extensive and detailed and the authors condensed these down into the main causes of problems in approval for that stage. Findings ‐ The results provide an insight into the process of building approval with documentation required to ensure its integrity and satisfactory completion. A summary of the results provides an insight into this performance. Practical implications ‐ The building control and certification system is working well and the regulations, codes and trained personnel are maintaining high standards of construction and safety. Social implications ‐ Safer and better quality house construction should lead to greater consumer satisfaction and confidence in the community. Originality/value ‐ This is the first time that such a study of the private certification process has been undertaken in Australia.
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... Australia; Pyap lagoon, Lake Bonney, Big Toolunka, Noonawirra, Devon Downs North and Purnong (Saltbush Flat). ... wetlands (Pyap Lagoon, Lake Bonney, Big Toolunka, Noonawirra, Devon Downs North and Purnong) were at pool level. ...
ABSTRACT Scotland's peat landscapes are desirable locations for wind-based renewables due to high wind resources and low land use pressures in these areas. The environmental impact of sitting wind-based renewables on peats... more
ABSTRACT Scotland's peat landscapes are desirable locations for wind-based renewables due to high wind resources and low land use pressures in these areas. The environmental impact of sitting wind-based renewables on peats however, is unknown. Globally, peatlands are important terrestrial carbon stores. Given the topical nature of carbon-related issues, e.g. global warming and carbon footprints, it is imperative we help mitigate their degradation and maintain carbon sequestration. To do so, we need to better understand how peatland systems function with regards to their carbon balance (export versus sequestration) so we can assess their resilience and adaptation to hosting land-based renewable energy projects. Predicting carbon lost as a result of construction of wind farms built on peatland has not been fully characterised and this research will provide data that can supplement current 'carbon payback calculator' models for wind farms that aim to reinforce their 'green' credentials. Transfer of carbon from the terrestrial peatland systems to the aquatic freshwater and oceanic systems is most predominant during periods of high rainfall. It has been estimated that 50% of carbon is exported during only 10% of highest river flows, (Hinton et al., 1998). Furthermore, carbon export from peatlands is known to have a seasonal aspect with highest concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) found mostly in late summer months of August and September and lowest in December and January, (Dawson et al., 2004). Event sampling, where high intensity sample collection is carried out during high river flow periods, offers a better insight, understanding and estimation of carbon aquatic fluxes from peatland landscapes. The Gordonbush estate, near Brora, has an extensive peatland area where a wind farm development has recently been completed (April 2012). Investigations of aquatic carbon fluxes from this peatland system were started in July 2010, in conjunction with the start of construction of the 35-turbine wind farm, with a strong focus on event sampling. Fieldwork and sample collection is due to continue until at least September 2013 but data collated so far shows seasonal differences of carbon export from similar sized hydrological events. In addition, event sampling has highlighted the different characteristics between DOC and POC export as well as their contribution to the overall aquatic carbon flux. Phosphorous and nitrate concentrations have also been analysed and their export regimes and interactions with carbon export will also be discussed.
A capacitively coupled microwave plasma (CMP) operating at 800 W was examined for the direct determination of cadmium in solids. The laboratory-constructed system contained a tungsten cup electrode capable of holding microsample... more
A capacitively coupled microwave plasma (CMP) operating at 800 W was examined for the direct determination of cadmium in solids. The laboratory-constructed system contained a tungsten cup electrode capable of holding microsample quantities. A low-powered plasma was used to heat the sample, while at higher powers the plasma was used for sample vaporization and excitation. This plasma enabled thermal vaporization
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This paper presents SERSE - SEmantic Routing SystEm- a distributed multi-agent system composed of specialised agents that provides robust and ef- ficient gathering and aggregation of digital content from di verse resources. The agents... more
This paper presents SERSE - SEmantic Routing SystEm- a distributed multi-agent system composed of specialised agents that provides robust and ef- ficient gathering and aggregation of digital content from di verse resources. The agents composing SERSE use ontological descriptions to search and retrieve se- mantically annotated knowledge sources, by maintaining a semantic index of the instances of the annotation ontology.
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... Brenda Harger, David Jimison, Eben Myers, Ben Smith, and Shanna Tellerman ... we discuss the application of Theatrical Improvisa-tional Techniques to address game design challenges of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs), and we... more
... Brenda Harger, David Jimison, Eben Myers, Ben Smith, and Shanna Tellerman ... we discuss the application of Theatrical Improvisa-tional Techniques to address game design challenges of Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs), and we suggest how applying these ...
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There is increasing pressure to address the social determinants of health (SDoH) and health inequities through the implementation of culturally acceptable interventions particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where health outcomes are... more
There is increasing pressure to address the social determinants of health (SDoH) and health inequities through the implementation of culturally acceptable interventions particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where health outcomes are generally poor. Available evaluation research on cash transfers (CTs) suggests that the programs may influence the wider determinants of health in SSA; yet, there has been no attempt to synthesize the evidence regarding their contribution to tackling the SDoH and health inequalities. To date, nearly all the reviews on CTs' impact on health have predominantly featured evidence from Latin America with limited transferability to the social, cultural, and political environments in SSA. Therefore, the aim of this study is to undertake a systematic review to assess the role of CTs in tackling the wider determinants of health and health inequalities in SSA. A systematic review of published and unpublished literature on CTs' impact on health and health determinants covering the period 2000-2016 will be undertaken. Studies will be considered for inclusion if they present quantitative or qualitative data, including all relevant study designs. The SDoH conceptual framework will be used to guide the data extraction process. EPPI Reviewer software will be used for data management and analysis. Studies included in the review will be analyzed by narrative synthesis and/or meta-analysis as appropriate for the nature of the data retrieved. This review will provide empirical evidence on the impact of CTs on SDoH to inform CT policy, implementation, and research in SSA. The protocol follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P). This protocol has been registered with the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews, reference CRD42015025015 .
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Research Interests: Algorithms, Computer Graphics, Kinetics, Positron Emission Tomography, Brain Mapping, and 13 moreBrain, Computer Simulation, PET imaging, Three Dimensional Imaging, Computer User Interface Design, Image Enhancement, Reproducibility of Results, Radiopharmaceuticals, Lumping Kinetic Model, Sensitivity and Specificity, Kinetic Parameter, Medical Image Computing, and Raclopride
Research Interests: Psychology, Psychiatry, Addiction, Consumption, Tobacco, and 27 moreRisk Taking, Adolescent, Comparative Study, Vanuatu, Schools, Pacific Islands, Students, Humans, Child, Smoking, Female, Alcohol Drinking, Male, Ethanol, Drug Addiction, Tonga, Micronesia, Alcohol Consumption, Adolescent Smoking, Sex Factors, Illicit Drugs, Age Factors, Health surveys, Street Drugs, Adolescent Behavior, Federated States Of Micronesia, and Substance-Related Disorders
We propose a semi-supervised, kinetic modeling based segmentation technique for molecular imaging applications. It is an iterative, self-learning algorithm based on uncertainty principles, designed to alleviate low signal-to-noise ratio... more
We propose a semi-supervised, kinetic modeling based segmentation technique for molecular imaging applications. It is an iterative, self-learning algorithm based on uncertainty principles, designed to alleviate low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and partial volume effect (PVE) problems. Synthetic fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and simulated Raclopride dynamic positron emission tomography (dPET) brain images with excessive noise levels are used to validate our algorithm. We show, qualitatively and quantitatively, that our algorithm outperforms state-of-the-art techniques in identifying different functional regions and recovering the kinetic parameters.
Research Interests: Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, Brain Imaging, Kinetics, Positron Emission Tomography, and 12 moreMolecular Imaging, Brain, Computer Simulation, Image Enhancement, Uncertainty Principle, Reproducibility of Results, Radiopharmaceuticals, Lumping Kinetic Model, Sensitivity and Specificity, Signal to Noise Ratio, Kinetic Parameter, and Medical Image Computing
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Coordination is a central problem in distributed com-puting. The aim is towards flexible coordination, man-aged at run-time, in open, dynamic environments. This ap-proach would benefit from an explicit common vocabulary for coordination... more
Coordination is a central problem in distributed com-puting. The aim is towards flexible coordination, man-aged at run-time, in open, dynamic environments. This ap-proach would benefit from an explicit common vocabulary for coordination and hence, in a previous ...
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This study investigated postpartum dietary behaviors among women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the cognitive and social factors related to these, and preferred types of lifestyle support, in order improve the... more
This study investigated postpartum dietary behaviors among women with recent gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), the cognitive and social factors related to these, and preferred types of lifestyle support, in order improve the development of diabetes prevention strategies for this group. Participants were a random sample of 226 women diagnosed with GDM in the prior 6 to 24 months. Telephone surveys were used to evaluate dietary behaviors, self-efficacy, social support, perceived barriers to healthy eating, and preferred methods of lifestyle support. Only 5% of the respondents consumed 5 servings/day of vegetables and 44% consumed 2 or more servings/day of fruit. Fried food was eaten at least twice per week by 26% of women and 50% usually consumed full-fat milk. Higher vegetable consumption was associated with self-efficacy to cook healthy foods, reporting that a healthy diet is not a difficult change and that dislike of healthy foods by other household members is not a barrier. Fruit consumption was positively related to self-efficacy when busy and when not reporting a dislike of healthy foods by others at home. Advice from a dietitian and telephone support from a health educator were the most preferred forms of health assistance. Dietary risks factors are prevalent among women with recent GDM. Confidence and skills in cooking healthy foods, along with family food preferences and time pressures, are important influences on eating habits. Dietary change programs, informed by the beliefs and circumstances of this high-risk population, need to be developed.
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Page 1. SPECTROSCOPY LETTERS, 29(8), 1497-1512 (1996) THE DETERMINATION OF MERCURY IN SILVER BY LASER-EXCITED ATOMIC FLUORESCENCE SPECTROMETRY WITH ELECTROTHERMAL ATOMIZATION ...
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This study examined the use of quantitative methods in Australian health promotion research in order to identify methodological trends and priorities for strengthening the evidence base for health promotion. Australian health promotion... more
This study examined the use of quantitative methods in Australian health promotion research in order to identify methodological trends and priorities for strengthening the evidence base for health promotion. Australian health promotion articles were identified by hand searching publications from 1992-2002 in six journals: Health Promotion Journal of Australia, Australian and New Zealand journal of Public Health, Health Promotion International, Health Education Research, Health Education and Behavior and the American Journal of Health Promotion. The study designs and statistical methods used in articles presenting quantitative research were recorded. 591 (57.7%) of the 1,025 articles used quantitative methods. Cross-sectional designs were used in the majority (54.3%) of studies with pre- and post-test (14.6%) and post-test only (9.5%) the next most common designs. Bivariate statistical methods were used in 45.9% of papers, multivariate methods in 27.1% and simple numbers and proportions in 25.4%. Few studies used higher-level statistical techniques. While most studies used quantitative methods, the majority were descriptive in nature. The study designs and statistical methods used provided limited scope for demonstrating intervention effects or understanding the determinants of change.
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Research Interests: Psychology, Psychometrics, Depression, Personality Disorders, Psychological Medicine, and 20 moreModel, Humans, Psychological, Female, Cognitive Therapy, Male, Attitudes, Scheme, Psychometric Properties, Schema, Self Concept, Questionnaires, Adult, Public health systems and services research, Cognitive Model, Psychotic Disorders, Factor structure, Neurosciences, Self Esteem, and Cognition disorders
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Self-reported confidence ratings have been used in other research disciplines as a tool to assess data quality, and may be useful in epidemiologic studies. We examined whether self-reported confidence in recall of physical activity was a... more
Self-reported confidence ratings have been used in other research disciplines as a tool to assess data quality, and may be useful in epidemiologic studies. We examined whether self-reported confidence in recall of physical activity was a predictor of the validity and retest reliability of physical activity measures from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) past-year questionnaire and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) last-7-day questionnaire.During 2005-2006 in Sydney, Australia, 97 men and 80 women completed both questionnaires at baseline and at 10 months and wore an accelerometer as an objective comparison measure for three 7-day periods during the same timeframe. Participants rated their confidence in recalling physical activity for each question using a 5-point scale and were dichotomized at the median confidence value. Participants in the high-confidence group had higher validity and repeatability coefficients than those in the low-confidence group for most comparisons. The differences were most apparent for validity of IPAQ moderate activity: Spearman correlation rho = 0.34 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.08 to 0.55) and 0.01 (-0.17 to 0.20) for high- and low-confidence groups, respectively; and repeatability of EPIC household activity: rho = 0.81 (0.72 to 0.87) and 0.63 (0.48 to 0.74), respectively, and IPAQ vigorous activity: rho = 0.58 (0.43 to 0.70) and 0.29 (0.07 to 0.49), respectively. Women were less likely than men to report high recall confidence of past-year activity (adjusted odds ratio = 0.38; 0.18 to 0.80). Confidence ratings could be useful as indicators of recall accuracy (ie, validity and repeatability) of physical activity measures, and possibly for detecting differential measurement error and identifying questionnaire items that require improvement.