Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Decline Of Lake Superior's Woodland Caribou: A Historical Gis Analysis, Jordan W. Kelley

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

Lake Superior’s woodland caribou have been declining since the early 1800s. This thesis asks: why? We hypothesize that as settlers expanded into the region, industrial development in woodland caribou habitat reduced woodland caribou persistence. Using an Historical Geospatial Information System (HGIS) analysis, we find that historical mining and railroad infrastructure are associated with woodland caribou extirpation, while wetlands and protected areas are associated with caribou persistence. We also conducted a stakeholder synthesis of the region to help understand diverse perspectives within and between advocacy coalitions that take different positions on the most effective caribou restoration policies. Beliefs on recovery options …

Unintended Consequences Of Dna Analysis Delays In North Carolina, Pamela Cook Woodard

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The processing of DNA recovered from felony crime scenes often causes delays in trials of up to 3 years, calling into question defendants' rights to a speedy trial. Using Lewin's force field analysis as the theoretical framework, the purpose of this quantitative, comparative study was to compare the processing and reporting of results related to DNA testing in 4 states. Survey data were collected from state bar members (n=137), members of a professional law organization (n=149), and members of a state DNA laboratory (n=20). The purpose of this quantitative, comparative study was to determine whether these variables (interagency communications, staff …

Personality And Religious Values Among Adolescents: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Analysis., Patrick C. Heaven, Joseph V. Ciarrochi

joseph Ciarrochi

Using three waves of data, we assessed the relationships between endorsement of religious values, some of the major personality dimensions, and social and emotional well-being amongst teenagers. Participants were 784 high school students at Time 1 (382 manles and 394 females; 8 did not indicate their gender) and 563 provided data at each of Time 1, Time 2 and Time 3.

Self-Nominated Peer Crowds, School Achievement, And Psychological Adjustment In Adolescents: Longitudinal Analysis, Patrick Heaven, Joseph Ciarrochi, Wilhelmina Vialle

joseph Ciarrochi

No abstract provided.

Perceptions Of Parental Styles And Eysenckian Psychoticism In Youth: A Prospective Analysis, Patrick Heaven, Joseph Ciarrochi

joseph Ciarrochi

No abstract provided.

Muscles Within Muscles: A Mechanomyographic Analysis Of Muscle Segment Contractile Properties Within Human Gluteus Maximus, Darryl Mcandrew, John Brown, Mark Gorelick

Darryl J McAndrew

No abstract provided.

Doing Discourse Analysis, Gordon R. Waitt

Gordon Waitt

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 …

Newspaper Coverage Of Drug Policy: An Analysis Of Pre-Election Reporting Of The Greens' Drug Policy In Australia, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Fiona Cowlin

Sandra Jones

Introduction and Aims. With the headline 'Ecstasy Over The Counter' in a popular daily newspaper, the debate on drug policy officially entered the arena of the 2003 New South Wales (Australia) State Election. The debate resurfaced in the lead-up to the 2004 Australian Federal Election. This paper analyses the pre-election coverage of drug policy issues in four Australian newspapers. Design and Methods. Four high-circulation daily newspapers were monitored for a one-month period prior to both elections and analysed for their coverage of drug policy, particularly with respect to the policy of the Greens. Results. The newspapers took different perspectives on …

Disease Awareness Advertisements In Australian Magazines: An Analysis Of Content And Compliance, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Sandra Jones

In Australia, Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription medicine is prohibited; however pharmaceutical companies can communicate directly with consumers via Disease Awareness Advertising (DAA). DAA can contain information about a disease including treatment information, but cannot mention the name of a particular product or brand. DAA is currently regulated by the industry body Medicines Australia (MA). In the current study, content analysis methodology was used to determine the extent and nature of DAA in popular Australian women’s magazines which were monitored for 12 months. Findings relating to the use of visual appeals in the imagery and rational appeals in …

Integrating, Developing, And Testing Methods To Generate More Cohesive Approaches To Biogeographic Inference, Mallory Elizabeth Eckstut

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

As a fundamental component of the developing discipline of conservation biogeography, broadscale analyses of biotic assembly and disassembly across multiple temporal and spatial scales provide an enhanced understanding of how geologic transformations and climate oscillations have shaped extant patterns of biodiversity. As with any scientific field, there are limitations in the case of biogeographic historical reconstructions. Historical reconstructions are only as robust as the theoretical underpinnings of the methods of reconstruction (including data collection, quality, analysis, and interpretation). Nevertheless, historical reconstructions of species distributions can help inform our understanding of how species respond to environmental change.

My dissertation takes a …

Wearable Technology For The Real-Time Analysis Of Sweat During Exercise, D Morris, B Schazmann, Y Wu, C Fay, Stephen T. Beirne, C Slater, King-Tong Lau, Gordon G. Wallace, Dermot Diamond

Gordon Wallace

-Textile based sensors which can be used to measure the chemical composition of bodily fluids represents a major advancement in the area of wearable technology. BIOTEX is an EU funded project aiming to develop such sensors with a particular interest in monitoring perspiration. A textile based fluid handling system has been developed for sample collection and transport. Sodium, conductivity and pH sensors have also been developed. This paper details the integration and testing of these sensors. Results show that the developed system can collect and analyze sweat in real time during exercise and transmit this data wirelessly to a remote …

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner

Heath Ecroyd

Background: Recent studies suggest reduction of radical-propagating fatty acid hydroperoxides to inert hydroxides by interaction with apolipoprotein-D (apoD) Met93 may represent an antioxidant function for apoD. The nature and structural consequences of this selective interaction are unknown. Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we used molecular dynamics (MD) analysis to address these issues. Longtimescale simulations of apoD suggest lipid molecules are bound flexibly, with the molecules free to explore multiple conformations in a binding site at the entrance to the classical lipocalin ligand-binding pocket. Models of 5s- 12s- and 15s hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids were created and the lipids found to wrap around Met93 thus …

The Analysis Of Pattern Change In Intron Sequences, Jinda Kongcharoen, Yan-Xia Lin, Rachel Caldwell, Yiren Yang, Ren Zhang

Associate Professor Yan-Xia Lin

The Generalized Bernoulli Modeling approach is used to analyze the pattern change in intron sequences of a model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana. The influence of the intron length and the number of GC on the intron sequence pattern changes is examined. Two other gene properties, the gene expression level and the protein function encoded are also assessed. Among the random sampled intron sequences,10.71% of them have been identified to have sequence pattern change. Our study shows that the number of GC and the intron length significantly influence the intron pattern change while the gene expression level and the protein function …

Direct Detection Of Additives And Degradation Products From Polymers By Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Employing Chip-Based Nanospray Mass Spectrometry, Martin Paine, Phillip Barker, Shane A. Maclaughlin, Todd W. Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Stephen Blanksby

Rationale: Polymer-based surface coatings in outdoor applications experience accelerated degradation due to exposure to solar radiation, oxygen and atmospheric pollutants. These deleterious agents cause undesirable changes to the polymers aesthetic and mechanical properties reducing its lifetime. The use of antioxidants such as hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) retard these degradative processes, however, mechanisms for HALS action and polymer degradation are poorly understood. Methods: Detection of the hindered amine light stabiliser (HALS) TINUVIN®123 (bis (1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate) and the polymer degradation products directly from a polyester-based coil coating was achieved by liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled to a triple quadrupole QTRAP® …

A Petrological, Mineralogical And Geochemical Analysis Of Listwaenite Alteration At Spring Creek Bingara In The Great Serpentinite Belt, New England, Nsw, E Holcroft, Solomon Buckman, I Neuss

Solomon Buckman Dr.

No abstract provided.

Analysis Of The Costs Of A Large Prevention Trial, Nicole Urban, Steven Self, Larry Kessler, Ross Prentice, Maureen Henderson, Donald Iverson, Donovan Thompson, David Byar, William Insull, Sherwood Gorbach, C Clifford, Susan Goldman

Don C. Iverson

Total direct costs of the Women's Health Trial (WHT), alarge multicenter preventiontrial, were reduced by more than 50% by means of research costanalysis conducted during the trial design phase. The unit costs of specific trial activities were estimated so that total direct costs of the trial could be predicted from design parameters. The relative costs of screening, treatment, and follow-up, and the fixed costs associated with each clinical center in a multicenter preventiontrial were taken into account. Direct costs of the WHT were reduced from $195 million to $95 million by refinement of the trial protocol, selection of an efficient …

An Overview And Analysis Of The Health Style Campaign, Mary Davis, Donald Iverson

Don C. Iverson

In 1981, the Office of Health Information and Health Promotion of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services launched a national health promotion media campaign titled Health Style. The purposes of the Health Style campaign were: (1) to increase public awareness of the effects of life-style on health; (2) to enable persons to assess which life-style changes would be most conducive to their health; (3) to stimulate information-seeking behavior and; (4) to foster the development of local health promotion activities and referral networks. The campaign was implemented in nine test communities across the United States. This article: (1) provides …

Disease Awareness Advertisements In Australian Magazines: An Analysis Of Content And Compliance, Danika Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

In Australia, Direct to Consumer Advertising (DTCA) of prescription medicine is prohibited; however pharmaceutical companies can communicate directly with consumers via Disease Awareness Advertising (DAA). DAA can contain information about a disease including treatment information, but cannot mention the name of a particular product or brand. DAA is currently regulated by the industry body Medicines Australia (MA). In the current study, content analysis methodology was used to determine the extent and nature of DAA in popular Australian women’s magazines which were monitored for 12 months. Findings relating to the use of visual appeals in the imagery and rational appeals in …

Content Analysis Of Disease Awareness Advertisements In Popular Australian Women's Magazines, Danika V. Hall, Sandra C. Jones, Donald C. Iverson

Don C. Iverson

Objective: To examine the nature of disease awareness advertising (DAA). Design: Therapeutic advertisements in six popular Australian women’s magazines were monitored between April 2006 and March 2007. A subset of advertisements was included in the study based on criteria derived from a definition of DAA. Unique advertisements were analysed by four independent coders. Main outcome measures: Types of advertisements and their sponsors, the types of disease information present, and the persuasive techniques utilised. Results: Of 711 advertisements identified, 60 met the inclusion criteria for DAA, and 30 of these were unique. Over one-third of the advertisements were classified as “unbranded …

Clinician Optimism: Development And Psychometric Analysis Of A Scale For Mental Health Clinicians, Mitchell K. Byrne, Nichole L. Sullivan, Stephen J. Elsom

Mitchell K Byrne

Clinician optimism is an important factor in achieving treatment outcomes in psychotherapy. Currently there are no measures of mental health clinician optimism which report substantial psychometric validation. This study sought to assesses the validity and reliability of the Therapeutic Optimism Scale (TOS). 223 mental health clinicians working in a range of clinical settings were administered the TOS and convergent and discriminate validity were established. Test-retest reliability was established over a period of one month. The Therapeutic Optimism Scale was found to achieve acceptable reliability (Chronbach's alpha = .68) and yielded consistent scores over a one month period (r = .68, …

Essays In Realism: Analysis And Discussion, Nigel Mackay, Agnes Petocz

Nigel Mackay

No abstract provided.

Fish Consumption And Chd Mortality: An Updated Meta-Analysis Of Seventeen Cohort Studies, Jusheng Zheng, Tao Huang, Yinghua Yu, Xiaojie Hu, Bin Yang, Duo Li

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective Results of studies on fish consumption and CHD mortality are inconsistent. The present updated meta-analysis was conducted to investigate the up-to-date pooling effects. Design A random-effects model was used to pool the risk estimates. Generalized least-squares regression and restricted cubic splines were used to assess the possible dose–response relationship. Subgroup analyses were conducted to examine the sources of heterogeneity. Setting PubMed and ISI Web of Science databases up to September 2010 were searched and secondary referencing qualified for inclusion in the study. Subjects Seventeen cohorts with 315 812 participants and average follow-up period of 15·9 years were identified. Results …

Healthy Beginnings Trial Phase 2 Study: Follow-Up And Cost-Effectiveness Analysis, Li Ming Wen, Louise A. Baur, Chris Rissel, Vicki Flood, Judy M. Simpson, Alison Hayes, Louise L. Hardy, Karen Wardle

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: In 2007, we commenced the Healthy Beginnings Trial (HBT) Phase 1 study, which is the first randomised controlled trial (RCT) to test the effectiveness of an early childhood obesity intervention in children aged up to 2 years. The results were promising with significant improvements in infant feeding practices and a lower mean body mass index (BMI). The aims of this proposed Phase 2 study are to determine if the early intervention will lead to a lower mean BMI, lower screen time, improved dietary behaviours and demonstrated costeffectiveness of the intervention, in children aged 3½ and 5 years. Methods/design: In …

Barriers And Enablers To Implementation Of A New Zealand-Wide Guideline For Assessment And Management Of Cardiovascular Risk In Primary Health Care: A Template Analysis, Ann Mckillop, Jackie Crisp, Kenneth Walsh

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify the enablers and barriers to guideline implementation in a primary healthcare setting by employing the Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework as a template for data analysis and interpretation. Background: The use of clinical practice guidelines is pivotal to improving health outcomes. However, the implementation of guidelines into practice is complex, unpredictable, and, in spite of much investigation, remains resistant to explanation of what works and why. Optimising the enablers and minimising the barriers to implementation of a guideline for reducing cardiovascular disease risk has the potential …

Are Parents' Working Patterns Associated With Their Child's Sleep? An Analysis Of Dual-Parent Families In Australia, Christopher A. Magee, Peter Caputi, Don C. Iverson

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Insufficient sleep in children predicts emotional and behavioral problems, poorer school performance, and health problems. Child sleep durations have declined in recent decades, suggesting a need to identify and understand predictors of short sleep. The present study investigated whether aspects of parental employment (i.e. parental work hours, and non-standard work hours) were associated with sleep in children. Data collected from 2477 children aged 6–7 years as part of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children were used in this paper. Child sleep duration, bedtimes, and wake times were determined from parent self-report using time-use diaries. Parents completed a survey assessing their …

Direct Detection Of Additives And Degradation Products From Polymers By Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis Employing Chip-Based Nanospray Mass Spectrometry, Martin Paine, Phillip Barker, Shane A. Maclaughlin, Todd W. Mitchell, Stephen J. Blanksby

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Rationale: Polymer-based surface coatings in outdoor applications experience accelerated degradation due to exposure to solar radiation, oxygen and atmospheric pollutants. These deleterious agents cause undesirable changes to the polymers aesthetic and mechanical properties reducing its lifetime. The use of antioxidants such as hindered amine light stabilisers (HALS) retard these degradative processes, however, mechanisms for HALS action and polymer degradation are poorly understood. Methods: Detection of the hindered amine light stabiliser (HALS) TINUVIN®123 (bis (1-octyloxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidyl) sebacate) and the polymer degradation products directly from a polyester-based coil coating was achieved by liquid extraction surface analysis (LESA) coupled to a triple quadrupole QTRAP® …

Molecular Dynamics Analysis Of Apolipoprotein-D - Lipid Hydroperoxide Interactions: Mechanism For Selective Oxidation Of Met-93, Aaron J. Oakley, Surabhi Bhatia, Heath Ecroyd, Brett Garner

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Background: Recent studies suggest reduction of radical-propagating fatty acid hydroperoxides to inert hydroxides by interaction with apolipoprotein-D (apoD) Met93 may represent an antioxidant function for apoD. The nature and structural consequences of this selective interaction are unknown.

Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we used molecular dynamics (MD) analysis to address these issues. Longtimescale simulations of apoD suggest lipid molecules are bound flexibly, with the molecules free to explore multiple conformations in a binding site at the entrance to the classical lipocalin ligand-binding pocket. Models of 5s- 12s- and 15s hydroperoxyeicosatetraenoic acids were created and the lipids found to wrap around Met93 thus …

Police Witness Identification Images: A Geometric Morphometric Analysis, Susan Hayes, Cameron Tullberg

Faculty of Science - Papers (Archive)

Research into witness identification images typically occurs within the laboratory and involves subjective likeness and recognizability judgments. This study analyzed whether actual witness identification images systematically alter the facial shapes of the suspects described. The shape analysis tool, geometric morphometrics, was applied to 46 homologous facial landmarks displayed on 50 witness identification images and their corresponding arrest photographs, using principal component analysis and multivariate regressions. The results indicate that compared with arrest photographs, witness identification images systematically depict suspects with lowered and medially located eyebrows (p=

The Impact Of Cannabis Use On Cognitive Functioning In Patients With Schizophrenia: A Meta-Analysis Of Existing Findings And New Data In A First-Episode Sample, Murat Yücel, Emre Bora, Daniel I. Lubman, Nadia Solowij, Warrick J. Brewer, Sue M. Cotton, Phillipe Conus, Michael J. Takagi, Alex Fornito, Stephen J. Wood, Patrick D. Mcgorry, Christos Pantelis

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Cannabis use is highly prevalent among people with schizophrenia, and coupled with impaired cognition, is thought to heighten the risk of illness onset. However, while heavy cannabis use has been associated with cognitive deficits in long-term users, studies among patients with schizophrenia have been contradictory. This article consists of 2 studies. In Study I, a meta-analysis of 10 studies comprising 572 patients with established schizophrenia (with and without comorbid cannabis use) was conducted. Patients with a history of cannabis use were found to have superior neuropsychological functioning. This finding was largely driven by studies that included patients with a lifetime …

The Challenges And Opportunities For Professional Societies In Higher Education In Australasia: A Pest Analysis, Iain Doherty, Caroline Steel, Dominique Parrish

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Professional societies, established to support academic and professional staff in higher education, need to be vigilant of regional and international trends that affect their core business. In this paper, we provide an analysis of political, economic, social and technological factors that are impacting upon the Australasian higher education environment through considering the case of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education (ascilite). Drawing on two ascilite membership surveys along with the relevant literature we identify significant challenges for professional societies and offer some strategic insights for similar regional societies and their executive teams.