Digital Commons Network^™

Changes In Upper Body Concentric Mean Power Output Resulting From Complex Training Emphasizing Concentric Muscle Actions, Daniel Baker

Research outputs 2012

Contrasting resistance complex (CRC) training is the alternating of sets of heavier and lighter resistances in an effort to evoke an acute increase in power output while lifting the lighter resistance. The effectiveness of CRC has been well established in elite athletes when researchers utilize an optimal manipulation of training variables but equivocal for other studies that have used a very heavy resistance to “stimulate” the neuro-muscular system. It was theorized that very heavy resistances could conceivably fatigue the processes associated with the stretch-shorten cycle (SSC). The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of CRC when utilizing …

Anthropometric Characteristics, Upper-Body Strength, And Sprint Paddling Performance In Competitive Surfers, Jeremy Sheppard, Mark Osborne, Dale Chapman, Mark Andrews

Research outputs 2012

The present study examined the potential differences in anthropometric characteristics, upper-body strength, and sprint paddling performance between youth and senior competitive surfers. Twenty competitive male surfers (19.1±6.8 years, 168.2±11.3 cm, 61.7±13.6 kg) were assessed for stature, mass, arm-span, ∑ 7 site skinfold thickness, Lean-Mass Ratio (LMR, ∑ 7 site skinfold/kg body-mass), pronated pull-up 1 repetition maximum (1 RM) and sprint paddling performance from a stationary start to 15 m. Independent t-tests were used to compare potential differences between youth (n:10) and senior group (n:10) of competitive surfers, with Cohen’s Effect Size (d) applied to reflect the magnitude of any differences …

Leading Learning In Australian Tertiary Institutions: Narrative Support For Unit Coordinators, Coral Pepper, Susan Roberts

Research outputs 2012

This research investigates the experience of unit coordinators across Australia. It builds on an earlier Australian Learning and Teaching Council (ALTC) project that examined and clarified the role of unit coordinators as leaders of learning in higher education (UCaLL). In this paper we focus on the first phase of the project that involved crafting narrative accounts from semi-structured interviews describing the lived experiences of participants. We wanted to know how unit coordinators perceive their role as leaders of learning in higher education and whether the support provided to them met their needs. Nine themes were identified among the narrative accounts …

Solidworks Secondary Development With Visual Basic 6 For An Automated Modular Fixture Assembly Approach, Uday Farhan, Simona O'Brien, Majid Tolouei Rad

Research outputs 2012

Modular fixtures (MFs) play an important role in terms of cost and production time reduction in manufacturing processes. In this paper, the authors illustrate an automated approach for MFs design and assembly. This approach is based on the secondary development of SolidWorks integrating with Visual Basic (VB) 6 programing language. SolidWorks API (Application programming interface) functions were applied in order to control SolidWorks commands and assembly operations. An ActiveX DLL project was created in VB 6 and a plug-in file in .dll format was generated. The outcomes were creating new menus in SolidWorks environment for selecting, inserting, and assembling MFs …

A Review Of Bennelongia De Deckker & Mckenzie, 1981(Crustacea, Ostracoda) Species From Eastern Australia With The Description Of Three New Species, Rylan Shearn, Annette Koenders, Stuart Halse, Isa Schoen, Koen Martens

Research outputs 2012

Australia is predicted to have a high number of currently undescribed ostracod taxa. The genus Bennelongia De Deckker & McKenzie, 1981 (Crustacea, Ostracoda) occurs in Australia and New Zealand, and has recently shown potential for high speciosity, after the description of nine new species from Western Australia. Here, we focus on Bennelongia from eastern Australia, with the objectives of exploring likely habitats for undiscovered species, genetically characterising published morphological species and scanning classical species for cryptic diversity. Two traditional (morphological) species are confirmed to be valid using molecular evidence (B. harpago De Deckker & McKenzie, 1981 and B. pinpi De …

Genome Sequence Of Strain Himb624, A Cultured Representative From The Om43 Clade Of Marine Betaproteobacteria, Megan Huggett, Darren Hayakawa, Michael Rappe

Research outputs 2012

Strain HIMB624 is a planktonic marine bacterium within the family Methylophilaceae of the class Betaproteobacteria isolated from coastal seawater of Oahu, Hawaii. This strain is of interest because it is one of few known isolates from an abundant clade of Betaproteobacteria found in cultivation-independent studies of coastal seawater and freshwater environments around the globe, known as OM43. Here we describe some preliminary features of the organism, draft genome sequence and annotation, and comparative genomic analysis with one other sequenced member of this clade (strain HTCC2181). The 1,333,209 bp genome of strain HIMB624 is arranged in a single scaffold containing four …

Embodying Knowledge Of Breast Cancer In A Disembodied Community?, Vanessa Bradshaw, Cynthia Witney, Lelia Green, Leesa Costello

Research outputs 2012

Few life experiences have a greater impact upon the sense of self than the diagnosis of a life-challenging illness. Breast cancer is such an illness, and the sudden transition from 'well' to 'ill' is unsettling for a person's sense of knowing who they are in 'their' own body. What you know about your body, what others know about your body and what your biology knows about your body become suddenly problematic. This paper addresses what people know about their bodies before and after experiencing a breast cancer diagnosis by examining relevant theory and empirical data drawn from an online community …

Writing, Remembering And Embodiment: Australian Literary Responses To The First World War, Ffion Murphy, Richard Nile

Research outputs 2012

This paper is part of a larger project exploring Australian literary responses to the Great War of 1914-1918. It draws on theories of embodiment, mourning, ritual and the recuperative potential of writing, together with a brief discussion of selected exemplars, to suggest that literary works of the period contain and lay bare a suite of creative, corporeal and social impulses, including resurrection, placation or stilling of ghosts, and formation of an empathic and duty-bound community.

Developing A Taste For Coffee: Bangladesh, Nescafe, And Australian Student Photographers', Duncan Barnes, Danielle Fusco, Lelia Green

Research outputs 2012

Not available

The Lady In The Carriage: Trauma, Embodiment, And The Drive For Resolution, Josephine Taylor

Research outputs 2012

Not available

As Long As Your're Resilient You'll Succeed: School Disaffected Adolescents' Perspectives On Their Willingness To Engage In High Injury-Risk Graffiti-Writing Activities, Myra Taylor

Research outputs 2012

A lack of sense of school belonging can be a destabilising aspect in disaffected students’ lives, so much so that they will often seek an alternative sense of belonging outside of the school arena. Gaining out-of-school acceptance within the non-conforming, graffiti subculture is dependent upon proving one’s worth through willing engagement in visual acts of high-risk daring. This exemplar study examines the health-risk injuries sustained by eight adolescent crew leaders within the graffiti subculture. The study’s findings reveal four reoccurring sources of graffiti-related injury (ie. tagging hard-to-reach places, fighting rival crews, graffing under the influence, and eluding Police capture). A …

Acute Effects Of Three Different Stretching Protocols On The Wingate Test Performance, B L Franco, G R Signorelli, Gabriel Trajano, P B Costa, C G De Oliveira

Research outputs 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the acute effects of different stretching exercises on the performance of the traditional Wingate test (WT). Fifteen male participants performed five WT; one for familiarization (FT), and the remaining four after no stretching (NS), static stretching (SS), dynamic stretching (DS), and proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation (PNF). Stretches were targeted for the hamstrings, quadriceps, and calf muscles. Peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and the time to reach PP (TP) were calculated. The MP was significantly lower when comparing the DS (7.7 ± 0.9 W/kg) to the PNF (7.3 ± 0.9 W/kg) condition (p < 0.05). For PP, significant differences were observed between more comparisons, with PNF stretching providing the lowest result. A consistent increase of TP was observed after all stretching exercises when compared to NS. The results suggest the type of stretching, or no stretching, should be considered by those who seek higher performance and practice sports that use maximal anaerobic power.

Practicing Field Hockey Skills Along The Contextual Interference Continuum: A Comparison Of Five Practice Schedules, Jadeera Cheong, Brendan Lay, J. Robert Grove, Nikola Medic, Rizal Razman

Research outputs 2012

To overcome the weakness of the contextual interference (CI) effect within applied settings, Brady (2008) recommended that the amount of interference be manipulated. This study investigated the effect of five practice schedules on the learning of three field hockey skills. Fifty-five pre-university students performed a total of 90 trials for each skill under blocked, mixed or random practice orders. Results showed a significant time effect with all five practice conditions leading to improvements in acquisition and learning of the skills. No significant differences were found between the groups. The findings of the present study did not support the CI effect …

Evidence For A Non-Genomic Action Of Testosterone In Skeletal Muscle Which May Improve Athletic Performance: Implications For The Female Athlete, J R Dent, D K Fletcher, Michael Mcguigan

Research outputs 2012

This review will focus on the proposed second mode of testosterone action (now termed non-genomic) that appears to occur independently of the traditional transcriptional mechanism in mammalian skeletal muscle cells which may enhance skeletal muscle contractile properties. This mechanism of testosterone action differs from the traditional pathway, originating at the cell membrane, having a rapid onset of action, requiring second messengers to execute its effects and is insensitive to inhibitors of traditional androgen receptor action, transcription and protein synthesis. Importantly, unlike the traditional action of testosterone in skeletal muscle, this non-genomic pathway is shown to have a direct acute effect …

Models Of Youth Work: A Framework For Positive Sceptical Reflection, Trudi Cooper

Research outputs 2012

In the post-welfare state, youth workers need models to articulate the purpose and value of their work to politicians and the public, and to explain foundational assumptions about society, young people, values, and mechanisms for personal and social change. Robust on-going discussion about models clarifies the relationship between theory and practice and enables youth work to make use of advances in knowledge in other disciplines, and to innovate constructively when faced with social and political change. Theorisation of models of youth work flourished briefly in the final quarter of the twentieth century. Renewed models of youth work are urgently needed. …

Superannuation Fund Communications In Good And Bad Times, George Smith, Paul Gerrans, Jacqueline Whale

Research outputs 2012

We examine the content and presentation of the first statement to members appearing in a Superannuation Fund’s annual report (typically made by the Chairperson or the CEO). We reflect on the words and themes employed, and the clarity and readability of communication. Our focus is on the respective differences between statements made in the year prior to the global financial crisis (GFC) and those made during the GFC. A content analysis of the CEO statement was conducted for 81 annual reports in each of the two years - respectively ‘good news’ and ‘bad news’ years. The readability of statements (as …

Investigating The Interaction Effect Of Democracy And Economic Freedom On Corruption: A Cross-Country Quantile Regression Analysis, Shrabani Saha, Jen-Je Su

Research outputs 2012

This paper explores the interaction effects of economic freedom and democracy in controlling corruption for 100 countries by using quantile regression technique. The main contribution is to explore the interaction effects throughout conditional distribution of corruption across nations. Our results reinforce some findings in the literature, but also provide new conclusions. The findings suggest a stronger and significant interaction effect in reducing corruption, especially in the most-corrupt countries. However, democratic and economic freedoms alone may not cure corruption effectively in the most-corrupt nations, a sound democratic reform can eliminate corruption substantially only after achieving a threshold level of economic freedom.

Managing Research Data : A Collaborative Approach, Darren Gibson, Julia Gross, Matthew Wyatt

Research outputs 2011

To ensure maximum benefit is achieved from the investigations in a collaborative research network, it is essential that research data is managed effectively. However, there is no set model to follow. Normally an institution will establish its own policy and procedures applicable to their researchers and data. This causes difficulties for researchers sharing data across a collaborative network. Edith Cowan University (ECU) is one of fifteen Australian universities striving to create world-class research capacity and capability through investment in the Collaborative Research Network (CRN) project. The CRN project at ECU aims to accelerate the growth of research activity from 2011 …

Excessive Internet Use Among European Children, David Smahel, Ellen Helsper, Lelia Green, Veronika Kalmus, Lukas Blinka, Kjartan Olafsson

Research outputs 2011

This report presents new findings and further analysis of the EU Kids Online 25-country survey regarding excessive use of the internet by children. It shows that while a number of children (29%) experienced one or more of the five components associated with excessive internet use, very few (1%) can be said to show pathological levels of use.

Factors Associated With Myopia In School Children In China: The Beijing Childhood Eye Study, Qi Sheng You, Li Juan Wu, Jia Li Duan, Yan Xia Luo, Li Juan Liu, Xia Li, Qi Gao, Wei Wang, Liang Xu, Jost Jonas, Xiu Hua Guo

Research outputs 2012

Purpose: To assess factors associated with myopia in school children in rural and urban parts of Greater Beijing. Methods: The Beijing Pedriatic Eye Study was a population-based cross-sectional study, in which one school of each level (primary, junior high, senior high) was randomly selected from nine randomly selected districts out of 18 districts of Greater Beijing. The children underwent non-cylcoplegic refractometry and their parents an interview. Results: Of 16,771 eligible students, 15,066 (89.8%) children (7,769 (51.6%) girls) participated, with 8,860 (58.8%) participants living in the rural region. Mean age was 13.263.4 years (range:7–18 years). In multivariate analysis, prevalence of myopia …

Excessive Internet Use Among Australian Children, Lelia Green, Khartan Olafsson, Danielle Brady, David Smahel

Research outputs 2011

This brief report builds upon the findings of the EU Kids Online project’s work into Excessive Internet Use among the 19,834 European children (aged 11-16) participating in that study. It compares the European data with the much smaller cohort of 300 Australian children (aged 11-16) who were researched in the parallel AU Kids Online project. In both cases the children were selected according to a random sampling strategy. The full EU Kids Online report includes the research methodology and can be accessed via: http://www2.lse.ac.uk/media@lse/research/EUKidsOnline/EU%20Kids%20II%20(2009- 11)/EUKidsOnlineIIReports/D4FullFindings.pdf

The full AU Kids Online report can be accessed via: http://cultural-science.org/journal/index.php/culturalscience/article/view/49/129.

The EU Kids …

Prevalence And Factors Associated With Hepatitis B Immunization And Infection Among Men Who Have Sex With Men In Beijing, China, Chao Wang, You Xin Wang, Xiao Jie Huang, Xia Li, Tong Zhang, Manshu Song, Li Juan Wu, Juan Du, Xiao Qin Lu, Shuang Shao, Fei Fei Zhao, Michele Ball, Hao Wu, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2012

Background: Among the Chinese population of 1.3 billion, there are an estimated 93 million carriers of hepatitis B virus (HBV). Men who have sex with men (MSM) are at increased risk for HBV infection; however, the prevalence of HBV immunization and infection among Chinese MSM remains undetermined. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of 1,114 eligible participants was conducted in Beijing, China. Multiple methods were used to recruit study participants. Demographic information and potential correlated factors were collected by questionnaire. Additionally, blood specimens were collected and tested for sexually transmitted infections and serologic markers of hepatitis B immunization and infection. Results: Laboratory …

Profiling Plasma Peptides For The Identification Of Potential Ageing Biomarkers In Chinese Han Adults, Jiapeng Lu, Yuqing Huang, Youxin Wang, Yan Li, Youjun Zhang, Jingjing Wu, Feifei Zhao, Shijiao Meng, Xinwei Yu, Qingwei Ma, Manshu Song, Naibai Chang, Alan H. Bittles, Wei Wang

Research outputs 2012

Advancing age is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer, and shows significant inter-individual variability. To identify ageing-related biomarkers we performed a proteomic analysis on 1890 Chinese Han individuals, 1136 males and 754 females, aged 18 to 82 years, using weak cation exchange magnetic bead based MALDI-TOF-MS analysis. The study identified 44 peptides which varied in concentration in different age groups. In particular, apolipoprotein A-I (ApoA1) concentration gradually increased between 18 to 50 years of age, the levels of fibrinogen alpha (FGA) decreased over the same age span, while albumin (ALB) was significantly degraded in middle-aged individuals. In addition, …

Diversity Among Macroalgae-Consuming Fishes On Coral Reefs: A Transcontinental Comparison, Adriana Verges, Scott Bennett, David R. Bellwood

Research outputs 2012

Despite high diversity and abundance of nominally herbivorous fishes on coral reefs, recent studies indicate that only a small subset of taxa are capable of removing dominant macroalgae once these become established. This limited functional redundancy highlights the potential vulnerability of coral reefs to disturbance and stresses the need to assess the functional role of individual species of herbivores. However, our knowledge of species-specific patterns in macroalgal consumption is limited geographically, and there is a need to determine the extent to which patterns observed in specific reefs can be generalised at larger spatial scales. In this study, video cameras were …

Increase In Caesarean Deliveries After The Australian Private Health Insurance Incentive Policy Reforms, Kristjana Einarsdottir, Anna Kemp, Fatima Haggar, Rachael Moorin, Anthony Gunnell, David Preen, Fiona Stanley, C. D'Arcy Holman

Research outputs 2012

Background: The Australian Private Health Insurance Incentive (PHII) policy reforms implemented in 1997–2000 increased PHI membership in Australia by 50%. Given the higher rate of obstetric interventions in privately insured patients, the reforms may have led to an increase in surgical deliveries and deliveries with longer hospital stays. We aimed to investigate the effect of the PHII policy introduction on birth characteristics in Western Australia (WA). Methods and Findings: All 230,276 birth admissions from January 1995 to March 2004 were identified from administrative birth and hospital data-systems held by the WA Department of Health. Average quarterly birth rates after the …

The Australian Baby Bonus Maternity Payment And Birth Characteristics In Western Australia, Kristjana Einarsdottir, Amanda Langridge, Geoffrey Hammond, Anthony Gunnell, Fatima Haggar, Fiona Stanley

Research outputs 2012

Background: The Australian baby bonus maternity payment introduced in 2004 has been reported to have successfully increased fertility rates in Australia. We aimed to investigate the influence of the baby bonus on maternal demographics and birth characteristics in Western Australia (WA). Methods and Findings: This study included 200,659 birth admissions from WA during 2001–2008, identified from administrative birth and hospital data-systems held by the WA Department of Health. We estimated average quarterly birth rates after the baby bonus introduction and compared them with expected rates had the policy not occurred. Rate and percentage differences (including 95% confidence intervals) were estimated …

A Meta-Analysis Of Seaweed Impacts On Seagrasses: Generalities And Knowledge Gaps, Mads Thomsen, Thomas Wernberg, Aschwin H. Engelen, Fernando Tuya, Mat A. Vanderklift, Marianne Holmer, Karen J. Mcglathery, Francisco Arenas, Jonne Kotta, Brian R. Silliman

Research outputs 2012

Seagrasses are important habitat-formers and ecosystem engineers that are under threat from bloom-forming seaweeds. These seaweeds have been suggested to outcompete the seagrasses, particularly when facilitated by eutrophication, causing regime shifts where green meadows and clear waters are replaced with unstable sediments, turbid waters, hypoxia, and poor habitat conditions for fishes and invertebrates. Understanding the situations under which seaweeds impact seagrasses on local patch scales can help proactive management and prevent losses at greater scales. Here, we provide a quantitative review of available published manipulative experiments (all conducted at the patch-scale), to test which attributes of seaweeds and seagrasses (e.g., …

Fuzzy Interference System In Energy Demand Prediction, Thair Mahmoud, Daryoush Habibi, Octavian Bass, Stefan Lachowicz

Research outputs 2012

No abstract available.

Indigenous Voice Closing The Gap And Putting Communication For Social Change Into Practice, Trevor Cullen, Michael Williams, Heather Stewart, Michelle Johnston, Gail Phillips, Pauline Mulligan, Leo Bowman, Michael Meadows

Research outputs 2012

Australian journalism schools are full of students who have never met an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander and who do not know their history. Journalism educators are illequipped to redress this imbalance as the large majority are themselves non-Indigenous and many have had little or no experience with the coverage of Indigenous issues. Such a situation calls for educational approaches that can overcome these disadvantages and empower journalism graduates to move beyond the stereotypes that characterise the representation of Indigenous people in the mainstream media. This paper will explore three different courses in three Australian Tertiary Journalism Education Institutions who …

Testing A Model Of Undergraduate Competence In Employability Skills And Its Implications For Stakeholders, Denise Jackson

Research outputs 2012

Despite the development of employability skills being firmly entrenched in higher education’s strategic agenda worldwide; recent graduates’ standards in certain skills are not meeting industry expectations. This paper presents and tests a model of undergraduate competence in employability skills. It highlights those factors which impact on competence in employability skills and identify ways in which stakeholders can adjust curricula and pedagogy to enhance graduate skill outcomes. Data was gathered from an online survey of 1008 business undergraduates who self-rated their competence against a framework of employability skills typically considered essential in graduates. The data was analysed using multiple regression techniques. …