Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 20 of 20
Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences
A Definition And Ethical Evaluation Of Overdiagnosis, Stacy M. Carter, Christopher J. Degeling, Jenny Doust, Alexandra Barratt
A Definition And Ethical Evaluation Of Overdiagnosis, Stacy M. Carter, Christopher J. Degeling, Jenny Doust, Alexandra Barratt
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Overdiagnosis is an emerging problem in health policy and practice: we address its definition and ethical implications. We argue that the definition of overdiagnosis should be expressed at the level of populations. Consider a condition prevalent in a population, customarily labelled with diagnosis A. We propose that overdiagnosis is occurring in respect of that condition in that population when (1) the condition is being identified and labelled with diagnosis A in that population (consequent interventions may also be offered); (2) this identification and labelling would be accepted as correct in a relevant professional community; but (3) the resulting label and/or …
Protocol For A Systematic Review Of Evaluation Research For Adults Who Have Participated In The 'Smart Recovery' Mutual Support Programme, Alison K. Beck, Amanda Baker, Peter James Kelly, Frank P. Deane, Anthony Shakeshaft, David Hunt, Erin Forbes, John F. Kelly
Protocol For A Systematic Review Of Evaluation Research For Adults Who Have Participated In The 'Smart Recovery' Mutual Support Programme, Alison K. Beck, Amanda Baker, Peter James Kelly, Frank P. Deane, Anthony Shakeshaft, David Hunt, Erin Forbes, John F. Kelly
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Introduction Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) offers an alternative to predominant 12-step approaches to mutual aid (eg, alcoholics anonymous). Although the principles (eg, self-efficacy) and therapeutic approaches (eg, motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioural therapy) of SMART Recovery are evidence based, further clarity regarding the direct evidence of its effectiveness as a mutual aid package is needed. Relative to methodologically rigorous reviews supporting the efficacy of 12-step approaches, to date, reviews of SMART Recovery have been descriptive. We aim to address this gap by providing a comprehensive overview of the evidence for SMART Recovery in adults with problematic alcohol, substance …
Evaluation Of A Broadly-Based Control Model Of Fascioliasis (Liver Fluke) In Central Vietnam, T M. Quy, Heather Yeatman
Evaluation Of A Broadly-Based Control Model Of Fascioliasis (Liver Fluke) In Central Vietnam, T M. Quy, Heather Yeatman
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Fascioliasis (liver fluke) has raised significant public health concerns in the 15 regional provinces of Central Vietnam. However, comprehensive strategies for fascioliasis control are not in place with reliance on chemotherapy as the main control measure. This study implemented a broadly-based control model comprising of five main components: vector control, health education, improvement of local health systems, involvement of concerned bodies, and chemotherapy. Following the intervention, significant reductions in seroprevalence (4.2% vs. 8.8%, p<0.05) was found in the Intervention 1 commune (broadly-based model), but not in the Intervention 2 commune (model comprising of human chemotherapy and animal chemoprevention) or the Control commune (Control commune, human chemotherapy only). Improvements in knowledge and practice of fascioliasis control were found in the intervention communes 1 and 2, although there remained significant differences in the levels of awareness in these two cohorts (80.2% vs. 37.5% respectively, p <0.017). Considerable changes in practices were found in the Intervention 1 commune with all poor practice items reduced significantly in comparison with the baseline level (p<0.017). Findings in this study also supported the effectiveness of the recommended chemotherapy (triclabendazole 250mg, 10mg/kg body weight) for selective treatment of fascioliasis. Having established the effectiveness of the broadly-based control model, it is important to explore the factors that enable, or act to impede, the implementation of a broadly based control model.
Evaluation Of A Sexually Transmissible Infections Education Program: Lessons For General Practice Learning, Jenny Reath, Penny Abbott, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Wendy Hu, Melissa Kang, Tim Usherwood, Carolyn Murray, Chris Bourne
Evaluation Of A Sexually Transmissible Infections Education Program: Lessons For General Practice Learning, Jenny Reath, Penny Abbott, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Wendy Hu, Melissa Kang, Tim Usherwood, Carolyn Murray, Chris Bourne
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Background: The New South Wales (NSW) Sexually Transmissible Infections Program Unit (STIPU) produced nine resources to support the diagnosis and management of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) in general practice. Objective: In this study, we explored the processes of developing the resources and outcomes achieved. Methods: We analysed project documents and undertook a focus group interview with the STIPU Working Group to evaluate resource development and dissemination. Interviews with general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses (PNs), combined with previously reported survey findings, provided an outcomes evaluation. Results: STIPU used a rigorous, multimodal approach to develop evidence-based clinical resources. GPs and PNs …
Evaluation Of An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Program, Chloe Gordon, Steven J. Howard, Sandra C. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin
Evaluation Of An Australian Alcohol Media Literacy Program, Chloe Gordon, Steven J. Howard, Sandra C. Jones, Lisa K. Kervin
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Objective: A 10-lesson alcohol media literacy program was developed, underpinned by the message interpretation processing model, inoculation theory, and constructivist learning theory, and was tailored to be culturally relevant to the Australian context. This program aimed to increase students' media deconstruction skills and reduce intent to drink alcohol. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the program in achieving these goals through a short-term quasi-experimental trial. Method: Elementary schools were assigned to either the intervention group (83 students) or a wait-list control group (82 students). Student questionnaires were administered at three time points (baseline, after the …
Evaluation Of A Personal Data Logger To Measure Real-Time Breathing Cycles Across Varying Work Rates, Jane L. Whitelaw, Alison L. Jones, Brian Davies, Gregory E. Peoples
Evaluation Of A Personal Data Logger To Measure Real-Time Breathing Cycles Across Varying Work Rates, Jane L. Whitelaw, Alison L. Jones, Brian Davies, Gregory E. Peoples
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Abstract presented at The 18th International Conference of International Society for Respiratory Protection, 7-11 November 2016, Yokohama, Japan.
Can Noisy Gardeners Turn Over A New Leaf? Evaluation Of Landscapers And Gardeners On A University Campus, Laurent P. Maziere, Jane L. Whitelaw, Linda A. Apthorpe
Can Noisy Gardeners Turn Over A New Leaf? Evaluation Of Landscapers And Gardeners On A University Campus, Laurent P. Maziere, Jane L. Whitelaw, Linda A. Apthorpe
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Abstract presented at AIOH 2016, 3-7 December 2016, Gold Coast, Australia.
Evaluation Of Inorganic Arsenic Exposure At Multi Metal Processing Facility. When Air Monitoring Alone Just Doesn't Work!, Stuart J. Roseberg, Jane L. Whitelaw
Evaluation Of Inorganic Arsenic Exposure At Multi Metal Processing Facility. When Air Monitoring Alone Just Doesn't Work!, Stuart J. Roseberg, Jane L. Whitelaw
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Metals smelting and processing has been associated with exposure to airborne inorganic arsenic and an increased risk of health effects. Biological monitoring on a metals processing site identified urinary arsenic concentrations exceeding corporate and ACGIH guidelines at levels associated with increased risks of health effects. Plant operators considered the inhalation of arsenic trioxide powder (As2O3), used in the process, as the source of their exposure. This study's initial objective was to determine operator exposures to airborne inorganic arsenic. Two groups of plant operators participated in full shift personal air monitoring and biological monitoring over their working weeks. In parallel, wipe …
Development And Performance Evaluation Of A Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioning System With Hybrid Electrodialysis And Thermal Regeneration, Yi Guo, Zhenjun Ma, Ali Hussein Al-Jubainawi, Paul Cooper, Long D. Nghiem
Development And Performance Evaluation Of A Liquid Desiccant Air Conditioning System With Hybrid Electrodialysis And Thermal Regeneration, Yi Guo, Zhenjun Ma, Ali Hussein Al-Jubainawi, Paul Cooper, Long D. Nghiem
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
Liquid desiccant air conditioning (LDAC) systems have gained increasing attention due to the improved energy performance and reduced environmental impacts. This paper presents an LDAC system using electrodialysis (ED) as well as low grade heat generated from a hybrid photovoltaic thermal and evacuated tube (PVT-ET) collector for liquid desiccant regeneration. As ED regenerator is a key component in the proposed system, a modified mathematical model is used to simulate the mass transfer of the ED stack. The performance of the model was validated using the experimental data generated based on a lab-scale experimental setup. It is shown that the model …
Biomethane Potential Evaluation Of Co-Digestion Of Sewage Sludge And Organic Wastes, Richard Wickham, Brendan Galway, Heriberto A. Bustamante, Long D. Nghiem
Biomethane Potential Evaluation Of Co-Digestion Of Sewage Sludge And Organic Wastes, Richard Wickham, Brendan Galway, Heriberto A. Bustamante, Long D. Nghiem
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
Co-digestion of organic rich wastes and wastewater sludge to enhance biogas production has become an attractive economic possibility for water utilities. The suitability of the organic rich waste depends on its ability to produce biogas as well as its influence on the overall anaerobic digestion process. Biomethane potential evaluation was conducted to screen seven organic wastes and dehydrated algae. All co-substrates increased the bio-methane yield by three to six times compared with conventional anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge. Maximum co-digestion ratios were identifiable for most solid co-substrates including algae (6% wt/wt), undiluted food waste (5% wt/wt), bakery waste (5% wt/wt), …
An Evaluation Of The Dynamics Of Diluted Neural Network, Lijuan Wang, Jun Shen, Qingguo Zhou, Zhihao Shang, Huaming Chen, Hong Zhao
An Evaluation Of The Dynamics Of Diluted Neural Network, Lijuan Wang, Jun Shen, Qingguo Zhou, Zhihao Shang, Huaming Chen, Hong Zhao
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
The Monte Carlo adaptation rule has been proposed to design asymmetric neural network. By adjusting the degree of the symmetry of the networks designed by this rule, the spurious memories or unwanted attractors of the networks can be suppressed completely. We have extended this rule to design full-connected neural networks and diluted neural networks. Comparing the dynamics of these two neural networks, the simulation results indicated that the performance of diluted neural network was poorer than the performance of full-connected neural network. As to this point, further research is needed. In this paper, we use the annealed dilution method to …
Fibre Bragg Grating Sensing Technology For The Evaluation Of Physical Properties Of Dental Resin Composites, Ginu Rajan, Paul Shouha, Ayman Ellakwa, Jiangtao Xi, Gangadhara B. Prusty
Fibre Bragg Grating Sensing Technology For The Evaluation Of Physical Properties Of Dental Resin Composites, Ginu Rajan, Paul Shouha, Ayman Ellakwa, Jiangtao Xi, Gangadhara B. Prusty
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
The characterization of the physical properties of dental resin composites is fraught with difficulties relating to significant intra and inter test parameter variabilities and is relatively time consuming and expensive. The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether optical fibre Brag grating (FBG) sensing system may become a viable tool to study dental material characteristics. Of particular focus was the potential for the system to demonstrate a multi parameter all-in-one feature. A miniature FBG was embedded in six different dental resin composites and employed as a sensor to evaluate linear polymerization shrinkage, thermal expansion and water sorption. This …
Incorporating Environmental Evaluation And Thermal Properties Of Concrete Mix Designs, Mehdi Robati, Timothy J. Mccarthy, Georgios Kokogiannakis
Incorporating Environmental Evaluation And Thermal Properties Of Concrete Mix Designs, Mehdi Robati, Timothy J. Mccarthy, Georgios Kokogiannakis
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
One of the main challenges in sustainable design of buildings is to improve the energy efficiency of the building during its lifetime along with reducing the environmental impact of the design. Recent advances in concrete technology offer lower embodied emission through the application of supplementary cementitious materials and recycled aggregates. There are also improvements to thermal properties with the application of admixtures. However, the relationships between the environmental impact (Cradle to Gate) and thermal performance of concrete mix designs have not been researched adequately. The Green House Gas (GHG) emissions associated with each individual concrete component and its production need …
Evaluation Methodology And Implementation For Natural Ventilation Control Strategies, Massimo Fiorentini, Georgios Kokogiannakis, Warwick Jackson, Zhenjun Ma, Paul Cooper
Evaluation Methodology And Implementation For Natural Ventilation Control Strategies, Massimo Fiorentini, Georgios Kokogiannakis, Warwick Jackson, Zhenjun Ma, Paul Cooper
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
This paper describes a methodology for evaluating the effectiveness of various control strategies for the operation of window actuators to control the indoor climate, and their implementation in a full scale case study building. In this study, the effectiveness of a control strategy is considered in terms of the capability of the controller for maintaining the indoor thermal comfort in a prescribed variable range, and its effect on the minimisation of the operational energy consumption of the building, due to a lower thermal energy demand to be met by the heating and cooling system. A model of the case study …
An Analytical Evaluation Of Radial Consolidation With Respect To Drain Degradation, Thanh Trung Nguyen, Buddhima Indraratna, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn
An Analytical Evaluation Of Radial Consolidation With Respect To Drain Degradation, Thanh Trung Nguyen, Buddhima Indraratna, Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B
No abstract provided.
A Definition And Ethical Evaluation Of Overdiagnosis: Response To Commentaries, Stacy M. Carter, Jenny Doust, Christopher J. Degeling, Alexandra Barratt
A Definition And Ethical Evaluation Of Overdiagnosis: Response To Commentaries, Stacy M. Carter, Jenny Doust, Christopher J. Degeling, Alexandra Barratt
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
It is a privilege to have respected colleagues engage with our definition and ethical evaluation of overdiagnosis. In our response to the commentaries, we first deal with paradigmatic issues: the place of realism, the relationship between diagnostic standards and correctness and the distinction between overdiagnosis and both false-positives and medicalisation. We then discuss issues arising across the commentaries in turn. Our definition captures the range of different types of overdiagnosis, unlike a definition limited to diagnosis of harmless disease. Certain implications do flow from our definition, as noted by commentators, but we do not view them as problematic: overdiagnoses can …
Evaluation Report 2015: Investigating The Effectiveness Of The In2uni Year 12 University Preparation Program, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Valerie Harwood, Steven J. Howard, Ken Cliff, Janine Delahunty
Evaluation Report 2015: Investigating The Effectiveness Of The In2uni Year 12 University Preparation Program, Sarah Elizabeth O'Shea, Valerie Harwood, Steven J. Howard, Ken Cliff, Janine Delahunty
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
In2Uni's Year 12 University Preparation Program (UPP), which commenced in 2014, is an innovative program for students in their HSC year working towards an ATAR. It targets schools in UOW catchment areas, and particularly those identified as being from the 39 low-ICSEA (Index of Community and Socio-Educational Advantage) areas. Students must meet eligibility criteria, one being that their academic performance is not currently on the trajectory to meet university entry requirements (In2Uni, My Way, 2016). Once accepted into UPP, students attend on-campus study sessions for two hours per week over a 20- week period from April to September. The general …
Large-Scale Investment In Green Space As An Intervention For Physical Activity, Mental And Cardiometabolic Health: Study Protocol For A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Of A Natural Experiment, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng, Gregory Kolt
Large-Scale Investment In Green Space As An Intervention For Physical Activity, Mental And Cardiometabolic Health: Study Protocol For A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation Of A Natural Experiment, Thomas E. Astell-Burt, Xiaoqi Feng, Gregory Kolt
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Introduction 'Green spaces' such as public parks are regarded as determinants of health, but evidence from tends to be based on cross-sectional designs. This protocol describes a study that will evaluate a large-scale investment in approximately 5280 hectares of green space stretching 27 km north to south in Western Sydney, Australia. Methods and analysis A Geographic Information System was used to identify 7272 participants in the 45 and Up Study baseline data (2006-2008) living within 5 km of the Western Sydney Parklands and some of the features that have been constructed since 2009, such as public access points, advertising billboards, …
Evaluation And Comparison Of Job Stress Among Security Workers With Fixed And Shift Work Schedules In Municipality Of Tehran, A Chaichi, Shahnaz Bakand, R Yarahmadi
Evaluation And Comparison Of Job Stress Among Security Workers With Fixed And Shift Work Schedules In Municipality Of Tehran, A Chaichi, Shahnaz Bakand, R Yarahmadi
Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)
Municipality of Tehran with huge number of employees and with the aim to reduce stress and promote the work efficiency, seriously wants to achieve suitable and utilizable studies. Osipow's job stress test is one of the best tools to reach this aim. Data population includes securities building of municipality of Tehran (88 persons from region 18 and 72 persons from region 20), who were randomly chosen to be participated in the current survey. For this purpose three types of working hours schedule such as full time shift ( 24 hrs work, 24 hrs rest ), day-shift and night-shift workers, were …
Thermal Performance Evaluation And Optimal Design Of Buildings With Integrated Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collectors And Phase Change Materials Using The Hooke-Jeeves Pattern Search Method, Wenye Lin, Zhenjun Ma, Paul Cooper
Thermal Performance Evaluation And Optimal Design Of Buildings With Integrated Air-Based Photovoltaic Thermal Collectors And Phase Change Materials Using The Hooke-Jeeves Pattern Search Method, Wenye Lin, Zhenjun Ma, Paul Cooper
Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A
Over the last several decades, many low energy technologies have been developed and deployed to reduce building energy consumption. Among various solutions, solar photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors and phase change materials (PCMs) are among the most promising methods receiving increasing attention. This paper presents a thermal performance evaluation and optimal design of buildings integrated with air-based solar PVT collectors and PCMs embedded in the building envelope by using The Hooke-Jeeves pattern search method. The Hooke-Jeeves generalized pattern search is used to search for optimal solutions of the optimization problem. The variables optimized include the PVT air flow rate, additional wall …