Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Thermal Performance Evaluation Of An Integrated Photovoltaic Thermal-Phase Change Material System Using Taguchi Method, Haoshan Ren, Wenye Lin, Zhenjun Ma, Wenke Fan

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper presents the performance evaluation of an integrated photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collector-phased change material (PCM) thermal energy storage (TES) system. The PVT collectors can generate both electricity and low-grade thermal energy during the daytime, and the thermal energy generated can be temporarily stored in the PCM TES unit and used for space heating during the night-time. Taguchi method and analysis of variance are used for the simulation design and data analysis, respectively. The thermal performance of the proposed system was evaluated in terms of the useful energy stored in the TES system. The results showed that the outlet air …

Linear Regression Models For Prediction Of Annual Heating And Cooling Demand In Representative Australian Residential Dwellings, Navid Aghdaei, Georgios Kokogiannakis, Daniel J. Daly, Timothy J. Mccarthy

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper presents the development methodology of linear regression models that were developed for the prediction of annual thermal loads in representative residential buildings across three major climates in New South Wales, Australia, and the assessment of the impact of building envelope upgrades. A differential sensitivity analysis was undertaken for sixteen building envelope parameters, with six parameters being identified as significant. These six parameters were then explored using EnergyPlus simulation, and a number of linear regression models developed from the simulation outputs. Random values for design parameters were generated, and the results of EnergyPlus simulations using these parameters were used …

Microdosimetry Of Electrons In Liquid Water Using The Low-Energy Models Of Geant4, Ioanna Kyriakou, Dimitris Emfietzoglou, Vladimir N. Ivanchenko, M Bordage, Susanna Guatelli, Peter Lazarakis, H Tran, Sebastien Incerti

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The biological effects of ionizing radiation at the cellular level are frequently studied using the well-known formalism of microdosimetry, which provides a quantitative description of the stochastic aspects of energy deposition in irradiated media. Energy deposition can be simulated using Monte Carlo codes, some adopting a computationally efficient condensed-history approach, while others follow a more detailed track-structure approach. In this work, we present the simulation of microdosimetry spectra and related quantities (frequency-mean and dose-mean lineal energies) for incident monoenergetic electrons (50 eV-10 keV) in spheres of liquid water with dimensions comparable to the size of biological targets: base pairs (2 …

Effects Of Span-To-Depth Ratios On Moment Connection Damage Evolution Under Catenary Action, Ling Li, Wei Wang, Lip H. Teh, Yiyi Chen

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper proposes an improved method for determining the gravity resistance of a moment resisting beam-column assembly following an interior column loss. The proposed method accounts for the connection's damage evolution and for the catenary mechanism developed by the assembly as it deflects downward. Through a full-scale laboratory test and finite element simulations, the complete responses of moment resisting beam-column assemblies including the connection's damage evolution are investigated under different beam span-to-depth ratios. The welded unreinforced flange-bolted web (WUF-BW) connection method is used for its robustness in developing the catenary action. It is found that, under the same span-to-depth ratio, …

Investigation Of Hydraulic-Mechanical Properties Of Paste Backfill Containing Coal Gangue-Fly Ash And Its Application In An Underground Coal Mine, Xinguo Zhang, Jia Lin, Jinxiao Liu, Fei Li, Zhenzhong Pang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Backfilling is widely used to control surface subsidence and stope stability to improve pillar recovery. Furthermore, it is also an effective way to process and dispose of mining waste such as coal gangue and tailings. In this study, the hydraulic-mechanical properties of cemented paste backfill materials (CPB) were investigated. Twenty-eight cemented coal gangue-fly ash backfill mixtures were prepared with different water, cement, fly ash and coal gangue content and the slump, segregation and water bleeding ratio tests were conducted. Increasing fly ash content increased the slump value and decreased the segregation value of the slurry. The uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) …

Fracture Toughness Measurement For Aluminium 6061-T6 Using Notched Round Bars, Alan K. Hellier, P. P. Chaphalkar, B. G. Prusty

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

Current standard testing methods for determining plane strain fracture toughness (KIc), such as ASTM E399 and ASTM E1820, require a prior estimate of KIc, plus the specimens are large, involve a lot of machining and need fatigue pre-cracking. There is therefore a desire to develop new testing techniques which are simple, as well as cost and time effective. While the use of tensile notched round bars (NRB) test pieces is not novel, dating back to a conference paper by Brown in 1975, relatively few authors have so far attempted this.

Using Unannounced Standardised Patients As A Quality Improvement Tool To Improve Primary Care, Heike Schutze, Elizabeth Harris, Mark Fort Harris

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the 2nd International Conference on General Practice & Primary Care, 18-19 September 2017, Zurich, Switzerland

Retention In Enhanced Team Based Learning Course: Retain Or Refrain?, Janil Puthucheary, Sok H. Goh, Tam C. Ha, Doyle G. Graham, Sandy Cook

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Students’ ability to retain content in medical school has always been a concern. At Duke-NUS Medical School, we modified our Team-Based Learning (TBL) classes known as TeamLEAD, a learning strategy for first year basic science content, to include an open/closed-book option in the readiness assurance phase to engage teams in deeper discussion. We hypothesize that the open-book option allows students to engage in deeper learning in their teams, which leads to an improvement in retention ability for each individual student at the end of their first year basic science curriculum.

Methods: A total of 115 MCQs used throughout first year …

Heroic Struggles, Criminals And Scientific Breakthroughs: Adhd And The Medicalization Of Child Behaviour In Australian Newsprint Media 1999-2009, Valerie Harwood, Sandra C. Jones, Andrew D. Bonney, Samantha Mcmahon

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

There is a dearth of scholarly analysis and critique of the Australian newsprint media's role in the medicalization of child behaviour. To begin to redress this lack this paper analyses newsprint media's use of metaphors that re/describe and construct realities of ADHD with a medicalizing effect. The interdisciplinary team used the FactivaTM database to locate and review 453 articles published in Australian national and metropolitan newspapers during the decade 1999-2009. Data analysis involved generating statistical descriptions of the dataset according to attributes such as: date, state, newspaper titles and author names. This was followed by inductive analysis of article content. …

Promoting Motor Skills In Low-Income, Ethnic Children: The Physical Activity In Linguistically Diverse Communities (Paldc) Nonrandomized Trial, Anthony D. Okely, Louise L. Hardy, Marijka Batterham, Philip J. Pearson, Kim Mckeen, Lauren M. Puglisi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

This study reports the long-term effects of a professional learning program for classroom teachers on fundamental motor skill (FMS) proficiency of primary school students from ethnically diverse backgrounds. Design: A cluster non-randomized trial using a nested cross-sectional design. Methods: The study was conducted in 8 primary schools located in disadvantaged and culturally diverse areas in Sydney, Australia. The intervention used an action learning framework, with each school developing and implementing an action plan for enhancing the teaching of FMS in their school. School teams comprised 4-5 teachers and were supported by a member of the research team. The primary outcome …

What Factors Contribute To The Continued Low Rates Of Indigenous Status Identification In Urban General Practice? - A Mixed-Methods Multiple Site Case Study, Heike Schutze, Lisa Jackson Pulver, Mark Fort Harris

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background Indigenous peoples experience worse health and die at younger ages than their non-indigenous counterparts. Ethnicity data enables health services to identify inequalities experienced by minority populations and to implement and monitor services specifically targeting them. Despite significant Government intervention, Australia's Indigenous peoples, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, continue to be under identified in data sets. We explored the barriers to Indigenous status identification in urban general practice in two areas in Sydney. Methods A mixed-methods multiple-site case study was used, set in urban general practice. Data collection included semi-structured interviews and self-complete questionnaires with 31 general practice …

Wheat, Sheep Or Elvis Presley? Rural Australia Has Had To Change Its Tune, John Connell, Christopher R. Gibson

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Rural and regional Australia have had a hard time of late. The economies of Sydney and Melbourne are growing, but much of the rest of their states are not. The population of regional areas is stagnating and agriculture is struggling. Perhaps worst of all there is a feeling that no-one in Canberra or in the booming coastal periphery cares about this. The people of Orange have apparently spoken. Outside Sydney, behind what seems like an impervious sandstone curtain, not all is well. Even the largest towns in regional New South Wales are struggling to retain their populations and have faced …

Cognitive And Psychological Flexibility After A Traumatic Brain Injury And The Implications For Treatment In Acceptance-Based Therapies: A Conceptual Review, Diane L. Whiting, Frank P. Deane, Grahame K. Simpson, Hamish J. Mcleod, Joseph Ciarrochi

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

2015 Taylor & Francis This paper provides a selective review of cognitive and psychological flexibility in the context of treatment for psychological distress after traumatic brain injury, with a focus on acceptance-based therapies. Cognitive flexibility is a component of executive function that is referred to mostly in the context of neuropsychological research and practice. Psychological flexibility, from a clinical psychology perspective, is linked to health and well-being and is an identified treatment outcome for therapies such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). There are a number of overlaps between the constructs. They both manifest in the ability to change behaviour …

Neurological Soft Signs: Effects Of Trait Schizotypy, Psychological Distress And Auditory Hallucination Predisposition, Saskia De Leede-Smith, Steven J. Roodenrys, Lauren Horsley, Shannen Matrini, Erin Mison, Emma Barkus

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

No abstract provided.

Community Mobilization For Hiv Testing Uptake: Results From A Community Randomized Trial Of A Theory-Based Intervention In Rural South Africa, Sheri Lippman, Torsten Neilands, Catherine L. Mac Phail, Dean Peacock, Suzanne Maman, Dumisani Rebombo, Rhian Twine, Amanda Selin, Hannah Leslie, Kathleen Kahn, Audrey Pettifor

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: HIV testing uptake in South Africa is below optimal levels. Community mobilization (CM) may increase and sustain demand for HIV testing, however, little rigorous evidence exists regarding the effect of CM interventions on HIV testing and the mechanisms of action.

Methods: We implemented a theory-driven CM intervention in 11 of 22 randomly-selected villages in rural Mpumalanga Province. Cross-sectional surveys including a community mobilization measure were conducted before (n = 1181) and after (n = 1175) a 2-year intervention (2012–2014). We assessed community-level intervention effects on reported HIV testing using multilevel logistic models. We used structural equation models to explore …

Feasibility Randomised Controlled Trial Of A Self-Help Acceptance And Commitment Therapy Intervention For Grief And Psychological Distress In Carers Of Palliative Care Patients, Esther Davis, Frank P. Deane, Geoffrey C. B Lyons, Gregory D. Barclay, Joan Bourne, Vivienne Connolly

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

We tested the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of an acceptance and commitment therapy self-help intervention for grief and psychological distress in carers of patients in palliative care. Carers were randomised to the control group, which received treatment as usual, or the intervention group, which received treatment as usual plus an acceptance and commitment therapy–based self-help booklet and telephone support call. Questionnaires were completed at baseline, 1-month post-allocation and 6 months post-loss. Results indicated that the intervention was generally feasible and viewed as acceptable to carers. Preliminary effectiveness analyses showed at least a small effect in acceptance, valued-living, grief and psychological …

The Oscillating Potential Model Of Visually Induced Vection, Takeharu Seno, Ken-Ichi Sawai, Hidetoshi Kanaya, Toshihiro Wakebe, Masaki Ogawa, Yoshitaka Fujii, Stephen Palmisano

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

2017, The Author(s) 2017. Visually induced illusions of self-motion are often referred to as vection. This article developed and tested a model of responding to visually induced vection. We first constructed a mathematical model based on well-documented characteristics of vection and human behavioral responses to this illusion. We then conducted 10,000 virtual trial simulations using this Oscillating Potential Vection Model (OPVM). OPVM was used to generate simulated vection onset, duration, and magnitude responses for each of these trials. Finally, we compared the properties of OPVM's simulated vection responses with real responses obtained in seven different laboratory-based vection experiments. The OPVM …

The Impact Of Structured Physical Activity On Glycaemic Control In Diabetes Prevention Programs: A Systematic Review, Joseph Edwards, Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Seven landmark randomised controlled trials, with some that began as early as the 1990s, observed the prediabetic state, namely, impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose conditions, against the impact of lifestyle interventions such as physical activity, to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In addition to the landmark trials, this systematic review examines 14 studies that retained a focus on prediabetic individuals and measured the efficacy of physical activity on improving glucose tolerance. Results: Type, duration and intensity of structured physical activity can have unique benefits to prediabetic individuals. It is posited that diabetes …

Dog-Bites, Rabies And One Health: Towards Improved Coordination In Research, Policy And Practice, Melanie Rock, Dawn Rault, Christopher J. Degeling

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Dog-bites and rabies are neglected problems worldwide, notwithstanding recent efforts to raise awareness and to consolidate preventive action. As problems, dog-bites and rabies are entangled with one another, and both align with the concept of One Health. This concept emphasizes interdependence between humans and non-human species in complex socio-ecological systems. Despite intuitive appeal, One Health applications and critiques remain under-developed with respect to social science and social justice. In this article, we report on an ethnographic case-study of policies on dog bites and rabies, with a focus on Calgary, Alberta, Canada, which is widely recognized as a leader in animal-control …

The Create Critical Appraisal Tool: Establishing The Validity, Reliability And Feasibility Of A Tool To Appraise Research From Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Perspective, Stephen Harfield, O Gibson, Kathryn Anne Morey, Elaine Kite, Karla Canuto, K Glover, Judith Streak Gomersall, Carol Davy, D Carter, Edoardo Aromataris, Annette J. Braunack-Mayer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Abstract presented at the Global Evidence Summit: Using evidence. Improving lives, 13-16 September 2017, Cape Town, South Africa

Measured, Opportunistic, Unexpected And Naïve Quitting: A Qualitative Grounded Theory Study Of The Process Of Quitting From The Ex-Smokers' Perspective, Andrea L. Smith, Stacy M. Carter, Sally M. Dunlop, Becky Freeman, Simon Chapman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background To better understand the process of quitting from the ex-smokers' perspective, and to explore the role spontaneity and planning play in quitting. Methods Qualitative grounded theory study using in-depth interviews with 37 Australian adult ex-smokers (24-68 years; 15 males, 22 females) who quit smoking in the past 6-24 months (26 quit unassisted; 11 used assistance). Results Based on participants' accounts of quitting, we propose a typology of quitting experiences: measured, opportunistic, unexpected and naïve. Two key features integral to participants' accounts of their quitting experiences were used as the basis of the typology: (1) the apparent onset of quitting …

Psa Testing For Men At Average Risk Of Prostate Cancer, Bruce Armstrong, Michael Barry, Mark Frydenberg, Robert A. Gardiner, Ian Haines, Stacy M. Carter

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing of men at normal risk of prostate cancer is one of the most contested issues in cancer screening. There is no formal screening program, but testing is common - arguably a practice that ran ahead of the evidence. Public and professional communication about PSA screening has been highly varied and potentially confusing for practitioners and patients alike. There has been much research and policy activity relating to PSA testing in recent years. Landmark randomised controlled trials have been reported; authorities - including the 2013 Prostate Cancer World Congress, the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, Cancer Council …

What Is Overdiagnosis And Why Should We Take It Seriously In Cancer Screening?, Stacy M. Carter, Alexandra Barratt

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Overdiagnosis occurs in a population when conditions are diagnosed correctly but the diagnosis produces an unfavourable balance between benefits and harms. In cancer screening, overdiagnosed cancers are those that did not need to be found because they would not have produced symptoms or led to premature death. These overdiagnosed cancers can be distinguished from false positives, which occur when an initial screening test suggests that a person is at high risk but follow-up testing shows them to be at normal risk. The cancers most likely to be overdiagnosed through screening are those of the prostate, thyroid, breast and lung. Overdiagnosis …

Who Is At Risk Of Chronic Disease? Associations Between Risk Profiles Of Physical Activity, Sitting And Cardio‐Metabolic Disease In Australian Adults, Lina Engelen, Joanne Gale, Josephine Chau, Louise L. Hardy, Martin Mackey, Nathan A. Johnson, Debra Shirley, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine the associations of physical activity (PA) and sitting time (sit) with cardio‐metabolic diseases. Methods: Cross‐sectional data from the Australian National Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey 2011-2012 (n=9,435) were used to classify adults into low and high risk groups based on their physical activity and sitting behaviour profiles. Logistic regression models examined associations between low and high risk classifications (high PA‐low sit; high PA‐high sit; low PA‐low sit; low PA‐high sit;) and socio‐demographic factors, and associations between low and high risk classifications and the prevalence of cardiovascular disease, Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Results: These results characterise …

Trends In Prevalence Of Leisure Time Physical Activity And Inactivity: Results From Australian National Health Surveys 1989 To 2011, Josephine Chau, Tien Chey, Sarah Burks-Young, Lina Engelen, Adrian E. Bauman

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: To examine trends in leisure time physical activity and inactivity in Australians aged 15 years or older from 1989 to 2011.

Method: We used data from six Australian National Health Surveys conducted from 1989/90 to 2011/12 in which physical activity was assessed using comparable questions. Analyses examined trends in the prevalence of sufficient physical activity (≥150 minutes/week moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity) and of inactivity (<30 minutes/week moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity).

Results: The proportion of sufficiently active adults was 39.2% in 1989 and 40.7% in 2011 with an overall declining trend of 0.2% per year (p=0.012). The prevalence of inactivity was 38.7% in 1989 …

2017 Calibre Essay Prize (Winner): 'Salt Blood', Michael J. Adams

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

It is quiet and cool and dark blue. At this depth the pressure on my body is double what it is at the surface: my heartbeat has slowed, blood has started to withdraw from my extremities and move into the space my compressed lungs have created. I am ten metres underwater on a breath-hold dive, suspended at the point of neutral buoyancy where the weight of the water above cancels my body's natural flotation. I turn head down, straighten my body, kick gently, and begin to fall with the unimpeded gravitational pull to the heart of the Earth.

What Are Standardized Literacy And Numeracy Tests Testing? Evidence Of The Domain-General Contributions To Students' Standardized Educational Test Performance, Steven J. Howard, Stuart Woodcock, John F. Ehrich, Sahar Bokosmaty

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: A fundamental aim of standardized educational assessment is to achieve reliable discrimination between students differing in the knowledge, skills and abilities assessed. However, questions of the purity with which these tests index students' genuine abilities have arisen. Specifically, literacy and numeracy assessments may also engage unintentionally assessed capacities. Aims: The current study investigated the extent to which domain-general processes - working memory (WM) and non-verbal reasoning - contribute to students' standardized test performance and the pathway(s) through which they exert this influence. Sample Participants were 91 Grade 2 students recruited from five regional and metropolitan primary schools in Australia. …

"I Feel Like Having A Nervous Breakdown": Pre-Service And In-Service Teachers' Developing Beliefs And Knowledge About Pronunciation Instruction, Michael Burri, Amanda Ann Baker, Honglin Chen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Evidence on the impact of second language teacher education is inconclusive in the area of pronunciation pedagogy. This study explores how the cognition (knowledge, beliefs, thoughts, attitudes and perceptions) of 10 pre-service and five in-service teachers developed during a postgraduate course on pronunciation pedagogy. Questionnaire items, focus group meetings, semi-structured interviews, classroom observations and an assessment task were used to trace the development of participants' beliefs and knowledge. Findings demonstrated that the development of the student teachers' cognition was limited and the notion of integrating pronunciation into L2 lessons proved to be challenging for participants irrespective of their pronunciation teaching …

Empowering Nonnative-English-Speaking Teachers In Primary School Contexts: An Ethnographic Case Study, Michael S. Burri

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

With the prospect of economic growth, governments in many parts of the world where English is spoken as an additional language have pushed for educational reforms and introduced English at the primary school level. However, the implementation of such reforms along with a general lack of training opportunities available to primary school teachers has caused considerable uncertainty and anxiety among practitioners. This article reports on a small-scale ethnographic case study that explored a Japanese approach to English teaching/learning with the aim of identifying pedagogical practices that nonnative-English-speaking teachers could implement in their primary English lessons. Seven observations, four unstructured interviews, …

Joint Development Of Teacher Cognition And Identity Through Learning To Teach L2 Pronunciation, Michael S. Burri, Honglin Chen, Amanda Ann Baker

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The constructs of teacher cognition and teacher identity have recently gained considerable attention in second language teacher education research for their crucial roles in understanding teacher learning. While a number of current studies have examined the contributions of both constructs, the connections between cognition and identity are yet to be fully conceptualized. This article addresses this gap by drawing on the notion of identification to examine the identity construction and cognition development of 15 student teachers in the context of a postgraduate course on pronunciation pedagogy. Questionnaires, focus group interviews, observations, and semi-structured interviews were triangulated to obtain an in-depth …